• Huma Qureshi to star in Dedh Ishqiya

    MUMBAI: Huma Qureshi, the Gangs of Wasseypur fame, has replaced Kangama Ranaut in the sequel of Ishqiya.

  • Gurmeet Choudhary wins Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa

    Submitted by ITV Production on Oct 01

    MUMBAI: After 16 weeks of hard core dancing extravaganza, India has chosen Gurmeet Choudhary as the winner of COLORS dance reality show, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa! Gurmeet a novice and stiff dancer wooed the audiences and judges with his macho moves and stylish grooves to become a dancer par excellence. His never say die attitude got him a lot of support from his fans and well-wishers that helped him bag the coveted title. Rashami Desai Sandhu and Rithvik Dhanjani were the first and second runners up respectively. Awarding the winner were our ever inspiring jury, the purrrrfect Madhuri Dixit; blockbuster director Karan Johar; and ace choreographer, Remo D?souza. The grand finale evening not only witnessed some breath taking acts from the three finalists, but also saw two legendary actresses Madhuri Dixit and Sridevi share stage which created an epic moment.

    Gurmeet Choudhary was the lone survivor who started his journey of Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa from day one. Along with his talented Choreographer Shampa, he showcased some breathtaking performances like robotic hip hop, semi classical moves and international dance forms like Rumba and Paso Doble. The judges were impressed by his dedication, hard work & seamless energy. His performance graph was filled with highs and lows especially after his shoulder injury but under Shampa?s guidance, he bounced back as a fighter. Gurmeet walked away with prize money of Rs. 40 Lakhs and the title of the winner of Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa!

    When asked, Gurmeet said, ?When I came to Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, I was just an actor but today, I can proudly say that I?m a good dancer too. I?d like to thank my wife Debina for her love & support. And most of all, I would like to thank all my fans and supporters who have stood by me through both the good and the bad times. I am where I am only because of them.?

    On the occasion of the Grand Finale, Manisha Sharma, Weekend Programming Head, COLORS said, ?The objective this year was to deliver a never seen before experience of Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa for our viewers. We are delighted with the appreciation for the show coming in across demographics and geographies making it the best reality dance show on Indian television.?

    Myleeta Aga,General Manager and Creative Head of BBC Worldwide Productions India added,
    ?The essence of Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa is making non-dancer celebrities into dancers. Gurmeet?s journey is a fine example of this journey. This season all of the contestants raised the bar of their performances by experimenting with new dance forms and concepts. The jury brought in their own flavour to make this season a memorable and entertaining one.?

    With innovative and engaging concepts like dancing to a live band, paying tribute to 100 years of Indian cinema, andgetting paired up for performances with international Dancing with the Stars winners, this season of Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa stepped out of its zone and fulfilled all the promises by providing the audiences with wholesome entertainment.

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  • ?Dr. B R Ambedkar is ?The Greatest Indian after the Mahatma?

    Submitted by ITV Production on Aug 14

    Mumbai: Dr. B R Ambedkar was voted as the undisputed ?Greatest Indian? in the much anticipated quest spearheaded by HISTORY TV18 and CNN IBN. After weeks of fervent debate and speculation, the series culminated in a grand finale with eminent luminaries like Amitabh Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit-Nene, and IBN18 Editor in Chief Rajdeep Sardesai among others

    The father of the constitution received an overwhelming majority of the nearly 2 crore votes cast since the launch of the initiative. He also garnered the second highest Jury votes in the 3 pronged process which gives equal weightage to the popular vote, a jury and an on-ground poll. Other ?Greats? in the Top 10 list included eminent Indians across its 65 years from Jawaharlal Nehru to Mother Teresa to Sachin Tendulkar. The voting created phenomenal buzz in popular social media networks ?which was used actively by various fan groups to drive voting, besides trending regularly on Twitter.

