FX BRINGS ITS INDIAN VIEWERS THE ULTIMATE SURVIVAL OF THE FUNNIEST TELEVISIONS MOST COMPELLING COMEDY TALENT HUNT “LAST COMIC STANDING” TO AIR EXCLUSIVELY ON FX INDIA

 Funny business is now serious business only on FX! Last Comic Standing, the biggest and most gripping battle of comedians is all set to launch First on FX. Bringing in award winning and popular shows that stand apart across genres, FX will showcase the edgy comedy talent hunt, starting 7^th September, 2015 at Monday to Friday 8 pm. For the first time ever, FX will air a non-fiction show and original programming on the 8 pm slot thus bringing viewers a refreshing start to primetime viewing.FX has brought in all new programming that spans genres – be it musical dramas or psychological thrillers, or even cult science fiction. With the launch of Last Comic Standing, FX is all set to redefine comedy, as the series takes from the usual fluff, slapstick and gag humor synonymous to the genre nowadays and introduces audiences to a smart, tough and brilliant brand of humor and stand-up comics. Unique styles of comedy, high pitched energy, jokes with substance and acts like never before; the series showcases all this and more, season after season, in its quest to find the Last Comic Standing only on FX.  Home to a wide gamut of genres, the channel will introduce Comedy as a new facet to its existing line-up of diverse content with the new series launch.

Much more than just a funny show, Last Comic Standing brings to the fore the cut-throat competition among the best comedians and their attempts to outdo each other to win the title of being the ultimate funny man. In this clash of the comics, viewers stand witness to funny business getting really serious as contestants come up with one act after another including out of the box stand-up routines, one-of-a-kind roasts and off-the-cuff comments. As the going gets tough, the tough get going and only the funniest will survive and be known as the Last Comic Standing.

Staying true to the show’s proposition, FX has brought on board the multi-faceted and brilliant comic, Vir Das as Last Comic Standing’s ambassador for its India launch. A die-hard fan of the show himself, Vir Das echoes and brings to life the show’s prime ethos being a veteran and experienced professional in the field of standup comedy. Das is all set to introduce the show to Indian viewers and explain to audiences how this battle is no ordinary one but the survival of the funniest. In his inimitable style, Vir Das will bring his take on the concept of survival of the funniest, and a robust marketing plan across television and digital platforms will support the launch of the show.

The series features some of the most accomplished and iconic panel of judges to date, surprise celebrity guests and a new riveting head-to-head phase of the competition. The season opens up with hilarious auditions by invitation only. The funniest of all will take home the most coveted title of Last Comic Standing and win an incredible prize package including a development deal for their own television show. 

With a history of showcasing aspiring comics who go on to highly successful careers, Last Comic Standing has also witnessed a strong India connect. Featuring as a judge in the eighth season, World Famous Comedian, Russell Peter’s has his roots in India being born to Anglo Indian parents. Interestingly, Peters is also the first performer of Indian heritage to make it big on the International comedy scene. Another Indian connect to take notice is Papa CJ, Delhi born comedian who entertained audiences with his desi brand of humor and impressed judges in the sixth season auditions in Las Vegas, eventually making a place amongst the show’s finalists.

Now avail LIVE Darshan of Lalbaugcha Raja on your mobile handsets!! Shemaroo Entertainment acquires exclusive RIGHTS for LIVE VIDEO Content distribution of “Lalbaugcha Raja” on mobile platforms

Shemaroo Entertainment, an established integrated media content house, has acquired for the fifth consecutive year the exclusive video content  rights of  one of India's most popular deities –“LALBAUGCHA RAJA” for mobile platforms. Consumers will now be able to enjoy aarti, LIVE darshan and many more videos of LALBAUGCHA RAJA anywhere and anytime on their mobile handsets. All they need is to send a simple SMS - “SELBR” to 56060.  They will receive a link on their mobile. They can enjoy LIVE darshan and many other videos of “Lalbaugcha Raja” by simply clicking on it. LIVE darshan of Lalbaugcha Raja will be available from 17 September’15.

Shemaroo Entertainment will distribute content of Lalbaugcha Raja to all the telecom operators.  Also will provide LIVE feed of the deity to selected mobile apps with good subscriber base to reach to the wider audience. During the ten days of Ganesh Utsav, around 1.5 million devotees come each day to seek the blessings of Lalbaugcha Raja. And this number has been growing every year as the deity is known to fulfill the prayers of his devotees.   

Jai Maroo, Director, Shemaroo Entertainment Ltd shared his thoughts on the occasion, “We feel happy to be once again be blessed with the opportunity to offer darshan of Lalbaugcha Raja to the devotees. There are millions of people who believe in Lalbaugcha Raja, but not all of them are able to come for his darshan. They can now easily watch the Raja live on their mobile handset.” He adds, “ We not only plan to tie up with the telco giants but also join hands with popular mobile apps to make sure that we reach to the maximum number of the devotees.  ”  

Mr. Sudhir Salvi, Secretary, Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganeshostav Mandal said “We are glad to partner with Shemaroo for the fifth consecutive years to distribute content of Lalbaugcha Raja to his devotees through mobile platform. The divine power of prayers offered to the deity here is fulfilled, but not all the devotees get the opportunity to get his darshan. Our association with Shemaroo will help people across the country to get LIVE darshan of their God anytime and on any network.” 

