Producer: Uday Pictures
Director: Prashant Patil
Star Cast: Siddharth Chandekar, Manwa Naik, Paula MacGleen, Prasad Pandit, Sanjay Kulkarni, Madhav Abhyankar, Farida Dadi,
Shubhangi Latkar, Pradeep Patwardhan, Vanita Shinde, Sanjay Gagnani. Milind Dastane & Priyanka Tataria

Devkar (Siddharth Chandekar) is a documentary film maker in Channel 6 in London and his colleague & intimate friend Roohi (Manwa Naik) is a cinematographer in the same channel. They both come to India on an assignment. Besides Ashutosh also has to do a pinddaan (Post Death Rituals) for his grandmother. One day on the river bank Manas Ganga he meets a British girl Anna (Paula McGleen), they keep meeting and gradually Ashutosh falls deeply in love with Anna.

Prashant Patil with his excellent directorial skill has succeeded in maintaining a firm grip on this mystic love story bordering somewhat on super natural element. Performance wise Siddharth Chandekar is superb. Manwa Naik is good, but she hardly has anything much to do. On the other hand Paula McGleen has done justice to her role. The supporting cast is also adequate.

The title Pinddaan itself is totally misleading and irrelevant for a serene & mystic love story like Pinddaan. Another hindrance is the overdose of English dialogues especially between Siddharth & Manwa.

Marathi Cinema is coming of age by making use of foreign locales and bold love making scene which may not go down well in the interiors.

With his Film & Media Arts institute Whistling Woods International (WWI) entering its 10th year, and having had the success of it being rated as one of the 10 best film schools in the world, Founder & Chairman Subhash Ghai is delighted to announce a scholarship for meritorious yet indigent students in the name of Padmashri awardee Lata Mangeshkar ji.

The LATA MANGESHKAR SCHOLRSHIP will carry a 100% fee waiver for a 2-year / 3-year programme at Whistling Woods International.

Subhash Ghai and Meghna Ghai-Puri, President of Whistling Woods, accompanied by a few students, met Lata ji at her residence yesterday. The purpose was to invite her to receive the ‘2016 Whistling Woods Maestro Award’ for her legendary contribution to Indian Cinema, at its 9th Convocation on July 18, 2016. She gracefully accepted the invitation, and had all praise for the vision of Subhash Ghai & Mukta Arts in setting up of Whistling Woods International in 2001, as an institute of global standards in the education of the art, commerce and science of Cinema. As she said in her video message that she recorded for the institute, “I am honoured to receive such a prestigious award from a world-class institute like Whistling Woods International and I bless them for a great future.”

During this meeting, Lata ji also happily accepted a proposal from Meghna to institute an annual scholarship at WWI in her name. Lata ji said “I am deeply touched by this great gesture of Subhash ji, Meghna and their team. It’s an honour for me.”

Subhash Ghai added “It is our great honour to have Lata ji’s acceptance for our attempt to inspire the next generation of Indian filmmakers. This scholarship in the name of India’s pride and an institution for us all, Lata ji, will continue to benefit students for decades to come.”

Subhash Ghai also revealed that while WWI does provide scholarships to meritorious yet indigent students every year, this is the 2nd special 100% scholarship instituted in the name of a legend of Indian Cinema. Three years ago, Whistling Woods International had announced the DILIP KUMAR SCHOLARSHIP and over the past 3 years, three students have availed of this scholarship (2014 – Amit Hegde, 2015 – Rohit Valecha & 2016 – Amol Srivastava).

Whistling Woods International, currently has over 700 students in several schools (Filmmaking, Acting, Animation, Music, Media & Communication and Fashion & Design) at its Filmcity campus. WWI has collaborated with TISS for its degree courses and is privileged to host a YouTube Space, a Sony Media Lab & RedEducation, within its campus.

Director: Bhavin Wadia
Star Cast: Om Puri, Seema Biswas & Dalip Tahil

Bhavin Wadia in his latest offering namely Project Marathawada has dealt with a very sensitive topic of farmer’s suicide which is still prevalent in certain pockets of Maharashtra. All kudos to the producers who have backed such a topical & meaningful cinema.

The scripted scenario of Project Marathawada opens with a poor peasant Tukaram’s (Om Puri) son committing a suicide leaving the family shattered. The old man struggles to get justice as everyone turns a deaf ear to his pleas. That’s when he takes the drastic decision of ending his own life, but not before he makes his voice heard.

