Film 'Rab Ne...' tests India-Pakistan relations
The three-day siege of Mumbai, for which India blames a Pakistani extremist group, has derailed plans for increasing economic ties between the countries, says The New York Times, Monday, November 2008.“Four years of sincere and bold initiatives from both sides have been put on pause mode, The momentum is badly affected,” said Jairam Ramesh, India’s junior minister for commerce. Latest Bollywood movie 'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi' featuring India's top film star Shah Rukh Khan has become the latest victim of the Indo-Pak tensions. Read more »
'Shoot On Sights' hits UK screens
'Shoot On Sight' - much talked about film inspired by the July 7, 2005 underground bombings in London- has been released in 100 cinemas of the UK, Friday, August 22, 2008. Huge posters of the controversial thriller, directed by Jagmohan Mundhra, can be seen on London's red buses and phone booths. Producer Aron Govil has said that a portion of the profits from his 'Shoot On Sight' will be donated to the London bombings memorial planned for Hyde Park. Read more »
Indian Media Scene sparkles with Murdoch Money
Rupert Murdoch, world's most powerful media-baron and Chairman of News Corp., became front page news in most of the Indian papers as he dined and wined in India in the first week of August 2008. He met PM Manmohan Singh and other political heavy weights, including the Chairperson of India's ruling alliance UPA. Murdoch announced plans to launch six new regional television channels in India, where the media is expected to grow 18.5 per cent between 2008 and 2012, the fastest rate among the Bric countries – Brazil, Russia, India and China – according to the consultancy firm PwC. Read more »
50 cinema halls in UK get public money for renovation
London. More than 50 independent cinemas across the UK have benefited from a £475,000 injection of Lottery cash from the UK Film Council to help upgrade facilities and enhance the cinema-going experience for audiences, according to a press release issued July 30, 2008. Read more »
Recession boosts cinema attendance
It's great news for cinema. "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" rejuvenated the world cinema box office, as the Spielberg adventure, starring Harrison Ford, raked in an estimated $312 million worldwide. Now, "Sex And The City" is all set to generate sumptuous box-office figures, leading this summer into a box office success. It seems audiences are finding an outlet to escape from rising prices and recession. Read more »
'Ban all Indian movies in Pakistan'
LAHORE: Bollywood movie 'Dostana' has been banned in Pakistan and now the Lahore High Court of Pakistan is hearing a petition which says exhibition of all Indian films be declared unlawful, illegal and against the current Film Rules of Pakistan. Read more »
'London Dreams' yet to be filmed but sold for a record sum
London Eye Twilight by Gary T PalmerThe distribution rights of filmmaker Vipul Shah's, yet to be filmed movie, 'London Dreams', have fetched $27 million. On the other hand Britain's Tourism arm Visit London is launching a £4m global ad campaign ahead of the Olympic handover to promote the capital as a tourist destination in the run-up to the 2012 Games. The international campaign will target markets including India. Is there any connection between the two? Read more »
$3 billion box office bonanza for British cinema
London. British films were a $3 billion hit last year, according to the latest statistics published by the UK Film Council in July 2008. They accounted for more than 1 in 4 cinema tickets sold in the UK - or 29% of the total UK box office, up from 19% in 2006. Internationally, Brit films pulled in the crowds taking $3.3 billion worldwide, equal to 700 million admissions across the globe and an increase of 50% on 2006's figure of $2.2 billion. Read more »
'Shoot on Sight' on 100 screens in UK from August 22
In an exclusive interview with India-EU Film Initiative, Aron Govil, producer of Jag Mundhra directed 'Shoot on Sight,' has revealed plans for his film's release in the UK. In a bold move he has decided to go much beyond the Bollywood threshold of releasing films in the UK which is usually 20-50 sites. "I am planning to release 'Shoot on Sight' on at least 75 screens and may be as many as 100. These are mostly main stream multiplexes," said Govil. Read more »
'Sarkar Raj' threat to Bachchans
It rarely happens in cinema when one family's entire fortunes are at stake. India's legendary film star Amitabh Bachchan must be the most nervous person in the film capital of India, Mumbai. He, along with his son Abhishek Bachchan and daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, has put all eggs in one basket- 'Sarkar Raj,' a new Bollywood thriller, directed by maverick Ram Gopal Varma who's known for his sheer brilliance as well as pathetic film direction. All three Bachchans are acting in 'Sarkar Raj'. Will the three Bachchans- giants of Bollywood- be able to swim, ask many. Read more »