Hindi
Shree Ashtavinayak to invest Rs 9 bn in movie slate; plans foray into regional films
MUMBAI: Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision is investing Rs 9 billion for production of 20 films which will include its foray into regional language cinema.
A producer of Hindi hits like Jab We Met and Bhagambhag, Shree Ashtavinayak intends to produce four films in the Tamil and Telugu segment.
In the “multiple” production pipeline, the first to release will be Shivam Nair’s suspense thriller Maharathi, starring Naseruddin Shah, Om Puri, Paresh Rawal, Boman Irani and Neha Dhupia. The film will hit the screens on 22 August.
This will be followed by the release of Sanjay Gadhvi’s Kidnap on 2 October and Rohit Shetty’s Golmaal Returns on 24 October. While the cast of Kidnap include Sanjay Dutt, Minnisha Lamba, Vidya Malvade, Rahul Dev and Imran Khan, Golmaal Returns stars Ajay Devgan, Tusshar Kapoor, Arshad Warsi, Shreyas Talpade and Kareena Kapoor.
Meanwhile, the ongoing projects from the Ashtavinayak kitty that are currently under production include Blue and Luck. Directed by Anthony D’Souza, Blue stars Sanjay Dutt, Akshaye Kumar, Lara Dutta, Katrina Kaif and Zayed Khan. The cast of Soham Shah’s Luck, which marks the debut of Kamal Hasan’s daughter Sruti Hassan, include Sanjay Dutt, Imran Khan, Danny Denzongpa, Ravi Kissen and Mithun Chakraborty.
Also, the projects in pipeline include Neeraj Vora‘s two films namely Run Bhola Run starring Govinda, Tusshar Kapoor, Tanushree Dutta and Amisha Patel and One Way Ticket starring Anil Kapoor and Akshaye Khanna.
Shree Ashtavinayak has also closed two separate co-production deals with Sri Jaganaath Entertainment and Sanjay Dutt Productions. While it will be co-producing Mudh Mudh Ke Na Dekh Mudh Mudh Ke with the former, it will co-produce Bond with the latter.
The company has also signed up directors like Rummi Jaffery, Vivek Sharma, Rohit Shetty and Imtiaz Ali for its untitled projects.
Shree Ashtavinayak raised $33 million via FCCBs (foreign currency convertible bonds) last year. The issue had an additional option to raise $5 million.
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.