    The grand finale, featuring some of the best known names, was replete with interesting anecdotes and incidents related to the ?Greats?. Besides discussion, it was also an occasion of celebration: The audience was mesmerized by the haunting voice of Kailash Kher singing his popular numbers like ?Teri Dewaani?, ?Yuhi Chala Chal Rahi? amongst others. Echoing the sentiment of all present, Amitabh Bachchan blogged about the event saying, ?Learning about these stalwarts in their fields, their contribution towards society and the country, the little and interesting anecdotes connected with them and what other greats thought of them. (All) in all a most substantial evening, one that is not encountered often.?

    Commenting on initiative, Rajdeep Sardesai, Editor-in-Chief IBN18 Network said ?We?re overjoyed that this series has captured the nation?s imagination and are truly inspired by the levels of interest and debate generated. It?s great that figures from our past continue to inspire such a passionate response and we are happy to have played a small role in helping understand them better.?

    Speaking on the occasion, Ajay Chacko, President, A+E Networks | TV18, stated, ?HISTORY TV18?s attempt has been to create interest across generations in the subject in an informal and entertaining way. This partnership with CNN IBN enables HISTORY TV18 to bring forth the inspiring figures over the years, who have had the maximum impact on the country?s present and future. India has always been identified as a cricket and Bollywood crazy nation, so it feels heartening to find nation builders and leaders topping the list, proving that the poll hit the right chord with people who?ve clearly realised its true purpose- to vote for iconic Great Indians who have impacted lives?

    Myleeta Aga, General Manager & Creative Head of BBC Worldwide Productions India, said ?BBC Worldwide India is thrilled to have partnered with HISTORY TV18 and CNN IBN to bring the BBC format "The Greatest Indian" to the Indian audience. It has been a fantastic collaboration that culminated in a Grand Finale that we produced together and brought into focus inspiring Indians including Mother Teresa, Dr. Ambedkar and Jawaharlal Nehru. The series has broken records emulating the success of the series worldover.?

    The entire process, one of the most thorough and meticulous in the industry, was audited by Grant Thornton. Along with the nationwide poll, equal weightage will be given to the jury?s selection as well as a separate market research poll conducted by The Nielsen Company.

    The Grand Finale will be telecast at 14th Aug, 7PM and 15th Aug, 9PM on HISTORY TV18 and 14th Aug, 9PM and 15th Aug, 7PM on CNN IBN.

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  • FoodFood completes one year of food worship!

    Submitted by ITV Production on Feb 02

    MUMBAI: FoodFood, India?s first Hindi 24x7 Food Lifestyle Brand completed one full year of operations successfully. The most innovative and specialized 360 degree food concept , launched through its TV channel FoodFood saw a plethora of highly exciting programmes Chefs and shows during the year that have become almost a household name today.

    Says Masterchef Sanjeev Kapoor, one of the promoters of FoodFood, "It has truly been a memorable year for all of us at FoodFood. The shows have been keenly watched by consumers across the country and from the comments I hear whenever I travel to the hinterlands of the country assures me that our consumers are getting emotionally attached to our shows. That?s the best testimony we could receive from our audiences."

    The channel has been constantly ahead of its competitors since its launch in 2011 growing at the rate of 10% in a year.

    FoodFood channel?s content is a classic mix of path-breaking cookery and food based lifestyle shows like Ladies First, Firangi Tadka, Mummy Ka Magic, Sanjeev Kapoor?s Kitchen, Turban Tadka, Secret Recipe, Tea Time with Rakesh Sethi, to name a few. The channel has also hosted India?s largest cooking reality show ?AMUL FoodFood Mahachallenge?. Cheered on by Madhuri Dixit and Chef Kapoor as judge, 16 contestants battled it out in the kitchen to prove their culinary mettle.

    All the shows are produced and shot in scintillating high definition. The content is personally researched, directed and supervised by Sanjeev Kapoor and his experienced team of Food Specialists.

    FOODFOOD is now also being telecast in the Middle East countries. It was brought to UAE by Etisalat, Middle East?s leading telecom operator and TV services provider. Etisalat is the first operator in the region to offer the FOODFOOD CHANNEL to its customers in the UAE. The Middle East, especially Abu Dhabi and Dubai are popular destinations for expat Indians , and therefore a very important and challenging market for food lifestyle and cookery based television content. "Going forward, we plan to enhance our presence across the world, appealing to the expat Indian population." Said Mr. Sanjeev Kapoor.

