Hindi
CDI to invest $63 mn in animation film; to acquire 50% in Laser Infomedia
MUMBAI: Compact Disc India (CDI) has earmarked $63 million (Rs 3.09 billion) for production, gaming, and merchandising of an animation film based on soccer. The Chandigarh-based company has roped in soccer legend Pele as an executive producer for the movie.
CDI has agreed to buy 50 per cent in Laser Infomedia Ltd, a gaming development firm. It will invest Rs 927 million for the multi-platform gaming development project.
“While the animation film will have a budget of $20 million, we will invest $23 million in developing the gaming project and $10 million towards merchandising. A further $10 million will be towards merchandising,” Compact Disc India chairman Suresh Kumar tells Indiantelevision.com.
CDI plans to release the film just before the Fifa World Cup in 2010. “Developing the game will take us around 18 months,” says Kumar.
CDI has also approved a mid-term loan of $10 million offered by iMedia Ventures at Libor plus 175 basis points for a period of 10 years. “This loan is secured in a foreign company promoted by CDI,” says Kumar.
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.
