World’s most revered monster - Godzilla - now arrives on Home Video

The king of the monsters is reborn as Home Entertainment Services by Sony DADC releases this science - fiction monster film Godzilla on 3D Blu-ray, Blu-ray, DVD & Auto-play DVD. Based on the character ‘Godzilla’ owned and created by Toho Co. Ltd., the movie is a reboot of the famous Godzilla franchise and retells the origins of the iconic monster in current times. A powerful story of human courage and reconciliation in the face of enormous forces of the nature when the awe inspiring Godzilla rises to restore the balance as humanity stands defenseless.

In this gritty, realistic sci-fi action epic, Godzilla returns to its roots as one of the world's most recognized monsters. Directed by Gareth Edwards and featuring an all-star international cast, this spectacular adventure pits Godzilla against malevolent creatures that, bolstered by humanity's scientific arrogance, threaten our very existence.

An epic action adventure directed by Gareth Edwards, Godzilla  stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson (“Kick-Ass”), Oscar nominee Ken Watanabe (“The Last Samurai,” “Inception”), Elizabeth Olsen (“Martha Marcy May Marlene”), Oscar winner Juliette Binoche (“The English Patient,” “Cosmopolis”), and Oscar nominee Sally Hawkins (“Blue Jasmine”), alongside Oscar nominee David Strathairn (“Good Night, and Good Luck.,” “The Bourne Legacy”) and Bryan Cranston (“Argo,” TV’s “Breaking Bad”).

Available on 3D Blu-ray, Blu-ray & DVD, Auto-play DVDs are also available in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu while 3D Blu-ray, Blu-ray & DVD also includes 5.1 Hindi Audio option.

Magnificent Launch of Parul Grover Designer Studio

Parul Grover

The lovers of style, glamour and fashion witnessed an evening of true celebrations with the grand launch of Parul Grover Designer Studio at Faridabad Sector 14. Owned by Parul Grover, the designer studio brings together one of the most innovative designer couture, much for the delight of the trendy customers who love to stay in vogue.

Located in posh area of Faridabad, the stylish store offers one-stop shop solution for all high-end fashion buyers in Faridabad and Delhi. The new store was launched with a festive affair including a glittering gathering of socialites, models, fashion designers and other media personalities. The guests included Parul Grover’s friends Mrs. Paul, Nikita, Twinkle Kasana, Salma Chug, Shipla Dhara, Sonia Nishta, Sangeeta, Sidharth Agicha, Aakash Agarwral and many more. The launch party was hosted by Designer Parul and Puneesh Grover.

Parul Grover: Redefining Attitude

Starting her design journey in 2005, couturier Parul Grover combines the finest hands- craftsmanship with modern silhouettes and styles. Her collections accentuate the wearer's inner beauty, setting a glow to her face. She creates intricate design in a feminine and soft color palette. Creating collections for the arch lights she combines the glitz and shine of crystals and rhinestones with interesting and innovative drapes and forms.

The label Parul Grover -redefining fashion has been part of exclusive exhibitions in different countries like Dubai, Abu Dhabi etc. Ethereal and sumptuous would be the apt words to describe hew work. Pleated and draped to give a new stoke to the conventional classics. Inspired by the Greco-Roman drapes these supple and delicate drapes would make any women look   Greek Goddess. The use of luxury fabrics encrusted with crystals offset ethereal drapes and the color palette suffused with rich colors like dark purple, deep red, bright pink and ivory to nudes and beiges.

Her collection is indeed very pleasing to look at since the colors used are not shocking or in-your-face but very appealing and elegant. What makes her every piece so incredibly gorgeous is of course the fabric used along with the heavily embellished borders with delicate motifs. The intricate embroidery of every single piece is adorned with sparkling stones, crystals, sequins, beads, etc and the ornate workmanship truly demands admiration. Rich design combined with sexy feminity defines the designs of Parul Grover. With opulent surface ornamentation, simple and clean silhouettes and a fusion of techniques her collection includes a range of draped saris, lehengas and draped dresses and anarkalis.

Shiamak Winter Funk 2014: World’s biggest dance academy to start new batches

Guru of dance, Shiamak Davar has been giving an opportunity to dance enthusiasts of all ages to learn and perform on stage. Through the motto, ‘Have Feet. Will Dance’, he reaffirms his belief that anybody can dance. Shiamak as a brand has become synonymous with dance in India, and his dance academy is India’s premier dance training school.

The Winter Funk dance workshop gives students an opportunity to learn and train in their favorite dance style, learn the finer nuances of dance movement and gain a wholesome perspective working on costumes and properties. The annual student show, Winter Funk Show, gives a platform for all participating students to perform on stage in a professional setup. Making them feel like stars, the show is a true performing arts experience.

Kids from the age of four years learn creative dance movement, importance of physical activity and team spirit. Through dance based exercises, dance activities and choreography; students become more confident, focused, fit and of course, better dancers! The adults are offered beginners and advance classes in Contemporary and Shabop (Hip Hop & Street Funk) taught by Shiamak’s expert faculty. Bollywood jazz is a high energy, fun class where students learn dance to latest, retro Bollywood music.

The stage that has created many stars before including Shahid Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, Sushant Singh Rajput, Sonakshi Sinha and many more is ready to create more at the shows this year!

For the fitness conscious, Shiamak has also introduced Zumba Classes at SHIAMAK. With the most fun way to get fit, this is a one hour classes where participants will dance away their calories. An extremely popular form of exercise around the world, Shiamak’s instructors who are Zumba certified will be taking these classes.

