'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 »
Roadside Romeo: Walt Disney’s First Hindi Animation
MUMBAI - For the first time Walt Disney has made a film in Hindi. The release of ‘Roadside Romeo,’ the animation tale of a dog finding true love after being abandoned in a Mumbai slum, Friday, October 24, 2008, has hit international headlines. Made in co-production with Yashraj Films, ‘Roadside Romeo’ casts Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor and Javed Jaffrey. Like a typical Bollywood film, it has songs and dances. Read more »
Shah Rukh Khan knighted in Malaysia amid controversy
What started as an attempt to promote Malaysian tourism among Indians has turned into a national controversy in Malaysia. The country, home to about 2.6 million people of Indian origin, bestowed one of Malaysia's prestigious titles 'Datuk' on India's most bankable film star Shah Rukh Khan. But the opposition leader has questioned the decision. Malaysian honour 'Datuk' is almost equivalent of the British knight 'Sir'. The news has amused press ranging from The Washington Times to 'The Variety'. 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 »
Abhishek Bachchan leads the Indian Film season 2008 on Channel 4
Britain's Channel 4 is the only mainstream television channel in the UK that has been screening Indian film seasons for now almost two decades. And the person behind the whole show has always been Nasreen Munni Kabir who used to produce Britain's only regular programme of Indian cinema- Movie Mahal, again, on Channel 4 in the 1980s. This year's season, starting from September 7, Sunday and Thursday nights, will celebrate the works of Abhishek Bachchan, Sharmila Tagore, Goutam Ghose and Anupam Kher. All films will be preceded by a 5 minute introduction with the Star/Director featuring in season. Read more »
Dholakia's controversial film 'Lamha' on Kashmir in serious trouble
Srinagar (Kashmir)- The shooting of a controversial film on Indian Kashmir has led to a slanging match among Indian authorities, separatists and filmmakers. The trouble started after Bollywood filmmaker Rahul Dholakia's admission that his forthcoming movie "Lamha" would depict the pain and suffering of Kashmir even though it was essentially a love story. Bollywood's 'sex bomb' Bipasha Basu is portraying the character of an Islamic separatist (woman), Asiya. Read more »
UK Minister and top Bollywood stars celebrate historic agreement
An era of closer collaboration between Indian and UK film-makers began as Britain's film Minister Barbara Follett launched a historic film co-production on the set of major Bollywood movie London Dreams, Wednesday, October 22, 2008. Now, any Indian filmmaker who wants to collaborate with a British producer under the treaty will have access to a range of benefits including tax breaks, sources of funding and practical support. Read more »
'Baarah Aana' indicts India's affluent people
'Barah Aana' (2008), based on Aravind Adiga's debut novel 'The White Tiger', shortlisted for Man Booker 2008 and directed by Raja Menon, exposes the hypocrisy of Indian's upper and middle class, and its atrocities committed against poor people. Featuring Naseeruddin Shah, Tannishtha Chaterjee, Violante Placido Vijay Raz, Benjamin Gilani and Barry John film has been a subject of intense debate in the Western press as India emerges to become a super power. Read more »
Firaaq, Kanjivaram and Singh is Kinng at 33rd Toronto Festival
Deepti Naval in FiraaqToronto- The best of current international filmmaking features in 'Contemporary World Cinema' category at the 33rd Toronto International Film Festival (4th Sept- 13th Sept 2008). So, it's an honour for Indian actress Nandita Das` directorial debut 'Firaaq', based on the 2002 Godhra incident in Gujarat, to be selected for this prestigious category. 'Singh is Kinng' by Anees Bazmee and 'Kanjivarm' by Priyadarshan too feature at the Toronto Festival but they fall into the showbiz sort of categories. During the last three years very few Indian films have featured in the competitive categories of international festivals. Read more »
Bollywood Unplugged on Fox Business TV with India EU Film Initiative
With 1000 films and about 4 billion cinema tickets per year, Indian film industry is attracting world's attention for another reason; it's phenomenal growth, about 17 per cent, during the last two years. On Tuesday, August 12, 2008, India EU Film Initiative's Editor, Pervaiz Alam, was interviewed on Rupert Murdoch's Fox Business Network by Ashley Webster in London to explain how Spielberg and Hollywood could benefit by aligning themselves with Bollywood. Watch Pervaiz Alam's Interview. Read more »