Hindi
Love Sex Aur Dhoka survives IPL raj to make an impact
MUMBAI: This Friday‘s releases Love Sex Aur Dhokha, Shaapit and Lahore fared better than last week‘s releases.
Love Sex Aur Dhokha opened well at multiplexes. Though the film opened poorly at between 15 to 20 per cent, the collections turned to more than 40 per cent by the weekend on the basis of good reviews and word-of-mouth publicity. Deft handling of script with hidden cameras makes Love Sex Aur Dhokha a first-of-its-kind viewing experience.
The film is voyeuristic but it‘s not sleazy; neither has the film any similarities to Scorsese‘s Sex ,Lies and Videotape. The film is a leap in the evolution of Hindi cinema, by being inventive and highly laudable.
The same was the case with Lahore. People got curious after the news that the film was banned in Pakistan for exhibition. Because of its title, the film was considered to be another film on Indo-Pak indifference. But it‘s a film on kick-boxing, a sport rarely showcased on the relations of two brothers and also two countries.
Later, on its release, the film was raved by viewers for being the best-as-yet sports action film. Though the film didn‘t open well, its collection registered a sharp rise and by the weekend, it registered attendance of between 35 to 40 per cent.
Though the Aditya Narayan-starrer Shaapit didn‘t open well at multiplexes, the Vikram Bhatt directed film did better at single screens. The film makes for a very good viewing and is a great treat for all lovers of horror films.
The coming week will be a kind of an acid test for all the three films. If they are able to sustain, their run at the box-office will naturally grow.
Meanwhile, after a dull first-week opening, IPL registered an attendance of 70 per cent in among the 700 screens all over the country.
Comments trade analyst Taran Adarsh, “There are as many as five releases per week and some from the likes of Subhash Ghai and Shyam Benegal. If IPL screening works and matches get interesting, the film industry will be doomed because theatres will start screening all big matches.”
Next week will see the release of Well Done Abba, Hum Tum Aur Ghost, Prem Ka Game, Mittle vs Mittle and The Great Indian Butterfly.
Hindi
Hansa Entertainment launched to produce across OTT, TV and film
New venture from R K Swamy Hansa Group eyes multi-language stories for digital-first audiences.
MUMBAI: Hansa Entertainment has just stepped into the spotlight because when a legacy media house decides to script its next act, even the credits get excited. Hansa Entertainment Private Limited has been incorporated to develop and produce original programming across digital, television, OTT platforms and theatrical features. The company will create short-running series, long-running series and original films for OTT, alongside standout theatrical ventures. It will also launch a podcast platform called Hansa Spotlight and produce content for the fast-growing vertical drama format. Stories are initially planned in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Bengali and Kannada.
The venture is founded by Sruti Swamy and Siddharth Swamy, drawing on the rich legacy of Hansa Vision and the broader R K Swamy Hansa Group. Sruti brings creative expertise with a master’s in architecture, interiors and design from Milan and a postgraduate degree in business management from the Indian School of Business. Siddharth contributes a data-driven perspective, having studied data science at Imperial College London.
Sujatha Narayanan has been appointed CEO of Hansa Entertainment. With over two decades of experience in creative content curation and production across film and OTT, she is also a well-known film columnist and media entrepreneur.
R K Swamy Hansa Group executive chairman Srinivasan Swamy said, “The launch of Hansa Entertainment marks an exciting new chapter. The new entity is the brainchild of the next generation and will be independently managed by Sruti Swamy, who is the Director and the newly appointed CEO.”
Hansa Entertainment director Sruti Swamy added, “I am very optimistic about the future of Hansa Entertainment, given the content explosion and the opportunities offered by new technologies for production.”
Hansa Entertainment director Siddharth Swamy noted, “The idea is to grow a contemporary production house that creates compelling stories for today’s multi-platform audiences while drawing inspiration from the rich storytelling traditions that audiences have appreciated over the years.”
Hansa Entertainment CEO Sujatha Narayanan said, “Hansa Entertainment will evolve as a story-first, IP-driven entity. We have already put together a smart team of interesting and dynamic creators who will helm our vertical dramas, shows and films.”
In the ever-evolving world of Indian entertainment, where stories now travel faster than the scripts that birth them, Hansa Entertainment is stepping onto the stage with fresh ink and big ambitions proving that even the best legacies know when it’s time for a compelling sequel.