While Enrollments start from 30th September, Classes for the same will start from 4th October at various Venues including at Nana Chowk, Bandra, Andheri (W), Matunga, Borivli, Juhu, Goregaon, Vashi, Powai, Kandivali, Thane, Chembur, Charni Road, Kemps Corner, NCPA (Nariman Point). For more details, call: 022 6154 3000

"Tapaal" loses to "A Rainy Day" at the 5th Jagran Film Festival

Laxman Utekar's directorial debut Marathi film ‘Tapaal’ that has won National & International Awards has lost out to Rajendra Talak’s ‘A Rainy Day’ (Marathi) at the Jagran Film Festival. Tapaal that had its World Premiere at 18th Busan International Film Festival 2013, South Korea was also a contender at the 5th Jagran Film Festival. Rajendra Talak’s ‘A Rainy Day’ (Marathi) was adjudged as the Best Feature Film at the Jagran Film Festival.

‘A Rainy Day’ recently bagged the Best Film in Debut Marathi Producer category at the Maharshtra Government State Awards 2014 held recently. The film also bagged the award for Best Sound Design which went to Oscar winning sound designer of Slumdog Millionaire fame, Resul Pookutty.  ‘A Rainy Day’ revolves around the life of a corrupt man Aniket whose wife Mugdha is against the immoral means he resorts to for getting his work done. Mugdha does all in her capacity to stop him from doing wrongs but in vain. One fine day she decides to leave him. What happens next? The film deals with questions like - How far a woman is responsible for a man being corrupt and can a woman stop her husband from being corrupt?

On the other hand, ‘Tapaal’ was selected in Indian Panorama Section at 44th IFFI (International Film festival 2013) and 9 other International Film Festivals as well. It was also screened at 3rd Eye Asian Film Festival and Pune Film Festival. That’s not all. Veena Jamkar bagged the best actress award at South Africa Film Festival. While Rohit Utekar won Best Child Actor Award, Prakash Holkar got the best lyricist award for his emotional composition 'don disanchi sawali ' at the Maharashtra state film Awards.

National & International Award winning Marathi film ‘Tapaal’ is set in a small village in the year 1977. It dwells with sympathy, concern and understanding on the bond between a little boy and a childless couple, and the social discrimination that they face.

Awards, Accolades and Stars at the grand finale of the 5th Jagran Film Festival

It was a star studded award evening with who’s who of cinema, Asha Parekh, Waman Bhonsle, Kangana Ranaut, Ayushmann Khurrana, Anu Malik, Vikas Bahl Tigmanshu Dhulia, Shoojit Sircar, Udit Narayan, Rajat Kapoor, Lalit Pandit, Resul Pookutty, Anu Malik, Rajendra Talak, Usha Jadhav, Mahesh Bhatt, Alka Yagnik, Amit Trivedi, Udit Narayan among others when the curtains came down on the glittering 5th Jagran Film Festival 2014 on Sunday, but not before honoring excellence in films and of course, featuring qualitative cinema.

The Best Actor (Male) award gave JFF jury a hard time and finally got shared between Rajkumar Rao for ‘Shahid’ and Sanjay Mishra for ‘Ankhon Dekhi’ for their outstanding performances. Kangna Ranaut bagged the Best Actor (Female) award for her portrayal of Rani in ‘Queen’. Shoojit Sircar was adjudged the Best Director for his hugely appreciated masterpiece in ‘Madras Café’ while Rajendra Talak’s ‘A Rainy Day’ was named the Best Feature Film. Sanjeev Gupta was honored as the Best Debut Director for his maiden attempt in ‘Q’ while the award for Best Screenplay went to Shafaat Khan for his work in ‘Dekh Tamasha Dekh’.

Chandrashekhar Prajapati won the awards for Best Editing for his magical touch to ‘Madras Café’. Rohit Kulkarni won the laurels for Best Background Score for his incredible work in ‘Mary Kom’. Best Sound Design was bagged by Resul Pookutty and Amrit Pritam Dutta for ‘A Rainy Day’. Fasahat Khan’s highly skilled hands behind the camera in ‘Children of War’ bagged him the Best Cinematography Award. Shefali Alvaris won the Best Singer Female Award for her melodious songs in ‘Queen’ and Gurdas Mann’s tuneful vocals bagged him the Best Singer Male Award for ‘Dil Vil Pyar Vyar’. Amit Trivedi was declared the Best Music director for his distinguished work in ‘Queen’. Veteran editor Waman Bhonsle was given the best award for contribution to cinematic art.

Sukanya Verma’s analytical and discerning views on a variety of film across genres won her the Best Critic Award while Farewell To The Moon was adjudged the Best International Movie.

‘Children of War’ & ‘Punjab 1984’ bagged the Special Mention title while ‘Punjab 1984’ also won the Jury Special Award. The beautiful actress of the golden era of Hindi Cinema, Asha Parekh was honored with the Icon of Indian Cinema Award and deservingly so. The Gold, Silver and Bronze for Cinema of the Sellers were picked up by ‘Anchor Panasonic’, ‘Kala Teeka of Tata Tea’ and ‘Bisleri’ respectively.

The engaging extravaganza of world cinema while culminating on 28th September 28, 2014 left indelible imprints and promised to be back next year with another edition of entertainment, excellence and encouragement.

Two catchy tracks from ‘Mumbai Delhi Mumbai’ out ~ Tracks Entry to Delhi and Raahi Raahi present two perspectives on the film

Viacom 18 Motion Pictures’ upcoming film ‘Mumbai Delhi Mumbai’ is epitomizing the age-old battle for honor between Mumbai and Delhi, and has added a twist to the tale with two new music videos titled ‘Entry to Delhi’ and ‘Raahi Raahi’. The recently released videos show the love-hate relationship between the protagonists Pia Bajpai as Mumbai ki Pia and Shiv Pandit as Dilli ka Goli.