Director Bhavin Wadia takes up this noble cause as its theme in Project Marathawada but scratches only the surface. he makes the issue look shockingly uni – dimensional. The story lacks depth and banks solely on the prowess of the film’s accomplished cast.

All the veteran actors like Om Puri, Seema Biswas, Dalip Tahil et al are more than perfect in their job of salvaging the situation. The film’s supporting cast too has performed very well.

Tail Piece: Project Maratha may perform well in the interiors but will definitely need a strong word of mouth to run all over.

To be a Sultan, all you need to do is download the game on Google Play here: http://bit.ly/prsultan

High quality visual effects, sleek controls, action – centric game play, exclusive combat experience, all this and more in Sultan: The Game! Developed by 99Games in collaboration with Yash Raj Films (YRF), Sultan: The Game will be available on Google Play from today and will shortly be available on other stores.

“The release of Sultan: The Game has further cemented our relationship with Yash Raj Films. We’ve attempted to do something different this time with Sultan: The Game. We’ve opened up pre – registrations for the game and have seen a tremendous response so far.” said Rohith Bhat, CEO, 99Games. He added, “Sultan: The Game by itself will not disappoint consumers and will put their nimble fingers to test.”

Manan Mehta, Vice – President of Marketing & Merchandise at Yash Raj Films, said “At YRF, we are very particular when it comes to our partnerships and firmly believe that film – themed games are not just another avenue to market our film. We treat games as a massive opportunity to engage with cinema goers as well as widen our audience base. In 99Games, we found a strategic partner who understands this ideology and can bring their expertise to the table. Sultan: The Game is one of the best developed film -themed games to have come out and will allow the audience to step into the shoes of the titular character.”

99Games is India’s leading Developer & Publisher of games of international standards for Global & Indian consumers. It takes pride in creating India’s most successfully monetized game “Star Chef” and India’s most downloaded game “Dhoom: 3 The Game’. 99Games has published over 17 game titles since launch in 2009 and has clocked in 31 Million downloads globally till date. It has a unique growth strategy of addressing the Global & Indian market. With a highly experienced & stable management team working collaboratively for over 5 years, 99Games is considered as thought leaders in the Indian gaming industry. 99Games has raised $5MM to date from quality institutional investors – Kalaari Capital & Ascent Capital. More details at http://www.99games.in

“Wrestling is not a sport, it’s about fighting what lies within.” – Sultan

Sultan is a sports drama which is all about getting up and fighting life inside & outside the ring. It’s a journey of a wrestler and his love story.

Produced by Aditya Chopra & written & directed by Ali Abbas Zafar, SULTAN releases this Eid 2016.

Beta Hoke Ta Aishan DI In Progress

Swastik Interior & Aar Ke Aar Films Music Presents Beta Hoke Ta Aishan DI in progress in Mumbai studios. The credits of the film are written & produced by Ravindra Kumar Ravi, music & directed by Chandrama Chandrasahi, co – produced by Vishawkarma Prashad. lyrics by Ravindra kumar, Nandu
Parwana, cinematography by Shreekant Ashati & Ram Tiwari, editing by Gurjant Singh, action by Nishant Pathan & choreography by Shailesh Kohli & Premanshu Yadav. It stars Kuldeep Kumar, Versha Ritu, Sanjay Panday, Umesh Singh Avinash et al.

Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahi Editing In Progress

The editing progress of Balaji Films Entertainment Presents Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahi in a mumbai studio this week. The credits of the film are produced by Vijay Pandit, directed by Ajay kumar Jhaa, written by Arvind Tiwari, co – produced by Mahesh Upadhay, music by Om jhaa & lyrics by Pyarelal Yadav & Arvind Tiwari. It stars Rakesh mishra, Viraj Bhatt, Sanjay Panday, Anjana Singh, Tanushree, Aayaz Khan, Samarth Chaturvedi, Prem Dubey, Sanjay Verma et al.

Daku Ramkishan Background Music Complete

The background music of Y R S Films’ Daku Ramkishan has been completed recently at Nakul’s P N P Studio. The credits of the film are produced by Ramkishan, directed by A. Dhirendra from his own screenplay, dialogues by Ramkishan, Dhirendra, Jeetu & Dhananjay, music by Ganesh Pandey, lyrics by Narendrajeet & Shankar, choreography by Dinesh Balraj, action by Aslam Khan & Dheeraj Chaudhary, editing by Awadh Narayan Singh, art by Ram Babu & cinematography by Ramesh Nath. It stars, Ramkishan, Palak Tiwari, Mukesh Sharma, Virendra Kumar, Aysha Shaikh, Drishti Verma, Rinky, Harinder, V. K. Upadhyay, Gorakh Yadav, Suraj Premi, Geeta Bharti, Murlidhar Sharma, Deva, Mahakal, Ajay Panchal, Rinky Singh & Jeetu Jaiswal.

