Deepika Padukone leaves Vin Diesel smitten!

Deepika Padukone leaves Vin Diesel smitten!

Deepika Padukone leaves Vin Diesel smitten!

MAX DESIGN AWARDS 2015-16

Max Fashion announces Max Design Awards 2015-16 Student Edition, a definitive platform to recognize and reward the budding Fashion Designers.

After a massive response last year with 130 entries from top 25 design colleges across India, Max Design Awards is back with a promising platform and truly rewarding gratification options . This design platform created by Max, gives students a chance to showcase their best and reach out to the world through their creations.

Max, being a highly design driven brand, with a team of 32 designers working for Max India and over 1000 globally is looking to support and celebrate new and upcoming fashion talents. Over the last 2 years, Max has been facilitating emerging talent of India through their initiatives like Elite Model Look, Max Fashion Icon and so on. Continuing in the same spirit, Max Design Awards 15-16 Student Edition is yet another effort to reward the young aspiring fashion designers and provide them a platform to springboard their fashion design careers!

The esteemed jury for Max Design Awards 2016 includes Fashion Designers Monisha Jaising, Rahul Mishra, Troy Costa & Nikhil Thampi, Executive Director Max Mr. Vasanth Kumar and Project Head Marc Robinson.

The Gratification for Max Design Awards 2015-16 for top 3 contestants is - 3 months internship with renowned designers such as Monisha Jaising, Rahul Mishra, Troy Costa & Nikhil Thampi | Cash prize of Rs. 50,000/- each | Photo shoot and feature in the leading fashion magazine ELLE India along with their collection. The Winner (out of the Top 3 contestants) gets to work with Max, the leading international fashion brand in India.

Registrations for the award programme is open now. Log onto www.maxdesignawards.com to participate

Who can sign up?

Final year Fashion Designing students from reputed fashion design institutes

How do you participate?

Our theme for the Max Design Awards 2016 is "Heritage Revisited". The theme Heritage Revisited is all about drawing inspiration from heritage and folklore and giving it a modern/unique spin.

Step 1: Select any one category – Menswear or Womenswear. Prepare a mood board of your interpretation of the main theme.

Step 2: Based on your mood board, prepare two sketches.
- One sketch for prêt
- One sketch for Couture
Both sketches need to fall under any one category (menswear or womenswear) selected by you. Outline your colour pallet, fabrics, style, patterns, etc. for each of the designs

Step 3: Prepare a 500 word count brief on your collection.
Step 4: Register and upload your entries (sketches, mood board, details of fabric swatches and write up on maxdesignawards.com

Step 5: You can also e-mail your sketches, mood board, along with written details of your fabric swatches, a 500 word count brief on your interpretation of the theme and a high resolution picture of yourself at maxdesignawards@gmail.com  

Step 6: Send you physical entries (Both sketches, write up and fabric swatches) to –

C/o Landmark Events, 29, Madhu Estate,

Pandurang Budhkar Marg,

Worli, Mumbai-400013.

Submission Deadline for Sketches: 4th February 2016

About Max Fashion

Max is the leading fashion brand offering customers a one stop shop for clothing, accessories and footwear needs for the entire family.

Max, a division of Lifestyle International (P) Ltd., has pioneered the concept of ‘value fashion’ in the country, thereby offering the discerning shopper a vast choice with International fashion & quality. It offers apparel, footwear & accessories that are of the latest fashion trends at a great price, making it affordable to many. The store ambience offers an International shopping experience making shopping for the entire family an absolute delight. Globally Max has over 300 stores across 15 countries and in India, Max has over 130 stores across 50 cities. The brand plans to have a network of 145 stores in India by the end of FY 15-16.

Freindly Match Bewteen Delhi Dragons.

Delhi Dragons they came to the city for a friendly match. Match Happened Between Delhi Dragons & Media Gaints  being pitted against each other, in Which Media Gaints Won by 3 Wickets. It Was organised in the Khalsa College of Delhi University. Delhi Dragon Team saw the presence of Karan Wahi(Captain), Suyyash Rai(Big Boss Fame), Salil Ankola,Kishwer Merchantt and many more. Delhi Dragon Team Is Owned by Mika Singh & Ashwani Sharma. Mika Singh Sung the Anthem Song of the Delhi Dragon Team.

Hon’ble Justice Dr. A K Sikri launches LexisNexis’ book ‘Transfer Pricing Audit Practices in India, 2nd edition’, authored by Dr. M S Vasan

New Delhi, India, January 29, 2016. LexisNexis®, a leading provider of content and technology solutions for legal, corporate, tax, academic and government markets, launched another edition of its authoritative and renowned title ‘Transfer Pricing Audit Practices in India’ by Dr. M S Vasan, at India International Centre on January 28, 2016. Hon'ble Justice Mr. A K Sikri, Judge, Supreme Court of India, who was the Chief Guest of the function, released the book in presence of eminent dignitaries like Mr. V Lakshmikumaran, Advocate, Supreme Court of India; Mr. N Venkatraman, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India; Mr. S M Nigam, Former Member, CBDT; Prof. Girish Ahuja; Ms. Neetu Gupta, Head Tax, Aviva Life Insurance; Mr. Shailendra Kumar, Founder Editor, TaxIndiaOnline; and many other distinguished legal and tax luminaries and eminent jurists from the Supreme Court of India and Delhi High Court and Corporate Counsels of leading organizations.

During the occasion, Justice Mr. A K Sikri said, “Challenge for the judge is to understand whether it is the assesse who is trying to evade the tax or the tax authority that is hounding the assesse. It is difficult to decide who is right or wrong”. Justice Sikri complimented the author for this commendable work and congratulated LexisNexis for publishing such scholarly work. He mentioned that the outlook of the book was very impressive and gave an international feel. He continued saying, “This work can compete with any standard written book by a foreign author who is internationally recognized”.

While welcoming the guests and other dignitaries, Shreesh Chandra, Director of Content Creation & Acquisition for Legal, Tax and Academic verticals at LexisNexis India, explained how the book came into existence and highlighted the value that LexisNexis brings as a leading and quality publisher in the legal and tax space. Mr. Chandra said, “This book is based on Indian transfer pricing audit experiences for the period ranging from 2003-04 till date, right from TPO to appellate authorities, thereby proving guidance to the tax authorities, taxpayers and tax professionals on technical issues and compliance. An insight into the tax audit process and risk based assessment has been dealt with in detail. BEPS has been elaborately discussed based on the final report.”

During the book launch, Mr. V Lakshmikumaran said, “It is a book from which a learner can learn, practitioner can use and a judge can cite.” On the occasion, Mr. N Venkatraman said, “The title not only covers the audit practices in transfer pricing but also every aspect of transfer pricing itself.” He also praised the author for including brief and to the point sub-topics that will retain the reader’s interest in the book.

Congratulating the author on his achievement, Mr. S M Nigam said, “This is an authentic book on the subject which gives a rational and reasonable view.”

Feeling emotional on the occasion of launch of his book, Dr. Vasan mentioned, “The second edition of Transfer Pricing Audit Practices in India attempts to disentangle the complex web of transfer pricing controversies. The book also highlights the gap in the positions and approach of the tax authorities and taxpayers, and is a good starting point to explore some form of alignment of these positions to ease the pain of taxpayers and potential investors.”

Mr. Vikesh Dhyani, Director Marketing & CDI, LexisNexis India/South Asia, said, “The author has drawn from his practical experience of dealing with transfer pricing auditors to provide a taxpayer’s perspective on how to mitigate transfer pricing risk and reduce transfer pricing controversy. As a leading tax books’ publisher in India, it’s our endeavor to cover the entire gamut of both high demand and evolving/niche areas in tax. Transfer Pricing is a key area of focus for us and we are delighted to have published Dr. Vasan’s works who brings over 25 years of expertise and possesses a Ph.D. in Transfer Pricing.”

About LexisNexis

LexisNexis Legal & Professional is a leading global provider of content and technology solutions that enable professionals in legal, corporate, tax, government, academic and non-profit organizations to make informed decisions and achieve better business outcomes. As a digital pioneer, the company was the first to bring legal and business information online with its Lexis® and Nexis® services. Today, LexisNexis Legal & Professional harnesses leading-edge technology and world-class content to help professionals work in faster, easier and more effective ways. While working towards driving a technological transformation in the legal, tax and academic segments, LexisNexis has designed and developed LexisGreen™ - Law Books and Bare Acts on a Pen drive. This compact yet transformational solution helps smart professionals research better and take clear, confident decisions, anytime, anywhere, without internet access. Through close collaboration with its customers, the company ensures organizations can leverage its solutions to reduce risk, improve productivity, increase profitability and grow their business. LexisNexis Legal & Professional, which serves customers in more than 175 countries with 10,000 employees worldwide, is part of RELX Group plc, a world-leading provider of information solutions for professional customers across industries.

Neerja Bhanot's mother gave a special gift to Sonam Kapoor.

Neerja's mother has gifted a yellow dupatta to the actress!
Sonam Kapoor who would soon be seen in Ram Madhvani's upcoming Neerja was loved in the trailer of the film that was released by the makers.

