Film – Page 122

Movie Review: ‘Uvaa’ is an eye opener not only for Gen X but for one & all

July 4, 2015 by Shaheen Raaj

Banner: Dhanraj Films
Producer: Anil D. Jethani & Chandresh D. Jethani
Director: Jasbir B Bhaati
Cast: Om Puri, Jimmy Shergill, Sangram Singh, Archana Puran Singh, Vikrant Rai, Rajit Kapoor, Elena Kazan, Sanjay Mishra, Jitu Shivhare, Shefali Singh, Gautam Gilhotra, Parikshat Sahani, Vraddhi Sharma, Jyoti Kalash, Vicky Aahuja, Padam Singh, Poonam Pandey, Rohan Mehra, Lavin Gothi, Mohit Baghel, Bhupendra Singh “Megh”, Vinti Idnani, Sheena Bajaj, Yukti Kapoor, Neha Khan & Manish Choudhary
Music: Rashid Khan, Palash Muchal, Haneef Sheikh & Pravin-Manoj

When a small screen director makes his big screen debut he has certain set notions to make it big on the big screen and débutante director Jasbir B. Bhatti is no exception. In his debut directorial ‘Uvaa’ he has successfully blended all the commercial ingredients to make his latest film ‘Uvaa’ a hit film and he has succeeded in achieving his goal.

The film is about 5 friends in a boarding school and their daily life suddenly turning into a rebellion to fight for justice and make an example to the outside world. The 5 youngsters Ram, Anil, Vikram, Salmaan & Deenbandhu are the rebellious brats of suburban Delhi NCR, with the world at their feet and nothing to worry. They stomp everything in their path without knowing or bothering about the consequences, but challenge lay ahead when all of them are put in a totally new world of convent school, here they survive & thrive only to find love. But one night they encounter a horrifying event which puts them in the hands of law. Their lives change forever, they have to fight for justice & moral integrity to make an example for the world.

Hats off to producers duo Anil D. Jethani & Chandresh D. Jethani for backing such a meaningful & interesting film like ‘Uvaa’ and of course director Jasbir B. Bhatti too deserves all the kudos & plaudits for giving us a youthful & message oriented film like ‘Uvaa’.

Performance wise all the actors like Om Puri, Jimmy Shergill, Sangram Singh, Archana Puran Singh, Vikrant Rai, Rajit Kapoor, Elena Kazan, Sanjay Mishra, Jitu Shivhare, Shefali Singh, Gautam Gilhotra, Parikshat Sahani, Vraddhi Sharma, Jyoti Kalash, Vicky Aahuja, Padam Singh & Poonam Pandey for having done full justice to their respective roles. Not to forget all the débutante actors Rohan Mehra, Lavin Gothi, Mohit Baghel, Bhupendra Singh “Megh”, Vinti Idnani, Sheena Bajaj, Yukti Kapoor, Neha Khan, Manish Choudhary et al for delivering a commendable act in their respective roles.

Tail Piece: ‘Uvaa’ is a light, breezy & youthful entertainer meant for one & all.

Foreign Films Worldwide Round Up

June 29, 2015 by Shaheen Raaj

GLOBALIZATION FIRE UP FEST MARKET

Annecy attendance has The Big Mo. And Hollywood and US animation at large is driving that surge as US industry reaches out to the world for talent & markets. 5 days out from 15th Jun launch of 2015 fest edihtion, France’s Annecy Animation Film Festival & Market were on track for an overall 10% – 15% accreditation boost, a near dramatic boost. US fest / market participants were up a remarkable 60%, Canada’s by 40%. Including the Festival’s International Animation Film Market (MIFA), registrations – industry professionals & accredited film school students, look set to come in around 8,000 vs. 7,100 in 2014, reported Patrick Eveno, CEO of Citia, the Annecy Fest’s organizer. At MIFA, market registrations were over 10% up year -on – year. MIFA began its 30th edition on 17th Jun, 2015 with more participants than it finished last year’s, MIFA head Mickael Marin confirmation. Put that down to globalization, often driven by a digital revolution.

BRUCE PITCHES ‘BADLANDS’

Bruce Tuchman, president of AMC Global & Sundance Channel Global, is pitching upcoming series ‘Into The Badlands’ as a role model for the company’s future content investments. “I’m proud to say I don’t know any broadcaster in US which has put in so much investment and put so much on the line into what is essentially a Chinese – inspired story and is now bringing that to a huge audience in US.” said Tuchman on at the China and the World conference on the fringes of the Shanghai Television Festival. Starring Hong Kong’s Daniel Wu, the 6 part series that debuts in Nov, 2015 is the story of a well – trained warrior who embarks on a journey across a dangerous territory to find enlightenment. Accompanying him on his journey is a young boy named M. K. (Aramis Knight). Tuchman said that the series is inspired by Chinese fantastical tale “Journey To The West” and is AMC’s “costliest investment till this date.” “It is a genre – bending show. It takes place in a post-apocalyptic US.

3 MOVIES JOIN THE FESTIVAL LINEUP

Kyle Balda & Pierre Coffin’s ‘Minions’, Chris Columbus’ ‘Pixels’ & ‘Terminator Genisys’, which stars Arnold Schwarzenegger & Emilia Clarke, are among the films selected to play at Croatia’s Pula Film Festival. The international program competition includes George Ovashvili’s ‘Corn Island’, which won at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival; Jacques Audiard’s Palme d’Or winner ‘Dheepan’, Gabriel Ripstein’s ‘600 Miles’, winner of the Berlin Film Festival’s 1st feature award Alante Kavaite’s ‘The Summer Of Sangaile’, which won the Sundance Film Festival’s world cinema dramatic directing award. 14 films play in the competition section of the international program, and 14 features have been selected for the Croatian films program, which were chosen from the 28 movies submitted. The fest is headed by Gordana Restovic and the festival board includes Hrvoje Puksec, Mike Downey & Tanja Milicic. Downey, who is also deputy chairman of the European Film Academy, said: “The international program reflects a growing interest from the Pula public in quality cinema from all over the world.”