Eros International & Hansal Mehta’s Aligarh to have its World Premiere at the 20th Busan International Film Festival

Hansal Mehta is known for his sensitive, quality films that have a substantial story to tell. Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), the prestigious Asian film jamboree has recognized this National Award winner’s ability to tell unusual human celluloid stories by lending its platform for the World Premiere of his next, Aligarh in its section - A Window on Asian Cinema. The most applauded & keenly watched film festival in Asia, BIFF brings together some of the best filmmaking talent from across the world.

Starring acclaimed actors, Manoj Bajpayee & Rajkummar Rao in key roles, Aligarh is based on a real life incident in Uttar Pradesh which found its way into the headlines not so long back. A Professor (Manoj Bajpayee) is suspended by his University for being gay after he is caught on camera in a sting operation. A young journalist (Rajkummar Rao) investigates his first breaking story. Set in the myriad dark lanes of a volatile, decadent society, the two strike an unlikely friendship that will change them forever.

Speaking on this, Hansal said, “I think it’s a special reward to a fantastically dedicated team that worked on making Aligarh so special. Busan is Asia’s biggest film festival and being selected as part of such an excellent line-up is an honour. ”

Adds Producer Sunil Lulla, Managing Director, Eros International Media Ltd, " We are elated at the selection of our film, Aligarh for its World Premiere at a prestigious film festival like BIFF. This strengthens our belief at Eros International in backing the vision of directors like Hansal who make meaningful cinema with a human touch."

Between 1st and 10th October 2015, the quaint city of Busan will be hosting this grand event. This year, the Busan International Film Festival will also be hosting a special line up of European parallel cinema, and will become a hub of global cinema. 

Eros International presents Aligarh directed by Hansal Mehta and written by Apurva Asrani, produced by Eros International and Karma Pictures. 

“JUS-TIN! JUS-TIN!" CHANTS GET LOUDER AS MILLIONS OF `BIELIBERS’ AROUND THE WORLD IMPATIENTLY AWAIT HIS BRAND NEW SINGLE “WHAT DO YOU MEAN”?

MUSIC BIGGIES AND CELEBRITIES JOIN FORCES TO SUPPORT THE POP SENSATION’S MASSIVE SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN TOWARDS THE SINGLE’S RELEASE ON 28^TH AUGUST`15 

THE SINGLE “WHAT DO YOU MEAN?’ WILL BE AVAILABLE DIGITALLY SIMULTANEOUSLY IN INDIA ALONG WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD ON 28^THAUGUST!

Justin Bieber, the pop sensation has never ceased to make headlines for his music as well as his popstar-esque shenanigans. The 21yr old pop sensation has recruited all of his friends from the entertainment industry into making his new single “What Do You Mean?” the talk of the town this summer. An aggressive social media campaign kick-started with his song being tweeted line by line in a riddle. The question on every ones lips is ‘What Do You Mean?’

Over the last month the pop star has gotten one celebrity every day to tease followers and fans alike by holding up a sign with the tracks title on it and a countdown to the day of its release. So far, music bigwigs like Ariana Grande, Ed Sheeran, Chris Martin, Carly Rae Jepsen, Jason Derulo, Martin Garrix, Usher, Tori Kelly, Meghan Trainor, Hillary Duff among many others have participated.

Beside music artistes, renowned actors like Ben Stiller, Kate Hudson, Ashton Kutcher, Ellen DeGeneres and others have also joined in and created a veritable fervor among fans of the star as well as members of the music fraternity who cannot wait for the big reveal. 

Justin’s last studio album `BELIEVE’ was way back in 2012…so when he spoke to his fans "It's been a while since I've done any shows or anything," "You guys miss me?" at his performance at the inaugural Billboard Hot 100 Festival on Sunday night, the response from the audience was deafening! The stage is now set for the release of his brand new single “What Do You Mean?” dropping 28<sup>th</sup> August`15.

EEMA ANNOUNCES THE INTERNATIONAL JURY FOR EEMAX GLOBAL AWARDS 2015

JURY COMPRISES ARTISTIC DIRECTORS, CORPORATE HEAD HONCHOS, ADVERTISING GENIUSES, GLOBAL EVENT GURUS AND FILM STARS

The Indian event industry’s apex body, the Event and Entertainment Management Association (EEMA), has unveiled a list of eminent dignitaries from across the globe to grace the International Jury of Experts panel of the first edition of EEMAX GLOBAL Awards 2015. Established to recognize excellence and honor the best events and experiential marketing projects from India and around the world, the prestigious conclave and awards ceremony is scheduled to take place on the 19^th and 20^th September, 2015 at the Taj Lands End, Mumbai.