Jaan Hamaar Editing Complete

The editing of Koyal Films’ Jaan Hamaar has been completed recently, under the supervision of editor Susmit Mondal. The credits of the film are produced & directed by Kashinath Jaiswal, written & lyrics by Mritunjay Shrivastav, music by Raja Bhattacharya, cinematography by Shahbaaz Khan “Pappu” & creative director is Paras N. Singh. It stars Shahbaz Khan, Kalpana Shah, Ali Khan, Anand Mohan, Poonam Verma, Vandana Singh, Seema Singh & debutant Prem Singh.

Hitler Dubbing Complete

The dubbing of A. K. Creation’s Hitler has been completed recently at Shakuntalam Studio. The credits of the film are produced by Mohammad Nasim, directed by Santram, story – screenplay – dialgoues by Nanhe Pandey, Som Bhushan & Santram, lyrics by S. Kumar, Santram & Tasavur Ali, music by S. Kumar, action by Shahabuddin, editing by Kamal Sahgal, cinematography by Ram Sharan & choreography by Santosh Sarvadarshi & Bhoopi. It stars Viraj Bhatt, Monalisa, Sanjay Pandey, Manoj Tiger, Murlidhar, Bhoomika, Sanjay Verma, Tanveer Shaikh, Pooja, Anara Gupta, Janardan Rajbhar, Rinki Shukla, Dipti, Ashok, Jayraj Singh, Javed Rehman, Aman Samani & Mohammed Nasim.

Jitab Ham Pyar Ke Bazi Post Production Complete

The post production work of Laxmi Entertainment Production & Rudraksh Films Presents Jitab Ham Pyar Ke Bazi has been completed this week. The credits of the film are produced by Sitaram Chaurasiya & Nilesh Sakhiya, directed by Pradip. R. Sharma, lyrics & music by Ashok Sinha, cinematography by Hemant. K. Asthana & action by Hira Yadav. It stars Anand Dev Mishra, Archna Singh, Abhilasha, Vinay Shrivastav, Ritu Panday, Sanjay Varma, Jitendra Shukla, Ravin Raj, Sanjna Silk, Ross Laskar, Robin et al.

Jaani Dushman Muhurat Held

The muhurat of Varchaswaa Infratech Pvt Ltd & Krishna Alliance India Pvt Ltd Presents
Jaani Dushman was held in Mumbai this week. The credits of the film are produced by Anand Mohan Sharma & Gulshan R. Ali, directed by Gulshan R. Ali, lyrics by Sachchidanand Kavach, cinematography by Daya Shankar Singh, choreography by Kanu Mukharji & editing by Sanjay Kashyap. It stars Pankaj Kesari, Avinash Shahi, Jai Yadav, Reshma Shaikh, Priyanka Singh, Bhavna Rajput, Priya Tiwari, Priyanka Maharaj, Rakshita, Toshif Khan, Ashfaque R Shaikh, Shweta Shah, Jeetu Shukla, Megha Khote et al.

Dabangai – Baliya Ke Dabangai Applied For Censors

S S Film Factory Presents Shiv Shivam Entertainment’s Dabangai -Baliya Ke
Dabangai has recently been applied for Censors. The credits of the film are produced by Vinod B. Singh, directed by Samim Saiyad, story & lyrics by Bhrigu Brinda, music by Raj Sen, choreography by Feroz Khan & Kedar Subba, action by Heera Yadav, cinematography by Najir Khan & Vijay R. Panday & editing by Alok Singh. It stars Manoj R. Panday, Anjani Singh, Udhari Babu, Priya sharma, Prity Singhaniya, Chandan -Nandan, Jaswant Kumar, Prem Dubey & many, many more with special appearance by Anjana Singh & Seema Singh.

Rangeela Rajkumar Muhurat Held

The muhurat of Varchaswaa Infratech Pvt Ltd & Krishna Alliance India Pvt Ltd Presents
Rangeela Rajkumar was held in Mumbai this week. The credits of the film are producer by Anand Mohan Sharma, Gulshan R. Ali & Arun Kushwaha, directed by Gulshan R. Ali, written by Sabha Verma, lyrics by Sachchidanand Kavach, cinematography by Daya Shankar Singh, choreography by Kanu Mukharji, editing by Sanjay Kashyap. It stars Pankaj Kesari & Jai Yadav.

