Indian Performing Rights Society (IPRS) Distributed Royalty Worth Rs. 13 Crores

The Indian Performing Rights Society (IPRS) recently distributed music royalty worth Rs. 13 Crores in 1 day amongst the Bollywood music composers & The lyricists.

Javed Akhtar, the Chairman of Indian Performing Right Society (IPRS) especially arrived to distribute Rs. 13 Crores received for TV synchronization between the entire author & the composer members at The Club, Andheri (W) Mumbai.

Rs.10,000 was distributed to the authors & the composers having 10 or less than 10 works registered with Indian performing Rights Society (IPRS) and the balance royalty was distributed equally to all the remaining authors & the composers which was Rs. 53,000.

This TV Synchronization royalty was paid by PPL on behalf of Saregama, Sony Music, Tips, Universal Music, Venus & Aditya Music.

On this eve Rakesh Nigam, the CEO of the Indian Performing rights Society (IPRS) averred, “We are happy to distribute the royalty cheques to all the authors & the composers of our music society. After all it’s all hard work & effort put in by them”.

Raju Singh, Sudhakar Sharma, Shravan Rathod, Harmeet, A M Turaaz, Prashant Ingole, Jatin Pandit, Sanjeev Darshan, Dilip Sen – Sameer Sen, Shibani Kashyap and many,, many more came to collect their royalty cheques.

The entire fraternity of the Indian Performing Rights Society (IPRS) thanked Javed Akhtar for his hard work & effort put in by him.

Kalank Goes On The Floors.

A day after it got announced, Abhishek Varman directorial & Karan Johar – Sajid Nadiadwala production goes on the floors. The film has done the unimaginable; it has got Madhuri Dixit Nene & Sanjay Dutt back on screen after almost 2 and a half decade. The movie also stars Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt, Sonakshi Sinha & Aditya Roy Kapur. Kalank is slated to release exactly a year from now on i.e. on 19th Apr, 2019.
Bhavesh Joshi Superhero Trailer Out

After releasing the 1st look posters for Bhavesh Joshi Superhero recently, Phantom Films have now dropped a full – blown teaser for Harshvardhan Kapoor starrer. Helmed by Vikramaditya Motwane, Bhavesh Joshi Superhero hits the theatres on 25th May, 2018. Though viewers never meet face-to-face with Harshvardhan in the one-and-a-half minute long video, his heroic avatar does leave an impression on your mind. While filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwane is directing Bhavesh Joshi Superhero, it is being produced by Eros International, Reliance Entertainment, Vikas Bahl, Madhu Mantena & Anurag Kashyap.

Hindi Medium Crosses 200 Crores In China

It will be interesting to see whether Irrfan Khan Starrer Hindi Medium which surpassed the opening day collection of Salman Khan’s Bajrangi Bhaijaan in the Chinese market will leave its lifetime collection behind too or not. 2 weeks after releasing in the Chinese theatre, Irrfan Khan & Saba Qamar starrer Hindi Medium has entered the Rs 200 crores club. The film hit the Chinese screens on 4th Apr, 2018 and earned Rs 22.06 crores on the 1st day of its release. Though the film had a slow start in comparison to the Aamir Khan starrer Secret Superstar & Salman Khan’s Bajrangi Bhaijaan, it gained foothold in the coming weeks. And on Thurs, the film, a satirical take on the Indian education system, achieved the milestone of Rs 200 crores. It has earned a total of Rs 205.21 crores in China.

IMAX Signs 9 Screens Deal With Cinepolis & Inox.

IMAX Corp has reached agreements to bring 9 new large-screen theatres to India, expanding its reach in a market where the company is pursuing significant growth in the coming years, Chief Executive Richard Gelfond said. The new theaters will boost the total number of IMAX locations in the country to 40. And 15 have already opened and 25 are under contract, including the 9 new locations announced on Thurs. IMAX will partner with INOX Leisure Ltd on 5 of the theaters, and with Cinepolis India on the other 4, according to statements from the companies. IMAX’s 1st ever large-format screen in India opened in 2001 but the company found it tough to expand. That changed recently, Gelfond said, as the Government has become more open to facilitating commercial development, including the building of malls & Western-style multiplexes. In Feb, 2018, IMAX announced a deal to add 5 cinemas in India through a partnership with PVR Ltd, the largest theatre chain in India. 65% of IMAX’s revenue in 2017 came from outside the United States & Canada, which is the world’s biggest film market. India ranks as the world’s 4th largest box office turnstiles market, according to data from the Motion Picture Association Of Anerica.
Emraan Hashmi’s CHEAT INDIA Begins Pre-Production.

Emraan Hashmi’s birthday gift arrived a day early. The actor signed the agreement for his 1st ever recently announced home production, Cheat India, with T-Series & Ellipsis Entertainment a day prior to his birthday. Producer Atul Kasbekar took to Instagram and shared a picture of the team Cheat India. Shooting starts in Jul, 2018 and the release has been slated for 25th Jan, 2019. It will be directed by Soumik Sen.

Karan Johar To Be The 1st ever Indian Filmmaker To Have A Wax Statue At Madame Tussaud’s

Karan Johar’s wax figure will head out on tour across Asia. The wax statue will be launched later this year. Karan Johar reportedly met the creative directors from the museum in last week. He will get a wax statue at Madame Tussauds London. He will be Bollywood’s 1st ever filmmaker to get a wax figure at the museum. Additionally, his wax figure will not just be launched in 1 city but will simultaneously head out on tour across Asia to give his many fans across the world a chance to experience him being waxed,” read a statement. The wax statue will be launched later this year.

