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Movie Review: ‘Shaandaar’ is certainly not Shaandaar

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Shaandaar

Director: Vikas Bahl Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Pankaj Kapur, Sanjay Kapoor, Niki Aneja Walia, Sanah Kapoor, Vikas Verma, Sushma Seth, Diljit Dosanjh, Shibani Dandekar, Anjana Sukhani, Niyati & Karan Johar. Music: Amit Trivedi

Director Vikas Bahl (of ‘Queen’ fame) had garnered a lot of critical acclaim from his last Outing ‘Queen’. But in his latest outing ‘Shaandaar’, supposed to be a romantic comedy with all the elements of a family drama, Vikas has seriously failed to woo the cine goers
The film kicks off with an animated sequence with a voice over by Naseeruddin Shah introducing all the characters. The scenario In opens with Vipin Arora (Pankaj Kapur) driving an orphan girl Alia (Alia Bhatt) whom he adopts and brings home where the girl is mistreated by his mom (Sushma Seth) & wife (Niki Aneja). Alia is suffering from a sleep disorder whose world revolves around her adopted father (Pankaj Kapur) and his half sister Isha (Sanah Kapoor). Pankaj Kapur plays a possessive father who is very protective for his daughters Alia & Isha. The movie showcases about 2 affluent families one headed by cunning Kamla Arora a Punjabi Businesswomen and the other headed by money minded Sindhi tycoon Harry Fandwani (Sanjay Kapoor). Both the families are on the verge of bankruptcy and come together for a destination marriage cum Business deal between Vipin’s daughter Isha & Harry’s brother Robin. There is also a wedding planner Jagjinder Joginder called JJ played (Shahid Kapoor) who falls in love with Alia.

Director Vikas Bahl fails to impress the audiences this time. In fact, the film has weak in some departments including Vikas’ direction albeit the film has its plus points its mesmerizing photography, lovely sets, attractive locales and above all some catchy numbers too.
Performance wise débutante Sanah Kapoor is superb. Shahid Kapoor is 1st rate. Alia Bhatt as usual is outstanding while the rest of the cast is just about ok.

All in all this time around Vikas’ ‘Queen’ is certainly not ‘Shaandaar.

Foreign Films Roundup

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Discovery-Kids

DISCOVERY KIDS – MORENA – MUNDOLOCO FORGE AN ALLIANCE

In a top – of – their – class animation alliance, Discovery Kids, Argentina’s Cris Morena Group and MundoLoco CGI, co – founded by Juan Jose Campanella, are partnering to co – develop 3 English language kids toon series: ‘Floribella’, ‘Underdogs’ & ‘Baby Rockers’. Oscar winner Campanella & Gaston Gorali, director & exec producer of ‘Foosball’, will serve as series’ show – runners. Discovery Kids will air the series exclusively in Latin America. “This unique partnership with Cris Morena Group & MundoLoco CGI reiterates Discovery Kids commitment to expand its pipeline of original content, both with well -established hit franchises such as ‘Floribella’ & ‘Underdogs’, as well as new content, such as ‘Baby Rockers,’” commented Carolina Lightcap, EVP & CCO of Discovery Latin America / US Hispanic & Global Lead for Discovery Kids & Family.

CANAL 13 PUTS TV DRAMAS IN COMAREX’S HANDS

Highlighting once again the significant interest of international market players in Chilean TV fiction, Comarex, the Mexico City based global distrib, has signed a strategic, exclusive distribution deal with Chilean network Canal 13 to handle the broadcaster’s finished TV series & formats worldwide. Inked with Canal 13’s international sales subsid, Canal 13 Sudmedia, the pact gives Comarex distribution rights to hit shows, including ‘Machos’, ‘Papi Ricky’, ‘Witches’, ‘Primera Dama’, ‘The Vega’s’, ‘The 80s’ & ‘Neighborhood Kings’, plus upcoming releases, such as teleseries ‘Veinteañero A Los 40’, which is scheduled to launch on Canal 13’s 2 pm TV primetime slot. “This is a highly important alliance for us because we are linking to one of the biggest distributors of Latin American TV content around the world,” Marina Del Canto, VP of International Sales at Canal 13 Sudmedia, told.

WOOD UNVEILS ‘COLONIA’

Andres Woodone of Chile’s most distinguished helmer & producers, has unveiled at Mipcom his new TV project ‘Colonia’, now in development. Awood Producciones will produce the skein, an 8 seg 1 hour drama. Wood & Julio Jorquera, director of ‘My Last Round’, and the Chilean version of ‘Red Band Society’, will direct. Budgeted at $2 million, the project was presented at Mipcom under the umbrella of promo org CinemaChile TV. Inspired by true events, series follows two men, Tobias Muller & Salo Luna, who escape from the clutches of Paul Schafer, a former Nazi hidden in Southern Chile. Pic criss – crosses 2 different time periods: the 1st beginning in 1976, when 5 year old Tobias suffered abuse from Schafer, and the 2nd, showing the escape from Colonia Dignidad, now Villa Baviera, a Chilean city founded by German immigrants in the early 60’s, located 200 miles South of Santiago De Chile.

distribution partners in each market. The company said it will continue to offer HBO Go to pay – TV subscribers for no additional charge in the region, as it does in US, it didn’t specify how many countries it plans to launch the standalone service in. “We have seen changes in content & consumption habits and are launching this new HBO Go platform as an a la carte service in response to those trends,” HBO Latin America CEO Emilio Rubio said in announcing the plans.

