RENAULT STAR GUILD AWARDS TO FELICITATE THE FINEST OF INDIAN CINEMA AND TELEVISION

Queen, PK, 2 States, Highway & Haider top the nomination tally

The Film and Television Producers Guild of India today announced the Renault Star Guild Awards co- powered by Gionee Smartphones. In its Tenth edition the Renault Star Guild Awards ceremony will take place early January and will be broadcast on STAR PLUS.

Instituted to commemorate extraordinary achievements in Indian Cinema and Television, the film and television fraternity congregates every year to celebrate and honor the best contributions and accomplishments in the industry and to celebrate their work in the previous year. The Awards honor excellence in the creative as well as technical categories.

The nominations for the 10th edition of the Renault Star Guild Awards were announced today with Queen & PK leading the nominations tally in 10 categories, followed by 2 States, Highway,  & Haider.

Rajkumar Rao (Citylights), Varun Dhawan (Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania), Arjun Kapoor (2 States), Shah Rukh Khan (Happy New Year), Shahid Kapoor (Haider), Randeep Hooda (Highway) & Aamir Khan (PK) have been nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role. In the Best Actress in a Leading Role category we have Kangana Ranaut (Queen), Priyanka Chopra( Mary Kom), Alia Bhatt ( 2 States), Deepika Padukone ( Happy New Year), Rani Mukherjee ( Mardaani), Alia Bhatt (Highway) & Anushka Sharma (PK) vying for the trophy.

Speaking on the announcement, Mukesh Bhatt, President of the Film & Television Producers Guild of India said, “The Film and Television Industry has witnessed an incredible year in 2014 with as many as twelve debutant promising directors. We are very excited and look forward to the ceremony that will celebrate the best talent in the past year along with some incredible performances.“

Mr. Sumit Sawhney, Country Managing Director & CEO, Renault India Pvt Ltd said “Renault India is happy to work together with the Guild and we are elated to celebrate the accomplishments of the Indian Cinema & Television industry. At Renault, we understand what it takes to think ahead, to win hearts of the audience and also win accolades from a proficient jury. We have always believed, both the Guild and Renault lay special emphasis on Driving the Change and are therefore a perfect fit with each other”

The 10^th Renault Star Guild Awards will be hosted by entertainer and standup comedian, the inimitable Kapil Sharma who is sure to raise the roof with his own special brand of humor and his unbeatable charm.

Talking about the awards, Mr. Sanjay Gupta, COO, Star India Pvt. Ltd said, “Television & Cinema are the two cornerstones of our entertainment ecosystem. Star Guild Awards are extremely prestigious as they are based on peer recognition by members of the Guild. We are delighted to host them once again and our viewers can look forward to an entertaining night on TV. “

Mr. Arvind Vohra, India Head, Gionee Smartphones said “Cinema is one of the most important parts of our culture. It is one of the Passion Points which we as a brand want to get associated with because our consumers connect with it. SGA is one of the platforms which is created by the Film industry and recognizes the efforts of the industry across categories and functions. We at Gionee are honored to be a part of SGA in recognizing and appreciating the efforts of the film industry for adding entertainment, style and glamour to the consumers life”

Sabbas Joseph, Director, Wizcraft International Entertainment said, “It gives us immense pride to partner with the Guild and celebrate the success of the best contributions to Indian Cinema & television. We are certain that the 10^th edition of this prestigious awards ceremony will be a huge success and honor some of the finest talent in the industry today.” 

Conceptualized, produced, marketed and promoted by Wizcraft International Entertainment, the Awards will bring together the most celebrated stars of Indian Television and Cinema on one spectacularly star-studded stage.

It is the only Award that restricts the voting process to the film and television fraternity in keeping with its policy of ‘By the Industry, For the Industry’. The Guild consists of over 160 members, who constitute some of the most powerful and influential luminaries in its sector. The winners of the Awards are chosen by the Guild’s members, making it one of the most credible and much revered accolades.

The Renault Star Guild Awards 2014 co-powered by Gionee Smartphones will be a scintillating evening with the presence of the biggest and brightest personalities and an unbeatable glamour quotient. A special mention to our Associate Sponsors DONEAR, Cause Partner HINDUSTANTIMES promoting “Clean My City” under the aegis of  Swach Bharat Abhiyan, Industry Partner PRIME FOCUS STUDIO, Support Partner EROS & Music Partner  T-SERIES for partnering the prestigious event. 

