All articles by Bhuvan Lall
-
News
Afghanistan bans Toronto-premiered Indian film
The Government of Afganistan has banned the screening of Indian director Kabir Khan's debut feature film Kabul Express. 'The film has some sentences which were very offensive towards one of Afghanistan's ethnicities, namely the Hazara. For this reason it has been banned,' Najib Manalai, Afghanistan's minister of culture adviser, said ...
-
News
India's UTV signs production pacts with Hollywood
Indian entertainment giant UTV has signed a co-productiondeal with Will Smith and his production company Overbrook Entertainment andSony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) for two films to be created and distributedworldwide. The $30 million agreement will include a live-action filmbudgeted at $10 million and a CG animated motion picture at $20 million. ...
-
News
India's Adlabs makes move into Hollywood production
Ashok Amritraj's Hyde Park Entertainment and Anil Ambani's Mumbai-based Adlabs have signed a deal in Dubai to co-produce feature films in Hollywood. Adlabs will invest $30m of the $50m budget of the first co production, the David Ellis-directed Asylum, which is expected to begin shooting in the next two months. ...
-
News
Indian producers guild protests Da Vinci ban
India's Film and Television Producers Guild has asked the seven Indian stateswhich have banned the The Da Vinci Codeto reconsider their decision. The guild has written to thegovernments of the seven out of 29 states that have either banned or suspendedthe film, specifying how it was cleared by the censor ...
-
News
Indian government plans Pakistani film festival
TheIndian government is to organise a Pakistani Film Festival in Mumbai thisyear. TheIndian Minister for Culture and Tourism Ambika Soni, in a visit to Lahore forthe premiere of Indian film Taj Mahalmet with Punjab Governor Afzal Sahi and offered to screen Pakistani Punjabifilms. Earlieron 26th April, the premiere of Taj ...
-
News
India's independent filmmakers heading to Cannes
A delegation of independentIndian filmmakers with international ambitions will be attending and exhibitingunder one umbrella at this year's Cannes film festival.The group, which is called IndependentIndian Filmmakers (IIF), comprises 24 individuals who are seeking to workinternationally - either by co-producing, co-financing or distributing globally- and to create products outside of ...
-
News
Hollywood studios plan their first Hindi films
Hollywoodstudios are actively seeking partnerships with Indian production houses asSony, Paramount and Disney announced their plans to make their first Hindifilms. With India's filmed entertainment business valued at $1.5billion in 2005 Hollywood studios see a huge opportunity to cash in on the Bollywood (Hindi Song & Dance film industry) marketthrough ...
-
News
Black sweeps the board at Indian Filmfare awards
SanjayLeela Bhansali's Black won all the majorawards at the 51st Filmfare awards held in Mumbai. Thefilm won the best film award and Bhansali was named best director. AmitabhBachchan won the best actor award for Black's sensitive portrayal of a teacher andan Alzheimer patientand Rani Mukherjee walked away with the best ...
-
News
Pakistani censors clear three Indian films for release
The Central Film Censor Board of Pakistan has cleared threeHindi filmsto bereleased for the first time in forty years. Indian Cinema was banned in Pakistan following the Indo Pak War in 1965and under its rules motion pictures linked to either an "Indianartiste" or "Indian director" are strictly prohibited in thecountry.The ...
-
News
Iron Island walks away with Goa's Golden Peacock
Iranian film Iron Island, directed by Mohammad Rasoulof,was awarded the Golden Peacock and a cash prize of $25,000 at the 36thInternational Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa (Nov 24 - Dec 4).The film, which screened inthe Directors Fortnight section of this year's Cannes film festival, follows the adventures of ...
-
News
Goa festival faces producer boycott
The 36th government-backed International Film Festival of India (IFFI), set to open December 1 in its new permanent home of Goa, is facing a last-minute internal wrangle with the Film Federation of India (FFI).Producers' body the FFI is threatening to boycott the festival's Indian film promotion section, the Film Bazaar.The ...
-
News
India film festival to host Merchant tribute
This year's edition of the InternationalFilm Festival of India (IFFI), to be held in Goafrom Nov 24 - Dec 4, will pay a special tribute to Indian-born filmmaker IsmailMerchant who died in May this year.The retrospective will screenIn Custody, which Merchant directedhimself, and three films that he produced with James ...
-
News
India's Adlabs enters international distribution
Adlabs-Reliance, a jointventure between India's largest film company Adlabs and Reliance Infocomm, has startedacquiring Hindi films for overseas distribution. The company announcedthat it has acquired international rights to Rajesh Roshan's Krrish, starring Hritik Roshan, and RaviChopra's Babul, starring AmitabhBachchan. It is reported to have paid$2.2m for the overseas and Indian ...
-
News
India's Mukta Arts unveils five-picture slate
Mukta Arts chairman andfilmmaker Subhash Ghai announced five new films during the company's 27thanniversary celebrations in Mumbai this week.Ashwini Chowdhary willdirect Good Boy Bad Boy, a collegecampus musical, with Emraan Hashmi, Tusshar Kapoor, Isha Sharvani and TanushreeDutta in the cast. Sangeeth Sivan will direct Money Money Money, set to star ...
-
News
New York comedy heads Indian music major's debut slate
Indian music major Saregamahas unveiled a slate of seven features, headed by Karma Confession &Holy to be directed by New York-based Indian filmmaker Manish Gupta.The comedy, which starsIndian actors Sushmita Sen and Randeep Hooda, begins shooting in New York this month. It follows three sets of characters - Indianswho have ...
-
News
India's PVR unveils expansion plans
Indian multiplex cinema operator PVR is looking to raiseUS$ 33 million via an IPO to finance new cinema projects and expand its filmdistribution business. The company plans to expand its footprint to Mumbai,Chennai, Ludhiana, Aurangabad, Hyderabad, Indore, Gurgaon, Lucknow, and Latur,besides Delhi. PVR, a pioneer of multiplex development in India, ...
-
News
Indian government postpones onscreen smoking ban
The Indian government'sproposed ban on smoking scenes in films and television programmes has beendelayed from Oct 2 to Jan 1, 2006.Following strong protestsfrom the film and TV industry, the Indian Information and Broadcasting Ministryinformed the Indian Health Ministry about the practical difficulties involvedin implementing the ban. This is the secondpostponement ...
-
News
Mukta Arts film school set to open in January
Whistling Woods International,the film school established by Mumbai-based production company Mukta Arts, itset to open its doors to the first batch of students in January 2006. The film school, which cost$11m to set up, is the first private initiative of its kind in the Indian filmindustry. Located in Mumbai, it ...
-
News
Indian filmmaker challenges onscreen smoking ban
Hindi film director andproducer Mahesh Bhatt has taken the Indian government to court over newlegislation that bans the depiction of smoking in films and TV serials. The New Delhi High Court hasdirected the Indian government to make a submission by Sept 30 in response toBhatt's petition. Acting through his counsel, ...
-
News
India selects Paheli as Oscar entry
Hindi feature Paheli,starring Shah Rukh Khan and directed by Amol Palekar, has been selected as India's entry in the best foreign-language film categoryof the Oscars.A ten-member jury, headed byIndian filmmaker Vinod Pandey, made the selection in Mumbai after week-longdeliberations. It beat fourteen other Indian films including The Rising: The Ballad ...