ZFF WINNERS INCLUDE ‘RAMS’

Films from Iceland, Mexico & Austria were among the countries picking up awards at the 11th Zurich Film Festival, which ran 24th Sept, 2015 to 4th Oct, 2015. Iceland’s ‘Rams’, directed by Grimur Hakonarson, taking the Golden Eye for international feature film, ‘Los Reyes Del Pueblo Que No Existe’ by Betzabe Garcia from Mexico winning the prize for international documentary and the Focus trophy awarded to ‘Thank You for Bombing’ by Barbara Eder from Austria. ‘The Miracle Of Tekir’ by Ruxandra Zenide won the Emerging Swiss Talent Award while the Critics’ Choice Award went to ‘Pikadero’ by Ben Sharrock of Spain. The audience award went to Niklaus Hilber’s ‘Amateur Teens’ and the audience award in the ZFF for Kids section was taken home by Margus Paju’s ‘Supilinna Salaselts’. The festival honored Arnold Schwarzenegger with the Golden Icon Award.

‘NIGHTCRAWLER’ INSPIRED XRC

Reality Show ‘XRC’ Gets 2nd Season, Spinoff ‘XRC’ (Extreme Reality Clips), infotainment at its most intense, is a global hit for Venezuela’s Cisneros Media Distribution, which has ordered a 2nd season and spinoff. Inspired by helmer & scribe Dan Gilroy’s crime drama feature ‘Nightcrawler’ which earned him a 2014 Best Screenplay Oscar nom and critical acclaim for lead Jake Gyllenhaal, the co -production with RMG News is a hit in Asia, Africa & America, including US, where it airs on Univision sister network UniMas. Ben Silverman’s Electus has clinched exclusive rep rights to the reality series for Europe & Oz. “This powerful series, comprised of real news footage that is completely shocking & electrifying, has audiences glued to the screen, not wanting to miss any of its intriguing scenes,” said Marcello Coltro, EVP of content distribution at Cisneros Media, who has ordered another 26 episodes from producer RMG News.

NEVINS & NUNEZ AIM TO TAKE SHOWTIME

Showtime & CBS Studios International aim to take Showtime’s sales worldwide to a whole new level, Showtime Networks’ David Nevins & Armando Nuñez at CBS Global Distribution Group said at a Mipcom keynote recently. That will come about, they argued, by their pushing “addictive TV.” The new bar was set by Canada’s Bell Media in a landmark deal this Jan, in an upgrade of its SVOD offer. Via the pact, Bell Media committed to air Showtime owned 1st run series programming, as well as almost its entire catalog of scripted & unscripted series, documentaries & specials, on its premium TV streaming service, CraveTV, as well as its leading pay television service, The Movie Network (TMN). “All of our shows have tended to be in different places in each territory. And the brand strength of Showtime in the US has been at an all – time high. Canada, being just over the border, is the 1st place where there was very high awareness of Showtime, and it was very valuable to Bell Media to upgrade its SVOD service saying: We are the home of Showtime,’” said Nevins. “The next phase of our growth is to put those shows together and make Showtime start to mean something around the world in the same way it means something in North America” he added. 3 factors may well help Showtime’s move into what Nuñez called “portfolio” deals: Showtime’s drive into original production, the power of its line – up, international markets craving for what Nevins & Nuñez called “addictive TV.” Built up by Nevins over the last 5 years, 75% of Showtime’s content is now made up of own – content original shows, said Nuñez. Showtime launched its HBO Now – like broadband service this Jul, via a standalone app, available for iPhone, iPad & Apple TV and online. It also started selling subscriptions over the Internet. “Our base business has never been stronger in US, but I think a lot of our growth in the coming years is going to come through the broadband only homes,” Nevins said. As for the state of the market, Nuñez was asked whether the demand for great content was growing.

Southern Films Round Up

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Dhanush-Trisha

Dhanush & Trisha To Pair Up For The 1st Time

Dhanush & Trisha had entered the film industry around the same time and have now completed more than a decade. Both of them are presently dazzling at the top with multiple acting projects in hand. It’s a strange coincidence that the duo despite being good friends in real life have never acted together in a film. And now it seems like the time has ripen to check the onscreen chemistry of Dhanush & Trisha. Reliable sources in Kollywood reveal that Trisha is likely to be roped in as one of the heroines of Dhanush in the film to be directed by Durai Senthilkumar.

Karunakaran’s Makes An Offer To Short Filmmakers

Karunakaran, of late, is the most sought after character artiste in Kollywood and he is also acting in the lead role in a few films. Before making it big on the silver screen. Karunakaran was also a famous face in the short film circuit. He has acted in an array of short films including the ones directed by Karthick Subbaraj,Nalan Kumarasamy and others who are among the celebrated new age directors of Kollywood.

As a person who would not forget his past, Karunakaran has expressed his interest to act in short films again. It was not done with the archaic Kollywood celebrity rhetoric of ‘I still wish to do it but I am not finding time.’ Instead, Karuna has specified the dates when he will be available and asked interested short filmmakers to approach him for any role, in his microblogging site.

Vijay To Be Directed By Bharatha

It seems that Ilayathalapathy Vijay has recently liked the script narrated by Bharathan of ‘Azhagiya Tamizh Magan’ fame and that the star is likely to take it up for his all important 60th film and the Vijaya Production House is likely to fund the project.
And now reports coming from Kollywood insiders say that director Hari is likely to direct the script with Vijay in the lead. Hari has apparently listened to the script and accepted to take it up after completing ‘Singam 3’ with Suriya which is expected to go on floors soon. If this becomes reality it is for the 1st time Hari will be working with ‘Ilayathalapathy’ Vijay in his 15 years of filmmaking career.

