It’s time to take a holiday from the ordinary you’ve been settling for and enter the world curated for lovers of all things luxe, unique & creative. Engineered by fashion lovers & founders of Knotty Tales, Pallavee Duggall (wife of Rajniesh Duggall) & Gauri Pradhan. There’s room for everyone’s fashion fantasies to come true, whether you’re embracing eco – friendly, hankering for hand woven, enamored by ethnic or craving for couture. From renowned industry favorites to ambitious new designers experimenting with the world of prêt – a -porter, over 40 brands were present at the event. A countrywide representation of talent & culture was facilitated through the inclusion of designers from Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad & Jaipur, giving fashionistas exclusive previews of their most exciting new inventions before they hit the racks. Rajniesh Duggal averred, “I feel it’s a fantastic step that Pallavee Duggall & Gauri Pradhan (wife of Hiten Tejwani) have taken. They have successfully completed a year & a half of doing Pop ups (exhibitions) all over the country and are venturing into more things soon .Pallavee Buggall is a graduate from the LSE (London school of Economics) and is a brilliant business woman / wife.”

SONY PICTURES NETWORKS PRODUCTIONS ANNOUNCES ITS NEXT, ‘SOORMA’

Sony Pictures Networks Productions (SPN Productions), the film production arm of Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN), has announced its upcoming film, Soorma, directed by Shaad Ali. The film will bring to light the story of hockey player, Sandeep Singh, who played for India and went through many ups & downs in his personal & professional life. A true legend of the game, Sandeep Singh was also the captain of team India, which he led to victory on several occasions. Amongst his many achievements, he holds an unbeaten record of the fastest drag flick in the world (Speed 145 Km / hr). The role of this illustrious hockey player, Sandeep Singh, will be portrayed by Diljit Dosanjh and he has undergone arduous training in the sport with Sandeep Singh. Taapsee Pannu has been paired opposite Diljit Dosanjh and she too has gone through vigorous training to learn the skills & nuances of the sport. Angad Bedi will portray the role of Sandeep Singh’s elder brother, Bikramjeet Singh. At 31 years of age, Sandeep Singh achieved what many could only dream of. His emotionally -charged life – story is inspiring in every way. Soorma will be Diljit Dosanjh’s 1st ever Hindi film as a lead actor. Shaad Ali has teamed up yet again with Gulzar Saheb to pen down the lyrics of this film. Shankar –Ehsaan – Loy have been roped in as the music directors. Written & directed by Shaad Ali, the film will be released worldwide on 29th Jun, 2018. Soorma is produced by Sony Pictures Networks Productions, Chitrangda Singh & Deepak Singh.

‘TANTRA’ – VIKRAM BHATT’S NEW WEB SERIES FOR HIS CHANNEL VB ON THE WEB

Ace director & producer Vikram Bhatt is all set to produce a new web – series for his channel VB on the Web. VB On The Web is Indian filmmaker Vikram Bhatt’s official web channel. The channel hosts filmmaker’s original content in the form of web series across different genres. The previous series from this platform like Twisted, Maaya and others have been well appreciated by the audiences. The team is coming up with a new web series titled Tantra starring Aditi Arya, Vidur Anand, Salina Prakash, Karim Hajee & Sandeep Bharadwaj playing the central characters in this web – weekender. Tantra is a unique battle of a family feud and corporate politics played on the battleground of black magic. A game that is already this dirty is sullied further when everything is put on the board, murder, death, betrayal, deceit and above all trust. This web series will be produced under Vikram Bhatt’s own banner Lone Ranger Productions Pvt Ltd, and the digital project will have an ensemble cast comprising of certain veteran actors. The story of this web series is written by Vikram Bhatt himself and directed by Sidhant Sachdev. The writer & the producer Vikram Bhatt added “Tantra is the 1st ever tri – weekly series on air across all platforms. The series is being directed by, Sidhant Sachdev. Sid is young & enthusiastic in his approach and has worked on 3 of our web series earlier viz. Hadh, Gehraiyaan & Spotlight 2. He has a knack for telling the story through its treatment. It will be a 48 episode series. As the story unravels, it will keep the audiences glued to our YouTube channel.”

TUSSHAR KAPOOR SPOTTED WITH HIS SON LAKSSHYA KAPOOR AT THE TODDLER GYM

The new daddy in the industry, Tusshar Kapoor has always taken over the internet by posting pictures of his highly adorable son Laksshay Kapoor. Recently Tusshar Kapoor was spotted at the toddler gym spending some quality time with his son Laksshay Kapoor. Even since Laksshay Kapoor came in his life, he changed his lifestyle to be a perfect dad! He dotes on him and tries to be around him all the time. The father – son duo is definitely the new cool pair in the industry.

‘OCTOBER’ STARRING VARUN DHAWAN IS COMPLETE

It’s a wrap up for Shoojit Sircar’s October starring Varun Dhawan & newbie Banita Sandhu which isis complete. A slice of life love story directed by Shoojit Sircar & written by Juhi Chaturvedi, October stars Varun Dhawan & newbie Banita Sandhu in the lead. The film has been shot in Delhi & in Himachal Pradesh. The unit completed the shoot within 38 days much ahead of its schedule! Shoojit Sircas avered, “Varun Dhawan is trying to open up to different genres. Actors should keep exploring different genres, stories & directors. At the end of the day, you have to challenge yourself and Varun Dhawan does just that. When it comes to the genre of romance, it is always beautiful to see a fresh pairing. Something about seeing their reel chemistry blossom through makes you feel a part of their journey from the very beginning. For October, that was one of the main reasons why I chose Banita Sandhu for the lead role opposite Varun Dhawan. She had acted in one of my earlier commercials.” Rising Sun Films’ new venture, October, will be a sweet romantic journey of human emotion told in the inimitable tyle. With October slated for release on 13th Apr, 2018, the blazing baton moves forward.

RICHA CHADHA’S UNUSUAL GUEST APPEARANCE

When it comes to guest appearances, Richa Chadha may have clinched the most unusual of the lot. The actress features in American author – entrepreneur Timothy Ferriss’s book, “Tribe of Mentors”. A collection of advice from professionals from different walks of life, including actors, chefs, musicians, TV show hosts. And Richa is the only Indian actor to be featured in the book that also features Hollywood stars like Ashton Kutcher, Ben Stiller, Jimmy Fallon & Larry King.

AJAY DEVGN CELEBRATES PRODUCER KUMAR MANGAT PATHAK’S BIRTHDAY ON THE SETS OF ‘RAID’

Ajay Devgn who is currently shooting for his upcoming film Raid, celebrated producer & manager Kumar Mangat Pathak’s birthday on the sets of the film. Kumar Mangat Pathak’s wife, Neelam Pathak along with the entire cast & the entire crew were present for the celebrations. Set in Uttar Pradesh in the 1980’s, Raid is based on real life events involving one of the most high – profile income tax raids the country has ever known. The film is directed by Rajkumar Gupta.

IRRFAN KHAN ALL SET TO ENDORSE A CONDOM BRAND

Irrfan Khan is someone who’s very popular amongst the brand world and has a variety of range of brands he endorses. This year alone he has signed as many as 4 brands post Hindi Medium. Also he has a certain unique quirk to himself. This is why a renowned condom brand chose him to be their ambassador. He’s someone who’s very particular when it comes to selecting his brands. His criterion for selecting a brand is solely on their ethics and how they intend to sell the brand. Irrfan Khan signed the brand as he strongly believes that it’s important to create awareness. The ad world will go abuzz with Irrfan Khan signing for a condom brand. Normally every ad that is aired has models resorting to sleaze & glamour, with Irrfan Khan stepping on board for a condom brand will have all eyeballs set what Irrfan Khan has to offer in terms of branding & advertising. On the other hand, with his latest release Qarib Qarib Singlle Irrfan Khan treated the audiences with one of the most loved & warm quirky love stories of the season! It is now in its 2nd week in theatres and is still going strong!

AAMIR KHAN’S ‘SECRET SUPERSTAR’ TO RELEASE IN TAIWAN & RUSSIA!

As a reinforcement of its commitment of taking Indian Cinema across the world, Zee Studios International is all set to release Aamir Khan’s Secret Superstar in Taiwan & Russia. The film will release in Taiwan today across 73 screens and in Russia on 3rd Dec, 2017 in more than 50 screens ensuring the widest possible footprint for Aamir Khan’s cinematic genius. Secret Superstar’s release is the widest Indian Film release ever in Taiwan. With its strong narrative & exceptional performance, the film has left an indelible mark on the hearts of its viewers. With the release in Taiwan & Russia, Zee Studios International aims to set a new benchmark of overseas collections of the film. “Russia & Taiwan are great markets for Indian Films with Indian Cinema legends like Raj Kapoor still being revered there. We are ecstatic to showcase Secret Superstar to such countries and offer them a film that’s truly heart – warming & distinctive. At Zee Studios International, we stand committed to taking our films to international territories, known & unknown, as we strongly believe that good content should not be restricted by borders”, averred said Vibha Chopra, Head – Zee Studios International (Film Marketing, Distribution &, Acquisition). Secret Superstar traces the journey of Insia, a 14 year old girl from Baroda, whose dream of becoming a singer changes her life & the lives of everyone around her. The film has been written & directed by Advait Chandan & produced by Aamir Khan & Kiran Rao, and has been Internationally distributed by Zee Studios International.