BRITISH COUNCIL LAUNCHES SCRIPT WRITING PROGRAM

The British Council has launched a UK -Nigeria screenwriting partnership program, Script Junction, which will run from Jun to Nov. The aim of the program, which is part of the British Council’s UK – Nigeria season of cultural collaborations, is to help 6 Nigerian & 6 UK screenwriters further develop their skills as well as to foster cultural exchange between the film industries in UK & Nigeria. The other program partners are the Edinburgh International Film Festival, the National Film & Television School, the Africa International Film Festival and the Nigerian Film Institute. The workshops will kick off with a 5 day module at the Edinburgh Film Festival from 19th – 23rd Jun, 2015. A 2nd 5 day module will be held in Nigeria during the Africa International Film Festival in Nov, 2014. At Afriff, all 12 participants will also pitch their projects to an expert industry panel and get feedback on their work. The project aims to “bring together, inspire & motivate a cohort of contemporary screenwriters to explore, develop & create screenplays.

MARY JOINS BFI FILM Fund

The British Film Institute has appointed Mary Burke as senior production & development executive at the BFI Film Fund. Burke joins from Warp Films, where she is an executive producer & board member. The BFI is UK’s largest public investor in film, with more than £30 million ($46.5 million) in funding to invest each year. Burke’s role will be to identify & support a diverse range of British feature film projects, working closely with writers, directors & producers across development & production. Burke’s producer credits include ‘Bunny And The Bull’, the 2009 feature debut from Paul King, who went on to direct ‘Paddington’, UK’s most successful independent film of 2014; ‘Submarine’, the feature BAFTA & BIFA winning debut of Richard Ayoade, which premiered at Toronto Film Festival in 2010; Paul Wright’s ‘For Those In Peril’, which premiered in Critics’ Week at Cannes in 2013; ‘Berberian Sound Studio’, the critically acclaimed 2nd feature from Peter Strickland, which premiered at Edinburgh in 2012; and Chris Waitt’s feature documentary ‘A Complete History Of My Sexual Failures’, which premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.

CIRQUE DU SOLEIL TO CHINA SHOW

Cirque du Soleil is to open an office in China and launch its 1st permanent show in the country by 2018. The moves follow the acquisition of Cirque earlier this year by financier TPG & Fosun, the Chinese conglomerate that is fast expanding its entertainment & leisure portfolio. The developments were announced at a Fosun event in Shanghai, attended by 20th Century Fox chairman Jim Gianopulos, Cirque’s president and CEO Daniel Lamarre and representatives from South Korean talent agency SM Entertainment, in which Fosun also has an investment. ‘Titanic’ director James Cameron sent a video message. “Toruk – The First Flight,” a stage show derived from Cameron’s ‘Avatar’ will debut in Montreal and tour China in 2017, after several stops in North America. Cirque’s China office opens later this year in Shanghai. The permanent show will be based in Hangzhou and will be a part of a joint development with Hangzhou Industrial. It will be located within a large mixed – use residential, retail & entertainment development that Fosun describe as a hive city.

SHANGHAI FESTIVAL DROPS “TITAN”

The Shanghai International Film Festival, which opened recently, will not go ahead with the scheduled screening of Japanese cartoon ‘Attack On Titan: Guren No Yumiya’. The film appeared recently on a list of animated content which the Chinese government has banned because of “violent and pornographic content.” In a statement circulated only to Chinese media, the festival said that “Titan” had been withdrawn “due to technical reasons.” It said that the film’s 3 screenings will now be filled with other festival titles and that refunds would be available to those who bought tickets in advance. “Titan” (aka “Attack On Titan: Crimson Bow And Arrow”) is directed by Tetsuo Araki, produced by Wit Studio. It is handled internationally by Pony Canyon. The film was one of 8 Japanese movies submitted to the Shanghai festival by the Japan – China Friendship Film Festival Executive Committee. Festivals in China are often able to show films that would not be screened in Chinese commercial theaters, but they are not exempt from censorship.

BRIDGING THE DRAGON PROJECT MARKET

With the start of Shanghai festival, the 1st edition of the Sino – European project lab “Bridging The Dragon” comes to a close. The 4 day residential workshop was held in Songjiang, Shanghai. It saw 10 selected projects, 5 each from China & Europe, pitched, analysed & critiqued by a panel of experts. Of particular importance in the context of attempting to make films that might straddle both European & Chinese markets were elements including story structure, believability of the setting in relationship to the other co – producing side, and feasibility of the co – production. Screenwriting tutors included Shu Huan, Alex Jia, chief creative officer of the Shanghai New Culture Media Group, Luigi Ventriglia, tutor at TorinoFilmLab & Marietta von Hausswolff von Baumgarten. Production experts included Xian Su from DMG Entertainment, Synnove Horsdal from Maipo Film, independent producer Chi Cheung Kwong, Dongrong Zhu from SMG Pictures, Leontine Petit from Lemming Film & Isabelle Glachant from Chinese Shadows.