Radhika Still To Join The Team Of ‘Kabali‘

After the 1st schedule in Chennai, the 2nd schedule of shooting of Superstar Rajinikanth’s upcoming film ‘Kabali’ is taking place in Malaysia. This schedule is expected to go on in the country for a month and the scenes between Superstar and Dhanshika who plays the role of his daughter in the film are reportedly being shot at present. On the other hand Radhika Apte who had signed up to play the role of Rajini’s wife in the film took part in the initial photo shoot but she is yet to start shooting for the film. When inquired about this, reliable sources reveal that the ‘Ahalya’ actress will soon join the sets of ‘Kabali’ by Dec, 2015. Produced by Kalaipuli.S.Thanu on a grand scale ‘Kabali’ is expected as a Summer 2016 treat.

Varun’s ‘Loafer’ Shooting Wrapped Up

Mega Prince Varun Tej has wrapped up the shooting of his upcoming film ‘Loafer’. The last portion of the action sequences were shot on Varjun Tej, leading lady Disha Patani, Mukesh Rishi, Ali, Sapthagiri & Brahmanandam at an outdoor locale in the city. Directed by Puri Jagannath, the film’s post production is simultaneously progressing at rapid pace and the makers are planning to release the film for Pongal. Touted to be an action drama, Varun will be seen as a pick -pocketer in this film. C Kalyan is producing the film which also has Revathi & Posani Krishna Murali in prominent roles.

Title Locked For Yeleti & Mohanlal Movie

Director Chandrasekhar Yeleti carved a niche for himself as a versatile filmmaker. He is soon going to direct a multilingual film to be produced by Sai Korrapati on Vaarahi Chalanachitram banner. While Irrfan Khan is playing the lead role in the Hindi version, the Kannada version will have Shiva Raj Kumar as the protagonist. The Telugu version will see Mohanlal & Gautami in lead roles. Besides Yeleti has zeroed in on ‘Mahima’ as the film’s title. The pre – production is in full swing and the principle shooting of the film will commence from the 3rd week of Nov, 2015. The story of the film revolves around 4 middle class families and the struggles they face in their lives.

Prabhas & Sujeeth Movie Confirmed

Rumours were abuzz that Young Rebelstar Prabhas’s new movie with Sujeeth has been shelved due to some reasons. But now comes the news that the project is not put on hold and the film is still on. Sujeeth is currently busy with the script work and he is planning to take the film on the sets from the 2nd half of 2016. Recently, Sujeeth met Prabhas and gave his final narration to the actor. Apparently, Prabhas is very much impressed with the script and gave his final nod to the director.

Currently, Prabhas is busy preparing for the sequel of ‘Baahubali’ and the film is expected to roll later this year.

Ravi Makes Way For Akhil

Mass Maharaj Ravi Teja is working for director Sampath Nandi’s upcoming action entertainer ‘Bengal Tiger’. Produced by Radha Mohan, the film boasts of petite beauties Tamannah & Rashi Khanna as the leading ladies. The shooting of the film is almost completed except for songs and some patch work. The makers have slotted the film’s release for 6th Nov, 2015. But the latest update is that the film is now going to push its release by two weeks. Sources say Ravi Teja had asked the makers of the film to delay the release in order to make way for Akkineni Akhil’s debut film.

Namitha To Do A Telugu film

Namitha Pramod, who has had a consistent flow of movies has reportedly signed a Telugu movie. The movie stars popular Telugu actor Aadi in the lead. Namitha will play his love interest. The movie is being directed by Veerabhadra Chaudary.

The Telugu film industry is a stepping stone for many actress to foray into the South Indian Film Industry scene. Many ace actresses like Bhavana, Nayanthara, Bhama et al had made their mark there. The glamour quotient there is always a talking point. Among Namitha’s contemporaries, Anupama of ‘Premam’ fame has signed 3 Tollywood movies.

It’s Mammootty For Sheelu

Sheelu Abraham is slowly carving a niche for herself in Mollywood. The actress got noticed with her performance in ‘She Taxi’ which had Kavya Madhavan in the lead role. Her presence in Mohanlal starrer ‘Kanal’ too was noticed. Sheelu Abraham will next be seen in a movie which will have Mammootty in the lead role. The movie is titled ‘Puthiya Niyamam’ and the actress will essay the role of an IPS officer. Nayanthara is the lead heroine of the movie.

Karthik Finally Ties The Knot

The union minister DV Sadananda Gowda’s son Karthik Gowda surrounded by controversy for his alleged affair & marriage with Kannada cinema actress Mythria Gowda (claim is made by actress) has finally taken a new shape. Karthik Gowda has recently tied the knot with Rajasri (Swathi) recently at Kushalnagar, the hilly district of Karnataka.

Karnataka Governor Vajubai Vala, Maneka Gandhi, BS Yediyurappa, Shoba Karandlaje, Nalin Kumar, Pratap Simha, Sri Ramulu, Prahllad Joshi, Suresh Kumar, Bachche Gowda, CT Ravi, Katta Subramanya Naidu, Ramachandre Gowda, Vijayashanker, Somanna, KG Bopaiah, MC Nanaiah, T John, Go Madusoodhan et al attended the marriage event. Nearly 10000 people attended the wedding.

‘Jessi’ Is Now Complete

RS Banner – Kanakapura Srinivas & KP Srikanth’s yet another well thought out project ‘Jessi’ has completed the shooting recently. The post production work has begun for this film says Srikanth producer of the film.