Salman Khan Began Shooting Of His Next Movie Bharat

Salman Khan began shooting of his next movie Bharat on Mon in Mumbai. Directed by Ali Abbas Zafar, Bharat is an official adaptation of the 2014 South Korean film Ode To My Father. Salman has been paired opposite Priyanka Chopra in the film. Director Ali Abbas Zafar shared Salman’s picture from the sets and tweeted, “And it begins “Bharat” @BeingSalmanKhan. A journey of a man & a nation together. Eid 2019.”

‘Walking With The Wind’ Bags 3 National Awards

Praveen Morchhale’s Walking With The Wind has recently bagged 3 national awards under the category of “Best Film” (Ladakhi), “Best Sound Design” (Sanal George) & “Best Re-Recording” (Justin K Jose) at the 65th National Awards. The film is set in a small Ladakhi village where life is harsh but achingly simple. Earlier, Praveen has directed Barefoot To Goa. Walking With The Wind is a charming Ladakhi tale, inspired by & and dedicated to the Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami and borrows its title from a book of his poem. The film has been selected in prestigious film festivals around the world – 41 Sao Paulo International Film Festival, Oct. 2017, CAMERIMAGE (International Film Festival of The Art of Cinematography), Mumbai Film Festival, International Competition, Fribourg International Film Festival, March Switzerland 2018 & bagged a prize at Tertio Millennio Film Festival, Nov 2017, Rome (Italy).

Sunil Grover Roped In

Popular comedian & television host Sunil Grover, has been roped in to play the male lead in National Award winning filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj’s upcoming comedy drama, titled Chhuriyaan. Sunil Grover is not paired opposite the 2 lead actresses Sanya Malhotra & Radhika Madam, the makers are currently on the lookout for 2 actors to play their husbands. Acclaimed actor Vijay Raaz who was last seen working with Vishal Bhardwaj in Dedh Ishqiya (2014), will now be seen as father of the female leads in Chhuriyaan.

MAMI’s Collaboration With Carnival Cinemas Kicked Off

MAMI’s collaboration with Carnival Cinemas kicked off recently with the premiere of Beyond The Clouds at Matterden Carnival Cinemas under MAMI’s Year Round Programme. Present on the occasion were Director Majid Majidi, Actors Ishaan Khatter, Malavika Mohanan & guests RJ Malishka, Sayani Gupta, Sheetal Menon, Bejoy Nambiar, Tanuja Chandra et al. After the film, the crew celebrated Majid Majidi’s birthday as well.

Fryday To Release On 25th May 2018

Director Abhishek Dogra is all set for his next venture FryDay scheduled to release on 25th May, 2018 starring the all time favorite entertainer Govinda along with Varun Sharma. The makers of the film launched the quirky 2nd poster of the film recently. Presented by Inbox Pictures Pvt Ltd, Produced by Sajid Qureshi, Fry Day is directed by Abhishek Dogra.

Vidyut & Shruti Start Shooting For Mahesh Manjrekar’s Next Movie

Vidyut Jammwal & Shruti Haasan have already begun shooting for Mahesh Manjrekar’s next movie produced by Vijay Galani. The movie is an action drama of a gangster. The shooting of the same has commenced in Mumbai recently. Written & directed by Mahesh Manjrekar, the movie is produced by Vijay Galani & Pratik Galani under their banner Galani Entertainments.

Astro Acquires Rights For ‘Mukti Bhavan’ Aka ‘Hotel Salvation’

The multiple award winning Indian drama film Mukti Bhawan aka Hotel Salvation’ distributed by Cinestaan International Sales (CIS) has been sold in over 30 International territories including UK, Ireland, USA, Canada, Germany, Middle East, Japan, Taiwan, Germany, France, Spain, South Africa, Portugal, South Korea, Italy amongst others. In a recent move, Astro has acquired rights for the film in 12 South East Asian territories including Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines & Indonesia. Written & directed by Shubhashish Bhutiani, Mukti Bhavan aka Hotel Salvation follows a son faced with his father’s untimely demand to go and die in the holy city of Varanasi & attain salvation. The film stars Adil Hussain, Lalit Behl, Geetanjali Ku!karni & Palomi Ghosh. It has won 25 international awards including the Grand Prix Enrico Fulchignoni & UNESCO Gandhi Medal during its premiere at Venice.

Jung Siyasat Ke Releasing On 4th May, 2018

Hero Bhai Entertainment’s Jung Siyasat Ke will be releasing on 4th May, 2018 in UP – Delhi at many prominent cinemas. The film is being produced by Shriprakash Jaiswal, directed by Haro Bhai Team, co-produced by Prem Prakash Jaiswal, written by Nandu Saini “Nirmohi”, music by Chhote Baba, lyrics by Sachidanand “Kawach” & Munna Dubey, choreography by Santosh Sarvadarshi & Kedar Subba, action by Satish Anna, editing by Shankar Regar, cinematography by Gifty Mehra, executive produced by Vishwakarma Prasad & production management by Naresh Thakur. The film stars, Shriprakash Jaiswal, Prem Prakash Jaiswal, Deep Raj Dwivedi, Innushree, Mahi Singh, Illa Pandey, C. P. Bhatt, Vaibhav Rai, Sahil Sheikh, Rajeev Kumar, Babloo Singh, Anjani Banerjee, Santosh Shrivastava, Ram Mishra, Sunil Chaudhary, Neelam Pandey, Sunita Singh, Pratibha Mishra, Chandrakant, Vikas Pandit, Ashish Kumar, Unnu Pandey, Raju Jaiswal, Baleshwar Singh, Sanjay Pandey, Glory Mohanta & Pratibha Pandey.