‘LONG LIVE’ WINS THE WEEKEND

‘Love Live! The School Idol Movie’, a feature animation based on a multimedia project that encompasses a TV anime show, comic, music CDs & live concerts, opened at #1 in Japan for the 13th – 14th Jun, 2015 weekend. Bowing on just 121 screens, with Shochiku distributing, the film about teenaged girls who form an idol group to save their school from closing earned $3.42 million on 252,000 admissions. The film is expected to finish near the $20 million mark. Debuting at #2 was ‘Our Little Sister’, Hirokazu Koreeda’s Cannes competition entry about 4 sisters who form an unusual household in the seaside town of Kamakura. Opening on 323 screens, the film took in $1.86 million from 182,000 admissions. With Gaga & Toho as co – distributors and a full – scale media blitz by Koreeda and his 4 stars, the film looks likely to pass the $10 million milestone. Last week’s top ranking films, led by #1 ‘Tomorrowland’, slipped down 2 places to occupy the #3 to #8 slots. Naomi Kawase’s ‘An’, which also screened at Cannes, held onto its #10 rank, while reaching the JPY200 million ($1.6 million) mark on 94 screens with Elephant House distributing.

NETFLIX PRODUCTION PACT WITH KOGYO

Online video giant Netflix and the Yoshimoto Kogyo talent agency are partnering to make local programs for Netflix’s coming foray into the Japanese market, according to reports. In an unusual arrangement for the Japanese market, Netflix will underwrite a specified portion of the production costs, in exchange for exclusive streaming rights for a set period, according to Japan’s Nikkei newspaper. Meanwhile, Yoshimoto will retain the copyright, allowing it to sell the content elsewhere. The 1st show produced under the arrangement will reportedly feature Sanma Akashiya, a popular MC who has been a fixture on Japanese TV for decades. Netflix is reportedly in talks with Japanese TV production houses, animation studios and other contents producers for similar deals. Netflix is planning to launch a new video – streaming service in Japan this fall. Partly in response, 29 Japanese content providers, including major TV networks & film studios, joined together to form the Japan Contents Group (JCG) consortium at the end of May, 2015. They aim to start their own pay – per – view service before the end of the year.

‘JURRASIC WORLD 2ND LARGEST OPENER OF THE YEAR

Despite the ongoing MERS outbreak, the Korean box office recovered from last week’s slump. According to the KOBIS tracking service, admissions hit 2.19 million between Fri & Sun, represented a week – on – week rise of 147%. Spectators were brought out by ‘Jurassic World’. Released on Thurs, the UPI picture grossed $14.4 million from 1.81 million admissions in 4 days. Opening on 1,290 screens nationwide, “World” accounted for 72% of the weekend total. Its score was the 2nd highest opening of the year, behind ‘Avengers: Age Of Ulton’, which amassed $28.2 million in its 1st week. ‘San Andreas’ slipped to 2nd place, with a drop of 63%. The disaster pic earned $2.1 million between Fri & Sun, boosting its total to $11.2 million after 2 weekends. 3rd place went to Warner’s ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ with $1.05 million between Fri & Sun, down 49%. It has a cume of $28.3 million after a month in cinemas. The weak performance of Korean titles continued for another week. 5th placed, ‘The Treacherous’ managed $243,000 and after 4 weekends has accumulated $7.82 million. Last week’s opener ‘Perfect Proposal’ took an 87% tumble to 8th place, managing only $66,500 between Fri & Sun, and just $960,000 after 11 days.

LEE MIN – HO CONFIRMED HIS PRESENCE IN ‘BOUNTY HUNTERS

Fast rising Korean actor Lee Min -Ho, who has recently been in high demand in Greater China, has been confirmed to star in action – adventure film ‘Bounty Hunters’. The film is poised to be one of the most expensive in a growing wave of Korean – Chinese co -ventures. Pitched at Cannes by sales agency, it had a tentative budget of $16 million. More recent data put the budget at $31 million. Casting was confirmed this week by Lee’s agency. His recent credits also include ‘Public Enemy Returns’, & TV’s ‘Boys Over Flowers’. The movie is to be directed by Korea’s Shin Terra, action comedy and is written by Edmond Wong. It is the story of 5 bounty hunters who chase fugitives for money in China, Hong Kong, Korea & Thailand. Locations are expected to include Korea’s Jeju Island.
The production involves China’s Harmonious Entertainment Shanghai, Hong Kong’s Pegasus Motion Pictures, & Korea’s Starhaus Entertainment.

6 CELEBITIES BOOKED

Wes Anderson, Joel Coen, Frances McDormand, William Friedkin, Paolo Sorrentino & Italian star architect Renzo Piano are among onstage speakers recruited by new artistic topper Antonio Monda for the 10th edition of the recently reconfigured Rome Film Festival. Anderson (pictured) is booked for a conversation with Pulitzer Prize-winning U.S. author Donna Tartt about their love for Italian movies; Joel Coen and McDormand will speak about what it’s like to be husband and wife on set, and also on the notion of “muse”; Friedkin will hold forth with an as yet unspecified Italian master; Sorrentino will screen and discuss a previously unseen short of his and talk about the films that formed his cinematic vision. Renzo Piano will talk about the rapport between movies and architecture. Monda, a New-York based Italian journalist and academic with ties to the U.S. film and literary worlds, recently replaced Marco Mueller as Rome’s artistic director, after Mueller’s three-year mandate expired. Piera Detassis, a prominent Italian film journalist, critic and fest topper, was named Rome prexy.

