​ ​ The ​Hollywood​ director John Woo sent an appreciation mail to Rajkuamr Hirani.

The director John Woo is very well known for his direction of films like Face Off, Broken Arrow and Wind Talker.

John Woo and Rajkumar Hirani had met last year at the Beijing International Film Festival, where both were part of the jury. During their meet there, they had spoken about each other’s work at length. 

John Woo is one of those directors who does not believe in phones. He only communicates with people via mail. Since their first meeting in Beijing, they have been in on and off in conversation with each other.

While Rajkumar Hirani was in China for the launch of PK, he had sent a mail to John so that they could meet up, but as the director was out of town they could not catch up.

Rajkumar Hirani was surprised when he later received a mail from John. It was a very long letter where he told Raju that he had watched PK and he liked it a lot.

He wrote everything from what he likes to what he thought of the film.

Rajkumar Hirani confirms the news and adds, "It was heartening to receive the letter from John. When we met last year, we discussed PK. I am very glad that he liked the film. "

FICCI FRAMES 2015 gets under way in Mumbai

Next phase of auctions for FM Radio to add another 1000 channels

Challenges posed by creation of new media platforms, content diversification, new business and revenue models will be addressed upfront, says Govt.

 3-day FICCI FRAMES 2015 gets under way in Mumbai

MUMBAI, March 25, 2015. The government has held out the assurance that it would address upfront the challenges before the media and entertainment sector such as emerging technologies giving way to new media platforms, great diversification of content, industry trying out new business and revenue models and the fact that today every youngster was keen on launching mobile apps.

 

“These are exciting times for the media and entertainment sector,” said Mr. J S Mathur, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, at the FICCI FRAMES 2015 convention that got under way here today. Mr. Mathur, however,  cautioned that exciting times always come with challenges and assured a packed house that the new government was  trying to meet these challenges.

Speaking about the Government’s vision for a digital India, Mr. Mathur said, “After the limited phase 1 and 2 of digitisation, the rollout for phase 3 and 4 that is going to cover the entire country, including rural India, was a major step forward with tremendous stakes for all stakeholders.” He called upon the industry to work together to ensure that the consumer gets the best out of this new development, while seeing that stakeholders also get their due.

Mr. Mathur also informed the gathering that FM radio expansion has received government’s approval. The first batch of phase 3 of radio e-auctions has been rolled out, covering 69 cities and 135 channels. The next phase will add another 1000-odd channels spread across the length and breadth of the country.

On the occasion, FICCI-KPMG report was also released by the dignitaries present at the inaugural session.

Dr. Jyotsna Suri, President, FICCI, said that FICCI urges the government to undertake some critical initiatives towards the sector’s growth. These include expanding the net of co-production audio-visual agreements to include more countries in our outreach – after all India’s Foreign Direct Investment regulations permit 100 per cent FDI under the automatic route in film production; augmenting screen density in the country; bringing the process of broadcast digitization to an efficient closure; a re-invented film commission to take over the process of Single Window Clearances for shooting which should aim to work in a seamless fashion with state governments; and finally the process of subsuming all entertainment taxes into GST. With these in place, India will be unquestioningly at the centre of the global media and entertainment “movement”.    

Mr. Ramesh Sippy, Co-Chair, FICCI Entertainment Committee, said that the M&E sector has grown substantially over the years and holds a lot of promise for the future. Highlighting some of the initiatives that FICCI had undertaken to promote the sector, he said that co-production have been signed with China and Canada; a proposal had been  sent to the I&B Ministry and Prasar Bharati to start dedicated channels for kids; a proposal has been moved for setting up National Centre of Excellence for Animation and Gaming in PPP mode; need to reduce tax on royalty; urging the I&B Ministry to push forward the Cinematograph Bill in Parliament; subsuming all entertainment taxes into GST  in April 2016; proposal to making India a teleport hub and  creating awareness amongst production houses to use the co-production treaties already in place with the UK, Italy, Australia, Canada and China.  