The video for ‘Entry to Delhi’ showcases Pia’s detestation for Delhi on her maiden trip to the city. A series of misadventures lead to her bumping into Goli in the middle of a road, and she ends up having to spend the day with him. Goli comes across as a loud and pompous lad and Pia can barely tolerate him. The video features a series of spiteful exchanges between the two but ends with Goli going down on one knee as Pia is about to head into the airport, presumably to return to Mumbai. The refreshing soundtrack is quite in sync with the video, making it an interesting watch.Watch Pia and Goli do their antics here:

‘Raahi Raahi’ presents a perspective on an unusual outcome of a meeting between a typical smart and independent Mumbai girl and a standard Delhi boy.The video captures some heartwarming moments between Goli and Pia where the two connect with each other.The melodious voices of Tochi Raina and Neeti Mohan add a soft touch to the battle between Goli and Pia. Check out the video here...

‘Mumbai Delhi Mumbai’ explores what happens when a Mumbai-loving girl meets a Delhi-loving boy.  The film plays on the inherent dislike for Delhi in every Mumbaikar’s heart and the innate abhorrence of Mumbai in every Delhiite’s heart. Produced by Viacom 18 Motion Pictures and directed by Satish Rajwade, the film starring Pia Bajpai and Shiv Pandit is set to release soon.

‘Rang Rasiya’ launches its music in style! Kailash Kher, Sonu Nigam delivered breathtaking performances as Randeep Hooda cheered on

Randeep Hooda and Nandana Sen’s upcoming film ‘Rang Rasiya’ launched its music and trailer in an upscale event recently at the Matterden Center for Films and Creation, Mumbai. Singers Sunidhi Chauhan, Kailash Kher, Roopkumar Rathod and Sonu Nigam brought the night to life with their soulful voices as Randeep Hooda, Triptha Parashar, Feryna Wazheir and Rachna Shah cheered them on.

Randeep Hooda pepped up the atmosphere with wisecracks that had the audience in splits. He referred to Raja Ravi Varma as India’s first fashion designer, the ‘dada’ of cinema and a marketing genius. Randeep said, “I have a Raja Ravi Varma in me, but I am not Raja Ravi Varma.” Speaking about the film, director Ketan Mehta said, “Filmmaking is said to be a labour of love, and I’ve been pregnant for five years!” He expressed his belief that the system of censorship is outdated. Censorship is one of the reasons that the film’s release has been delayed by almost five years, as the makers were repeatedly asked to change scenes. He even revealed that it took six years to make the film in a way that it was cleared by the revised Censor board without changes.

The night started with the first exclusive glimpse at the trailer of the much awaited movie. An exclusive screening of the music video of ‘Anhad Naad’ in Kailash Kher’s magical voice followed the brief address by Randeep Hooda and Ketan Mehta. Sunidhi Chauhan then took the stage along with Sandesh Shandilya to deliver a beautiful rendition of the film’s title track, followed shortly by Sonu Nigam who took the audience’s breath away with his presentation of ‘Kamini’. Kailash Kher added the master’s touch to the night with a brilliant performance of ‘Anhad Naad’ with Rajasthani folk dancers and musicians accompanying him, which received an encore request that the singer heartily graced.

Later in the night, Randeep Hooda mindfully held up a poster of Nandana Sen who was unable to attend the event, as he posed for the shutterbugs with Feryna Wazheir, Triptha Parashar and Rachna Shah, much to the audience’s amusement. Jayantilal Gada of Pen movies revealed, “I had seen this film five years ago, but we weren’t into distribution at the time. I am really happy that we were able to be a part of ‘Rang Rasiya’. It is an amazing film with great potential.”

Presented by Jayantilal Gada (Pen), Rang Rasiya is directed by Ketan Mehta, produced by Deepa Sahi and Aanand Mahendroo. It stars Randeep Hooda, Nandana Sen and newcomer Triptha Parashar in lead roles. ‘Rang Rasiya’ is set to release on November 7, 2014.

You can watch Anhad Naad here: 

‘Ekkees Toppon Ki Salaami’ music launched at Galgotias University

The music launch of the upcoming social satire ‘Ekkees Toppon Ki Salaami’ was hosted at Galgotias University, Noida. It was a grand evening with the star cast present at the university. The evening also witnessed live performances by some of the best voices in the industry like Sona Mohapatra, Earl Edgar, Mohit Chauhan, Tarannum Malik, Ram Sampath and Aman Trikha. The singers performed front of a crowd of over 15000 students.

The evening took an exciting spin with Raju Srivastav hosting the entire event. The first two songs of the film ‘Tod De Khattar’ and ‘Ghoor Ghoor Ke’ received a raving response. Other attractions of the evening were the fresher’s party of the university students and a singing competition judged by Ram Sona and the cast. The competition was held between six talented students of the university. One male and one female contestant won and they were awarded a certificate and a trophy from ‘Ekkees Toppon Ki Salaami’. The students were really excited and thrilled to have the cast as part of their fresher’s party.

‘Ekkees Toppon Ki Salaami’ is an upcoming comedy/satire produced by Anurradha Prasad & Abhinav Shukla directed by Ravindra Gautam under the banner Nautanki Films in association with Shikhar Films. The film is co-presented by Nautanki Films & Jayantilal Gada (PEN). Starring Divyendu Sharma as the male protagonist and Anupam Kher and Neha Dhupia in supporting roles, it is a tale of a son's struggle to bring back the honour that his father was unfairly ripped off. ‘Ekkees Toppon Ki Salaami’ is set to release all across the nation on October 10, 2014.