The trailer had left a strong impact amongst audiences and it also garnered tremendous response from across.

Before beginning shooting for the film, the Neerja Team met Neerja Bhanot's Mother and Brothers in Chandigarh.

During the meet, when Rama met Sonam, she almost felt that her daughter has walked in. Rama then gifted a yellow dupatta to Sonam.

 

Neerja's mother, had bought a bright yellow dupatta to gift her daughter as yellow was Neerja's favourite colour. She couldn't give it to her back then as Neerja never returned.

Rama who was very aware of Neerja's choice had bought a bright yellow coloured dupatta to gift it to her daughter. However as the tragedy happened, Rama never got a chance to gift her the present.

Sonam was extremely honoured and was full of mixed emotions. The actress will be wearing the dupatta at one of the screenings of the film.

Directed by Ram Madhvani and Produced by Fox Star Studio's and Bling Unplugged. Neerja is  a film based on the heroic story of Neerja Bhanot who sacrificed her life while saving passengers from terrorists on board the hijacked Pan Am Flight 73 on 5 September 1986. The film is all set to release on February 19th, 2016.

Upen-Karishma doing couple yoga on the sets of MTV Love School

Love Gurus, Upen Patel and Karishma Tanna are known for setting an example for other couples by participating in the love school tasks along with the participants. In the upcoming episode of MTV Love School, television’s most loved couple, Upen and Karishma took a unique relationship health test, couples’ yoga in order to encourage other couples. This inventive task was aimed at rekindling the lost spark in relationships.

HimalayaLip Care launches ‘Muskaan’, a nationwide cleft lip initiative

Unveils a heart-warmingfilm tracing the transformation of Jyothi, a cleft patient

Link: https://fileshare-ap.bm.com/dl/erYUJsPgeS

Partners with Smile Train Indiato enable the first smiles of 100 cleft patients this year

Bangalore, January 28^th 2016: The Himalaya Drug Company, India’s leading Herbal Health and Personal Care Company today announced the launch of a cleft lip initiative –“Muskaan”in association with Smile Train India, an international NGO dedicated to spreading awareness on cleft deformities and providing free corrective surgeries for the under-privileged.

As part of the initiative, Himalaya Lip Care will enable a minimum of 100 cleft surgeries through Smile Train India through the first year of this partnership. So far, 55 cleft surgeries have already been completed. A contribution of Rs. 2 from the purchase of every Himalaya Lip Care product will be made towards the cause. While it’s just the beginning, Himalaya’s aim is to ensure children in need of cleft surgeries get access to treatment at the earliest, and at a tender age when healing is faster.

Mr Rajesh Krishnamurthy, Business Head-Consumer Products, The Himalaya Drug Company commented on the initiative, “We are extremely happy to associate with Smile Train India for this initiative. They have the operational excellence and network of skilled doctors to carry out the surgeries and have shown genuine empathy towards the cause. As a leading brand in the Lip Care category, one of the core brand objectives for Himalaya Lip Care is to ensure Healthy and Nourished lips for ALL. But it just doesn’t end here. We understand lips are conduit to expression of one’s emotions and confidence, a cleft condition hinders both. As a leading brand, we have taken this initiative to support the patients suffering from cleft-lip and help make a difference in their lives.”

“The treatment of cleft is hampered more due to the economic and perception constraints thus the need to provide access to free surgeries and spread awareness becomes more pressing. The launch of Muskaan and association with Smile Train is aimed at meeting these.” he further added.

To put the issue under the spotlight, the company has shot and unveiled a beautiful film on the life transformation journey of Jyothifrom Darbur Village, Chikkaballapur, Bengaluru who had been living with cleft for 14 years. The film brings alive the emotions and aspirations of the girl born with a cleft lip and palate as she undergoes a cleft lip surgery that gives her, her first real smile and leaves her with the promise of a better life.

The renowned composer Karan has crafted the music and Sona Mahapatra has lent her soulful voice to the background score. The track has been composed by lyricist Amit that captures this real story sublimely.

At the event, Ms Mamtaa Carrol, Smile Train’s Vice President and Regional Director for South Asia said, “It’s hard to imagine not being able to smile, but over ten lakh children in India live with untreated clefts. This birth defect also impairs eating, speaking and breathing and can lead to a life filled with shame and social isolation for the children and their families. In the last 16 years, we have helped provide new smiles and second chances in life to over 4,50,000 children in India and are excited that Himalaya has joined us in this journey of transforming lives. We are sure that the film on Jyothi will help raise awareness about clefts and its life-impacting treatment.”

“Support from corporates like Himalaya is a critical aspect of our work. It not only helps us continue and sustain our work but enables us to extend it, add greater value to it and spread awareness on a far greater scale. We look forward to a long and mutually fulfilling partnership with Himalaya which’ll add value to both the organizations as well as our common constituency of cleft patients.” she added.

Rahul Bharti, Creative Director, Roadrunner – the video production house,commented on the film, “The brief given to us emphasised on bringing alive the difference that a simple corrective cleft surgery can make in the life of a cleft patient. Simple things that we take for granted like smiling to express happiness, socializing with friends and wearing makeup to look as well as feel good, was a big challenge for this young girl and this is something we discovered in our first meeting with Jyothi. While it is impossible for a 3 minute film to do justice to her everyday challenges, we have tried to capture a glimpse of her experience and aspirations.

SonaMohapatra, the singer also present at the launch event commented, “This cause is extremely close to my heart thus singing the track was emotionally overwhelming. Everyone has a right to smile and I would like to encourage all of you to spread awareness on this initiative Muskaan.”

About The Himalaya Drug Company:

In 1930, a young visionary by the name of Mr. M. Manal foresaw the benefits of herbal remedies while riding through the forests of Burma. After diligently researching the science of the traditional field of Ayurveda, he decided to dedicate his life creating products that would improve millions of lives across the world. Today, with a history spanning more than eight decades in herbal research, Himalaya has positioned itself as a brand that cares about not only enriching people’s lives but also the environment. With their ‘head to heel’ range of products Himalaya aims to provide a holistic solution to everyday ailments that affect our bodies.

Seeped in a legacy of researching nature, Himalaya has successfully been able to harness the science of Ayurveda through cutting-edge research to become a brand that is safe, gentle and trustworthy.

Visit: www.himalayawellness.com

About Smile Train India:

Smile Train India is an international children’s charity with a sustainable approach to a single, solvable problem: cleft lip and palate. In India, over 35,000 children are born with clefts every year and over 10 lakh children with unrepaired clefts live in shame, but more importantly, have difficulty eating, breathing and speaking. Cleft repair surgery is simple, and the transformation is immediate. Since the year 2000, Smile Train’s sustainable model provides training and funding to empower local doctors and hospitals across India to provide 100%-free cleft repair surgery and comprehensive cleft care in their own communities. This ‘teach a man to fish’ strategy has enabled Smile Train India to provide over 4,50,000 free surgeries through a network of 170 partner hospitals .To learn more about how Smile Train India’s sustainable approach has both an immediate and long-term impact, please visit smiletrainindia.org.

Mrs Kajol Devgan & Mr Vasant Dhoble (Asst Commissioner of Police-Retd) at the Official Launch of the website missingpeopleinfo.com

Missingpeopleinfo,com is an initiative by the people from various walks of society. These few selected individuals have come together to address this issue, with altruistic motive of helping and reuniting missing people with their families.

The initiators of this noble cause are  are the brand ambassadors of Missingpeopleinfo.com Vasant Dhoble Asst Commissioner of Police (Retd) Mumbai, Agnelo Rajesh Athaide, CMD of St Angelo's Global Ventures while notable film personalities Mr Ajay Devgn, Mrs Kajol Devgan,

Ajay Devgn could not make it, for this noble event as he was shooting for his forthcoming film Shivaay in Bulgaria left a video message for the media and the audiences present there, his better half, the beautiful Kajol Devgan attended the event and spoke a few words on how this is just a start and will require everyone's help to make their mission a success. 

Sachin Tendulkar unveils Monarch’s luxurious Cricket and Bollywood cruise

India’s cricketing legend announces bookings open for Monarch’s ultimate travel experience

Mumbai, January 27, 2016: At a glittering ceremony in Mumbai today, India’s legendary cricket star Sachin Tendulkar launched the first ever luxury Monarch Cruise featuring the best of Cricket and Bollywood. Tendulkar was joined on-stage by other Bollywood artists and personalities such as Badshah, Stand-up comedian Papa CJ, and celebrated Chef Sanjeev Kapoor. Monarch Cruise CEO, Somesh Jagga, and Vice-Chairman, Josh Hill, introduced the unique concept to everyone present at the launch ceremony. The glitterati, along with the Monarch Cruise personnel, announced cabin sales now open (www.monarchcruise.com).

MOVIES NOW and MN+ to simulcast ‘Gandhi’ on 30th Jan

Biopic to be simulcast at 1 pm, on Saturday, 30 Jan

MUMBAI January 28, 2016: On the death anniversary of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, MOVIES NOW and MN+, the leading premium English movie channels in the country, will air Gandhi -- unarguably the most loved biopic on Bapu and a creative and emotional tour de force -- as a tribute to the great peace-loving leader of India’s struggle for independence.