Dil Dhadkela Kehu Ke Pyaar Mein Back From Locales Hunting

Producers & director of Eye Sight Entertainment & Sandhya Film Production’s Dil Dhadkela Kehu Ke Pyaar Mein has returned from locales haunting at Pakadi Vishnupuran, Maharajganj, Bindhwasini Park, Gorakhnath Mandir, Gorakhpur (UP). The film is being produced by Geeta Srivastava & Deenesh Gaud, written & directed by Santosh Pal, music by Pankaj Preetam, lyrics by S. K. Chauhan & Vikas Kumar, choreography by Pradeep Kumar & Kartik, action by Javed Shaikh, art by Kalicharan (Raju) & cinematography by Brijesh Pal & Rakesh Yadav & co-produced by Prakash Yadav. The film stars debutantes Shyam Srivastava, Kajal Bharti, Deepak Shrivastava, Deepali Ganjare, Krishna Kumar, Soni Patel, Manoj Kanojia, Vijay kumar, Jagdish Gaud & Gopal Rai. D. G. Films Entertainment presents the film.

Kahani Kashi Ki Trailer Launched On Youtube

The trailer of Subi Films Production’s Hindi venture Kahani Kashi Ki has been launched on YouTube by SRK Music recently. The film is being produced by Binita Kumar Kushwaha, directed by Rajesh Sinha, music by Nirmal Agastya, Vinod & Pritesh Pandey & singers are Indu Sonali, Mohan Rathod, Khushboo Jain, Mamta Raut, Rakesh Mishra, Satyam Prakash & Shanu Syed. The film stars Anand Dev Mishra, Koyal Banerjee, Sunil Bihari, Mithlesh Suman, Subhash Kumar, Anushka Verma, Ashok Akhouri et al.

HINDI FILM NEWS
“D.K.- An untouch Love Story” editing Nearing Completion
Editing of Om Tapeshwariye Films’ Hindi Venture “D.K.- An untouch Love Story” is nearing completion under the supervision of editor Guddu Jafri at Diamond Studio. The film is being produced by Lalan Lal Mohar Ram and directed by Devendra Kapoor from his own screenplay. It has music by Arvind R. Naik, lyrics by J.P. Mastana, dialogues by Pramod Mishra, choreography by Govind Anand, editing by Guddu Zafery and cinematography by Bapu Raut. Production Controller: Shiv Pujan. Production Manager : Amit Jaiswal. It stars Kamal Yadav, Taruna Singh, Mamta Shastri, Vipin Dubey, Azad Khan, Amit Jaiswal, Satish Sharma, Lakhan Bhardwaj, Alankar Shrivastav, Sanjay Dueby and item dancer Jyotika.

Jeevitha Sends Young Girls To Have Sex

A woman named Sandhya has accused that actress Jeevitha, has threatened many women to make them fall prey to the sexual desires of her husband doctor Rajasekhar. Controversial Telugu actress Sri Reddy has recently created a ruckus by accusing that offers for sex are prevalent in Tollywood. In such a scenario a meeting was held by a TV channel, during which a social activist named Sandhya spoke. During her speech, she said that Actor & producer Jeevitha Rajasekhar has often been involved in threatening young girls and sending them to her husband doctor Rajasekhar for satisfying his sexual thirst, and this talk from Sandhya shocked everyone. It should be noted that the couple has two daughters. She added that Jeevitha has targeted girls staying in hostels and sent them to Rajasekhar for his desires. She said that girls in Ameerpet were troubled and threatened by Jeevitha to have sex with Rajasekhar. Her remark that Jeevitha never saw women as women but only as an addiction and pleasure stuff has sent shockwaves across Tollywood.

Casting Couch Debate In Telugu Film Industry Gathers Steam
Telugu’s female film artistes shared their horrific experiences of sexual exploitation, being discriminated because of their color, and getting less pay, in a press conference held recently in Hyderabad. Several Telugu character artistes, women activists, NGOs, advocates & Tollywood actress Sri Reddy participated in the press conference. A junior artiste named Shruti said, “We are denied roles because we are dark skinned and fat, by the same men and coordinators who slept with us promising us a role in their movies.” Progressive Organization of Women (POW) state president Sandhya said, “The issues raised by Sri Reddy in the past few days echoed in discussion. There are sad stories behind each women artiste in the industry. The situation has to be changed. There is an urgent need to conduct a study about casting couch in the film industry. The Government should also set up a toll free number for women to make a complaint against casting couch”. An actress Apoorva said, “We are working in film industry due to lack of employment. No hero is coming in open to support us. Film industry shall positively come in support of this fight against the casting couch”. Several women said that they are being exploited by the film actors, producers & directors.

Hollywood DOP For Allu Arjun’s Upcoming Movie
Stylish Star Allu Arjun is known for working with Bollywood technicians like cinematographers and music directors. Bollywood music composer duo Vishal-Shekhar is composing music for his upcoming film Naa Peru Surya and National Award winning Bollywood cinematographer Rajeev Ravi is handling the cinematography. Meanwhile, the Naa Peru Surya team has hired Hollywood cinematographer Joseph Labisi for “Lover Also Fighter Also” song from the same film. Joseph Labisi has handled the cinematography for pop songs & music albums in the past. He has also worked for Hollywood films. As Allu Arjun aka Bunny is known for his mercuric dance moves and stylish looks, Joseph Labisi’s cinematography will surely enhance the feel of the song for sure. The Naa Peru Surya team is confident that this song will be one of the major highlights of the film. Meanwhile, The movie is getting ready for release on 4th May, 2018.

