On Tagore’s 158th Birth Anniversary, EPIC Makes It’s Award Winning Series ‘Stories By Rabindranath Tagore’ Available in Three Languages on EPIC On

Directed By Ace Director AnuragBasu, The Series Features RadhikaApte, SumeetVyas, Amrita Puri and Music By Arijit Singh, Shaan and ShalmaliKholgade

Mumbai 7 May, 2019:Since it first premiered on EPIC Channel, ‘Stories By Rabindranath Tagore’ was a runaway hit with overwhelming response from viewers and critics alike.

To make it accessible by a larger audience, EPIC will make the entire series available in two more languages – English and Tamil; in addition to the original Hindi for streaming as premium content only on EPIC On, starting 7th May.

7th May marks the 158th birth anniversary of the Nobel Prize winning litterateur and the 26 episode series based on stories penned by India’s finest literarystalwart is a true ode to Tagore. Not only in India but also globally, Tagore is in himself an institution, and the series is an effort to further Tagore’s works and make them accessible and relatable for generations to come. The viewers can watch the series in the language of their choice only on EPIC ON.

Speaking about the special content line-up, Akul Tripathi, Head – Content & Programming,EPIC, said, “Tagore’s stories may be based in Bengal; but are universal in appeal and timeless in their relevance. EPIC has always endeavoured to tell India’s stories and it’s a privilege to be able to present these in English and Tamil and have them discovered by new viewers.”

Web favorites Radhika Apte, Sumeet Vyas, Amrita Puriare among a host of popular actors who portray delicately written characters of various shades in this show directed by Anurag Basu. Known for his stylistic directorial flair, and exploration of interpersonal conflicts, and characters in a story, Basu’s re-imagination of the stories is a clever mix of nostalgia, charm, and emotions.

EPIC On is EPIC channel’s OTT platform available across platforms such as Android, Apple TV, Amazon Firestick and Xiaomi, showcasing exclusive and original Indian content. EPIC ON along with EPIC TV are part of the IN10 Media Group.

About IN10 MEDIA

IN10 Media is a network with diverse offerings in the media and entertainment sector. With deeply entrenched roots in the creative community and a long association with premium content, the brands in its folds—including EPIC, DocuBay, and Showbox cover every aspect of the content life-cycle across platforms. Led by entrepreneur, Aditya Pittie, IN10 Media has its efforts focused on building world-class brands. www.in10media.com

Sanjay Dutt wants his kids to grow up without any pressure

Sanjay Dutt wants his kids to grow up without any pressure on them. Shahran and Iqra both bagged gold medals at their inter-school swimming competition. The actor and his wife have been veterans of the sport, themselves. The couple wants their children to live a normal life and not grow up with any pressure and attention as star kids.

Over the years, the actor has been tremendously successful in casting great impacts with his choice of roles. The year has started for the actor on a great note and he has already got six movies in the pipeline. The actor is expected to be seen acing them with his distinctive style and dedication.

As the first character came up on the screen with Kalank, the audience and critics alike have had appreciation for his powerful, impactful and strong performance pouring in from all places.

The actor has a busy schedule this year. The ball has already set rolling with the first release of the year and has two more releases awaiting this year. The actor is also busy shooting for his forthcoming projects in which the audience will get to witness various shades of Sanjay Dutt.

The actor is leaving no stone unturned to ace every character coming his way. For the period drama, Sanjay Dutt sports a bald look and has undergone multiple costumes and look trials to attain the perfect embodiment.

With multiple films lined up, Sanjay Dutt is one of the busiest actors in the business. Big budgeted films like Shamshera, Kalank, Panipat, Bhuj: The Pride of India, Prasthanam, Sadak 2 amongst others make a list of his upcoming films.

Inspector Chingum launch

MotuPatlu’s most popular characternow in his own show on Disney’s Hungama TV

Cosmos-Maya launches massively popular ‘Inspector Chingum’ on Disney’s Hungama TVSummer has come early for millions of kids in India. Cosmos-Mayahaslaunched ‘Inspector Chingum’, an eponymousspin-off of the popular ‘MotuPatlu’ franchise on TV. Fans of the character can watch the show on Disney’s Hungama TV 29th April onwards.

The show was launched on Amazon Prime Video last summer and has been doing well on the platform. Disney has therefore been successful in leveraging the placement of the show.

The very popular Inspector Chingumis one of the characters from Cosmos-Maya’sMotuPatlu and has been featured in more than 400 episodes of the series.Kids have loved him for 7 years and now he has his own show. This 52 episodeseries will have a 22-minute run time for each episode.

Chingum, inspired by Superstar Rajinikanth, has a heart of gold, helps everyone in need and carries out his duties with immense diligence. His misadventures make the character both comical and action oriented.