Tanishaa Mukerji looks Stunning at Simone Khan store launch

Actress and producer Tanishaa Mukerji made an appearance at Simone Khan's store launch. Our photographers had a field time clicking her as she too posed for the shutterbugs with a smile. The actress cum producer is really looking beautiful in a plain green Victoria dress by Victoria Beckham. We love the Dior handbag which Tanishaa carried with the outfit. Simple and elegant it is! Life after BigBoss is quite eventful for Tanishaa as she is starting her production house T. Mukerji which is rumored to announce its lineup of films soon.

Ashish Kukreja & Amita Bhattacharya are the new Models of the Week...

This week's Male model Ashish Kukreja is although a fresher, but with deep roots of interest in acting and modeling. An intense actor with a vision to make a mark in the industry, which is said to be the most toughest to enter, he is a keen believer of will power, self belief and luck and is sure it will take him a long way. Besides movies, TV serials and short films, he is open to doing ads, print media and ramp walk too. Intense and sensitive roles are something which he is craving for, but as they say art has no boundations, he is game to whatsoever role is offered to him.

Amita Bhattacharya based in Mumbai is basically from the cultural capital Kolkata. She features this week as our Female Model in this section. An aspiring Model cum Actress this sensitive actress is keen to do Ads, films, serials, and short films as well hone her skills in acting. At present adding more nuances to her acting prowess, Amita is learning the ropes from Vivek Sharma who helmed ‘Bhootnath” as director. She is keen to do powerful roles like Konkona Sen Sharma and Tabu. I find myself fitting in more there.”

We at FTV wish both Ashish Kukreja & Amita Bhattacharya - all the best in their careers and wish them a fabulous future. You can see their full profiles at http://www.filmsntv.com/p/models.html

In case, you would like to be featured on this “Model of the week” page in our series, mail your portfolios with your contact details on studiofilmcafe@gmail.com. And ya, no need to get disappointed if you don't find yourself in the coming week. Who knows, it might be your turn next... Cheers!!

Jagran Film Festival pays homage to actor Farooque Sheikh, screens ‘Lahore’ on Day 6

Mumbai’s most awaited festival nears the finishing mark as day six concluded at PVR Andheri and Cinemax Versova. Taking the screenings plus sessions format forward, the day reached a crescendo with some never seen before shades of global cinema. The message of world peace reached a wide range of audience who amassed to catch the cinematic extravaganza of 5th Jagran Film Festival that only became bigger and better with each passing day.

Day six at PVR Andheri was action packed and adorned with some rich, rare and sparkling gems of world cinema. From a Russian Lithuanian film to Thai movie, the overall showcase looked as impressive as the last five days. Director Ignas Jonynas’s Russian Lithuanian film ‘The Gambler’, a crime thriller and winner of Lithuanian National Film Award, marked its Indian premiere. By mid day, Samuli Valkama’s ‘No Thank you’, a Finnish-Swedish film spanning 95 minutes followed. Next in line was Imtiaz Ali’s coming of age drama ‘Highway’ that roared at the box-office this year. A rare screening followed thereafter, a Thai film ‘The Last Executioner’ directed by Tom Waller which is based on a true story of Thailand's last prison executioner.

Like other days, some film enthusiasts especially walked in for the face to face interaction with film experts. Scripting As the sun began to set, it was time for a ‘Coffee Table’ chit chat with Tom Waller, Director, The Last Executioner and Actor Vithaya Pansringarm known for his portrayals in The Last Executioner, Ninja, The Hangover II among others, that let out some rarely known behind the camera anecdotes.

At Cinemax Versova, one of the screens repeated Day three’s lineup of ‘Block 12’, the film that featured as Cyprus focus followed by the Portuguese film ‘Beatriz’s War’ from director duo Luigi Acquisto and Bety Reis under cinema of the uprising segment. The day also unveiled within the same segment, ‘Age of Uprising: The Legend of Michael Kohlhaas’, a 125 minute French German drama directed by Arnaud des Pallières and based on real incidents from the 16th century horse dealer Hans Kohlhase’s life.

Besides the engrossing lineup across all screens on day six, a film that particularly stood out was Sanjay Puran Singh’s 2010 film ‘Lahore’ that paid the most deserved homage to the seasoned Indian actor Farooque Sheikh who untimely passed away early this year.

Sara Khan stands up for Love in all its glory: Takes up the issue of inter-caste relations

The beautiful and demure Sara Khan has a lot on her plate these days. The actress is all geared up to support the cause of love without boundaries as she premieres the ‘Special Episode Series’ of bindass’ cult show ‘Yeh Hai Aashiqui’. The show, which has already garnered a phenomenal response for its poignant portrayal of unconventional love stories, is all set to take their stance up a notch with this month long special. Sara will be the first celebrity coming on board to take a determined stand on topical relationship issues, which youngsters in the Indian society have to deal with. Not just that, for the first time in her career the spirited young actress will be seen playing the role of a simple Tamilian girl falling in love with a Punjabi boy on the show.

                                                                         

Already a known face on Indian television, Sara gained popularity with her girl-next-door image on prime time television and a promising stint on a leading reality show. However, with ‘Yeh Hai Aashiqui’, the actress will be seen venturing into new territory by taking up a distinctive role altogether. This time round, the model-cum-actress will be seen as the female protagonist and will be extending her heartfelt support for the cause of inter-caste marriages, which are still considered taboo in some parts of our society.

Talking about the same, Sara said, “Love is sufficient for two people to be together and not the similarities or dissimilarities of caste, religion, creed, which are man-made. The kind of love story Yeh Hai Aashiqui has come up with this time, is brilliant and very real as we know that there have always been issues in our country, specially relating to inter-caste marriages. For a couple to be together the only essential and important element is love, and when love prevails, the nitty-gritty of caste, religion and creed become baseless. According to me, the moment you lose your heart to someone and you wholly and solely want to be with that person, that’s marriage.”

