Mahesh Ramanathan quits Reliance Entertainment

To partner Dr Resul Pookutty in film production venture

                                     

Mahesh Ramanathan, the 5 time National Award winning producer, first employee and Chief Operating Officer of Reliance Entertainment has quit after an 8 year stint.

Mahesh, a management graduate from IIM-Ahmedabad will partner iconic Oscar Award winning sound designer, Padmashri awardee and National Award winner, Dr Resul Pookutty in starting up a film production & production services venture with a wide blueprint covering International, Hindi & Regional films.

Mahesh produced/co-produced films for Reliance Entertainment that won 5 National awards in the Best Film category including the prestigious Swarna Kamal from the President of India for Malayalam home production “Kutty Srank” (Best Film of 2009).

Mahesh was also instrumental in Reliance Entertainment producing the popular “Singham” franchise in Hindi. The first edition was a remake of Reliance Entertainment’s Tamil co-production “Singam” which Mahesh co-produced with Gnanavelraja.

Mahesh has co-produced, marketed & distributed all  box office smashes in Reliance Entertainment’s history  like “3 Idiots”,”Bodyguard”,”Don-2”,”Singham Returns” and “Holiday” besides blockbusters “Atharintiki Daredi” and “Manam” in Telugu and “Boss” in Bengali .

Speaking about the partnership Dr Resul Pookutty said “Mahesh is one of the most successful executives to emerge from the studio system. With an abiding passion for the movie business, his deep insights, reputation, film maker relationships and work ethic are an asset to our partnership. I look forward to an exciting and long lasting association. We will announce our plans shortly.”

Mahesh Ramanathan added “It’s a singular honour to get to share my destiny with Dr Resul Pookutty who is a lodestar of our film industry. With inspiration in abundance our partnership will aim to win the respect of audiences & the industry”    

National Awards (Best Film) won by Mahesh Ramanathan as producer for Reliance Entertainment

Name of Film	Language	Award	Year	Director
“Kutty Srank”	Malayalam	Best Film	2009	Shaji Karun
“Paa”	Hindi	Best Hindi Film	2009	R.Balki
“Well Done Abba”	Hindi	Best Film on Social Issues	2009	Shyam Benegal
“Abohomaan”	Bengali	Best Bengali Film	2009	Rituparno Ghosh
“Sob Charitro Kalponik”	Bengali	Best Bengali Film	2008	Rituparno Ghosh

 

 

Four back to back successes for Shraddha Kapoor.

The young actress seems to be on a roll and has been delivering box office hits one after the other.

Her recent release, ABCD 2 is Shraddha Kapoor's 4th consecutive hit.

Before this, the actress charmed everyone with her Kashmiri avatar in the critically acclaimed film, Haider.

Before that was the commercially successful film Ek villain and before that, the film that she rose to popularity with, Aashiqui 2.

She has garnered appreciation from all quarters for her endearing performances and has been receiving love from audiences.

Shraddha is completely dedicated to every film that she does and puts in all her hard work which eventually shows on the big screen.

The actress is very happy with the way things are going for her and is very excited about her upcoming films Rock On 2 and Baaghi.

​Shraddha Kapoor shares, “I cannot express how happy I am to receive this kind of love and appreciation from audiences. It only encourages me to work even harder and put my best foot forward each time.”​

Aditya Chopra is all praises for Shraddha Kapoor.

Shraddha Kapoor has been receiving praise and accolades for her performance in her recent release, ABCD 2 from audiences at large and also from people from the industry.

But in the midst of all these phone calls and messages, there is one conversation that the actress holds very close to heart; her conversation with Aditya Chopra’s.

The producer had a brief chat with her after he watched the film and expressed to her how he loved her in the film.

The actress has put in months and months of hard work into the film and the entire journey is very special for her.

Even Karan Johar and Sajid Nadiadwala (with whom she has her next) shared words of praise with the actress which only made her feel satisfied as their word carries a lot of weight given the years of experience they have.