Mr. Kamal Haasan, Chairman, FICCI MBEC South, said that for the Indian M&E industry to grow the need was to penetrate the rural India which is home to two-thirds of the population. The media sector cannot afford to be complacent at this stage, and there was a need for innovative thinking, generation of quality content and refurbishing of businesses to stay relevant in the market. He said that all M&E platforms were now merging and the sector is one fraternity.

Mr. Harit Nagpal, CEO & MD, TataSky, said that there was a need to take the production centres to small cities and rural India where the talent was in abundance and informed that a rural entrepreneur scheme was already in place across the country. Creating new professionals and promoting rural entrepreneurs would help in bringing forth innovative ideas and a new wave of thinking which the M&E industry lacks currently owing to various governmental restrictions. He added that now was the time for the industry to do things differently and do different things.

He stated that India should look towards self-regulation in the M&E sector and in case of any violations, the guilty party should be penalised and in grave issues the government could also consider cancelling of the license. He added that like any other industry, the entertainment industry was also one of the drivers of the economy and a source of employment generation, hence it could lead India to the next level of economic empowerment if the government and the industry pushed the sector in the right direction.

The audience was also treated to an interesting dialogue with Mr. Aamir Khan, Actor & Producer, who took questions from NDTV’s Editorial Director, Ms. Sonia Singh. The actor disclosed that he never looks at the ‘business aspect’ when he is working on a film. He simply gets immersed in the story. “Indians take to hardware very quickly,” he said, referring to the rapid sales of the latest phones and computers. “However, the issue lies in software.” What he meant is that regardless of the best material objects that people own, they ultimately need to learn how to use them well, so that society as a whole benefits and moves forward.

 

Mr. Khan was also of the view that the media and entertainment industry has a large role to play in the social evolution of the country. “Sure, our job is to entertain, but does it stop there?” He felt that his industry should introspect about the content they are creating, to influence minds and infuse in young India with qualities that we can all be proud of. In his opinion, there is a huge opportunity for the media to transform India, more important than money and numbers. Being obsessed with numbers can stifle creativity.

He said that he was against ban of any kind on content and was happy that the I&B Minister clarified that his ministry does not have any list of words that should or should not be used. The statutory board is a Certification Board, not a Censor Board, and its role is to certify, he added.

 

Dr. Arbind Prasad, Director General, FICCI, proposed a vote of thanks.

FICCI Media division 

Dibakar Banerjee and Sushant Singh Rajput to launch a fashion line inspired by DBB

Sushant Singh Rajput and Dibakar Banerjee are all set to launch a fashion line which is inspired by the era Detective Byomkesh Bakshy is set in.

Dibakar Banerjee's Detective Byomkesh Bakshy is set in the 1943 of Calcutta. The film has Sushant Singh Rajput playing the title character.

The director has made it a point that each and every nuance of the film has been imbibed into the 1940's.

So much so the team came up with an idea of creating a fashion line which would be a fusion of glamorous and modern styling.

The fashion line will be called  'NOIR 43' and would be launched on 26th March in Delhi.

Sushant and Dibakar are originally from Delhi and are eager to be back in the city.

Dibakar shares, "the 40s in calcutta were a time of change.  Politics, war,  crime.and the independence struggle were the scene .  films were breaking new grounds in fashion. on the streets there were bengalis, english, americans, chinese, armenians, afghans and many other jostling for a share of the adventure. out of this came the unique calcutta attire. dhotis mixed with jackets. war surplus overcoats. army uniforms set the style. girls were getting out into the open. american GIs were giving the city a taste of swing and jive. the japanese were bombing and the city switched off its lights in total blackouts. out of that came noir - the dark, edgy and cool world of Byomkesh as he stalked a criminal genius. NOIR 43 takes its inspiration from this exciting and slightly dangerous world and brings back the glamour of 43."

Goldie Behl to collaborate with Bhushan Kumar!

