All articles by Udita Jhunjhunwala
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News
Indian cinemas go dark as producer stand-off continues
Programming has virtually dried up at Indian multiplexes due to the on-going stand-off between exhibitors and the United Producers Forum which started on April 4. With producers holding back fresh releases, and pulling previously released films from circulation, only two stuck-in-the-can B-grade Hindi films opened last weekend, along with Italian ...
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Indian producers strike against revenue-sharing terms
Percept Picture Company’s Hindi film 8x10 Tasveerand Paramount Pictures’ Fast & Furious 4, both released in India today (April 3), might be the last two films to open before India’s United Producers Forum begins its strike against multiplex owners from April 4.Producers and distributors are demanding a 50:50 revenue-sharing deal ...
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Tough times at the Indian box office
A reduction in multiplex ticket prices across India is an indicator of the delicate economic times in the territory.Prices have been reduced by 20%-50% at various multiplexes, with rates varying based on location, day and time of the screening. At PVR Cinemas' sites, tickets now cost $1.36-$4.86 (rup70-rup250), on average ...
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Indian multiplexes lower ticket prices to counter downturn
Indian multiplex operators are slashing ticket prices in an attempt to keep admissions steady during these delicate economic times. Several leading chains are reducing prices from 20%-50% with a variety of reduced rates based on location, day of the week and the timing of shows. Most of the reductions are ...
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Indian Film Company to co-produce Chadha's Afterlife
London and Mumbai-based The Indian Film Company (TIFC) has announced that it will co-produce Gurinder Chadha's upcoming project, It's A Wonderful Afterlife, with the director's Bend It Films. Hanway Films is handling international sales on the film which is scheduled to start shooting March 28 in London. The cast includes ...
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News
Singh moves from Sony India to PVR Pictures
Uday Singh, executive vice president of production at Sony Pictures India, has left his post after 12 years with the studio to take up theposition of CEO at PVR Pictures. Before taking over production, Singh headed up distribution at Sony Pictures India. In his new role, he will oversee both ...
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Financing - Box office - Stars fell to earth
After a disappointing 2008, Indian distributors and exhibitors have high hopes for 2009. Last year began weakly, went on to have a few upswings thanks to some unexpected small-budget successes, and finished with two December hits. Take into account the cost of producing, marketing and releasing the films, however, and ...
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Indian Film Company's Ghajini takes $40m in two weeks
Indian Film Company's Hindi film Ghajini has earned more than $40m (Rs1.94bn) in less than two weeks. Ghajini has grossed $33m (Rs1.62bn) in domestic markets and its gross collections in overseas markets (distributed by Big Pictures) stands at $8m (Rs390m) since it released worldwide between December 25 and 26. Directed ...
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Big Pictures to roll out Ghajini in 23 international territories
India's Big Pictures is planning to release Ghajini, starring Aamir Khan, in more than 300 cinemas across 23 countries on December 25. The motion pictures subsidiary of Reliance BIG Entertainment is handling international distribution of the film, while Indian Film Company is distributing in India.Major overseas territories for the film ...
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UTV to handle distribution of Disney releases in India
Following news that the Walt Disney Co is taking a majority stake in India's UTV Software Communications, the two companies have announced that subsidiary UTV Motion Pictures will now exclusively handle sales and distribution of all Disney releases in India. The agreement begins January 1, 2009. Among the forthcoming titles ...
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Fox Star to release Slumdog Millionairein India, Pakistan
Fox Star Studios is set to release the Danny Boyle-directed, Mumbai-set Slumdog Millionaire in India and Pakistan in January, 2009. The English and Hindi-language film, starring Anil Kapoor, Dev Patel, Irfan Khan and Freida Pinto, will also be released in a Hindi-dubbed version entitled Slumdog Millionaire - Kaun Banega Crorepati' ...
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Warner Bros signs three-picture deal with India's People Tree
Warner Bros Pictures India has entered into a deal for the production and distribution of three films from Nikhil Advani and Mukesh Talreja's People Tree Films. Advani directed Warner's first Hindi production, Chandni Chowk To China, which is scheduled for release on Jan 16, 2009.The three-picture slate includes rom-com Jaane ...
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Tulpan takes Golden Peacock at IFFI in Goa
The 39th edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) closed on December 2 in Goa with Sergei Dvortsevoy's Kazakhstan film Tulpan picking up the top prize of best film. The Golden Peacock award is accompanied by a cash prize of $80,000 (Rs4m). Dvortsevoy also took the Silver Peacock ...
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Mumbai cinemas remain closed asattackscontinue
The Mumbai terrorist attacks, which had still not been completely contained as of Friday afternoon, are also having an impact on the Hindi film industry which is based in the city. Cinema halls in South Mumbai - including the Inox multiplex next to the Oberoi Trident hotel and single screens ...
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Indian producers sayslowdown could lead to healthier industry
The global economic slowdown has begun to impact the Indian film business, but producers and filmmakers attending the Film Bazaar projects market in Goa (Nov 26-29), say they expect this to have positive as well as obvious negative effects. Panellists at a session entitled 'Financing and Distribution of Specialty Films ...
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Features
Production - International Film Festival of India - India's window on the international scene
The 39th edition of the International Film Festival of India (Iffi) runs November 22 -December 2 in the seaside town of Goa. Around 5,000 delegates from India and abroad are expected to attend. Some 15 films will compete for the Golden Peacock in the World Cinema section. All are titles ...
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Interview: Aamir Khan
When the Indian film industry selected Hindi film Stars On Earth (Taare Zameen Par) as its official entry for best foreign film for this year's Academy Awards, it was a triple celebration for Aamir Khan. A Bollywood superstar, Khan has produced, directed and acted in this drama about a dyslexic ...
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Warlords, My Magic to open India's IFFI Goa fest
Peter Ho-sun Chan's The Warlords and Singaporean director Eric Khoo's My Magic will open this year's International Film Festival of India (IFFI) which is taking place in Goa from Nov 22-Dec 2. The closing film will be Majid Majidi's Berlin Silver Bear winner The Song Of Sparrows.About 5,000 delegates from ...
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NDTV Lumiere strikes online deal with BIGFlix
NDTV Lumière has partnered with Indian entertainment portal www.bigflix.com to provide 30 world movies titles from its extensive acquisitions list to India and the SAARC territories. These titles will be available on the site on a yearly basis at a price of $1.99 per download-to-rent and $4.49 per download-to-own.Viewers can ...
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India's NDTV Lumiere launches world cinema channel
After announcing its intention to launch a 24-hour world cinema channel earlier this year, NDTV Lumiere has given the channel a soft launch on October 10 and is gearing up for the official launch in late November or early December 2008. Established as a joint venture between broadcaster NDTV, Sunil ...