About-Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt. Ltd:

Wizcraft International Entertainment, India’s leading Event and Entertainment Company is dedicated to showcasing its expertise on the world stage. The Global Indian Music Academy (GiMA) and The International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) are some of its initiatives. Having begun its operations in 1988, Wizcraft has conceptualized and produced events staged in Mauritius, UK, New York, Dubai, Singapore, Malaysia, Netherlands, South Africa, Iraq, Australia and Sri Lanka among others. Wizcraft’s clientele comprise leading global corporates, governments of various countries, leading international entertainment and sports associations, and celebrities. 09The company is focused on providing Global Event Management Solutions at the doorstep of its global clientele.     

About GUILD

GUILD - Enhancing the value of Cinematic Arts- The Film & Television Producers Guild of India Limited is an autonomous non-profit premier film trade body comprising of industry stakeholders, is to be a principal negotiator with the Government on various critical issues, resolving intra and external trade disputes of the industry, liaising with foreign delegations to provide international exposure for its members, arranging conclaves for the benefit of members. Established in 1954 by the stalwarts of the Indian film industry including B.N. Sircar, S. Mukherjee, The Film & TV Producers Guild is today the most progressive body in show business. From renowned film makers/production houses like Yashraj films, Ramesh Sippy, Mukesh Bhatt, Subhash Ghai, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Rakesh Roshan, AB Corp, Prakash Jha, Eros entertainment, Excel Entertainment ; to the young brigade of Aditya Chopra, Karan Johar, Ashutosh Gowariker, Farhan Akhtar, Raj Kumar Hirani Kunal Kohli, Rohan Sippy etc.to stars turned producers like Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Anil Kapoor, Anupam Kher ; to new diversified media companies like Disney -UTV, Reliance Entertainment, Balaji telefilms, PVR, Viacom 18, Fox Star Studios,; to the film makers of international stature from the East and South such as Mrinal Sen, Goutam Ghose, D. Suresh Babu, etc., to leading TV production houses like Star TV, Colors, Sony TV, TV Today, - all are symbols of the Indian filmed content. Over the years, the Guild has also been instrumental in organizing fund raisers such as ‘ Saath Hain Hum – Uttrakhand’ and ‘ Hum Hai – Ummed e Kashmir’ in aid of victims and seminars & conventions with influential trade bodies like FICCI and CII. Also, the Guild has instituted the STAR Guild Awards for excellence in film and television – an award by the industry, for the industry and of the industry.

Website - www.filmtvguildindia.org

About Star India:

STAR India has defined India's broadcast media for the last two decades and is today India’s largest media and entertainment Company.

The STAR India network comprises of more than forty channels in seven languages received by over 600 million viewers every week across India and 100 other countries. The network’s channel portfolio includes Channel [V], Life OK, Movies OK, Star Gold, Star World, Star Movies, Star Movies Action, Star World Premiere HD, FX, FOX Crime, Star Utsav and Star Plus, India's No. 1 General Entertainment Channel.

It has a leading presence in regional broadcasting as well, through a bouquet of affiliate channels which includes Star Jalsha, Star Pravah, Asianet, Asianet Plus, Suvarna and Vijay.

Star India is a wholly owned subsidiary of 21st Century Fox.

For more information please log into www.startv.com / http://www.starplus.in

Follow us on: https://twitter.com/StarPlus

Follow us on:  https://www.facebook.com/Starplus 

10^th RENAULT STAR GUILD AWARDS (APSARA AWARDS)

POPULAR AWARD CATEGORY NOMIEES

Best Screenplay
Sr. No.	Entries	Film
1	Vikas Bahl, Chaitallya Parmar & Parvez Shaikh	Queen
2	Saiwyn Qadras	Mary Kom
3	Adapted Screenplay by Abhishek Varman	2 States
4	Basharat Peer & Vishal Bharadwaj	Haider
5	Imtiaz Ali	Highway
6	Abhijat Joshi & Raj Kumar Hirani	PK

Best Story
Sr. No.	Entries	Film
1	Sean Ellis	Citylights
2	Vikas Bahl, Chaitallya Parmar & Parvez Shaikh	Queen
3	Based on Bestselling Novel by Chetan Bhagat	2 States
4	Nitin Kakkar	Filmistan
5	Imtiaz Ali	Highway
6	Abhijat Joshi & Raj Kumar Hirani	PK

