KAMAL HASSAN's DTH Revolution for VISHWAROOPAM

Kamal Hassan is reportedly exploring the possibility of releasing his new Tamil film, Vishwaroopam, through telecast on a DTH platform on Thursday, January 10, before its full-fledged theatrical release. This is a new approach to publicity for the film and is a technique believed to create a positive word-of-mouth that will incite crowds to watch it at the cinema. The DTH operators telecasting this release would be Airtel, Dish, Videocom and Reliance while the film would have a simultaneous release in Los Angeles.

In a country where cinema-goers visit the cinema several times to watch their favorite hit film, this might be quite a strategy. Multiplex owners however are extremely worried this might negatively impact their business.

While skepticism from movie theatre owners may seem well justified, it remains to be seen if their fears are properly founded. A good film, and Kamal Hassan would seem very confident about his newest venture, just might make this experiment work.

The industry should watch closely and continue to attempt new ways of releasing films at a time when many blockbusters are sold as pirate DVD copies around town from the night of their release onwards. A release in both online and cinema platforms might be a solution, or maybe Kamal Hassan’s solution will spread like fire… May the film world keep closely watching.

Hrithik Roshan launches Virtual Academy of Cinema

Whistling Woods International has recently launched the first ever Virtual Academy of Filmmaking, which has created its first online course. Hrithik Roshan was present to launch the new programme. He praised the institution and expressed his admiration for all the people who are a part of it, from its creators to its students.

The actor additionally hosted a masterclass at the school. Approximately three hundred students attended the class and participated in a final Q&A session which gave them an insight into the star’s experience of cinema, how he has come to value each experience he has encountered in his profession and how he advices each and every student to be fearless in their approach to cinema.

INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL OF INDIA in GOA 2012

“Wow! Someone who says there is more to Goa than its beaches!” a colleague teased me when he found out I was trying to reach Goa’s Maquinez Palace in Panjim in time for the 43^rd International Film Festival of India.

I rightfully did not want to miss the opportunity of seeing how Goans, filmmakers and delegates from throughout the world celebrated 100 years of Indian cinema this 2012. Apart from the international film category, the festival incorporated all-time Bollywood hits as well as several carefully selected films from all over the country, showcasing India’s diversity. From all the films selected for the programme, the following are a few of my favorite picks:

Samhita by Sunil Sukthankar: Two eras come together to question whether we are truly writing the script of our own life or giving in to the various pressures surrounding us.

Munich in India by Konstantin Fritz: A German painter lived in India in the 1930s and filmed his life there. His grandson follows his grandfather’s steps creating a portrait of yesterday and today’s India.

Dreaming of Taj Mahal by Nirmal Chander: A moving documentary on the true story of a Pakistani driver whose ultimate dream is to get an Indian visa to visit the Taj Mahal.

Lessons in Forgetting by Unni Vijayan: Based on Anita Nair’s book with the same title, the film tells the story of Meera, a middle-aged woman.  

Ithramathram by Dr. K. Gopinathan: A Malayalam film. The unexpected death of a thirty-eight-year-old woman called Sumitra leaves her husband and daughter completely lost and helpless. Reflections on an individual’s death become a wondrous evocation of the colour, zest and zeal of the entire village life and entire network of collective human destiny.

Digant by Dnyanesh Moghe: A Konkani film in which the divide between urban and village life is explored through the nomadic “Gowli” community in Goa.

Garm Hava by M S Sathyu: The original 1973 film has been digitalized and restored to please current young audiences.

The festival offered viewers the occasion to rewatch box office or acclaimed hits on the big screen such as Pyaasa, Sholay, Lagaan, Mughal-e-Azam, The Namesake or Lage Raho Munna Bhai. Apart from films and open forums with international and national filmmakers and actors (such as Tabu and Irrfan Khan), there were also drama and music celebrations throughout Goa under the Chitrashatabdi – 100 Years of Indian Cinema programme, such as the November 27 performance by Sukhwinder Singh and a Footsteps of Bollywood event the following day. Bollywood stars Zeenat Aman and Bipasha Basu also walked the ramp at two different fashion events in Goa during the festival while Akshay Kumar graced the festival's opening ceremony.