Singh Bhaiya Dubbing Starts

The dubbing of Sujit Singh Production’ Singh Bhaiya has started this week in Mumbai. The credits of the film are directed by Aashish Sinha, written by Arvind Tiwari, music by Avinash Jha Ghunghru, lyrics by Ajad Singh, choreography by Dilip Mishra, action by Heera Lal Yadav & art by Mukesh Kumar. It stars Sujit Singh, Priya Sharma, Sanjay Pandey, Dharmendra Singh, Sanjay Varma, Maya Yadav, Satya Prakash Singh, Glori & Aayesha.

Herogiri Editing Starts

The editing of Yash Movie Maker & Sabran Films’ Herogiri has started in Mumbai this week. The credits of the film are produced by Nirmal Chaudhari & Aaryan Raj Vijay, directed b Manoj S. Tomar, story – screenplay – lyrics Virendra Panday, dialogues by Sanjay Raj, music by Madhukar Anand, cinematography by P. Arun Eknathan, choreography J. D. & action by Chandra Pant. It stars Anand Ojha, Kajal Raghwani, Archana Singh, Sanjay Pandey, Manoj Tiger, C P Bhatt, Ritu Pandey, Pushpa Varma, Vijay Mishra, Sunil Datt Pandey et al.

Producer – Director – Writer – Set Designer -Costume – Makeup: Rashmi Sharma Artistes: Rashmi Sharma, Zeus Paranjape, Vedika Bhandari, Sadiq Abbas Rizvi, Revant Bhatia, Paritosh Tiwari & Pooja Muralia Music: Nitin Hivarkar Lights: Avinash Kumar Production Manager: Vipin Pandey

“Laughing while falling in Love again because it transcends all” avers Rashmi Sharma, the founder of PGT group. Love as we all know brings two imperfect and completely different people together. It transcends age, time, place, behaviour & worldly concerns. Some say Love happens only once while some say Love can happen again…….Can we fall in Love again?????

Progressive Theatre Group presents Abhi Na Jao Chhodkar directed & penned by Rashmi Sharma a well – known name in theatre circle. The play is a heart warming romantic comedy satire on love & commitment between 2 odd people with nothing in common. Asha‘s life took a turn when she falls for a married struggling actor Aakash Chatterjee. She decides to move in with him against the society norms and has a daughter named Mishti from him out of wedlock. 13 years later, the comfortable world she craved for herself comes crashing down when Aakash abandons her due to his weaknesses & failures as an actor. Heart Broken Asha struggles to stand on her own feet. Asha who is a trained Kathak dancer decides to use her talent to impart Kathak training to students to earn a living for her as well as for her daughter. When she was about to give up on Love & relationships she hears a knock on the door, probably a knock on her heart. Monty Fernandez enters her life as a storm who was again a struggling actor waiting to change her life in the most amazing way. Asha who does not want to depend on another man again especially an actor created walls around herself but in vain. The magic of love unfolded and certain incidents happen which leads them to care for each other, eventually leading them to fall in love. She does not want Monty to be straddled to a woman with a 13 year old child. But Monty who was convinced that he has found a woman of his dreams in Asha was not ready to let her go. They both express their love for each other but fate was repeating itself. Monty got an opportunity to act in a film to be shot abroad. Asha & Misti are shattered again. Will Monty come back? Can Asha find true love a 2nd time? These questions forms the crux of the story of Abhi Na Jao Chhodkar.

The script is well documented and narrated by director Rashmi Sharma. She has succeeded in leading the audiences towards the realisation of her vision. The overall creative interpretation of the script is good. Soulful music is the highlight of the play. I left the theatre humming the song. The music touched the chords of my heart.

In terms of acting Rashmi Sharma & Zeus Paranjape nailed it. Their act was subtle & convincing. I could feel the ups & downs they were going through in their life. If your true love is knocking on your heart and you are confused because of your bad past experience, this is a play for you. One can fall in love a 2nd time. There is no particular time when true love happens, it can happen anytime and at any age. Love does not need to be perfect it just needs to be true.

