Manoj Bakshi joins Bhanwarey

Delhi based versatile actor Manoj Bakshi has been in the news for his splendid performance in the highest grossing film of the year - Eros International, Salman Khan Films and Rockline Venkatesh’s “Bajrangi Bhaijaan”.  After his fabulous appearance in Bajrangi, Manoj Bakshi has joined the cast of “Bhanwarey” to play an important role in the upcoming comic caper being directed by Shaurya Singh, an actor/ director based in Mumbai.

“Our relation goes a long way back while both of us were trying to make our mark in the film industry. While I was writing this character I had no one in mind but him. He is immensely talented and hugely experienced and bringing him onboard had added creative value to the film” said Shaurya Singh when asked about how he cast Manoj Bakshi for the role.

Manoj Bakshi, who has given both serious and entertaining performances in acclaimed movies such as Do Dooni Chaar, Delhi 6, Dev D, Miss Lovely, No One Killed Jessica, Pyar ka Punchnama, Gori Tere Pyaar Main, Filmistan, Besharam, Hate Story and the most recent Bajrangi Bhaijan, will be seen in a never before avatar in Bhanwarey.

Speaking about this film, Manoj Bakshi says, “Shaurya called me up for a narration of Bhanwarey and I almost instantly agreed to do the role as it’s an interesting role plus we are an old team. This is not the first time we are working together. We did a few short films in the past and this team has a great sense for creating entertaining and responsible stuff.”

A dark comedy, Bhanwarey, made under the banner of “Sudha Creations” has Shaurya Singh, Karan Thakur, Jashan Singh Kohli in stellar roles. The film is currently wrapping up its last schedule in Delhi and will be released by the end of this year.

Big Win! Bhumi Pednekar Wins Best Actor- Female at Melbourne

She proved her mettle and confidence by playing the unusual overweight, ambitious small town girl in ‘Dum Laga Ke Haisha’. Now, Bhumi Pednekar, sans the weight and with loads more confidence has won the Best Actor-Female award at the Indian Film Festival Melbourne.

In this gem of a sleeper hit, the character of Sandhya in this film broke barriers & brought in a fresh new talent in Bollywood with Bhumi Pednekar. Her role won hearts and minds, which is evident in the fact that Bhumi has won this prize over and above experienced leading ladies like Anushka Sharma in 'NH 10', Kalki Koechlin in ‘Margherita With A Straw’ and Deepika Padukone in ‘Piku’.  In a year where Bollywood’s leading ladies have made great impact with substantial roles, Bhumi’s victory at this international film jamboree is encouragement for a genuinely talented actress!

Elated with the win, Bhumi said, “I am so happy that Sandhya was accepted without question by audiences across the world. I believe my hard work has paid off in this applause that my character won. To win overseas at a diaspora centric event, feels even more special!”

With this award from IFFM, Bhumi is set to take on new challenges onscreen.

Parineeti to Be Grand Marshall of India Day Parade in NY

With her universal appeal & her self made success story, Parineeti Chopra personifies the spirit of the independent, 21st century Indian achiever. Which is why this young actor has been invited to become the Grand Marshall & Guest of Honour at the prestigious New York India Day Parade this year.

On 16th August, in the heart of New York, non resident Indians gather from all across North America to celebrate India’s independence; the Tri color flies high as this proud, successful & respected community of overseas Indians celebrates Independence Day, while aspiring to a world record for highest number of flags flown on one occasion! An event of globally impressive proportions, with over 40 floats & hundreds of people, the New York India Day Parade becomes a spectacle for the USA.

Parineeti Chopra will be sharing this dias with super achievers from the NRI community, and will be interacting with them. Parineeti will also be ringing the opening trade bell at Nasdaq, apart from other key event appearances. As Grand Marshall of the India Day Parade, she will oversee this grand procession.  She said, “I believe India’s story should be celebrated everywhere, and the journey of NRI citizenry is nothing short of incredible. The most successful community of expatriates anywhere, I treasure this opportunity to celebrate our independence in such a festive manner in New York.”

With Bollywood’s biggest stars being Grand Marshalls here before, Parineeti’s participation marks her popularity with Indians everywhere!

Gaurav Khanna to play the iconic character of Birbal on Big Magic’s Hazir Jawab Birbal

Revamped show will be in line with new channel positioning of providing comedy based edgy and contemporary content, reaching a younger audience of 15+ males

Akbar Birbal renamed as Hazir Jawab Birbal will focus on issues which are powerful, topical and relevant

Big Magic, poised to be the ultimate comedy destination from Reliance Broadcast Network Limited revamps its flagship show Akbar Birbal as Hazir Jawab Birbal, bringing in freshness and innovation with quirky, cutting edge, relatable and youthful content. The channel has roped in popular TV personality Gaurav Khanna to portray the character of Birbal, the protagonist of the show. Launching on 17th August, Hazir Jawab Birbal will air daily from Monday - Friday at 9 pm. Triangle Films will continue as producers and the show will be shot on the gorgeous set which was redone recently.