VENICE FILM FESTIVAL TO PAY HOMAGE TO FEDERICO FELLINI

Venice Film Festival will pay homage to Federico Fellini with a special world premiere screening of a freshly restored copy of ‘Amarcord’ in Sept, 2015, 4 decades after the Italian master’s reminiscence of his native ‘Rimini’ won the foreign – language film Oscar. The announcement was made by Italy’s Cineteca di Bologna, the prominent film archives known globally as a prime film preservation entity. It handled the restoration, sponsored by Italian fashion e – tailer Yoox Group in collaboration with Warner Bros & Italy’s Cristaldi Film, which produced the 1973 pic, the title of which means ‘I remember’ in the local dialect. Fellini’s. ode to his youth and satirical depiction of small – town Italy during 1930’s ‘Fascism’ is considered his most personal film. Co – written with poet & scribe Tonino Guerra, and shot at Rome’s Cinecittà Studios, it is set to Nina Rota’s nostalgic score. Cineteca di Bologna topper Gianluca Farinelli noted that ‘Amarcord’ is the last of 4 pics Fellini won Oscars for, and “in some way marks the start of the final period in his career. I also believe this film speaks a lot about Italy to an international audience,” Farinelli added. The 72nd edition of the Venice fest will run 2nd to 12th Sept, 2015.

Movie Review: ‘Insidious: Chapter 3’ – This horror saga is not so scary

June 27, 2015 by Shaheen Raaj

Producer: Jason Blum, Oren Peli and James Wan
Director: Leigh Whannell
Star Cast: Ashton Mojo, Angus Sampson, Dermont Mulroney, Hayley Kiyoko, Lin Shaye, Tate Berney and Stefanie Scott
Genre: Horror
Verdict: Average

Director Leigh Whannell can very well be termed as the Horror master as he has mainly gained recognition in the past with films like Dead Silence, Death Sentence and the Saw and now the Insidious Chapter franchise. Normally sequels are made after the success of a prequel but in case of Insidious Chapter 3 it is a prequel after the success of the 2 earlier franchises of the same.

Plot: This chilling prequel, set before the haunting of the Lambert family, reveals how gifted psychic Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye) reluctantly agrees to use her ability to contact the dead in order to help a teenage girl (Stefanie Scott) who has been targeted by a dangerous supernatural entity.

Aces: The only thing that goes in its favour is the outstanding performances by its principal cast namely Dermont Mulroney, Lin Shaye and Stefanie Scott while the rest of the cast are just used like props to carry the movie forward.

Minuses: The gaps between the scary scenes are painfully slow and stiflingly boring which tests the viewers patience.

Last Word: This horror saga can be safely skipped.

Movie Review: ‘Inside Out’ is an enjoyable fare

June 25, 2015 by Shaheen Raaj

Producer: Jonas Rivera
Director: Pete Docter
Star Cast: Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Diane Lane, Kyle MacLachlan, Kaitlyn Dias, Lewis black, Mindy Kaling, Phyllis Smith and Richard Kind
Genre: Fantasy
Verdict: Good

Six times Oscar nominated and one time Oscar winner (for his film Up) director Pete Docter has till this date tried his hands at varied genres of filmmaking like horror, animation et al. In his latest animated outing Inside Out he has tackled the memory powers of a human being in lieu with his five basic emotions namely Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust and Anger.

Plot: Growing up can be a bumpy road, and it’s no exception for Riley, who is uprooted from her Midwest life when her father starts a new job in San Francisco. Like all of us, Riley is guided by her emotions, Joy (Amy Poehler), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Mindy Kaling) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith). The emotions live in Headquarters, the control center inside Riley’s mind, where they help advise her through everyday life.

Aces: The excellent manifestation and psychological interpretation of the human mind and its five basic emotions.

Minuses: Inside Out has a very complexed theme, which will be hard for children to grasp.

Last Word: It’s an entertaining film which will make you laugh and cry in unison.

Designer Manali Jagtap's new destinational stopover in Mumbai

June 24, 2015 by Shaheen Raaj

Of late designer Manali Jagtap has made her fashion inroads with her successful store in Bandra and became one of the most recognised names in the fashion industry globally. After receiving tremendous response for her store, Manali Jagtap decided to broaden the reach of her label, hence the designer hosted a puja in order to seek blessings for her another store in Khar.

So the designer Manali Jagtap had recently hosted an in – house puja for the family members as an auspicious start for her soon – to – be – launched store. The puja witnessed the presence of family members including her husband Vicky Shoor, Father Bhai Jagtap, Mother Tejaswini Jagtap and Sister Namita Jagtap.

The interiors of the store will be decided keeping the designer’s taste and wants in mind. Holding a penchant for fashion, we can surely expect yet another plush store with the best of Manali Jagtap’s collection.

Elated about opening another store soon, Manali says “It is the love of my clients which has made me take the step of opening another store very soon. Since my entire family including me are devotees of God and seek the blessing every time we commence a new business; the puja was a very private affair. Very soon the interiors of the store will start and in a matter of sometime, the store will be all ready to be launched”.

Bollywood Round Up

June 24, 2015 by Shaheen Raaj

‘Lonely In America’ Now Available on nritvfilmclub.com

‘Lonely In America’ is now available on nritvfilmclub.com. ‘Lonely In America’ is a classic film. And now audience can watch the film on the website nritvfilmclub.com. The 1st Ever streaming of Indian American Movies made in America. As a reference, it is just like a very mini Netflix for Indian American Movies. Website has many other wonderful movies made by Indian American filmmakers. Some of the other films are ‘Arya’, ‘Trade Offs’, ‘Love, Lust & Marriage’, ‘When Kiran Met Karen’, ‘Diwali’, ‘Way Of Life’, ‘Wings Of Hope’, ‘My Hero Shahrukh’, et al. New York Emmy nominated filmmaker Tirlok Malik’s film, ‘Lonely In America’ is an award winning cross-cultural romantic comedy about finding love in America. It is the story of Arun, a shy young man who has just arrived from India to realize the ‘American Dream.’ All Arun needs is a job, a nice home and someone to love…….but in the meantime he is ‘Lonely In America’ although not for long because this very funny newcomer is about to get a tasty bite of America. Initially when the film was released in 1992, it was shown in 74 countries, 37 film festivals, winning many awards and also shown on HBO. The film was shown in-flight of Air India more than 200 times. It was acclaimed by many media including Variety with saying “Exceedingly witty cross-cultural romantic comedy, a crowd pleaser.” and Hollywood Reporter with saying “A sleeper hit on the international feastival circuit.” Now this film can be watched only on ‘Lonely In America’ Now Available On Nritvfilmclub.com.