The epic biopic, directed by Richard Attenborough, will be simulcast on MOVIES NOW and MN+ at 1 pm simultaneously on Saturday, the 30^th of January. The movie will be aired again on MOVIES NOW at 11 pm on the same day.

Written by John Briley and produced and directed by Richard Attenborough, Gandhi features Ben Kingsley in the title role of Mahatma Gandhi, with Edward Fox as General Dyer, Saeed Jaffrey as Sardar Patel, Alyque Padamsee as Mohammed Ali Jinnah and Roshan Seth as Jawaharlal Nehru. The 1982 biopic dramatizes the life of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the leader of India's non-violent struggle for independence from the British, and also stars Amrish Puri as Khan, Candice Bergen as Margaret Bourke-White, John Gielgud as Lord Irwin and Martin Sheen as Walker, among others.

Gandhi is amongst the most awarded films, having won as many as eight Oscars for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Director, Best Writing, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design and Best Film Editing, along with 10 Golden Globe awards, and several top creative and technical awards from some of the most reputed guilds and associations across the world.

Lovers of world class movies can look forward to a glorious treat of the best film making with the simulcast of ‘GANDHI’ on MOVIES NOW and MN+ at 1 pm simultaneously on Saturday, the 30^th of January

About MOVIES NOW

MOVIES NOW – is India’s No.1 English Movie Channel. A part of the Times Network, the channel caters to urban audiences with top of the line content. It assures viewers of their daily dose of adrenaline and action.

About MN+

MN+ is a premium HD English movie channel part of Times Network which brings The Gold Class of Hollywood Movies with both, popular and critically acclaimed titles, in pristine HD quality for the movie connoisseurs. The MN+ library comprises of must-watch movies across genres that are universally celebrated and are discussed extensively in social gatherings of people who have an opinion.

Kinder Joy Partners with Sanrio & Warner Bros. Consumer Products To Introduce Its New Exciting Range Of Surprises With Hello Kitty Fun Tools and DC Comics Justice League Characters

Mumbai, January 27, 2016: Ferrero India’s famous confectionery, Kinder Joy, has partnered with Sanrio & Warner Bros. Consumer Products, on behalf of DC Entertainment, to introduce a new range of surprises with the popular Hello Kitty and iconic DC Comics Justice League characters.

This limited edition of these surprises inside Kinder Joy will have a total of 8 new exciting toys among many other fun surprises. The Kinder Joy pink eggs for Girls will have the Hello Kitty fun tools such as bracelet with ruler, stencil, crayon charm and ring. The Kinder Joy blue eggs for boys will consist of iconic Justice League characters Superman, Green Lantern, as well as Batman with a Disc Launcher.  

This offering will be available in market for the coming months in India across formats including modern trade (Hypermarkets and Supermarkets) and general trade (neighborhood stores).

The new surprises in Kinder Joy will give children a chance to assemble and collect these unique toys while relishing their favorite Kinder Joy.

Emanuele Fiordalisi, Vice President Marketing Ferrero India, said, “We are happy to have associated with Sanrio and Warner Bros. Consumer Products, bringing their most popular range of Hello Kitty fun tools and DC Comics’ Justice League characters, respectively. With this new range, we are strengthening the brand’s creative of ‘Imagination ko Jodo’ - where each surprise toy has a unique playability feature that stimulates a child’s imagination clubbed with the excitement of the surprise itself - the child discovers a delightful surprise each time they open a Kinder Joy making this a playful and memorable experience for the child.”

“We will continue to innovate and introduce toys that children love to play with, collect and cherish”, he added.

This brand promotion will be supported by integrated marketing communication with a mix of TV, cinema, outdoor, mall activation and digital platform to increase awareness and create excitement around the new range of toys.

About Kinder Joy:

Kinder Joy is a revolutionary idea that is a delight for children. It is a blend of fun and food, i.e. a surprise toy to play and creamy milky and cocoa spreads with coated wafer biscuits and is available pan India.  

With the surprise toy, a fun and entertaining world for children was created, while at the same time, delivering parents a reassuring and emotional experience. Mothers trust Kinder Joy as it is hygienically packed and does not contain any colourings and preservatives. The recreational part comes with a playful buildable surprise toy that stimulates creativity in the little minds.

The Kinder surprises are designed with immense care, aided by psychologists specialized in the cognitive, emotional, and motor development of children. Special attention is paid to safety at every phase of toy development. The toys are built with the highest care and adhere to stringent quality standards.

About Ferrero India

Ferrero is an Italian manufacturer of chocolate and other confectionery products. With an annual turnover of over US$ 11 billion, it is the 3rd largest manufacturer of chocolate and confectionary products in the world.

Ferrero India has its Corporate Office at Pune and is present across all the metros and mini-metros and has a strong distribution network. It has regional sales offices in Bangalore, Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai. Ferrero’s other well-known brands in India include Ferrero Rocher, Kinder Joy, Kinder Schoko-Bons Crispy, Nutella and Tic Tac.

The company started its commercial operations in 2004, and in less than a decade has become a strong player in the chocolate and confectionary segment in India. The company has made India its production hub for Asia and Middle East and exports half its local production.

About Warner Bros. Consumer Products

Warner Bros. Consumer Products, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, is one of the leading licensing and retail merchandising organizations in the world.

About DC Entertainment

DC Entertainment, home to iconic brands DC Comics (Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, The Flash), Vertigo (Sandman, Fables) and MAD, is the creative division charged with strategically integrating its content across Warner Bros. Entertainment and Time Warner.  DC Entertainment works in concert with many key Warner Bros. divisions to unleash its stories and characters across all media, including but not limited to film, television, consumer products, home entertainment and interactive games. Publishing thousands of comic books, graphic novels and magazines each year, DC Entertainment is one of the largest English-language publishers of comics in the world.

JUSTICE LEAGUE and all related characters and elements © & ™ DC Comics. (s16)

ZINDAGI BRINGS ALIVE THE STORIES OF BITTER-SWEET ROMANCE WITH TWO SHOWS

Ishq Mein Tere premieres on 27th January @ 6:10 pm &

Mann Ke Moti Season 2 launches on 26th January @ 9 pm

January, 2016:  Premiering two tele dramas this January, Zindagi presents Ishq Mein Tere at 6:10 pm & Mann Ke Moti Season 2 at 9:00 pm. Both shows will air every Monday to Saturday. Each show has a unique story that highlights the different challenges in life and how one can embrace the sweetness of love and bitterness of relationships.

Unfolding the difference between love and obsession, Ishq Mein Tere airing at 6:10 pm is a romantic drama that revolves around Aiza, a strong and independent girl played by Mehwish Hayat. Aiza’s charismatic personality draws in two men into her life - Shehriyar Hamdani is a successful businessman who carries with him the baggage of a failed marriage and is the father of Aiza’s best friend Laiba and the other is Saad Hamdani Laiba’s cousin, who works for Shehriyar and is Laiba’s love interest. Though both Shehriyar and Saad are captivated by Aiza, they have different interests for wanting her. The effects of these intertwined relationships creates a trail of heart breaks, unforeseen outbursts and complications. Will there be a new man in Aiza’s life or will one of these relationships take a new course for better or worse? 

Mann Ke Moti Season 2 is a touching drama. Its first season was widely appreciated by audiences and is back on Zindagi by popular demand. This season, too, the show focuses on Faria’s life, her relationship with her husband Rahil and how she copes with Syra, his second wife who wants Rahil to solely be with her. Rahil, the doting husband and father is torn between his two wives and their respective children.  Watch how Syra’s choices affect the lives of Faria and her children. Will Rahil find a middle path with both families? Will he be able to resolve his familial discord or will circumstances compel Rahil to choose one over the other? 

Watch the dilemmas of love & life on Zindagi

Ishq Mein Tere premieres on 27th January @ 6:10 pm & Mann Ke Moti Season 2 launches on 26th January @ 9 pm

###

About Zindagi

Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL), one of India’s leading television media and entertainment companies, launched Zindagi on 23 June 2014. It is a premium Hindi Entertainment channel that entertains audiences with superlative content. ZEE is amongst the largest producers and aggregators of Hindi programming in the world, with an extensive library housing over 210,000 hours of television content. With rights to more than 3,500 movie titles from foremost studios and of iconic film stars, ZEE houses the world’s largest Hindi film library. Through its strong presence worldwide, ZEE entertains over 959 million viewers across 169 countries.  

Zindagi is a reflection of ZEEL’s corporate philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ i.e., "The World Is My Family'. ‘Zindagi....Jodey Dilon Ko.’ The channel’s brand positioning is based on the fact that even if people across the world are culturally different; celebrate different festivals, the stories of our lives and the emotions we feel are universal and that binds us together and bring us closer. Based on this proposition, Zindagi started with airing content from Pakistan and has also introduced a show from Turkey and produced its first original reality series, Shukriya. Reinforcing its commitment to its viewers in its second year of programming, Zindagi launches its original fiction programming line-up with two shows – Bhaage Re Mann and Aadhe Adoore - that embody the spirit of the modern Indian woman.