Pawan Wadeyar has roped in Parul Yadav who played prominent role in his 1st film ‘Govindayanamaha’ – the song “Pyar Ge Agbutaithe…” has become a rage in Gurukiran’s music direction. Parul was one of the 3 heroines of that successful ‘Govindayanamaha’ of Komal Kumar in lead. She is a solo heroine in ‘Jessi’ that stars Dhananjay of ‘Directors Special And Raate’. Dhananjay has a spree of films on the floor like ‘Vijayaditya’, ‘Boxer’, ‘Badmash’, historical ‘Allama’ et al.

“My film Mungala is the perfect depiction of a villager’s life”: Gaurav Bhanushali

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Mungala

Producer Gaurav Bhanushali deserves a pat on his back for presenting a perfect picture of a village in the times of drought. And how the villager’s suffer more due to the politician’s mean game of using the villagers to win the so-called elections. That apart they also become the victims of a natural calamity.

So how would you describe your film Mungala?

My film Mungala is the perfect depiction of a villager’s life in a rural ambience. First of all the main protagonist Kisan has just returned from the city after being sacked by an American IT company due to recession.

And then?

And then on his return to the village Kisan discovers that the villagers are also passing through a phase of drought, the villagers are now solely depending on tanker’s everyday to fulfill their necessity of water. While they are also being used as a crowd puller for an election rally time & again by the political workers. So Kisan also whiles away his time with his coterie of friends. And then there were news reports in the papers that there was a rainfall due to a research being done on the moon. Instantly Kisan & his friends devise a plan to end the sufferings of the villagers.

This almost sounds like Mungala is an off beat venture. What say?

Maybe you are right but I think the audiences all over will like it. Rural audiences will lap up Mungala, but I firmly believe that even the urban audiences will have a lot of food for thought to ponder upon.

What according to you are the main highlights of Mungala?

First of all I would like to say that it is Vijay Devkar’s excellent directional skills that will keep the audiences all over spell bind. No we don’t want their sympathy, we just want them to realize the villager’s problem minutely & offer us a concrete solution. That apart I would like to mention the names of all my artistes like Lokesh Gupte, Jyoti Joshi, Suhas Palshikar, Ganesh Yadav, Chetan Dalvi etc for going through all the grind and literally getting into the skin of the charater and literally living their roles and lastly I would like to make a mention of my music composers Vijay Gawande & Atul Lohar who have also delivered the goods expected of them.

By the way what was the need to include an item song in such an off beat film?

Mungala is not just an off beat venture, it is also a thoroughly entertaining film. So instead of keeping a tamasha oriented lavani as usual I thought of including a proper item song which would enliven the audiences.

So what’s next on your agenda?

Frankly speaking right now Mungala is my top priority. I am seriously considering of sending Mungala to global fests as in India it has already been an official selection for Sahayadri Cine Awards for “Best Choreography” & also an official selection with 4 nominations for Nashik International Film Festival where it ultimately bagged the Golden Camera Award for “Best Rural Cinema”. Period!

“I have tried to convey a subtle message in an entertaining way in my debut directorial film Than Than Gopal”: Khartik Shetty

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Karthik Shetty

Khartik Shetty happens to be an actor of Kannada films. And of late he has come up with his debut directorial film Than Than Gopal albeit not in Kannada but in Marathi. Sounds surprising but having been born and brought up in Mumbai he found the directorial going quite smooth enough.

To set the ball rolling can you give us a little insight into your background?

Basically speaking I am a Kannada actor albeit born and brought up in Mumbai. Till this date I have ended up doing a hat trick of Kannada films namely Yuvah, Khartik & Agnimusti. And my fourth film Akshata is due for release by the end of Nov, 2015.

Khartik Shetty

And now how come you are making your directorial debut with a Marathi film and not a Kannada film?

Actually speaking me and my friends had come across this very sweet, simple & fascinating story which had a flavor of a Maharastrian milieu about it. So it was not at all possible to make the film in Kannada hence we all decided to make it in Marathi and not in Kannada and we named this film as Than Than Gopal.

So what is Than Than Gopal all about?

Than Than Gopal is all about a 11 year old blind boy, for whom being blind is not a disadvantage. In fact he lives his life full of Joy de vivre spirit. On the other hand is his friend who is a Warli painter. Warli is an ancient art of painting, which, of late, happens to be a dying art form.

Are you trying to impart any social message through your movie Than Than Gopal?

No doubt the film hits you at first when you see the plight of the blind boy and the Warli painters. But we are not out to seek the audiences sympathy for them. In fact I have tried to convey a very subtle & serious message in a very entertaining way. We have also tried to take a very strong stand against both the issues. And for this I would like to thank my producers Siddhanth Mahesh Shetty & Nidhi Prakash Shetty for backing this project all the way from its conception to its final release.

Did you face any problem while directing a Marathi film?

No not at all. You see being brought up in Mumbai I am well versed with the Marathi language. But of course since I cannot speak the Marathi language fluently I refrain myself from speaking the language in front of the media. And I am ok while making a general conversation in my day to day life.

As a parting shot tell us if you are planning to pitch Than Than Gopal in the film festival circuits?

Right now it is not on my mind as I am up to my neck in the film’s release. But of course I think it’s not a bad idea at all. So I will definitely try to pitch Than Than Gopal in the festival circuits too.