Subhash Chandra Elected To Rajya Sabha As An Independent Member

Essel Group Chairman & noted philanthropist Subhash Chandra has been elected to Rajya Sabha as an independent candidate from Haryana. Chandra was supported by the Haryana unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party who received 29 votes. His election coincides with the Essel Group completing 90 years of existence. Chandra launched the 1st private satellite television channel Zee TV in 1992 and later the 1st private news channel Zee News. For his outstanding contributions to the media industry, Dr Chandra was awarded the 2011 International Emmy Directorate Award at the 39th International Emmy Awards in New York, 1st to receive the award recognising excellence in television programming outside the United States. He also now presents a weekly Dr. Subhash Chandra Show, where he shares the lessons learnt by him in his journey with an invited audience and an estimated 230+ million viewers across the country and overseas.

SPN India Launches FTA Movie Channel “Sony Wah”

After Star India launching its free to air (FTA) movie channel Star Utsav Movie, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) has expanded the scope of its Hindi movie channels from 3 to 4 with Sony Wah. Based on a deep understanding of audiences across different strata in the Hindi speaking markets (HSM) landscape, Sony WAH a premium FTA Hindi movie channel will cater to the unserved needs of rural & small town India. Celebrating the best of Hindi Cinema, Sony WAH, with its positioning of “Filmon Ka Mela” will bring alive the content & experience that audiences of FTA channels have never seen before. The channel will showcase a mix of Hindi movies as well as films from the Southern parts of India dubbed in Hindi. There will be a lot of marquee titles as well ranging across present day blockbusters to movies from the last 3 decades.

Sanjay Pugalia Excited About Joining Raghav Bahl’s Quintillion Media

Former editor of CNBC Awaaz & CNBC Bajaar, Sanjay Pugalia has joined Raghav Bahl’s The Quint. He has joined as president & editorial director of the group, which includes media properties like The Quint & Bloomberg Quint. Pugalia will report to Bahl. His main focus will be on setting up Hindi digital news platform for the venture and will also play an important role in varied other verticals of Quintillion Media. Excited about joining hands with Bahl, Pugalia averred, “It’s indeed a pleasure to work with Raghav Bahl who has set high standards & goals in this field. I am excited about the new young team that has been put in place. Their work in English is extremely impressive.” Pugalia’s induction is part of Quintillion Media’s strategy to explode its regional presence, which it has been piloting over the past few months.

Marinating Films’ Desi Explorers Now All Set To Explore Taiwan

After exploring the cities & the places of import in Jordan, Marinating Films Pvt Ltd has now stepped into Taiwan for the 2nd part of its concept of web based tourism. The production house began its journey of the island nation on 11th Jun, 2016. Sarah Khan, Surbhi Jyoti & Jai Soni will be the new explorers of the Taiwan edition along with Sukirti Kandpal, Vrushika Mehta & Kishwar Merchant from the Jordan series. The Taiwan sojourn will be a 10 episodic series and will go live on line from mid – Jul, 2016 on in -house YouTube channel. The Hindi travel show will focus on how a country can have different facets for different characters.
The makers of Desi Explorers say that their team will be exploring Taiwan from North to South for 12 days. Some of the iconic sites that will be covered include Sun Moon Lake, Taroko National Park, Hualien & Taitung amongst others. Marinating Films producer Sunny Arora averred, “Desi Explorers will give an insight about the countries that our team will travel and the celebrities they travel with. The viewers will get to explore a very different side of their favourite celebrities”

Colors Infinity Brings On Another Season Of English Singing Talent Hunt

Looking for the next English singing protégé, Colors Infinity returns with India’s 1st ever home grown English language singing talent show, The Stage. Season 2 promises to be even bigger & better after the resounding success of its 1st edition. In the 1st season, 20 singers were given the opportunity of a lifetime to take the stage and display their talent. But this year, singers across the country will get an opportunity to participate and become a part of this life changing experience by submitting their video entries onhttp://www.colorsinfinity.com/thestage/ starting 10th Jun, 2016. With call for entries the 2nd season promises to attract talent from every corner of the country, giving them a platform to exhibit their singing prowess. Shortlisted participants from the online entries will vie in the on – ground auditions to be held in Mumbai, Delhi & Bengaluru for the final spots. Judges Vishal Dadlani, Monica Dogra, Ehsaan Noorani & Devraj Sanyal reunite with host Shibani Dandekar once more in the search of the next singing sensation.