Best Dialogue
Sr. No.	Entries	Film
1	Anvita Dutt & Kangana Ranaut	Queen
2	Karan Singh Rathore  & Ramendra Vasishth	Mary Kom
3	Hussain Dallal	2 States
4	Vishal Bharadwaj	Haider
5	Imtiaz Ali	Highway
6	Abhijat Joshi & Raj Kumar Hirani	PK

Best Choreography
Sr. No.	Entries	Song	Film
1	Pandit Birju Maharaj	Jagave Saari Raina	Dedh Ishqiya
2	Bosco - Ceaser	Tu Meri	Bang Bang
3	Ganesh Acharya	Whistle Baja	Heropanti
4	Ahmad Khan	Jumme Ki Raat	Kick
5	Farah Khan & Geeta Kapoor	Lovely	Happy New Year
6	Bosco – Ceaser	Besharmi Ki Height	Main Tera Hero
7	Uma  & Gaity	Baby Doll	Ragini MMS 2

Best Lyrics
Sr. No.	Entries	Song	Film
1	Rashmi Singh	Muskurane	Citylights
2	Anvita Dutt	London Thumakta	Queen
3	Kummar	Samjhava	Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania
4	Manoj Muntashir	Galliyan	Ek Villian
5	Irshad Kamil	Patakha Guddi	Highway
6	Swanand Kirkire	Bhagwan Hain Kaha Re Tu	PK

Best Music
Sr. No.	Entries	Song Name	Film
1	Amit Trivedi	London Thumakta	Queen
2	Yo Yo Honey Singh	Sunny Sunny	Yarriyan
3	Himesh Reshamiya	Jumme Ki Raat	Kick
4	Vishal Bharadwaj	Bismil	Haider
5	Ankit Tiwari	Galliyan	Ek Villian
6	Meet Brothers	Baby Doll	Ragini MMS 2
7	A R Rahman	Pataka Guddi	Highway

Best Male Singer
Sr. No.	Entries	Song	Film
1	Labh Janjua	London Thumakta	Queen
2	Arijit Singh	Aa Raat Bhar	Heropanti
3	Arijit Singh	Samjhava	Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania
4	Sukhwinder Singh	Bismil	Haider
5	Ankit Tewari	Galliyan	Ek Villian
6	Arijit Singh	Humdard	Ek Villian
7	Shaan	Char Kadam	PK

Best Female Singer
Sr. No.	Entries	Song	Film
1	Shreya Ghosal	Aa Raat Bhar	Heropanti
2	Shreya Ghosal	Samjhava	Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania
3	Shreya Ghosal	Maanwa lage

RIFF Pride of Rajasthan Award for Prashantt Guptha

Actor Prashantt Guptha has been chosen for ‘The Pride of Rajasthan Award’ at the  First Rajasthan International Film Festival (RIFF) at the Kala Kendra in Jaipur from january 18th.
This honour follows Prashantt Guptha’s Best Supporting Actor Award for Rahat Kazmi’s IDENTITY CARD, when he received the award at the hands of  Ayushmann Khurrana and the Honorable Consul General N. Parthasarthy at The San Francisco Global Movie Festival. Before this, the actor also received the Best Debutante Award at the 10th Excellence National Award for his earlier film ISSAQ in which he was noted in the role of a handsome villain.
While Issaq was a commercial film where the handsome hunk’s histrionics spoke with Prateek Babbar and Amyra Dastur, Identity Card highlighted the importance of an identity card in Kashmir without which one can be interrogated and arrested and labeled a terrorist. Prashantt Guptha played a Kashmiri cop and stood up with stalwarts of the likes of Saurabh Shukla, Vipin Sharma, Raghubir Yadav and Brijendra Kala. 
Says Somendra Harsh, founder – Rajasthan International Film Festival, “we chose Prashantt Guptha for not just his acting skills but his overall persona. This award goes to a person who excels as a human being as much as he does as an actor. Over a small span of time, Prashantt Guptha has managed to carve his own niche in Bollywood. This apart, he is a poet and a singer and most importantly has his feet firmly on the ground. We are looking forward to his growth in the years to come and are proud of this young man who hails from our state.” 
As the Pride of Rajasthan Award adds another feather to Prashantt Guptha’s overcrowded cap, here is looking forward to seeing more of this young man.