Producer Goldie Behl joins hands with T-Series to co-produce a family drama to be helmed by filmmaker Mohit Suri.

Known to back strong content , producer Goldie Behl is all set to start work on his next, a family drama. Goldie, under the Rose Movies banner will co-produce the film along with T-Series.

The untitled project will be directed by Mohit Suri and will be based on a relationship between a father and son. The project which is still in a preliminary stage will feature a stellar cast,however, the makers remain tight-lipped about details at this stage.

Hunterrr crosses 7.20 cr in 4 days at the box office

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Phantom Films’ Hunterrr has been receiving widespread appreciation and praises from all quarters.

Written and directed by Harshvardhan Kulkarni, Hunterrr has a stellar cast with outstanding performances delivered by Radhika Apte, Gulshan Devaiah and Sai Tamhankar.

The film has received a tremendous response and this is visible in its numbers at the box office.

It opened at 1.55 cr on Friday.

There was a huge growth on Saturday with a collection of 2.03 cr and a further growth on Sundaywith 2.15 cr.

The total weekend collections were 5.73 cr.

Monday recorded a collection of 1.48 cr, almost equal to the collections of the opening Friday.  

In 4 days Hunterrr has crossed 7.20 crore at the box office.

For a small film as Hunterrr that has been made on a slim budget, it is doing extremely good business and is already in profit.

Hunterrr is constantly growing due to strong positive word of mouth.

Mr X’s romantic best song “Tu Jo Hain” goes viral

The first song video from Vikram Bhatt’s Mr X, the much awaited romantic thriller “Tu Jo Hain” garners great response as it goes viral with a  5million count in 5 days! Featuring Emraan Hashmi and the gorgeous Amyra Dastur, the song has surpassed all records across platforms i.e. streams, radio and views on YouTube, with an ever increasing count. 

“After a long time my fans will get the best of me in Tu Jo Hain. Amyra is a very talented actor and together we have created magic in the song. Ankit has sung it beautifully and it’s on loop on my playlist. I hope my fans enjoy it as much too” says Emraan Hashmi

The beautifully crooned and composed song by Ankit Tiwari with lyrics of Mohnish Raza showcases the passion and chemistry between the couple which is a must watch. Emraan also believes that this song is his romantic best!

Emraan and Amyra’s sizzling chemistry in the song combined with Ankit's soul-stirring voice makes you eager to listen and watch the song.

Team of Hunterrr to hold an open forum on the film

For the first time ever, a Bollywood film is holding an open forum where people can discuss the film in depth.

The team of Phantom Films’ Hunterrr is holding a special screening of the film, tomorrow at a suburban theatre.

The screening will be followed by a session where people can come and discuss every aspect of the film, debate over it and can put forward their point of view on the film and the subject it talks about.

The entire team of the film, the producers; Vikas Bahl and Vikramaditya Motwane, the director Harshvardhan Kulkarni and the lead actors; Gulshan Devaiah and Radhika Apte will be present at the event.

They will be open to all questions on the film and the subject it addresses.

After a film releases it is discussed by people and the media at length. Various aspects of a film, from its story and script…to the actors, direction and cinematography are discussed.

So this is an opportunity for people to discuss all this with the team of the film itself.

This is a unique concept and has never been done before. It is an excellent platform for all those who have something to say about Hunterrr as they can come and put forth their views.

Hunterrr is a coming of age film of a young guy and openly talks about sex that is such a taboo topic in India. It has been receiving praises from all quarters.

The film has been appreciated all across and is showing a constant growth at the box office. It’s first weekend collections are 5.73 crore.

Kangana Ranaut's 1st blog, which she has started on her birthday

At 16 she was just agirl who was trapped in a stranger’s body, more often than not that body seemed possessed by alien forces like menstrual blood, cramps, stretch marks, acne, shameful desires and regretful deeds. Neither did she want that body nor that person.

At 19 the seed was bursting and an artist was trying to sprout from it, did it make it?Did it not? That seed might have not made it and many others after that didn’t either but one seed eventually did, the price and the pain both were unbearable.