The film is directed by Academy Award nominated Barry Alexander Brown. The Cast includes Ranjit Chowdhry, Adelaide Miller, Tirlok Malik, Robert Kessler, Adrienne Shelly, Spike Lee (cameo), Mellisa Christopher, David Toney, Frank John Huges, Debbie Rochon, Cee Cee Rider, Chander B. Malik, Hettle, Mukesh Patel et al. ‘F.M.’ Muhurat & Song Recording
Held

Ozone International’s Hindi & Tamil venture ‘F.M’s muhurat & song recording was held recently at Kuber recording Studio. The song was rendered in the voice of Farhad Bhiwandiwala, The film is being produced by Ozone International, written & directed by Manoj Sharma & music & lyrics by Praveen Bharadwaj. Other cast & Credits are yet to be finalized.

‘Swades Ki Khatir’ Song Picturised In Banaras

Writer-producer-director Maan Singh & choreographer Madho Kishan have picturised a song on Aarti Gossal and others in Banares locales on 10th & 11th Jun, 2015 for Sheetal Movie Temple’s ‘Swades Ki Khatir’. The entire shooting of the film is now complete. It has been shot on actual locales of Banares and in and around UP locales in a 25 day stint. The editing of the talkie portions is also complete. It has lyrics: by Gayatri Singh, cinematography by Randdev Bhaduri & music by Josfi-Sunil Singh. It stars Pramod Singh, Sushant Singh, Maan Singh, Ila Pande, Raza Murad, Jr. Mehmood & Mukesh Khanna.
Shooting Start

‘Hum Hain Rangeeley’ Shooting Starts

The shooting of the Fact Films ‘Hum Hain Rangeeley’ was held recently at Mirinda Bunglow, Madh Island. The Film is being produced by Sujit Punjabi, directed by Deep Sharma & music by Jitender Singh. It stars Sujit Punjabi, Kavita verma, Fremi Gupta, Asmi, Fauzia, Sarfaraz, Vrinda, Angel et al.

Impossible Films Pvt Ltd Acquires Rights For ‘Mantra 2’

After successfully releasing Tamil horror thriller ‘Masss’ all across North India, Impossible Films Pvt Ltd, has acquired the rights of ‘Mantra 2’, part of the hit horror franchise Mantra (2007) for North India territory. ‘Mantra 2’ will be released on 19th Jun, 2015 across North India. Directed by Venkat Prabhu, ‘Masss’ stars Suriya & Nayantara in the lead. The movie grossed 17.30 cr. on its opening weekend. ‘Masss’ was also in the horror thriller category with a few comic elements, while ‘Mantra 2’ is a far more edge of the seat horror.

‘Thoda Lutf Thoda Ishq’ Releasing On 10th Jul 2015

Sachin Gupta directed romantic comedy ‘Thoda Lutf Thoda Ishq’ is all set to release on 10th Jul, 2015. It is being Produced under the banner of Chilsag Motion Pictures by Bharat Bansal, written & directed by Sachin Gupta, produced by Bharat Bansal, Vivek Yadav & Sachin Gupta, editing by Vinay Chauhan, cinemotography by Debasish Banerjee, art by Govind Gupta & Vinati Sehgal, music by Vikram Khajuria & lyrics by Devshi Khanduri. It star Hiten Tejwani, Rajpal Yadav, Sanjay Misra, Neha Pawar, Bhavita Anand, Sushmita Mukherjee & Rakesh Bedi.

‘10, First Love Story’ Muhurat Held

Divya Films Vision & Green World Media’s ‘10, First Love Story’s muhurat was held at Manisha Bungalow, Madh Island. The film is being produced & directed by Suraj Bharti & B. S. Ali, written by Suraj Bharti, music is by Shabab Azmi & Vishwakarma, lyrics by Kishen Paliwal & cinematography by Javed Akhter Naik. It stars Ehsaan Khan, K. K. Goswami, Shubhankar. G. Kathe, Kiran et al.

Javed Croons For A Film Based On Social Issues

Javed Bashir recently recorded a number “Nachna Painda Hain”, a romantic track for upcoming movie ‘Saavi – A Bonded Bride’.
The Pakistani singer who has made a name for himself in Bollywood, will lend his voice for the upcoming movie Saavi – A Bonded Bride. The singer who has crooned for movies like ‘Cocktail’, ‘Kahaani’, ‘Rush’, ‘Bombay Talkies’, ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’, ‘Once Upon A Time in Mumbai Dobaara’. has recorded this particular song in Pakistan. Music composer Shashwat Sachdev briefed him about the song over Skype. Javed Bashir sang the melodious “Nachna Painda Hain” in the movie which is a romantic track which was struck by an ingenious idea.

Sona Mohapatra & Rekha Bharadwaj have also sung in the movie. The movie was shot at the authentic locales of Chamba, Jot, Baddi in Himachal, Shahpur & Pinjore in Haryana. It is bring produced by Bhanu Sharma and directed by national award winning director Rajeev Kumar.

