Jabariya jodi meets wrestling gangs in Railway Raju

Railway Raju is a story of the jabariya jodis that are made in north India. Dinkar Rao the director came across one such girl in Delhi who was forcefully wedded to a man she escaped from. “I found her story very interesting. She had changed name to Maya and was living undetected from the people who were still hunting for her. I decided to retain her name for a character in the film,” says Dinkar Rao.

Maya is from a small village near the banks of the Ganges and we have used the Ganges to tell the story. “The film is narrated by Maya and it has the eponymous character of Raju – Railway Raju and her relationship with a man who belongs to the underworld wrestling gangs of Benares. The Benares underground wrestling gangs are not very popular because of the very nature of these gangs. These gangs operate in multiple ways. There is a huge betting going on in these wrestling bouts like out in the west where there are underground fights,” explains Rao.

Sunny Shaw and Lavanya Rao play the leads in the film which has Leena Malhotra as he creative director with S Ramachandran as the project designer.

Vkaao (PVR-Book My Show joint venture) releases the film on March 29, 2019. 

About Dinkar Rao 

Dinkar Rao directed the film sZoya the black widow about a woman violated in the riots which happened in Mumbai and Gujarat. That film was the official selection at Strasbourg International film festival and the Milan International film festival. It was banned by CBFC and finally passed by the Appellate Tribunal with 26 cuts. His other short film Asthi, about a daughter running off to Haridwar to immerse the ashes of her classical singer was premiered at Cannes Court Metrage. Rao is also directing a film Papoo Photowalah with an international cast and is about the search for the diary of John Nicholson, The British East India Company hero of 1857 & treasures hidden by the British. Another documentary film Dancing Daughters was at WIP lab at Film Bazaar Goa as Snake Dancers of the Thar and is being filmed.  About Railway Raju he says “It’s very tough to shoot 100+ scenes including action, song outdoor scenes of the Ganges in this “shoe string” budget. I always wanted to make a gang-war film within social aspects of Uttar Pradesh,” Says Dinkar.

I didn’t realise that I was risking my life, Vidyut Jammwal

Known for his jaw dropping stunts and unprecedented moves, action star Vidyut Jammwal took his daredevilry to the next level with upcoming family action adventure Junglee.

The actor, who shares screen with magnificent elephants in the film, shook crew members when he pulled off an extremely daunting scene with his sheer presence of mind and core instincts.

In one of the scenes of the film, Vidyut’s character was supposed to run with his tusker friends that required him to run infront with Bhola, the majestic tusker, and the rest of the herd was supposed to follow the two. However, things were not going as planned. Since elephants run at their own pace and don’t necessarily follow the straight line required for the camera, Vidyut was getting pushed out of the frame.

After two takes with a similar outcome, for the third take, Vidyut decided to run through the herd instead of catching up with them from the side. This required him to run at a very calculated speed in order to manoeuvre around the herd.

Vidyut says, “The scene originally had me running alongside Bhola and the other elephants but it wasn’t working because they don’t run in a straight line. After a few takes, I knew that to make this work, I had to run between them. I just took the plunge without thinking about the danger I was putting myself in. In that moment, I felt like the world around me was closing in on me. All I did was follow my core instinct and focus everything on finding my way to the other side.”

This high risk scene was too dangerous to pull off with this ease, especially when the magnificent giants are on the run. It left the whole crew awe struck!

He explains, “Elephants are just incredible creatures and when they run in herds, nothing can stand in their way. I was guided by my heartbeat and the sound pattern created by the herd as they ran. As I closed in, I saw a narrow space between two elephants and slid my way through, and that’s how we got that shot.”

The family adventure Junglee now releases on March 29

Andhadhun to release in China as Piano Player

 

Andhadhun, a film that got the audiences, industry and even the critics raving, can easily be called the ‘Best Film of the year 2018. After winning accolades in India, the film is now set for a big opening in China soon. Produced by Viacom18 Motion Pictures & Matchbox Pictures, Andhadhun is directed by India’s king of neo noir cinema, Sriram Raghavan. The film has been distributed internationally by Eros International.

Ajit Andhare, COO, Viacom18 Studios, says, “I am happy to announce that Viacom18 Studios has secured its maiden release in China and that too with our favourite film Andhadhun. I am very excited about our film's prospect at the China box office and celebrating what is a major first for the studio.”

The film titled ‘Piano Player’ for the Chinese audiences is also the first China release for maverick director, Sriram Raghavan. He says, “I am super thrilled that Andhadhun is releasing in China. Ten years back, on a visit to China, I walked into a Beijing Cafe and was zapped to see Nasir Husain’s CARAVAN playing on a big screen. Dubbed in Chinese except for the songs. I was told the film was the favourite Indian film of that generation. I am curious how the Chinese audience responds to our musical thriller.”

Viacom18 Studios along with Eros International has now partnered with Tang Media Partners to release this quirky thriller in China.