The episode featuring Sara Khan follows the lives of Mahalaxmi (played by Sara Khan) and Jeet who fall in love in spite of their cultural diversities. But after some introspection, the two decide to part ways assuming their relationship will never be accepted by their families and the society. But Destiny had other plans in store for them. Love comes knocking on the door once again to help them realize that they are meant for each other. But, the bigger question remains if true love hasthe power to overcome the barriers of caste and creed to keep the two together?

So get ready to support Sara in her courageous stand as ‘Yeh Hai Aashiqui’ airs this Sunday 28th September, 2014, at 7 pm only on bindass!

Rahul Khanna and Monica Dogra in Fireflies that is set to release on 31st of October 2014

 Rahul Khanna and Monica Dogra in Fireflies that is set to release on 31st of October 2014

Taarak Mehta to play Sutradhar for Ramayan in Ajab Gajab Ghar Jamai

India’s one stop destination for Humor – Big Magic’s comedy caper Ajab Gajab Ghar Jamai will bring forth yet another chatpata episode this festive season for their viewers.  Hilarity ensues when the unusual Shaktishali family decides to illustrate the iconic Ramlila to mark the celebration of Dussehra. To direct this classic Ramayan for the family members is the famous television personality Shailesh Lodha.  The actor  has become a household name from a comedy drama will now soon be soon in a special role on Big Magic on Friday, October 3 at 9.30 pm on Big Magic!

This Dusshera, with the Shaktishali family deciding to illustrate Ramlila in their own unique style, the members start deciding the character they would like to enact. To add some spice to it, Naani-Saas gives a twist to it by swapping the characters of family members resulting in a lot of chaos and hilarity. With a lot of menace amidst the members, director-Shailesh Lodha, steps in as the savior.  He will narrate prasangs and chaupais in mid of ramlila sessions. Overall, he’ll play Sutradhar for Ramlila.

Featuring some of the best in comedy and television entertainment, Ajab Gajab Ghar Jamai is a fresh, comic take on the generations of the unusual ‘Shaktishaali’ family. The one of a kind family comedy, Ghar Jamai has captured the audience’s imagination with its delightful storyline and stellar cast featuring Himani Shivpuri and Sumit Vats.

Get ready for the extra dose of humor this Friday, October 3, 2014 at 9:30 PM only on Big Magic.

Mantra to host Antakshri with Anu Kapoor

The multi-faceted actor, RJ, anchor and TV presenter Mantra is all set to host Family Antakshari on SAB TV. He will be seen hosting the show with legend Anu Kapoor.

Mantra has proved his talent as a Radio Jockey, has shown his consummate comic timing with comedy reality shows, is a acting prowess with a number of films with the dictators of Bollywood and his recent stint as a host for Pro Kabaddi has got him lots of accolades from who's who of Bollywood like Bipasha Basu and Abhishek Bachchan. 

He's now all set to share the stage with the evergreen Anu Kapoor. With Mantra's wise cracks and Anu Kapoor`s astronomical knowledge on Bollywood movies and songs, the show is expected to have the intrigue of the audiences - a perfect recipe for success!!

Day 5 of 5th Jagran Film Festival closes on a high note

It has been five days that the 5th Jagran Film Festival arrived in Mumbai, but the city’s cinema lovers continued to be spoilt for choices. A day filled with the daily dose of film screenings grew big and bigger in its appeal as the four screens of PVR Andheri and Cinemax Versova presented masterpieces from the world over coupled with special workshops to wow the movie buffs and aspiring movie makers alike.

The order of the day at PVR Andheri began with three Asian premieres in a row starting with Giovanni Veronisi’s 90 minute Italian film ‘A Woman As a Friend’, a slice of life relationship drama that deals with complexities of love, betrayal and jealousy. Next two premieres in line brought along a whiff of humor as ‘Revival’, a 115 minute Czech comedy of the summer by Director Alice Nellis, and Dick Tuinder’s ‘Farewell to the Moon’, a 94 minute comedy, engaged and amused the audience in equal measure. The day experimented with ‘thrill’ genre as the 123 minute biographical drama ‘Shahid’ skillfully unfolded the life of a lawyer and human rights activist by the same name,  followed by the 2010 Arabic period drama ‘Outside the Law’, set against the backdrop of Algerian war.

India’s bag of regional films opened with director K. R. Manoj’s 115 minute Malayalam film ‘Kanyaka Talkies’ followed by director duo Deepti Kakkar’s and Fahad Mustafa’s 2014 film ‘Katiabaaz’ with a run time of 100 minutes. Manjeet Mann’s latest rom-com ‘Dil Vil Pyar Vyar’ added the Punjabi tadka to the middle order of regional films screenings of the day.

At Cinemax Versona, the action-packed afternoon commenced with a retrospective tribute to Patrice Chereau with his 1996 French film ‘Une Autre Solitude’. The golden era cinema lovers could pay their heartfelt tribute to Bimal Roy while watching his iconic drama ‘Madhumati’ that was arguably one of the earliest films on reincarnation. Also gracing the Day five lineup was a lesser known gem, director Ashok Sharan’s 2012 biopic ‘Ulgulan – Ek Kranti’. The film presents real life triumphs and tribulations of freedom fighter Birsa Munda’s life. A spotlight on Cyprus cinema brought to surface cinematic output of directors Adonis Floridis and Theodoros Nikolaidis in the form of the 90 minute 2002 film ‘Kalabush’.