‘Mere Genie Uncle 3D’ Postponed

AAR motion pictures production ‘Mere Genie Uncle 3D’ has been postponed. A new date will be announced by the makers very soon. Itis being written & directed by Ashish Bhavsar, produced by Raju Gada, Ashish Bhavsar & Paresh Mehta. It stars Tiku Talsania, Shakti Kapoor, Anuj Sikri, Ehsaan Qureshi, Navina Bole & Mushtaq Khan.

‘Gondhali’ Muhurat Held

The muhurat of New Marathi Venture ‘Gondhali’ was recently held at San Digital with song recording. Singer Adarsh Shinde & Samrudhi Keni have lent their voice to the song penned by Jayprakah M. P. and he has also scored the music. The film is being produced by K. Divyanjali & Amit Kakde, directed by Jayprakash & Divyanjali under the banner of Kedarnath Movie Magic & story written by Divyanjali.

‘Real Indian Mother’ Applied For Censor

Arise Film Entertainment’s ‘Real Indian Mother’ has recently been applied for censor certification. The film is being produced & directed by Ratnesh Yadav, written by Bhishan Singh, music by Chhote Baba, lyrics by Munna Dubey, Anil Puskarsagar, Sagar Pradeshi, choreography by Sanjay Korbe & Ricky Gupta, action by Singh is king & cinematography by Ravi chandra. It stars Rani chatterjee (1st time in a double role), Manmohan Tiwari, Sanjay Panday, Dharmendra Singh, Punam Dubey, Lalan singh, Sunita Panday, Dev singh, Seema Singh & Priya Sharma

Javed Announces 2 Films

Producer Javed Subhani has recently announced 2 films under the banner of Sanskar Films’ ‘Sharmnaak’ & ‘Budbak Man’. The cast & credits will be finalized very soon and the film will mount the sets shortly.

‘Chinar-Daastaan-E-Ishq’ 70% Complete

The Shooting of Shagun Films Pvt Ltd’s ‘Chinar-Daastaan-E-Ishq is currently in progress in Mumbai. After completion of the current schedule, the film will be 70% complete and the next schedule will shot in Kashmir. The credits of the film are produced by Rajesh R. Jain, directed by Sharique Minhaj & Music by Salim Sen. It stars Faissal Khan, Inayaat Sharma, Dilip Tahil, Pramod Moutho, Shahbaaz Khan et al.

‘Patel Ki Punjabi Shaadi’ Postponed

The release of Rishi Kapoor-Paresh Rawal starrer ‘Patel Ki Punjabi Shaadi’ has been postponed from 13th Feb, 2015. A new date will be announced by the makers very soon. This romantic comedy is a story about a Punjabi played by Rishi Kapoor & a Gujarati Patel played by Paresh Rawal. The post-production work has begun. The credits of the film are banner is Bholenath Movies, produced by Bharat Patel, directed by Sanjay Chhel & music by Lalit Pandit & Uttank Vora. It stars Vir Das, Prem Chopra, Payal Ghosh, Jinal Belani, Divya Seth, Bharati Achrekar & Tiku Talsania

‘Koi Aae Na’ Releasing on 6th Feb 2015

Parvez Multimedia’s ‘Koi Aae Na’ is going to be released in Mumbai & Nizam circuit on 6th Feb, 2015. It is a crime thriller film shot in Chicago.

The credits of the film are written & directed by Mirza Parvez, produced by Asma Khan & Mohammad Khan, music by Ali Khan & Rajdeep Swamy Ameet, audiography by Maggie & Amy Stevens, action by Holly Barette & Matthew Startton & cinematography by Titus Fox. It stars Imtiza Khan, Aruna Sharma, Samy Star, Nebras Niblet, Anand Bhatt, Nilofur Khan, Anis Usmani, Mitch Jhaveri, Himayat Khan & Noman Khan.

Movie Review: 'Spy' is an interesting espionage thriller

June 22, 2015 by Shaheen Raaj

Producer: Paul Feig, Jessie Henderson, Peter Chemin and Jenno Topping
Director: Paul Feig
Star Cast: Melissa McCarthy, Jason Statham, Rose Byrne, Jude Law, Miranda Hart, Bobby Cannavale, Allison Janney, Peter Serafinowicz, Bjorn Gustafsson and Nargis Fakhri
Genre: Espionage Thriller
Verdict: Good

Together the pairing of director Paul Feig and Melissa McCarthy had gained an instant recognition through their earlier movie Bridesmaid. But somewhere along the line their director – actress chemistry is totally missing in their latest outing Spy.

Plot: Susan Cooper (Melissa McCarthy) is an unassuming, deskbound CIA analyst, and the unsung hero behind the Agency’s most dangerous missions. But when her partner (Jude Law) falls off the grid and another top agent (Jason Statham) is compromised, she volunteers to go deep undercover to infiltrate the world of a deadly arms dealer and prevent a global disaster.
Aces: The only plus point of the movie is the lead actress Melissa McCarthy. The other scene stealing act comes from Jason Statham and Jude Law.

Minuses: The female version of James Bond parody does not exactly work here. Besides what is an Indian actress like Nargis Fakhri doing in a Hollywood espionage thriller?

Last Word: If you are a fan of a thriller genre, then this is the movie for you.