Doordarshan To invite Counter Proposals For Afternoon Kid Slot

Even as Doordarshan has received a proposal for a kids show for the 3.00 pm to 4.00 pm time band on DD National, the pubcaster has decided to invite counter proposals through the Swiss Challenge Method. This method will ensure transparency and give a fair chance to all with a commitment for providing entertainment programme for children on the national public service broadcaster. The key features of this outsourcing is to attract bids for its slots in the genre of “Kids Entertainment” for DD National from interested production houses through Request For Proposal notified on Doordarshan website. A Swiss challenge is a form of public procurement in some jurisdictions which enables a public authority which has received an unsolicited bid for a public project or services to publish the bid and invite 3rd parties to match or exceed it. Under this method, prospective programmers will be asked to create & market Children’s programme on the channel for a fixed tenure of 2 years. These slots from are 3.00 pm to 4.00 pm (One Hour) are available from Monday to Saturday.

SPN Acquires The Exclusive TV & Digital Rights

Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) has acquired the exclusive broadcast & digital rights to telecast the 3rd edition of the Indian Open World Ranking Snooker Tournament, in India & the Indian Sub -Continent. This year’s tournament being held in Hyderabad from 4 Jul, 2016 to 9th Jul, 2016 will be telecast live & exclusive on Sony SIX, daily from 5 pm to 8 pm. In addition to the live coverage, snooker enthusiasts will also be able to live stream all the matches on Sony LIV. The Indian Open is a professional ranking snooker tournament and has raised the profile of cue sports in India. India has produced several top ranking players in the past who have contributed to the rising popularity of the sport; namely, Geet Sethi, Pankaj Advani, Aditya Mehta et al. Since its inception in 2013, India Open has seen the participation of leading snooker players from around the world including World Champions Neil Robertson, John Higgins & Mark Williams as well as current legends Ding Junhui, Marco Fu, Mark Selby & Stuart Bingham to name a few.

Zindagi Presents Paani Jaisa Pyaar By Humsafar Director Sarmad Sultan Khoosat

Known for its good storytelling, Zindagi will present a new fiction series, Paani Jaisa Pyaar. It is yet another masterpiece by the Humsafar & Shehr – E – Zaat director, Sarmad Sultan Khoosat. With a versatile ensemble cast featuring Saba Qamar, Mikaal Zulfiqar & Juggan Kazim in the lead roles along with established actors like Ahsan Khan, Samina Peerzada, Babrik Shah, Rizwan Ali & Nausheen Shah, Paani Jaisa Pyaar premiered on 9 Jun, 2016 at 8:00 PM, every Mon to Sat.

The Epic Channel Launches Its New Show

The Epic Channel launched its new show titled, Drishti – Documentaries on Epic. The series will be hosted by the renowned actress Tilottama Shome. Starting from 6th Jun, 2016 the show will air every Mon to Fri at 9 pm. Drishti, the series is a collection of the finest documentaries produced in India. Each episode showcases one or more documentaries, each with its own distinctive topic. The documentaries bring out the reality that is in each of the themes explored, some path – breaking while others with a social message. Watch the acclaimed work of directors like Jimmy Goldblum, Adam Weber, Roopa Barua, Ishani K. Dutta to name a few.

Network18 hires Zee Business’ Amish Devgan

The game of musical chairs in the Indian news TV channel business continues unabated. Over the last couple of months there have been many a high profile resignation & reappointment amongst those delivering news to Indian viewers. The latest to also make a move is Amish Devgan who has hopped on board Network18 as executive editor. Devgan will closely work with Network18 news CEO & group editor in chief Rahul Joshi and consulting editor Prabal Pratap Singh. He will use his expertise to devise various strategies & plans for all the Hindi News Channels under the group. Network 18 has 2 Hindi News Channels namely IBN7 & CNBC Awaaz

After the record breaking Sairat, the lead hero Akash Thosar will be seen in a Mahesh Manjrekar directed film. The shooting of this film is currently going on at Goregaon Film City. Some photographs from the sets have gone viral where Mahesh can be seen in a white kurta & Akash in a jeans & jacket. The cool urban look of this young hero has already become viral on social media. Akash was a wrestler from a small village from Pune where he was spotted by Manjule. He was cast as a leading man Parashya for his epic love story Sairat. Sairat has already been appreciated by the critics and created a box office history. Akash’s boyish looks & cute smile has already garnered him many female fan following. After receiving good reviews for his acting skills, he has decided to concentrate on his acting career. However, his lady love from Sairat, Rinku has decided to focus on her studies. After Sairat, this will be Akash’s 2nd film.