KARAN JOHAR HOSTS A BASH IN THE HONOR OF THE MAYOR OF LONDON

Karan Johar recently hosted a bash at Mukesh Ambani’s SoBo residence in honor of the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, who visited India in the 1st Dec, 2017 but this time the filmmaker was accompanied by Akash Ambani & Parliamentarian Milind Deora. The trio hosted the bash. According to a source close to the development reveals, “The party was held on 3rd Dec, 2017 and amongst those who attended the bash were Shah Rukh Khan with wife Gauri Khan, Akshay Kumar with wife Twinkle Khanna, Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan, Sidharth Malhotra, Abhishek Bachchan with wife Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Rishi Kapoor with wife Neetu Kapoor and son Ranbir Kapoor & Ranveer Singh amongst others.

FARHAN AKHTAR STARRER, ‘THE FAKIR OF VENICE’, GETS A GREEN SIGNAL FROM CENTRAL BOARD OF FILM CERTIFICATION (CBFC)

In the past couple of months, getting a film cleared by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has become an uphill task for filmmakers. From Udta Punjab to Haraamkhor, and more recently, Lipstick Under My Burkha & Padmavati, films have faced the brunt of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC)’s scissors. However, the makers of Farhan Akhtar – Annu Kapoor starrer, The Fakir of Venice, were pleasantly surprised when the film was cleared with a U / A certificate. The Fakir of Venice, which was supposed to mark Farhan Akhtar’s acting debut, is based on the story of 2 men who try to con the European art world. Annu Kapoor plays a Muslim who poses as a “Baba” and the makers of the film were worried if that might raise a red flag during the certification of the film. But now that the film is all set to release on 5th Jan, 2018, the producers are planning to release 2 songs from the film soon. Music of The Fakir of Venice has been composed by music maestro A R Rahman, and the film is loosely based on real life experiences of writer Homi Adajania. The film has been directed by adman Anand Surapur, produced by October Films & distributed by Yusuf Shaikh.

DIA MIRZA APPOINTED AS UN ENVIRONMENT GOODWILL AMBASSADOR FOR INDIA
Former Miss Asia Pacific, actor, producer, entrepreneur & environmentalist, Dia Mirza, has been appointed as UN Environment’s Goodwill Ambassador for India. A long – standing supporter of environmental conservation, Dia Mirza will take up the role to add more weight to her work on raising awareness of & seeking solutions to environmental issues that the world, and India in particular, faces. “Environmental issues will be the defining challenge of this era, and I am committed to helping UN as a Goodwill Ambassador to do everything I can to provide a better future. Together, we will continue working towards conservation of nature, tackling climate change & inspiring people to live more sustainably.” Dia Mirza has been the face of many pivotal environmental campaigns across India, and has worked towards the conservation of wildlife. Dia Mirza will work with the United Nations to further spread the message on priority areas including clean air, clean seas, wildlife protection & climate change. Dia Mirza has joined other accomplished & dedicated past & present UN Goodwill Ambassadors, including UN Environment’s Li Binging, Gisele Bündchen & Don Cheadle, and others like Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Angelina Jolie, Katy Perry & Emma Watson.
MANDIRA BEDI LAUNCHES SCIENTIFICALLY DEVELOPED TASTY CHOCO – BITE FORMAT IMMUNITY SUPPLEMENT FOR KIDS

The concern for their child’s health make mothers overprotective and they often put restrictions on their kids and end up saying “NO” without realizing how they perceive it and the impact it has on their personality. It is necessary that instead of saying “No” to kids always; their immunity is strengthened to keep them healthy & strong from within. Therefore, Cipla, the leading pharmaceutical company in India, has developed ActivKids Immuno Boosters, immunity supplement for children in a unique choco – bite format, to address the growing concern of low immunity by providing up to 100% RDA of key immunity nutrients. Mandira Bedi accompanied by her 6 year old son, Vir participated in a panel discussion with 3 experts to discuss about the importance of immunity in children, how to strengthen a child’s immune system and how that can help moms say “Yes” to their kids more often. Mandira Bedi averred , “At one point of time, I too was a worried mother, always conscious about Vir’s every activity, but the social experiment video conducted by ActivKids Immuno Boosters came as a revelation to me. I never realized what impact my frequent “No’s” were having on my child’s developing mind. I took the #YesChallenge & I have made efforts to become#YesMom by trying to avoid saying “No” unnecessarily”.

PATRALEKHAA OVERWHELMED WITH POSITIVE RESPONSE ON HER CHARACTER IN ‘BOSE DEAD / ALIVE
Patralekhaa, who made her mark with Hansal Mehta’s Citylights, is currently getting noticed once again for her role in web series, Bose Dead / Alive. Patralekha is playing the character of Nandini, who idolizes Subhash Chandra Bose’s passion for county’s freedom. Inspite of the limited screen space in the series, she has been receiving lot of praise for her work. She averred, “I am overwhelmed with the response. I have been getting feedback that people want to see me more in the series.”
MTV RETURNS WITH THE 7TH SEASON OF THE ICONIC SHOW ‘MTV UNPLUGGED’

MTV Unplugged Season 7 is the perfect stage to feature India’s musical perfection. Having given the country some of the most magical raw renditions, Royal Stag Barrel Select MTV Unplugged is back with yet another mellifluous season. The musical property will be coming back into full swing on our television screens on Sat 9th Dec, 2017 @ 8 PM on MTV. This season is special in every sense as it brings together the popular musical families of our nation on one platform. Brothers Armaan Malik & Amaal Malik will give tribute to the yesteryear’s music composer and their grandfather Sardar Malik with “Main Rahoon Ya Na Rahoon” song. Bringing together 3 different generation of music will be the singing trio of Mahadevan family; Shankar Mahadevan, Siddharth Mahadevan & Shivam Mahadevan. Viewers will be witnessing legends, Vishal Bhardwaj & Shankar Mahadevan and fan favorites, Armaan Malik & Farhan Akhtar. Audiences will be in for a musical treat as Shankar Mahadevan will be seen performing with his sons Siddharth Mahadevan & Shivam Mahadevan & Vishal Bhardwaj will rekindle magic with his wife, Rekha Bhardwaj. Apart from this, Monali Thakur, Papon, Amaal Malik, Shalmali Kholgade, Amit Mishra, Tushar, Shaswat Singh, Naakash, Nikita Gandhi, Ahen, Akhil Sachdeva, Sunny MR will be delivering stunning acoustic performances.

British theater chain Cineworld has sealed a deal to acquire US based Regal Entertainment Group for $3.6 billion. Finalization of the deal was announced on Tues by Cineworld, which will pay $23 per share of Regal. “The acquisition will create a globally diversified cinema operator across 10 countries and allow Cineworld to access the attractive North American cinema market,” Cineworld told after agreeing on terms with Regal Entertainment for the all cash buyout. Regal Entertainment operates 561 cinemas in 43 states and other US territories, with a total of more than 7,300 screens. The Knoxville, Tenn based company’s major brands are Regal Cinemas, United Artists Theatres & Edwards Theatres.

NEIL CROSS INKS A DEAL WITH FREMANTLEMEDIA

The writer of Idris Elba cop series Luther and upcoming end – of – the – world thriller Hard Sun has signed up with FremantleMedia. Neil Cross will exclusively bring new projects to the production giant & its distribution arm will sell his series internationally. Neil Cross will work closely with Kate Harwood, who runs FremantleMedia label Euston Films, which made Hard Sun & FremantleMedia’s US drama chief Dante Di Loreto. “What we do should be fun, and working with Kate Harwood & Euston Films on Hard Sun has been just about the most enjoyable, as well as the most satisfying, experience of my professional life,” Neil Cross averred.

VISIT FILMS PARTNERS WITH UK NETWORK DISTRIBUTING

The US sales company Visit Films has announced a partnership with leading UK independent distributor Network Distributing, which was sealed at this year’s Ventana Sur market in Buenos Aires. The deal will see Network Distributing picking up the responsibility for the release of Visit Film’s back catalog for physical media formats including DVD, Blu – ray and any other physical formats that may pop up. The deal was negotiated in Buenos Aires this week by Visit Film’s Ryan Kampe & Network Distributing’s Tim Beddows. Visit Films is a New York based, international sales company that specializes in director driven work which premieres at any of the world’s most prestigious film festivals.

UK THE FAR PAVILIONS ALL SET FOR $150 MILLION REMAKE

More than 3 decades after HBO turned it into its 1st ever miniseries, the M. M. Kaye novel “The Far Pavilions” is being re – made for the small screen as an epic UK – India co – production budgeted at £113 million ($150 million). Beautiful Bay Prods., which is run by the Indian based Michael Ward & the British based Colin Burrows, will make the series. It will stretch up to 30 one hour installments, although no broadcast or streaming partner has yet been confirmed. The producers said that the project will feature big name Indian talent & a British & Indian crew. Post -production will be handled out of London by an as – yet – unconfirmed outfit in the English capital. The 1978 novel tells the story of an Englishman brought up as a Hindu during the time of the British Raj.

CHANNEL 5 PICKS UP WILL & GRACE REVIVAL

Channel 5 has picked up the NBC’s revived Will & Grace and will run the new seasons of the super hit US comedy in UK. The Viacom owned broadcaster has a track record of acquiring US shows, recently picking up the latest season of Fox’s rebooted The X Files. The new & the 9th season of Will & Grace, appearing more than a decade after its then final season as part of the NBC’s powerhouse on Thurs night comedy lineup, was given an expanded 16 installment season order by the NBC earlier this year after a strong start in the ratings. The network has since ordered another 13 episodes season of the revival, which reunites the 4 stars of the original series: Debra Messing, Eric McCormack, Karen Mullally & Sean Hayes, all of whom won Emmys for their performances.