Aside from the festivities, a stay in Panjim also granted authentic Portuguese-style surroundings, a laid back city atmosphere and fantastic cuisine – who invented the sinful bebinca? The stay was indeed in itself uma festa maravilhosa! (a wonderful celebration!)

YASH CHOPRA Rest in Peace

To most Bollywood viewers abroad, the name Yash Chopra conjures memories of discovering the world of Indian cinema, its emotions, its romance, its beauty and its music. 

The king of Bollywood romance passed away on October 21st following a multiple organ failure after succumbing to a serious strain of dengue fever. The film fraternity, friends and family have come to pay their homage at Studio 3 of Yash Raj studios before cremation took place. Colleagues from the film fraternity present at the studio were Shyam Benegal, Gulzar, Tabu, Shah Rukh Khan, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Rishi Kapoor, Vidya Balan, Ranbir Kapoor, Shahid Kapoor, Subhash Ghai and Ashutosh Gowariker among many others.

TORONTO TIFF does it again: INDIAN PREMIERES

Still from Ship of Theseus by Anand Ghandi

Next September's Toronto International Film Festival 2012 is again interested in what happens in this side of the cinema world. Voicing its approval of contemporary Indian cinema by adopting Bombay as its Spotlight City for the festival's "City to City" programmes, this year's TIFF showcases ten new films from Bombay. Several of these releases are world premieres while some will be North American premieres. The lineup is:

Gangs of Wasseypur – Part One and Part Two  by Anurag Kashyap Starring Manoj Bajpayee, Richa Chadda and Reema Sen.

While Part One of Anurag Kashyap’s much awaited gangster saga has premiered in Cannes and New York, Toronto will see Part Two as a North American premiere. Gangs of Wasseypur tells the story of a bloody war between two mafia clans at the time of India's struggle towards independence. Indian audiences are eagerly expecting its release next week while its trailer does the rounds of several TV channels.

Ship of Theseus by Anand Gandhi Starring Aida El-Kashef, Sohum Shah and Neeraj Kabi

Another debut feature film is delivered by the hands of Anand Gandhi, who has received great applause as a playwright. Gandhi opens a window into the lives of three Mumbaikars: a monk, a blind photographer and a stockbroker with a heightened sense of justice.

Miss Lovely by Ashim Ahluwalia  

Starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Niharika Singh and Anil George

Deep, dark, dramatic. Miss Lovely depicts the sex-horror film industry of  Bombay's 1980s. Cinematography, casting and the unusual choice of topic make it an interesting and intriguing option, apart from the fact that it was very well received in Cannes and that it stars an excellent actor such as Nawazzudin Siddiqui (who also stars in Kashyap's Gangs of Wasseypur).

Shanghai by Dibakar Banerjee

Starring Abhay Deol and Kalki Koechlin

Through an adaptation of Vassilis Vassilikos' Z, the director of Love Sex aur Dhokla delivers a paced and exciting political drama.   

Shahid by Hansal Mehta 

Starring Raj Kumar, Prabhleen Sandhu and Baljinder Kaur. Shahid revisits the life of lawyer Shahid Azmi, who was murdered in 2010 after being involved in the defense of human rights. A fascinating story of a young Muslim boy who became a symbol later in his life.

Mumbai Cha Raja by Manjeet Singh 

Starring Rahul Bairagi, Arbaaz Khan and Tejas Parvatkar. Young Rahul and Arbaaz live in the streets of Bombay finding ways to make their existence more tolerable while Rahul searches a way to reclaim his dignity by "taking care" of his violent father.

Peddlers by Vasan Bala 

Starring Gulshan Devaiah and Siddharth Mennon.

A directorial debut for Vasan Bala, Peddlers is a pulsating thriller that brings together the lives of three improbable characters in Bombay's underworld. 

Ishaqzaade by Habib Faisal 

Starring Arjun Kapoor and Parineeti Chopra

Action with a quirky edge, the love story between both protagonists has won accolades for delivering a different mainstream film.

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The Bright Day by Mohit Takalkar 

Starring Mohan Agashe, Radhika Apte and Shernaz Patel

Following the spiritual journey of a young man across India, images tell a soul's coming of age.

Consult the TIFF City to City programme 2012 for more information.