Global Films Roundup

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GRINGOLANDIA

NETFIX TAKES ‘GRINGOLANDIA’

Netflix will stream popular Chilean web series ‘Gringolandia’ not just in Chile but also in US and all Latin America. A seven minute web – skein, ‘Gringolandia’ has cumed 4.4 million views for the whole series on YouTube and 84,466 followers. The Netflix version will include unseen material and 1st & 2nd seasons. Series creators have announced a 3rd season. “It’s the 1st Latin American web series that migrates from Youtube to Netflix. And only the 2nd one worldwide after ‘Video Game High School’, Cristobal Ross averred proudly. “I feel very happy & optimistic about the future of online independent content.” ‘Gringolandia’ (A Spanish Latin American slang for the US) is a web series created & directed by Ross and produced by him via shingle produced Contento. It turns on Peter, a Chilean entrepreneur who falls in love with Stacey, a U.S. woman and follows her to the Big Apple.

FOX TELEVISI0N CEO’S ON COMPETITIVENESS

“Risk has been the thing that we have embraced most in our company,” said Dana Walden, who is chairman & CEO of Fox Television Group alongside Gary Newman. The partners, who were honored as Personalities of the Year at TV market Mipcom in Cannes recently, oversee hit shows like ‘Empire’, ‘Homeland’ & ‘Modern Family’. “We learned a long time ago that playing it safe is not a winning strategy,” Walden said. “It’s not going to deliver us with a library of content that stands out.” She added that a Fox show “has to be loud, it has to be bold, it has to be distinctive.” Talking about the show creators that they often work with, such as Seth MacFarlane, Howard Gordon, Ryan Murphy or Chris Carter, Walden said: “Typically when they come in to pitch us they’ll pitch something that makes you feel mildly stressed out. Where you think this could be a disastrous idea or it could be a big hit and you have to embrace that feeling. You have to just put aside any anxieties & any desires to stay in the middle and push content as far as possible.”

SOPHIA LOREN TO BE FETED

Sophia Loren will be honored with a lifetime achievement award by the Americans for Arts nonprofit organisation and is expected to make the trek from her home in Switzerland to New York for the ceremony. Lady Gaga, Herbie Hancock, TV writer & producer Maria Bell, arts patron Alice Walton & philanthropists Joan & Irwin Jacobs will also be feted during the gala on 19th Oct, at Cipriani 42nd Street. Awards presenters will include Rob Marshall & Jeff Koons. Loren, 81, was honored by the American Film Institute during the AFI fest last year. She also held the 2014 Cannes masterclass during which she reminisced about her glorious 60 year career which comprises a best actress Oscar for a foreign language performance in ‘Two Women’ in 1960 and countless other prizes. She has received an honorary Academy Award in 1991, a best actress award at Cannes & a Career Golden Lion from the Venice Film Festival. Her most recent role is in her son Edoardo Ponti’s 2014 short ‘Human Voice’, inspired by Jean Cocteau’s one woman monologue. Loren made a splash last month when she attended the Giorgio Armani show during the Milan fashion week.

DANNY COHEN TO STEP DOWN

Danny Cohen, the BBC’s director of television, is to leave the UK broadcaster. He will leave the network at the end of Nov, 2015. Mark Linsey, controller of entertainment commissioning, will take on Cohen’s responsibilities until an appointment is made. For the past 8 years, Cohen has overseen the running of all BBC TV channels, as well as the production & commissioning of all of the BBC’s drama, entertainment, comedy & factual programs. He also oversaw the creative decision making concerning BBC iPlayer, the broadcaster’s streaming service and the BBC’s movie production arm, BBC Films. From 2007 to 2010, he was controller of youth channel BBC Three, which grew its share of young audiences by 59% in this period.

LIBERTY GLOBAL INVESTS $10.8M

John Malone’s International Cable Company Liberty Global has paid £7 million ($10.8 million) for a 14% stake in London based
Bigballs Media, the parent of YouTube soccer channel Copa90. The deal values Bigballs, which was founded in 2006, at £50 million ($76.8 million) and gives Liberty Global the option to up its stake in 6 months’ time. Rather than focusing on the game of soccer itself, Copa90 focuses on the sport’s fans. The channel has been operating for 3 years and has a strong following in the 16 – 24 demo, among its 2.3 million subscribers, who watch an average of 37 minutes of the channel’s content a week, according to Bigballs. Earlier this year, Copa90 bought KICKTV, the largest soccer fan channel in North America from Major League Soccer to create YouTube’s largest soccer network.

DISNEY INKS NEW DEAL

UK pay TV operator Sky has inked a new multi – year movie & TV agreement with Disney, continuing a relationship that has lasted almost 25 years. Sky Movies & NOW TV Sky Movies pass customers will be able to watch new movies like ‘Inside Out’, ‘The Good Dinosaur’ & ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ in the 1st pay TV window from around 9 months after their release in movie theaters. Sky Movies subscribers can access the Disney channel and watch all the latest Disney, Pixar, Marvel Studios & Lucasfilm films in HD and in some cases, 3D. In addition they will have access to TV channels Disney Channel, Disney XD & Disney Junior through Sky’s subscription packages in both standard & high definition. The new agreement will offer customers more Disney Channels series through Catch Up TV & On Demand than now available, at no extra cost.

LIONSGATE UK TEAMS UP WITH AMAZON

British distribution & financing company Lionsgate UK is partnering with Amazon & theatrical exhibition circuit Odeon Cinemas to provide preview screenings of ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2’ in 3D to customers who purchase their tickets through Amazon Local’s website. Tickets for the pre – screenings are exclusively available through the Amazon Local website, making this the only opportunity for UK fans of “The Hunger Games” to see the 4th & final instalment before it goes on general release. The screenings, shown exclusively in Odeon theaters across UK, will be held on 18th Nov, 2015 a day before the film’s official release date. Amazon customers will receive a souvenir ticket, exclusive posters & 3D glasses from £14 ($21.40) a ticket, inclusive of all fees, as well as the opportunity to save 20% off a selection of DVDs & Blu – rays at Amazon.co.uk. The franchise has grossed more than $2.3 billion at the global box office.