SKY SCOOPS 2 CBS SERIES

Sky has scooped UK rights to CBS series Seal Team & Instinct. The pay – TV giant is upping it’s spend on original content and has just unveiled a new slate of homegrown drama, but also has a tradition of playing big – ticket US series on its channels. Seal Team is on CBS in U.S and the network recently gave it a full season order. Focused on an elite Navy Seals unit in training and in the field, it stars David Boreanaz and is faring well in US, averaging 10.3 million viewers in its Wed slot. At the May screenings this year some international buyers questioned whether the military themed shows on offer would perform well internationally.

DISCOVERY NAMES EMEA & UK LEADERS

Discovery has reorganized a large chunk of its international business, with Kasia Kieli stepping up to take over its operations across Europe, Middle East & Africa. The restructuring sees Discovery bring several of its regional businesses together under a single EMEA banner for the 1st time ever, and comes as the company attempts to drive its traditional pay – TV business alongside free – to – air, digital, and direct – to -consumer operations. James Gibbons has been named head of Discovery in UK, the company’s largest single market internationally. Reporting to Kasia Kieli, he also takes charge of its businesses in Australia & New Zealand. Marinella Soldi becomes the company’s EMEA strategy & content chief, as well as continuing to run Southern Europe as managing director.

CANADA CINEFLIX BACKS CONNECT3

Production & distribution firm Cineflix has backed Connect3, a startup production business run by Pablo Salzman, the son of Cineflix co – founder & co – CEO Glen Salzman. Pablo Salzman was previously VP of commercial affairs at Cineflix. He has been at the forefront of Canadian company’s recent efforts to bring formats from Quebec to the international market and will continue in that respect. Connect3, his new Montreal based venture, will seek to connect other independent producers with writers & showrunners and to package their projects for streaming platforms & TV channels. As a Canadian company, Connect3 can access the raft of funds, incentives & treaties that have made the country a co – production hot spot.

FRANCE NETFLIX LAUNCHES ROMANTIC COMEDY SERIES

Rolling off Marseille, Netflix is launching its next French language original series, an as – yet – untitled half hour romantic dramedy set in modern day Paris. The series, based on an original idea by British writer Chris Lang, will be directed by Noemie Saglio. Francois Florentiny’s Paris based banner UnRATED is producing, with Anne Thomopoulos, Florentiny & Lang executive producing. The show will start shooting on locales across Paris early next year. It will mark Netflix’s 2nd French language series to go into production after Marseille which is now in its 2nd season. Penned by Lang, along with Teisseire & Saglio, the 8 episode series follows a group of friends who embark on a misguided attempt to help their perpetually single girlfriend Elsa regain faith in dating & find love. But things take an unexpected turn when they set Elsa up with a seemingly perfect bachelor who happens to be a male escort.

PHARES ET BALISES RAMPS UP TV DRAMA PRODUCTION

Phares et Balises, one of France’s top documentary production banners, is expanding its slate of high profile drama series and moving into feature films. The Paris based company, launched 25 years ago by Jean Labib, has partnered up with Alvaro Longoria of Spain’s Morena Films & Laura Bickford in US to develop the feature film The Man Who Loved Dogs, which Narcos helmer Jose Padilha is attached to direct. The English language project, adapted from Leonardo Padura’s novel, is a multilayered political thriller revolving around the encounter between a struggling Cuban writer & an exiled Spaniard who turns out to be the man who assassinated Leon Trotsky in Mexico City in 1940.

JAPAN
FULL METAL ALCHEMIST OPENS ON TOP

Fumihiro Sori’s Full Metal Alchemist, an action fantasy film based on Hiromu Arakawa’s best selling comic, bowed at #1 for 2nd Dec, 2017 &.3rd Dec, 2017 weekend in Japan. Distributed on 441 screens by Warner Japan, the film earned $3.3 million on 291,000 admissions over 3 days. 2nd place belonged to The Last Shot In The Bar 3, the 3rd entry in a Toei action comedy series about a PI who roams the Susukino entertainment district of Sapporo. Distributed on 334 screens by Toei, the film took $1.3 million on 116,000 admissions. This was slightly down from the 2013 previous series entry and the film is expected to finish around $10 million.

TOEI ANIMATION TEAMS UP WITH MANGA PRODUCTIONS

Japanese animation productions major Toei Animation is teaming up with Saudi Arabia’s Manga Productions to produce animation titles & films to be released in both countries. The new tie – up was unveiled on 16th Nov, 2017. Manga Productions, which is affiliated with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman’s MiSK Foundation, focuses on producing animations and developing video games with creative & positive content targeting different local & international social groups. Bukhari Isam, CEO of Manga Productions, said that his company will do pre – production or prepare designing content to be produced in Japan.

KIYOFUMI NAKAJIMA APPOINTED

Japanese anime powerhouse, Studio Ghilbi has appointed a new president, Kiyofumi Nakajima, who was director of the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka, Tokyo since 2005. He replaces Koji Hoshino, who moves into the chairman spot after serving as Ghilbi president since 2008. As president Kiyofumi Nakajima is in charge of the studio’s business side, including the construction of a projected theme park in Aichi Prefecture in Western Japan. Studio co -founder Toshio Suzuki will continue to serve as head of production, focusing on the new Hayao Miyazaki film now in the works. Titled Kimi – tachi Wa Do Ikiru Ka (literally, How Do You Live?), it officially started production in Oct, 2017 with a completion date set some time in the next 3 or 4 years.

TOKYO DISNEY RESORT SET FOR MAJOR EXPANSION

Oriental Land, which operates the Tokyo Disney Resort complex that includes the Disneyland & DisneySea theme parks, has revealed plans for a massive expansion. Completion is expected in 2023. The company plans to invest nearly $2.7 billion to upgrade & expand facilities & attractions, while planning to double visitor numbers by 2020, the year of the upcoming Tokyo Olympics. With the planned expansion the 100 hectare complex is expected to grow 30%. Oriental Land operates Tokyo Disney Resort under license from Disney. Since its start in 1983 with the opening of Tokyo Disneyland, the theme park, hotel & shopping complex in Chiba Prefecture, has grown to attract nearly 30 million visitors annually.

CHINA
CHINA REASSERTS CYBER SOVEREIGNTY POLICY

Apple’s Tim Cook & Google’s Sundar Pichai was in attendance this weekend at the World Internet Conference in Wuzhen, China. There, they would have heard Chinese President Xi Jinping, in a letter read to delegates, again reassert the doctrine of cyber sovereignty, the idea that each country has the right to govern the Internet how it likes within its own borders. Xi Jinping said that the world should respect that sovereignty, foster a spirit of partnership, advance development, safeguard security, participate in governance, and share the benefits. “Building a community of common future in cyberspace has increasingly become the widespread common understanding of international society,” Xi Jinping told.

COCO DOUBLES SCORE IN 2ND WEEKEND

Pixar’s Coco enjoyed a stirring 2nd weekend at the Chinese Box – Office tuirnstiles. It more than doubled its earnings as it held on to top spot. Unlike its opening weekend, where it had to come from behind, Coco was dominant on every day of its 2nd weekend. And every day represented spectacular improvements. Fri’s $7.74 million take was a 300% improvement on its opening day, according to data from China’s Ent Group. Sat’s $19.2 million was a 171% improvement. Sun’s $16.8 million was a 94% outperformance. They added up to a $43.7 million 2nd weekend, up 147% on its $18 million opening 3 days. That is Disney’s 2nd highest weekend for an animated film in China, after Zootopia. It was also a wide margin ahead of the film’s $26.1 million 2nd weekend in North America. Having come from behind in its opening a week earlier, the film has benefitted from the strong word of mouth all week, despite all the ghosts that could have posed problems with China’s superstition averse censors. Its cumulative in China now stands at $75.4 million, the 3rd highest score in China for either a Disney or a Pixar animated film.

HBO ASIA SETS SLATE OF ORIGINAL SHOWS

HBO Asia, the pan regional unit of pay – TV giant HBO, has unveiled 3 new original shows that will go on air in 2018. It also announced continuations of its Teenage Psychic series, and further 2 instalments in its collection of Chinese language martial arts TV movies. The announcements were made on Thurs, at Singapore’s Fullerton Hotel, just across the bay from the ongoing Asia TV Forum & Singapore Media Festival events. The new shows are Folklore, a 6 part horror anthology that takes place across multiple Asian territories; Grisse, an 8 hour drama series set in the 18th century Dutch East Indies; and Miss Sherlock, an 8 part Japanese language drama series, made as a joint venture with Hulu Japan.

MAGIC MALL UNVEILS LUO BAO BEI

Beijing children’s & family content development company, Magic Mall is showcasing its new animated series Luo Bao Bei at Asia TV Forum in Singapore this week. 9 Story Distribution International is handling global distribution & merchandising rights to Luo Bao Bei, excluding China. The international launch follows its launch on Chinese broadcaster KAKU on 20th Nov, 20-17, and the following day on all leading Chinese digital platforms. The 52 x 11 minute episode series is a Chinese – UK co – production between Magic Mall & Cloth Cat Animation, a Cardiff based studio and the largest animation production company in Wales.