Each episode of the serieswill feature funky rap songs by Baba Sehgal, one of the pioneers of Indian rap. Cosmos-Maya has also acquired from T-series, the rightsto some of Bollywood’s popular dance numberslike‘Lungi Dance’ and ‘Hudd Hudd Dabangg’.

Speaking on the development, Anish Mehta, CEO Cosmos Mayasaid, “The show boasts of a never seen before animation style. We have pushed the envelope of 3D animation quality with Inspector Chingum. Kids in the 200 million odd TV households are in for a real treat this summer.”

SuhasKadav, Chief Creative Officer, Cosmos-Maya and creator of the show added, “Inspector Chingum has a very lovable persona and is one of the most popular characters on MotuPatlu. He exudes charm, is comical and goes about fighting crime. These are just some of things that make his character very aspirational and endearing.”

About Cosmos Maya:

Founded by internationally acclaimed Indian filmmakers Ketan Mehta and DeepaSahi, Cosmos-Maya is a Singapore and India based Animation Company that produces high quality 3D as well as 2D animation content. KKR backed Emerald Media, a Pan-Asia platform established by the leading global investment firm, for investments in the media and entertainment sector, has a controlling stake in Cosmos-Maya.

Cosmos-Maya boasts of a state of the art studio located in the heart of the Indian entertainment industry - the picturesque Film City in Mumbai. It has expanded to other locations in Mumbai and Hyderabad, with a total area across its studio facilities in excess of 70,000 sq ft. The company primarily focuses on creating IPs in the kids’ animation space and is presently working on multiple Indian animation TV series with all the leading linear & non-linear broadcasters. As a leading producer of some of the most successful shows in the space, the studio presently has 13 shows on air and 10 under production. Cosmos-Maya holds a distinct record for consistent delivery of popular Indian animation content and has produced an unprecedented 35000 minutes of original animated content in the last 5 years, comprising over 1500 half hour episodes.

With its launch in 1996, Cosmos-Maya pioneered the art and technology of Animation & Visual Effects in India. Over the last 20 years, the company has delivered award winning animated content, VFX work and game cinematics for global leaders like BBC, Disney, Google, EA among others and its work has fetched several awards at BAFTA, IFTA and Pulcinella to name a few.

Cosmos-Maya’s animation IP bank is highly popular globally among the Indian Diaspora. The bouquet of its YouTube channels under the umbrella brand, WowKidz is one of the fastest growing kids’ platforms from Asia. These channels cumulatively boast of a subscriber base of over 20 Million and total view count of over 10 Billion views as on Apr 2019.

‘Chale Aana’ From De De Pyaar De Is Sure To Tug At Your Heartstrings

The upcoming rom-com De De Pyaar De has created quite a buzz ever since the makers have released the rib-tickling trailer of the film. While the movie may appear to be all fun and frolic, it does have moments that tug at your heartstrings, and the latest track from the film — ‘Chale Aana’ beautifully encapsulates those moments. 

Picturized on Rakul Preet and Ajay Devgn, and composed by Amaal Mallik, who is known for his soulful melodies, Chale Aana is a heart-melting track that talks about the pain of separation and heartbreak, with a 90s flavour to it. The soul-stirring song comes to life in the melodious voice of Armaan Malik and Kunaal Vermaa’s evocative lyrics justify the mood of the song. 

Speaking about this high-on-emotion track, music director Amaal said, “Akiv (Ali) is very clear as a director, he knows what he wants and believes in pure melody. We cracked the words and lyrics and it brought about a nostalgic 90s feel to the song. Chale Aana is a 90s song in the year 2019, and I’m really happy with what we have achieved. It’s a heartbreak song, but done in the most heroic way, something that suits Ajay sir.”

What’s more, there is an interesting story behind how Chale Aana got penned. Speaking about it, lyricist Kunaal Vermaa said, “I had penned down a few lines when I was going through an emotional turmoil. One night, Amaal called me up asking if I have an emotional song. I sent him these lines, which he loved instantly. Those lines turned into this beautiful song – Chale Aana.”

Chale Aana’s depth and intensity is truly unmatchable, and the song is hitting all the right chords, including that of director Akiv Ali. He said, “Chale Aana is my personal favourite. It comes at a crucial point when there is an upheaval in Ajay and Rakul's relationship. Kunaal's beautifully penned lyrics combined with Amaal Mallik's soul-stirring music and Armaan Malik's haunting voice seamlessly capture the pain of separation and heartbreak. It is an intense track and I am hoping that it touches a chord with everyone.”

We would be surprised if it doesn’t.