Sairat Breaks All Round Box Office Records With Almost 100 Crores Till This Date

Sairat breaks all round Box Office turnstiles records. Sairat has managed to break the Box Office turnstiles record for the 1st week for a Marathi film. It has grossed a whopping Rs. 25.5 crores in 1 week! Sairat had broken the 1st weekend Box Office record as well by grossing Rs. 12 crores. Generally, after the hype of the promotion dies down, a film doesn’t register as much collection after the weekend is over. But this has not happened with Sairat. Yes, it was massively promoted by Zee, but the word of mouth of the film is very positive. This has ensured that the theatres remain full on weekdays as well. Theatres have actually increased the number of shows of the film in the 2nd week – a rare feat in today’s times indeed. Another special feature of the release of Sairat is that it was released outside Maharashtra in cities like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, NCR, Surat et al and the film has done well there also. It has entered 2nd week in most of these cities. The previous record of Rs. 15 crores for one week collection was held by Natsamrat which Sairat has overtaken by a mile. Trade analysts believe that the film is on its way to become the highest grossing Marathi film ever and they predict that the lifetime Box office Collections will be more than Rs. 100 crores.

Halal Receives A Lot Of Appreciation At Goa Film Festival

Halal, a film based on the rituals & customs was recently screened at Goa Film Festival. It was very much appreciated by the audience for its bold story telling & content. The film is based on a short story by Rajan Khan and talks about marriage customs in Muslim community. The film is produced by Amol Kagne & directed by Shivaji Lotan Patil. The film stars Chinmay Mandlekar, Pritam Kagane, Priyadarshan Jadhav, Vijay Chavan, Chhaya Kadam, Amol Kagane, Sanjay Sugavakar et al. The story & screenplay are by Nishant Dhapse. The cinematography is by Ramni Ranjandas & editing is by Nilesh Gawand. The music has been composed by Vijay Gatlewar.

Vidya Balan Makes Her Debut In A Marathi Film

Mangalmurti Film Presents Ekk Albela,
produced by Kimaya Motion Pictures & directed by Shekhar Sartandel, is all set for release on 24th June, 2016. Its star cast features award winning versatile actor
Mangesh Desai as Bhagwan Dada and the powerhouse performer Vidya Balan
portraying the role of renowned yesteryear actress Geeta Bali in her debut Marathi movie. After working in Bengali & South Indian cinema, Vidya Balan is all set to enter the Marathi industry. The actress, who was last seen in Hamari Adhuri Kahani, will now play the role of renowned yesteryear Bollywood actress Geeta Bali in the upcoming Marathi film Ekk Albela. The biopic based on Bhagwan Dada looks visually appealing & musically enriching and have recreated 2 hit songs of the 1951 classic featuring Bhagwan Dada & Geeta Bali.​ The makers got on board a few musicians who composed the original songs including “Bholi Surat Dil Ke Khote” & “Shola Jo Bhadke” from Albela to give their inputs for the new version of songs for “Ekk Albela”. The film will show a mix of Marathi & Hindi language and it is a most awaited next Marathi film.

Ankush Chaudhari’s Autograph To All Set To Release On 12th Aug 2016

Ankush Chaudhari & director Satish Rajwade will be working together again after a gap of 7 years for their upcoming film Autograph. The duo has earlier given Gair in 2009 which became hit on the Box Office turnstiles. The film is ready to release on 12th Aug, 2016 all over Maharashtra. Ankush has given 3 blockbusters in 2015 namely Double Seat, Dagadi Chawl & Classmate. Satish recently gave another box office favourite namely Mumbai – Pune – Mumbai 2. The duo has always given meaningful cinema and hence audience has been eagerly awaiting for this film. Autograph has been produced by STV Networks, which is the owner of more than 250 multiplexes in Maharashtra, Goa & Gujarat. The company deals in production, distribution & exhibition of films. The company has recently distributed many super hit Hindi, English & Marathi films.