A session on ‘Investing in Films: A Losing Venture or A Viable Option’ turned out to be an engaging tete-a-tete with production and distribution stalwarts Vivek Rangachari from DAR Motion Pictures, Utpal Acharya of Reliance Entertainment and T P Aggrawal from Star Entertainment who offered insights on the risk and return equation behind every film venture. As sun began to set, ‘Meet the Director’ got cine buffs up, close and personal with two renowned film makers, Marathi director Rajendra Talak and actor turned director Sandeep Verma of the biopic ‘Manjunath’ fame.

Ishaqzaade pair Arjun Kapoor & Parineeti Chopra roped in as JBL Brand Ambassadors

Harman International, the premium audio and infotainment group and Sahil International* today announced the signing of Arjun Kapoor & Parineeti Chopra as ambassadors for the JBL home and multimedia range of products in India. The talented and dynamic duo will be seen endorsing a range of new JBL products in the upcoming festive season. The actors’ recent successes and their immense youth appeal make them an ideal fit for a brand like JBL which has a slew of products catering to the youth segment from headphones to portable speakers, available in a range of quirky designs and colors.

“JBL’s global brand campaign, ‘Hear the Truth’, features a repertoire of top international artists like AR Rahman, and captures the brand promise of delivering pure, unadulterated sound to consumers,” said Mr. M Lakshmi Narayan, Managing Director, Harman India. ‘The brand new campaign themed ‘#JUST BE LOUD’ will debut across media this festive season, accompanied by some really interesting new product launches.’ he added.

“Arjun Kapoor and Parineeti Chopra represent the youth of today who are independent, expressive, confident, carefree and brand conscious and this is the theme we have tried to explore through the campaign” said Sahil Sani, Director, Sahil International. ‘So the new set of products we are getting ready to launch is targeted at the youth. They are cool, affordable and sound great.’ he added.

The brand has in the past introduced innovative campaigns to engage the youth, for example, the JBL Groove Babas - a hugely successful campus ambassador program aimed at creating a network of brand evangelists from top colleges in India.

All Parineeti Chopra had to say about her being a JBL ambassador is, “Sound in different aspects of what we do is very important. I’m very proud that I am a part of JBL now, a brand that delivers good sound all the time,” while Arjun Kapoor quipped : “I have been using JBL products in my home and on the go, so this was really a marriage of convenience for me. JBL has quality products and globally they are known for their sound quality.

JBL has a rich legacy spanning 60 years and has always been at the forefront of innovation, introducing award winning products that not just sound great, but also look fantastic. The brand has a rapidly growing retail footprint in India through exclusive JBL Studio’s, in addition to a significant presence across Large Format Retail outlets like Reliance, Croma, Ezone and Vijay Sales across the country.

The #JBL #JustBeLoud #ArjunKapoor & #ParineetiChopra TV Ad is here only for you.

Rannvijay Singh's wife monitors love making scene during shoot of 3 AM

Steamy scenes in movies are the main culprits for throwing actors off their game while shooting. Even the boldest of bold sometimes shy away from love making in front of the camera as they are not quite sure how it will turn out to be.

Actress Anindita Nayar and Rannvijay Singh were very uncomfortable shooting the scene for the movie 3 am especially due to presence of Rannvijay's wife being on the sets for the particular scene.

According to sources, Rannvijay's wife kept looking into the monitor on the sets to see the final outcome of the shot. This made Anindita into a bundle of nerves as every move was being scrutinized by her on screen lover’s real life wife!

We wonder what must be going through the minds of Anindita and Rannvijay Singh when the actor's wife was observing all the moves of her husband closely.

Actress Asha Parekh to be honoured with “Lifetime Achievement Award” at the 5th Jagran Film Festival

Legendary actress of yesteryears, Asha Parekh who has been an icon of Indian films since the 50s and 60s, is being honoured this year with Jagran Film Festival’s Fifth Lifetime Achievement Award. Asha Parekh commonly known as the Jubilee girl has created an honourable space for herself through her extra ordinary acting talent in the Indian Cinema Industry. The actress will be felicitated at the closing ceremony of 5th Jagran Film Festival, Mumbai which will be held on Sunday, 28th September’2014.

Asha Parekh made her debut in 1959 in Dil Deke Dekho, her fabulous performances in unusual films like Teesri Manzil (1966), Kati Patang (1970) and Caravan (1971) flagged her name as a star to reckon with and in 1992, and she was awarded the Padma Shree for Arts. In 1995, Asha Parekh retired from acting and chose to focus her energies on producing television serials and even experimented with direction.

“We are honored to confer the Lifetime Achievement Award to Asha Parekh. Her films have been loved and celebrated by millions of cinema lovers in India. We are humbled that she has agreed to receive this award,” said Official Spokesperson, 5th Jagran Film Festival.

A Food Revival to drive positive change

In a radical initiative to bring about a healthy change to the nation’s food lifestyle habits, FoodFood, India’s leading food lifestyle channel made a revolutionary food pledge ,at an exclusive industry gathering, at The Hotel Westin, Mumbai, recently.

The pledge, a 5-point action plan, is to “A Pledge to change food lifestyle habits of India.” You don't need to make huge changes to eat healthier. And you don't have to change your habits all at the same time. It's best to set small goals and change your habits a little bit at a time. Over a time, small changes can make a big difference in your health. Learn the habits, adapt the habits, practice the habits, and enjoy the success. It really is that basic…

The event saw some of the country’s leading celebrity chefs contribute passionately in constructing a feasible roadmap for taking this initiative forward on a macro and micro level, across India. All present recognized that such an initiative was just the beginning of what could be a much needed food revival within the country and while all pledged to be the drivers of this positive change, it was necessary to join hands with as many other leaders of the hospitality industry to make this move a more wholesome one. 