EUROPE
FOX TO LAUNCH NG SERVICE IN EUROPE & AFRICA

Fox Networks Group will launch a National Geographic on demand service in Europe & Africa in the New Year. In his 1st major interview since taking the helm of Fox Networks Group Europe & Africa 3 & a half years ago, Jan Koeppen told Variety about the new National Geographic+ non – linear service and his goal of bringing the box – set, binge – viewing experience to fans of factual programming. Jan Koeppen averred that National Geographic+ has been designed to appeal to the most sought after millennials demographic. The key is to reinvent the on demand experience for factual fans and allow viewers to binge the same way they do with drama.

HBO EUROPE LANDS GUNPOWDER

HBO Europe has loaded up on Gunpowder and will show BBC period series on its networks in the Nordics, Central & Eastern Europe & Spain. The 3 parter is a retelling of 17th century Gunpowder Plot to blow up the British Houses of Parliament. Game of Thrones star Kit Harington plays the lead role of Robert Catesby, a persecuted Catholic who hatched the plan. Harington is a direct descendant of Catesby and helped develop Gunpowder through his production company Thriker Films. It made the show with Kudos, which is part of Endemol Shine Group. Endemol Shine International sells the series & inked HBO Europe deal.

AUSTRALIA
AUSTRALIA TO PROBE GOOGLE & FACEBOOK

The Australian Government said Mon that it would open an inquiry into Facebook & Google and their impact on the media industries. The move was announced by Australian Consumer & Competition Commission. It follows a revamp of media laws in Sept this year. The ACCC said that it would look at “the impact digital search engines, social media platforms and other digital content aggregation platforms are having on competition in media & advertising services markets.” A preliminary report will be published early in Dec, 2018, with a final report due in early Jun, 2019. “The ACCC will look closely at the longer – term trends and the effect of technological change on competition in media & advertising,” Rod Sims, the ACCC chairman, said.

LION SWEEPS AACTA TECHNICAL AWARDS

The Weinstein Company’s Lion completed a clean sweep of technical prizes awarded by Australian Academy of Cinematographic & Television Arts. In the documentary categories, Whiteley emerged with 4 of the 7 prizes on offer. The awards, which range from editing to screenwriting, were presented on Mon at a lunch. The AACTAs in performance categories will be presented at an evening event on Wed. The Academy has in recent days been rocked by unspecified allegations made against leading Australian actor Geoffrey Rush. The star, who won an Oscar for his performance in Australian film Shine, resigned as president of AACTA on Sat. He has denied allegations of improper behavior & sought clarifications of the complaint apparently made while he was engaged with Sydney Theatre Company’s King Lear. Lion, directed by Garth Davis & executive produced by Harvey Weinstein, US executive now surrounded by scandal, won AACTA awards in all & categories it was nominated. Having won in the “Best Adapted Screenplay” category, it was ineligible for “Best Original Screenplay”. That was won by Ali’s Wedding.

GEOFFREY RUSH RESIGNS FROM AUSTRALIAN ACADEMY

Oscar & Golden Globe winning actor Geoffrey Rush resigned on Sat as president of Australian Academy of Cinema & Television Arts. The move follows allegations earlier in the week of inappropriate behavior, and comes just days before the academy hands out its annual awards. One of the world’s best known performers, Geoffrey Rush has credits that include The King’s Speech, Pirates Of The Caribbean & Shakespeare In Love. He won the “Best Actor” Oscar for Shine. The allegations against him emerged Wed when Sydney Theatre Company revealed that it had received a complaint about Geoffrey Rush after he appeared in King Lear there 2 years ago.

GERMANY
BETA FILM BOARDS BRIDGE

Beta Film has boarded international sales for Pagan Peak, a German thriller series created, penned & directed by Cyrill Boss & Philipp Stennert. The 8 hour series is being produced by Wiedemann & Berg for Sky Deutschland, which has earned top ratings with another German crime series, Babylon Berlin. Now shooting, Pagan Peak is all set in icy Alps and follows German detective Ellie Stocker (Julia Jentsch), who has to team up with Austrian counterpart Gedeon Winter (Nicholas Ofczarek) to investigate the murder which was propped up right on the German – Austrian border. Pagan Peak is inspired by Danish – Swedish hit format Broen or Bron from Filmlance International, or The Bridge in English. Filmlance International is a subsidiary of Endemol Shine Group.
ISLE OF DOGS TO OPEN 2018 BERLIN FILM FESTIVAL

The world premiere of Wes Anderson’s animated Isle Of Dogs will open the 2018 Berlin Film Festival, the 1st animated movie to do so in Berlinale history. It will be whimsical auteur Wes Anderson’s 4th film in competition at Berlinale, following The Royal Tenenbaums (2002), The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (2005), & The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014). The Grand Budapest Hotel also opened the Berlin Film Festival and won Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize. “I’m most delighted that Wes Anderson will kick off the Berlinale competition again,” festival director Dieter Kosslick told on Mon. “Isle of Dogs will be the 1st animated film to open the festival.

DEBATE OVER DIETER KOSSLICK’S LEADERSHIP HEATS UP

The Debate over the future direction of the Berlin Film Festival has intensified in Germany, with a slew of high profile industry players throwing their support behind longtime chief Dieter Kosslick in response to a call by dozens of German filmmakers for a new start when his contract expires in 2019. Germany’s Association of Film Distributors, Studio Babelsberg & German Federal Film Board have all expressed support for Dieter Kosslick and praised his leadership of Berlinale and contributions to the industry in what has become an extraordinary public dispute barely 2 months before 2019’s edition of the festival. In an open letter last week, 79 German filmmakers, includin Maren Ade & Fatih Akin, called for “a new start” at the festival and recommended a transparent process in selecting Dieter Kosslick’s successor and examining fundamental changes to the event.

KOREA
SWINDLERS’ REMAINS ON TOP

Showbox’s The Swindlers remained on top of the South Korean Box – Office turnstiles earning $5.13 million from 672,000 admissions between Fri & Sun. The crime thriller has a cumulative total of $21.5 million from 3 million admissions after 2 weekends on release. 3 Wed, 20th Nov, 2017 openers, Forgotten, Murder On The Orient Express & The Chase, landed in 2nd to 4th places. South Korean mystery thriller Forgotten, a Megabox release, earned $4 million admissions between Wed & Sun. Directed by Zhang Hang – Jun, Forgotten sees the story of 2 brothers who experience strange events as they move to a new place. Murder On The Orient Express earned $3.46 million over its opening 5 days. NEW’s The Chase, a thriller featuring 2 characters who hunt down the suspect of a long unsolved crime, earned $1.92 million. Forgotten The Chase will stream on Netflix after their theatrical runs in Korea. Justice League slipped to 5th place, suffering a week – on – week drop of 79%. The Warner Bros. release earned $414,000 between Fri & Sun for a total of $13.2 million after 3 weekends. Re – released on Wed, Gil Junger’s If Only landed 6th. The romance drama earned $397,000.

VINCENT CASSEL JOINS TOP KOREAN CAST

Leading French actor, Vincent Cassel has joined the cast of Sovereign Default, an upcoming Korean made financial drama. The lead roles go to Korean stars Yoo Ah – In & Kim Hye – Soo. The film starts production this month through Zip Cinema. It is all set for a release in Korean theaters by CJ Entertainment late in 2018. Directed by Choi Kyun -Hee, Sovereign Default is set during the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis. All the action takes place during a week when South Korea had to be bailed out by the International Monetary Fund. Yoo plays an investor betting against the country, while Kim represents a senior financial analyst at the Bank of Korea.

SINGAPORE
TAIPAN STRIKES SLATE DEAL

Singapore’s Taipan Films is entering the China market with a $15 million (RMB 100 million) slate deal with Beijing Hua Cheng Media Group. The agreement will see the production of a slate of 5 projects over the next 3 years. The deal was announced at Singapore Asia TV Forum & Market, part of the Singapore Media Festival. The companies will co – fund & co – produce. Hua Cheng will be responsible for China distribution. 1st up will be 2 projects by Singaporean J.D. Chua, who spent several years working on action, stunts & visual effects in Hollywood and was mentored by Michael Mann.

BEACHTV LAUNCHES RAVE WAVE

Singapore based lifestyle channel, BeachTV is collaborating with AOS Collective & 108 Media to produce Rave Wave, a music reality format that searches for the next big disc jockey. The deal was announced at Asia TV Forum in Singapore. The format brings aspiring DJ’s to a beachfront boot camp, where they are trained in music, mixing & dance. Music celebrities make guest appearances to give tips to DJ’s. In each episode, the DJ’s perform live at a beachfront club, and the weakest DJ gets eliminated. The 3 year deal to produce 6 seasons of the series is estimated to be worth US$ 8 million.

