Kevin Hart Is Not Afraid

Kevin Hart, who found success in films, and stand – up, is now all set to make his debut in the world of writing as he launched his memoir “I Can’t Make This Up: Life Lessons which documents his rise to fame. He has devoted many chapters to his childhood which gives thorough introduction of his family members & friends and some personal memories from his youth.

Naomi Watts Gets Nervous

Naomi Watts averred that she wants to do theatre but has a fear of stage. The Gypsy actress says that she gets anxious in front of live audience. “I still haven’t done theatre. I’ve got to pluck up the nerve. I’m not very good on stage. “Even when you do those talk shows & you have a live audience, it fills me with fear. But I’m not one to let fear get the better of me,” Watts stated in conclusion.

Arnold Schwarzenegger Was “Too Creepy”

Arnold Schwarzenegger was once told that he was “too creepy” for leading roles in Hollywood. Arnold Schwarzenegger, had shot to fame after Hercules In New York. In fact he was warned that he could never be a leading man because of his Austrian dialect & bulky frame.

Carey Mulligan To Star In On The Other Side

Carey Mulligan has been cast in On The Other Side, a film based on the real life experiences of war correspondent Kate Webb. Carey Mulligan will play a war correspondent in the upcoming movie, which will be overseen by First Look Media, and will also assist in producing the film. And the British beauty is honored she has been selected to appear in the movie & work with a “talented team of producers”.

Kevin Hart Unafraid Of Being Honest

Kevin Hart stated that he is not “afraid of being honest” in his new memoir, “I Can’t Make This Up: Life Lessons”. Kevin Hart feels that there is nothing in the book that he was afraid of telling his fans as his flaws made him “human”. “I’m not afraid of being honest, I’m an open book. I’m a person. My life is real, it’s not a facade…….I’m not afraid to show I’m human,” Kevin Hart said.

Katie Holmes Enrolls In Harvard University

Katie Holmes has enrolled in Harvard University’s Business Of Entertainment, Media & Sports programme. Katie Holmes, 38, is attending classes under her company’s name, which is taken from her middle name. The course, according to the school’s website, promises to teach students how to launch & manage creative products & portfolios, manage talent and develop other important strategies.

Angelina Jolie Snaps up An Estate For USD 24.5 MN

Angelina Jolie has reportedly recently purchased a mansion once owned by filmmaker Cecil B. DeMille in Los Feliz, California for USD 24.5 million. The 11,000 square feet luxury house includes 6 bedrooms, 10 bathrooms & 4 fireplaces. The property, which measures more than 2 acres, also boasts formal gardens, a guest house, a pool house, a swimming pool with cascading fountains & sweeping ocean views. Cecil B. DeMille lived in the mansion for about 4 decades until he died in 1959.

Bradley Cooper & Irina Shayk Take Daughter Out

Bradley Cooper & Irina Shayk were spotted taking a walk with their newborn daughter Lea De Seine here. Bradley Cooper, who welcomed the child in Apr, 2017 was cradling his daughter in a purple blanket, while Irina Shayk pushed the stroller & their pet dog on 3rd Jun, 2017.

Emmy Rossum Makes A Donation

The Day After Tomorrow actress Emmy Rossum, who tied the knot with Sam Esmail last Sun, decided to send her wedding flowers to a local nursing home. The service Repeat Roses took the beautiful white blooms, that adorned the actress’ wedding arch, to Mount Sinai Hospital in New York.

Salma Hayek & Francois – Henri Pinault Bonded Big Time

Salma Hayek & her husband Francois – Henri Pinault fell in love with each other because of their shared passion for sports & science. Salma Hayek met Henri Pinault 11 years ago and she was blown away by their exchange, which she said was not a “typical conversation” to spark romance.

Nicole Kidman Too Makes A Donation

Nicole Kidman is all set to donate her
Balenciaga wedding dress to an Australian exhibit because it is in the name of love. Nicole Kidman adorned an elegant ivory -coloured lace dress created by fashion designer Nicolas Ghesquiere when she married husband Keith Urban in 2006, and she is giving the gown away to an artist to feature it in an exhibition titled “Love”.

Jamie Foxx Suffers From An Anxiety

Jamie Foxx averred that he suffers from a performance anxiety and also believes that other actors & actresses too go through the same. Jamie Foxx also averred that even the best, most experienced performers feel anxious about watching themselves on screen. “They’re cutting the movie as it goes and that’s sort of fly. I think every actor & actress has performance anxiety. We’re like, ‘Damn, does this look right?!” Foxx stated.

Jim Carrey’s The Mask Was Supposed To Be A Horror Movie

The Mask director Chuck Russell has revealed that New Line originally wanted the madcap family film to be a horror in the same style as the Nightmare on Elm Street series. The 1994 movie, starring Hollywood
funnyman Jim Carrey & a young Cameron Diaz, was a huge Box Office turnstiles hit.

Gwenyth Paltrow Feels That He Is Best When He Exercises

Gwenyth Paltrow averred that she is a fitness freak and feels she is in her best zone when working out. Gwenyth Paltrow also averred that she has made exercising a habit, rather than a chore. “I like feeling good, and I know I feel my best when I exercise. But it depends on the day – I definitely don’t always feel like doing it. I’ve made it a habit, just like brushing your teeth. That’s how you have to look at it,” stated Gwenyth Paltrow.

George Clooney & Amal Clooney Blessed With Twins!!!!!

International human rights lawyer Amal Clooney and Hollywood’s evergreen heartthrob George Clooney were recently blessed with 2 gorgeous babies recently. Amal Clooney gave birth to twins, a boy & a girl, their publicist confirmed. The couple got married to each other in Italy in 2014, and are touted as one of the most attractive celebrity couples around the world.

Kerry Washington States That Her Stay In India Was Extraordinary

Kerry Washington travelled to India to learn traditional Indian martial arts & yoga, and averred that her experience in the country was extraordinary. The Scandal actress
talked about her stay in the country during her appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres
Show, read a statement.

Halle Berry Jokes About Rumors

Halle Berry took to social media to poke fun at her pregnancy rumours, and implied that she was bloated after having a big meal. Halle Berry, the Oscar winner, who has 2 children, wore a form – fitting silver sequinned dress & matching heels to the Butterfly Ball here on Sat. She was also photographed posing with her hands over her stomach as if cradling her “bump”.

Tom Cruise Was Terrified

Tom Cruise, who features in a new “Mummy” reboot, said the original 1932 film starring Boris Karloff as the monster, had left him terrified. Tom Cruise, 54, stars as Navy Seal Tyler Colt in the new “Mummy” reboot, the 1st film in Universal Studios’ Dark Universe movie series. He was sure he wanted the role when the offer came up because he had vivid childhood memories of watching the original, and being so scared of Boris Karloff’s performance that he had to sleep in the same room as his sisters Lee Anne, Marian & Cass.

Chris Hemswroth Smashes Toys

It seems like Chris Hemsworth still has not forgotten about being left out in the Captain America: Civil War. Chris Hemsworth posted a video on Instagram, where he stumbles upon Anthony & Joe Russo, directors of upcoming Avengers: Infinity War using action figures to stage an action sequence featuring a bunch of The Avengers.

Gal Gadot Opens Up

After getting rave reviews for her acting in Wonder Woman, Gal Gadot has finally opened up about landing the role of the Amazonian princess. She revealed that she was struggling to get a foothold in
Hollywood and was considering to give – up on the industry, when a life – changing offer came along.