When she received words of praise and positive feedback from Aditya Chopra, whom she always considers her mentor, she was very happy. He was the one who believed in her talent and he has seen her grow tremendously.

Shraddha shares, “Adi sir's opinion is something I always cherish. Words of praise coming from him is one of the biggest rewards that I could get. Infact I even had a conversation with Sajid sir and Karan sir. They have all been so kind. ”

Richa dedicates film to her mom

Richa Chadhas next film wherein she is playing a special role will be based on life of teachers.

The film highlights the hardships of the teachers, not only in their day to day lives, but also in the education system and society norms.

Richas mom is a professor herself and Richa can so totally relate to the story.

Commenting on the same Richa says, “Both my parents are originally academics. My mother teaches in Delhi University, and that was another reason why i felt i could be a part of the film. My mother usually doesnt ask me anything about the roles I choose,  but this time she asked me what the film was about, even though i am doing just a tiny cameo."

Konkana to go to London Indian Film festival with her film.

After pondering hearts at the New York Indian Film Festival Ananth Mahadevan's upcoming feature film Gour Hari Dastaan- The Freedom File is said to have a UK premiere before an India premier

Ananth received an overwhelming response at the New York Indian Film Festival where the movies was shown.

People marked the movie as a new generation awakening and he was requested for a UK premiere of the film by the director (CARY SAWHNEY ) of the festival himself

Konkana Sen Sharma , Ananth Mahadevan and Resull Potukutu will be attending this event from India.

Quote  From Konkana - I'm so excited about the international premiere of GHD in the UK !, I'm hoping to be there with the director myself to present the film at the London Indian Film Festival. I'll be watching the film for the first time with the audience there. The timing is great as we are releasing the film in August in India !

Sightsavers Organises ‘The Blind View’ - A Photography Workshop for Visually Impaired Photography Enthusiasts

                                                                                              

    

Mumbai, 25^th June 2015: Sightsavers, a development organisation that works to prevent avoidable blindness, restore sight and advocate for social inclusion and equal rights for people with disabilities recently organised a Photography Workshop for the visually impaired photography enthusiasts at the Press Club in Mumbai.

This Photography Workshop was first in the series of their nationwide advocacy event, ‘The Blind View’ in association with Beyond Sight Foundation and is being supported by Her Highness Sheikha Arwa Al Qassimi.

Commenting on the event, Mr. Partho Bhowmick, Founder, Beyond Sight Foundation (BSF),said, “We are very pleased to have conducted such a unique workshop for these maturing photographers in partnership with Sightsavers. The participants are being trained to click photos highlighting their day-to-day life and the best photographs will be showcased in an exhibition later this year. The key objective behind this innovative initiative was to look beyond blindness and motivate the participants to believe in themselves and pursue their interest.”

The participants in the workshop were being trained to click perfect pictures under the supervision of the skilled experts. The workshop also witnessed the participation of a renowned visually impaired photographer Bhavesh Patel, who recently did a photo-shoot with Bollywood Actress Katrina Kaif for a Lux ad.

Mr. Amal Gupta, Senior Manager, Brand & Communications, Sightsavers (India), said, “Our main motto to organize the event was to showcase the ability of disabled people and  to offer an enabling environment to the visually challenged then they can contribute to the economy rather than being dependent on it”.

Mr. RN Mohanty, CEO Sightsavers (India) was happy with the enthusiasm the participants had shown for the photography workshop. “I would personally like to wish each participant all the very best in their future and endeavours”, stated Mr. Mohanty.

About Sightsavers:

Sightsavers is a registered charity that works to prevent blindness, restore sight and advocate for social inclusion and equal rights for people with disabilities. The organization has been working in India since 1966. Sightsavers in India till date has been successful in reaching out to 53.4 million people, conducting 36.2 million eye treatments, performing 4.9 million eye operations.