At 23 when she looked into the mirror she was faced with a bundle of contradictions, she contradicted herself but she didn’t lie not even to herself.  Her honesty was endearing and for the first time I liked her.

At27 I ‘d fallen madly and deeply in love with the mountainwoman who speakswith clouds and butterflies.

I can’t wait to grow oldand meet her when her eyes will sparkle with wisdom and her voice will quiver with kindness and here another thought hits me, how much more time do I have with her?

Time is slipping from my hands just like sand does and I know one lifetime won’t be enough for us.

Can I close my eyes and breath this beautiful spring day in and let it flow through my blood and make it a part of me?Can I stay in this moment for a little longer before 27 deserts me like a lost love affairand before 28 conquers me like a conquest.

Kangana Ranaut.

 LINK

Rajkumar Hirani receives a standing ovation at Warwick University

Rajkumar Hirani received a grand standing ovation on his recent visit to Warwick University in London. The multifaceted director was invited to take a session at the university on any subject related to film-making, and he chose to talk on film editing.

He feels that editing as a profession has always been undervalued; however it is of key importance and plays a strong role for every film. He had gone there to underline the importance and the need of good editors. 

He believes that it is essential to understand the requirement of good editors in today’s cinema. Even students who are planning their career into film-making, need to grasp basic technicalities of film editing. An editor can completely take over the film and use his creativity to give a perfect direction.

Rajkumar Hirani who is also a trained editor at FTII feels that editing gives a complete new vision to direct a film. According to him, directing a film gets more exciting when you have the sensibilities of basic technicalities related to films.  

He had a wonderful session with the students and was delighted that he got an occasion to share his experience with all of them. 

Rajkumar Hirani shares, "‎Editing can either enhance or ruin the film. It's almost as important as script writing. When the management requested me to pick a topic, I chose to underline the importance of editing."

He further adds, "I was delighted by the enthusiasm and response of the students."

Face of Fear , Gabbar is Here

Pachaas-Pachaas kos door jab koi rishwat leta hai.. to sab khete hai mat le varna Gabbar aajayega. ‘Gabbar is Back’ this year but in an all new avatar, redefining bad as the new good this summer.

                                                                                                                                                                                
Launching action maelstrom Akshay Kumar as Gabbar, this high octane action film is an entertainer with substance. An aam aadmi denied justice created Gabbar – a man who set out on a fierce and ruthless path to fight corruption.

Revisiting the face of fear with Bollywood’s most intimidating villain - Gabbar Singh and his famous dialogues, a 360 degree promotional drive was launched to touch the daily lives of the aam junta. Grossing a phenomenal 1 Million touch points across 15 cities pan India, this teaser piqued curiosity across the nation.

Asking all his fans to join this fight, Akshay Kumar said, “Gabbar is an iconic villain in the Indian film industry. I am extremely honored to have been able to play his namesake in “Gabbar is Back”. In our film ,Gabbar is the personification of a thought that  represents the power of the common man. I wanted this thought to reach the aam aadmi across India . I want to thank the millions of people who have responded to the campaign and we hope to have many more join Gabbar's fight against corruption with this film.”

For the first time ever, a film was promoted by using unconventional mediums that directly reach out to the aam aadmi like LPG cylinders, dabbawalas, public transport and local hangouts like chai stalls and pan shops. This camping thrived on reaching out to the masses and each branding element was customized and integrated with witty Gabbar Singh dialogues like at a Chai Stall – the copy reads Chai Piyo, Chai Paani Nahi or at a petrol pump where the messaging is Corruption Gaya Tel Lene. Social media was set buzzing with interesting memes, contests and 4 motion teasers with the first teaser alone garnering over 5 lakh views on day 1 on YouTube.

Produced by Viacom18 Motion Pictures, Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Co Produced by Shabinaa Khan -  Gabbar is Back releases on May 1, 2o15.