    The resident chefs of FOODFOOD not only understand food and cuisine, they are also in tune with the audiences? lifestyle preferences. They, therefore produce and package content for the shows that are relevant to the Indian audiences. FoodFood is not just about stand-and-stir kind of shows, it features programming that is compellingly interactive with the audiences.

    FoodFood?s focus on innovative and creative programming continues in the new year too?On the anvil are exciting shows like Mummy Ka magic in a whole new interactive format, How to Cook series with Sanjeev Kapoor, for those interested in learning to cook and many more.

    The channel is available in both analog and digital formats pan India. On the DTH platform they are available on Airtel DTH at the moment and will soon be present with other leading DTH carriers in this year.

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  • "Jhalak Dikhla Jaa" wins Best Entertainment Programme award at ATA

    Submitted by ITV Production on Dec 14

    MUMBAI: The fourth season of "Jhalak Dikhla Jaa", based on the international hit Dancing with the Stars and produced by BBC Worldwide Productions India, has won the award for Best Entertainment Programme Best General Entertainment Programme at the 16th annual Asian Television Awards. The ceremony took place at a gala event in Singapore.

    Myleeta Aga, General Manager & Creative Head of BBC Worldwide Productions India, who picked up the award on behalf of the show says, "It is an honour to win at the Asian Television Awards and testimony to the BBC Worldwide Production India and Sony Television teams who worked so tirelessly to bring the show to life. Jhalak Dikhla Jaa Season 4 truly lived up to its promise of being bigger and bolder than the successful seasons before it. he Indian version of BBC Worldwide?s international bestseller "Dancing with the Stars" had been extensively remodelled to appeal to the country?s viewers. The dances were typically more exuberant than on its sister programmes around the world, owing to India?s unique Bollywood tradition".

    Launched in 1996, the Asian Television Awards (ATA) is the Asian TV industry?s most significant and celebrated event, recognizing excellence in programming, production and performance..

    The awards comprise over 30 categories and enjoy the support of every major industry player throughout the region. ATA attracts a multitude of entries from a wide range of broadcasters, including free-to-air television stations and pay-TV platforms, as well as many independent production houses in Asia, including India.

    Full of glitz and glamour, Jhalak Dikhla Jaa attracted top celebrity judges such as Madhuri Dixit, Malaika Arora Khan and Remo D?Souza and received an overwhelming number of votes, mails and viewers from around India. The show has been a great success for BBC Worldwide Productions India and Sony Television, opening with TRPs of over 5.Dancing with the Stars has been sold to over 35 broadcasters and can be seen in 75 countries across 6 continents.

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  • Shemaroo Entertainment releases Best of Madhuri Dixit - a Four DVD Movie pack

    Submitted by ITV Production on Sep 15

    MUMBAI : With expressions as deep as sea and a smile that could compel even the hard hearted to surrender himself to the enigmatic beauty. She is also known as the "Madhubala of the industry". She has won five filmfare awards and holds the record for the highest number of Best Actress nominations at the Filmfare, being nominated 13 times. A fine actress and an acclaimed dancer, she is Madhuri Dixit.

    Shemaroo Entertainment brings to her fans some of her best films compiled together in one pack. The company releases ?Best of Madhuri Dixit? - a Four DVD Movie pack namely - Khal Nayak, Dil, Beta and Raja. The pack is a collection of her movies released in 90s, an era when the actress ruled Bollywood. Madhuri won Filmfare awards for her films - Dil and Beta and a Star Screen Award for Raja. Her unmatched performance on the song - ?Dhak Dhak karne laga..? from the film Beta and ?Choli ke peeche kya hai..? in Khalnayak still drive the youth crazy. All the four films of Madhuri reveal the different shades of the actress and is pure entertainment for any Madhuri Dixit fan.

    Catch up with dhak dhak girl of bollywood - Madhuri Dixit this season!!

    The DVDs are economically priced at Rs. 399/- MRP

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