A strong and powerful character, Birbal will act as an agent of change, a reformist as identified with today’s world, targeting solutions and transparency in governance issues, a strong central character who believes in democratic views and rights. Hazir Jawab Birbal will feature a younger Akbar, who wants to make his own decisions (even if they may be wrong), live life and rule on his own terms. Only one person encourages and allows him to do so - his biggest ally, his biggest critic, his friend, philosopher and guide, Birbal.

In the last one year, Akbar Birbal has grown tremendously and is recognized as BIG Magic’s most renowned shows. Popular for its unique content and stellar star cast, it featured some of the best comedians from the industry like Kiku Sharda, Delnaaz Irani, Vishal Kotian amongst others, who contributed greatly to the show’s popularity and growth.

Elaborating on the new concept of the show, Mr. Paritosh Painter, Network Creative Director, Reliance Broadcast Network Limited said, “In our endeavour to provide fresh new content to our viewers, we have decided to revamp Akbar Birbal, one of our highest rated shows on BIG Magic. Renamed as Hazir Jawab Birbal, this new show will be relatable, fresh, surprising and unpredictable with a high degree of humour. Respected and hugely popular stars like Kiku Sharda, Delnaaz Irani, Vishal Kotian amongst others have made this show iconic and the No. 1 show on the channel. By introducing a new, younger star cast as Gaurav Khanna, our focus will continue to build popular iconic characters which are stand out, quirky and funny.”

Vande Mataram by Sarod Maestros Amjad Ali Khan and his sons Amaan Ali Khan and Ayaan Ali Khan

One of the 20th century's greatest masters of the sarod Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and his sons Amaan and Ayaan have paid tribute to the nation on its 69th Independence Day with their new video track titled 'Vande Mataram'.

khan saab has to say that Vande Mataram has been sung by several singers over the years, but it has hardly ever been played only on an instrument.The aim is to make our countrymen realise that we are Indians first.

This idea was by Ayaan Ali Khan and Amaan thought that it will be apt tribute to the 69th Independence day.

This Independence Day Amitabh Bachchan Brings #Didyouknowyourindia for his Fans

Celebrating the spirit of Independence Day, Amitabh Bachchan,  has a special surprise for his fans and followers. Starting 12am on 15 August 2015, Mr. Bachchan, will bring #DidYouKnowYourIndia with insightful but lesser known facts about this great country of ours, on the hour every hour for 24 hours all through Independence Day.

“Loving India to me is like breathing air, it is a part of my being. So on the occasion of Independence Day, I would love to share with my well wishers some interesting but lesser known facts that have played an important part in shaping our country. #DidYouKnowYourIndia is an effort of showcasing the India that I love, to the world”.

So starting 12am at the stroke of midnight on 15th August celebrate our country’s 69th Independence day with Amitabh Bachchan by getting to know #DidYouKnowYourIndia!

Click Digital Studios unveils triple dose of Independence Day special spoofs

This Independence Day, makers of Shudh Desi endings, raps and gaane, Click Digital  Studios have ‘patriotism’ written all over them, but not without their signature witty and whacky take on just about everything. Be it Bollywood, cricket, politics or Indo-Pak relations, the Shudh Desi camp has more than a couple of twisted tales in store.

The special Independence Day spree of side-splitting spoofs and some all pun intended moments features – a Shudh Desi Endings (SDE) spoof on film ‘Border’, a Shudh Desi Rap (SDR) between Bapu and NaMo, and a 100% desi parody on the Swades melody ‘Yeh Jo Des Hai Tera’.

For those who were wishing to revisit the classic Sunny Deol starrer ‘Border’ this August 15th, SDE Border spoof is the ideal pick. 

The SDG ‘Yeh Jo Des Hai Tera’ parody is some food for thought for every freedom loving Indian. Packed with reality checks and moments of introspection this one is not just a parody – it is a call to action.

And the fun continues with a clash of two time-honoured patriots, Mahatma Gandhi and Narendra Modi in a tussle like none other. In the rhythmic spoof, Bapu comes to life irked with India’s current state of affairs and NaMo who appears equally loaded with quite a lot of verbal arsenal, counters Bapu’s round-spectacled, half a century old wisdom and oral laathi charge strength to strength. 