Rajakumara Sets A Record

The famous song of Raajakumara “Gombe Heluthaithe…!” by magnificent music director V Harikrishna for power star Puneeth Rajakumar, that was sung by Vijayaprakash is now with an unbreakable record in Kannada cinema industry. The news of over 2 crores listeners of this song “Bombe Heluthaithe…!” only audio, the video song is not yet released in social media is something wonderful record. The 2 crores listeners to this song is a recorded fact indeed. The song of Dr Rajakumar’s film “Aadisinodu Bilisinodu…!” in Kasthuri Nivasa is the pattern followed for this song. At the 75th day of Rajakumara such record has further built up merry moment for director Santosh Anand Ram & his team. In the multiplex theatres in 10 weeks 7185 shows of Rajakumara is an all time record according to director Santosh Anand Ram. The film is running in fifty plus theatres. 25 multiplex are still showing the film with good collections. Rajakumara is heading for 100 days on 2nd Jul, 2017, is having a grand event on the occasion of the century.

Vinod Wants A Change

Vinod Prabhakar son of Tiger Prabhakar of over 450 films in South Indian language is cautiously working to come out from his father’s image. He says, “The identity of Papa is enough. I want to groom on my own calibre & develop a new image.” Apparently Tyson has given him a new image and the success was well deserved. It was after 14 years that he got the success. He does not want to spoil it. He adds, “I have heard 18 scripts and Tyson’s success came to me after 14 years gap. I did not want to miss out again. This Crack is dialogue oriented. He hopes & declares, “I was given 3 pages of dialogues at some particular point of time. From this Crack, I have chance to prove as a performer. However no one can touch Tiger my father Prabhakar. Tiger is always a Tiger.”. On the action part, he has 5 actions in this film. He has made 10 feet dive to hit from his head. In another occasion 25 kilograms of light weight passed his ears stunning him. Fortunately he was not injured in this accident of fall of a huge light from top.

Brickbats on Avanthika Shetty & producer Suresh Innocent.

The controversy of Avanthika Shetty’s ouster from Raju Kannada Medium has now blown up and it has reached the court hall & KFCC with a case on the producer of the film KA Suresh. Producer Suresh KA known for very good behavior & good treatment of his team right from the days of Govindayanamaha, Shravani Subramani, RX Soori, Shivalinga et al says he is innocent on the allegations made by Avanthika Shetty. Producer Suresh known for humbleness & director Naresh Kumar tolerated the indiscipline of Avanthika Shetty for a long time and finally thought of replacement. Over Rs.50 lakhs will be a waste from this decision. A few days ago Avanthika Shetty’s scream was sexual harassment but took back her statement on producer. Now she is complaining on stop payment issue & improper atmosphere of work. On the attitudes of Avanthika Shetty, the hero of the film Gurunandan has also complained on late coming, no preparation, having extra room for her manager in Gold Finch Hotel et al.

Mammootty Is Not Playing Dr. Ambedkar

There were some reports that Mammootty will play a character based on Dr. Ambedkar in the forthcoming Rajinikanth movie Kaala, directed by Pa. Ranjith. But the news has been denied by those close to the superstar. Mammootty has played Dr. Ambedkar earlier, in the biopic titled Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, directed by Jabbar Patel. Mammootty won the National award for the ‘Best Actor” for his performance in the film. It is believed that the rumours started spreading after a report in an English daily. Mammootty was last seen together on screen with Rajinikanth in the 1991 film Thalapathy.

Prithviraj & Indrajith Gearing Up

Prithviraj & Indrajith, both the brothers are participating in a car rally for director Srinath Rajendran’s next, after the dud Koothara. The director, who made his debut launching Dulquer Salmaan with his 2nd Show, is said to have based the story around the Himalayan Car Rally. Prithviraj & Indrajith, siblings off the screen, are playing it on screen too. The actors have already teamed up for the forthcoming Tiyaan, which is expected to hit the screens during Eid. Prithviraj is busy wrapping up Adam Joan now.

Saranya Mohan’s Husband Lashes Out

Saranya Mohan had posted some family pictures with her kid and soon there were comments making fun of her for gaining weight. To all those trolls, Saranya’s husband Aravind Krishna gave a superb reply. He said that there are far more important issues in India and this was not one of them. “You can gain weight or lose it. She had quit her chosen profession to become a wife & a mother. Those who are making these trolls wouldn’t have done all that. So their comments are not worth a reply,” he wrote. Saranya Mohan, who made her entry into movies as a child artiste in Aniyathipravu, has acted in Yaradi Nee Mohini, Jayam Kondaan, Vennila Kabadi Kuzhu, Arumugam & Velayudham amongst others.

Priyadarshan & Udhay Film Is A Remake

Udhayanidhi Stalin has signed a new film with veteran director Priyadarshan. The film is a remake of the super hit, critically acclaimed Malayalam movie Mahishinte Prathikaram. Udhayanidhi will be reprising Fahad Faasil’s role in the film & MS Baskar of Uttama Villain & 8 Thottakal fame will also be seen playing an important role in the remake. To be produced by Santhosh of Moonshot Entertainment, the principal shoot of the film will commence in Jul, 2017. Priyadarshan is currently busy making necessary changes in the original Malayalam version to suit the taste of Tamil audiences. Sources say that Priyadarshan is planning to shoot the entire film in Southern Tamil Nadu.

After Mohanlal Here Comes Mammootty

Director Sajid Yahiya has started the shooting of his film, which has been titled Mohanlal. The film stars Manju Warrier & Indrajith. They are playing hardcore fans of the superstar. Now there is another news that suggests Ohm Shaanthi Oshaana director Jude Anthany Joseph’s new film is on the other big M of Mollywood. The film, titled Mammootty is based on the life of the superstar. Jude had earlier made a short film based on the life of Mammootty. According to the filmmaker, he is currently in the process of writing the script. He plans to cast Vineeth Sreenivasan to play the younger version of Sreenivasan & Indrajith to play the younger Sukumaran. Jude has also directed Oru Muthassi Gadha.

Vishal Starts Shooting

After becoming the President of Tamil Film Producers Council, Puratchi Thalapathy Vishal has been constantly hitting the headlines but he still finds time to shoot multiple films. Besides his 2 Tamil films Thupparivalan with Mysskin & Irumbu Thirai with Mithran, Vishal has joined the sets of his debut Malayalam film Villain with Mohanlal & Hansika. Interesting fact is that Villain is Hansika’s debut Malayalam film as well and the pretty actress only revealed the news on Vishal joined the sets of Villain recently on her Instagram page by posting a shooting spot video. Rockline Venkatesh of Lingaa fame is producing Villain, which is being directed by B Unnikrishnan. Manoj Paramahamsa of Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaya fame is cranking the camera for Villain, the film also has Manju Warrier, Raashi Khanna, Srikanth and Renji Panicker in important roles.

Happy News For Mohanlal Fans!!!!!

While the post – production works of Mohanlal’s Villain has already begun, the movie will hit the theatres earlier than expected. The movie, which was initially slated to hit the theatres on 28th Jul, 2017, will reportedly hit the theatres on 21st July 2017 itself. The team has already wrapped up the 1st 2 schedules of the movie, and the post – production works are progressing. The final schedule of Villain is expected to start rolling in Chennai, by the 1st week of Jun, 2017. The team is planning to start the final schedule shoot in Chennai by the 1st week of Jun, 2017 and complete the post – production activities in the middle of the month. In the upcoming movie, Mohanlal essays the role of Mathew Manjooran, an ex – cop, while Manju Warrier appears as his wife. Produced by Rockline Entertainments, the stylish crime thriller boasts of a star -studded cast with the likes of Kollywood star Vishal, Telugu actor Srikanth, Hansika Motwani & Raashi Khanna in pivotal roles.