Tollywood Beauties Caught In MMS Scandals

Whenever an MMS scandal breaks out in Bollywood, it creates a lot of furore, be it big stars like Kareena or Preity or a TV actress like Mona Singh. One would assume the conservative south would be free of such scandals but even Tollywood, over the last few years, has seen some really top names involved in such a sleazy affair. Whether these clips that go viral and bring infamy to the people concerned are true or morphed is open to debate but the fact is that even southern beauties are not immune to these controversies. Simbu and Nayanthara broke up a few years ago after the objectionable pictures of the two of them were leaked. The images showed the stars engaged in a liplock and they have resurfaced once again after reports emerged of them doing a movie together. Their intimate pics are all over the cyberspace. Naturally, it may have been quite an embarrassment to the stars but they have little or no control over it. Another actress who was caught in more than one MMS scandal is Trisha. First it was a clip that showed her (or someone like her) taking a shower while another one was a massage video allegedly taken during her modeling days. Trisha denied it was her in the videos but somehow they have come to be associated with her. Similarly another actress Jyothika (Nagma’s sister) was caught in a terribly embarrassing situation when a small MMS of her being groped in a crowd was leaked. What makes actresses particularly vulnerable is the fact that they command a huge fan following in South and any sleazy material spreads like wildfire. Fortunately, the stars have played it cool. For instance Nayanthara has remained mum about her recent on-screen reunion with Simbu (who incidentally has split with Hansika officially) and has remained tight-lipped about the pics that went viral.

Rajinikant’s New Film Has A Heavy Marathi Influence
The new Rajinikanth starrer Kaala which was to open on 27th Apr, 2018 has now once again being rescheduled. The movie Kaala has a very heavy Marathi influence. Not only does one of the characters take Rajinkanth’s original Marathi name, that is Shivaji Rao Gaekwad, Nana Patekar who plays the main antagonist is Maharashtrian in the film and speaks his lines in Marathi. The very talented Anjali Patil seen giving stellar performances in recent films like Newton in Hindi and the Marathi movie named The Silence, features in a prominent role as one of the Marathi characters. Says Anjali, “My character too takes her name after Rajini Sir’s real name. I am named Puyal Charumati Gaekwad. I play a feisty young Tamil-speaking Marathi girl born and brought up in Dharavi.” What Anjali found most interesting about the film was its heavy Marathi influence. One half of the film was shot in Maharashtra (Mumbai) and the other half in Tamil Nadu. It does have a strong Marathi element in the storytelling. Apparently Rajnikanth had the final say in the casting. It was he who thought Anjali suited the role of the feisty Marathi character.

Tamil Nadu Theatre Owners Strike Called Off
Cinema owners in Tamil Nadu heaved a sigh of relief when the Kollywood strike was called off after 48 days. The stakeholders came to a positive agreement through the tripartite talks chaired by the State Government between the Tamil Film Producers’ Council (TFPC), exhibitors and digital service providers recently. And it was expected that the movies will start screening soon. When asked if Rajinikanth’s Kaala will release on 27th Apr, 2018 as announced earlier, Vishal, president of Tamil Film Producers’ Council (TFPC) and secretary of South Indian Artistes Association (SIAA), said, “Films will release based on a particular order. We will discuss with all the producers and announce it. More importantly, we have formed a release regulation committee to ensure that every week accommodates 3 releases without any trouble. Both big and small films will get a fair number of screens henceforth.” So while we haven’t heard anything about Rajinikanth’s next, reports about Avengers: Infinity War releasing in South India on 27th Apr, 2018holds true.
Kaala – Irumbu Thirai – Vishwaroopam 2 All Set To Release This Summer
After a long protest against the Digital Service Providers, the Tamil film industry has finally called off their strike and on Fri, 20thApr, 2018, the 1st Kollywood film got released in theatres after a very long time. With Prabhudeva’s Mercury having been already released across India and with Mahesh Babu’s Bharat Ane Nenu releasing last week, these two were the first ones to hit the silver screen in Tamil Nadu. But there was no clarity which films will follow suit! However, after a meeting with all the producers, a list of films that will release this Summer is as follows, starting from Apr, 2018 end to Jun, 2018 end. The line – up of Tamil films releasing this Summer includes Kamal Haasan’s Vishwaroopam 2, Rajinikanth’s Kaala, Samantha Akkineni’s Irumbu Thirai, Jayam Ravi’s Tik Tik Tik, amongst others. With no film being released over the past few weeks, the Tamil audience is eager to see a Kollywood movie. And hence, people will flock to the theaters to see these upcoming films. PostVishwaroopam 2, Kaala, Tik Tik Tik and Irumbu Thirai will be the biggest money spinners this Summer.

Acclaimed filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani, who is busy with the post-production of his upcoming film “Sanju”, featuring actor Ranbir Kapoor, has confirmed that the film’s teaser will be released on Tuesday morning.

Refuting news of its release during an IPL match on April 24, Hirani said: “It is not a correct news that it is going to be released during the Indian Premier League (IPL) match. As far as I understand, we are launching the teaser before that.

“It will be in the morning of April 24. In the evening, it will be shown during the IPL match.”

Hirani said this while interacting with the media on Friday, along with Subhash Ghai at the 5th Veda Session organised by Whistling Woods International Film Institute.

There were reports earlier that Hirani would release the first look of the biopic on Sanjay Dutt before the April 24 IPL clash and a teaser would be shown in the presence of Ranbir and Sanjay on the Cricket Live show on Star Sports.

When asked whether “Sanju” would help to re-establish Ranbir again, the “3 Idiots” and “PK” director said: “He was always a Superstar. He never went away.

“He is fantastic actor and I really enjoyed working with him and in future, I would love to work with him again on a film.”