2 MOVIES WIN ATF PITCHES

The Western Journey Of Pigsy, from Taiwan’s studio2 Animation Lab, won the inaugural Asia TV Forum Animation Pitch competition. Chiu Li Wei & Grace Chuang from studio2 Animation Lab receive a US$19,000 prize from India’s Green Gold Animation. This includes a US$2,500 cash award, & a consultancy package worth US$16,500 to further develop the animation, making it ready to pitch to broadcasters. “We had a unique concept and we felt that it allows viewers to experience the “Journey to the West story in a contemporary way,” said Chiu Li, director, studio2 Animation Lab. “Moving forward, we will work towards developing the script for the concept.” Indonesia’s Gamaliel Paulus won the ATF Formats Pitch, now in its 2nd year.
JIMAMI TOFU SELLS TO CHINA & TAIWAN

Taiwanese distribution company Movie Cloud has acquired Singapore film Jimami Tofu and will release the film theatrically in Taiwan in 2018. The deal was brokered by the film’s global sales agent, Korea’s Opus Pictures. In addition, a television & Internet distribution deal for China has been finalized with Blue Media Times Beijing. The deals were announced at Asia TV Forum on Thurs. This is the 1st non – Korean feature film to be represented by Opus Pictures, the production firm with involvement in Korean hits Man From Nowhere & Snowpiercer. Jimami Tofu had its world premiere at Hawaii International Film Festival in Nov, 2017 where it won the audience choice award. Written & directed by Jason Chan & Christian Lee, the film is produced by Chan & Lee’s Singapore based outfit BananaMana Films with the support of the Okinawa Film Office.

INDONESIA
LAND OF OPPORTUNITY & CHALLENGES

Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s largest territory, remains a land of opportunity & challenges, a Screen Singapore conference heard. With a population of 261 million, but just 1,117 cinemas, the country is severely under screened. And rural penetration remains a problem. Some 35% of screens are concentrated in Greater Jakarta area. “The time is right to exploit the smaller towns & villages with more screens & lower ticket prices,” said Krishnan Rajagopalan, chief executive of Whacked Out Media & co – founder of streaming service Hooq. Though local film production is abundant, with 120 Indonesian films set to release in 2018, budgets are low, with the majority produced for below $100,000.

SILVER WOLF ANNOUNCES DEALS KAZAKSTAN’S KHABAR

Singapore based television content distribution company, Silver Wolf international has announced a distribution & production partnership with Indonesia’s HJ Productions. HJ specializes in a wide range of genres such as documentaries, dramas, feature films, & music videos. HJ Director Allo Geafary averred, “As a distribution company with a strong international presence, we are certain that by partnering we will be able to reach a more global audience.” Separately, Silver Wolf has been appointed as Asian distributor for drama series produced by Kazakhstan’s Khabar Agency. With content ranging from news & documentaries to dramas, feature films, sports, music & general entertainment programs, Khabar is one of the largest.

Finally it was Curtains Down on the 48th International Film Festival Of India (IffI Goa – 2017) in Goa’s huge Indoor Stadium namely Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherji Indoor Stadium. The Stadium was jampacked with the local Gaon delegates including the National & the International delegates and of course the media. And to top it the official Media PR Agency Raindrop had carted a chosen few media celebrities all the way from Bombay nay Mumbai to Goa for a 2 day trip to Goa to especially attend IffI Goa 2017’s Closing Ceremomy.

The highlights of the Closing Ceremony of IffI Goa – 2017 was the Bollywoodian stars walking down The Red Carpet a la Cannes Film Festival, Atom Egoyan receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award, 120 BEATS PER MINUTE bagging the “Best Movie” award which comprised of the “Golden Peacock Trophy”, Big B being honoured – “The Legend Of Indian Cinema” bagging the “Indian Film Personality Of The Year 2017″ award et al.

Moreover Marathi Film Kshitij – A Horizon” bagged the “ICFT – UNESCO Gandhi Medal”
The 9 day long International Film Festival of India 2017 concluded on 28th Nov, 2017 in a higly colourful closing ceremony held at Goa. The theme of this year’s IFFI was “Connecting The World Through Stories”. And above all varied prestigious awards including Golden Peacock, Silver Peacock, Life Time Achievement Award & Indian Personality Of The Year Award were conferred during the star studded ceremony which was followed by a Dinner party in the especially decorated, with illuminating colourful lights, in the sprawling lawns of the Kala Academy.

French movie 120 Beats Per Minute, directed by Robin Campillo bagged the award for “Best Film” in IFFI 2017. The award came with the Golden Peacock trophy, certificate & a cash prize amount of Rs. 40, 00,000 shared between the Director & the Producer equally. Nahuel Pérez Biscayart, for his role in 120 Beats per Minute bagged the “Best Actor” award, who was conspicuous by his absence but he did sent a recorded message thanking profusely the officials of IffI award, the Chief Minister of Goa Shri Manohar Parrikar in tandem with the Goa Government.

Besides picking up the Silver Peacock 120 Beats Per Minute tells the story of a group of activists in Paris in early 1990’s, taking on the Government agencies & major pharmaceutical companies, battling for HIV /AIDS patients.

The “Best Director” award was given to Vivian Qu for the film Angels Wear White, who bagged the “Silver Peacock Trophy” and cash prize of Rs. 15,00,000. While Parvathy Thiruvothu Kottuvata was awarded the “Best Actress” award for the Malayalam film Take Off, Nahuel Pérez Biscayart won the “Best Actor” award for the film 120 Beats Per Minute. Both received the Silver Peacock Trophy & a cash Prize of Rs 10,00,000 each. Special Jury award, which carries the Silver Peacock Award & a cash prize of Rs. 15,00,000, was awarded to Mahesh Narayanan for his Malayalam movie Take Off. Kiro Russo received the award for “Best Debut Feature Film Of A Director” for his Spanish Movie Dark Skull.

Apart from this Big B, award winning & the most acclaimed actor was honoured with the “Indian Film Personality Of The Year 2017” which comprised of Rs 10 Lakh, a Shawl and a plaque, for his contribution to the Indian Cinema. The 75 year old actor’s glorious career has spanned almost 5 decades, in which he has been decorated with a plethora of National & International honours.

Acclaimed Canadian filmmaker, Atom Egoyan was conferred the “Lifetime Achievement” award at the closing ceremony of the International Film Festival Of India (IFFI Goa 2017). The festival also honoured his work with a special film section that had screened 3 films produced by the 57 year old filmmaker. Atom Egoyan is best known for his films Exotica, The Sweet Hereafter & Chloe. The lifetime achievement award consisting of a cash prize of Rs. 10,00,000 is conferred upon a master filmmaker for his / her outstanding contribution to cinema.

The ICFT – UNESCO Gandhi Medal was awarded to Marathi Movie Kshitij – A Horizon, directed by filmmaker Manouj Kadaamh. This award, instituted by the International Council for Film & Television, Paris & UNESCO is given to a film that portrays the Gandhian values of peace & harmony. The film is set on the life of Vacchi, 12 year old daughter of a sugarcane field labourer, who overcomes varied challenges to pursue her education.

And last but not the least “The Closing Ceremony” of IFFI 2017 was anchored by Karan Johar, Sonali Bendre & Zaira Wasim, of the recently released Secret Superstar, in lieu with ex – Bigg Boss contestant & the most popular RJ & actor Preetam who enlivened the proceedings of the evening.

In conclusion a point to be noted is that eminent Indian film personalities such as Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif, Bhumi Pednekar, Sushant Singh Rajput, Sidharth Malhotra, Huma Qureshi et al graced “The Closing Ceremony”, which also witnessed the scintillating performances from singer & composer Papon, enthralling the audience with his soulful voice & music and actor Sidharth Malhotra paid a glowing tribute to Big B with his dazzling dance performance from Big B’s films like Don, Hum, Yaarana et al.

by FAIZAN RIZWAN & SHAHEEN RAAJ

Bhumi Pednekar has been breaking stereotypes even before the release of her debut film, Dum Laga Ke Haisha, which was highly acclaimed and won her the Filmfare award for “Best Debut Female”. The actress next chose films like Toilet: Ek Prem Katha & Shubh Mangal Savdhan both of which talked about unconventional subjects.

At IFFI2017, the young actress spoke extensively about women and breaking the stereotypes in a candid conversation with movie buffs & her fans, at a special Master – class.

Bhumi expressed, “Being overweight was linked to being depressed for a long time and I was happy that a film like Dum Laga Ke Haisha changed that thinking.” Post Dum Laga Ke Haisha I was offered around 24 scripts but the roles offered weren’t good enough for me to even consider. I waited for the right opportunity and the perfect script. I grabbed films like Toilet: Ek Prem Katha & Shubh Mangal Savdhan because they were important roles written for an actress. I feel myself lucky if I can make a difference to even one life through the films that I do.”

During the Q&A session, Bhumi Pednekar displayed some more views.

To the question of whether she would like to do films that carry a social message, she replied positively and said that as an individual you cannot avoid your responsibilities.

She also added that she loves her country from a very young age and given a chance she would like to do films with social messages in the future too.

To the question of what kind of stereotypes she would like to break in personal life, She responded that she would like to get rid of gender differences; even today, “ghar ka chiraag” is understood by the boy.

Responding to another question, she said, the characters in her film were progressive by thoughts & not by clothes.

The 48th edition of IFFI is being held from the 20th Nov 2017 to 28th Nov 2017, in Panjim, the beach state of Goa.

by FAIZAN RIZWAN & SHAHEEN RAAJ

GOA: The State Film Offices of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Delhi, Rajasthan, Lakshadweep, Telangana, Karnataka & Madhya Pradesh collaborated with the Film Facilitation Offices (FFO) to promote their states as filmmaking locales to national international filmmakers.

The Prasad Digital Intermediate (DI) award 2017 by Prasad Labs were awarded to Ivan Ayr’s Soni (Film Bazaar Recommends 2017) & Ere Gowda’s Kannada film Balekempa (The Bangle Seller).

