Arshad Warsi and Saurabh Shukla- the duo to watch out for in Fraud Saiyaan

The upcoming comic caper Fraud Saiyaan will see the return of the dynamic duo -  Arshad Warsi and Saurabh Shukla yet again. We have seen both the actors deliver terrific performances whenever they have come  on the big screen. Be it their comic timing, undeniable chemistry and screen presence in movies like Lage Raho Munnabhai and Jolly LLB. Now, the duo is all set to take you on a laughter riot in their next, Fraud Saiyaan.

There is no doubt that they compliment each other with their humour as seen in the trailer. Arshad plays the role of a conman in the movie and Saurabh makes the perfect partner in crime. Saurabh Shukla joins Arshad in his journey to con women.

On working with Saurabh, Arshad says,”I am fortunate to get to play this character as I have not played anyone like Bhola Prasad Tripathi in any of my films. Working with Saurabh is a delight, he is a fantastic actor which helps me perform better. The script is hilarious, mainly because it has a uniquely funny sensibility and situations. I have a very strong feeling that the audience is going to love Fraud Saiyaan. Fingers crossed.”

Commenting on the same, Prakash Jha says, “They have this unimaginable chemistry which you can see on screen as well. Always complimenting each other and being impromptu with their lines at times. When you see the movie, you will see how the two of them have enhanced each scene with their impeccable sense of humour and charisma.”

Prakash Jha Productions present a Drama King Entertainment production, "Fraud Saiyaan". Produced by Disha Prakash Jha & Kanishk Gangwal, the film is directed by Sourabh Shrivastava, and starring Arshad Warsi, Saurabh Shukla and Sara Loren. It will hit the silver screen on 18th January 2019.

Fans of Vicky Kaushal get to meet their matinee idol through URI: The Surgical Strike’s association with Independent TV

       Blue Bang Media & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd clinches the deal in a multi agency pitch

Vicky Kaushal led, URI: The Surgical strike has forged a unique alliance with leading DTH service brand, Independent TV. While URI: the Surgical Strike has been touted as one of the most bankable films in tinsel town, Independent TV has a strong presence in its domain, which makes the association lucrative for both parties.

The salient features of the brand inherently align itself to the theme of the film and central characters of the film.   Major Vihan Shergill played by Vicky Kaushal Indian Army Commando leading his team to a mission which resonates well with Independent TV and hence the association fructified. Vicky Kaushal’s rising stardom and popularity together with studio support, the deal entails a massive co-branded campaign for their upcoming film ‘URI The Surgical Strike’ which is slated to release Worldwide on 11th January 2019

Kaushal will be seen in this role as a tough and patriotic Indian Army Commando who takes an oath to strike back and finish the enemies- believes in his fighting spirit, pride and honour of the country and Indian Army. Independent TV is India’s one of the leading DTH service provider, a respectable name in its category. The essence of the brand and that of the film’s central character alongside the plot line come alive in this co- branded campaign. In addition, an audience meet and greet between Independent TV and star cast of the film be organised as a part of the association.

Team Independent TV shares their opinion and views, “We are proud to associate with this film not just for its wide reach and rich content. Any film that holds up the country’s history and Indian Defence’s contribution becomes much more than a film. Such films are etched in public memory and have strong archival values even after its theatrical shelf life. We want to associate with relevant content that not just makes business sense but resonates with our brand communication of dishing out avant garde content to every Indian household.

Mr. Vinay Punjabi, MD and CEO, Blue Bang Media, the agency behind envisaging this association said,  “The concept  of the movie motivated us to create a seamless alliance between the film and the brand. A film based on patriotism and respect for Indian Army deserve to go to maximum homes in the country and the brand being a DTH service provider can realise the objective through this alliance . The digital and outdoor campaign is massive which guarantees the maximum exposure to the movie and the vice versa. Such associations are rare to be seen. “

Vicky Kaushal said, "This Republic Day spend an evening with our film URI: The Surgical Strike on Independent TV HD DTH. Wishing everyone a Happy Republic Day in advance. "URI: The Surgical Strike" is a blend of emotions and high class action produced by Ronnie Screwvala, starring Vicky Kaushal, Paresh Rawal, Yami Gautam in lead roles. It is an edge of the seat thriller inspired by true events of the terror attack in URI with an extremely talented cast that will keep audiences hooked till the end. The film promises a wide distribution over theatres pan India and a number  territories worldwide.

Leading film marketing and brand alliance agency, Blue Bang Media & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd clinched the plum deal, bridging brand Independent TV and versatile entertainer URI: The Surgical Strike. 

About Independent TV 

Independent TV is the rapidly growing Direct to Home Entertainment Company across Asia. Reliance BIG TV is renamed as Independent TV in 2018. Its involvement in news, entertainment, and sports channels with various innovative offerings helped in earning a prominent place by making it world’s third largest DTH service provider. The core aim of Independent TV is to boost its significant presence in the complete entertainment and communication services. The brand provides highly evolved video streaming technology, and unmatched picture quality experience across devices and thus Independent TV is very much in-demand. You can explore all the amazing entertainment, blockbuster movies, up-to-the-minute news, and any of your favourite programs on the same. Independent TV also gives an additional and impressive services of customizing your entertainment experience, or binge-watching your favourite shows. 

URI - Film Synopsis 

Following the roguish terrorist attacks at Uri Army Base camp in Kashmir where innocent Jawans were killed in sleep, India takes the fight to the enemy first time ever in history, in its most successful covert operation till date with one and only one objective of avenging their fallen heroes.