Talking about the need of more film institutes in India, on the lines of Whistling Woods Institute, Hirani said: “I think we need more number of film institute’s as we have very less.

“There are channels, we are making so many films in a year. We are the largest producer of films in the world. There are television shows and now there is the digital platform as well, so, for all that, we need good technicians.

“I feel Subhash Ghai is doing a commendable work through his Whistling Woods Institute by imparting knowledge to film students. My son also studies here so it is inspiring to see the kind of work happening here.”

“Sanju” is a biographical drama, written and directed by Rajkumar Hirani and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. The film is based on the life of actor Sanjay Dutt, with Ranbir Kapoor portraying the role.

“Sanju” is set to be released on June 29.

(IANS)

Islam is about friendship, kindness and peace, and far from roughness and terrorism that it has been lately associated it, avers Majid Majidi, the globally acclaimed Iranian director who once attempted to change the “false” perception of the religion with the film “Muhammad: The Messenger of God”. But he realised that the path is full of thorns.

For Majidi, cinema has the power to bring people together.
“Cinema for me is a bridge between cultures. Cinema has great potential to bring different cultures together because cinema doesn’t have any borders. It can travel around the world and have a great effect on human beings around the world. Cinema can show different rituals, different cultures to different countries visually in the best way,” Majidi told IANS through a translator on phone from Mumbai.

“I made ‘Muhammad: The Messenger of God’ with this vision…. Because in these years some people have created a false face of Islam, a wrong interpretation of this religion. I wanted to show the truth of that,” Majidi said.

“Muhammad: The Messenger of God”, which traces the life of Prophet Muhammed, and was also Iran’s nomination for best foreign language Oscar in 2015, had music by Indian composer A.R. Rahman.

Some radicals issued a “fatwa” against Majidi and Rahman in 2015 for the film, which was planned as a trilogy but there’s no update on it.

Majidi recalled that it was a project close to his heart and he gave seven years of his life to make it.

“ISIS and Taliban are wrong and completely lying about Islam… Western countries and Saudi Arabia are showing the wrong face of Islam. I gave seven years for research in filmmaking to show just a small part of real Islam.

“Islam is a religion of friendship, kindness and peace, which is completely far from this concept such as roughness and terrorism. I tried to open a small window to show what is real Islam.

“But radical Muslim groups, mostly from Saudi Arabia… were scared to show this real part of Islam; so they banned this film, calling it not to be shown in different countries.”

The Oscar-nominated filmmaker says he wanted to put focus on both parts of Islam — Shia and Sunni.

“After long research around both parts of Islam — Shia and Sunni — talking with the religious people of both… I tried to make a film to get unity between these two.”

But he was disappointed when his film was labelled as “haram” (forbidden).

“In different times and occasions, I asked all those religious leaders to come and watch the film because they called it “haram” and gave it a fatwa without watching the film.”

Majidi, known for masterpieces like “Children of Heaven”, “The Colour of Paradise” and “Baran”, is confident that “Muhammad: The Messenger of God” will find its “own way”.

But will he continue on his mission to change the perception about Islam?

“Working and filmmaking in this path is very difficult. I gave seven years of my life to this film. And what I did was open a path. The path is now open and I hope others will continue on it,” added the director, who says he is influenced by Indian legends like Satyajit Ray and Shyam Benegal.

As a director, Majidi says he wants to become the voice of the “lower class of society”.

“I always tried to show the issues of the lower class of society. I always want to be the voice of all those who have no power to voice their concerns.”

And he has done so in his own way via his maiden India-set project “Beyond The Clouds”, which explores the underbelly of Mumbai and introduces Ishaan Khatter and Malavika Mohanan.

The film is about how a brother and sister find happiness in separation and turbulent times. Produced by Zee Studios and Namah Pictures, it is set for release on Friday.

(IANS)

Film: “Truth and Dare”; Director: Jeff Wadlow; Cast: Lucy Hale, Violett Beane, Tyler Posey, Hayden Szeto, Landon Liboiron, Sophia Ali, Nolan Gerard Funk; Rating: **1/2

Director Jeff Wadlow’s “Truth or Dare” is more of a lukewarm, predictable thriller than a horror film.

It is about a group of friends who reluctantly get drawn into a web of danger while playing a harmless game of “Truth or Dare.”

The film takes a cliched route following Olivia (Lucy Hale) who is coaxed by her best friend Markie (Violett Beane) to join their group of closest friends on a trip to Mexico during their spring break before “life tears us apart”.

While the group is having fun at a bar lounge, Olivia meets a stranger — a hunky dude named Carter (Landon Liboiron) who convinces her and her friends to accompany him to an abandoned castle.

He draws them into playing the game of Truth or Dare. The rules are simple; “Tell the truth or you die. Do the dare or you die. If you refuse to play, you die.”

Horrified, the teens confront him, after which he admits to trapping them in some strange curse. He confesses to doing this because, “I’m okay with strangers dying so that I can live.”

Back in their college campus, the group, after bouts of hallucinations realise that the game has followed them back home through some kind of supernatural evil. They realise that both the truths and the dares are tailored to the players which are designed to ruin their relationships or kill them trying.

The commands of the game are delivered by familiar faces that contort into evil smiles, looking, as one character puts it, “like a messed up Snapchat filter”.

Soon, Lucy realises, “what you see is not real only the consequences are real”. They also realise that “we are not playing it, it is playing us.”

But, by the end of it, the entire process; by-the-numbers, of trying to save themselves from being killed becomes staid, foreseeable and unintentionally silly.

While the performances are perfunctory and lacklustre, the production values inclusive of the CGI effects, definitely reek of a low-budget film.

