Movie Channels
India’s first women’s film company Firehorse Films launched
MUMBAI: A need to create a platform for women filmmakers to express themselves in a male dominated environment as well as the desire to move beyond the commercial scene has given rise ot India’s first all-women film company Firehorse Films.
The company was founded by established filmmakers Venita Coelho and Deepti Datt.
They say, “The philosophy behind FireHorse Films is simple: women first. In the subjects we explore, in the films we make, in the technicians we choose to work with, always women first. Our goal is to become a self-funded, successful, commercial, film production company. We believe in success by the high standards that we set for ourselves. As such, we are an organisation that will seek, always, to work with women professionals of the highest caliber. We believe in raising the standards. Not conforming to them.
“It became apparent, from our experience as women in the film industry, the kind of subject matter – social issues important to us as women – that we would want to explore through film, would not be received well by a largely male-dominated Indian film-finance world. Having considered the hard fact that there are no commercial film companies in India run by women, we concluded what we needed was to create our own platform.
“Our primary aim is to make commercial and documentary films of our choice, dealing with issues important to women, by women filmmakers.”
An official release informs that two such projects at FireHorse are Monsters Under the Bed and Bombay Stories. The former written by Coelho is based on her personal experience with paedophilia. The other film is a documentary by Datt, on the reality of five women’s lives in a small suburb of the city. Bombay Stories explores the status of women today in the different economic and class segments of urban, post-liberal, Indian society, as represented by a small suburb in Bombay.
Elaborating further on the company initiative they say, “We want to, both, directly and indirectly impact our industry by using part of the profits we accrue from FireHorse Film projects towards providing: a platform for women professionals in the Indian Film Industry; start-up funding and seed money towards developing and realizing projects by women filmmakers; and facilitating internships to encourage women filmmakers in the Indian film industry.”
FireHorse Films will participate in and co-organise the Goa International Women’s Film Festival. The event will take place from 6-8 March 2004.
Movie Channels
Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat Premieres 14 Feb on Zee
Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat world TV premiere 14 Feb at 8pm passion meets politics.
MUMBAI: Cupid’s arrow just got a plot twist and it’s heading straight for your TV screen. This Valentine’s Day, Zee Cinema is turning up the heat with the world television premiere of Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat, a raw, rule-breaking romantic drama that proves love doesn’t always come wrapped in roses.
Set to air on Saturday, 14 February at 8pm, the film stars Harshvardhan Rane and Sonam Bajwa, directed by Milap Zaveri. It dives headfirst into obsession, heartbreak, and the kind of unconditional love that leaves scorch marks. Rane plays Vikramaditya, a powerful politician whose all-consuming passion for actress Adaa spirals into chaos when his feelings go unreturned unleashing a storm of emotion, misunderstanding, and life-altering consequences.
The timing couldn’t be sharper. Audiences are clearly craving intense love stories over sugar-coated ones, and this film taps straight into that vein. Harshvardhan Rane already has a loyal fanbase from his cult hit Sanam Teri Kasam, which cemented his status as the go-to guy for heart-wrenching romance especially among younger viewers who keep the film on repeat.
Milap Zaveri captured the film’s beating heart, “This film is about love that doesn’t follow rules. With Valentine’s Day being a time when audiences gravitate towards romantic narratives, the television premiere of Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat on Zee Cinema felt like the perfect fit. The continued love for intense romances shows there is a strong emotional appetite for such stories.”
Rane himself called it a story rooted in messy, honest emotion, “Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat explores love in its most intense and vulnerable form where emotions are messy and deeply human. It’s a story that doesn’t shy away from passion or pain on Valentine’s Day making it even more special as it reflects the many shades of love people experience.”
Sonam Bajwa added her take, “Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat is not a conventional love story, it’s raw, intense and emotional. Valentine’s Day is usually associated with happy romance but this film explores love in its most vulnerable form.”
So if your Valentine’s plans include more than chocolates and clichés, tune in to Zee Cinema at 8pm on 14 February. Because sometimes the most unforgettable love stories aren’t the ones that end neatly, they’re the ones that leave you questioning just how far passion can push before everything changes.