Zindagi aims to showcase Real, Friendly, Vibrant and Premium stories and engages and interacts with its audience through diverse shows written by award-winning novelists and literary stalwarts. Many of these shows are adapted from famous novels and books. Zindagi is available 24 hours on both Analog and Digital (DTH and digital cable) platforms in India.

Upcoming Hindi film Chicken curry law

The Chicken Curry Law Parody on the Indian Legal System.

Up coming Hindi film Chicken curry law, is an sensational, thought provoking story of struggle for justice,  it truly depicts  the law fight of a foreigner,  against the  wealthy corrupt citizens, with the help of  common citizens  Story also throws  light on severe social problem of women safety too.   film is directed Shekhar Sirrinn and produced by Shankar Kn, under the banner of  “Seven Hills cine creations”.  Story writing and screenplay are also done by Shekhar Sirrinn.

The name of the film itself sounds funny, but it sarcastically speaks the bitter frustrating truth, that many times, Indian legal system  is misinterpreted by any type of criminals,  to prove themselves innocent, just like  chicken curry goes well  with any type of bread or rice.  Its really worth thinking.

A Russian dancer, Maya has come to India to groom up her career in the Indian entertainment industry. During her journey of success, once, she gets excessively drugged and raped  by two fraudulent men from minister families. Career dreamer, foreigner Maya, turns to a rape victim,  In spite of being foreigner, having no knowledge of Indian legal system, Maya decides to struggle for justice, but our influential system  denies justice to her and names  Maya as a “prostitute”.

Though Maya is a foreigner, , Rama Shinde, who is NGO runner and fighter for the social cause of women victims, decides to help Maya, in her continuing chase for justice,. Rama Shinde  convinces and hires lawyer Sitapatishukla. He is a pav bhaji seller by profession and past as a lawyer. The main attraction of the film is  Sitapati’s fight for Maya’s justice against the politically strong and rich criminal. His genuine frustration and agony on the legal system, will surely awaken  public expressions. Meanwhile, as usual Interference of media, politicians, in judiciary system, is also involved in their justice battle .   

However, what is a end result of this vigorous  fight for justice ? do they really become successful ?  Viewers will get all answers, only after watching the film.

The subject of the film is realistic and very much closer to an individual’s everyday life, which will surely attract  a mixed educated audience across all age groups.

Various characters in the film are played by  film industry Famous actors like AshutoshRana, Makarand Deshpande, ZakirHussain , Jaywant wadkar, Natalia Janoszek, Manoj joshi, , Suresh Menon, Ganesh pie etc…

Five songs in the film  are voiced  by renowned film music  singers like Kailash Kher,shalmali kholgade, Shaan, Jagpreet, Shekhar Sirrinn.  Lyrics of these songs are written by Shekhar Sirrinn, Manthan Veerpal, Shabbir Ahmed , where as all these songs  are composed by Shekhar Sirrinn.

THE BOY releasing this friday...

THE BOY

In search of a fresh start away from a troubled past, a young American woman seeks refuge in an isolated English village, only to find herself trapped in a waking nightmare in The Boy, an unconventional horror thriller from director William Brent Bell (The Devil Inside).

When Greta (Lauren Cohan) takes a job as a nanny for an 8-year-old boy, she is shocked to discover that she has been hired by a strange elderly couple to care for Brahms, a life-sized doll that they treat like a real child. A stand-in for the son they lost tragically 20 years earlier, Brahms comes with a lengthy list of rules that Greta is warned to follow to the letter. Left alone in the sprawling mansion while her new employers take a long-awaited holiday, Greta ignores the rules and begins a tentative flirtation with handsome local deliveryman Malcolm (Rupert Evans), until a series of disturbing and inexplicable events convinces her that supernatural forces are at work. As she is pulled deeper and deeper into a frightening mystery, Greta faces a terrifying final twist in a nail-biting thriller that will have audiences guessing until the final moments.

Starring Lauren Cohan (“The Walking Dead,” “The Vampire Diaries”) Rupert Evans (Hellboy, “The Man in the High Castle”), Jim Norton (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, American History X), Diana Hardcastle (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, “The Kennedys”) Ben Robson (“Vikings,” Dracula, the Dark Prince), and James Russell (“Blue Bloods,” “Forever.”) The Boy is directed by William Brent Bell (The Devil Inside, Stay Alive) from a screenplay by Stacey Menear (Mixtape). The film is produced by Tom Rosenberg (Million Dollar Baby, Underworld ), Gary Lucchesi (Million Dollar Baby, Underworld), and Richard Wright (Underworld, The Age of Adaline).  Producers are  Jim Wedaa (Unstoppable, Mission to Mars),  Roy Lee (The Departed, How to Train Your Dragon),  and Matt Berenson (The Place Behind the Pines, Daddy Day Care), Director of photography is Daniel Pearl (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Friday the 13th). Editor is Brian Berdan (Natural Born Killers, Crank). Production designer is John Willett (Final Destination, The Grey). Costume designer is Jori Woodman (Final Destination, White Chicks). Composer is Bear McCreary (“Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” “The Walking Dead”).

AN UNUSUAL FAMILY

Greta Evans, The Boy’s resilient, resourceful young heroine, has fled small-town Montana for the English countryside, hoping for a fresh start. Her new job with the wealthy Heelshire family is a chance to take refuge, build up a nest egg and figure out next steps as far away from her old life as possible. Instead she finds herself on the other side of the world, far from friends and family, caring for a life-size porcelain doll that she is expected to treat like a real child.

Actress Lauren Cohan captures the vulnerability and strength of a young woman left with few choices, but determined to make the best of the ones she has. After seven seasons playing zombie-apocalypse survivor Maggie Greene on the hit AMC television series “The Walking Dead,” Cohan admits the last thing she thought she wanted to do was a horror film.

“I was looking for something super sweet and relaxing and romantic,” she says. “But once I started reading this, I couldn’t stop. I was terrified and exhilarated throughout and that’s exactly how I felt as we filmed it. Greta goes on a monumental journey, which was so appealing to me. This set-up is the last thing she expected. But by the time she realizes her employers want her to take care of a doll, she figures they’re paying her all this money just to play along, so why not? But the situation is not exactly what it seems. When strange things begin to happen, it totally unnerves her. It gets super spooky and I hope the audience will be as scared watching it as I was reading it.”

The filmmakers were captivated by Cohan’s combination of beauty and approachability. Her innate likability makes for a character that the audience will root for, observes Richard Wright, Lakeshore Entertainment’s Executive Vice President of Production. “You don’t want anything bad to happen to Lauren. As we see Greta stuck in this creepy old house with this strange doll and weird stuff happening all around, we know that she’s in jeopardy long before she does. We fear for her, which was exactly the atmosphere we wanted to create.”

“The Walking Dead” has already made Cohan a familiar face, but The Boy will highlight her magnetism on the big screen, in the opinion of producer Gary Lucchesi, President of Lakeshore Entertainment. “Her dedication and commitment made her the hardest-working person on the set, but she was always gracious and caring. She’s also lots of fun to work with. The camera adores her and she loves to act, which was a wonderful combination for us.”

Director and star found an immediate rapport. “Lauren is perfect in every way for the role,” says director William Brent Bell. “When I met her, I felt like I had known her my whole life and that was really important because Greta is in every single scene. Lauren never faltered, even in the most ridiculously intense scenes. She was willing to do 20 takes if that was what I needed.”

Cohan was equally impressed with Bell’s approach on set. “Brent had such a clear idea of how to tell the story,” she recalls. “We were completely in sync about the way Greta comes to accept Brahms as a living child. The private moments between the two of them are really quite moving and emotional. That brought the character to life, which is important because he is the title character in the film.”

The process of casting the film’s supporting roles was a unique experience for Lucchesi, despite having produced nearly 60 movies and TV shows. “We found many of our actors — including major players like Rupert Evans, Jim Norton and Diana Hardcastle — through video auditions,” he says. Once production began, we were thrilled to see the chemistry amongst the cast play out as beautifully and richly as we had hoped.”

Evans, currently starring in the new Amazon series “The Man in the High Castle,” plays Malcolm, the local grocery man who becomes Greta’s only friend and ally in her new home. “When Rupert finally read with Lauren, there was an instant connection,” says Bell. “That was essential because Malcolm is immediately enamored with Greta and she is clearly attracted to him. He takes on teaching her all about Brahms and his parents. They become close pretty quickly, because she has nobody else to turn to. It’s a tricky role. Because Malcolm is rooted in the community, the character is responsible for a lot of exposition. He has a lot of yarns and monologues. Rupert makes it absolutely captivating.”

Malcolm provides sanctuary and sanity for Greta, who has to adjust to unfamiliar surroundings and an unconventional situation very quickly, Cohan explains. “But he has his own mysteries as well. They have this silent understanding of each other, which I felt Rupert and I did as well. They are two strangers meeting against this unexpected backdrop and they offer each other things that they’ve never really seen before. As they both witness some very strange goings-on, a strong bond develops between them. They are living through a heightened, wild experience but their connection is very realistic.”