Facebook Awards 2017 winners are Ivan Ayr’s Soni (Work – In – Progress Lab 2017) & Sandeep Modi’s Chumbak (The Lottery) (Film Bazaar Recommends 2017).

The finale of the Film Bazaar at the International Film Festival of (IFFI) 2017 which was held at the Marriott Goa from 20th Nov, 2017 to 24th Nov, 2017 ended on a high note!!!

The Producers’ Workshop had 15 participants and was focused towards film students this year. The Viewing Room had an astounding 202 films, while Film Bazaar Recommends’ featured 24 films & Industry Screenings saw 28 films. The Viewing Room saw more than 100 people come to watch the films that were selected.

The Prasad Digital Intermediate (DI) awards were given to Ivan Ayr‘s Soni (Film Bazaar Recommends 2017) & Kannada film Balekempa (The Bangle Seller) directed by Ere Gowda (Work – In -Progress Lab 2017). The award was given by Jayprakash Naidu, Executive Director of Prasad Labs.

The Prasad Lab DI award (Film Bazaar Recommends) jury comprised of Paolo Bertolin, Programmer, Venice Film Festival, Sergio Fant, Programmer, Locarno Festival & Laurence Kardish, Artistic Director, Film Columbia Festival.

The Prasad Lab DI award (Work – in – Progress Lab) jury comprised of Marco Mueller, director of Pingyao International Film Festival, producer Philippa Campbell, producer & consultant Olivia Stewart & Film Editor Jacques Comets.

The Facebook Awards were given to Ivan Ayr’s Soni (Work – In – Progress Lab 2017) & Sandeep Modi’s Chumbak (The Lottery) (Film Bazaar Recommends 2017). The winners will be given Facebook ad credits worth 10 thousand dollars that can be used to promote the film.

The rocking star Yash sitting on the success chariot on the verge of completion of another mammoth budget cinema KGF in Ugram fame director Prashanth Neel. Already the posters of KGF creating buzz in the market. Yash is taking on a tough cop role in Raana while his beautiful wife Radhika Pandit is playing lead with Nirup Bhandari in Rockline Venkatesh production in Preetha”s direction. Famous dance director turned director A Harsha has completed Anjaniputhra starring Puneeth Rajakumar and sitting on the script of Raana for presenting rocking star Yash in a cop’s role that has to be different cop from what we have seen in Indian cinema. Yash plays super cop and it is going on the floors only after KGF’s release. Meanwhile KGF is getting ready in 4 languages. The tough role of Yash in KGF is consuming more time & budget.
Bhavana Rao Is Busy With 3 Upcoming Releases

The Gaalipata kirik girl Bhavana Rao an exponent in dance was in a sort of confusion when the super hit film did not give her required status in the cinema industry. She was not in dismay and continued with dance school “I Dollars Colony”. She appeared in small roles in Kannada films namely Bahuparak & Parapancha. All of a sudden this Kannada & Tamil actress has 3 films slated for release one by one. In one week’s time 3 of her films Sathya Harischandra with comedy hero Sharan, Dayavitti Gamanisi with new team & Tiger Galli with Ninasam Satish as hero are all set for release. On 20th Oct, 2017 it is Sathya Harischandra & on 27th Coct, 2017 she has the other 2 releases. Bhavana Rao’s song in Sathya Harischandra is already popular, she has a different role in Dayavitti Gamanisi & in Tiger Galli she is a part of verbal action cinema from director Ravi Srivatsa. Meanwhile her stint in Tamil is not that successful. She was Veni in Kola Kolaya Mundriki, Meea in Vinmeergal, Chandini in Vaana Yuddam.

Sudeep Lauds Prem

The topnotch Kichcha Sudeep in a rare chat with a few media persons on Thurs evening at JW Marriott was in merry mood to take up questions on varied topics. Sudeep was at the launch of Big Boss 5 which he happily accepted and says it is a stress buster for him in the hustle & bustle of cinema activities. On the much hyped, very big budget film in the career of his The Villain with Dr Shivarajakumar, Amy Jackson and et al in the cast, Kichcha Sudeep says, “This film is very special to him. 1stly very caring producer Dr CR Manohar who is making everything score big for this film, 2ndly very passionate director Prem. With many hit films in his career Prem is making everyone feel good all times. He does not shout & knows perfectly to take convincing shots. The recent chase in Bangkok was something I have not come across so far in my career. It is so diligently handled for the film. On the dialogue part with me & Shivanna of over 3 decades year’s experience, it is very strongly worded but it never hurts both of us. We have been very cool throughout. When we find Shivarajakumar on the sets, it is full of energy and The Villain is very special to both of us.” Kichcha in Kitchen – Kichcha Sudeep will be showing another expertise in this Big Boss 5 season. That is his admiration for cooking. The Kichcha special from his specially designed kitchen will be mouth watering, calorie increasing food for the 17 inmates of Big Boss 5. Of course new mindset with 6 common people & 11 celebrities will be new experience for me he admits.

Latest Update On Mohanlal’s Lucifer

Murali Gopi, who is penning the script for Mohanlal’s upcoming film Lucifer recently made an announcement regarding the shooting details of the project. Through his social media live interaction with fans, the actor turned writer confirmed that Lucifer will go on the floors in May, 2018. He also revealed that the movie’s pre – production is currently on in full swing. Talking about his association with Prithviraj, who will be making his directorial debut with Lucifer, Murali said, “Prithviraj is like my brother and I expect our culmination to bring out a wonderful production.” Murali Gopi is currently busy shooting for Dileep starrer Kammarasambhavam. The big budget movie scripted by Murali Gopi is the directorial debut of Rathish Ambat. On the other hand, Mohanlal is gearing up for the release of Villain which has him playing a retired police officer. Villain is slated to be released on 27th Oct, 2017. Meanwhile, Prithviraj is busy with varied projects including – My Story, Ranam, Anjali Menon’s directorial et al.

Manju Warrier Opens Up On Why She Supported Ramaleela

The release of Ramaleela was in the midst of quite a storm with many coming up against the movie as it had Dileep in the lead, while many others welcomed it for the same reason. But what came as a surprise was actor Manju Warrier’s long Facebook post in support of Ramaleela. Now, in an interview, the actor has justified her stance. “Cinema is teamwork and the need for good movies to succeed is essential for the industry… I had supported Rameleela with genuine intentions,” is Manju Warrier’s explanation in the interview. Ramaleela has set the cash registers ringing on the Box – Office turnstiles in a big way and is regarded as a blockbuster at the Box – office turnstiles blockbuster.

Nivin Pauly To Play Legendary Dramaturge N N Pillai!!!

Nivin Pauly has announced an exciting new project on his birthday, a biopic on legendary dramaturge N N Pillai. The film, which will roll out next year is being directed by Rajeev Ravi & produced by E4 Entertainment. The film is a biopic based on the life of the greatest drama artist, legendary humanist & actor N N Pillai who had an event full life as a young soldier, freedom fighter alongside Nethaji in INA and as the greatest Dramaturge Kerala has ever seen… the story spans across continents and will reflect the history of Kerala & the role of Keralites in INA. N N Pillai is well known for his plays like Easwaran Arrestil, Kaapalika, Prethalokam, Gorilla et al. He is best known for his character Anjooraan in the blockbuster Malayalam hit Godfather. Actor Vijayaraghavan is the son of N N Piilai.

Dileep Is Back With A Bang!!!

Ramaleela, the recently released Dileep movie, has already emerged as one of the biggest Box – Office turnstiles success of the season. As per the latest reports from the Box – Office turnstiles analysts, Ramaleela is continuing its dream run at the Kerala Box – Office turnstiles and is on its way to enter the 50 Crore club, the highest grosser in Dileep’s entire acting career. The Box – Office turnstiles collections have exceeded expectations, leading the theatres to increase the number of shows at many places including Cochin, Thrissur, Trivandrum & Calicut. According to trade analysts, the movie is doing good business outside the state as well. Though the official figures are yet to be revealed, undoubtedly, Ramaleela looks like the biggest ever film of recent times. The political thriller which marked the directorial debut of Arun Gopy is bankrolled by the Pulimurugan maker, Tomichan Mulakuppadam under his home banner Mulakuppadam Films. Ramaleela features Dileep & Prayaga Martin in the lead roles along with Mukesh, Salim Kumar, Siddique, Vijayaraghavan, Suresh Krishna, Renji Panicker & Kalabhavan Shajon in pivotal characters.

Meghana Raj To Enter Wedlock!!!

Meghana Raj is all set to enter wedlock soon. The lovely actress is reportedly getting engaged to Kannada actor Chiranjeevi Sarja in the 3rd week of Oct, 2017 while their marriage will take place in Dec, 2017. The 2 have worked together in the movie Aatagara and have been dating each other from quite a time and always denied about the togetherness when asked by the media. It is reported that their engagement is likely to be held at Chiranjeevi Sarja’s residence with friends & family attending. Talking to a daily, Chiranjeevi Sarja said he would reveal all the details on soon. Meghana Raj has acted in several Malayalam movies such as Memories, Red Wine, Namukku Parkkan, Mullamottum Munthiricharum et al. In Malayalam, Meghana was last seen in Hallelooya. The gorgeous has acted in 3 projects gearing up to release – Zebra Varakal, 100 Degree Celsius Sequel & London Dreams.

Resul Pookutty Turns Actor!

