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Showing posts from March, 2019

#SuperDeluxe #PicksAndPiquesTamilFilmMovieReview #JohnsonThomas

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#SuperDeluxe #PicksAndPiquesTamilFilmMovieReview #JohnsonThomas #BazingaPR #MeghnaChaddha Tamil Film(with English subtitles) Review Johnson Thomas Long drawn yet interesting! Film: Super Deluxe Cast: Vijay Sethupathi, Fahadh Faasil, Samantha, Ramya Krishnan, Mysskin, Gayathrie, Naveen, Vijay Ram, Abdul Jabbar, and Bagavathi Perumal Director: Thiagarajan Kumararaja Rating: * * ½ Runtime: 176 mins Super Deluxe, sounds like a condom variety but Thiagarajan Kumararajan’s Tamil thriller has nothing to do with latex intimacy even though it is quite a ribald, counter-strike against traditional film making. The film is a segmented combination of plots that begin to merge towards the end. While the film has an over taxing runtime of 176 mins., it manages to stay entertaining for most of it though. Kumararaja’s second feature, has taken quite a while, coming after his critically acclaimed feature debut “Aaranya Kaandam” (2010. Kamaraja’s work therefore is not run-of-the-mill mainstre

Singer composer Jasleen Royal won the best female singer award for her first Gujarati debut song Mann Melo from Sharato Lagu.

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Singer composer Jasleen Royal won the best female singer award for her first Gujarati debut song Mann Melo from Sharato Lagu. Jasleen Royal who recently received a great response for her song Jahan Tu Chala from Gully Boy has another reason to celebrate. Multi talented Jasleen Royal made her first Gujarati debut song called Sharatto Lagu has recently won her the best singer female award at the 18th Annual transmedia Screen and Stage awards. Jasleen Royal who is not only an independent Indian singer but also a songwriter and a music composer. Talented Jasleen Royal, who has composed and sung melodious tracks in popular Bollywood movies like Khunsurat, Philauri, Dear Zindagi, Baar Baar Dekho Fukrey Badalapur that has won her glory and acclamation by the audiences and Bollywood has always set her apart as an singer. Jasleen Royal can sings in many languages like Punjabi, Hindi & as well as in English. Celebrating the winning Jasleen says ." Won the best playback f

CLINTON CEREJO AND AMITABH BACHCHAN PUT TOGETHER A POWER PACKED PERFORMANCE FOR THE UPCOMING THRILLER, BADLA

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CLINTON CEREJO AND AMITABH BACHCHAN PUT TOGETHER A POWER PACKED PERFORMANCE FOR THE UPCOMING THRILLER, BADLA Tuesday, 12th March 2019: Clinton Cerejo composed and sung an upbeat song, Aukaat along with Mr Amitabh Bachchan for the upcoming film, Badla. Aukaat is a high octane track in which Mr Bachchan is seen rapping along with Clinton Cerejo, Jizzy and Amit Mishra. The track has garnered immense appreciation and has been trending across various platforms. Talking about his experience, Clinton Cerejo shares “ Aukaat is incorporated according to the theme of the film suggesting mystery and machismo and it's a privilege to have Mr Bachchan himself render the vocals on this track who delivered it with so much ease that he totally owns the song. Two amazing writers - Siddhant Kaushal and Jizzy helped me create the frenzy ending that the song has. Amit Mishra to joins in on the higher octave in the chorus & it sketches the essence of an edge-of-your-seat thriller.” He furt

“Jabariya jodi” meets underground wrestling gangs in Railway Raju

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“Jabariya jodi” meets underground wrestling gangs in Railway Raju Railway Raju is a story of the jabariya jodis that are made in north India. Dinkar Rao the director came across one such girl in Delhi who was forcefully wedded to a man she escaped from. “I found her story very interesting. She had changed name to Maya and was living undetected from the people who were still hunting for her. I decided to retain her name for a character in the film,” says Dinkar Rao. Maya is from a small village near the banks of the Ganges and we have used the Ganges to tell the story. “The film is narrated by Maya and it has the eponymous character of Raju – Railway Raju and her relationship with a man who belongs to the underworld wrestling gangs of Benares. The Benares underground wrestling gangs are not very popular because of the very nature of these gangs. These gangs operate in multiple ways. There is a huge betting going on in these wrestling bouts like out in the west where there are un