Dhyan Sreenivasan’s Next Movie Gets A Title!!!!!

Dhyan Sreenivasan’s new movie with Mayabazar fame director Thomas Sebastian has finally got a title. Touted to be a youth movie, the fun – filled entertainer has been titled Goodalochana. Apart from playing the lead role, Dhyan Sreenivasan is also debuting as a screenwriter through this movie, which has its story written by Anoop Joseph. In the movie, Dhyan Sreenivasan enacts the role of Varun, while Niranjana Anoop who was last seen in Manju Warrier starrer C/o Saira Banu plays his love interest. In the movie, she plays the character named Fidha, an orthodox Muslim girl. The movie also stars Sreenath Bhasi, Aju Varghese, Hareesh Kanaran & Oru Mexican Aparatha fame Vishnu Noolu in pivotal roles. The shooting of the movie is progressing at a brisk pace in & around Kozhikode.

Mammootty Too Signs A Movie With An Ad -Filmmaker

Mohanlal has reecently signed 2 ambitious projects – The Mahabharata & Odiyan, both helmed by popular ad – filmmaker V A Shrikumar Menon. And now, Mammootty too is all set to team up with a popular ad – filmmaker. Mammootty has signed a project with ad – filmmaker Sharrath Sandith. The upcoming untitled project will have Miya as part of the cast. The team is yet to disclose the details of the rest of the cast & plot of the movie. The movie would go on the floors in the 1st week of Jun, 2017 in Bangalore. Produced by NRI Anthony D’Cruz, more details on the movie will be unveiled soon. Meanwhile, Mammootty is busy shooting for Ajai Vasudevan’s directorial Masterpiece. The actor will join the new project on 5th Jun, 2017.

Dileep Undergoes A Stunning Makeover

Actor – director Nadir Shah will be once again teaming up with his close pal Dileep for an upcoming movie. Dileep who has undergone extreme makeovers for several films in the past will once again go in for a physical makeover. Dileep will be putting on some weight for the film and will be seen in an out – & – out different avatar than his latest films. Touted to be an out – & – out comedy entertainer, the movie’s script will be penned by Sajeev Pazhoor, writer of Fahadh Faasil’s upcoming movie Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum. The film is expected to go on the floors by the end of this year, once after Dileep completes the shooting for Kammarasambhavam & Professor Dinkan. Interestingly, Dileep will be seen in several looks in Kammarasambhavam too, and one of the looks is of a nonagenarian. Meanwhile, Dileep’s next movie Ramaleela produced by Tommichan Mulakupaadam is on the verge of completion. Ramaleela is expected to be an Eid release.

Manju Warrier”s Starry Eyes

Manju Warrier who is working on poet Kamala Das’ biopic Aami & Mohanlal’s upcoming film titled Villain. Coincidentally, the actress is now acting in a film titled Mohanlal helmed by Sajid Yahya. The 1st look posters of the movie were released recently and have become a huge hit on social media. In the movie, Manju Warrier will be playing the role of a Mohanlal fan and she looks like any other Lalettan admirer in the poster. Her character name is Meenukutty, a hardcore Mohanlal fan who compares everything she encounters to Mohanlal’s character in his movies. Manju is paired opposite Indrajith Sukumaran who plays the role of a devout husband who supports his wife’s craze, and the poster clearly shows him that way. The comedy entertainer deals with issues when the actress’ craze for the complete actor goes out of control. Mohanlal will have Soubin Shaheer, KPAC Lalitha & Aju Varghese playing prominent roles. Scripted by Suneesh Varanad, the mega budget movie will start rolling next week. Mohanlal will hit the screens this year itself.

Tiyaan Movie Teaser Release Date Fixed!!!!!

The much awaited teaser of Prithviraj -Indrajith starerr upcoming movie Tiyaan, directed by Jiyen Krishnakumar was out on 22nd May, 2017. The team announced it through their official social media page. The team had recently revealed the posters of the characters in the movie and were a huge hit on th social media. From the poster, it looks like Prithviraj’s character, Aslan will be appearing in 2 different ages, one as an angry youth and the other as a middle – aged guy. Indrajith is playing the character of Pattabhiraman while Murali Gopy’s character is named as Ramkant Mahasay in the movie. Padmapriya makes a comeback to Mollywood with Tiyaan. Touted to be a socio – political drama set majorly in North India, Tiyaan also stars Ananya, Shine Tom Chacko, Paris Laxmi, Ravi Singh, Nakshatra Indrajith, Mridula Sathe et al in the pivotal roles. Produced by Haneef Ahmed under his banner Red Rose Creations, the mega budget movie is scheduled to hit the celluloid silver screens for Eid this year.

The Federation of Film Societies of India founded by renowned Indian Director Satyajit Ray & Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy is jointly organizing a Bengali and a Kannada Film Festival in Bengaluru & Kolkata.

The festival is organized to create an opportunity for the exchange of cultures between the 2 states. The festival is being held at Chamundeshwari Studios, from 16th Jun, 2017 to 18th Jun, 2017.

The Kannada Film Festival is being organized from 21st Jun, 2017 to 23rd Jun, 2017 at the prestigious Nandan Complex, Kolkata.

The Department of Information & Public Relations & Department of Tourism, Government of Karnataka is collaborating on the film festival along with Purple Heart institution.

The living legend Madhabi Mukherjee who embodied the immortal character of Satyajeet Ray’s Charulata inaugurated the Film festival on 16th Jun, 2017 at 5.00 pm at the Chamundeshwari Studios, Bengaluru.

The opening film, Jogajog, directed by Sekhar Das was screened.

Several luminaries from Bengali & Kannada Cinema including renowned directors Girish Kasaravalli & Nagabharana, Bratya Basu, popular film actor of Bengal who is also the Cabinet Minister of the Government of West Bengal, S. V. Rajendra Singh Babu, Chairman, Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy, N. R. Vishukumar, Director, Department of Information & Public Relations, Famous Bengali film makers like Sekhar Das, Satarupa Sanyal, Atanu Ghosh, Aniket Chattopadhyay & Bauddhyan Mukherji will take part in the festival.

7 highly acclaimed contemporary Bengali feature films like Jogajog (2015, 2h 18m) by Sekhar Das, Rupkatha Noy (2013, 1h 51m) by Atanu Ghosh, Onya Opalaa (2015, 1h 52m) by Satarupa Sanyal, Abby Sen (2015, 2h 08m) by Atanu Ghosh, Nayanchampar Din Ratri (2014, 1h 45m) by Sekhar Das, Shankar Mudi (2016, 2h 15m) by Aniket Chattopadhyay & Teenkahon (2014, 2h 04m) by Bauddhyaan Mukherji. Kannada feature films like Rangi Taranga (2015, 2h 29m) by Anup Bhandari & U Turn (2016, 2h 01m) by Pawan Kumar will be screened.

Entry to Film Festival is only through passes. Interested persons can contact Dr. Madhushree Sengupta – 996400132 for availing the passes.

Sun TV’s HD Channels Join Amagi’s Geo

Sun TV Network, South India’s largest broadcast network, has joined Amagi Media Labs’ targeted TV advertising network, to help advertisers reach out to niche South Indian audiences. As part of the partnership, Amagi Media Labs will add Sun TV’s high -definition (HD) channels to its bouquet of channels offering targeted advertising solutions. These channels include Sun TV HD, KTV HD, Sun Music HD, Gemini TV HD, Gemini Movies HD, Gemini Music HD, Udaya TV HD & Surya TV HD.