Kundan Shah’s P Se PM Tak to release on 22nd May 2015.

Kundan Shah, the director with a cult status, is coming with his next film P Se PM Tak which is a PEN India production and is being slated for 22nd May 2015 release.

Dhaval Jayantilal Gada (PEN), who has produced Udaan, show with the highest TRP on Colors, and Dil Ki Baatein Dil Hi Jaane that will mark return of Ram Kapoor and Gurdip Kohli, presents P Se PM Tak , a political satire directed by Kundan Shah. Produced by Kushal Kantilal Gada (currently working on Kahaani's sequel Kahaani 2), and Reshmaa Kadakia.

The Film Star Cast includes : Meenakshi Dixit, Indrajeet Soni, Bharat Jadhav, Yashpal Sharma, Aanjjan Srivastav, Deepak Shirke, Akhilendra Mishra, Mushtaq Khan, Aanand Kale, Vedish, Prerna Wanvari, Chinmay Jadhav, Geetanjali Kulkarni, Virendra Saxena, Upasana Singh, Pandharinath Kamble, Sanjay Dadhich .

The other credits are as follows  -  Executive Producer: Rajni Acharya, Story: Kundan Shah & Vijay Desai, ScreenPlay: Kundan Shah, Alpesh Dixit & Sanjay Sharma, Dialogues: Vedish, Alpesh Dixit, Vijay Desai & Sanjay Sharma,  Music: Jatin, Lyrics: Vinoo Mahendra, Cinematography: Rajesh Joshi, Sound Designer: Manoj Sikka, Editors: Javed Sayyed & Aseem Sinha, Distribution Head – Pen Ravichand Nallappa, Visual Promotions: Trigger Happy (Amit Chandrra, Mukul Misra), Publicity Designed by: Rahul Nanda & Himanshu Nanda, Associate Directors: Ashok Karlekar & Indraneel Kaul, Art Directors: Alok Halder & Mrinal Das, Costume Designer: Roopa & Arun Sharma, Choreographer: Longinus, Casting Director: Kabir Kapoor, Production controller: Gurudas Pai, Distribution Team : Ajay Bulani & Amit Ghorpade, Marketing Team: Sanaa Dhadli & Mita Choudhary.

5 trucks of marigold for Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's Mirziya

After getting high security for shooting the most important sequences in Mirzia, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra has now made way for the Kolkata marigold flower in Jaipur.

The sequence was debutant Saiyami Kher’s wedding sequence in the film, which is one of the most integral sequences of the film.

Considering it is a grand Rajasthan wedding, Rakeysh needed the set to look perfect. He looked into each and every detail, from the costume on each and every person on the set to the floral decoration which had been used.

So much so that the director called for 5 trucks of yellow marigold flowers all the way from Kolkata. Kolkata is known for top quality marigold flowers.

The sequence was shot in 7 days so the makers had called for the flowers on regular intervals after the initial 5 trucks.

It is Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s first love story. He is leaving no stone unturned for this project and is personally looking into all the detailing.‎

Mirziya is a contemporary love story set in Rajasthan. It is one of the most anticipated films and the biggest launch vehicle for Harshvardhan Kapoor and Saiyami Kher.

Spokesperson confirms the news and adds, "It is a very important sequence and was shot over many days. Keeping it traditional, simple and classy was the idea - which sounds easy, but is tough to achieve. The production team did a wonderful job of achieving that."

Zoya Akhtar has been editing for Dil Dhadakne Do for 14 -16 hours at a stretch

Zoya Akhtar has been busy editing her next film Dil Dhadakne Do. She has been editing for 14 -16 hours at a stretch. Zoya has been living in the edit studio.

The ace director has been going through the footage and sitting with editors for the same.

They did an extensive shoot across the Mediterranean for the film and have interesting footage.

Zoya has been a frenzy trying to decide the scenes which need to be retained and scenes which she need to remove.

Editing is one of the crucial aspects of filmmaking and currently Zoya is completely absorbed in this process.

