• Kareena in a 5-Khan dilemma

    Submitted by ITV Production on Jan 04

    MUMBAI: Salman, Shahrukh, Aamir, Imran or Saif? This time it?s a 5 way street for Bollywood hottie Kareena! She has worked with all the Khan?s at some point in her career, and each one seems to be vying for her attention now.

    While she has the biggest hit of the year in Bodyguard with Salman, SRK made her the Chammak Challo of the nation. With Aamir, she had 3 Idiots becoming the highest grosser movie of all times and her association with Saif on and off screen has been a fairytale since the start. The youngest Khan, Imran will be seen playing her love interest in Ek Mein Aur Ek Tu and if the promos of the movie are anything to go by then it looks like another superhit on the plate for this Kapoor babe. So while every Khan is asking Kareena ? do you wanna be my Chammak Challo, who is her Khan of choice?

    At a recent awards function, when Kareena was asked who she thinks deserves to win, she boldly chose Salman over Shahrukh!

    In the cold war where the industry choses to remain neutral, not siding with either Khan, what prompted her to choose Salman over SRK? Could this be because Salman?s Bodyguard brought in more money than Ra.One? Whatever may be the reason, we just love watching her shenanigans on and off the screen!

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  • Zoom brings in 2012 with a bang

    Submitted by ITV Production on Dec 28

    MUMBAI: The countdown to the New Year 2012 has begun. zoOm, India?s No. 1 Bollywood channel, lines up a host of interesting and entertaining programmes, to bid goodbye to 2011 and to welcome 2012 in a Filmy Ishtyle!

    The celebration starts with Zabar 10 on the 28th of December, 2011, the show will enlist some witty and wacky New Year Resolutions for the stars; ?SRK should leave 3D animation / GFX alone? and ?Kangana should do more abnormal roles as she used to do earlier?. The list promises to be long and amusing and will keep you thoroughly entertained!

    The show that cannot be missed is with Shahrukh Khan turning the tables on zoOm?s Editor-in-Chief Omar Qureshi. Throughout the year, Omar Qureshi has questioned and rattled stars, getting them to reveal their deepest, darkest and naughtiest secrets. In a thrilling special titled ?SRK Encounters Omar Qureshi? on the 29th of December Bollywood Badshah Shahrukh Khan puts Omar on the hot-seat shooting some tough and provoking questions at him. Catch SRK pushing Omar to reveal some scorching secrets about himself and his star guests.

    2011 has seen many big hits and flops on the Bollywood movie front. The zoOm Review Show will have Omar Qureshi list out his favourite and most disappointing Bollywood films. So tune in to zoOm on the 30th of December, 2011 to check if your assessment of this year?s films matches his.

    The Bollywood Big Story on the 31tst of December, 2011 will discuss all the zoOm Bollywood Big stories of the year ? bringing together the juiciest hot topics like ?How Gay is Bollywood??, ?Is Bollywood getting enough sex? Tune in to watch which story raked up the most controversy and titillated the ?aam janta?.

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  • UFO?s satellite-based solutions revivinge film business in Assam

    Submitted by ITV Production on Dec 15

    MUMBAI: With 54 UFO Digital theatres in Assam, UFO Moviez India Ltd., the world?s largest satellite-based digital cinema network, has ensured that audiences across Assam are able to view new film releases first day first show at the same time as the rest of India. This has also resulted in increased audiences in theatres, which in turn, has led to a sea change in the film distribution landscape. The Assam circuit (comprising the states of Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur and Nagaland) has witnessed an almost five fold increase in territory selling prices for blockbuster films like ?RA-One?, Bodyguard or the forthcoming ones like ?Agneepath?. This is as compared to prices in the region pre UFO or early UFO days, when a commercial success like ?Mai Hoon Na? or ?Om Shanti Om? sold for Rs. 10 - 20 lakhs (approx) in 2004 - 2007.