Network18 Digital Launches CricketNext Mobile App

Network18 Digital, the digital arm of Network18 Group, has launched a mobile apps of its cricket brand CricketNext. The new app gives users the liberty to directly tap into their preferred content on hand -held devices. CricketNext is known for having the fastest scorecard in the business with the layout of the scorecard in sync with the international linear standard.

TV Ad Expenditure To grow At 10.3%

MediabrandsAfter GroupM, Madison & Dentsu Aegis, the IPG Mediabrands has come out with its own estimate of the ad expenditure growth in 2017. According to IPG MB Magna AdEx 2017 Forecast, the TV AdEx will grow at 10.3% to reach Rs 24,516 crore. TV’s market share of the total AdEx is expected to 41%. The media agency’s forecast of TV AdEx growth is more optimistic compared to GroupM’s prediction of just 8% growth for the segment to Rs 27,378 crore.

Ad Expenditure In India To See 13% Growth

DentsuAdvertising expenditure in emerging markets will continue to grow faster than in the developed economies, Dentsu Aegis Network said in its new forecast report. Ad spend in India is expected to grow by 13% in 2017. TV & cinema are forecast to grow at 12% while digital will grow by 35%. Radio & OOH should grow by 10% & newspapers by 8%.

Sony Wah Reclaims Top Spot

Free – to – air (FTA) channel Sony Wah pipped Zee Anmol Cinema to grab the top slot in rural Hindi – speaking market (HSM), according to BARC data for the week ended 9th Jun, 2017. Sony Max & Star Utsav Movies swapped positions.

Sony Pix & History TV18 Lead Their Genres

Sony Pix displaced Movies Now to take the top spot in the week ended 9th Jun, 2017 BARC data showed. Sony Pix collected 3.27 million impressions in Week 23, up by 21.71% from the preceding week. Movies Now saw a 31% decline in its viewership, garnering 2.84 million weekly impressions.

Reboot Of Hum Paanch To Air On Big Magic

After Doordarshan’s Chandrakanta & Star One’s Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, it is Balaji Telefilms’ hit comedy series Hum Paanch that is all set to make a comeback on television. Hindi GEC Big Magic will air the new season of the popular comic caper as Hum Paanch Phir Se from 19th June, every Mond to Fri, at 7.30 pm. Adapted from the original show Hum Paanch, the sequel tries to keep the intrinsic elements of the original intact and give a modern – day take on the sitcom. It will feature an all – new star cast in a contemporary set – up, bringing a breath of fresh air to the show.

Colors To Host World TV Premiere Of Badrinath Ki Dulhania on 25th Jun 2017

Hindi GEC Colors will host the world television premiere of 2017’s hit romantic comedy Badrinath Ki Dulhania on 25th June at 12 pm. The film, produced by Dharma Productions & directed by Shashank Khaitan, stars Varun Dhawan & Alia Bhatt in the lead. The film is the 2nd instalment of a franchise that began with Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania in 2014.

Zee TV To Replace Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li’L Champs

Hindi GEC Zee TV is all set to launch non -fiction show India’s Best Judwaah on its weekend primetime. Though the date & the time of India’s Best Judwaah is not yet announced, it is said to replace the channel’s top – rated singing reality show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li’L Champs.

Girl In The City Season 2 Garners 34 mn viewers

The 2nd season of Hindi youth GEC Bindass’ popular show Girl In The City is now coming to an end. The latest season has enjoyed strong support from its viewers earning over 34 million viewers even before it has come to an end, the channel said in a release. The show has managed to attract & engage audiences throughout the season as it had strong hold on digital footprint across Facebook & YouTube, the release further stated.

Star Sports Acquires Media Rights

Star Sports has acquired the media rights to Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT), India’s 1st – ever table tennis league. The inaugural edition of the league is being aired on Star Sports Select 2 & Star Sports Select 2 HD from 13th Jul, 2017 to 30th Jul, 2017 from 7:30 pm onwards. The league will also be streamed live on Star India’s digital platform Hotstar.

BTVi To Host 2nd Season of Women Mean Business

Business Television India (BTVi) is coming up with a new edition of Women Mean Business. The show will exclusively feature powerful women role models who are leaders in their respective domains. The 2nd season of Women Mean Business will start from 17th Jun, 2017. It will air every Sat at 8 pm. The prime focus of this show & its subjects are reaffirming and addressing women empowerment, providing viewer’s a revolutionary perspective of women’s achievements in different verticals. Through this show, the channel aims to bring women thought leaders under 1 platform.

Colors To Replace Naagin 2

Hindi GEC Colors has found a replacement for its top – rated show Naagin 2, which is all set to go off air this week. Continuing its association with Balaji Productions, the channel will replace Naagin 2 with a revived version of Doordarshan’s fantasy series Chandrakanta. Premiering on 24th Jun, 2017 the fantasy series will air on Sat & Sun at 8 pm.

Star Plus To Launch Dance+ 3

The 3rd season of dance reality show Dance+ will air on Star Plus from 1st Jul, 2017 every Sat & Sun, at 8 pm. The show will replace couple dance show Nach Baliye 8. This year, the contestants will face their toughest challenge yet, Remo’s squad, comprising 5 dancing stalwarts, highly respected & renowned all over the world.

Alice Through The Looking Glass To Air on Star Movies Select HD

James Bobin’s Box – Office turnstile hit Alice Through The Looking Glass, featuring some of the biggest names in Hollywood, is all set to make its Indian television debut on 24th Jun, 2017 at 9 pm on Star Movies Select HD. What happens when you put Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Mia Wasikowska & Helena Bonham Carter in one frame? Simple, Magic!!! That’s exactly what you get in Disney’s fantasy film Alice Through The Looking Glass.

Sony Max To Air King Kong

Hindi movie channel Sony Max will telecast the action packed Hollywood blockbuster King Kong on 17th Jun, 2017 at 8 pm and on 18th Jun, 2017 at 1 pm. The film depicts a special & unbreakable bond shared by the great ape (King Kong) & a girl (Ann Darrow) who happen to meet on a mysterious island.

MIB Cancelled 10 TV Channel Licences

The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) cancelled 10 TV channel licences in May. This includes 2 news channels & 8 in the non – news genre. The total number of cancelled permissions stands at 189 TV channels, as of 31st May, 2017. ZEEL’s uplink – only non – news licence Zee TV Russia was withdrawn. The 10 year licence period of the channel had expired in Mar, 2017.

Sony Issues Disconnection Notice to

After Star India, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) has threatened to disconnect the signals of its channels & those of TV Today Network to Hinduja Group – owned multi -system operator (MSO) IndusInd Media & Communications Ltd (IMCL) & HITS service NXT Digital. Earlier, Star India had issued a disconnection notice to Grant Investrade, the company that runs NXT Digital, for non -payment of subscription fee.

Sony Sab’s Revamp plan

Sony Sab revamped its shows & expanded its distribution footprint to seek for a wider audiences base to look at creating a new prime time & continue to grow its tent – pole property Tarak Mehta Ka Ooltha Chasma. The plan was also to launch a non – fiction show in future. The family humour channel currently does not have a non – fiction show.

Global Pay TV subscribers Reach 969 million

Based on 138 countries, Digital TV Research estimated 254 million additional pay TV subscribers, up 35%, between 2010 & 2016 to take the global total to 969 million. According to the Global Pay TV Subscriber Databook, digital cable TV created the most additions by platform – at 256 million between 2010 & 2016. However, analogue cable TV lost 218 million subscribers, dampening overall cable gains. There were 76 million extra subscribers for IPTV to nearly quintuple its total. Satellite TV added 77 million & pay DTT 5 million.

