Creative Eye forays into film-making
CREATIVE EYE LTD. (CEL), a television software company, is expected to double its topline as well as bottomline over the next couple of years by its foray into other businesses, the company’s Chairman and Managing Director, Mr. Dheeraj Kumar, said. Known for its mythological and social drama serials, Creative Eye is ‘derisking’ its business model by entering into film production, film distribution, animation and is also mulling over the possibility of getting into multiplexes.
The company has embarked on a film based on 3D plus technology titled Aabra Ka Daabra. What sets this film apart is the fact that Creative Eye will not only earn from the traditional sources of a film - music, theatrical release in India and overseas, satellite rights - but also by way of leasing this technology to film makers, television software producers as well as for use in the print medium.
According to Mr. Kumar, this technology owned jointly by Creative Eye and FX Factory, does not require redefining of screen or lens as necessitated in earlier 3D Indian films such as Chota Chetan and Chota Jadugar. “This technology can also be put to use to make 3D television programmes which can be viewed on analog sets,” he said.
According to Mr. Sunil Gupta, Chief Financial Officer, Creative Eye, the company will be able to get more than the cost of production of Aabra Ka Daabra. In order to hedge its risk, the company will be distributing the film in two main territories in India. “We are expecting to get tax relief in these two territories,” said Mr. Kumar but did not reveal the territories. “This will open the door to the business of distribution for us,” he said.

Viva Reloaded
Viva, the girl band! Anushka, Pratichee, Neha & Mahua are back with a bang with its next Times Music Album ‘Viva Reloaded’ after topping the Indipop charts with its debut self-titled album.
‘Viva Reloaded’ is a complete dance album. The famous four, now seem to be more confident finally getting the hang of how things work in the music industry. Viva Reloaded even has a track called ‘Yeh Pyar nahin to kya hai’ composed by Anushka & Mahua. Their varied choices of music helps them bring different musical styles to their album. Pratichee is a huge R.D. Burman fan, Neha, is fond of Nelly, Michael Frank & Pink Floyd. Mahua loves listening to Alanis Morisette, the Cranberries & Dido. Anushka’s choice range from Apollo 440 & GNR to Pearl Jam & Metallica.

They have just completed the shooting of ‘Viva Reloaded’ & we wish them all the success for their Act II.

Santoshi Directs Bachchans
Rajkumar Santoshi has finalised the star cast of his new venture. It will star Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt and Abhishek Bachchan in lead roles. To be produced by A.B. Corp. and Lakshmi Productions, the film will roll on October 10th this year.

Santoshi denies that the film is a remake of any South Indian film “It’s an original script, being penned by Anjum Rajabali”, and clarifies “Sanju is not enacting a negative role in it, as rumoured.”

There’s talk that Keshu Ramsay, who’s producing KHAKEE with Santoshi, has decided to repeat the director for his next venture as well. Reportedly, this film will star Big B, Akshay Kumar and a new hero in pivotal roles, but Santoshi denies finalizing the star cast.

Says he, “It’s true that Keshu has signed me for his next film, but we haven’t really thought of the star cast yet. The project, in all probability, will roll once KHAKEE is released.”

Tanuja Chandra to Direct an English Film
Tanuja Chandra is all set to embark on a new project, which she’s extremely excited about. “It’s an English film”, Tanuja discloses. Elaborating further, she adds, “The film, a love story between a Muslim boy and a Sikh girl, is set against the September 11 terrorist attacks on America.”

Though Tanuja hasn’t titled the film yet, she reveals that the film will be shot in a start-to-finish shooting schedule from October/November this year in New York. “The film will star Indian names, but will be made primarily for the global market.”

The director says that she’s talking to Farhan Hashmi [being introduced in FOOTPATH], Lara Dutta and Naseeruddin Shah for pivotal roles in the film, which will be produced by leading Overseas distributor Lal Dadlani [who had earlier produced KEHTAA HAI DIL BAAR BAAR].

“You feel suffocated when asked to make films keeping the audience’s tastes in various territories of India, in mind. As a result, it curbs your creativity. At last I’d be making something without bowing down to commercial dictates”, she sounds relieved.