S K Barua, CEO of FoodFood said:”This initiative is a food uprising to shift to healthier consumption habits towards eating patterns that are both robust and sustainable. Old habits die hard. Changing your habits is a process involving several stages. Sometimes it takes a while before changes turn into new habits. You may face challenges along the way. But changing to new, healthier habits will protect you from serious health problems. Through this initiative and pledge taken by the stalwarts of the industry we hope to encourage our countrymen to bring about meaningful changes in their lives.”

The 5-point pledge:

• Encourage people to cook more at home

• Increase India’s FOOD IQ

• Teach India to be food-tech smart

• Empower mothers and schools to cook healthier

• Promote the usage of super-foods

Join FoodFood’s initiative to make healthy life the vital principle of bliss.

Rahul Khanna and Monica Dogra starrer Fireflies to release on 31st October

Rahul Khanna and Monica Dogra starrer film Fireflies is all set to release in India on 31st of October 2014. The film is directed by Sabal Singh Sheikhawat, who has to his credit numerous award winning commercials which he has both directed and produced. The film also stars the very talented Arjun Mathur who has been a part of films like Mira Nair’s Migration and Zoya Akhtar's Luck by Chance.

Distributed by Panorama Studios and produced by Wild Geese Pictures, the film is a drama capturing the lives of two estranged brothers. One brother who leads a very successful life as a banker and the other who is a law school dropout and lives by the day. Fate brings them together when a tragedy that struck them 15 years ago re-manifests itself in a new avatar in their life.

The film stars Indie music's reigning queen Monica Dogra, who will make her first appearance on the silver screen after Bejoy Nambiar's Davidas the lead opposite Arjun Mathur. One of the first few actors from India to establish in both Bollywood and Hollywood, Rahul Khanna will yet again enthrall the audiences with his intense performance on screen . Both Monica and Rahul have played strong characters in the movie, compelling the audience to come along with them on this emotional journey of self - discovery.

The film is written by Sabal and is part of the next generation Cinema that is growing fast in India. The lead pair has a strong resonance amongst the metro city audience and has been a part of many progressive and international projects.

TheSmallBigIdea turn live tweets into online videos for &Pictures

ANDPictures’ digital agency, TheSmallBigIdea roped in stand up comedians Ashwin Mushran and Amogh Ranadive to promote their interactive application Dil Se. In a one of a kind interactive campaign, the audience’s tweets were converted into videos within minutes of them being posted.

ANDPictures, the interactive movie channel from the stable of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) recently launched an interactive application called Dil Se, which allows people to record and upload messages for their favourite celebrity. The recorded messages are then sent to celebs for them to reply with personalised messages for their fans.

The audience had to tweet to the channel, the extent to which they would go to catch the attention of their favourite star. While audiences flooded AndPictures timelines with crazy ideas in the form of tweets & posts, Ashwin Mushran, Amogh Ranadive and the agency were busy converting the tweets into video sketches. The gags told the audience how their ideas of impressing their stars might not to be the best, by mocking the idea itself. The videos were hilarious and that attracted more than 6 lakh impressions on twitter alone.

Harikrishnan Pillai, Founder-Director, TheSmallBigIdea shared, “Our route was twisted and twisted works. People didn’t expect their version of celeb-love to come out in such funny manner, and that too within minutes of them tweeting. Good part is that people were OK to laugh at themselves. The giggles ended at 6 lakh impressions, validating the efficacy of the idea too.”

Deputy Business Head – Hindi Movie Channels, Ruchir Tiwari  added, “The end objective was to make people aware of this application. The core message was beautifully weaved around the social activity, giving us dual advantage of creating great online content and marketing the digital property.”

Check out the videos here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKM5e5a0YyY&list=UUMuauRU4iGMJwy_VVilvriw

Accord Equips honored to be associated with the Mangalayan Launch

India created history today when ISRO's Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) successfully entered the orbit of the red planet Mars. The extraordinary milestone made India the first nation to enter Mars orbit in first attempt. While every Indian has a reason to celebrate this momentous occasion, the team at Accord Equips has a double reason to rejoice as its camera team earned the honor of recording the second by second moves of the prestigious Mangalayan launch process.

While the accomplished scientists of ISRO went about with scientific precision all through the launch process, Accord Equips’ camera Canon C300 was unfailingly shooting the well planned on-location activities that unfolded 12 hours before the launch. The fact that this prestigious up to the minute account of Mangalayan’s victorious launch will be preserved for generations to come through the coverage captured by Accord Equips’ flagship camera Canon C300 brings an enormous sense of achievement to the whole team of this end to end digital filming solutions provider.

On this splendid moment Mr. Tejash Shah, Managing Director, Accord Equips says, “It’s been our pleasure and pride to be part of this mission. We heartily congratulate ISRO’s team for the successful launch of Mars Orbit Mission (MOM), also we are thankful to ISRO team for providing us with such a great opportunity.”

Accord Equips was a pioneer in bringing Canon C300 (EF mount) camera to the tinsel town of Mumbai. The EOS C300 camera has been designed to meet the demanding needs of cinema industry professionals, providing a modular, portable and eminently adaptable system of cameras, lenses and accessories built for movie making in the 21st century. The company has many firsts and landmark endeavors to its credit. From being a pioneer in introducing digital video (DV) formats for rentals in Mumbai to being the first to bring in tapeless HD support to low cost digital, Accord Equips has had a long drawn list of technology breakthroughs to date. But to be a part an achievement of national significance will always remain one of the most cherished moments for the Accord Equips team.

“It is an overwhelming moment. We are proud, emotional and humbled at the same time. We remember our team returned spellbound by the spectacle. They particularly remember the raised temperature due to the heat released at the time of launch. We wish ISRO many more history making successes in the future”, says Mr. Shah.