&TV To Launch Comedy Series

Hindi GEC &TV is all set to launch a new comedy series, Bakula Bua Ka Bhoot, on 24th Jun, 2017. The series will air every weekend at 8 pm. Produced by JD Majethia & Aatish Kapadia’s Hats – off Productions, the show brings together veteran actors Sarita Joshi as Bakula & Apara Mehta as her sister -in – law Rekha. The show also stars actors like Deepak Pareek, Tulika Patel, Amit Varma & Muskan Bhamne.

&Pictures Partners Eros

Hindi movie channel &Pictures has tied up with Eros International & Next Gen Films to launch an exciting pan – India talent hunt Main Hoon Michael. The hunt is meant to promote Eros’ upcoming dance & action film Munna Michael. The film is dedicated to the late King Of Pop Michael Jackson, who was famous not only for his singing prowess but for his dance moves as well.

Star India Redesigns Website

Broadcaster Star India has redesigned its website startv.com in order to make it more interactive, more engaging and at the same time easy to navigate. The approach that has been taken is mobile first. In an email communication, Star India president, head of consumer strategy & innovation Gayatri Yadav noted that Star India has been on a journey to bring its mission of “Inspiring a Billion Imaginations” to life. “From innovating entertainment, promoting gender equality, creating a multi – sport culture, shaping the digital landscape, Star impacts society.”

Network18 Beefs Up ETV Revenue Team

Media conglomerate Network18 has strengthened its revenue team by appointing Mukul Gupta & Tauquir Zaidi as national sales heads for ETV News HSM (Hindi Speaking Markets) channels & ETV News Language channels, respectively. Both Mukul Gupta & Tauquir Zaidi will be reporting to ETV News Network EVP & national revenue head Sudip Roy, an official statement said. Sudip Roy in turn reports to Joy Chakraborthy.

Sony Max 2 Will Run Movie Festival

Sony Max 2 will take its viewers on a journey through the euphoric 90s / 2000s with Cine Express. Starting 17th Jun, 2017 the movie festival will run until 23rd Jun, 2017. The movies will be shown at 7 pm.

Channel 4’s New Show To Be Set In A Boarding School

Statistics show that white working class boys are falling behind their classmates in GCSE attainment, but where they are taught alongside peers in multi – cultural classrooms they perform better. Could this be down to a broader world view or a differing cultural approach to education & ambition? To test this theory UK broadcaster Channel 4 has commissioned Himalaya High.

DD India To Turn Into An English News Channel

Public broadcaster Doordarshan is repositioning its key channels DD India & DD News. While Doordarshan’s international channel DD India is all set to turn into an English news channel, the bilingual DD News may air only Hindi news. The decision to this effect was taken at a recent meeting of the Prasar Bharati board.

Zee’s News Channel Wion Launches on Kwese TV

Essel Group owned English news channel WION (The World is One Family) has been launched on Africa’s pay TV network Kwesé TV. Zee Africa made this announcement. WION is the 3rd channel from Zee to be on the Kwesé platform. The other 2 channels on this platform include Zee Bollynova on channel 150 & Bollymovies on channel 155. Both were added on 30th Jan, 2017.

Flowers TV Launched New Reality Show

Flowers TV launched its new reality show Oru Nimisham (Just a minute) from 12th Jun, 2017. The show airs on Mons, Tues’ & Weds at 8.30 pm – 9.30 pm. Oru Nimisham is a humourous talk show involving young orators in Kerala.

Madras HC Adjourns Star’s Petition

The Madras High Court has put off the hearing in Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) tariff order matter to 27th Jun, 2017. The matter was supposed to come up for hearing on 12th Jun, 2017. Chief Justice Indira Banerjee said that the court would not be able to hear the case before 27th Jun, 2017 and that the court would decide which bench would hear the case. Star India had challenged TRAI’s tariff order & interconnection regulation, arguing that the regulator did not have any jurisdiction to do so.

Main Kuch Bhi Kar Sakti Hoon Explores New Avenues

Doordarshan’s popular show Main Kuch Bhi Kar Sakti Hoon (MKBKSH), which is watched by more than 400 million viewers, is all set to make its debut on digital platform in the form of a web series. While continuing on Doordarshan, the producers of Main Kuch Bhi Kar Sakti Hoon (MKBKSH) are also exploring partnerships with private channels to telecast the world’s most – watched show. They feel that the issues are as relevant today as they were when the show was launched. The show will find its way to digital through a partnership with Vimeo & YouTube. The plan is to develop & disseminate edutainment content from MKBKSH on digital media platforms and to increase online viewership through Vimeo & YouTube.

Network 18 Digital Launches CricketNext Mobile App

Network18 Digital, the digital arm of Network18 Group, has launched a mobile apps of its cricket brand CricketNext. The new app gives users the liberty to directly tap into their preferred content on hand -held devices. CricketNext is known for having the fastest scorecard in the business with the layout of the scorecard in sync with the international linear standard.

TV Ad Expenditure To grow At 10.3%

MediabrandsAfter GroupM, Madison & Dentsu Aegis, the IPG Mediabrands has come out with its own estimate of the ad expenditure growth in 2017. According to IPG MB Magna AdEx 2017 Forecast, the TV AdEx will grow at 10.3% to reach Rs 24,516 crore. TV’s market share of the total AdEx is expected to 41%. The media agency’s forecast of TV AdEx growth is more optimistic compared to GroupM’s prediction of just 8% growth for the segment to Rs 27,378 crore.

Ad Expenditure In India To See 13% Growth

DentsuAdvertising expenditure in emerging markets will continue to grow faster than in the developed economies, Dentsu Aegis Network said in its new forecast report. Ad spend in India is expected to grow by 13% in 2017. TV & cinema are forecast to grow at 12% while digital will grow by 35%. Radio & OOH should grow by 10% & newspapers by 8%.

Sony Wah Reclaims Top Spot

Free – to – air (FTA) channel Sony Wah pipped Zee Anmol Cinema to grab the top slot in rural Hindi – speaking market (HSM), according to BARC data for the week ended 9th Jun, 2017. Sony Max & Star Utsav Movies swapped positions.

Sony Pix & History TV18 Lead Their Genres

Sony Pix displaced Movies Now to take the top spot in the week ended 9th Jun, 2017 BARC data showed. Sony Pix collected 3.27 million impressions in Week 23, up by 21.71% from the preceding week. Movies Now saw a 31% decline in its viewership, garnering 2.84 million weekly impressions.

Reboot Of Hum Paanch To Air On Big Magic

After Doordarshan’s Chandrakanta & Star One’s Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, it is Balaji Telefilms’ hit comedy series Hum Paanch that is all set to make a comeback on television. Hindi GEC Big Magic will air the new season of the popular comic caper as Hum Paanch Phir Se from 19th June, every Mond to Fri, at 7.30 pm. Adapted from the original show Hum Paanch, the sequel tries to keep the intrinsic elements of the original intact and give a modern – day take on the sitcom. It will feature an all – new star cast in a contemporary set – up, bringing a breath of fresh air to the show.

Colors To Host World TV Premiere Of Badrinath Ki Dulhania on 25th Jun 2017

Hindi GEC Colors will host the world television premiere of 2017’s hit romantic comedy Badrinath Ki Dulhania on 25th June at 12 pm. The film, produced by Dharma Productions & directed by Shashank Khaitan, stars Varun Dhawan & Alia Bhatt in the lead. The film is the 2nd instalment of a franchise that began with Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania in 2014.

Zee TV To Replace Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li’L Champs

Hindi GEC Zee TV is all set to launch non -fiction show India’s Best Judwaah on its weekend primetime. Though the date & the time of India’s Best Judwaah is not yet announced, it is said to replace the channel’s top – rated singing reality show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li’L Champs.