Oscar award winning sound designer Resul Pookutty will now make his acting debut in a film which will be capturing a popular annual festival – Thrissur Pooram in Kerala. In the upcoming tri – lingual movie which will be made in Malayalam, Telugu & Hindi will feature Resul Pookutty as himself a sound designer, who comes to Thrissur to cover varied sounds at the festival. Titled The Sound Story, the upcoming venture will be directed by Prasad Prabhakar. As the movie has lots of prominence given to the sound of the festival, the team had used over 16 to 22 cameras & multiple microphones that can capture the festival to the fullest. According to the movie’s director Prasad, there were 150 members working on the project. The movie has 164 tracks and 2 songs composed by Rahul Raj & lyrics are by Vairamuthu.

Vijay Devarakonda Going Places

Post the biggest blockbuster hits of the season Pellichoopulu & Arjun Reddy, young star Vijay Devarakonda has become the most sought after actor in India. Backed by these unprecedented successes & incredible performances, Vijay Devarakonda is now going places as film makers across India are sending him the feelers. The Gen X star has not only signed a bunch of films in Telugu with major production houses like UV, GA, Mythri, Vyjayanthi but there is also an exciting line up from Kollywood & Bollywood too. Mani Ratnam and Vijay Devarakonda besides Gautham Menon and Vijay Devarakonda will be collaborating soon. They are discussing on the scripts and can find a way forward soon. On the other hand Yash Raj Films has reportedly asked Vijay Devarakonda & Sandeep Reddy Vanga to remake Arjun Reddy in Hindi and a three film contract is in the final signing stage. Even, director Bejoy Nambiar of Mr. Bachan fame arranged a special screening of his latest film Solo starring Dulquer Salmaan for a possible remake with Vijay Devarakonda. That apart Ram Gopal Verma (RGV) too has already pitched a script for Vijay Devarakonda and they were seen frequently catching up in Mumbai.

Dhruva Sarja Rs. 6 Crores Remuneration

The young action prince with hat trick crown Dhruva Sarja is in the news again, this time on the remuneration aspect. It was recently reported that the remuneration of Dhruva Sarja after Bharjari’s success is Rs. 6 crores. He has three consecutive wins earning more than Rs. 100 crores. Dhruva Sarja did not complaint on it but took it positively in his professional life. He avers, “For me this rumor spread is advantage and now I would feel why not reach to that remuneration” he explained discussing on the remuneration aspect. Apparently the film Bharjari is now a Rs. 50 crores club cinema in a span of 50 days and is another major booster in the career of Dhruva Sarja. It adds to his intention of reaching Rs. 6 crores remunerations, in fact Dhruva Sarja admits that his remuneration is not even half of the budget of the film Bharjari. “I am at the reach of this rumor yet for me the story, the team & the budget of the movie is more important” avers Dhruva Sarja.

Six Million Followers For Dhanush

Dhanush hits 6 million followers on Twitter and it’s indeed a grand welcome for the first ever look poster of his Hollywood film The Extraordinary Journey OfThe Fakir. Touted to be a comedy action adventure, the film is an adaptation of the best selling Romain Puértolas’ novella “The Extraordinary Journey Of The Fakir Who Got Trapped In An Ikea Wardrobe”, which has been translated into 35 languages. Directed by Ken Scott, The Extraordinary Journey Of The Fakir also has Barkhad Abdi of Captain Phillips fame, Berenice Bejo, Abel Jafri & Erin Moriarty. The film is doing extraordinary pre – release business in varied markets across the globe and Sony Pictures is said to be the front runner for the key territories. The film is all about a timing youngster, who decides to go on a voyage to find his dad.

Darshan Award Controversy Clarified

The trio of Manjunath Karma, Sujith & Kiran Baratur from United Kingdom Karnataka Chamber, arrived to Bengaluru to clarify the doubt & the prestige of the unit they have started to promote Kannada culture & heritage. The rumor in the air that Darshan was given an award was not proportionate to the Global Diversity Award made the trio from UK to reach Bengaluru & clarify on the honor done to the challenging star Darshan. The Global Diversity award is constituted by British Parliament member Veerendra Sharma & Karnataka Business Chamber proposed the name of the challenging star Darshan as Manjunath Karma a hotelier in UK is a long time friend. On assessing Darshan’s image it was Veerendra Sharma in his individual capacity who arranged for the honor inside the House of Commons. There is no doubt about it avers Manjunath Karma. On the level of the award he says that the Global Diversity award is set up by Keith Waz a British Parliament member. As Veerendra Sharma who represents Punjab discussed with the Karnataka Business of Chamber the similar kind of award with new title was applied for registration. That is none other than “Global Integrity Award”. The first ever presentation of this award was bestowed on Darshan from South India. The patent for this is at the process of finalization but after the approval letter to go ahead, this award was given to Kannada actor Darshan. There was a binding that nothing should be disclosed till the award’s evening is completed. The D page has not created any confusion. We wanted to reach Bengaluru and give further details stated Manager to Darshan Mallikarjun. Any Kannadiga getting this honor is a pride moment felt the four sitting on the dais.

Vishal Contributes Rs 10 Lakhs For Harvard Tamil Chair

Vishal has donated RS 10 lakhs to create a Sangam Tamil chair at the reputed Harvard University. Already, Suriya, Kamal Haasan & GV Prakash have voiced out for this noble cause initiated by cardiologist Vijay Janakiraman & oncologist S. T. Sambandam, US based Tamil enthusiasts. The Tamil Nadu Government has also announced RS 10 crores to establish the Tamil chair at the university and Tamil people across the globe are also contributing to this attempt because still, they need 23 crores to achieve the 40 crores target. In his statement, Vishal averred, “Languages like Ukrainian & Celtic are spoken only by three crores and 1.5 crores of people across the globe but they have chairs at the Harvard University. Tamil, one of the oldest languages in the world, which is being spoken by more than 8 crores of people should also have a chair at the Harvard University.”

Rs 2 Lakhs Robbery At Chiru’s House

A complaint has been lodged against one of the workers in megastar Chiranjeevi’s house named Chinnayya. The culprit is said to have robbed Rs 2 lakhs. While no one doubts the robbery per se, there are doubts about the money involved. Also instead of dealing with Chinnayya in their own style, reporting him in the police station surprised one and all. Rupees 2 lakhs is a big amount, but for someone like Chiranjeevi, it is peanuts, so why then did they complaint against Chinnayya is the big question. In the past, when NTR Sr was in power, money stored in film cans kept vanishing. At the time, a person was arrested. However, later, nothing came out about the matter. This time too, the servant could have been beaten up or sent away, but Chiru’s family chose to put him in jail. One version is to do what they want to do with him, a police complaint is necessary and a complaint has been lodged to this end. There have been instances where film people are taken and ransom is demanded, there are also stories of forcing them to write their properties on their name. Besides it is also rumored that a bigger amount and a bigger story is involved in this matter too.

Gautham Menon Plans To Release Dhruva Natchathiram As A Three Part Franchise

Director Gautham Menon is currently busy with Chiyaan Vikram’s spy action thriller Dhruva Natchathiram and the director’s long delayed Enai Noki Paayum Thotta with Dhanush also has 15 days shoot left. Both Dhruva Natchathiram and Enai Nokki Paayum Thotta will be releasing within three weeks gap. Gautham Menon is also said to be planning to release Dhruva Natchathiram as a three part franchise. After completing these two films, Gautham Menon is also planning for a multi – starrer film with four leading actors from Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam & Kannada. Anushka Shetty & Puneeth Rajkumar will also be seen playing a pivotal role in the multi – starrer film. Meanwhile, Gautham Menon is also likely to direct Arun Vijay’s twenty fifth film for which the actor recently went to Paris to physically train himself. But it’s unclear whether Arun Vijay’s twenty fifth film and the multi – starrer are the same film or different projects.

Anupama Parameshwaran Gets It Right

The luckiest heroine in Tollywood seems to be Anupama Parameshwaran. As she is getting everything right in her stint in Telugu film industry. Her decision to dub the dialogues in Telugu has also paid off. Not many know that she has dubbed her voice in the recently released movie Vunnadhi Okate Zindagi. One must say that her Telugu diction & her dialogue delivery are pitch perfect. She is being appreciated by all. Anupama Parmeshwaran who hails from Kerala is just four films old in Telugu Cinema. Yet, she has mastered the Telugu language. She has now decided not to use a dubbing artiste for Telugu dialogues hence forth. She will be dubbing her voice in all the forthcoming movies. Anupama Parmeshwaran has tasted hits with A Aa, Premam & Shatamanam Bhavati. Although Vunnadhi Okate Zindagi didn’t receive encouraging reviews, she won the accolades even from the hardcore critics.

Amala Paul Lands Herself In Trouble

It has become a practice for affluent people to buy luxury cars and register it in Pondicherry or any other union territories to evade huge tax. But when you are a celebrity and under public eye, there is no escape from the Income Tax department’s radar. Amala Paul had recently purchased a Mercedes S Class, which is worth more than Rs 1. 20 cr. To pay a lesser tax, Amala Paul under the advice of people close to her, registered it in the name of an engineering student from Pondicherry and the poor guy has no clue about it. After registering the car in Pondicherry, Amala Paul evaded nearly 20 lakhs tax and drove down to Kochi and started flaunting it. If someone has a car registered in another state but plying in Kerala for more than one year, they have to change the registration number and pay 20% of the total value of the car as tax to the local Government. Amala Paul is yet to react on this allegations spreading about this in the varied media houses.