Meanwhile, Tanuja’s under-production film, FILM STAR, is currently in the post-production stages and is being readied for September/October release.

David Dhawan moves ahead!
David Dhawan continues to enjoy tremendous popularity amongst not just producers, but also the directors. Just last year, Subhash Ghai signed David to direct EK AUR EK GYARAH and now, David has bagged yet another prestigious assignment, which will be produced by Indra Kumar [director of DIL, BETA, RAJA, MANN, RISHTEY] and Ashok Thakeria.

Starring Sanjay Dutt in the lead, the film will co-star one more hero and two heroines, who are under finalisation. “It’s a remake of a Malayalam hit”, David says “We hope to roll next year, once we complete the script and also the pre-production formalities.”

David admits he’s changing tracks with this film. “Of course, all my films would be padded with entertainment, but this one will have an undercurrent of emotions throughout”, he says.

Turning producer is also on the cards, but that won’t happen before David completes MUJHSE SHAADI KAROGE [Salman, Akshay, Priyanka] and the Indra Kumar project, he adds.

Madan Mohan’s Compositions for Yash Chopra.
Well anything and everything is possible in this world. Yash Chopra is proving this adage right. He has decided to go in for a dead music director for his next project.

The director is none other than Madan Mohan. Yash Chopra heard some of the tunes which have not been used in any films and Chopra has decided to use these tunes for his next project.
Well this is Bollywood and everything goes.

Vivek Oberoi replaced
Vivek Oberoi is not having a good time at least where his professional life is concerned.

He has been the favourite of producers and directors all over but recently he has lost favour with them.
After fracturing his knee, now it is learnt that he has been replaced in a prestigious project of the Chopra’s by none other than Saif Ali Khan who is a favourite of the Chopras. The film is to be directed by Kunal Kohli and it would have Rani Mukherjee in the female lead.

Sunny to work with Dior Model
Sunny Deol is the lucky one as he has been signed on to play the lead opposite Dior model Vijayta Sandhu in Rahul Rawail’s Jo Bole So Nihaal.

The film is being produced by Babloo Pachisia and the film is scheduled to go on the floors by the end of this month.

Band of Boys Film Completed :
The debut film of Band Of Boys, KISS KIS KO, is complete. A 45-day schedule was held in Bali. The band comprises of Karan Oberoi, Sudhanshu Pandey, Chin2, Sherrin Varghese and Siddharth Haldipur. The film also marks the debut of two models, Bhumika Puri and Aparna Kumar.

The film has eight songs, which have been composed by the Band Of Boys and a U.K. based composer, Vikesh Mehta. Neil Archer, a London based lyrics writer, will be collaborating on the English version of a song from the film, which will be released as a single in U.K. market.
The film, directed by Sharad Sharan, is in post-production stages [editing and dubbing] and is expected to release in August.

Ash – the Biwi in Sahib Biwi Aur Ghulam:
Aishwarya Rai is all set to don the role played by Meena Kumari in the film Sahib Biwi Aur Ghulam.

The film is being made by the Pritish Nandy Communications and currently they are deciding on the director for the film. Pritish Nandy Communications have decided to sign on Deepa Mehta for the film.

Aishwarya Rai will be playing the role of Choti Malkin in the film.

IIFA Donates 12 Lakhs.
The International Indian Film Academy [I.I.F.A.] presented proceeds from the Samsung I.I.F.A. Charity Cricket Match, held earlier in Johannesburg, South Africa in May this year as a part of the I.I.F.A. Weekend 2003, to family members of the workers who lost their lives during the course of filming. At a press conference held at Hotel Tulip Star [Juhu] on July 8, a total amount of Rs. 12 lacs was given across four families.

The bereaved families who received the cheques had lost their breadwinners earlier this year during the filming of ARMAAN, BADHAI HO BADHAI and L.O.C. Apart from the bereaved families, the other beneficiary is South Africa’s ‘Northern Cricket Union Development Programme’, who have already received a part of the proceeds.

Meanwhile, Sabbas, Andre and Viraf, the enterprising trio behind I.I.F.A., informed this writer that the Academy will organise a cricket match between the Hindi and South Indian film industries in October this year. The proceeds from the cricket match would be divided equally between the two film industries and later dispersed to the needy.