Girl In The City Season 2 Garners 34 mn viewers

The 2nd season of Hindi youth GEC Bindass’ popular show Girl In The City is now coming to an end. The latest season has enjoyed strong support from its viewers earning over 34 million viewers even before it has come to an end, the channel said in a release. The show has managed to attract & engage audiences throughout the season as it had strong hold on digital footprint across Facebook & YouTube, the release further stated.

Star Sports Acquires Media Rights

Star Sports has acquired the media rights to Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT), India’s 1st – ever table tennis league. The inaugural edition of the league is being aired on Star Sports Select 2 & Star Sports Select 2 HD from 13th Jul, 2017 to 30th Jul, 2017 from 7:30 pm onwards. The league will also be streamed live on Star India’s digital platform Hotstar.

BTVi To Host 2nd Season of Women Mean Business

Business Television India (BTVi) is coming up with a new edition of Women Mean Business. The show will exclusively feature powerful women role models who are leaders in their respective domains. The 2nd season of Women Mean Business will start from 17th Jun, 2017. It will air every Sat at 8 pm. The prime focus of this show & its subjects are reaffirming and addressing women empowerment, providing viewer’s a revolutionary perspective of women’s achievements in different verticals. Through this show, the channel aims to bring women thought leaders under 1 platform.

Sun TV’s HD Channels Join Amagi’s Geo

Sun TV Network, South India’s largest broadcast network, has joined Amagi Media Labs’ targeted TV advertising network, to help advertisers reach out to niche South Indian audiences. As part of the partnership, Amagi Media Labs will add Sun TV’s high -definition (HD) channels to its bouquet of channels offering targeted advertising solutions. These channels include Sun TV HD, KTV HD, Sun Music HD, Gemini TV HD, Gemini Movies HD, Gemini Music HD, Udaya TV HD & Surya TV HD.

Colors To Replace Naagin 2

Hindi GEC Colors has found a replacement for its top – rated show Naagin 2, which is all set to go off air this week. Continuing its association with Balaji Productions, the channel will replace Naagin 2 with a revived version of Doordarshan’s fantasy series Chandrakanta. Premiering on 24th Jun, 2017 the fantasy series will air on Sat & Sun at 8 pm.

Star Plus To Launch Dance+ 3

The 3rd season of dance reality show Dance+ will air on Star Plus from 1st Jul, 2017 every Sat & Sun, at 8 pm. The show will replace couple dance show Nach Baliye 8. This year, the contestants will face their toughest challenge yet, Remo’s squad, comprising 5 dancing stalwarts, highly respected & renowned all over the world.

Alice Through The Looking Glass To Air on Star Movies Select HD

James Bobin’s Box – Office turnstile hit Alice Through The Looking Glass, featuring some of the biggest names in Hollywood, is all set to make its Indian television debut on 24th Jun, 2017 at 9 pm on Star Movies Select HD. What happens when you put Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Mia Wasikowska & Helena Bonham Carter in one frame? Simple, Magic!!! That’s exactly what you get in Disney’s fantasy film Alice Through The Looking Glass.

Sony Max To Air King Kong

Hindi movie channel Sony Max will telecast the action packed Hollywood blockbuster King Kong on 17th Jun, 2017 at 8 pm and on 18th Jun, 2017 at 1 pm. The film depicts a special & unbreakable bond shared by the great ape (King Kong) & a girl (Ann Darrow) who happen to meet on a mysterious island.

MIB Cancelled 10 TV Channel Licences

The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) cancelled 10 TV channel licences in May. This includes 2 news channels & 8 in the non – news genre. The total number of cancelled permissions stands at 189 TV channels, as of 31st May, 2017. ZEEL’s uplink – only non – news licence Zee TV Russia was withdrawn. The 10 year licence period of the channel had expired in Mar, 2017.

Sony Issues Disconnection Notice to

After Star India, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) has threatened to disconnect the signals of its channels & those of TV Today Network to Hinduja Group – owned multi -system operator (MSO) IndusInd Media & Communications Ltd (IMCL) & HITS service NXT Digital. Earlier, Star India had issued a disconnection notice to Grant Investrade, the company that runs NXT Digital, for non -payment of subscription fee.

Sony Sab’s Revamp plan

Sony Sab revamped its shows & expanded its distribution footprint to seek for a wider audiences base to look at creating a new prime time & continue to grow its tent – pole property Tarak Mehta Ka Ooltha Chasma. The plan was also to launch a non – fiction show in future. The family humour channel currently does not have a non – fiction show.

Global Pay TV subscribers Reach 969 million

Based on 138 countries, Digital TV Research estimated 254 million additional pay TV subscribers, up 35%, between 2010 & 2016 to take the global total to 969 million. According to the Global Pay TV Subscriber Databook, digital cable TV created the most additions by platform – at 256 million between 2010 & 2016. However, analogue cable TV lost 218 million subscribers, dampening overall cable gains. There were 76 million extra subscribers for IPTV to nearly quintuple its total. Satellite TV added 77 million & pay DTT 5 million.

&TV To Launch Comedy Series

Hindi GEC &TV is all set to launch a new comedy series, Bakula Bua Ka Bhoot, on 24th Jun, 2017. The series will air every weekend at 8 pm. Produced by JD Majethia & Aatish Kapadia’s Hats – off Productions, the show brings together veteran actors Sarita Joshi as Bakula & Apara Mehta as her sister -in – law Rekha. The show also stars actors like Deepak Pareek, Tulika Patel, Amit Varma & Muskan Bhamne.

&Pictures Partners Eros

Hindi movie channel &Pictures has tied up with Eros International & Next Gen Films to launch an exciting pan – India talent hunt Main Hoon Michael. The hunt is meant to promote Eros’ upcoming dance & action film Munna Michael. The film is dedicated to the late King Of Pop Michael Jackson, who was famous not only for his singing prowess but for his dance moves as well.

Star India Redesigns Website

Broadcaster Star India has redesigned its website startv.com in order to make it more interactive, more engaging and at the same time easy to navigate. The approach that has been taken is mobile first. In an email communication, Star India president, head of consumer strategy & innovation Gayatri Yadav noted that Star India has been on a journey to bring its mission of “Inspiring a Billion Imaginations” to life. “From innovating entertainment, promoting gender equality, creating a multi – sport culture, shaping the digital landscape, Star impacts society.”

Network18 Beefs Up ETV Revenue Team

Media conglomerate Network18 has strengthened its revenue team by appointing Mukul Gupta & Tauquir Zaidi as national sales heads for ETV News HSM (Hindi Speaking Markets) channels & ETV News Language channels, respectively. Both Mukul Gupta & Tauquir Zaidi will be reporting to ETV News Network EVP & national revenue head Sudip Roy, an official statement said. Sudip Roy in turn reports to Joy Chakraborthy.

Sony Max 2 Will Run Movie Festival

Sony Max 2 will take its viewers on a journey through the euphoric 90s / 2000s with Cine Express. Starting 17th Jun, 2017 the movie festival will run until 23rd Jun, 2017. The movies will be shown at 7 pm.

Channel 4’s New Show To Be Set In A Boarding School

Statistics show that white working class boys are falling behind their classmates in GCSE attainment, but where they are taught alongside peers in multi – cultural classrooms they perform better. Could this be down to a broader world view or a differing cultural approach to education & ambition? To test this theory UK broadcaster Channel 4 has commissioned Himalaya High.