Kumar Ahuja, President - Business Development, Eros International says, “Eros is a pioneer in releasing the biggest hits of Bollywood in significant markets across the globe. China being a home to many Bollywood lovers, has made Andhadhun one of the most anticipated release. Fans in the country can now witness the magic of Andhadhun unfold in theatres across the country.”

Kevin Tang, CEO, Tang Media Partners adds, “I am honoured to bring this highly rated film into China.  This film will be the first India movie of its genre that is released in China.  We will do our best job in its marketing and distribution campaign.”

Andhadhun starring Tabu, Ayushmann Khurrana and Radhika Apte opened to rave reviews in India on October 5th, 2019. The film has been lauded for its writing and a delicious end that kept the audiences guessing. 

ABOUT VIACOM18 MOTION PICTURES 

Viacom18 Motion Pictures is India's finest fully integrated motion pictures studio that has emerged as a force to reckon with by delivering a stream of critically and commercially successful films. Offering differentiated and meaningful cinema, some of its iconic releases include Padmaavat (2018), Toilet – Ek Prem Katha (2017), Lucknow Central (2017), Drishyam (2015), Gabbar is Back (2015), Margarita with a Straw (2015), Manjhi – The Mountain Man (2015), Mary Kom (2014), Queen (2014), Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013), Madras Café (2013), to name a few. Viacom18 Motion Pictures is also one of the few studios to have successfully ventured into regional films across languages like Bengali, Marathi, Punjabi and from the South. The Studio has also backed path-breaking and much-appreciated creative work in the form of hits like Bombay Talkies, Gangs of Wasseypur I and II, OMG - Oh My God! amongst others. 

The strategic alliance with Paramount Pictures to market and distribute PPI line-up in the Indian sub-continent has seen blockbusters like Transformers: The Last Knight, Baywatch, xXx: Return of Xander Cage, Allied, Rings, Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, Star Trey Beyond, Ben-Hur, Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, Paranormal Activity, Terminator Genisys and Hercules to name a few. 

ABOUT VIACOM18 

Viacom18 Media Pvt. Ltd. is one of India's fastest growing entertainment networks and a house of iconic brands that offers multi-platform, multi-generational and multicultural brand experiences. A joint venture of TV18, which owns 51%, and Viacom Inc., with a 49% stake, Viacom18 defines entertainment in India by touching the lives of people through its properties on air, online, on ground, in shop and through cinema.

Guneet Monga and team of Period. End of Sentence to bring home the Oscar

‘Giant’ bicycles launched its flagship showroom in Mumbai in collaboration with Element Retail

Element Retail brings to India, world’s largest producer of high-quality bikes

World’s largest producer of high quality and performance bicycles – ‘Giant’, enters Indian retail cycle market with its first flagship store in Mumbai in association with Element Retail Pvt Ltd. Founded by two young and vibrant entrepreneurs Aditya Bafna and Varun Bagadiya in 2013, Element Retail has been steadily growing their portfolio and has become category leaders in swimwear and sports shoe segment. Element Retail has a license to distribute Giant bicycles Pan India. Catering to a large community of cyclists, fitness enthusiasts and athletes, Giant will bring together high-quality craftsmanship, technology and innovative designs under one roof.

Sharing his thoughts on the new showroom launch, Aditya Bafna, Managing Director, Element Retail Pvt Ltd quoted, “The athleisure and fitness sector in India has gained tremendous popularity in recent years as more and more people have become fitness enthusiasts giving a huge scope for Giant to grow in India. According to "India Bicycle Market Outlook, 2021", bicycle market size crossed INR 5000 crore mark in 2015. There is a huge demand and great potential for international bikes that are a perfect blend of innovation and technology.”

Aditya Bafna further added, “Based on the growth figures, we foresee new opportunities and continuous growth in the Indian retail cycle market. Giant Bicycles offers a wide range of on-road, X-road, off-road and youth cycles, along with LIV, an in-house woman oriented brand. Serving as an “all-under-one-roof” outlet, the brand also offers protective gears, bike gears, service gears, and components to address every biking need. An increase in demand for quality bicycles also caters to the ‘Go Green’ initiative in the country and could assist in curbing down pollution issues.”

About GIANT: Giant is the world’s leading brand of high-quality bicycles and cycling gear. Since 1972, Giant has combined craftsmanship, technology and innovative design to create the ultimate cycling experience for all riders, casual to competitive. Through its products, people and retail partners, Giant inspires passion for cycling all around the world.

About Element Retail: Element Retail was founded in 2013 and since inception has been steadily growing. They have launched exclusive outlets for brands like Asics, Speedo, Apple & Jockey in India. Element Retail was the first franchise player to introduce exclusive outlets of Asics in Mumbai. Apart from being a sports-oriented franchise model, they have also ventured in running an Authorised Apple store which is one of the early entrants’s in Nasik and offers the city a wide range of Apple Products to choose from. Additionally, they also operate a Jockey store in Pune. Element Retail is focused in bringing on board the best brands in the fitness industry under their portfolio.