STERLING RESERVE MUSIC PROJECT PRESENTS ARUNAJA’s DEBUT TRACK ‘BROKEN,’ AN EMOTIONAL EXPRESSION

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STERLING RESERVE MUSIC PROJECT PRESENTS ARUNAJA’s DEBUT TRACK ‘BROKEN,’ AN EMOTIONAL EXPRESSION The Youtube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8jfLrPZ1kg linkfire: https://UMGI.lnk.to/ArunajaBroken Mumbai, 13th March 2019: Sterling Reserve Music Project releases it’s third track ‘Broken’ written and composed by Arunaja. Fusing her training in classical Carnatic music with western vocals, Arunaja breathes life into her debut song ‘Broken.’ For Arunaja, the song is about the loss of bridging bonds with loved ones, but she leaves it open to interpretation. The track is very close to Arunaja’s heart as it narrates her personal saga of not being able to connect with her father despite trying. Talking about ‘Broken,’ Arunaja said, “Broken carries the weight of my heart and all the emptiness and sadness I have felt over the years. I don’t know how I had the strength to put this together but I hope someone finds solace through this.” Talking about the track, Mr. Dev

17th ANNUAL INDIAN FILM FESTIVAL OF LOS ANGELES ANNOUNCES CLOSING NIGHT GALA AND MORE

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Hello, 17th ANNUAL INDIAN FILM FESTIVAL OF LOS ANGELES ANNOUNCES CLOSING NIGHT GALA AND MORE ~Megha Ramaswamy’s THE ODDS starring Abhay Deol, Priyanka Bose (Lion) and Monica Dogra will close IFFLA on April 14, 2019~ ~The film will have its World Premiere at 17th IFFLA and the director and actors will be in attendance ~ ~Anand Patwardhan’s acclaimed documentary REASON will also be screened at IFFLA~ Mumbai, March 13, 2019 – Following the recent announcement of their 2019 lineup including an April 11 opening night gala event honoring legendary Indian actress Tabu paired with a screening of her latest film ANDHADHUN, the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) today announced that director Megha Ramaswamy’s THE ODDS will close the festival on April 14. THE ODDS is a coming-of-age tale about two teens who skip school on an important exam day and go on a fantastical journey through Mumbai. THE ODDSfeatures supporting turns from Abhay Deol (Dev D) and Priyanka Bose (

“I only focus on delivering the best”, says Bollywood singer Shilpa Surroch

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“I only focus on delivering the best”, says Bollywood singer Shilpa Surroch Shilpa Surroch, a software engineer turned singer, is taking the music industry by storm. With four film songs to her credit, Shilpa is already a known name amongst the music stalwarts. The emerging singer is now geared up for the release of her next track, which would be the title song of an upcoming movie ‘Paharganj’. Revealing more about the new project, Shilpa said, “I have rapped in the title track of ‘Paharganj’. It was quite a challenge for me, but Ajay Singha, composer of the film, helped and guided me throughout.” “Also, I was super stoked about this project because Mohit Chauhan has sung a romantic song in the same film, and both of us are from Himachal Pradesh” added Surroch who was awarded Indian Wikimedia Best Singer Award (Digital awards curated by AltBalaji) for ‘Aye Ajnabi’ (song for Vikram Bhatt’s web series ‘Twisted’). Though passionate about creating her niche in the indu

Traditional TV will need to reinvent itself to compete with OTT(#FICCIFrames2019)

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Traditional TV will need to reinvent itself to compete with OTT(#FICCIFrames2019) MUMBAI: The over the top (OTT) platforms have posed a serious threat to traditional content distribution platforms in matured markets like the US. However, the general consensus among experts about the Indian market is that pay-TV and OTT will grow together as the market is huge and there are different segments to cater to. That said, the traditional will need to reinvent itself in order to compete with OTT. The OTT vs TV was also a key point of discussion on the second day of FICCI Frames 2019. The topic of the panel discussion was ‘Dual Screen Addiction –Disruptive or Addictive! Will Broadcast and VoD Co-exist?’ Dissecting the issue threadbare were veterans from the media industry. Star India president, head Hindi GEC Gaurav Banerjee said that he is in the business of curating stories and finding the best storytellers to make big, impactful stories. He feels that consumers and families should

Broadcasting rights are the fuel for any sport to grow: Matthew Kurlanzik, Director, Government Relations, Asia, 21St Century Fox.