The Heelshires, Brahms’ “parents,” are an older, exceedingly proper couple who appear steeped in the traditions of upper-class England. “The Heelshires come from old money,” explains Lucchesi. “They’ve been together a long time and are ruled by a strong sense of propriety and refinement. Diana Hardcastle and Jim Norton, who play the couple, are thorough professionals, with hundreds of credits between them, and are both quite proper individuals themselves.”

Hardcastle, a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, lends Mrs. Heelshire an austere, even severe quality, while Norton’s Mr. Heelshire provides a softer, kinder presence in the house. “Their dynamic is absolutely believable and critical to the story,” says Lucchesi. “We decided that it was Mrs. Heelshire who had the idea of creating Brahms, the doll. She is the one obsessed with all the rules and regulations. She’s the one who has the greater emotional need for the doll.”

Mrs. Heelshire is a tough taskmaster who dominates the house — and her less assertive husband, according to Bell. “She was a very overprotective parent who didn’t let her son play with other children,” says the director. “But it’s clear she loved him more than anything. She’s flawed and she’s made mistakes. But at the same time, you really feel for her. Diana was always up for anything that was asked of her.”

Hardcastle admits that she is quite terrified by horror movies herself. In fact, she says she has never seen one. “But this role and this story are so very good, I had to do it. It’s a bizarre situation, isn’t it? I suppose she’s gone a bit mad actually. When she loses her son, she needed a substitute, so she found a perfect little boy who is, in fact, a doll. She is an unusual woman, to say the least.”

Working with director Bell was a pleasure, says the actress. “Brent is absolutely brilliant. He cast things very well and that is so important. He was very approachable and easy to work with. The movie is not just thrills and spills. People will be disturbed by it, because it’s got all levels of suspense. There’s some very violent stuff and there are some downright frightening and inexplicable events. Let’s hope it makes people talk and speculate and wonder and say, let’s go see it again!”

As the gentler and perhaps more reasonable half of the couple, Mr. Heelshire gives the audience an opportunity to find some common ground with the family. “He would do just about anything to make his wife happy, including going along with this charade,” the director says. “He has such loyalty to her. Jim carried that off beautifully, because he is so caring a person. He also did more improvisation than anybody in the movie. I could say, can you talk to the doll about this and he was off and running.”

The Boy has all the elements Norton looks for in a project, including interesting, well-drawn characters, a smart script and an original story. “It’s an ingenious and very scary tale of unconditional love gone wrong,” the actor notes. “These parents love their child so much that they will do anything to safeguard his memory. They’ve never quite come to terms with their loss. People deal with grief in different ways and the Heelshires invent another character in their lives in order to retain their sanity. They hire a lovely young woman to look after their child so they can go away on holiday and that’s basically the story. But of course, as in most really good thrillers, nothing is what it seems.”

Norton calls the Heelshires’ relationship “a pretty unholy alliance.” “He goes along with this out of deference to her feelings and his own love for his child. In contrast to his co-star, Norton says he loves a good chiller and found The Boy to be an extraordinary one. “It is unique and original and full of surprises right up to the very end. That’s what makes it so exciting. It’s about love and fear — and consequences!”

Complicating Greta’s already jumbled life is the sudden appearance of her ex-boyfriend Cole, played by Ben Robson, best known for his role in the television series “Vikings.” “The dynamic between Ben and Lauren was quite interesting,” says Bell. “We thought Ben would be an unusual and unexpected choice as the ex-boyfriend. In the beginning, we pictured the character as the ex-high-school quarterback gone bad, with spiky blond hair. But we decided that was too obvious. We wanted him to feel scary without being a cliché. Ben is so imposing without even having to try. He’s 6-and-a-half feet tall and a big guy, which was perfect opposite Lauren, who is tall and athletic herself. You could see how he kept her under his thumb.”

Robson tried to approach the character with some empathy, taking care not to paint a simple black-and-white villain. “Cole tracks her down in England because he wants her to come home,” says the actor. “He is quite an aggressive character, so it was interesting to work out what makes him think that she wants to come back. And then when he gets there, everything is a lot more complicated than he thought. There’s a doll that’s supposedly running around the house. It was a lot to explore.

AN ISOLATED ENGLISH MANOR

In a film for which setting and atmosphere were so critical to creating the unsettling world of the story, the most crucial design element in the film was Brahms. “We had to get the doll exactly right,” says Tom Rosenberg, Chairman and CEO of Lakeshore Entertainment. “It had to be lifelike. It had to be the right size. And it had to be creepy, but at the same time appealing. We went through a lot before we got that.”

Picturing an extremely realistic, almost cherubic character, the filmmakers took as much care in creating the doll as they did in casting any of the other roles. The inspiration for Brahms’ overall look was Jett Klyne, the young actor cast as the real-life child, who appears only in the photos and paintings lovingly preserved by his parents. “Jett was the embodiment of what we wanted,” says Bell. “He is this adorable little boy, but no matter how beautiful and how sweet he is, he can make you believe he could turn bad in a moment.”

           The filmmakers sought out Todd Masters, one of Hollywood’s most acclaimed creators of makeup effects, to build Brahms. Skin texture, hair, eye color and expression were all explored in depth during the lengthy design process. “Brahms has a key role in the movie,” says the Emmy®-winning craftsman. “The other actors were cast for specific reasons and it was the same for him. We came up with an organic, realistic design that appears believable as a real kid in some shots, but is very much a doll in others.”

The goal was to create an idealized version of the “real” Brahms, as portrayed by Klein, according to Bell. “Todd started with the head design,” the director says. “He focused on giving us an angelic little boy who has something behind his eyes that makes it seem like he’s not exactly safe to be around.”

“What we didn’t want was an overtly creepy doll, like Chuckie or Annabelle,” adds Wright. “He has an innocent, childlike look, until the light changes a little bit and then he looks like he wants to kill you. There are a few effects that help with that — contact lenses that distort his eyes, dental applications. In the end, we realized that we could do so much with light and mood and costume, as well as with how the actors react to the doll.”

Brahms may look like just a pretty china doll, but in actuality he is a very complicated sculpture. “We did various versions of his face and his body until we found what we needed,” says Masters. “His face allows Daniel Pearl to create the attitude through lighting. We created more contour so when light is cast in different directions, the shadows create the expression. You can see subtle changes, which is really exciting. The whole idea was to try to make it as neutral as possible, but within that to find subtle changes.”  

Ultimately, Masters and his team created four shooting versions of the doll. “One is the super-doll, like a gigantic stop-motion armature. You can position it exactly as you want, which makes him look quite human. Other versions are slightly different sizes and weights. Sometimes he’s poseable, sometimes he’s floppy. Sometimes he weighs very little so it’s easy to carry him; other times the body’s very heavy so he can sit up.”

Masters eschewed the special effects that have become ubiquitous in contemporary movies, however. “There were quite a few conversations about keeping it grounded through emotional and tonal magic, not digital magic. That’s the kind of stuff that makes classic cinema, because in the end, you don’t remember the great special effects. You remember feeling a certain way or getting to know the character, not pixels and data bits flying all over the place.”

Costume designer Jori Woodman put the finishing touches on Brahms, creating a complete wardrobe for him, from flannel pajamas to formal suits with the short pants typical of British schoolboys. “I had originally ordered some beautiful little tweed suits from a company in England, but we ended making all of the doll’s clothing,” Woodman says. “He is a younger version of his father in beautifully tailored, custom-made suits with little vests and Tattersall shirts. Brahms is very well turned out, which suits him as the title character. He represents everything that the manor house represents — including its secrets and lies.”  

For the Heelshires, Woodman took inspiration from the long-held traditions of the British countryside. “For me, that area evokes images of mystery, secrets, old-school manners,” she says. “People adhere to the old traditions, living in big, drafty homes without central heating and wearing tweed, corduroy and heavy sweaters, because they’re cold. And you never truly know what goes on behind those closed doors.”

The timeless silhouettes and sturdy fabrics of the British aristocracy translate into wool tweed skirts and cashmere sweater sets for Mrs. Heelshire. “Mr. Heelshire wears a country plaid three-piece suit and an old barber oilskin jacket that he does the ratting in,” explains Woodman. “There’s nothing contemporary about how they look. We kept the color palette very neutral, because there’s so much wood and red in the house. Everything is quite simple.”

Greta’s big-sky country roots helped define her wardrobe in the same way. “Being from Montana, where the weather is very similar, she’d know how to keep warm,” says Woodman.  “We kept her in simple jeans, sweaters and a hoodie. Lauren is so beautiful that it was not difficult to make her look like the idealized all-American girl.”

While The Boy is set in the damp and foggy English countryside, the film was shot entirely on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, an area rich with fin-de-siècle mansions built by the newly wealthy timber, railroad and coal barons of Western Canada. Sprawling symbols of freshly minted fortunes, these New World places were a blatant imitation of the homes of Britain’s aristocracy.

“It is called British Columbia for a reason,” says Wright. “We were actually better off shooting the entire film in Canada than we would have been in England. There are some very grand houses there that were built at the turn of the century, mostly by people of English descent who had made a lot of money in commerce. They built big look-at-me palaces in Victoria, the capital of British Columbia. Most are no longer in private hands, because they are too big for most people to live in or maintain, but a lot of them are available to shoot in.”