Zee Studios launches digital content studio Zee Studios Originals

An independent content studio to produce premium original content across languages and genres for all digital platforms

Zee Studios, a leading film studio in the Indian entertainment industry, today announced the launch of an independent digital content studio, Zee Studios Originals, that will produce a robust bouquet of premium, original content and create new IPs for all digital platforms globally. 

Zee Studios has appointed Ashima Avasthi, from BBC Studios, to head the digital content studio. With over 20 years of experience in the media and entertainment industry, Avasthi has worked across diverse genres and regions with some of the most respected brands like MTV and Turner International. Prior to joining Zee Studios, she was with BBC Studios as a Senior Creative Director and Head of branded content for 6 years where she developed and a vast repertoire of award-winning content.

Speaking on the launch of the new business unit, Shariq Patel, CEO, Zee Studios, commented, “Zee Studio Originals furthers our vision of becoming a holistic content studio with its offering across platforms and screens to meet the insatiable hunger of today’s consumers for premium content. We are working with leading directors and writers to develop and show run our digital slate and will announce the same very soon. I welcome Ashima on board and I’m sure with her varied experience, she and her team will make great content and set newer benchmarks”. 

Ashima Avasthi, VP & Head, Zee Studios Originals added, “The game has only just begun. Zee has been a pioneer in producing compelling content for decades in broadcast and films, and it is absolutely the correct time for Zee Studios to move into digital production. I am looking forward to creating content that is distinct, unexpected, relevant, cutting-edge and truly world class. Zee Studio Originals will ride on the legacy and experience of Zee but will strategically move ahead in the new age direction that the studio has been set up for, independently.” 

The studio will announce its digital slate shortly.

Mahesh Manjrekar, Pradeep Sarkar, Priyadarshan and Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury’s film-The Invisible Masks to be released this year

It doesn’t happen every day that a team of legendary filmmakers comes together to bring their individuals stories as one film. Believe it or not but it is true that Filmmakers Mahesh Manjrekar, Pradeep Sarkar, Priyadarshan and Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury have brought their individual stories together to make a film “The Invisible Mask” (working title) which will be released on an OTT platform. The film is an amalgamation of four short stories; each directed by four acclaimed National Award winning directors. The film is under currently in post production.

All four films have strong underlying social messages, which will leave the audience with ample food for thought.

Pradeep Sarkar dwells into the punishable act of love in our country – homosexuality. Mahesh Manjrekar’s short film deals with secrecy and living a secret for life. Priyadarshan’s film goes on to address the inner demons that force us to wear masks, since we are too afraid to show our deepest darkest desires. Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury’s film centers on the very pertinent issue of mental illness.

Filmmaker Mahesh Manjrekar says, “Four directors- Priyadarshan, Pradeep Sarkar, Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury and I made this 4 short films which will be brought together for the film "The Invisible Masks". Overall it was a great experience. It was not an easy short film to make. Our subject was the invisible masks in relationships. Sometimes people pretend to be someone else and act in a different way, everyone carries an invisible mask. It was a difficult task to find a story which was relevant to the subject and that would tell the story of these invisible masks. This is my first short film and it was a thrilling experience to tell a story in 40 minutes."

Filmmaker Pradeep Sarkar shares, “I heard about this concept of Invisible Mask anthology a few months back. When Suchhanda narrated to me about an incident that occurred in North Kolkata, it fascinated me, more so, because it happened in our present times. In our story Arranged Marriage, apart from the main characters we also have our society playing a humongous role. People wear masks most of the time, and often, these masked individuals could be sitting next to you. It’s about time people removed these disguises, and make our society more tolerable to live with. Through this story, I am taking the opportunity to reveal a few facts of life, which even in this day and age, make people cringe .Perhaps, this time; I have been too visually blatant. But that is how it is...”

Filmmaker Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury says, "When Suchhanda suggested I make a film with ‘betrayal’ as the central theme, I was excited about the idea. The story of this short film is, I feel, very relevant to our present times, where everyone seems to be playing someone and getting played. The theme inspired me to think of the story of a married couple and explore the usually unspoken shades of grey in every relationship. I have attempted to make a psychological thriller revolving around the lives of the current generation, where people have become lonelier and increasingly dependent on technology to feel secure and happy. Overall, it was a great experience working on this film.”

Filmmaker Priyadarshan said, “My story revolves around a young man and an older woman. It was Suchhanda's story which I developed and made my own. The concept is very unique and it will surely catch the eyeballs. It was an amazing experience working on this short film.”

The film is produced and financed by Venus Worldwide Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. and partly financed by Armaan Ventures. Sanchita Chatterjee is the co – producer and Suchhanda is the creative producer of the film.

Vicky Kaushal on the cover of Elle India

Actor Vicky Kaushal had a  great year with films like Raazi, Manmarziyaan and Sanju in 2018.The actor is all set to start 2019 with URI - The Surgical Strike. But, before the film hits the theaters, this cover picture of Vicky on the cover of Elle India is all things hot. Vicky is also the first young Bollywood actor (male) to be on the cover of Elle India in this millennium.

The Masaan actor who is touted to be one of the best actors in Bollywood of this time, is seen all drenched in water and we can't keep our eyes off him. The cover was shot at a resort in Alwar, Rajasthan.

The actor is currently busy promoting URI which is slated to release this week.