Overall, coming from the makers who gave us horror films like “Get Out”, “Insidious”, “The Purge”, “Split”, “Paranormal Activity” “Sinister” and “The Gift”, this one is a mediocre-fare and childish diversion, which does not seem original or exciting.

(IANS)

Raj Amit Kumar’s provocative directorial debut, Unfreedom, starring Adil Hussain & Victor Banerjee, has recently been released internationally by Netflix, making it one of the boldest & the most controversial Indian films to release on the platform.

Unfreedom is a contemporary thriller based in a society torn apart by political, religious & sexual turmoil. Alternating between New York & New Delhi, the film combines 2 powerful stories about religious fundamentalism & intolerance. One of which follows a Muslim terrorist Husain (Bhanu Uday), attempting to silence a liberal Muslim scholar Fareed (Victor Banerjee).

The other story is about a young woman Leela (Preeti Gupta), who defies her devout father Devraj (Adil Hussain) & escapes an arranged marriage because she is secretly involved in a taboo lesbian romance with Sakhi (Bhavani Lee).

Through these stories, the film creates a powerful portrait of the troubled times we live in and depicts the lengths to which the protagonists go in order to hold on to their strong & conflicting viewpoints on freedom, faith, family & love.

Unfreedom is based on an original story by Raj Amit Kumar and marks his directorial feature film debut. He has also produced the film under the banner of Dark Frames & co-written the screenplay with Damon J Taylor.

The film’s technical team comprises of Oscar-winner Resul Pookutty (of Slumdog Millionaire fame) who has done the sound design for the film and was nominated for the Motion Picture Sound Editors’ 63rd annual Golden Reel Awards.

The film is shot by award winning cinematographer Hari Nair (of Shutter & Kerala Café fame) & edited by Atanu Mukherjee, who debuted as a director with the acclaimed film, Rukh in the year 2017.

Unfreedom was banned by the India’s Censor Board of Film Certification, (CBFC) in 2015 (which was then headed by ex – producer & Director Pahlaj Nihalani) who was of the opinion that the film will ignite unnatural (read homosexual) passions & incite rapes & communal violence in India. Initially the film was under review by Central Board Of Film Certification (CBFC) who wanted director Raj Amit Kumar to cut crucial elements from the film in order to be shown to the Indian public.

Not to be bogged down by their demands, Raj Amit Kumar appealed before the Indian Government’s Information & Broadcasting Appellate Tribunal, (FCAT). And in response, the FCAT banned the film without any possibility of cutting or further appeals.

Later on Raj Amit Kumar & his team ran a campaign for a year during which they did around 100 screenings of the film globally in India & US amongst other countries. The film was screened to immensely encouraging audience response in cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata,
Los Angeles & New York. Following this, the film was recently released internationally by Netflix.

Talking about the film’s release by Netflix, director Raj Amit Kumar averred, “I am glad that Unfreedom finds such a popular platform like Netflix after the ban in India and the efforts of censorship guardians in India to stop the film. It also exposes the hypocrisy & the divide between the reality & the fantasy of censorship system in India. There is no way they can control & censor content in digital age, yet, they try their best to choke filmmakers like me who have something relevant to say that makes them feel threatened.”

Elaborating on the film’s ban by Central Board Of Film Certification (CBFC) and it being labeled as one of the boldest Indian films ever, Raj Amit Kumar stated, “The boldness of something is always defined by what you are allowed to say or not in a society. The boldness of an artist is always defined by what others artist around him have not said or what they are not allowed to express. Thus, it is not the content in my film per se makes it bold, but it the context of a society in which it is told, it is the fact that we have become such a weak & conservative society where we are asked to shut up all the time. Our voices are being crushed unless we are chanting slogans that the powers to be & moral guardians are ok with.”

Raj Amit Kumar concluded by saying, “And in today’s time our art is being crushed in much more violent ways than ever before. Journalists are getting killed, films are getting banned for the slightest of transgressions and the whole mediascape is turned into a trumpet sound. Any other vision, voice, expression has to be curtailed. So I guess it is the boldest film ever because I did not give a damn about anyone or anybody. I didn’t care & I don’t think I will care in future as well. Unless artists take that approach and risk their well being, we will soon be living in a world where everybody is frightened to say anything truthful.”

Raj Amit Kumar graduated in Masters of Arts in Cinema & Media Studies from City University of New York (CUNY) in the year 2006, where he received the George Custen Memorial Award for Academic Excellence. Raj Amit Kumar finished his Ph.D. coursework in Cinema & Media studies at Southern Illinois University (SIUC) before beginning work on his 1st ever feature film, originally titled as Blemished Light, the script of which won the 1st ever Prize in Faculty Screenwriting Award at University of film & Video Association (UFVA) in the year 2009.
Also a media academic, teacher & writer, Raj Amit Kumar has taught cinema theory & history at both his alma maters, City University of New York & Southern Illinois University College from the yeafr 2005 to the year 2009 and his writings & research papers have been published & presented at varied conferences.
In early 2012, Raj Amit Kumar established Dark Frames as a development & production company. Its primary goal is to develop & produce provocative independent films.
Unfreedom is produced by Dark Frames, which is a new film & web Series development & production company set up by Raj Amit Kumar which is dedicated to bringing high-quality, independent films to international audiences.

The company is recently in production with its 2nd feature film Brown which is also directed by Raj Amit Kumar. And it is a pre-production of Black Boots, a story of the 1st ever Black Marines who went to World War II. The movie has a backing & support of Montford Point Marine Association & USA Marines. The company has also acquired Erotomania, a Novella by Francis Levy to be made as a Sex -Comedy in India.