What appears to be the Heelshires’ enormous Gothic mansion in the film is in fact a combination of two vintage houses and a few specially built sets, cinematically melded into one cohesive setting. “One of the houses is currently the administration building for a university,” says Wright. “The other is now a museum. We used the stairway and a front entryway from one house, and a series of rooms and hallways from the other house. The architectural designs were not identical, but we incorporated visual cues that fool the eye. The biggest challenge was making sure the shots matched as characters moved from one house to the next and then back again in the same sequence.”

Production designer John Willett and art director James Steuart created a floor plan for the fictional house to ensure continuity, then created the sets that were needed to complete the Heelshire home on a soundstage. The end result is a seamless, oak-paneled window into another more opulent era. “There are several scenes in which a character will walk from one house into another house,” says Bell. “It had to look convincing. The exterior scenes were just as complicated, and they did a great job. John Willett visited the sets several times before we ever spoke. He had such a strong vision for what he wanted to do for this movie. He came up with this whole design, not just for making the disparate sites into one cohesive location, but also for the smallest things in the movie like the rat traps, which we wanted to make sure had the same vintage feel as the rest of the house. Everything is designed specifically for the story.”

As longtime residents of Vancouver Island, Willett and Steuart are intimately familiar with its unique architecture. “Visually, this was a chance to do something special,” the production designer

says. “The architecture is almost a character in this film. The public face of Heelshire Manor is elegant and old world, pristine and pretty in its way, but there’s another side to the house that can be quite sinister. We used grand old Romanesque and Victorian homes, which predetermined the general style for the sets that we built. I did the obligatory research and then figured out what should be updated and what should be kept true to the period.”

Bell proposed bringing in legendary director of photography Daniel Pearl, whose prolific work in the horror genre includes both the original 1983 Texas Chainsaw Massacre and the 2003 remake. But it was his work in the beauty and music industries that convinced the filmmakers that Pearl could provide a feeling that was both appropriately spooky and gorgeous.

“Daniel did a magnificent job with this film,” says Lucchesi. “We knew he could make this unusually beautiful because he has created some of the most stylish, coolest music videos for people like Janet Jackson, Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez and Bruce Springsteen.”

The atmosphere he created on the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre depended primarily on natural light, says Wright. “We wanted that same vibe for this. But he also knows how to create a spectacular, beautifully composed image, and not a lot of people can tick both those boxes.”

Pearl’s encyclopedic knowledge of the mechanics of cinematography is matched by his instinctive understanding of light and framing, says Bell. “We wanted this to be a beautiful, classic-looking movie with a bit of an edge to it, but not your grandfather’s scary movie. The house is old, so we’ve pulled back the saturation to make it a little more antique looking, until we get into the third act where it’s very dark and scary. That section of the film was shot with what we called the ‘Battle Cam.’ It’s hand-held and very real, more frenetic and intense than the first two-thirds of the movie, which are dreamy and very beautiful.”

From his first reading of the screenplay, Pearl says he could picture the shots in his head. “This film clearly had both beauty and a bit of the beast in it, which suits me,” he says. “I’ve been a cinematographer for 42 years and I have my own ideas about how a film should look. I don’t think anybody expected me to come in, turn on a couple of light bulbs and shoot. We talked more about coverage and angles and lenses than we did about the look.”

With help from his top-notch production team, Bell feels confident he has made a movie that will stand the test of time. “It didn’t have a big budget, but the amount of blood, sweat and tears we put into it was considerable,” says the director. “We agonized over the design of the doll. We found a way to shoot a couple of extra days because we thought we really were onto something. Because everyone was so on top of things, we were able to complete a very beautiful, elegant movie in only 24 days.

“I really hope we have managed to make a movie that will be just as viewable 30 years from now as it is now, with the same power when the big reveal happens,” says Bell. “I told the crew when we started making the film that I didn’t just want to make a scary movie. I wanted to make something that was going to last, and I think that’s what we did.”

ABOUT THE PRODUCTION

“I wanted to make a classic haunted-house story,” says Bell. “I figured it was the perfect next step for me. The script is character-driven, layered and subtle, but at the same time really frightening. So much happens in the film, which is rare for a scary movie. There’s also a great twist, which was a blast to direct. We all thought we could make something that would last forever and I hope that is what we made.”

Keeping events rooted in reality is key to terrifying audiences, the director says. “When you’re alone in your house, strange things happen,” Bell says. “You wake up in the middle of the night and you think you hear footsteps. Sounds seem so much louder. Every little thing plays on your imagination. Our main character, Greta, is in a huge, unfamiliar house. We can’t tell if the things that happen are just in her head. She sees and hears little things that could just be tricks of the imagination. It could just be her going a little bit insane from the paranoia of being alone in a rambling place in the middle of nowhere.”

For screenwriter Stacey Menear, the inspiration for his first produced feature film, The Boy, goes back to his childhood and the supremely scary thrillers he enjoyed while growing up. From The People Under the Stairs and The Innocents to classic “Twilight Zone” episodes, Menear drew from a wide-ranging array of influences to create a truly original, chilling new tale.

“I really love stories that deal with characters learning something through a terrifying event,” says Menear, whose 2009 screenplay Mixtape was included on the prestigious Hollywood Blacklist of best unproduced scripts. “Scary dolls have always fascinated me. So I started to do some research on them and found out that are there are a lot of them around in real life. There are dolls that are supposedly haunted and others are said to have come to life. Starting from there, I tried to build in something a little different that would be unexpected and scary and really fun to watch.”

An early draft of Menear’s eerie tale attracted the attention of producer Matt Berenson, whose résumé ranges from the acclaimed drama The Place Beyond the Pines to the recent reboot of the quintessential monster movie, I, Frankenstein. Berenson brought the script to Lakeshore Entertainment, where top executives instantly recognized its potential as an intriguing character study with elements of both classic horror and supernatural psychological thriller. “It was a very well-written script with an unusual twist that we didn’t see coming,” says Rosenberg.

Among the script’s selling points for Lakeshore were its uniqueness and the way it keeps audiences guessing right up until the surprising conclusion, says Wright. “It’s difficult to pigeonhole this film, which is one of the things we liked about it,” adds producer Richard Wright, “What I can say is that by page 20, I had to turn to the end, because I could not wait to see what happened. I knew something weird was going to happen, but what was it? I just couldn’t stand the suspense.”  

Once Lakeshore had acquired the script and the producers began looking for a director, they set their sights on William Brent Bell to direct. Bell had already had a resounding success with his low-budget horror hit, The Devil Inside, and was poised to take on a bigger project. Bell, who is known to his colleagues as Brent, saw an opportunity to do something provocative and unique.

“We really wanted to make sure it was somebody who had worked in this milieu before,” says Lucchesi.“The Devil Inside was truly terrifying and extremely well-directed. It was made for about a million dollars, and it ended up grossing over $50 million.”

Initial meetings with Bell impressed the producers even more and convinced them he was the right director for the film. “I liked him from the moment we started talking,” Lucchesi says. “He brought another level of artistry to the film and was an absolute joy to work with. He’s great with the actors, plus he understands scary and how to edit to achieve maximum thrills.”  

Bell’s preparation and proven expertise in the genre convinced the producers he was the right director to realize the enormous potential of Menear’s script. “He was impressively articulate in explaining what he would do for the movie,” Rosenberg says. “It was clear he could handle the subtleties. This is as much a psychological thriller as it is a horror film. There are plenty of scares, but they work because of the tension Brent creates throughout, not from the actual event themselves. You won’t see what’s coming.”

Bell says that although he regularly receives some pretty scary screenplays for consideration, it is rare for him to find one this good. “A girl alone in a strange house has been done a lot,” he says. “It’s hard to find a unique approach to that, but Stacey keeps everything moving and he keeps you guessing throughout the entire script. As the story progresses, you want to know what’s going to happen with this doll. Stacey constructed a twist that will have people talking now and will stand the test of time as a classic thriller.”

The director brought new ideas and energy to the script, says Menear. “Brent’s ideas sharpened a lot of the scares and pushed me to find the characters in a way that I hadn’t before. He helped make the whole script more grounded. I loved watching my characters spring to life. I wrote it in a specific way and then it became something new. It was really fun to be surprised by my own writing.”

According to producer Wright, Bell has packed the film with the kinds of “jump scares” that will delight audiences. “Brent is a master of creating jump scares,” says the producer. “He knows how to make them work without being cheesy. Honestly, you’re going to jump right out of your skin. In addition to that, he creates a creepy, unsettling feeling of dread underlying everything.”

A terrifying and suspense-filled ride, The Boy will have audiences glued to their seats. “If you go the movies to be scared, this will scare you,” Wright says. “It’s funny because in real life, you would do whatever you could not to be in this situation. The characters in the film are in terrible danger and there’s a certain glee we get from that. You feel that something menacing is lurking just out of sight, and yet you go deeper and deeper into the danger zone alongside Greta.”

The movie’s final moments will be unforgettable, promises Menear. “I think people will be blown away. If you watch it a second time, you will see all kinds of clues scattered throughout, but while you’re watching it, you won’t see it coming.”   