Iron Maiden announce Video Premiere for “Speed Of Light”

Brand new track taken from the “The Book of Souls” double album due out on September 4th

Iron Maiden have just premiered the video for Speed Of Light on their website www.ironmaiden.com Written by guitarist Adrian Smith and vocalist Bruce Dickinson, Speed of Light is taken from their new double album The Book Of Souls due for global release on 4 September 2015 through Parlophone Records (BMG in the USA). The video will be available for streaming free on both www.ironmaiden.com and the band’s YouTube channel. Maiden fans can also download the Speed Of Light song when pre-ordering The Book Of Souls on iTunes or Amazon MP3. It can also be streamed on Spotify and Apple Music.

The video was produced and directed by Llexi Leon with animation and visual effects by The Brewery Production Company. A huge Iron Maiden fan, this is Llexi Leon’s first music video. Creator of the cult comic book series Eternal Descent – an IP that digitally animated a cast list of metal & hard rock luminaries, Leon has further expanded into the video gaming industry. He chose to collaborate with The Brewery who’s previous film credits include 2010’s punk-rock inspired Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll with Andy Serkis, 2012’s music festival themed Spike Island with Emilia Clarke & more recently were providing VFX for the Sky Atlantic biopic on Ian Fleming.

The video is a ‘homage’ to 4 decades of video gaming juxta-posed alongside Iron Maiden’s 40 years of incredible visual canon centering on their talisman, Eddie as he travels through space & time to complete his Herculean task.

The Book of Souls is Iron Maiden’s 16th studio album and was recorded in Guillame Tell Studios in Paris with longstanding producer Kevin Shirley.

Indian Film Festival to be held in Russia

The Indian Film Festival will take place in Russia from 3rd September-6th September 2015 at Formula Kino Gorizont and Indian Cultural Centre KSRK, Russia. The four-day fest will bridge the gap between the two entertainment industries in the world – Russia and India. The festival also features live music and dance performances in which Russian dancers will perform on Indian classical music.

Indian Film Festival Russia (IFFR) is devoted to a greater appreciation of Indian cinema and culture by showcasing films, supporting emerging filmmakers, recognizing the leadership of entertainment industry performers, business executives, and promoting the diverse perspectives of the Indian diaspora.

Director in Focus will be Shoojit Sircar who has directed films like Piku, Madras Café and Vicky Donor. Bollywood Films that will be showcased among the people include Piku, Vicky Donor, Madras Café, Dil Dhadakne Do, Tanu  Weds Manu Returns and Haider.

The festival has received an overwhelming show of support from members of the Indian Film fraternity who have committed their time and resources to make the Festival a showcase of the best creative talent from India and around the world.

Bolywood celebrities who will be attending the festival include names of Ayushmann Khurrana, Shoojit Sircar, Madhur Bhandarkar and Tabu who has recently been seen in movie Drishyam.

Indian Film Festival Worldwide (IFFW) has recently joined hands with Dr.Sarfraz Alam, Director of Indian Film Festival Russia (IFFR) in which the film festival will provide programming and activities that no other film festival in Russia offers. IFFW will be organizing the whole film festival and will serve a community of Indian and international filmmakers that have the potential of reaching a crossover audience.

Mr. RC Dalal, Creative Director of Indian Film Festival Worldwide (IFFW) says, "I think after Raj Kapoor, this is the second big thing that is happening in Russia. Russians have always loved Indian cinema and this shows the prominence that the film industry of India has gained. IFFR will become a landmark of Indian art cinema in Russia for years to come. IFFW aims to make sure that Indian filmmakers reach the crossover audience which is still untouched. I thank Indian embassy for the support and making this film festival possible."

Captain Rahul Bali, Curator of Indian Film Festival Worldwide (IFFW) says,” Productivity is never an accident, it is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort. I have always believed that alone we can do little but together we can do so much. The whole team of IFFW is committed to make IFFR a successful event by making sure that there are no old roads to this new direction.”

Lionsgate, Dharma Productions and Endemol India to Release BROTHERS Worldwide on August 14th

Partnership’s First Hindi Co-Production for Indian Subcontinent Based on Critically-Acclaimed Film Warrior

Lionsgate - a premier next generation global content leader responsible for the blockbuster Hunger Games, Twilight, Divergent, Expendables and Saw franchises, has partnered with Dharma Productions and Endemol India on the family and martial arts drama Brothers, which launches in approximately 4,000 theatres in India as part of its global rollout this Friday, August 14th.