In these times, when some people don’t live up to their financial commitments once the job is done, it’s heartening to note that there still exists an academy like I.I.F.A. which goes out of its way to help the poor and the needy!

JAAGO with Raveena and Sanjay!
After the failure of Kitne Door Kitne Paas, director Mehul Kumar is working on his next project titled ‘Jaago’. The film will re-pair Raveena Tandon and Sanjay Kapoor after Soch, and will also feature Manoj Bajpai with Raveena as well.

This year has been quite lull for Raveena, with only her performance in Satta recieving any notice. Though not confirmed, it is believed Sanjeev-Darshan will compose the music and like Kitne Door Kitne Paas, Mehul Kumar will produce this one as well.

Seven Films to release on August 1st
As of today there are a total of 7 films lined up for an August Ist release . Here is the list: Hungama, Chori Chori, Chalbaaz, 3 Deewarein, Oops!, Indra-The Tiger (dubbed) and Mr. Bones (dubbed).
We have seen before that some of the film-makers postpone their movies at the last moment and that might just happen here also.
Basu Da Makes a comeback to Hindi Cinema.

It is good news for the fans of veteran Director, Basu Chatterjee, who gave us movies like Chitchor, Chhoti Si Baat, Piya Ka Ghar, Baton Baton Mein and Khatta Meetha. He will soon be directing a Hindi movie Pratiksha, which is a re-make of the Bengali hit, Saptapadi.

Sonali Bendre has been signed for the venture and the rest of the cast is yet to be finalised.

TANGO - CHARLIE
Ajay Devgan ,who has already worked with mother-in-law Tanuja in Bhoot , will now have sister-in-law Tanisha for company in a movie called Tango Charlie.

The multi-starrer Tango Charlie (actually a military code name) also has Sanjay Dutt , Bobby Deol , and Sunil Shetty.

The movie , will be directed by Mani Shankar of ‘16 December’ fame , for producer´s Sohail Maklai and Nitin Manmohan and is scheduled to start from next month.

Rani & Akshay Together for the First Time
Director Subhash Ghai had announced many ventures under his banner Mukta Arts on his birthday. Ghai´s last release Ek Aur Ek Gyarah with David Dhawan as the director has recovered its cost.

We now have news about the next Mukta Arts movie that will go on the floors soon . This one will be directed by Abbas-Mustan and will feature Anil Kapoor , Akshay Kumar and Rani Mukerjee.

While Anil and Akshay are already working in the under production Bewafa -The Unfaithful , Rani and Akshay are coming together for the first time.
Another interesting news about the movie is that Akshay´s role was originally meant for Vivek Oberoi.

Case against Steven Speilberg
A children’s author is suing Steven Spielberg’s studio for millions of pounds in damages, saying the Hollywood director stole his story for the big-screen hit Chicken Run.

Alan Davidson argues that the animated film produced by Spielberg’s DreamWorks studio and animators Peter Lord and Nick Park infringed copyright protecting Escape from Cold Ditch, his children’s tale of a hen that leads an escape from a chicken farm.

Davidson claims the movie, credited to Lord and Park, infringes his moral right to be identified as the author.

Davidson, who lives near Hartfield south of London, refused comment today, but a family spokesman said, “the suit is a matter of principle and honesty.”

DreamWorks and Peter Lord’s Aardman Animations company, based in Bristol, are named as the main defendants in papers filed at Lewes County Court in southern England.

The papers point to a number of similarities between Escape From Cold Ditch and Chicken Run, which reportedly netted more than $160 million at cinemas and on video, DVD and merchandising.

Both stories star a rebellious hen who leads her clucking friends in a World War II-style breakout across fields and barbed wire.

Alexander Walker dead.
Alexander Walker, a former governor of the British Film Institute and film critic noted for his controversial views, died on the July 15, 2003. He was 73. Walker died at a London clinic after a short illness. He became friends with many of the Stars he wrote about and penned biographies of Elizabeth Taylor, Peter Sellers, Audrey Hepburn and Vivien Leigh. He served as a governor for the British Film Institute from 1988 to 1994.