DD India To Turn Into An English News Channel

Public broadcaster Doordarshan is repositioning its key channels DD India & DD News. While Doordarshan’s international channel DD India is all set to turn into an English news channel, the bilingual DD News may air only Hindi news. The decision to this effect was taken at a recent meeting of the Prasar Bharati board.

Zee’s News Channel Wion Launches on Kwese TV

Essel Group owned English news channel WION (The World is One Family) has been launched on Africa’s pay TV network Kwesé TV. Zee Africa made this announcement. WION is the 3rd channel from Zee to be on the Kwesé platform. The other 2 channels on this platform include Zee Bollynova on channel 150 & Bollymovies on channel 155. Both were added on 30th Jan, 2017.

Flowers TV Launched New Reality Show

Flowers TV launched its new reality show Oru Nimisham (Just a minute) from 12th Jun, 2017. The show airs on Mons, Tues’ & Weds at 8.30 pm – 9.30 pm. Oru Nimisham is a humourous talk show involving young orators in Kerala.

Madras HC Adjourns Star’s Petition

The Madras High Court has put off the hearing in Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) tariff order matter to 27th Jun, 2017. The matter was supposed to come up for hearing on 12th Jun, 2017. Chief Justice Indira Banerjee said that the court would not be able to hear the case before 27th Jun, 2017 and that the court would decide which bench would hear the case. Star India had challenged TRAI’s tariff order & interconnection regulation, arguing that the regulator did not have any jurisdiction to do so.

Main Kuch Bhi Kar Sakti Hoon Explores New Avenues

Doordarshan’s popular show Main Kuch Bhi Kar Sakti Hoon (MKBKSH), which is watched by more than 400 million viewers, is all set to make its debut on digital platform in the form of a web series. While continuing on Doordarshan, the producers of Main Kuch Bhi Kar Sakti Hoon (MKBKSH) are also exploring partnerships with private channels to telecast the world’s most – watched show. They feel that the issues are as relevant today as they were when the show was launched. The show will find its way to digital through a partnership with Vimeo & YouTube. The plan is to develop & disseminate edutainment content from MKBKSH on digital media platforms and to increase online viewership through Vimeo & YouTube.

In the plethora of leisure hubs, one always hunts a space to unwind & relish the global flavors across the world. And, 10 Downing Street would bring exactly the same – Global Cuisine in the best lounging experience.

Satbir Singh has successfully created some of India’s iconic hospitality ventures and with Ten Downing Street brings his signature leisure luxury to the dynamic landscape of BKC, Mumbai.

The launch soiree saw an eclectic mix of celebs & models like Eijaz Khan, Vaishali Takkar, Manu Punjabi, Nitibha Kaul, Kanika Maheshwari, Pearl Puri, Rishabh Sinha, Rajesh Khera, Antara Banerjee, Director Aziz Zee, Karan Singh Chabra, Lavina Tandon and many more.

Strategically placed in BKC, the prime hub of corporate & yippee epicenter, this 400sqft luxe place is impeccable finished with state of art interiors with an international panache. Celebrity Chef Ajay Chopra has hand – picked exclusive recipes across the world and has added his quintessential flavorsome spin to tickle the taste buds of food connoisseurs.

High Definition technology, D&B Germany and premium set of speaker systems will amplify the music mood to its best possible decibel with unique surround sound experience for music crazy partygoers.

Ten down Street would soon be the IT place to celebrate & relax with a unique blend of global Cuisine under high tech musical atmosphere. It definitely would captivate all the sensory modes of the Mumbaikars for the ultimate leisure experience.

The launch soiree was curated by Ali Merchant, Event partners: Rohit, Gidda, Santosh Gupta, Celocity Entertainment.
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Venue managed by Deepak Beri, Shimmers Entertainment.

The master designer Premal Badiani has a simple fashion mantra: “We must keep up with the times & stay contemporary & modern, but it is imperative that we do so without losing our roots or our culture & bring attention to some of the most sensitive issues related to environment & society”

And this philosophy is the driving force that compelled the designer to judge the signature annual event of Bandra- INIFD (Inter National Institute of Fashion Designing) VIBRANCE 2017 showcasing the theme “Fashion For A Cause”.

“There are numerous problems which exist in the world, in order to eradicate such problems the students have done an outstanding job of choosing topics like Global Warming, Save Sea Life, Prevent Prostitution, Aids & Prevention, Traffic Hazards, Women Empowerment, Poverty, Animal Abuse, Racism, Patriotism, LGBT rights, Breast Cancer & Air Pollution to showcase a collection highlighting these problems” says Premal Badiani

“Today fashion has become a huge part of everybody’s lives. Each & every person is connected to fashion in some way or the other. Using fashion as a tool to bring a change means reaching out to a huge section of society. I am beyond proud to judge a show of such a high stature where fashion makes an attempt to bring light on relevant themes which sends a very strong message” adds Premal Badiani

Premal with her continued patronage and expertise using eco – friendly fabrics showcased her collection “Root Cause” – clothes made from wood pulp at New York Fashion Week to raise global awareness on the human impact on the environment through fashion.

Terribly Tiny Talkies is all set to release its very special short film Aamad on this Father’s Day 18th Jun, 2017. The film is written & directed by Neeraj Udhwani and stars Saqib Saleem, Arif Zakaria, Charu Rohatgi & Abeer Pandit.

In Urdu, the word Aamad means arrival. In Kathak Aamad is the initiation of spoken rhythms or “bol” which also herald the entry of the performer.

Aamad is the story of a father & a son and their shared inheritance of loss. An inheritance that tears them apart and yet binds them together.

Abhay returns home to find his father on his death bed. Old painful memories resurface. Will he be able to make amends for the faults of his past? As his father passes on, will this be Abhay’s rites of passage? Will Abhay heed the call of the bloodline, despite the tinkering strains of the past?

This is the 21st film which will be released by Terribly Tiny Talkies.

Director Neeraj Udhwani quotes his experience on making Aamad. “Aamad is at its essence a father son story. Most boys, during their teenage years, have a strained relationship with their father. I remember I had one. But when we grow up, we look back and realise how much our immature behavior must have hurt our parents. Though we seldom apologize. Aamad is the story of a son apologizing to his father and correcting the mistake of his boyhood before it gets too late.”

He continues, “For this short film, casting was very crucial. I needed an actor who looked masculine and yet would look graceful while performing kathak. My first choice was Saqib Saleem with whom I have previously worked on Mere Dad Ki Maruti, a film I had written. And to my good fortune, he agreed to do it after reading the script. He knew the film entailed him learning a bit of kathak which is a difficult dance to master. But Saqib rose up to the challenge and practiced it every day for hours & hours with the choreographer Ishita Sharma for many days until he got it right.”

He further adds, “For the father’s role, I needed a fine actor who had the physicality of a dancer. My casting director Shaarika suggested Arif Zakaria and again to my luck, he agreed. Charuji, another fine actor, came on board as the mother. And Abeer Pandit, an amazing discovery by my casting director, plays the younger version of Saqib.
I couldn’t have asked for better producers than Terribly Tiny Talkies (TTT) for this film. My sensibilities matched with Sharanya, Anuj & Chintan right from the first meeting. Also my co – producer Ishita Moitra Udhwani (starry – eyed films) for backing me right till the end and her strong belief in the story. I feel blessed that all the right people came together. Without them, this wouldn’t have happened.”

Actor Saqib Saleem shares his experience on working with Neeraj Udhwani :- “I know Neeraj for a while now as he wrote Mere Dad Ki Maruti and we meet often to discuss ideas. He shared the idea of Aamad with me and asked me what I thought. When I read it, I instantly fell in love with the story and I told him that he shouldn’t look for anyone else as I want to do it. It’s such a simple yet complex film as it speaks about the unsaid things in a father – son relationship.”