Movie Review: 'ABCD 2' showcases the best of choreography

June 22, 2015 by Shaheen Raaj

Producer: Siddharth Roy Kapur
Director: Remo D’Souza
Star Cast: Varun Dhawan, Shraddha Kapoor, Prabhu Deva, Dharmesh Yelande, Lauren Gottlieb, Raghav Juyal, Pravin Bhosale, Sushant Pujari, Punit Pathak, Prachi Shah, Tisca Chopra, Jineeth Rath, Karthik, Navjot Singh Sidhu, Kapil Sharma, Terence Lewis & Remo D’Souza
Genre: Dance
Verdict: Good

Choreographer turned director Remo D’Souza needs no special introduction. In his directorial debut offering F.A.L.T.U he did show some directorial sparks. In his 2nd directorial outing ABCD Any Body Can Dance he was excellent and in ABCD 2 Remo is outstanding.

Plot: A sequel to 2013 released ABCD: Any Body Can Dance, ABCD 2 explores the real life struggle of 3 Mumbai based choreographers and dancers Vishnu (Prabhu Deva), Vinnie (Shraddha Kapoor) and Suresh (Varun Dhawan). The story, inspired by real life Nalasopara Boys, revolves around their journey from the narrow lanes of Mumbai to the World of Hip – Hop dance championship in Las Vegas.

Aces: The slick presentation of the varied dance forms in Las Vegas. The realistic performances of Prabhu Deva, Varun Dhawan, Shaddha Kapoor, Lauren Gottlieb and of course the varied dancing boys.

Minuses: The entire movie looks like a dance show reel or like a music video in bits and pieces.

Last Word: A full time pass movie. Go bask in the glory of dance.

"My debut film 'Uvaa' is a clean & wholesome family entertainer": Dhanraj Jethani

June 18, 2015 by Shaheen Raaj

Distributor turned producer Dhanraj Jethani is now ready with his latest offering titled ‘Uvaa’. Incidentally speaking ‘Uvaa’ is a story about 5 youngsters who are living a carefree life with a carefree attitude and a lot of “Dangamasti” thrown in, until they witness a young girl being tossed out of a car and when they try to help her, their own life gets embroiled in tensional turmoil. ‘Uvaa’ is releasing on 26th Jun, 2015 and Dhanraj Jethani is very hopeful that it will achieve a grand success.

How was your journey so far in Bollywood?

I started my filmy journey in Bollywood by distributing films. The last one I distributed was ‘1920 Returns’.

Then how come you thought of jumping onto the production bandwagon?

I just thought that I should do something different after distributing films even otherwise I think that distribution & production are like the 2 sides of the same coin.

So what is your debut film ‘Uvaa’ as a producer all about?

My debut film ‘Uvaa’ is the story of 5 youngsters, hailing from UP, who are always involved in a lot of brawls and then their parents get them admitted in an English speaking institution and wonder of wonders the atmosphere out their has complete change of heart in them.

Please continue!

And then one fine day they witness a strange incident on the road. They see that a young girl is being tossed out of a car who then flee away. Now the youngsters of our film rush to her help. But soon enough they all get embroiled in a vicious political system not to forget the cop’s dragnet.

So what is the underlining message of ‘Uvaa’?

All through the film there is an underlining social message. You see actually the girl who is tossed out of the car turns out to be a victim of a gangrape. So ‘Uvaa’ is like questioning the Government, their vicious political system, and the cops who are also involved in this vicious political system.

Then what kind of a film is ‘Uvaa’ in reality?

Frankly speaking ‘Uvaa’ is a clean & wholesome family entertainer albeit with an underlining social message. There is no cheapness and not even an iota of vulgarity. The whole family can see the film in totality and enjoy its music which is the mainstay of the film. It is also a comedy drama so that you can laugh your guts out. Nowhere have we shown the actual rape. But the film focuses mainly on the aftermath of the rape scenario. With this incident of the rape kaand we are also trying to question PM Narendra Modi, who is in total favor of our “Betiyaan”. Then why this gross injustice against the “Daughters Of India” and will such rape kaand ever have an end to it so that one fine day our daughters can feel & breathe safely on the Indian soil. Period!

Bollywood Newswatch

June 17, 2015 by Shaheen Raaj

Devgn To lend Support To Bulgarian Tourism

Of late Ajay Devgn has decided to lend his firm support to Bulgarian Tourism. After announcing southeastern European country Bulgaria as the shoot location for his next directorial film ‘Shivaay’, Ajay Devgn will now promote the country’s tourism. Devgn and his team are currently in picturesque Bulgaria for the film’s recce. Being the 1st within the industry to zero in the exotic location, Bulgaria tourism minister Nikolina Angelkova has announced that the actor-filmmaker will be lending his support to promote Bulgarian tourism. Devgn will take part in local activities and will also shoot a promotional video when he returns for the shoot, which will be shown in India. Along with directing the film, Devgn is also playing the lead in ‘Shivaay’. Sayesha, grandniece of Dilip Kumar & Saira Banu will be seen making her debut with ‘Shivaay’.

The 15th IIFA awards litigation continues

After the 15th annual IIFA in Tampa, Florida, USA, in 2014, the litigation over the economic proceeds which was commenced in New York City Supreme Court by Megha Bhouraskar of the Law Offices of Megha D. Bhouraskar, P. C., has now continued and been specially set for a 2 week trial beginning 7th Dec, 2015 in Tampa, Florida (“Tampa Lawsuit”). Attorneys from Gray Robinson, Florida, & Megha Bhouraskar from New York, are prosecuting the Tampa Lawsuit on behalf of the Claimant(s) Akarsh Kolarath, individually and as the principal of 7M TOURS, LLC, a travel & tourism company arranging International travel & tours. In particular, the litigation alleges a sophisticated financial scheme orchestrated by Wizcraft Entertainment USA, LLC; Wizcraft International Entertainment Singapore PTE Limited and its principals Andre Timmins; Viraf Sarkari; Joseph Sabbas, Noreen Khan along with the knowing participation by Dr. Kiran C. Patel; Dr. Pallavi Patel and their Drs. Kiran & Pallavi Patel Family Foundation, Inc and numerous others marches forward. Dr. Patel’s lawyers have failed to timely respond to the Tampa lawsuit and instead, have asked for an extension to respond through 10th Jun, 2015 onwards. The Tampa lawsuit seeks from these individuals & entities in excess of $7,000,000.00 (7 Million Dollars) USD in damages. United States Federal Bankruptcy Judge Michael Williamson will presently preside over the Tampa trial.