Zoya has been spending 14 -16 hours in the editing studio. She has been pretty much living in there

Dil Dhadakne Do is a story which revolves around a dysfunctional Punjabi family who are on a cruise trip. The film has an eclectic cast starring Anil Kapoor, Farhan Akhtar, Ranveer Singh, Priynaka Chopra, Anushka Sharma and Shefali Shah. The film is slated to release on 5th June 2015.

Special gift for Yami Gautam!

Yami Gautam recently received a beautiful hand drawn sketch of herself from a fan.

Yami who is currently shooting in Patiala for her forthcoming film opposite Pulkit Samrat, was visited on the sets by a fan who brought a sketch of Yami that he had made and gifted it to her.          

The sketch was beautifully made and looked like it was made by a professional. Yami was in complete awe of it.

The fan told Yami that she has one of the best smiles in the industry. He also expressed how he loved her latest film Badlapur opposite Varu Dhawan.

Yami was deeply humbled and delighted at this sweet gesture by the fan and accepted the gift with a smile. She also interacted with the fan about his artistic talent.

Yami shares, "It was a beautifully made sketch and a really endearing gesture. I feel blessed for all the love. These gestures from people who love and support me, only make me smile and make me want to better what I bring on table for them."

Yami has been juggling her schedule with shooting for movies back to back. Her latest film Badlapur was loved by the audience and performed a brilliantly at Box office. The actress will soon be seen in T- series’s Sanam Re which is set to release on 12th February 2016.

Shraddha Kapoor throws a birthday party for her mom

Shraddha Kapoor planned a party for her mother this birthday.

Shivangi Kapoor’s birthday was on 12th March and Shraddha put in a lot of time to make her mother’s birthday extremely special. She wanted to make sure that it meant something to her mother.

fter a lot of planning, Shraddha organized a Karaoke party for her mom.

Little does anyone know that Shivangi Kapoor loves singing. Coming from a family of singers she has been gifted with the talent, is fabulous at it and thoroughly enjoys it.

While knowing this, what better gift to give her mother than a night full of music and singing with her near and dear ones.

Shraddha found out organizers who organize the karaoke and ensured all her mom’s favourite songs were there.

She also looked into catering, decorations and other details. She even made personal invitations to all the invitees.

10 days of planning and Shraddha was very excited. She planned everything to the T and wanted it all to be perfect.

Their close family members and Shivangi Kapoor’s childhood friends were present.

Her mom was really happy and thoroughly enjoyed herself.

Shraddha Kapoor shares, "It was a lot of fun planning a birthday get together for mom. She loves singing so the cherry on the cake was the karaoke session."

She further adds "I am so glad it went well. She loved it and all her friends had a nice time. "

Designer Kanika Kedia Unveils her SS'15 collection at Fuel

Mumbai, 16^thMarch’15:Fashion is all about shifting ideas and changing moods and with each season the desire to add the most covetable trends or the must have pieces to our wardrobes is a necessity. It’s true when said that women trends are a revolution season after season.

Giving us a trunk full of new contemporary fashion this Spring Summer, was none other than the dynamic designer Kanika Kedia. She brought to us her assimilation of the beautiful forests and nature in this vibrant collection. She unveiled it at the grand Multi-designer store FUEL in Bandra and was absolutely thrilled to receive great appreciation on it.

Sporting some of her lovely creations at the soiree were – Taapsee Pannu, Swara Bhaskar, Pallavi Sharda, Amyra Dastur, Madurima Tuli, Pooja Chopra, and others. Her celebrity clients include Madhuri Dixit, Huma Qureshi, Karisma Kapoor, Prachi Desai etc.

FUEL is an upmarket fashion and lifestyle store. The consumer at FUEL has an opportunity to select from over 1000 ensembles in a cool, spacious and chic atmosphere. It houses pret, diffusion, home accessories, fashion jewellery, hand bags, sarees and designer menswear spread over 5000 sq. ft.