India to be global entertainment superpower: FICCI-KPMG report

Speedy execution of policies; approvals for multiplexes, live events & film shoots will pave way for India to be global entertainment superpower: FICCI-KPMG report

MUMBAI, March 25, 2015.

India could well become a global entertainment superpower, provided key enablers such as flawless and timely execution of policies and  interventions at a local level like speeding up permissions for multiplexes, live events and film shoots are put in place by the government. For the Indian media and entertainment players it is imperative to have tailored content strategies for global, national and local audiences and a focus on building the relevant digital and physical touch points to enable easier and more open and interactive access, says the FICCI-KPMG  Indian Media and Entertainment Industry Report 2015, titled ‘Shooting for the Stars’. The report was released here today at the inaugural session of FICCI FRAMES 2015.   The report notes that India’s significant consumer market base, and increasingly favourable macro-economic and regulatory environment have prompted several investors and global players to look to the Indian market for growth.   Their optimism stems from the fact that the building blocks for future growth have been put in place in 2014 – such as new spectrum for mobile, ongoing digitization in cable, consolidation in exhibition, and Phase III auctions for radio. With the advertising boost from the ICC cricket world cup, strong projections for economic growth and on the base of these building blocks, 2015 holds great promise for the industry.

2014 has been a turning point for the Media and Industry sector in India in many ways. Post general elections, with a stable government at the centre, business sentiment has been positive and bolstered by a number of growth promoting policy initiatives taken in the recent months. A benign external environment and the presence of a stable government prompted the Economic Survey to suggest that India has reached a sweet spot and could finally be launched on a double-digit medium-term growth trajectory. Top global institutes also have an upbeat view on India. Rating agency S&P called India the Asia-Pacific region’s bright spot while the International Monetary Fund revised up India’s growth forecast, expecting its growth rate to surpass China’s in 2016.

  The FICCI-KPMG report points out that in the media sector, digital media continued its rapid penetration, as indicated by the stupendous 44.5 per cent growth in digital advertising in 2014 over 2013. One of the major highlights in 2014 was the announcement of ‘Digital India – A programme to transform India into digital’ by the new Government at the Centre. India topped as the world’s fastest growing smartphone market. By the end of 2014, India had around 116 million internet enabled smartphones and the number is expected to reach 435 million by the year 2019. This growth presents a good opportunity for digital content aggregators, advertisers, app developers and online streaming companies to engage users through relevant mobile-led strategies.

- See more at: http://www.filmytown.com/india-global-entertainment-superpower-ficci-kpmg-report/

CELEBRATE A SUPERHERO MARCH WITH STAR MOVIES!

Star Movies celebrates the month the superhero way!

Give in to your Superhero Mania this month as Star Movies brings to you some of the most loved Superhero movies of all times! Please find the line- up below and meet your superhoeroes at home only on star movies.

22^nd March

Premiere @ 9pm

Captain America: The Winter Soldier – As Steve Rogers struggles to embrace his role in the modern world, teams up with another super soldier, the black widow, to battle a new threat from old history known as the Winter Soldier.

Cast: Chris Evans, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson

24^th March

Blockbuster @ 9pm

Spider-Man 3 – A strange black entity from another world bonds with Peter Parker and causes inner turmoil as he contends with new villains, temptations, and revenge.

Cast: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Topher Grace

25^th March

Blockbuster @ 9pm

The Hulk –  Bruce Banner, a genetics researcher with a tragic past, suffers an accident that causes him to transform into a raging green monster everytime he gets angry.

Cast: Eric Bana, Jennifer Connelly, Sam Elliott  

30^th March

Blockbuster @ 9pm

Thor 2: The Dark World – The second installment is all about how Thor teams up with Loki to save the Nine Realms from the Dark Elves led by the vengeful Malekith, who intends to plunge the universe into darkness.

Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Natalie Portman and Sir Anthony Hopkins

Star Struck @ 11pm

Nanak Shah Fakir spans 70 years: Sartaj Singh Pannu

Director of the first biopic on Guru Nanak talks why it was difficult to make a film on the Guru 

Easily one of the most iconic personalities to have been born in India, Guru Nanak is one person whose story deserves to be told. Strangely however it took over a 100 years cinema to finally have a film on a personality that defines so much about India. Directed by Sartaj Singh Pannu, Nanak Shah Fakir features powerful actors such as Tom Alter, Adil Hussain and Arif Zakaria has been shot across the country in an effort to stay true to the settings of Nanak's era. The trailer has just been launched and the film is set to release in April this year. Here's an excerpt with the director.

Nanak Shah Fakir is the first biopic on Guru Nanak. What do you think took so long for film to be made on him?

Because it can steer instant controversy. Firstly projection of Guru Nanak in flesh and blood is not acceptable, therefore  to make hundred percent  live action it not possible. Second, animation is very expense, third certain facts in history are  blurred between factual and rituals, fourth it requires  huge budget to mount  a film on Guru Nanak as he traveled far and wide in 15^th century.

When you started working  on this film what were your biggest hurdles?

To make a film without showing Guru Nanak, so we had multiple meeting with Mr. Pankaj Kandpur, creative   director  Tata Elxsi.  Mark D’Souza  our in-house VFX supervisor of the film  worked  on CG test  shots  with Mr. Pankaj Kandpur for many month, till we reached technical  satisfactory level , after  months of back and forth we started shooting.  My Director Of Photography Sandip Patil used multiple cameras to insure fluidity of scenes which would later involve  tricky  CGI  shots in the Post

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How did you manage to keep the film true to the period. We understand you have shot across many states in the country.

Not many reference were available on pre- mogul era period films, intense research was done Payal Saluja, an NID graduate, a very experienced costume designer along with  Production Designers  worked really hard and stuck to brief, remained true to Socio- Geo-political and Economic culture of 14 & 15 century.  We were  ruled by Muslims of  Turk Persian origin, most of the country was Hindu, Persian was official government language but  we spoke Hindi.

As the story spanned around 70 years, from the birth  of guru nanak, till he departs, the Make-up department had to be exceptional. I had to convince my  producer to step up first prosthetic Lab in India  to  reduce cost on talent import and Prosthetic  material .Indigenous Prosthetic artist Preetisheel Singh and clover Wotton with team of 10 people worked over an year to give exact natural ageing on many character, designed severed limbs used in  first battle of Panipat war, made 50 years old men look 200 year humans living in Himalayas etc 

As guru nanak travelling extensively with his message of IK ONKAR.”One god’   he went north  south, east ,west. We shot in snow, desert, ocean, jungle, ladkh, Punjab, Mumbai, Gujarat, Rajasthan, oddisa, green room studios etc.

It was challenge for my unit  and my actors who  stood by the film  and shot at most adverse location with heavy costumes and face altering prosthetic which  sometimes took 4-6 six hours to complete especially   on Adil Husain and Tom alter, Arif and Manav Kaul 

How long did you take to complete the shoot of the film?

We started in April 2012 and completed 2013 October  The most aspiring part was the music rendered by Uttam Singh and sung by Nirmal Singh. The music gave me insight into spiritual feel of  the film and dialogues by Sagar Sarhadi were of poetic flavor

Did it not make sense to have a well known star to be a part of such a film? How did you choose your cast?

The film was very cumbersome, additional baggage of stars and paraphernalia would take the would be detrimental to film. I thought I required long commitment from technicians and actors , which Arif Zakaria  gave me. Mardana, reenacted by Arif was a rebaab player who  lived in village Talwandi of Guru Nanak, he was Guru Nanak’s  friend and companion during his childhood and all his travels. The story is narrated through his life and character.  

Nanak is your second film and comes almost 4 years after Soch Lo. What's your next?

Yeah, this has taken almost three years,  I have many scripts which I have writing over the years. I want to make this intercontinental classic revenge love story in '50s and '60s based in Punjab and wild outback's of Australia, I'm a trying  to talk to actors. If this takes time, I’ll make a  quickie contemporary  film