WEINTROP – KAPLAN – GEORGES SIGN ON FOR JURY SERVICE

Cannes Directors’ Fortnight artistic director Edouard Weintrop, Dennis Lim, Lincoln Center Film Society head of programming & Emilie Georges, Memento Films International general director, will serve on the jury of Cabos in Progress, at the 4th Los Cabos International Film Festival, which will run from 11th Nov, 2015 to 14th Nov, 2015 at the Mexican resort. A pix – in – post competition, Cabos in Progress will feature 6 Mexican titles. The winner will receive a $10,000 cash prize. 4 titles will be chosen to feature in the Cannes Marché Du Film’s inaugural 2016 Los Cabos Goes To Cannes, running during the Cannes Festival. Fox Plus, a premium pay TV package, will also offer $30,000 to air one participating productions in Latin America.

DOHA FEST SCORES ‘THE IDOL’ AS OPENER

The Doha Film Institute has secured the Middle East premiere of Oscar nommed Palestinian director Hany Abu – Assad’s buzz title ‘The Idol’ as the opener of the 3rd edition of its Ajyal Youth Film Festival. ‘The Idol’, the potent tale of how Palestinian pop singer Mohammed Assaf went from being a kid in a refugee camp in Gaza to winning the 2nd season of ‘Arab Idol’ in 2013 and thereafter was named a goodwill ambassador for peace by the United Nations, had its European preem at the London Film Festival recently, after bowing in Toronto in Sept, 2015 to strong reviews. “It’s a story everyone in this region knows,” said DFI topper Fatma Al Remain. “‘Idol’ is also a very good story about inspiration & hope and pursuing your dreams. So it’s a great message on which to open the festival,” she added. Scoring “Idol” for Ajyal marks a nice coup for the DFI which co – financed the pic, boarding it when it was already in production. Produced by Ali Jafaar & Amira Diab, “Idol” could have launched in the region from the Middle East fest of its choice. The 3rd edition of Ajyal, which is conceptually similar to Italy’s Giffoni youth fest and has hundred kids & adolescents as jurors, will run 29th Nov, 2015 to 5th Dec, 2015 in Doha.

ARAB TELEMEDIA RAMPS UP

Emmy Award winning production company Arab Telemedia Group is ramping up production with the Arab world’s 1st Sci – Fi series, titled ‘Medinah’, and a slate of historical skeins on timely topics including ‘The Assassins’, about Hassan – i Sabbah, the charismatic 11th century leader whose cult is considered the forerunner of Al Qaeda & ISIS. “It’s connected to radicalism, be it ISIS or Al Queida,” Talal Awamleh, the group’s CEO, said about ‘The Assassins’. “It’s about the roots of extremism that developed in the Arab world in those days,” he added. As for ‘Medinah’, the groundbreaking sci – fi series will be partly set in a futuristic Qatar and depict different nationalities living in Doha. “It’s very unique in the sense that that it’s half in English & half in Arabic,” The episodes ‘Medinah’ is an accident caused by a failed experiment which prompts teleportation of 12 random people into a different dimension.

MAD SOLUTIONS BEEF UP DISTRIBUTION SLATE

Mad Solutions, the innovative Arab marketing & distribution company based in Cairo & Abu Dhabi, is beefing up its distribution slate with ‘Sawah’, a pic with cross – border potential about an Egyptian student torn between living in Egypt or Europe during the Arab Spring. Dramedy being touted as the 1st co -prod between Egypt & Luxembourg is to be directed by Luxembourg based Egyptian director Adolf El Assal. It revolves around a 29 year old grad student Samir who lands in Luxembourg thinking he is in Brussels, gets stuck living in what for him is a totally alien continent and must decide if he wants to return home.

TERENCE DAVIES TO BE CELEBRATED

Terence Davies will be celebrated with a career nod by Italy’s Turin Film Festival where a selection of the British auteur’s works, spanning from his pluriprized 1988 feature debut ‘Distant Voices, Still Lives’ to his most recent drama, ‘Sunset Song’, will unspool. Turin, which is Italy’s preeminent event dedicated to indie cinema, praised Davies as a “master at combining melancholy, cruelty, irony & desperation.” Davies is expected to make the trek to receive the fest’s Gran Premio Torino and introduce “Distant Voices.” He will receive the award before the Italian premiere of ‘Sunset Song’ which recently bowed as a special presentation in Toronto. ‘Sunset Song’, which is Davies 7th and most epically scaled feature, chronicles the struggle of a young woman, played by Agyness Deyn, to hold on to her farm in Northeast Scotland during World War I.

RAI COM DOES BRISK BIZ

Reflecting the growing importance of live events content Italo pubcaster Rai’s sales arm Rai Com has inked a slew of deals on its All’Opera series which brings top live Italian opera productions to theatrical audiences around the world. At Mipcom Rai Com has inked theatrical distribution deals for France (CGR), Spain (Filmax), Australia (Palace) & South Korea (SDC). They are in advanced talks to close Italy, US & UK. All’Opera brings worldwide audiences Italian opera performances from famous theaters including La Scala in Milan, the Teatro Di San Carlo in Naples, the Teatro Regio in Turin, La Fenice in Venice and the Arena in Verona. The 2015 / 2016 season offers works including Rossini’s ‘The Barber Of Seville’ & ‘La Cenerentola’, Puccini’s ‘The Girl Of the West’, Verdi’s ‘La Traviata’ & ‘Joan Of Arc’ & Donizetti’s ‘La Favorita’.