The film, starring Akshay Kumar, Siddharth Malhotra and Jackie Shroff and directed by Karan Malhotra, is the partnership’s first Hindi-language co-production.  Adapted for Indian audiences from Lionsgate’s critically-acclaimed Warrior, Brothers tells the story of two estranged brothers and their struggling relationship with each other and their father, set in the intense, gritty and action-packed world of mixed martial arts competition.

“We’re delighted to partner with our friends at Dharma Productions and Endemol India on our first Hindi language co-production, a powerful and exciting film that has something for everyone,” said Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Co-Chairs Patrick Wachsberger and Rob Friedman.  “Combining a spell-binding family drama with non-stop action and thrilling fight scenes and featuring a top-notch cast, we expect Brothers to resonate with action audiences as well as all moviegoers who love great storytelling.”

Talking about the partnership, Deepak Dhar, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Endemol India said, “We are pleased to partner with the makers of popular Hollywood movies like The Twilight Saga, The Hunger Games, The Divergent Series etc. for their maiden Hindi language film. We as a company have always been known for bringing unique concepts and projects in India. Associating with a film like Brothers was one such endeavour to bring a sport themed movie to Indian audiences which is high on emotional quotient as well. Brothers is a quality film made with top-of-the-line production values that will strike a chord with Indian audiences. It was a great working experience with the doyens of Hollywood and Bollywood film industry. Being part of this film has also strengthened our venture in film production and we look forward to be part of many such films in the future.”

Brothers has already captivated Indian audiences with its promo materials and entrancing soundtrack melodies. The Indian audience will also get to witness its first authentic mixed martial arts (MMA) action, as no Indian film has previously showcased this full contact combat sport.

Brothers is presented by Fox Star Studios in association with Lionsgate, Dharma Productions and Endemol India and will be released in theatres worldwide on August 14, 2015. The partnership was negotiated by Rohit Tiwari at Morris St. Advisors.

H D Productions debut film >>Lag Gayee<< to be shot in Chhatisgarh

Bollywood is set to experience a whiff of fresh air with a new film to be shot entirely in the visually breath taking Chhatisgarh state. Situated in the heart of India, and endowed with a rich cultural heritage and attractive natural diversity, LAG GAYEE will be shot here as was revealed by Producer Homan Deshmukh. This film will be made under his banner H D Productions as was revealed at a press conference held at Hotel Grand Dhillon in Bhilai, Chhatisgarh.

Written by Gaurav Ratnakar who is also writing the lyrics, the film has a strong resonance amongst the youth of today. Speaking about the film, Gaurav says: “Successful business is about ideas, planning, execution and most importantly team work but its human nature to wander off from technicalities into the realm of emotions. An entire youth based film; LAG GAYEE deals with the mantras of the youth of today. The story is about four buddies who decide to get famous in life via short cut. Like everyone else they start their business with dreams, hopes and aspirations of striking gold in the shortest span of time, but along the way they go through loads of struggles and upheavals, but also learn what all the fuss in life is about.”

“These characters grow from being reckless youth into a matured crop of youngsters who can see the imperfections and are capable of shaping the best possible future for themselves and the coming generation. These characters show the reality of the youth of today and what their life is really like. It is also about realizing that sooner or later there will come a time when one has to evolve and take a stand about what one wants and believes in rather than how they have been raised like,” he adds.

Homan Deshmukh, the creative brain head behind behind H D Productions that is producing this film says that he “truly believes that the film will appeal to the audiences as they will connect with it instantly.” He also says that though he comes from a non filmy background, he decided to back the project as he wanted to do something creative and the story of Lag Gayee appealed him.

The film which will have soulful music will be set to tune by Sourabh Chatterjee who has done a few Hindi Bollywood films as well as a Marathi film “Olakh” which released last Friday all across Maharashtra. While the star cast is yet to be finalized, it will have a mix of Bollywood, Television as well as locals as they want to pool in industry’s best possible talent. The film will be creatively directed by Mohan Das of Eon Films who has Two Best Director Awards to his credit, while Shanu Singh Rajput will be behind the camera as DOP. While some details still remain to be worked out, it has been decided to film at various breath taking locales of Chhatisgarh, where main stream Bollywood is yet to make an entry.

When asked why they decided to shoot in Chhatisgarh, Mohan Das - Creative Director of the film says, “The state is full of ancient monuments, rare wildlife, exquisitely carved temples, Buddhist sites, palaces, waterfalls, caves, rock paintings and hill plateaus. Most of these sites are untouched and unexplored and offer a unique and alternate experience to film makers, compared to traditional destinations which have been so oft used. This is one prime reason what drew us here apart from the fact that the creative team – right from the writer and lyricist to the music director to the producer are either based in Bhilai or Durg or nearby.”