Chintan Ruparel, co – founder & Chief Creative Officer Terribly Tiny Talkies (TTT) invites everyone to watch Aamad, “This is the 1st time ever that we’re exploring a theme like this, with traditional dance as the backdrop. Add to that, the awkwardness & restrained expression of love between father & son. Aamad is the perfect example of a simple story well told and its director Neeraj Udhwani’s relentless belief & persistence that has made the film happen. This Father’s Day, we extend an invitation (Aamad) to everyone to watch this film.”

Terribly Tiny Talkies is a story telling collective which brings together distinctive & talented filmmakers from across the country to craft thematic short films. Each talkie is under 15 minutes, and filmed around either a central keyword or idea. Terribly Tiny Talkies endures to save the fading art of the narrative, one frame at a time. Terribly Tiny Talkies is part of Terribly Tiny Tales – India’s largest & most celebrated social story telling platform. Till date, Terribly Tiny Talkies has 20 short films to its credit. Terribly Tiny Talkies (TTT) had 5 of its films shortlisted at Jio Filmfare Awards, 2017 in their short film category and has also won awards at different national & International Film Festivals last year.

Here’s a list of the 20 short films which have been released by Terribly Tiny Talkies. 1. RIP 2. EL’AYICHI 3. Deuce 4. Bunny 5. The Last Day 6. Mamta Tonic 7. L 8. Cheers 9. Arre Baba 10. Cuddly 11. Agli Baar 12. Bapu 13. One Day Mataram 14. One Faith 15. Life After 16. Dry Day 17. The Day After 18. Kheer 19. Khujli & 20. Jai Mata Di.

Bollywood has been dominated by male directors since ages. Where even words like Lights! Action! Camera! Rolling! Pack Up! were dependent on their command. But since the last half a decade female directors too have made their presence felt in this male dominated arena and tried to break the monopoly of the so called male directors. Not only these now this female directors have not only left a deep impression on the cine goer’s mind but also got a lot of appreciation for their par excellence directorial skills. And now one more name is being included in this long list of female directors named Payal Kashyap, who happens to be a fun loving & extremely bold person. She is all ready to take on the, behind the scenes, male director’s dominance. She is all excited to showcase her woman power. Incidentally speaking she had opened her directorial innings with a symbolically titled film Ganga Ki Pukar. At present she is busy giving finishing touches to her 5th directorial venture named Never Again Nirbhaya which is based on the most talked about Delhi Gang Rape case. Present herewith are some extracts of the long conversation held with Payal Kashyap. Tune in!

What was the main reason of directing a film on the Nirbhaya Rape Case?

The main reason to make a film on this particular topic was that it was always facts that has appealed to me more than the fiction. Moreover the audience as well as myself feel more connected to each other when I end up making a realism oriented films. Besides in those days when the Nirbhaya incident had taken place I was busy shooting in Delhi itself for a documentary based on the life of the Late PM Rajiv Gandhi. At that time I saw Nirbhaya’s painful death every day due to the varied publications & news channel’s round the clock harping on the most cruel act which had happened with Nirbhaya. Her name was Nirbhaya (fearless) but she lived a very fearful life in her last days in the hospital bed and I could literally hear her weeping for almost a week. This incident had literally left me totally shaken & disturbed. In fact the entire nation was deeply moved. The incident was relived in every corner of our nation. So I felt that keeping this incident as a focal point I should make a hard hitting film with a very relevant social message. So that no other man, not even a stone hearted one with no feelings whatsoever, will ever dare to create such a cruel crime again. That apart it may finally bring a real justice to the family of the deceased Nirbhaya. Not ony this Never Again Nirbhaya will act as a soothing balm on the non – healing wounds of Nirbhaya’s family.

Now time to give us details about the cast & the credits of Never Again Nirbhaya?

As our film Never Again Nirbhaya is totally based on a real story so I wanted to have a fresh pair for the lead cast. Hence I selected the ex – Miss. International Richa Sharma & Dinesh K. Mehta, who has acted in many small screen serials, as a lead pair. Besides them the film also stars Raju Shrestha, Shailendra Shrivastav, Pappu Polysater, Anil
Yadav, Gopal K. Singh, Ravi Kesari et al in pivotal roles. The credits of the film are story by Ramesh Chandra Jha, dialogues by A. M. Turaz, cimematography by Ajay Kashyap & Pawan Singh Rathore, lyrics by Vimal Kashyap, music by Rupesh Verma and above all the film has been produced by Bidisha Adhikari & Kanchan Adhikari. The film is all set to be released very soon.

So you are trying to do a yeoman’s service. In tandem with Social Service through the. Medium of cinema. Right?

You see as a director my main aim is to bring all the varied stories onto the celluloid silver screen. Besides the important aspects of all my film is entertainment and through these varied stories I always want to say something. I immediately start making a film on the story that touches my heart totally. And as far as Society is concerned how can anyone forget that I am also a part of this same Society. So it is also my responsibility
to do something for my country & my society. You get entertained as long as you watch a film but you definitely take home the message conveyed through the film and it stays with you for a very, very long time.
And this aspect is the one that has a greater impact on Society.

It seems you are also involved in the direction of a Telugu film. Right!

Yes it is very much true. I am not only directing Butter Thief Production’s Kaal Bhairava but also enacting a cameo role in it. I personally think & believe that cinema does not have any language. I want to narrate stories, then be it any medium. And I also wish to state that I had initially started my filmic career as an actress of Bhojpuri Cinema. And then I turned my focus on direction by successfully wielding the megaphone for 3 hit Bhojpuri films. That apart I am also enacting a cameo role in Never Again Nirbhaya aka Nirbhaya Ka Insaaf which will ultimately prove to be a turning point of the film.

You are handling varied departments of filmmaking at the same time. But don’t you think it is risky & dangerous to sail in too many boats?

Of course anything can happen. It can so happened that the sole boat you are sailing in has a hole in it and you may get drowned. So those who do not dare to take a risk their life itself may become risky & dangerous. That’s the sole reason that I am daring to take a risk at each & every step of my life and I am also all ready to take one more risk by turning a producer.

What do you enjoy most directing or acting?

I get a special feeling while directing a film. Frankly speaking I feel that directing a film is more creative than acting in a film. But again I would like to state today whatever I have achieved is only because of acting which is omnipresent in my blood. This only has given me recognition in the first place.

Why do you direct mostly female oriented films?

If you glance at the 100 year old history of Indian Cinema than you fill find that writers & filmmakers have always presented woman as a weak character almost like a down trodden “Abla Naari”. Even today barring a chosen few films an Indian actress is always presented as a stereotyped showpiece. Whereas today’s woman are nothing less than a man in any arena of work.
Goverment also talks about giving 50% reservation for half of the population. But Indian Cinema is still stuck in the same situation. So I think someone has to make a start. I want that Nadia’s hunter should rule the roost again resoundlingly on the celluloid silver screen that too in the Dolby Sound Sytem.

So what next after Never Again Nirbhaya?

Right now I doing one film for Rising Film Cooperation. No wonder this film will also be totally woman oriented. Through the medium of film I am trying to focus and bring to the forefront the varied problems of human trafficking. And then one more film named Shootout Of Azamgarh’s production work is going on. That apart I recently bagged the “Best Supporting Actress” award & “Best Director” award in Mumbai, Stree Shakti Sammaan 2016 on 31st Jul, 2016 and above all Fatima Begum Shikhar Samman (Jharkhand, Ranchi).