HBO N0RDIC ACQUIRES CRIME DRAMA

Crime series ‘The Last Panthers’, which world premiered at TV market Mipcom in Cannes last week, has been acquired by pay TV service HBO Nordic. The deal will make the show available in Sweden, Norway, Denmark & Finland. Studiocanal & Sky Vision, which are managing worldwide distribution, have also pre – sold the series to 365 Iceland & Hot in Israel. The show, which was commissioned by pay TV operators Sky, which covers UK, Germany & Italy & France’s Canal Plus, was previously acquired in US by SundanceTV. The 6 part series, which was produced by Haut et Court TV & Warp Films, stars Samantha Morton, Tahar Rahim, Goran Bogdan & John Hurt. It is based on an idea by French journalist Jerome Pierrat, and was co – created & written by Jack Thorne.
The series is directed by Johan Renck.

DISCOVERY KIDS – MORENA – MUNDOLOCO FORGE AN ALLIANCE

In a top – of – their – class animation alliance, Discovery Kids, Argentina’s Cris Morena Group and MundoLoco CGI, co – founded by Juan Jose Campanella, are partnering to co – develop 3 English language kids toon series: ‘Floribella’, ‘Underdogs’ & ‘Baby Rockers’. Oscar winner Campanella & Gaston Gorali, director & exec producer of ‘Foosball’, will serve as series’ show – runners. Discovery Kids will air the series exclusively in Latin America. “This unique partnership with Cris Morena Group & MundoLoco CGI reiterates Discovery Kids commitment to expand its pipeline of original content, both with well -established hit franchises such as ‘Floribella’ & ‘Underdogs’, as well as new content, such as ‘Baby Rockers,’” commented Carolina Lightcap, EVP & CCO of Discovery Latin America / US Hispanic & Global Lead for Discovery Kids & Family.

CANAL 13 PUTS TV DRAMAS IN COMAREX’S HANDS

Highlighting once again the significant interest of international market players in Chilean TV fiction, Comarex, the Mexico City based global distrib, has signed a strategic, exclusive distribution deal with Chilean network Canal 13 to handle the broadcaster’s finished TV series & formats worldwide. Inked with Canal 13’s international sales subsid, Canal 13 Sudmedia, the pact gives Comarex distribution rights to hit shows, including ‘Machos’, ‘Papi Ricky’, ‘Witches’, ‘Primera Dama’, ‘The Vega’s’, ‘The 80s’ & ‘Neighborhood Kings’, plus upcoming releases, such as teleseries ‘Veinteañero A Los 40’, which is scheduled to launch on Canal 13’s 2 pm TV primetime slot. “This is a highly important alliance for us because we are linking to one of the biggest distributors of Latin American TV content around the world,” Marina Del Canto, VP of International Sales at Canal 13 Sudmedia, told.

WOOD UNVEILS ‘COLONIA’

Andres Woodone of Chile’s most distinguished helmer & producers, has unveiled at Mipcom his new TV project ‘Colonia’, now in development. Awood Producciones will produce the skein, an 8 seg 1 hour drama. Wood & Julio Jorquera, director of ‘My Last Round’, and the Chilean version of ‘Red Band Society’, will direct. Budgeted at $2 million, the project was presented at Mipcom under the umbrella of promo org CinemaChile TV. Inspired by true events, series follows two men, Tobias Muller & Salo Luna, who escape from the clutches of Paul Schafer, a former Nazi hidden in Southern Chile. Pic criss – crosses 2 different time periods: the 1st beginning in 1976, when 5 year old Tobias suffered abuse from Schafer, and the 2nd, showing the escape from Colonia Dignidad, now Villa Baviera, a Chilean city founded by German immigrants in the early 60’s, located 200 miles South of Santiago De Chile.

Movie Review: ‘Te Aath Divas’ offers a clean & wholesome family entertainment after a long time

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TE AATH DIVAS

Producer: Kishore Dhargalkar & Shekhar Pradhan
Director: Shyam Swarnlata Ghanorkar
Starcast: Renuka Shahane, Tushar Dalvi, Aaroh Velankar, Deepali Muchrikar, Avinash Masurekar, Sunil Joshi, Atul Todankar etc
Genre: Drama
Verdict: GOOD

Plot: The story of this film revolves around a big joint family. In the beginning of the film, there are preparations going on for the wedding of the young girl from this family (Deepali Muchirkar) to her would – be groom (Aaroh Velankar). The boy is also eager to marry this girl; but there is confusion in the mind of this girl, when the film takes you into flashback. 8 days before the marriage, the girl’s mother (Renuka Shahane) arrives from USA. This ambitious woman had left the girl years ago in the custody of her husband (Tushar Dalvi), only to pursue her career there. Her arrival sparks off a new wave of happiness in the family. But when she comes to know that the marriage of her daughter is being fixed much against her own wish, she decides to help her.

Aces: The subject matter of the film is quite impressive with a wonderful twist in the 2nd half. That apart the credit also goes to director Shyam Swarnlata Ghanorkar for treating the film in a light hearted manner. And of course the presence of seasoned artistes like Renuka Shahane, Tushar Dalvi etc was like an added bonanza. A left handed compliment also goes to young actors like Aaroh Velankar, Deepali Muchrikar, Sunil Joshi etc.

