| MUMBAI:
Warner Bros is pumping up its movie business in India. In a fresh deal aimed at
increasing the Bollywood slate, the company has inked a three-film production
and distribution deal with People Tree Films, a production house set up by Mukesh
Talreja (producer of Tere Naam) and Nikhil Advani (director of Kal Ho
Na Ho). Warner
Bros Pictures India's pact is for the films titled Jaane Kahaa Se Aayi Hai,
Chandbhai and Basra. "We
will not only co-produce the films but also distribute and market them in India
and overseas," says a Warner Bros spokesperson.
Warner
Bros has also signed a film with Vinay Pathak
and Rituparna Sengupta. The film, titled
SRK, is currently under production.
Jaane
Kahaa Se Aayi Hai, directed by Milap Milan Zaveri, stars Riteish Deshmukh,
Jacqueline Fernandez and Ruslaan Mumtaz. A romantic comedy about a woman from
Venus who crash-lands on earth looking for love, the film is slated for a 2009
summer release. The music of the film has been composed by Sajid & Wajid. Chandbhai
is Nikhil Advani's second directorial venture with Warner Bros. after Chandni
Chowk to China. The film, which casts Akshay Khanna and Vidya Balan as the
lead protagonists, tells the story of two characters who change their lives by
facing their inner demons and embracing life and happiness in the process. Shankar,
Ehsaan and Loy are the music directors of the film. Directed
by Navdeep Singh, Basra revolves around the lives of a spy and a cop. The
film stars Akshaye Khanna as the central figure. Says
Talreja, "We are looking at releasing Jaane Kahaa Se Aayi Hai in the
summer of 2009, Chandbhai during Diwali 2009 and Basra will hit
the cinemas by 2009-end." Warner
Bros forayed into Bollywood film production with Saas bahu Aur Sensex.
Chandni Chowk to China, a $12 million budget film which is slated for release
on 16 January, is Warner Bros Pictures' second Bollywood film. Earlier
this year, Warner Bros Pictures India had inked a multi-movie deal with Soundarya
Rajnikanth's Ocher Studios. The pact covered the production and distribution of
South Indian language films to be released by Warner Bros. |