Helmed by Akiv Ali, De De Pyaar De, stars Ajay Devgn, Rakul Preet and Tabu in lead roles. The film is produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Luv Ranjan and Ankur Garg, and is slated to release on May 17, 2019.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui LAUNCHES The Stranger In me

Om Books International celebrated the launch of The Stranger In Me at Taj Lands End, Mumbai. The book was launched by Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui last evening.

On the occasion author Neeta Shah & Aditi Mediratta shared their experience of putting together the book with moderator Salil Acharya and the audience.

Also present on the occasion were Producer Ashok Thakeria, Distributer Anil Thadani, Actor Siddhanth Kapoor, Music Composer Sulaiman Merchant (Music Director duo Salim-Sulaiman) amongst others.

Commenting on the book being launched by Nawazuddin, author Neeta Shah says, "Nawaz Sir is one of the most versatile superstars in our country. His own journey until here is an inspiration to many out there who want to make it on their own, in any field. I am truly honoured that Nawaz Sir has graciously agreed to unveil our book.”

The actor also had great things to say about Neeta, Nawaz quotes, "Neeta is very creative be it marketing or writing. She sees things through a very different perception which is very fascinating. Once you start reading you won’t be able to put the book down till you finish it. I wish her all the luck and success with this path she has chosen.”

When asked whether books should be adapted into films, the actor replied: “It depends…sometimes you have to simply translate the book or sometimes you have to make an adaptation of a book. I feel books have a lot of material, if you want to make it into a web series, then you can give detailed information about the story and if you want to make it into a film, you need to highlight certain special incidents which will develop the story,”

Nawaz further added, “The Stranger In Me has special elements. There are a lot of twists in it, the pace of this book is really fast and there is an inner connection between human emotions, so I feel there is a possibility that a film could be made on this book."

Aditi Mediratta says: “Nawaz Sir is an achiever and an inspiration to all who dare to dream, just like the protagonists in our book who would go all out against all odds to achieve their dreams..I’m excited for  Nawaz Sir to launch our book”

Ajay Mago, of Om Books International says, “ It is rare to come across a story that explores the multiplicity of human existence in all its shades and tonalities as beautifully as The Stranger In Me does. A gripping existential tale, it has enthralled me from the very first page, and left asking for more, pretty much like every performance of the unmatched and unparalleled Nawazuddin Siddiqui.”

Head Corporate Communications, Raymond Group, Rohit Khanna says, "We are delighted to be the official styling partners to launch a book that takes the reader on a journey”."

Radio Partner, Fever FM: "We are extremely delighted to launch the book The Stranger in Me unveiled by Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Fever Fm feels privileged to be chosen as the exclusive radio partner for the event. We congratulate Neeta Shah and Aditi Mediratta on the launch of their book and we are sure we will enjoy reading it."

PVR was the Official Multiplex Partner for the event along with Ballentines & Indiosa as Official Beverage Partner and Amazon India as Official Online Partner.

About the book

A very gripping story based on the concept of ‘parallel life’, the book is an extraordinary tale of ordinary dreams, unfulfilled wishes, unrequited love and above all Bollywood!

“The Stranger In Me” is available across all leading book stores and online platforms.

About the co-authors:

Neeta Shah, a qualified chartered accountant turned entrepreneur heads Pulp Fiction Entertainment, a successful marketing and strategy consultancy firm for Brands & Films in India. Writing, an old hobby, resurfaced as she decided to pen the behind-the- scenes of Bollywood in her ‘factual, but fictionalised’ bestselling book of 2012, Bollywood Striptease. The Stranger In Me is her latest offering.

Aditi Mediratta, a recent graduate in filmmaking from Prague Film School, started her writing career as a crime reporter for India Today’s afternoon daily. She soon moved to writing screenplays for Bollywood films. Her first release as an associate writer was Once Upon A Time In Mumbai (2010) followed by The Dirty Picture (2011). The Stranger In Me, co-written with Neeta Shah, is her first outing as an author.

About Om Books International

One of the largest English language trade publishers in the Indian subcontinent, Om Books International has been a name to reckon with for over five decades in the Indian publishing and retail industry. Headquartered in Noida, OBI has a diverse publishing list including cinema, biography, memoir, mind-body-spirit, photo essay, art, architecture, lifestyle, fiction — commercial and literary. It counts amongst its notable authors Khalid Mohamed, Bharathi S Pradhan, Nasreen Munni Kabir, Rauf Ahmed, Kamala Das, William Dalrymple, Vir Sanghvi, Christopher C Doyle and Abhay Vaidya.

Om Books International has a stellar line-up of Gourmand World Cookbook Award Winners: Vikas Khanna, Maria Goretti, Michael Swamy, Shazia Khan, Aditya Mehendale and Saransh Goila.

OBI has an equally strong and varied children's publishing programme under its imprint, OmKidz.