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Broadcasting rights are the fuel for any sport to grow: Matthew Kurlanzik, Director, Government Relations, Asia, 21St Century Fox. MUMBAI, 14 March 2019: Day 3 of the 20th edition of FICCI FRAMES started with an interesting session on Sports. Titled ‘Sportsonomics: Driving Indian Sports Forward, On And Off The Field’, the session saw coming together of sportspersons, regulators, administrators and industry leaders to analyse business models and policies that will launch next decade of growth for Indian sports. Moderated by Indian Sports Journalist Ms Mayanti Langer, the panelists included Mr Atul Pandey, Chairman, Sports Live Entertainment; Mr John Medeiros, Chief Policy Officer, AVIA; Mr Chintamani Rao, Renowned media expert; Mr Vinit Karnik, Business Head - Entertainment, Sports & Live Events, GroupM; Mr Nitin Kukreja, Chief Executive Officer, IQuest Enterprises Private Limited and Mr Matthew Kurlanzik, Director, Government Relations, Asia, 21St Century Fox. With Khelo

#FICCIFrames2019 -Three Days of Gyan & Business in the Media And Entertainment Space

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#PicksAndPiquesBengaliFilmMovieReview #JohnsonThomas #MukherjeeDarBou Rating: * * *

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#PicksAndPiquesBengaliFilmMovieReview #JohnsonThomas #MukherjeeDarBou Rating: * * * This is not a typical saas-bahu 'Tu Tu Main Main' - instead #ShibhoprasadMukherjee #NanditaRoy and Director #PrithaChakraborty get the two leading ladies #AnushuaMajumder (as the mother-in-law) and #KoneenicaBanerjee (as the daughter-in-law)in the hapless Son/husband's(#BiswanathBasu)life, to face-up to their respective conditioning and come to terms with their altered roles in the Mukherjee household - thanks to a clued-in psychologist(played by #RituparnaSenGupta). In the process the women discover their true selves, letting go past angst and learn to share their responsibilities and even come to care for each other! And its really not shocking when you come to think of it! While the film is treated with typical melodrama expected from a mainstream product, it doesn't fail to touch your hearts and open your minds to the possibilities of a harmonious family set-up once the hostil

Connecting the World with Great Stories: #ToddYellin @FICCIframes2019

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Connecting the World with Great Stories MUMBAI, March 12, 2019: Day 1 at the 20th edition of FICCI FRAMES played host to an enriching session throwing light on India being remarkably well placed in the era of internet entertainment and how the best of Indian creators can tell stories and reach diverse audiences connecting the world with great content. Moderated by Ms. Anuradha Sengupta, Consulting Editor, CNN NEWS18, the session witnessed the keynote speaker, Mr. Todd Yellin, Vice President, Product, Netflix talk about India as an important market and how Indian shows are garnering great success on a global map. Mr. Todd spoke about the documentary ‘Period: End of sentence’ that recently won the Oscar. He said, “Even before it won the Oscar, it was watched by a thousand people. We are taking content on a global scale so that millions of people can watch documentaries like these.” He also spoke about how global shows are doing well in India. “Bandersnatch a huge hit h

Need to focus on self-regulation to allow M&E industry to grow: Amit Khare, Secretary, I&B at FICCI FRAMES 2019

Need to focus on self-regulation to allow M&E industry to grow: Amit Khare, Secretary, I&B at FICCI FRAMES 2019 20th edition of three-day global media & entertainment convention, FICCI FRAMES begins in Mumbai MUMBAI, 12 March 2019: The 20th edition of three-day global convention on the media and entertainment industry, FICCI FRAMES 2019, got underway today with Mr. Amit Khare, Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, underscoring the need for self-regulation by media and entertainment industry players to allow the industry to grow. “We have taken the initiative of having a national broadcast policy. One should consider self-regulation and less regulation if we want the system to grow,” he said. On content generation and enhancement, Mr. Khare stressed the need to encourage co-production as it would bring more countries together and result in greater viewership. Mr. Uday Shankar, Vice President, FICCI, said, “India is one of the most exc

Indian Media and Entertainment industry clocks 13% growth to reach INR 1.67 trillion in 2018: FICCI-EY report

Indian Media and Entertainment industry clocks 13% growth to reach INR 1.67 trillion in 2018: FICCI-EY report MUMBAI, 12 March 2019: The Indian Media and Entertainment (M&E) sector reached INR1.67 trillion (US$23.9 billion) in 2018, a growth of 13.4% over 2017, states the FICCI-EY report, ‘A billion screens of opportunity,’ launched today at the FICCI FRAMES 2019 in Mumbai. With its current trajectory, the M&E sector in India is expected to cross INR2.35 trillion (US$33.6 billion) by 2021, at a CAGR of 11.6%. While television retained its position as the largest segment, growth is expected to come from digital which will overtake filmed entertainment in 2019 and print by 2021. The report captures key insights from the exciting and fast-growing Indian M&E sector. The sector continues to grow at a rate faster than the GDP, reflecting the increasing disposable income and economic growth. India has the second highest number of internet users after China with