    In a short span of time, UFO Moviez has successfully introduced satellite-delivered digital cinema in this region, which faces significant geographical and topographical challenges and where local language cinema was on the verge of dying down. First day first shows of films across the region enabled by UFO Moviez? satellite-delivered digital cinema solutions have stimulated a sea of change in the cinema theatre business in Assam, particularly amongst the single theatre owners, who were facing survival issues.

    Bhaskarjyoti Cinema Hall in Sivasagar district of Assam was closed for almost ten years, until UFO Moviez installed its digital cinema system in the theatre in May 2010. Now, after complete renovations, it is widely acknowledged as the best theatre in the region and enjoys regular houseful screenings of new Assamese and Hindi films.

    The Assam circuit, previously allotted low priority in the distribution chain, had barely ten theatres that screened new Assamese and Hindi films. As a result of the delay in the delivery of physical film prints to the region, these theatres were often forced to screen films as late as two months after their all India release. All of this changed, when in April 2007, the first UFO digital cinema system was installed in Assam. Anuradha Cinema in Guwahati, the second theatre in the region to install UFO?s projection system on its premises in April 2007, is now a premiere theatre in Assam and boasts a best in class projection system that offers superior picture quality and brightness and UFO?s 3D system. Theatre owner Chinmoy Sharma says, ?UFO Moviez? digital cinema systems ensure that audiences throughout Assam are able to enjoy high quality first-day-first-show screenings of films, unhampered by weather conditions, terrain or any other technical snags or delays.?

    Mr. Arun Mehra of Aum Moviez (the largest distributors of films in the Eastern Circuit) says, ?Increasing box office revenues have transformed Assam into a major territory for Indian films in the Eastern region. Most of the theatres in Assam now have improved sound systems to match UFO?s digital picture quality. Thanks to increasing revenues from ticket sales, all major theatres have been refurbished with pushback seats and new food courts. It?s an added bonus for film-goers in Assam, who are today willing to pay for the quality and value proposition that are a part of UFO?s digital cinema installations.? Adds Mr. Shankar Lal Goenka, Proprietor, Goenka Enterprises (a major film distributor based in Assam and winner of the Dada Saheb Phalke Academy Award for his services to the Indian film industry) says, ?The box office in Assam has expanded thanks to first-day-first-show screenings made possible by UFO Moviez.?

    Theatres like Smriti Gopal Cinema (only running theatre in Jorhat region) and Sarma Talkies (only one in Pathsala town), which were about to close down due to losses, have become active and vibrant again, thanks to UFO Moviez? pioneering solutions. Post installations of UFO?s digital infrastructure, these theatres have undergone a complete renovation of the premises and now operate profitably. The Gold Digital Cinema chain is now present in the region and has recently opened a new theatre in Shillong, Meghalaya.

    Assamese language cinema has also benefited immensely. Earlier, the average number of Assamese film releases per year was about one or two at the most. In 2011, there have been six Assamese film releases so far. In 2012, around seven Assamese language films are expected to be released. This growth is almost entirely due to the fact that there are now a much larger number of theatres that an Assamese film can reach in the first week of its release. For example, romantic Assamese drama film ?Raamdhenu? was released in 24 cinema halls across Assam early this year. The film screened to houseful audiences for two weeks in almost all these theatres and completed 25 weeks of screening to appreciative audiences. Producers of the film at Pride East Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. stated, ?We are delighted at the success of Raamdhenu and we hope that we will set the success ball rolling for the Assamese film industry. We share this success with UFO Moviez; their digital cinema technology platform and their support has made it possible to provide good content to our audiences on time and showcase the best quality in cinema.?

    The growth of cinema in the region is not limited to Assamese language films alone. Refurbished theatres, enthusiastic audiences and a growing appetite for cinema has meant that even Bengali and Bhojpuri films now play to packed audiences in Assam. For example, Bengali film ?Romeo? recently released in 16 UFO theatres in Assam. Hindi films too now enjoy larger audiences in the region. Shahrukh Khan starrer ?RA-One?, for example, was released in 49 theatres in Assam in its first week. ?Ready? and ?Singham? released in over 41 UFO digital screens across Assam. Dabangg ran houseful for almost a week in all the theatres in Assam. The ?big picture? in Assam is only going to get bigger and better!