For more information, log on to www.sightsaversindia.in

Brace yourself for the battle of the century in ‘Step Up: All In’ premiering this Sunday, 28th June 9 pm only on SONY PIX

                                                                                    

Mumbai, 28th June 2015:  Make way for the various dance crews battle for a victory in ‘The Vortex’ dance competition, that could define their dreams and their careers in ‘Step Up: All In’. Witness the exciting fifth instalment of the ‘Step Up’ franchise with all your favourites from the previous movies come together in the glittering ‘Step Up: All In’, which premieres exclusively only on SONY PIX on Sunday, 28th June at 1.00 pm and 9.00 pm.

The impressive dance film revolves around the protagonist Sean (Ryan Guzman) who stays in Los Angeles, while the rest of his crew ‘The Mob’ shifts back to Miami while Sean stays back refusing to give up on his dreams.

Things take a U-turn for Sean when he gets to know of an upcoming dance competition in Las Vegas called ‘The Vortex’. Once there, he teams up with talented dancers such as Andie (Briana Evigan) and Moose (Adam Sevani), including others. Only when he reached the competition venue, Sean realises that his original crew ‘The Mob’ are participating as a competing crew. Will Sean compete against his original crew?

Witness the dance, drama, and romance like never before in ‘Step Up: All In’, premiering exclusively on 28th June at 1.00 PM and 9.00 PM only on SONY PIX

Why did Rakyesh Om Prakash Mehra order 500 Paghdi's?

Rakyesh Om Prakash Mehra, The Rang de basanti fame director is all set to put his best foot forward as he tries his hand at a different genre with a contemporary love story titled Mirziya.

His vision for the film included the Cast and crew including the 500 odd Baarati's to wear ethnic wedding attires for a crucial wedding sequence.

Rakyesh took it upon himself and wore the hat of a wedding planner to shoot the scene.

Rakyesh had a precise vision how he wanted the wedding to look like on celluloid.
Besides personally being involved in the outfits of the lead pair, Rakyesh also ordered 500 Paghdi's a la Rajasthani style to get his perfect shot.

Rakyesh has been leaving no stone unturned and is travelling to the best of locations from Udaipur, Jodhpur and desert dunes of Jaisalmer to Ladakh.

The film is also associated with the best of the talent in the industry like Gulzar who is the films writer.

This only shows, that the director believes in having a vision and can go to any extend to stay true to it.

Salman Khan terms Adnan Sami sung song as his favourite.

Salman Khan has announced collaboration with Adnan Sami for Bajrangi Bhaijaan.
The song in question is 'Bhar do jholi meri aaj'.

In the past Salman and Adnan have worked and created magic together in movies like Salaam-E-Ishq, Jaan-E-Mann, Lucky - No Time For Love.
Bollywood's Bhaijaan has also termed the song as one of his favourites in the film.
After creating curiosity amongst his fans with who the singer of his soon to be released track could be.
Salman has finally let it out in the Open by declaring Adnan Sami as the singer.
Adnan is not only lending his voice but will also feature in the song.
Salman also posted a picture of Adnan Sami's look in the song.
The song which is heard to be shot in a dargah sure does build intrigue when coupled with Adnan's soulful voice.
Here's something that Salman Khan and Adnan Sami's fans have to look forward to.

Masterminds Official Teaser Trailer #1 2015 Zach Galifianakis, Kristen...

Shraddha thrilled to receive 1st hand reviews from Madhuri Dixit Nene.

Madhuri Dixit Nene attended the premier of ABCD 2 with its entire cast and crew and was extremely happy to watch the dance based film.

Shraddha Kapoor was delighted to have the dancing legend amidst her.

After watching the film, Madhuri shared her reviews with the cast terming their performance as fabulous.

Madhuri also spoke about the dance of the lead pair stating that it set the screen on fire.

On hearing the dancing legend congratulate her, Shraddha breathed a sigh of relief.

Shraddha was extremely thrilled to receive first hand reviews from the dancing diva and considers her hardwork rewarded.

Randeep Hooda to play Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s brother in Sarbjit

Omung Kumar’s biopic Sarbjit has been in the news lately for its various speculations on the star cast of the movie. After roping in the gorgeous Aishwariya Rai Bachchan for the role of Sarabjit’s sister Dalbir Kaur, the makers have finally locked down a name for the role of Sarabjit who is none other than talented Randeep Hooda.