ABOUT THE CAST

LAUREN COHAN (Greta) currently stars as Maggie Green on AMC’s smash zombie-fest “The Walking Dead.” The show has amassed a massive following of tens of millions of viewers, and the fifth season premiere drew 17.3 million viewers, making it the most watched drama series telecast in basic cable history. The hit show is also the #1 show on television among adults 18-49 and adults 25-54. The series returned for Season 6 in October 2015 and is currently on winter hiatus until its mid-season premiere which is set to air on February 14, 2016 on AMC at 9:00PM.

  Cohan will next be seen on the big screen as the female lead in STX’s THE BOY, a horror thriller produced by Lakeshore Entertainment and Vertigo Entertainment. The film is directed by William Brent Bell (THE DEVIL INSIDE) and written by Stacey Menear. The horror thriller will be released on January 22, 2016.

  Cohan previously appeared in a one episode guest-spot for “Law & Order: SVU, and additional television credits include a series regular role on “Supernatural,” pivotal guest arcs on “Chuck” and “The Vampire Diaries,” as well as guest appearances on “Modern Family,” “CSI: New York” and “Cold Case.”

  In 2014, Cohan starred in the John Herzfeld-directed independent film, REACH ME, alongside Sylvester Stallone, Kyra Sedgwick, and Kelsey Grammar.  Additional film credits include CASANOVA with Heath Ledger, VAN WILDER 2: THE RISE OF TAJ and DEATH RACE 2.

Born in Philadelphia, Cohan spent her childhood in New Jersey before moving to United Kingdom at the age of 13. There, she graduated from the University of Winchester/King Alfred’s College where she studied Drama and English Literature. While at the university, she co-founded and toured with a theater company called “No Man’s Land.”

Cohan currently divides her time between London and Los Angeles.

RUPERT EVANS (Malcolm) starred in the award-winning horror feature The Canal (2014), directed by Ivan Kavanagh. The Canal premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival to stellar reviews. Evans can currently be seen starring in the critically-acclaimed Amazon series “The Man in the High Castle,” from The X-Files creator Frank Spotnitz and Ridley Scott’s Scott Free Productions. Evans plays Frank Frink, an artist and an intellectual with a secret. Set in 1962 and based on Philip K. Dick’s Hugo Award-winning novel, the 10-episode series explores an alternative reality in which Nazi Germany and Japan won World War II and now occupy the U.S.

Evans recently completed production in Pittsburgh on American Pastoral, Ewan McGregor’s directorial feature-film debut. Based on Philip Roth’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, the film follows Seymour “Swede” Levov (McGregor), a legendary high-school athlete who grows up to marry a former beauty queen and inherits his father’s business. His seemingly perfect life shatters when his daughter rebels by committing a deadly act of terrorism during the Vietnam War. Evans plays the role of McGregor’s younger brother. Jennifer Connelly and Dakota Fanning also co-star in the film.

Since his training at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art, Evans has become internationally recognized for his film, television and theater work in a wide range of acclaimed projects. The actor made his feature-film debut as FBI agent John Myers in Hellboy, award-winning director Guillermo Del Toro’s adaptation of Mike Mignola’s comic-book series. He also starred alongside Rachel Weisz in Alejandro Amenábar’s historical drama Agora, which screened out of competition at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival.

Evans has been praised for his work in some of Britain’s best dramas. In 2014 he was seen in the role of Ian Fleming’s older brother Peter in “Fleming,” a mini-series biopic about the celebrated Bond novelist. Evans also appeared in “World Without End,” the follow-up to 2010’s critically acclaimed TNT miniseries “The Pillars of the Earth,” and starred in “Emma,” the Golden Globe Award®-nominated adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel. He was applauded for his performance in the BAFTA and IFTA nominated miniseries “Fingersmith,” with Sally Hawkins. Other British television credits include “The Village,” “Lucan,” “Poirot: The Labours of Hercules,” “The Secrets,” “The Little House,” “North & South,” “Rockface,” “The Palace” and “Sons & Lovers.”

Evans has starred in numerous productions for some of London’s most prestigious theater companies. He headlined productions for the Royal Shakespeare Company, both in the title role of “Romeo & Juliet” and as the Dauphin in “King John,” for which he was nominated for an Ian Charleson Award. Other stage credits include “Life Is a Dream” (Donmar Warehouse), “Kiss of the Spider Woman” (Donmar Warehouse), “Fear” (Bush Theatre), “His Mighty Heart,” “Psychogeography” (Bush Theatre), “Breathing Corpses” (The Royal Court) and “Sweet Panic” (Duke of York’s Theatre).

Evans resides in London.

JIM NORTON (Mr. Heelshire) has worked on a variety on film projects including Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, Water for Elephants, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Straw Dogs, Hidden Agenda, Memoirs of an Invisible Man, Driving Lessons, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Oyster Farmer and The Eclipse. Most recently, he played Father Sheridan in Jimmy’s Hall, for Ken Loach. Norton’s TV credits include “Elementary,” “Frasier,” “Poirot,” “Star Trek: the Next Generation,” “Stan” and most recently, “River.”

Norton won a 2007 Olivier Award and a 2008 Tony Award® for “The Seafarer.” His Broadway credits include “Of Mice and Men,” “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” “Finian’s Rainbow” and “The Weir” (Olivier nomination). Other New York credits include “Juno and the Paycock,” “Dublin Carol” (Obie Award) and “The Night Alive,” all at the Atlantic Theater. National Theatre credits include “The Veil,” “The Pillowman,” “Hamlet,” “Bedroom Farce,” “Comedians,” “St. Joan,” “Way Upstream,” “Tamburlaine the Great,” “Playboy of the Western World” and “Chorus of Disapproval.” At the Royal Court he appeared in “The Contractor” and “The Changing Room.” Most recently Norton was seen in the sold-out Barbican run of “Hamlet,” opposite Benedict Cumberbatch.  

DIANA HARDCASTLE (Mrs. Heelshire) was born in West Africa and was educated at Bristol University and Central School of Speech and Drama. She is married to Tom Wilkinson and they have two daughters. Diana left drama school early to play Juliet at Lyceum Crewe, directed by Alan Devlin, for which she won the Best Newcomer Award.

Her theatre credits include seasons at the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford where plays included; A Doll’s House directed by Adrian Noble, Les Liaisons Dangereuses directed by Michael Attenborough. She also played Creusa opposite Jude Law in Ion, directed by Nicholas Wright and Countess Delyanov in Peter Gill’s production of A Patriot for Me. For the Royal National Theatre her plays include Secret Rapture, directed by Howard Davies; The Duchess de Guermante in Harold Pinter’s In Remembrance of Things Past, directed by Di Trevis and Mutabilitie, directed by Trevor Nunn. Diana has worked at the Royal Court, playing Rosie in Simpatico, directed by James Macdonald; she has also worked at The Almeida in Camera Obscura, directed by Jonathan Miller and most recently in Edward Albee’s, A Delicate Balance which was also directed by James Macdonald. Thea Sharrock has directed her in 3 plays, A Kind of Alaska, Slight Ache and Tejas Verdes at London’s Gate Theatre.  Diana has starred in two world premieres Me and Mamie O’Rourke, written and directed by Mary Agnes Donoghue and Ronald Harwood’s An English Tragedy, directed by Di Trevis at Watford Palace. In Manchester she has worked at The Royal Exchange playing Mrs Allonby in A Woman of No Importance, directed by Marianne Elliot, she also played Cariola in Adrian Noble’s production of The Duchess of Malfi, which transferred from the Royal Exchange to the Roundhouse, and as Florence Lancaster in The Vortex, for which she was nominated for Best Actress in Manchester Evening News Theatre Awards.

Her numerous television credits include: Fortunes of War, Love Song, Reilly: Ace of Spies, 4 series of That’s Love, Utopia and recently playing Rose Kennedy in The Kennedys for the History Channel, in which she won Best Supporting Actress in the Canadian Gemini Awards.

Her film credits include: Jenny’s Wedding directed by Mary Agnes Donoghue; Good People for Henrik Ruben Genz; The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel directed by John Madden and A Good Woman, directed by Mike Barker.

BEN ROBSON (Cole) landed his first major lead role as Lucian opposite Academy Award®-winner Jon Voigt in Lionsgate’s Dracula: The Dark Prince, which was directed by Pearry Reginald Teo. The film premiered in Le Marché du Film at Cannes in 2013. Robson recently filmed the sought-after lead role of Craig in the TNT pilot “Animal Kingdom,” starring opposite Ellen Barkin for John Wells. The series is based on the critically acclaimed David Michod film and follows a family of criminals living a life of excess in Southern California. Additionally, Robson will reprise his role as Kalf, the trusted second-in-command to Katheryn Winnick’s Lagertha in the fourth season of MGM/History Channel’s hit original series “Vikings.” “Vikings” will return in early 2016.  

Born in Newcastle upon Tyne in the U.K., Robson grew up in Northumberland and studied acting in Newcastle and Buckinghamshire. In 2009 the actor set his sights on Los Angeles, where he studied at Stella Adler for two years, after which he returned to the U.K. Robson recently made Los Angeles his permanent home.