Venus Releases 2nd Short Film

Basking on the glory of film Production, film distribution & presentation, overseas & satellite distribution, VenusWorldwide Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. released its 2nd short film, directed by Nanndita Kothari named ‘Coffin: Revenge From 6ft. Under’ featuring Anusha, Melane, Ankit et al.

Jackie & Sandip Honoured

Jackie Shroff & Sandip Soparrkar were recently honored at Navi Mumbai International Film Fest. Senior Bollywood actor Jackie Shroff & choreographer cum ballroom dancer Sandip Soparrkar received special honours at the Navi Mumbai International Film Festival (NMIFF) 2015 for their contribution in cinema. The Festival showcased more than 400 films from all countries in its 2nd edition. Soparrkar was especially honored for his fantastic work in Hollywood & Bollywood films.

Burkina Keen For Collaboration

Burkina Faso seems very keen to collaborate with Indian film sector. Burkina Faso is looking at collaborating with an Indian filmmaker to produce a film in this country. This was stated by International Chamber of Media & Entertainment (ICMEI) president Sandeep Marwah after a meeting with Burkano Faso Ambassador Idriss Raoua Ouedraogo at the Asian Academy of Film & Television in Noida Film City. ICMEI has created a separate committee for the development & promotion of films, television, media and other segments of entertainment

Vidya Receives Doctorate From Rai University

Vidya Balan marks a decade in cinema; receives a Doctorate from Rai University. Vidya Balan, known to take on challenging roles & win laurels, has been conferred a Doctor of Arts Honor isCausa by the Ahmedabad based Rai University. Balan also completed a decade in the film industry this week. The honor was given earlier this week in appreciation of her contributions to Indian cinema over the past 10 years. Her endeavor to bring out the strong side of a woman in films has contributed to women’s empowerment in society. The University also announced an annual scholarship named Balan.

‘Hamari Adhuri Kahani’ Gets A Tax Rebate

‘Hamari Adhuri Kahani’ gets a Tax rebate. Even before its release, ‘Hamari Adhuri Kahani’ starring Emraan Hashmi, Vidya Balan & Rajkummar Rao has achieved a feat that many films manage to attain after weeks of release. The state of Madhya Pradesh declared that the Mohit Suri directorial will be tax free. Recently, Vidya Balan & Mohit Suri paid a visit to the state to meet the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh and now according to an official statement, the government has exempted ‘Hamari Adhuri Kahani’ from entertainment tax. What seems to be a moment of rejoice for the cast & crew of the film, however has turned out to be controversy, soon after the decision was made many Congress officials are upset over this fact and have apparently claimed that the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh is star-struck. Moreover, it is being said that they are accusing the government of taking such a hasty decision without reviewing the content of the film, considering that only films with historical, moral or ethical value to the society fall under the category of exemption and are miffed over the fact that this romantic drama has been given a tax exemption despite it being a complete commercial film.

Censor Board recently told Remo that Indians can’t be called ‘Beggars’.

The Remo Fernandes directed UTV Production’s ‘ABCD 2’ has been cleared by the Censor Board Of Film Certification with a ‘U’ certificate (for all ages) with just one verbal cut. The line “All Indians Are Neggars’ has been chopped off. Otherwise not a shot has been touched. The censor board, was mesmerized by Varun Dhawan, Shradha Kapoor & Prabhu Dheva’s dancing. The film is clean healthy family fare. And they all felt there was no reason to not give the film a ‘U’ certification. However one line had to go. It referred to Indians in a derogatory manner. Censor guidelines specify that no utterances insulting any nationality or community must be allowed. Remo seemed pleased with the censor certification though displeased with the film’s release date not been pre-poned by a day to June 18.

‘Mastizaade’ After Facing Censor Rejection Moves Appellate Tribunal

‘Mastizaade’ after facing censor rejection moved appellate tribunal. Filled with sexual innuendos, ‘Mastizaade’ was supposed to be one of the most unabashed sex comedies of the year. Unfortunately, the Censor Board is not happy with the subject and the film which was slated for release in May has been facing censor’s wrath since then. Initially ‘Mastizaade’ was waiting for certification from the Censor Board which resulted in the delay of the release. And later, the board refused to certify the film because of too much sexual content. Further, the film was sent to the Revising Committee for a change in the decision but faced the same fate once again since the committee too found the content too bold for viewing. And hence, the makers of the film have now decided to approach the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal. From one of the female members of the board had decided to pass the film with an ‘A’ certificate along with a few cuts but her decision, it seems, was not taken into consideration. Moreover, it is being said that Pahlaj Nihalani had told I&B Ministry that the decision for the film was taken by Nandini Sardesai, a member of Revising Committee. However, Pritish Nandy is apparently not convinced with the same since according to him, Nandini Sardesai was not present during either of the screening. As of now, the decision over ‘Mastizaade’, directed by Milap Zaveri, starring Sunny Leone, Tusshar Kapoor & Vir Das in the lead, is still pending, awaiting a reply from the Tribunal.