 Known for his  exceptional acting skills and phenomenal performances in movies like ‘Kick’, ‘Highway’ and ‘Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster’, Randeep will be essaying the role of the slain Indian prisoner  Sarabjit.

The movie will narrate the struggle of Dalbir Kaur whose aim of life is to get her brother out of the jail, who has been imprisoned in Pakistan for a mistaken identity of an Indian spy.

Randeep Hooda is all set to play the role Aishwariya Rai Bachachan’s younger brother.The duo will be seen sharing screen space for the very first time in Indian cinema.

Confirming the news the Director of Sarbjit, Omung Kumar says,“ Yes Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Randeep Hooda are going to be apart in my next Biopic Sarbjit"

SARABJIT . Producer - Sandeep Singh, Zeeshan Quadri & Omung Kumar. Writer - Rajesh Beri & Utkarshini Vashishtha..Director - Omung Kumar . 70  days one schedule in Punjab, Shoot starts October 2015 and releases in May 2016 Cannes.

Tiger Shroff shooting for Baaghi

We recently spotted Tiger Shroff shooting for Sajid Nadiadwala’s Baaghi at Mehboob Studio.

Sajid Nadiadwala’s Baaghi, directed by Sabbir Khan, starring Tiger Shroff and Shraddha Kapoor recently went on floors.

Sajid Nadiadwala hired 50 additional security people for the film to protect the look of Tiger and the set.

It is for the first time that the actor will be seen in such a distinct look. So they have hired 50 additional security people to protect his look from being leaked.

Moreover, it is not just Tiger’s look that is being hidden, but also the set of the film. The makers do not want anything to go out as of now and are maintaining strict protection for the same.

Sa‎jid Nadiadwala, Sabbir Khan and Tiger Shroff are coming together after their superhit Heropanti.  ‎

It will be very interesting to see a new and fresh pairing of Tiger and Shraddha in Baaghi.

Jon Watts to Direct the Next Spider-Man Adventure, Set for Release July 28, 2017

SONY PICTURES AND MARVEL STUDIOS FIND THEIR “SPIDER-MAN” STAR AND DIRECTOR

Tom Holland Cast as the Web-Slinger

                                                                            

                                                                                                                                                                            

CULVER CITY, Calif., and BURBANK, Calif., June 23, 2015 – Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios are proud to announce that after a full worldwide casting search, Tom Holland will play Peter Parker/Spider-Man in the next Spider-Man film, in theaters in IMAX and 3D on July 28, 2017.  The film will be directed by Jon Watts, director of Cop Car, the upcoming thriller that made its debut earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival.

Marvel and Sony Pictures, and producers Kevin Feige and Amy Pascal conducted an extensive search for both the actor and the director.  The studios and producers were impressed by Holland’s performances in The Impossible, “Wolf Hall,” and the upcoming In the Heart of the Sea, and by a series of complex screen tests.  Following Marvel’s tradition of working with the brightest next wave of directors, Watts also went through multiple meetings with Feige, Pascal, and the studio, before winning the job. 

Commenting on the announcement, Tom Rothman, Sony Pictures Motion Pictures Group Chairman, “It’s a big day here at Sony. Kevin, Amy and their teams have done an incredible job.  The Marvel process is very thorough, and that’s why their results are so outstanding.  I’m confident Spider-Man will be no exception.  I’ve worked with a number of up-and-coming directors who have gone on to be superstars and believe that Jon is just such an outstanding talent.  For Spidey himself, we saw many terrific young actors, but Tom’s screen tests were special.   All in all, we are off to a roaring start.”

Feige commented, “As with James Gunn, Joss Whedon, and the Russo brothers, we love finding new and exciting voices to bring these characters to life.  We spent a lot of time with Jon and find his take and work inspiring.”