#QaidKePare #VoicesOfWomenPrisoners

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" When people demand rights, they are heckled, incriminated against and imprisoned but those who main, lynch, murder, commit crimes against marginalised and minorities they are allowed to go scott free" " In prisons, inmates are not even provided basic facilities. We are not talking about hardened criminals here. Even those who are undertrails are treated without compassion or basic human understanding. Pregnant women are forced to deliver their babies without proper medical care and menstruating women are expected to do their own jugaad in order to clean themselves up. Is this progress? Is this humanity?" "Cops who manage prisoners want ten to fifteen times the cost of a provision if requested for. How does the state expect prisoners to pay for basic amenities when they are imprisoned illegally without being given bail?" #QaidKePare #CitizensForJusticeAndPeace #VoicesOfWomenPrisoners #AIUFWP #DelhiSolidarityGroup #122ndDeathAnniversaryOfKrantijyo

#PicksAndPiquesHindiTheatreReview #JohnsonThomas #Ballygunge Rating: * * *

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#PicksAndPiquesHindiTheatreReview #JohnsonThomas #Ballygunge Rating: * * * Hindi Play Ballygunge (बालीगंज) 1990, about romance and revenge, has an ex-couple reminiscing about their unresolved past. The subtleties in relationship mechanics are brought into play in order to draw out the psychopathic nature that comes into play when one partner feels scorned and abandoned. What happens in the end comes as a surprise! A neatly, packaged, intriguing thriller, this one holds your attention down to the wire. Director #AtulSatyaKoushik gets his actors #AnnupSonii and #NishtaPaliwalTomar to lend diabolical credence to a relationship fracas with a soul stirring acuity that is all too rare. Definitely worth a watch! johnsont307@gmail.com #NikitaSKamdarPR

National Award winning filmmaker, Rima Das wins two more international awards

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National Award winning filmmaker, Rima Das wins two more international awards (Best Director at Dublin International Film Festival and Someone to Watch’ award at the Cleveland International Film Festival) for Bulbul Can Sing Das’ third Assamese feature had its world premiered at TIFF 2018 and won Special Mention at BERLINALE 2019 Mumbai, 8th March 2019: National Award-winning filmmaker Rima Das’ wins two more international awards for her award-winning third Assamese feature, Bulbul Can Sing which premiered at Toronto International Film Festival 2018 and won special mention at BERLINALE 2019 in Generation 14 Plus. Rima won the Best Director award at the prestigious 2019 Dublin International Film Festival’s Dublin Film Critics Circle (DFCC) and will also be conferred the ‘Someone to Watch’ award at the Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF) for ‘Bulbul Can Sing’ blob:https://www.youtube.com/d3458e38-7bd5-4f64-81f0-9bb364eb099d According to CIFF, this award is giv

Behind The Camera- #ShubhraVandit

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I love making films on social causes... SAMPARC (Social Action for Man Power Creation) affords shelter and schooling to destitute children and children of commercial sex workers. Samarc’s Balgram, is an orphanage with over 700 children across various centres. It aims at educating and providing a sustainable future for underprivileged children. The founder Mr. Amit Banerjee believes that our country can progress only when each and every child of our country is educated. I make these films because people with goals about social welfare find it tough to get support since their work isn’t commercial, and investors won’t exactly be getting an ROI. It’s tough to go on by oneself. If my skills can be of any use to such people with a noble cause reach their goal, it’s the best achievement. There are people who want to help, but are sceptical or unaware of institutions doing genuine work, my films can help create credibility and connect them. We, as a human race crave connection. I

The #BabumoshaiBandookbaaz #BiditaBag is back with #TheSholayGirl

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The #BabumoshaiBandookbaaz #BiditaBag is back with #TheSholayGirl Bidita Bag will be seen as Hema Malini's body double Reshma Pathan who did the stunts in her stead for that memorable Taanga chase scene in #Sholay Actress Bidita Bag who was last seen in Babumoshae bandookbaaz  with Nawazuddin is now coming with another project a web film called "The sholey girl" which started streaming on Zee5 from 8th march. The film is Directed by Aditya Sarpotdar and produced by Zee and Purple Morning Pictures Talking about her role Bidita shared, "I am doing the biopic of Reshma Pathan who did the stunts for Hema Malini in film "#sholey". I am playing the role of a stunt woman Reshma Pathan.  I was always in search of this kind of roles since I took training in marshal arts in 2018.  I really want Hema Malini ji to watch this film and share film's impression with me. And I saw that Iconic taanga scene atleast 100 times to perceive the role. I also co