1st Shooting Schedule completed For Copy

Recently the 1st shooting schedule was completed for the upcoming film Copy at Pen area. The film is directed by Hemant Dhabade & Dayasagar Wankhede. The film stars Milind Shinde, Kamlesh Sawant, Anshuman Vichare, Jagannath Nivangune, Vipul Salunkhe, Anil Nagarkar, Rahul Belapurkar, Ashutosh Wadkar, Poonam Rane, Saurabh Sutar, Praveen Kapade, Ravi Virkar, Shraddha Sawant, Adanesh Mudshingkar, Pratik Lad, Rohit Sonawane, Pratiksha Sable, Shivaji Patne, Sikandar Mulani, Arati Pathak & Vidya Bhagwat. The film is produced by Ganesh Patil & Shankar Mhatre under the banner of Shri Mahalaxmi Creations. The story & screenplay has been written by Rahul Salve along with the director duo. Dayasagar has written the dialogues. Art direction is done by Sandeep Kunchi Korave & Santanio Tesio has done the cinematography. The next schedule will be arranged very soon on varied locales. The film is expected to release by this year end.

Prem Sankat Is Complete

The entire shooting & post production work of Reha Film Productions’ Prem Sankat is complete after a 30 day shooting stint held in Silvaasa locales, Gujarat, Film City, Goregaon & Madh Island, Mumbai. The entire post production work has been completed on 20th May at After Play. The credits of the film are produced by Diksha Surwade, directed by Datta Mirkute, music by Vishal Wankhede, lyrics by Datta Mirkute, Arun Kulkarni, Sunil Kaate, Sharad Bawsikar & Gautam Surwade, cinematography by Ravi Bhatt, action by Bunty, sound by Aarif Sheikh, choreography by Mahadevan, Praveen Bhatia & Chhaya Bhatia & editing by Sundar Pathuri. It stars
debutants Raj Surwade, Monalisa Bagal, Rahul Bhise, Ankita Parmar, Damini Dolas, Rajendra Sisatkar along with Yatin Karyekar, Latika Gore, Rohini, Satish Pulekar & Nishigandha Wad.

Hasli Tar Fasli Ready For Release

R. N. Films comedy flick Hasli Tar is now ready for release. The credits of the film are produced by Rajesh Mittal, written & directed by Shailendra Singh Rajput, music by Sandip Shree & choreography by Praveen Bariya. It stars Bhau Bhalchandra Kadam, Naresh Bidkar, Nattha, Rana Jang Bahadur, Arvind Koli, Atul Dikshit, Rupal Harsh, Hetal et al.

Pindadaan A 1st Film By Bunty Prashant

Pindadaan a 1st film by Bunty Prashant.
Pindadaan, a film by Bunty Prashant has already become an anticipated film for many Bollywood & Marathi film celebrities. Bunty is a known name in the fashion industry. He has guided many models like Pooja Batra, Mugdha Godse, Prachi Desai, Tejaswini Pandit, Bhushan Pradhan. Pindadaan will be his 1st film. The film is presented by Poonam Shende & produced by Uday Pictures. The film has been getting many positive comments from the celebrities. Mugdha Godse & Prachi Desai have expressed their gratitude for the help given by Bunty on their personality development & grooming. They have also wished luck for his 1st film.
Tejaswini Pandit said that Bunty is her friend from the past decade and his choice of the subject for his debut film is really amazing.
Former Miss India Pooja Batra & Marathi actor Bhushan Pradhan has also commented on the film and wished luck for the Bunty Prashant. The film stars Siddharth Chandekar, Manava Naik, Prasad Pandit, Sanjay Kulkarni, Madhav Abhyankar, Farida Dadi. The film is expected to release very soon.

106 Hutatma Chowk A Film About Maharashtra

106 Hutatma Chowk is a film about Maharashtra. On the auspicious day of Maharashtra Day, 106 Hutatma Chowk – Sanyukta Maharashtra Jhalach Pahije film was announced by legendary actor Jitendra. The film will be directed by Vishal Inamdar. The film is based on the 106 martyrs who sacrificed their lives for Maharashtra. The story for this film has been written by Kaustubh Savarkar and the film is produced by Shree Swami Samarth Pictures. The cast of this film has not been announced yet. The film will be released in May, 2017.

Sai & Aamir Comes Together For A Social Cause

Incidently speaking Sai Tamhankar & Aamir Khan come together for a social cause.
Recently Sai Tamhankar associated with Aamir Khan and visited Varud region in Amravati along with Sunil Barve & veteran actress Reema Lagoo to initiate the water conservation activities. Aamir Khan’s Paani Foundation aims to communicate, impart knowledge and bring about a change in outlook among people at the grassroot level about water conservation & watershed management. A competition has been organized where villages will be involved in water conservation activities, with the winning village bagging a cash prize. Many celebrities have voiced in their support for this initiative. Sai Tamhankar has also stepped forward to contribute to such a great initiative and taken an action for the same.