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  • Hungama launches DON-2 Voice Game Music of DON 2 available on Hungama.com

    Submitted by ITV Production on Nov 26

    Mumbai: The most awaited sequel of the year is here, this time with a lot more intensity than before. Be on high alert as the suave, charismatic, playboy villain is back, portraying his devious role as the leader of the underworld. This is what Shahrukh Khan fans all across the world have been waiting for; a true blockbuster way of ending the year, with none other than DON 2. And in the true Hungama style of celebrating the arrival of the DON, download the soundtrack of DON 2 from Hungama.com on your mobile phone or PC.

    The excitement doesn?t end here. Apart from the smashing soundtrack, Hungama Mobile has also created a voice game based on the movie, which offers a chance to 10 players who could get lucky and meet the DON himself! The game ?DON KA GANG? is based on the movie DON 2. It has a set of challenges that the players have to go through in order to complete the levels and thus be included in the final 10, who stand a chance to meet the DON himself. The player has 5 levels to complete and each level gets even harder than the first, but closer to the reward- a chance to be recruited into the DON?s gang and meet Shahrukh Khan.

    The soundtrack for DON 2 is also live on Hungama.com. Get hold of some of the finest tunes composed by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and Javed Akhtar. The album begins with a monologue by SRK signaling the comeback of the Don. This is followed by the title song ?Zaraa Dil Ko Thaam Lo? which takes off from ?Aaj Ki Raat? and brings back the sound of the early 80s in a fresh new presentation. Shaan?s version of ?Main Hoon Don? from Don - The Chase Begins Again, is presented by KK in Don 2 as ?Mujhko Pehchaanlo. The fun element however is provided by ?The King Is Back - Theme? - a four minute long piece that takes forward the anthem of ?Don? with Sunitha Sarathi providing a fitting tribute to the song. The soundtracks of Don 2 gives the listeners a grand feel - just like the Don himself.

    Don 2 is all set to bring back the memories of the prequel along with giving it a whole new twist.

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  • Bollywood Biggies Got Game

    Submitted by ITV Production on Jan 20

    The latest thing to happen in the world of wireless gaming is the number of big and not so big Bollywood honchos making their presence felt.

    There is the Badshah of Disco and bling 'Boppy Da' (Bappi Lahiri for the uninitiated) who is engaged on a new mission - to get back at the baddies who have robbed him of his jewels. The mobile game featuring the portly composer has been making tracks on the popularity charts in India and abroad. The game has him him stunning the villains, with his high-voltage guitar.

     

    Then there is also southside actor Madhavan, who is busy evading the paparazzi in 'Run Maddy Run'.

    Already in the pipelines are Hrithik Roshan (in a Krrish game) and Bollywood badshah Shahrukh Khan (Don).

    Gaming centering around Bollywood celebrities has been around for some time but now market forces are swinging the other way with actors wooing gaming companies, signing contracts, negotiating royalty money which on an average is 10 to 20 per cent of the download revenues.

    Gaming is expected to grow annually and actors are queuing up to get featured. A well crafted and hyped mobile game spreads through the personal network of friends,

    colleagues and business contacts abroad. The bigger canvas is that of simultaneous releases of Hindi films in foreign countries with promotional and ground events with the stars. For old actors it's a better and faster way to keep them alive amongst the youth.

    Games are also being designed on brash heroes like Salman Khan and Bollywood bombshells Priyanka Chopra and Bipasha Basu are hopping aboard the bandwagon as well. Sameera Reddy who's got her own share of adulation, is getting into another mobile game with 'Sameera Acquadventure'.

    It has become a greater vehicle for brand visibility. A few hundred downloads per day will do wonders for star image. There can't be a bigger lure for actors having a multi-faceted image, which leads them to actively participate and even lend concepts during the scripting stage.

    By Nidhi Jain

     

    indiantelevision.com Team
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  • Zoom's 'Red Hot List' to cover 10 categories

    MUMBAI: In tune with the latest international celebrity trends, lifestyle and entertainment channel Zoom has kicked o

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