Universal Music Group signs an Exclusive deal with the Sri Sri Ravi Shankar led `THE ART OF LIVING’ to make its repertoire available globally!

Over 50 titles released across physical and digital platforms worldwide as part of a multi-phase release plan

Universal Music India announced their exclusive association with The Art of Living organization to globally make available it’s audio and video content across categories like Bhajans, Chants, Guided Meditation, Health & Wellness, and Instrumental amongst others. As a part of a multi-phase release plan, Universal Music has just released 51 albums in physical and digital format all over the world except the territory of US.

The content is available across leading music stores and also popular e-commerce portals like Flipkart and Amazon as well as digitally via sites like You tube, Google Play, i-tunes, Hungama. The content is also available on streaming sites like Saavan, Gaana, Wynk, Vodafone Music, Guvera and Beats.

Over the last 30 years The Art Of Living organization has released Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's discourse and music in both Video and Audio formats with the sole purpose of spreading his message to as many people as possible. And now, over 20000 hours of this content will be made available worldwide for the first time through the global presence of the Universal Music Group.

Says Devraj Sanyal, Managing Director, Universal Music Group, South Asia“I am very pleased with this particular association as Sri Sri is someone who is not just a global spiritual leader but an epitome of goodness, kindness and peace at large. His followers and his vast organization stand testament to the fact that alternate thinking can change you, your life and your surroundings and help take you to the next level. We are proud partners in this journey with Gurudev as we aim to take his message across the globe. The Art of Living will continue to influence massive change and we will do our utmost to help deliver this across all local and global platforms.”

Commenting on the association, Prasana Prabhu, Trustee, Sri Sri Publications Trust says, “We are extremely happy to be associated with a major record label like the Universal Music Group who will ensure that the message of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar reaches out to a global audience through their large network. With their might, we will be available widely across all digital and physical platforms thus spreading the message of living well and with peace. We look forward to working closely with Universal Music in not just releasing existing content but also in creation of fresh content from `The Art Of Living’ and present it in innovative ways to the world out there”.

Also on the anvil is a prestigious Home Video release next month from Universal Music of a unique symphony - titled “Venunaad” – where 4000 flutists, will simultaneously perform on a gigantic 30,000-ft stage on 12th January, 2015 in Nasik. This performance is under the guiding baton of renowned flutist, Pt. Ronu Mazumdar, while the revered exponent of the instrument, Hariprasad Chaurasia, will be the guest of honor. The symphony is one of two major events to mark the two-day visit of The Art of Living founder, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, to Maharashtra. 

Founded in 1981 by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, The Art of Living is one of the largest voluntary organizations in the world. Inspired by its founder’s vision of creating a stress-free mind and a violence-free society, the organization is dedicated to creating peace and fostering human values.

About Universal Music India:

Universal Music India Pvt. Ltd. (UMIPL) is a 100% subsidiary of the Universal Music Group (UMG) and is home to record labels such as A&M Records, Blue Note Records, Capitol Records, Capitol Records Nashville, Caroline, Decca, Def Jam Recordings, Deutsche Grammophon, Emarcy, Geffen Records, Interscope Records, Island Records, Machete Music, MCA Nashville, Mercury Records, Motown Records, Polydor Records, Republic Records, Universal Music Latino, Verve Music Group, Virgin Records, Virgin EMI Records.

UMIPL has an extremely rich Indian catalogue comprising songs from classic Hindi and Regional Films, Indi Pop, Bhangra, Ghazals and Devotional. It’s enviable catalogue includes artistes such as Asha Bhosle, AnupJalota, Bombay Vikings, Jagjit Singh, JoSh, Malkit Singh, Pankaj Udhas, Panjabi MC, Raghav, MohitChouhan, Euphoria, Adnan Sami, Rabbi Shergill, RahatFateh Ali Khan to name a few. UMIPL `film’ catalogue (the 2nd largest in India) spans music from blockbusters such as Sholay, Qurbani, Amar Akbar Anthony, ChoriChoriChupkeChupke, Devdas and Munnabhai MBBS amongst the numerous jewels which symbolize the musical journey from the 70’s to date. On the International music front, UMIPL are the clear market leaders with artistes such as ABBA, Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams, Enrique Iglesias, Eminem, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, The Beatles, UB40, Deep Purple, Enigma, Norah Jones, Deadmau5, The Chemical Brothers, amongst host of others, popular music icons and household names in India.