Minuses: Some of the loose ends of the film which are the results of a not properly structured script.
Last Word: Te Aath Diwas is something different than the other stereotyped lavani based Marathi films. Te Aath Diwas also offers a clean & wholesome family entertainment after a long time.

Movie Review: ‘Titli’ is a good watch albeit very dark & disturbing

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titli

Producer: Aditya Chopra & Dibakar Bannerjee
Director: Kanu Behl
Star Cast: Ranvir Shorey, Amit Sial, Shashank Arora, Lalit Behl, Prashant Singh & Shivani Raghuvansi
Genre: Drama
Verdict: VERY GOOD

Plot: In the badlands of Delhi’s dystopic underbelly, Titli (Shashank Arora), the youngest member of a violent car – jacking brotherhood, plots a desperate bid to escape the ‘family’ business. His struggle to do so is countered at each stage by his indignant brothers (Ranvir Shorey & Amit Sial), who finally try marrying him off to ‘settle’ him. Titli, finds an unlikely ally in his new wife Neelu (Shivani Raghuvanshi), caught though she is in her own web of warped reality & dysfunctional dreams. They form a strange, beneficial partnership, only to confront their inability to escape the bindings of their family roots.

Aces: The best thing about Titli is the excellent direction of Kanu Behl and the outstanding performances of its principal cast right from Ranvir Shorey to Amit Sial, Shashank Arora, Latit Behl, Prashant Singh & Shivani Raghuvanshi.

Minuses: Some of the most violently shocking scenes topped with brutal cuss words galore.

Last Word: Titli is a must watch film for one & all albeit strictly not recommended for weak hearted persons.

Movie Review: ‘Mere Sai Ram’ is a clichéd film with nothing new to offer

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Mere-Sai-Ram

Producers: Sujit Ghosh & Arundhati Ghosh
Director: Navin Joshi
Star Cast: Rahul Barapatre, Piew Jana, Mukul Nag, Smita Dongre, Master Sairaj, Sunil Singh, Reshma Merchant, Kiran Sharma, Arvind Singh, Dhananjay Chaudhary, Vinod Anand, Nidhi & Sudhir Dalvi as Sai Baba.
Genre: Docu Drama
Verdict: AVERAGE

Scores of films have been made on Shirdi Ke Sai Baba, the 1st one being patriotic actor Manoj Kumar’s Shirdi Ke Sai Baba and now director Navin Joshi’s directorial offering Mere Sai Ram offers nothing new albeit Navin Joshi has given a romantic twist to the devotional theme to lure the cine goers.

Plot: The scenario kicks off with Dhondiram (Mukul Nag) who is a simple villager hailing from a very poor background. As an ardent devotee of Sai Baba (Sudir Dalvi) Dhondiram always converses & shares his day to day problems with Sai Baba. In fact his core belief centers around Sai Baba. Once Dhondiram dreams of Sai Baba who asks him to build a temple. Besides there is sub plot which revolves around the love story of Prakash (Rahul Barapatre), the village antagonist Zamindar’s (Dhananjay Choudhari) son, and Dhondiram’s sister (Piew Jana). The 2 stories connect and forms the crux of the film.

Aces: Sudhir Dalvi once again excels in the title role of Sai Baba. Mukul Nag as Sai Baba’s devotee is quite impressive. And last but not the least debutante actor Rahul Barapatere has a good screen presence which will prove to be a good advantage for him in the long run. That apart some of the Sai Bhajans are quiet catchy.

Minuses: The snail’s pace and some of the over repetitive scenes of the film prove to be a hindrance in the narrative.

Last Word: This docu drama Mere Sai Ram is strictly recommended for the most ardent Sai Baba devotees and above all the most ardent Sai Baba fans.

Movie Review: ‘Ranveer – The Marshall’ is very impressive & certainly a not to be missed movie

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Ranveer - The Marshall

Producer: Alok Ranjan Sharma
Director: Milind Ukey
Star Cast: Rishy, Ramnitu Chaudhary, Rati Agnihotri, Rajesh Kattar, Vishwajeet Pradhan, Robin Das & Rafiq
Genre: Action & Drama
Verdict: GOOD

Director Milind Ukey had 1st gained an instant limelight with a very meaningful film Paathshaala. In between he made many films and once again he has come up with a very informative and enlightening film on martial arts namely ‘Ranviir – The Marshall.

Plot: Ranviir (Rishy) is a college going guy staying with his mom (Rati Agnihotri) in a hill station. In college he falls in love with a girl (Ramnitu Chaudhary), he is also been ragged often by his seniors. Ultimately they all become friends and they suggest Ranviir to join the Taekwondo classes. But Ranviir’s mom is dead set against it. Once Ranviir gets attacked by College goons but Ranviir does not hit back as he had promised his mom that he will not fight. Now his mom reveals the past and tells him to go ahead with his martial arts classes so that he can fight back in self defence.

Aces: Milind Ukey’s directional skills especially in martial arts oriented action sequences, the entire never before seen daringly different martial arts sequences and of course the two melodious romantic songs. That apart Rishy the main lead hero is quite impressive in his debut movie but he certainly has to hone up his acting skills more if he has to survive in Bollywood.

Minuses: Some of the long drawn out scenes and clichéd fight sequences amongst the college going youths.

Last Word: A not to be missed movie for the lovers of action movies especially of the martial arts kind. Initially the film may take time to pick up but word of mouth publicity will certainly bolster the prospects of the movie.

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