The International Jury has been carefully curated by EEMA, bringing on board leaders from around the globe from the world of brands, media, cinema, advertising, marketing and events. Crossing boundaries, the carefully chosen jury members will adjudicate on a unified platform and choose the best and most deserved talent and performances in the event industry.

Speaking about the prestigious global event, Sabbas Joseph, President, EEMA said, “This is the inaugural edition of EEMAX GLOBAL and we are delighted with the high level of participation from event companies in the competitive section of the EEMAX GLOBAL Awards. The jury that has been assembled is a testimony to the support and respect that is being accorded to the events and experiential industry by Indian and global experts”.

Comprising influential personalities from the international events and experiential marketing scene, jury members at EEMAX GLOBAL include the likes of Adam Proto (Principal & Course Director, Terbell Event Management Training), Alan Ridgeway (President International & Emerging Markets, Live Nation Entertainment), Chris Purnell (Director, Edinburgh Mela), David Zolkwer (SVP & Director Public Events, Jack Morton Worldwide),Keith O'Loughlin (Founder & Group CEO, TRO), Min Chang (President Asia Pacific, President Asia Pacific, Diversified Agency Services), Patrick Roubroeks (Creative Director, Xsaga), Rogier Van Der Heide (Artistic Director - Amsterdam Light Festival), William Burdett-Coutts (Artistic Director, Riverside Studio).

Key players from the Indian events, marketing and brands industry namely Prasoon Joshi (Chairman, McCann Worldgroup Asia Pacific), Arvind Vohra (Country CEO & Managing Director, Gionee India), Gurdeep Singh (President, President & CEO, Consumer Business, Reliance Communications Ltd), Josy Paul (Chairman, BBDO),Kaushik Roy (President Brand Communications - Reliance Industries), Madhukar Kamath (Chairman, Mudra Foundation), Monica Tata (Media Professional and till recently CEO of HBO), NP Singh (CEO, Multi Screen Media Pvt. Ltd), Raj Nayak (CEO, Colors TV 18), Sunil Tandon (CMO, Videocon), Sam Balsara (CMD, Madison World), Venky Mysore (CEO, Red Chillies) and Vijay Subramaniam (MD India & South East Asia, Bacardi India) would be gracing the International Jury panel at EEMAX GLOBAL.

Along with young politicians Poonam Mahajan, MP and Milind Deora, eminent Indian celebrities from the film and fashion industry joining the jury are Dia Mirza (Film Actor), Masaba Gupta (Fashion Designer), Neha Dhupia (Film Actor), Ramesh Sippy (Film Director), Vikas Bahl (Film Maker), Vivek Oberoi (Film Actor) are slated to join the International jury at EEMAX GLOBAL.

The EEMAX GLOBAL Awards will have a three-level selection process that involves taking the award entries through a screening jury and an international jury followed by peer voting to choose the winners in 30 categories that span entertainment events, social events, sporting events, weddings, exhibitions, digital activation, government events, CSR and education.

Entries for the EEMAX GLOBAL Awards would continue to be accepted till 30^th August and entries can be submitted online at www.eemaxglobal.com.

EEMA is the first and only body of its kind, which brings together the country’s leading event management companies, entertainment professionals, artist management companies and international counterparts on the same platform. EEMA works with the Union government and the state governments to create a policy and licensing framework that ensures ease of doing business and at the same time could help the country build an events calendar to enhance tourism.

About EEMA:

The Event and Entertainment Management Association (EEMA) is an autonomous and non-profit registered body of companies, institutions and professionals operating within the Events and Experiential Marketing industry of India. The Industry has grown exponentially over the last two decades with over 1000 entities operating in this space, in various segments and levels across 100+ cities in India. EEMA is the first and only body of its kind, which seeks to bring together the country’s leading Event Management, Sports Management and Brand Activation companies, MICE and Wedding Planners, Experiential Marketers, Entertainment Professionals, Technicians and Technical rental companies, Artist Management Companies and International counterparts on the same platform. EEMA today is the only national association with a unified voice that leads dialogue within its members and with government, Statutory Bodies, Taxation Authorities, Private and Municipal Licensing Bodies, Corporate Industry, Vendors and Artists. EEMA is setting Industry Standards that guide its members and has prescribed a Code of Conduct for its members and their employees. Over the years, EEMA has also been instrumental in organizing the coming together of industry stakeholders at its annual convention EEMAGINE and has instituted EEMAX Global, the industry’s premier Award Ceremony to recognize excellence in the event and experiential marketing space. Since its incorporation in 2008, EEMA has rapidly grown in membership to include all significant organized players across the length and breadth of the country, and it is estimated that close to 80% of the organized revenue in this space, is represented through EEMA members.