The dynamic on-screen Jodi of Anil Kapoor & Madhuri Dixit are all set to come back together after 18 years for Indra Kumar’s Total Dhamaal. The duo has started shooting for the adventure-comedy, by grooving to the title track. Director Indra Kumar shares, “All three of us are shooting together 26 years after Beta and I’m excited about reuniting with my blockbuster jodi. They play husband & wife in the film and have been prepping for a while but I can’t reveal any details except that Anil goes by the name of Avinash and all of us call him Avi,” Ajay Devgn, Arshad Warsi, Jaaved Jaaferi, Riteish Deshmukh, Sanjay Mishra & Pitobash will join the duo for the song soon. Anil & Madhuri will be shooting for the film for the next 15 days. Indra Kumar adds, “It’s like a Beta reunion. I remember a week before the film’s release, we picturised “Dhak Dhak”. We’d already received the censor certificate by then so we had to add another supplement to the certificate for the song which was incorporated later. It was a last-minute addition & created history. We were all blown away when we saw it for the 1st time ever.”

OFFICIAL POSTER OF ‘KHAJOOR PE ATKE’ HINTS AT A QUIRKY FAMILY ENTERTAINER

Actor Harsh Chhaya makes his directorial debut with wholesome family entertainer Khajoor Pe Atke and the official poster of the film, hints at a quirky laughter ride. Featuring an ensemble star cast of comedy stalwarts such as Manoj Pahwa, Vinay Pathak, Seema Pahwa, Dolly Ahluwalia, Sanah Kapoor and others, the poster of the film shows members of a family standing outside the ICU unit of a hospital with expressions ranging from shock to curiosity to amusement to indifference, which pretty much hints that the film will revolve around an “Item Family”. Khajoor Pe Atke is a funny take at how the news about a person’s imminent death affects the members of his family in various ways. Produced by Welcome Friends Production, Khajoor Pe Atke is slated to release on 18th May, 2018.

SHONA URVASHI CONFERRED WITH TOP FRENCH AWARD

Filmmaker & artist Shona Urvashi has been conferred with the prestigious “Chevalier De l’Ordre Des Arts Et Des Lettres”, France’s highest cultural award for her contribution to bringing the new wave of independent cinema in India and improving the ease for foreign films & talent to work in & with India. The Consul General of France, Yves Perrin, bestowed the honour on the Indo-Canadian filmmaker at his residence recently. Shona’s work as a filmmaker spans across countries where she has curated & executed many cross-platform projects & ad campaigns. Perhaps her most impactful, yet least publicized contribution to the film industry has been her passion for helping independent filmmakers network with national & international film communities, and in promoting foreign projects to film in India while striving towards more collaborative efforts using homegrown talent. Shona Urvashi reminisced her connection with France to, when her grandfather Parmanand Anand traveled the fair land, distributing Indian films. “I believe that through our collaboration with each other, there are more dynamic conversations to be had, many exciting projects we must do together and so many new people on both sides just waiting to discover the other for better opportunity for all,” feels Shona.

POOJA HEGDE TAKES ADVANCE TRAINING IN AERIAL YOGA!

Though with a svelte & delicate body, Pooja Hegde has trained hard in a special workout to supplement strength to it. If one takes a good look at her workout videos on social media platforms, it can be gauged that the ravishing beauty is a pro at aerial silk yoga, which involves performing a series of acrobatic movements in a hammock-like apparatus, while being suspended from a silk rope. Now, the gorgeous actress has decided to take her obsession with the workout to another level that would require her to challenge herself further more. It is learnt that Pooja, who is currently shooting for a Telugu film in the USA, is enrolling in an advance form of the yoga. Despite a tight schedule, she is unwilling to compromise on fitness and is practicing aerial silk yoga in between shoots. Inspired by pop singer, Pink, Pooja took to the workout and has been hooked to it ever since. Apart from staying in shape and improving agility by routinely striking insane poses looking elegant & graceful at the same time, the stunner has also overcome acrophobia (fear of heights). Regardless of the time constraints that arise from shooting back – to – back, travelling & working around the clock, Pooja makes sure to never miss her airborne workout.

ALIA TO WIN HEARTS & AWARDS WITH ‘RAAZI’

The trailer of Meghna Gulzar’s Raazi, has taken the internet by storm within just a few days of it being released. The film features Alia Bhatt in the role of Sehmat, an Indian girl who is sent to Pakistan on a mission to spy for her country. Based on the novel, Calling Sehmat, by Harinder Sikka, the story is inspired by true events. The film also features Vicky Kaushal in the role of a Pakistani officer who is married to Alia’s character. Alia is turning out to be one of the best talents in Bollywood, and she will definitely walk away with all the glory for the film. Vicky Kaushal also looks promising in Raazi. Trailers & posters are a film’s 1st ever communication with audiences, and if you connect well here, then half of your battle is won. The trailer of Raazi is one such example. After watching this, we know that this one is going to be a powerful film. Alia is sure going to win hearts & awards alike.

KRITI KHARBANDA DOES “SEVA AT LANGAR” AT THE GOLDEN TEMPLE!

Kriti Kharbanda has an interesting line up of films releasing this year including her forthcoming family entertainer, Yamla Pagla Deewana: Phir Se featuring the Deols, and an extended cameo opposite Dulquer Salmaan in Karwaan. While shooting for the 3rd part of the successful franchise, Yamla Pagla Deewana – Phir Se in Amritsar recently, the gorgeous actress took some time out to visit the popular Golden Temple along with her movie co-star, Bobby Deol. It was indeed a memorable & divine experience at the Gurudwara where Kriti managed to do some “seva at the langar” by serving the people food & prasad. The actress feels blessed to visit the holy place as it filled her heart with gratitude, peace & positivity. Says Kriti, “This year has been so blissful. The last time that I went to Golden Temple, I was bound to a tight schedule and couldn’t make time for langar seva. At my 2nd visit to the temple, I was determined to make time for it. I am grateful for all the opportunities & love that has come by. I hope to have more chances to express my thanks to God – The Almighty.”