Rajat Kapoor, Vinay Pathak, Shilpa Shukla, Pia Bajpai, Sasha Agha and many more attend the day 4 of 5th Jagran Film Festival, Mumbai

By end of Day three, filmgoers had become used to the variety of Indian and international films and a host of useful workshops, debates discussions and interesting exchange of ideas. And Day four was more than just the extension of this exciting filmy extravaganza. It was a day when cine goers were treated to a delectable mix of genres, languages including Dutch, Spanish, Finnish, Portugese, Russian, French and even Malyalam and Hindi. And adding some more zing to the larger than life festival were sessions with eminent master craftsmen of the film and entertainment industry.

Internationally acclaimed film ‘How to Describe a Cloud’ marked the onset of Day four at PVR Andheri. Director David Verbeek’s 80 minute coming of age Dutch drama made its India debut at PVR today. Variety was the order of the day as director Arto Halonen’s ‘A Patriotic Man’ followed right after. This 97 minute Finnish comedy made its Asian Premiere followed by Director Marcelo Gomez’s Brazilian drama ‘The Man of the Crowd’ with a runtime of 95 minutes. Director Rajat Kapoor’s 107 minute poignant slice of life film ‘Ankhon Dekhi’ added an Indian flavor to the diverse global lineup. But before calling it a day PVR’s big screen brought another Asian premiere, an 85 minute Russian master piece ‘Break Loose’ by director Aleksey Uchital.

The day also offered a kaleidoscopic view of Indian cinema starting from novice director Sanjeev Gupta’s debut film ‘Q’. Besides, the Indian showcase also featured Anurag Singh’s Punjabi period drama ‘Punjab 1984’, Pradeep Sarkar’s Rani Mukherjee starrer ‘Mardaani’ and Feroze Abbas Khan’s social and political satire ‘Dekh Tamasha Dekh’. But a film that touched a chord with every cinema lover on day four was the 1967 film ‘Upkar’. The legendary actor Pran  known for his offbeat portrayals in a negative shade was missed and remembered as Jagran paid a sincere homage to this barkhurdaar of all times.

True to being a melting pot of the world cinema, the day at Cinemax Versova began with ‘Cosi Fan Tutte’, a French retrospective from legendary director Patrice Chereau’s collection. To represent cinema of the uprising, a rare and distinguishable black & white film ‘Chhatrapati Shivaji’ followed, a 170 minute biographical by Bhalji Pendharkar recounting the bravery of the Indian warrior king.  Bimal Roy’s 1953 film ‘Do Bigha Zameen’ as a retrospective from the Hindi cinema’s golden era, stood apart even after 60 years for painting a convincing picture of Indian village-life and rural values of the post independence era. No wonder the film had won the International Prize at the 1954 Cannes. The day towards its end took the viewers back to the 18th century with a 200 minute Malyalam film ‘Kerala Verma Pazhassi Raja’ presenting cinema of the uprising.

Bindass celebrates seven successful years with an all new offering of ‘bindass PLAY’

For seven years in a row, bindass has understood the dynamic mindset of India's youth and become their friend and companion while entertaining them with content that is both purposive and engaging. Celebrating the channel's 7th anniversary, Disney India announced the launch of a refreshed channel offering - bindass PLAY with a promise to celebrate, inspire and empower the youth of India through one of their core passions - Music.

In the last seven years, bindass has been defining youth entertainment by celebrating their hopes, dreams and aspirations and has been gratified with an overwhelming response and the loyalty of its fans. In keeping with this theme, bindass is now creating yet another immersive experience with bindass PLAY. The channel will continue to celebrate the everyday lives of Young India while entertaining them with a unique blend of music and musically themed content.

“Disney India is committed to creating unique branded entertainment experiences for audiences across platforms through our brands such as Disney, Marvel, UTV, Pixar, Lucas Films, Hungama and bindass. We have been doing this through distinctive creative expressions that deepen the emotional connections we have with our audiences.  With bindass, over the last seven years we have been very successful in delivering entertainment that is relevant to Young India and the launch of bindass PLAY is a natural progression towards the future of the brand”, said Siddharth Roy Kapur, Managing Director, Disney India

“At bindass, we celebrate every passion of Young India through entertainment that is reflective of their interests and they love us for it.  From pioneering concepts to unique initiatives, we have helped shape their thoughts and actions over the years. The vision for bindass play is to celebrate moments, to entertain and to inspire. And like all good friends, to understand them and offer them the power of choice through interactivity that is both meaningful and personal,” said Vijay Subramaniam, Vice President – Content and Communications, Media Networks, Disney India.

“Over the last seven years, we have been immensely successful in offering our associates unique engagement opportunities to address one of the largest sections of the audience today. With the launch of bindass PLAY, we are presenting them with another promise that we believe will scale new heights of popularity amongst our audiences, while staying true to the promise of bindass,” said Nikhil Gandhi, Vice President - Revenue, Media Networks, Disney India.

While the underlying theme will be music, bindass PLAY will showcase distinct programming that will continue to bring the bindass experience with elements that revolve around music. Empowering fans to choose their brand of music, fans can select and dedicate any song of their choice from the popular social networking platforms. The channel through music will encourage them to celebrate their feelings while inspiring them to express themselves with their choice of song. In addition to these, the channel will focus on presenting music that is in tune with their moods and desires mapped through the day through different bands. bindass PLAY will soon launch musically themed vignette series and short form storytelling to further deepen the engagement with its audiences.

From October 1st, the channel will reach 58 mn audiences viewers and will be available across all key DTH and digital players such as Tata Sky, Airtel digital TV, DishTV,  BIG TV, Sun Direct, Fastway, DEN, Hathway and more.