Pascal added, “Sony, Marvel, Kevin and I all knew that for Peter Parker, we had to find a vibrant, talented young actor capable of embodying one of the most well-known characters in the world.  With Tom, we’ve found the perfect actor to bring Spider-Man’s story into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.”

Sony Pictures will finance and release worldwide the next installment of the $4 billion Spider-Man franchise on July 28, 2017, in a film co-produced by Kevin Feige and his expert team at Marvel and Amy Pascal, who oversaw the franchise launch for the studio 13 years ago. Together, they will collaborate on a new creative direction for the Web-Slinger.

Spider-Man, embraced all over the world, is the most successful franchise in the history of Sony Pictures, with the five films having taken in more than $4 billion worldwide.

ABOUT SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT

Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production, acquisition and distribution; television production, acquisition and distribution; television networks; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; and development of new entertainment products, services and technologies. For additional information, go to http://www.sonypictures.com/.

About Marvel Entertainment

Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy-five years.  Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing, including licensing the Spider-Man universe to Sony Pictures.  For more information visit marvel.com. © 2015 MARVEL

Geeta Basra’s Second Hand Husband to release on Harbhajan Singh’s Birthday!!

Call it a happy coincidence. Turns out that the release date of Geeta Basra's upcoming film (July 3) matches that of her boyfriend Harbhajan Singh's birthday! 

We hear, there will be joint celebrations since Bhajji, who just made a comeback to Test Cricket will be present for the film's special screening in Mumbai. A source added, "Geeta goes and watches his matches, likewise, he will be there to support her. It will be special for Geeta. Also, since the film is a comedy, they will have a good time." 

हरभजनसिंह के बर्थडे पर होगी गीता की फिल्म रिलीज

क्रिकेटर हरभजनसिंह का तीन जुलाई को बर्थडे है और इस दिन उनकी गर्लफ्रेंड एकशानदार तोहफा दे रही हैं। गीता की फिल्म 'सेकंड हैंड हसबैंड' इसी दिन रिलीज होगी।इस जबरदस्त संयोग से गीता की खुशी थमने का नाम ही नहीं ले रही है। 

हाल ही में टेस्ट क्रिकेट में वापसी करने वाले हरभजन फिल्म की स्पेशल स्क्रीनिंग केअवसर मुंबई में मौजूद रहेंगे। जिस तरह से भज्जी के मैच देखने गीता स्टेडियमजाती हैं उसी तरह हरभजन भी गीता के सपोर्ट के लिए हाजिर रहेंगे। यह गीता के लिएविशेष बात होगी।

Deepika now has 5 characters that are loved and are memorable for ever

Deepika Padukone is considered to be the reigning queen of Bollywood. In the short span of her career, the actress has made a mark with her successful films and outstanding performances. She likes to connect with the audience through his performance. With Piku Deepika now has 5 characters that are loved by all and are memorable for ever.

The actress has performed some outstanding and most memorable characters. Here is looking at some of the best characters played by Deepika Padukone.

Cocktail

In cocktail Deepika was not only looking beautiful, but she proved it to everyone that how great actress She is. The character of impulsive party girl was loved by all. Playing such a character on screen would have been very challenging and she did it with ease.

 yeh jawaani hai Deewani

yeh jawaani hai Deewani

yeh jawaani hai Deewani brought back the lovely pair Ranbir and Deepika Padukone together. In this she played a Character of Shy girl Naina Talwar which was way different from her other glamorous role. The audience and the critic praised her performance. The movie was the big hit at the box office.

Chennai Express

In Chennai Express she was paired opposite Shahrukh Khan. Deepika played a Character of Meenalochini Azhagusundaram a Tamil girl. The audience loved her performance and she made all of us laugh with the Tamil accent. Chennai Express was the highest grossing film of that year.

Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela

It was a delight to watch her in Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela. She was the soul of the movie. The audience and Critic loved her performance She also won many awards for her role in Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela and Chennai Express.

Piku

With Piku Deepika Padukone has set a new benchmark. The movie was loved by all. She won lots of praises for her performance in piku. Her role was the talking point after the movie released.

Regards