Athulya Ravi Apologizes

Athulya Ravi is a popular name on Facebook and Twitter. Athulya Ravi had made her debut with Kaadhal Kan Kattuthe, which wasn’t a big hit at the Box – Office turnstiles but the reviews highlighted the performance of the actress and she enjoys a good fan following for her homely appearance in the film. But the teaser of Athulya Ravi’s upcoming film Yemali has shocked her fans beyond imagination, as they didn’t expect the actress to opt for such extreme glamour and smoking scenes in her second outing. Athulya Ravi has now reacted on her social networking page and profusely apologized to all her fans for her role in the film. Athulya Ravi avers that the scenes shown in the teaser will not be featured in the film but it sounds ridiculous because no director would accept to chop off the scenes which are getting good mileage on YouTube. The actress also thanked a few people for supporting her by sending positive vibes and Athulya Ravi finally avers that she only tried to justify her character in the film.

Anu Emanuel Wants To Settle Down

Some heroines come to Telugu film industry from other film industries and settle here and some heroines get their break in Telugu film industry and later take off to other film industries. Anu Emanuel belongs to the first category. She says that Telugu films are her first ever priority. She also acted in Tamil film industry. But if things work out, Anu Emanuel avers that she plans to maker her money in Tollywood. “I will remain in Tollywood. I hope to get good offers. Right now, I have a car & a flat. But I want to buy a bigger flat. I am getting more offers here. So, I will settle down in Tollywood,” avers Anu Emanuel. On her Tamil film debut, Anu Emanuel avers that she did it for the high remuneration offered. However, Anu Emanuel quickly adds that she will not repeat the mistake. Right now, her Tamil film Tupaarivaalan is being released as Detective in Telugu.

Double Shock For Lavanya Tripathi

Lavanya Tripathi got a rude shock from the makers of 100% Kadhal, a remake of Telugu hit 100% Love. Recently Lavanya Tripathi has been replaced by Arjun Reddy fame Shalini Pandey in this Tamil film. The reasons for replacing Lavanya Tripathi with Shalini Pandey are unknown. However, the producers of 100% Kadhal have lodged a complaint against Lavanya Tripathi for not being available for them despite making an agreement. They have reportedly stated that they lost so much money because of Lavanya Tripathi’s exit and are demanding for a compensation of Rs. 3 crores. Lavanya Tripathi who has been receiving a lot of flak for her underwhelming performance in the recently released Vunnadi Okate Zindagi got another jolt because of this dispute. Anupama Parameswaran totally outclassed Lavanya Tripathi in Vunnadhi Okate Zindagi (VOZ) in each & every aspect. She has pinned a lot of hopes on the film to give her an image makeover, but she turned out to be one of the weakest links in the film. Now she is into a legal soup even before she has recovered from the Vunnadhi Okate Zindagi (VOZ) mishap.

Samantha Ruth Prabhu Feels That Her Husband Is Hot

It has been almost a month that Naga Chaitanya & Samantha Ruth Prabhu got married. And there is no denying the fact that the lovey dovey couple are still in the honeymoon mode. Apparently, to celebrate the first ever month of their wedding, Naga Chaitanya gave a special party for his wife Samantha Ruth Prabhu. And it was she who disclosed this to the whole world after calling her husband hot. Well, it was at no fancy place, but Naga Chaitanya actually cooked Samantha Ruth Prabhu’s favourite dishes for her. Apparently, he made truffle pasta for her. And last week, Samantha Ruth Prabhu had turned chef and cooked fish for Chai. Well, these sweet nothings continue to keep them in the news and make the couple drool – worthy giving all couples relationship goals. However, there is still no word about the reception. Though there was a reception recently in Chennai, it was restricted to the Daggubati family. So, it remains to be seen if Naga Chaitanya throws the much talked about reception for the politicians and the Southern filmland biggies.

Sayyeshaa On Board For Karthi And Pandiraj’s Next Movie

Sayyeshaa Saigal of Vanamagan fame has been roped in to play the prominent female lead in actor Karthi’s next with director Pandiraj. To be produced by Suriya’s 2D Entertainment, the film will also have two more heroines. Sayyeshaa Saigal is currently busy with the shoot of Vijay Sethupathi’s comedy action film Junga in Paris and she is expected to join the sets of Karthi & Pandiraj’s film by the end of this month. Imman is likely to compose the music for thios Karthi and Pandiraj’s film but the rest of the cast and the crew will be confirmed soon. Once Karthi completes the promotions of Theeran Adhigaaram Ondru, he will start shooting for this as yet untitled film in full swing.

Nivin Pauly & director Rosshan Andrrews are teaming up for the 2nd time. Reportedly, the upcoming movie is a survival thriller based on true events. Scripted by Unni R, the movie will be shot extensively at sea. “We had discussed the subject some time ago. However, nothing is confirmed yet. We are yet to discuss further,” said Unni R in an interview to a popular newspaper. Rosshan Andrrews & Nivin Pauly is currently busy shooting for Kayamkulam Kochunni.

Mohanlal’s Most Awaited Project Dropped?

A day after director Priyadarshan announced that he will be doing an epic film on the 16th century naval chieftain Kunjali Marakkar with Mohanlal in the lead role, Cinematographer Santosh Sivan officially confirmed about his upcoming Mammootty starrer Kunjali Marakkar IV, by unveiling its 1st look poster. Now the latest update is Priyadarshan would be dropping the Mohanlal project. Apparently, the director had quoted saying that he feels there is no need for 2 movies about Kunjali Marakkar in Malayalam Cinema. The director is yet to officially open up on the same.

Dileep’s Ramaleela Enters 55 Crore Club

Ramaleela, the recently released Dileep movie, has already emerged as one of the biggest Box – Office turnstiles success of the season. As per the latest update, Ramaleela is continuing its dream run at the Kerala Box – Office turnstile and has reached the 55 Crore club, the highest grosser in Dileep’s entire acting career. The makers of the film have also come up with a new poster of the film announcing the same. “A time for gratitude & more gratitude… With utmost satisfaction & delight we announce that Ramaleela overcoming every obstacle & hurdle has entered the “55 Crore Club”. I thank God Almighty for giving me the opportunity & ability to carry out this venture. Thanks to all of you who have contributed to our success. Sincere thanks to Tomichayan, Dileepettan, Sachiettan & Noble. This would never have happened without you. Owe this success especially to Dileepettan. Thank you….,” wrote Arun Gopy, the director of the movie. Ramaleela, which is nearing its 50 days of run in the theatres, is bankrolled by the Pulimurugan maker, Tomichan Mulakuppadam under his home banner Mulakuppadam Films. Ramaleela was released on 28th Sept, 2017 and it features Dileep & Prayaga Martin in the lead roles along with Mukesh, Salim Kumar, Siddique, Vijayaraghavan, Suresh Krishna, Renji Panicker & Kalabhavan Shajohn in pivotal characters. With Ramaleela crossing the 50 Crore mark, Dileep has now 2 movies in the 50 Crore club. The actor’s 2015 release Two Countries, directed by Shafi was the 1st ever film to join the club.

Shruti Menon Gets Hitched

Actress & anchor Shruti Menon of Kismath fame got married to a Mumbai based businessman Sahil Timpadia. A video of the couple’s marriage function has surfaced online and audiences are already going gaga over the lovely pair. The couple had been dating for quite a long time and it’s in Mar, this year that they got engaged in Kashmir. Apart from anchoring popular TV shows such as Comedy Stars, Shruti Menon has acted in several films such as Mulla, Apoorva Ragam, Kadha Thudarunnu, Electra and many others. Her role in the critically acclaimed movie Kismath is a notable one.

Mammootty’s New Movie Title Welcomes Trolls!!!

Megastar Mammootty has signed a new project with yet another young director Khalid Rahman, who has already made a mark in Malayalam Cinema with his debut movie Anuraga Karikkin Vellam. According to the reports that have come in, this upcoming Mammootty starrer has been titled Unda. The quirky title has already created curiosity amongst the social media users. While one section of the audiences is celebrating the news, trollers are having a gala time making fun of the title in every possible way. Popular filmmaker Anwar Rasheed will be producing this Mammootty starrer under his own banner Anwar Rasheed Entertainment. An official word from the team is awaited though. Meanwhile, Mammootty is waiting for the release of Ajai Vasudev’s directorial Masterpiece, Shamdat’s Streetlights & Ram’s Tamil – Malayalam bilingual Peranbu.

Prithviraj’s Upcoming Movie To Be Made On A Big Canvas

Prithviraj has just completed the shooting of Vimaanam directed by Pradeep M Nair. As the movie is gearing up for a release next month, Prithviraj took to his Facebook handle to announce his 2nd project with the Vimanam director. Titled Meter Gauge 1904 the movie will explore the 1st ever meter gauge railway service of the erstwhile state of Travancore and will see Prithviraj essay the role of an engineer who was involved in the project’s implementation. The movie is a historic fiction and will have fictional characters as well as those who existed in real life. Meter Gauge 1904 will be made on a big canvas and have a man vs wild feel to it. “It’s a dream that Pradeep & I share. And as always..we are dreaming big. Don’t ask me when..coz there are humongous amounts of research & prep that something like this demands..and definitely don’t ask me how much..coz the last thing we want this film to be known by..is it’s budget,” wrote Prithviraj. Apart from this, Prithviraj has Detroit Crossing, Ranam & My Story that are in the final stages of production along with Anjali Menon’s ucpoming directorial movie.