Hindi
SPE bags global rights for PNC-DQE’s ‘Meerabai Not Out’
MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) Films India has acquired worldwide distribution rights of Meerabai Not Out, the film co-produced with Pritish Nandy Communications (PNC) and Hyderabad based DQ Entertainment (DQE).
The announcement was made by Sony Pictures International Motion Picture Production Group president Deborah Schindler.
PNC and DQE have recently joined hands to co-develop and co-produce six movies in the next 3 to 4 years time, within a budget of $45 million (around Rs 1.8 billion).
“This acquisition is precisely the kind of strong material that is
the cornerstone of our local language initiative. When we find motion pictures as wonderful and engaging as this, we will aggressively pursue it,” said Schindler.
The movie, which is slated for a summer release, will mark DQ Entertainment‘s foray into the Bollywood market.
Directed by Chandrakant Kulkarni from a screenplay by Soumik Senbasedon, and an idea by Raj Kaushal, Meerabai Not Out stars Mandira Bedi as a maths teacher obsessed with cricket.
Cricket star Anil Kumble plays himself in his first starring role.
Television star Eijaz Khan makes his Bollywood debut in the film, which also stars Anupam Kher and Mahesh Manjrekar in leading roles.
Musical score has been provided by Sandesh Shandilya.
“We are delighted to take it globally through SPE Films India and DQ Entertainment, our partners for this charming romantic comedy cast against the backdrop of cricket, our national passion.
“Mandira herself is a die-hard cricket fan and Anil Kumble makes his debut in Bollywood with this film. So does Eijaz Khan, who migrates from TV to the big screen. This is also Chandrakant Kulkarni‘s first Hindi feature and we are proud to
bring his talent before mainstream audiences,” said Nandy.
DQ Entertainment chairman and CEO Tapaas Chakravarti says: “Meerabai Not Out is a film we are delighted to partner with PNC and feel so good that SPE will take this beautiful romancing with cricket Global.
“We plan to partner for many more such well scripted and researched films as we go along, to explore the creative opportunities that bridge animation and live action.”
“Smart films like Meerabai Not Out excites us because we believe that this is where the future of Bollywood lies and PNC dose cater to this need well. This is the kind of intelligent and successful cinema we would like to associate with.
“This shows the kind of credibility that Indian cinema has now acquired globally. DQE will add further value of bring its expertise in animation, gaming and other spin-offs as when the partners will desire so,” added Chakravarti.
Hindi
Rashmika Mandanna, Shanaya Kapoor and Naila Grrewal climb IMDb’s Indian celebrity rankings
Upcoming films and returning shows are driving fan interest across Bollywood and streaming
MUMBAI: Bollywood’s popularity contest has a new weekly scorecard, and the numbers are telling. IMDb’s Popular Indian Celebrities list for this week places Shanaya Kapoor at number six, buoyed by buzz around her film Tu Yaa Main. Naila Grrewal slots in at seven on the back of the returning comedy series Maamla Legal Hai, while Rashmika Mandanna climbs to eighth, riding mounting anticipation for Cocktail 2.
The list, available exclusively on the IMDb app for Android and iOS, tracks trending Indian entertainers and filmmakers each week, drawing on data from more than 200m monthly visits to the platform worldwide.
Further down the rankings, Raaka is keeping two of its biggest names in the spotlight. Deepika Padukone holds 11th position, with Allu Arjun close behind at 13th, as the film continues to find traction with audiences.
The list offers fans a weekly pulse on who is breaking through, who is holding steady, and who is fading. It is a barometer as unsparing as the box office itself.