KRITI KHARBANDA PREPS FOR ‘YAMLA PAGLA DEEWANA: PHIR SE’!

Not afraid to go the extra mile, Kriti Kharbanda stops at nothing when it comes to portraying the characters assigned to her. The dedicated actress is learning Gujarati and more specifically looking to master popular catchphrases of the language, as she essays the role of a Gujarati girl in Yamla Pagla Deewana: Phir Se, sharing screen time with the Deols. Kriti is training to perfect the Gujarati accent under the guidance of a diction coach. The girl-next-door is all-in as far as disciplined is concerned and is practicing the language off the sets of the film too!

KANIKA KAPOOR CHAMPIONS THE CAUSE OF THE ELEPHANTS!

Kanika Kapoor is an ardent animal lover and also supports various animal welfare activities. The large-hearted singer has been recently invited for the special “Elephant Family Charity Dinner”, an initiative by Elephant Family NGO that works for the welfare of elephants across the country. “Elephant Family – protecting Asian elephants and their habitat”, is a small dynamic NGO started by Mark Shand, a British travel writer who was actively involved in the conservation of the Asian elephant & co-founded a charity called Elephant Family. Post his death, his sister Camilla, also wife of Prince Charles took over the charitable cause to save a forgotten species from extinction. Kanika, who has been an ambassador for the British Asian Trust, feels privileged to get associated with the noble cause. The NGO has also given the large-hearted singer an elephant to design which will be auctioned in London. Interestingly, Kanika recently performed at the Buckingham Palace in the presence of Prince Charles & Cornwall Camilla. Kanika says, “I’m most intrigued by the outpouring of support for the elephants and I am especially going as it’s such a noble gesture for a great cause.”

ADITI RAO HYDARI TO ATTEND THE TEACH FOR CHANGE ANNUAL FUNDRAISER IN HYDERABAD!

Aditi Rao Hydari has been invited to her hometown, Hyderabad for an initiative called “Teach For Change” an annual fundraiser, held at Falaknuma Palace, in the capacity of a Chief Guest. The gorgeous actress, who has always championed the cause of education, will lend her voice & strength to the initiative that aims to improve the overall standards of literacy at Government Schools in the city. Aditi’s royal roots in the city and the recent resounding success of Mani Ratnam’s Kaatru Veliyidai have led to a huge rise in her popularity down south. In addition to that, her contribution to literacy & education made the stunner a perfect choice for the cause that is currently active in over a 100 Government Schools in Hyderabad. The evening of the fundraiser will begin with Aditi walking into the grand 101 Dining Hall of the palace. Following which, the actress will address the guests & attendees and launch the “Teach For Change Academic Year – 2018”. Talking about the initiative Aditi says, “Public education solves every problem that plagues our country. Only a solid education system can break the vicious circle of illiteracy, unemployment & poverty. I am honoured to be associated with such a noble cause. I will do everything I can for this revolutionary initiative.”

PRIYANKA CHOPRA’S PURPLE PEBBLE PICTURES LAUNCHES ITS WEBSITE!

Priyanka Chopra’s home banner, Purple Pebble Pictures that completed 3 years this March has an online presence now as its official website was launched recently. The production house was founded with the endeavor to create quality regional cinema, refine storytelling through films and support new talent. 3 years since its inception, the banner has stood its ground by not only providing regional films a solid platform but also backing talents who specialize in areas of filmmaking. Chopra’s home banner has churned out films with unique story lines and won accolades up to 3 National Awards for one of their Marathi films, Ventilator. Regional cinema bankrolled by Purple Pebble Pictures has travelled to international film festivals and earned praise from celebrated filmmakers the world over. With such growth in a span of just 3 years, having a website seemed a natural progression.

Saudi Arabia’s first cinema theatre in over 3 decades will open on Wednesday (April 18) in Riyadh after ban was lifted last year.
Blockbuster action flick ‘Black Panther’ will play at a cinema test screening in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, the first in a series of trial runs before movie theatres open to the wider public next month.

The Kingdom lifted a 35-year ban on cinemas last year as part of a far-reaching liberalisation drive, with US giant AMC Entertainment granted the first licence to operate movie theatres.

Saudi Arabia announced it will open 40 cinemas in 15 Saudi cities over the next five years as part of plans to develop the entertainment sector in the Kingdom. 100 theatres will open in approximately 25 Saudi cities by 2030.

Saudi Ministry of Information confirmed 350 cinema theatres with 2,500 screens are slated to be open across several Saudi cities by 2030.
The first company to obtain a license to operate cinemas in Saudi Arabia is AMC.

The Black Panther will be the first film to be shown in the Kingdom’s first cinema. It has now made $665.4 million domestically, which makes it the third-highest grossing film in North American history.

The film will be exhibited in a theatre that can accommodate 620 people at the King Abdullah Financial Center in Riyadh, and the American operator AMC has also scheduled a special event for the historic opening.

Cinema tickets will be initially priced at 50 riyals.

Saudi Arabian Ministry of Culture and Information has estimated the contribution of the cinema sector to its GDP to be over $24 billion.

Cinemas in Saudi Arabia will create more than 30,000 full-time jobs, in addition to 130,000 part-time jobs by the year 2030.

Hindusthan Samachar/Shri Ram Shaw