JAMES RUSSELL (James) has, in just a short time, amassed an impressive list of television credits including guest roles on CBS’ “Unforgettable” and “Blue Bloods,” ABC’s “Forever” and NBC’s “Deception.”

On stage, Russell performed Off Broadway in “Freedom of the City,” “Juno and the Paycock” and “Port Authority.” He booked a trio of plays at the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey: “Playboy of the Western World,” “The Liar” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Internationally, Russell was seen in “The Flood” at Lyric Theatre Belfast and “Cymbeline” at Shakespeare’s Globe.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS

WILLIAM BRENT BELL (Director) is an American writer, director, editor and producer of feature films and television. After co-writing, directing and editing the record-breaking box-office hit The Devil Inside, which was released by Paramount Pictures, Bell firmly established himself as one of the preeminent horror filmmakers in the business today.

Prior to directing, Bell set up several film projects as a screenwriter including the sci-fi thriller Mercury, for Universal Pictures; Illusion, for Walt Disney Pictures; and Ignition and The Vatican, both set up at Warner Bros. Bell was co-writer and director of the horror thriller Stay Alive, which was distributed by Buena Vista Pictures, and Wer, a horror action-drama released by Focus Features.

On the television side, Bell sold his pilot “Posthuman” to USA Network and set up another series, “Haunted,” at Fox. Bell will direct and write the show and shares executive-producing duties with Chris Morgan of the Fast & Furious franchise. This 20th Century Fox Television production is loosely based on the true story chronicled in the book The Demon of Brownsville Road.

STACEY MENEAR (Writer) was born in Forks, Washington, and raised all over the Pacific Northwest. After graduating from Oberlin College, Menear worked in graphic design, video games and film archiving. His writing career began when his original script, Mixtape, was included on the famed Black List honoring the best unproduced screenplays in Hollywood. The film is currently set to shoot in 2016 with Gil Netter producing and Seth Gordon directing.

Menear was a part of the prestigious Disney Writer’s Program, where he developed and contributed to projects for Walt Disney Pictures. He currently lives in Los Angeles and remains frightened of dolls.  

TOM ROSENBERG (Producer) is the Chairman and CEO of Lakeshore Entertainment, which he founded in 1994. He produced Million Dollar Baby, directed by and starring Clint Eastwood, co-starring Hilary Swank and Morgan Freeman. The film won the Academy Award for Best Picture as well as Oscars® for Eastwood (Best Director), Swank (Best Actress) and Freeman (Best Supporting Actor).

More recently, Rosenberg produced The Age of Adaline, starring Blake Lively, Harrison Ford and Ellen Burstyn; I, Frankenstein, starring Aaron Eckhart; and Stand Up Guys, starring Al Pacino, Christopher Walken and Alan Arkin. Rosenberg’s upcoming releases include American Pastoral, starring Ewan McGregor, Jennifer Connelly and Dakota Fanning, as well as the fifth installment of the Underworld franchise, starring Kate Beckinsale and Theo James. Rosenberg produced all four previous films in the series.

Other film credits include The Lincoln Lawyer, starring Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei and Ryan Phillipe; One for the Money, starring Katherine Heigl; The Ugly Truth, starring Heigl and Gerard Butler; Crank and Crank: High Voltage, starring Jason Statham; Elegy, starring Penélope Cruz and Ben Kingsley; Walk of Shame, starring Elizabeth Banks and James Marsden; and The Vatican Tapes, starring Michael Peña and Djimon Hounsou.

GARY LUCCHESI (Producer) is the President of Lakeshore Entertainment, an independent film company based in Los Angeles. He also serves as Vice President, Motion Pictures for the Producers Guild of America (PGA). Lucchesi executive-produced Million Dollar Baby (2004), which won the Oscar for Best Picture.

The first movie he produced was Primal Fear, starring Richard Gere and Edward Norton. Lucchesi’s other notable hits include The Lincoln Lawyer, starring Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei and Ryan Phillipe; The Ugly Truth, starring Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler; the Underworld franchise, starring Kate Beckinsale; two Crank films, toplined by Jason Statham; and most recently, The Age of Adaline, starring Blake Lively.

Other credits include box-office smash The Exorcism of Emily Rose, starring Jennifer Carpenter and Laura Linney; Sam Raimi’s The Gift, starring Cate Blanchett, Katie Holmes and Greg Kinnear; and three adaptations of Philip Roth novels: The Human Stain, Elegy and the forthcoming American Pastoral. Lucchesi was also the executive producer on Garry Marshall’s box-office hit Runaway Bride, starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere.

Prior to becoming an independent producer, Lucchesi was president of production at Paramount and oversaw such films as Ghost, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Fatal Attraction, The Hunt for Red October, Coming to America, The Naked Gun, The Godfather: Part III, Star Trek, Black Rain and The Untouchables. He also worked at TriStar Pictures for four years, as both vice president and senior vice president of production. Lucchesi began his career as an agent for the William Morris Agency in Los Angeles.

DANIEL C. PEARL, ASC (Director of Photography) is a cinematographer who has excelled in multiple media ranging from music videos and commercials to feature films. Within months of receiving his master’s degree from the University of Texas in 1973, he photographed the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre, a legendary independent feature that is now part of the permanent film collection at the New York Museum of Modern Art.

Now splitting his time equally between commercials and feature films, Pearl has in recent years completed photography on such films as Alien vs. Predator: Requiem, Adventures in Appletown, Friday the 13th, The Apparition and No One Lives.

Previously, he shot the remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) for director Marcus Nispel, with whom he teamed up again in the summer of 2004 to shoot “Frankenstein” for the USA Network. It was around this time that Pearl was asked to join the American Society of Cinematographers. In 2005 he lensed the feature film Captivity for director Roland Joffé in Moscow and upon completion went straight to work on Pathfinder, working with Nispel once again.

After shooting the original Texas Chainsaw, Pearl spent the next several years shooting low-budget flicks with high production values, most notably She Came to the Valley, Stunts and Invaders from Mars. He began shooting music videos during the early 1980s, initially to fill the spaces between his narrative film projects. But his use of light and lenses — exemplified in “Billie Jean,” by Michael Jackson — breathed life into the music-video art form.

Pearl’s work became the benchmark for all music videos as he won the inaugural MTV Award for Best Cinematography in 1984 for “Every Breath You Take” by the Police, and again in 1992 for “November Rain” by Guns & Roses. Pearl has earned a total of 10 MTV Video Music Award nominations, most recently for “Take a Picture” by Filter. In 1996 he was the first cinematographer to receive the MVPA Lifetime Achievement Award and the following year he became the first inductee into the Kodak Vision Hall of Fame for Music Video Cinematography.

After being named by Kodak to its list of “The World’s Leading Cinematographers,” Pearl won international cinematography film festival CamerImage’s Golden Frog Award for his outstanding achievements in music video and commercial cinematography. His contemporary work includes collaborations with Hype Williams, Emil Nava, David Rousseau, Ray Kay, Joseph Kahn, Andy Morahan, Paul Hunter, Marcus Nispel, F. Gary Gray and Rebecca Blake. Pearl’s portfolio of easily recognizable and highly influential work includes Grammy Award® winners and the biggest names in the music industry, including Mariah Carey, Garth Brooks, Deadmau5, Toni Braxton, Kanye West, Meatloaf, Lauren Hill, Aerosmith, Shania Twain, Cher, Whitney Houston, Jay Z, the Rolling Stones, Puff Daddy and Janet Jackson.

Pearl has shot more than 300 commercials and is known for capturing some of the advertising industry’s most compelling images. He earned industry-wide acclaim for his work on Motorola’s “Wings” spot in 1999, which is also in the permanent collection of the New York Museum of Modern Art.

BEAR MCREARY (COMPOSER) possesses the kind of out-of-the-box thinking that led WIRED Magazine to call him a “Secret Weapon”.  His unique combination of atypical instrumental background (he is a professional accordionist) with rigorous classical training prepared him to compose for disparate genres.  By the age of 24, McCreary was launched into pop culture history with his groundbreaking score to Syfy’s hit series Battlestar Galactica, for which he composed “the most innovative music on TV today” (Variety). It “fits the action so perfectly, it’s almost devastating: a sci-fi score like no other” (NPR).  Io9.com declared Bear McCreary one of the Ten Best Science Fiction Composers of all time, listing him alongside legends John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith and Bernard Herrmann.  In addition to earning his first Emmy® Award in 2013, McCreary was voted “Composers’ Choice Composer of the Year – Television” for 2013 by his peers in ASCAP, the first award of its kind.

An Emmy® Award winner for Da Vinci’s Demons, McCreary also composes for The Walking Dead (which shattered records with 17.3 million viewers for its fifth season debut), STARZ’s debut series Outlander (for Executive Producer Ronald D. Moore who he previously worked with on Battlestar Galactica), Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.—the #1 series debut of the 2013 fall season, the STARZ series Black Sails, the Syfy series Defiance, and the feature films Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie, Everly and Europa Report.  McCreary recently earned his fourth Emmy nomination, his first for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Drama), with Outlander.  In addition to The Boy, his 2016 film projects include The Forest (produced by David S. Goyer)) and the Bad Robot/Paramount Pictures production Valencia.