NICOLE KIDMAN's "GRACE OF MONACO" co-financed by YRF

Talk about the South of France and Cannes may be a hot topic at the moment due to the worldwide known Cannes festival 2012 but our attention was recently diverted by the news that the South of France will also be the "point of departure" for Nicole Kidman's Grace of Monaco. What does this have to do with Hindi cinema, a reader may ask. YRF Entertainment, a subsidiary of  Yash Raj Films studios in India is a company that focuses on the production of English language films abroad. The company will be participating in Kidman's endeavour in the executive production, script writing and financing/production departments. YRF Entertainment's CEO, Uday Chopra, has met with producer Pierre-Ange Le Pogam (ex co-founder of Europacorp and known for global films such as Colombiana) to organize the financial production of Grace of Monaco, which will be directed by Olivier Dahan (well known in France for La Vie En Rose starring Marion Cotillard). Films having a mix of Indian and foreign crew and cast include Oscar nominated movies by Shekhar Kapur (Elizabeth and sequel Elizabeth : The Golden Age) or films such as Karma: Crime, Passion, Reincarnation. We are looking forward to see the successful collaboration of entertainment professionals from France, India and the USA in Dahan's film, which retraces the political life of Grace Kelly.

Keep updated about Grace of Monaco at IMDb

HINDI CINEMA AT CANNES 2012 - Kashyap at the forefront

The Hindi Cinema Blog is gleefully watching how Anurag Kashyap has become the new Indian "coqueluche" at the Cannes cinema festival. The director that our partner CinemaHindi interviewed back in August 2009 (read the Exclusive Interview with Anurag Kashyap) will be showcasing 3 of his banner's films at the coveted screens of the festival: PEDDLERS, by Vasan Bala (assistant in Gulaal and  Dev D), has been selected for the Semaine de la Critique (Cannes Film Critics Week). The film stars Gulshan Deviah (Hate Story) and Kriti Malhotra (acclaimed for her performance in Dhobi Ghat).

Moreover, none other than Kashyap's most recent film, GANGS OF WASSEYPUR (Parts I and II), starring Manoj Bajpayee and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, is one of the select group of films to be scheduled for the festival's Directors Fortnight.

Anurag Kashyap excitedly announced his participation in Cannes through Twitter "Three of our films; Peddlers, Gangs Of Wasseypur (I&II) at Cannes Film Festival. HUGE MOMENT OF PRIDE FOR US!' 'Waiting at theBrussels airport in a silent zone, wanting to scream out loud, off to Copenhagen.. I am very happy..really Happy today." 

Apart from Kashyap’s films, another Indian film, MISS LOVELY, by Ashim Ahluwalia will compete in the Un Certain Regard category, which has been selecting high quality cinema over the years.We are looking forward to see Nawazuddin Siddiqui performing in this film too and are delighted to see two of his films are being showcased. Last but not least, the film DELHI BELLY by Abhinay Deo is allegedly set to be screened at the festival, off competition, and we wish it utmost success.

We hope this new wave of Indian cinema at the prestigious festival will set a precedent and will get the French audience increasingly acquainted with Indian cinema. It is high time!

100 YEARS OF INDIAN CINEMA

Indian Cinema... the idea of it and its reality are alike India, a vast palette of styles, languages, sensibilities, heroes and heroines. When the Lumiere brothers' short films were screened for the first time at the Watson Hotel in Bombay in 1896, how many audience members would have dreamt of what was to become the most prolific movie industry in the world?

RANI AND BOLLYWOOD DIVAS

Among Rani Mukherjee’s upcoming films, Aaiyya, opposite Prithviraj Sukumaran has recently been making Bollywood enthusiasts eager with excitement. Sachin Kundalkar‘s debut Hindi film will allegedly have the actress, who has been nicknamed today’s Bollywood queen, pay a tribute to cinema divas of the 80s and early 90s. 

MADHURI DIXIT at Madame Tussaud's in London

 

Following in the steps of Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, Hrithik Roshan, Salman Khan and cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, it is now the beautiful Madhuri Dixit who will soon be inaugurating her very own wax statue at Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum in London.

The versatile actress has flown to the English capital in company of her family and will unveil her statue this following week. Madame Tussaud's has a new quintessential beauty in its collection.