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UTV to co-produce three feature films with Star
MUMBAI: Production house UTV, this morning, inked a three feature film deal with Star India. The deal envisages production of three big budget movies (each estimated to cost around Rs 250 to Rs 300 million) in the first phase.
Star will fund the entire production in return for co-sharing certain rights, according to UTV CEO Ronnie Screwvala.
All the three films, scheduled to go on the floors within the next three months, are to be released 18 months from now. Project specifics would be detailed only by January 2004, Screwvala said. UTV, which currently has the under production Lakshya and Swades in its kitty, has undertaken full production responsibility from concept to execution and release. Star is expected to provide cross marketing media muscle to the enterprise to promote the movies in India and abroad.
In return, Star would get the satellite telecast rights, worldwide in perpetuity, while UTV gets the theatrical and home video rights. The films will be aired on television one year after the theatrical release, Screwvala says.
The UTV CEO, meanwhile, maintains that the deal is a step towards corporatisation of the fragmented movie industry in the country and that it signifies that feature films are indeed the ‘business of the future’. The feature film division of UTV would not go beyond constituting 20 per cent of UTV’s total business that comprises television software production and animation along with movie production.
UTV has been dabbling in feature film production for the last four years and has had a better track record than other TV software production houses, which have met with little success on the big screen.
Screwvala claims to have had 11 hits out of a total of 14 releases, the latest being the Shah Rukh Khan – Rani Mukherjee starrer Chalte Chalte. While Lagaan, Fiza, Mission Kashmir and Sarfarosh have been some of the other success stories, the company is currently keeping its fingers crossed for Lakshya and Swades – both pegged at Rs 300 million each.
While Lakshya, a joint production with director Farhan Akhtar’s Excel entertainment, shot in Ladakh, is nearly 90 per cent complete and awaiting a mid 2004 release, Swades, a co production with Lagaan director Ashutosh Gowarikar will roll only in November this year and is scheduled to be released by the tail end of 2004. All these ventures of UTV have had varied co – production arrangements.
The deal with Star however, is not exclusive, enabling UTV to go in for similar arrangements with other media partners.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
