Hindi
Cinemax to pump in Rs 1 bn; mulls raising capital after a year
MUMBAI: Multiplex chain operator Cinemax India plans to invest Rs 1 billion and almost double its screens to 200 by 2013.
Cinemax, which has most of its footprint in Maharashtra and Gujarat, also has plans to further raise capital after it reaches a particular size and scale.
“We have an investment plan of Rs 1 billion. We may be raising capital a year or 18 months down the road. This could be either through QIP or a follow-on issue or other fund-raising instruments,” says Cinemax India chief executive officer Sunil Punjabi.
Cinemax will be adding 30 screens by the end of this fiscal. It is currently operating 33 properties with 105 screens in 18 cities.
“We will be investing Rs 450-500 million over the next six months. We will have 30 more screens by the end of the fiscal,” says Punjabi.
Cinemax is targeting a revenue of Rs 2.4 billion this fiscal and Rs 3.8 billion in FY‘12. For the first half of FY‘11, the company‘s income from operations stood at Rs 907.2 million. In the fiscal ended March 2010, Cinemax had posted a revenue of Rs 1.55 billion.
“We will be expanding on a pan India basis. Our Delhi multiplex with the gaming zone will be up in March 2011,” says Punjabi.
Among the new thrusts will be to ramp up its gaming business. “We already have Giggles. We are adding a youth entertainment gaming brand, Versus. The cost per outlet of this is Rs 40-50 million. Versus will be there in our Delhi multiplex. We are in the process of signing up 2-3 more,” says Punjabi.
Hindi
Zee5 and Applause Entertainment team up for whodunnit ‘Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa’
Rajat Kapoor directs star-studded murder mystery streaming from 10 April.
MUMBAI: Zee5 is serving up another killer collaboration and this time, the murder mystery comes with a generous side of dark humour and family dysfunction. The streaming platform has partnered with Applause Entertainment and Mithya Talkies to bring Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa, a fresh, twisted whodunnit written and directed by acclaimed filmmaker and actor Rajat Kapoor. The film will stream exclusively on Hindi Zee5 from 10 April.
The movie reimagines the classic murder mystery genre with a contemporary, darkly comic edge. It revolves around a group of friends and family who smile, drink, and celebrate together until the silence snaps and long-buried secrets spill out. The stellar ensemble cast includes Vinay Pathak, Ranvir Shorey, Waluscha De Sousa, Saurabh Shukla, Chandrachoor Rai, Neil Bhoopalam, Koel Purie, Palomi Ghosh, and Rajat Kapoor himself.
This latest offering continues the successful partnership between Zee5 and Applause Entertainment, which has previously delivered diverse hits such as Mithya, Bloody Brothers, and Jab Khuli Kitaab.
&TV Business Head of hindi Zee5 and chief channel officer Kaveri Das said, “Our collaboration with Applause Entertainment has consistently delivered distinct, high-impact storytelling. Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa is a natural progression, reinforcing our focus on genre-led content with a compelling whodunnit premise and a strong ensemble cast.”
Applause Entertainment business head for movies Sunil Chainani added, “This film adds yet another compelling layer to our slate with Rajat Kapoor’s unmistakable voice.”
Rajat Kapoor shared, “What interested me was not just the mechanics of a whodunnit, but the emotional violence that precedes physical violence. These are people who smile at each other, but there’s so much that is not said.”
The film promises razor-sharp writing, layered performances, and simmering tension, inviting viewers not just to solve the crime but to unravel the complex relationships at its heart.
If you love a good murder mystery served with wit and emotional depth, Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa looks set to be your next addictive watch. Mark your calendars, the whodunnit drops on Hindi Zee5 from 10 April.
