Brand endorsements for Bollywood stars seems to have taken a hit
Slashing of star fees and non-renewal of contracts is the likely impact of recession in the advertising industry.
At a time when several recession-hit producers are keeping ambitious projects on hold, brand endorsements once the biggest source of income for stars too seems to have taken a hit. Not only is there a major cut in the endorsement fees, but also there is also little demand for renewals of existing contracts. Though the huge slump in the advertising budgets and a drastic cut in celebrity endorsements fees is inevitable, the situation may actually help advertisers convince stars to sign endorsement contracts at lesser fees over the next year, according to Prahlad Kakkar.
Explaining the current advertising scenario, he says, “The dynamic rise in endorsement fees was being fuelled by corporates and MNCs who wanted to flaunt the growth of their business. But now, the scenario is different. Advertising budgets are being slashed and this will be passed on to endorsement fees as well.” Kakkar said that the brand endorsement business functions on the economics of supply and demand. According to him, as of now, there are few takers for brand ambassadors. However, in the next few months, advertisers may realize that it is a major opportunity to sign new brand endorsement contracts at lesser prices and that too, for longer durations! A likely offset of the trend is also reduction in number of public appearances made by the stars. Translated literally, it means busy actors will have the option of signing more brands for lesser time commitment.
Title confirmed as New York for Kabir Khan’s next; promo to unveil with RNBDJ
After the worldwide critical success of Kabul Express and fresh from his National Award as the Best Debutant Director, Kabir Khan is expanding his canvas for Yash Raj Films with his next film, titled, New York. The film has an exciting star cast of John Abraham, Katrina Kaif, Neil Nitin Mukesh and Irrfan Khan and the music is composed by Pritam.
What’s more? New York will be the first release of 2009 from the Yash Raj Films and is bound to attract even more attention.
Dholakia wanted salty snowfall at Film City for Lamhaa
It could have turned into a serious tu-tu-main-main between the producer and director who wanted to recreate the snow-capped Kashmiri Mountains in Film City on the day that Bipasha Basu resumed shooting at Film City for Lamhaa.
According to a source Bipasha had to do a tough action scene on the location depicting the zigzagging streets of Kashmir in Film City.
And Dholakia wanted snow…not authentic snow. But the kind created for cinema with salt.
Prabhu Deva’s son sets for heavenly abode
”Death has so many doors to let out life while life has just one door to let in death”
…thus said a philosopher who saw the death of his dear one, totally hapless and helpless, which is exactly what the ace choreographer cum actor Prabhu Deva must now be feeling, after his 13-year old son Vishal (aka Basvaraj) passed away yesterday in the wee hours of the morning. Vishal was the eldest of all three siblings, the other two being Rishi and Aditya.
Vishal had been diagnosed with blood cancer last year, something that the whole family was aware of. Needles to say, that Prabhudeva and his wife Latha walked every possible extra mile for curing their darling son. But as they say, all of us have to do nothing but bow before His will. The irony of the situation was that Vishal had only recently expressed his desire to see his famous father directing the southern superstar Vijay in his film, ‘Villu’. The doting father didn’t waste a single moment in making his son’s wish come true and took him along to Malaysia where he was shooting. Little must have the father realised that this would just turn out to be his son’s last wish!
Anil Kapoor starrer Slumdog Millionaire to release in India in Jan 2009
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In today’s world of films, few achieve the pinnacle of being touted as the Best Film of the year. However, for director Danny Boyle this isn’t something new. Close on the heels of his film The Beach, comes yet another critically acclaimed film Slumdog Millionaire.
Well for starters, the film managed to garner rave reviews across the US in the opening week itself, while in Toronto it was awarded the People’s Choice Award and in the UK it was the closing extravaganza for the London Film festival this year. The film has already been slated to be nominated for the Oscars. And now finally, the film will soon be releasing on this side of the Pacific, in India.
Sharmila Tagore and Anupam Kher to star in Morning Walk
The chairperson of the censor board- Sharmila Tagore, and the former holder of the position- Anupam Kher, who had been replaced under a wave of acrimony, are doing film together.
Entitled Morning Walk, the film about an autumnal couple meeting up in life after years of separation, is directed by debutante Aroop Dutta who has earlier directed serials for Balaji telefilms.
Says Anupam, “I reminded Sharmilaji that the last time we worked together was in 1984 when we played man and wife in Jawani (the film that introduced Neelam). It’s wonderful to reunite with such an old co-star and that too in such an unusual film.”
Morning Walk is the story of an elderly couple who meet up after decades. The old man discovers that he has a daughter from the woman whom he had once courted and won.
Several films on old people discovering love are now being made, among them being Shoojit Sircar’s Amitabh Bachchan-Sarika starrer Johnny Mastana and Ashu Trikha’s Mithun-Ranjeeta starrer Zindagi Tere Naam . Says Anupam, “It’s a good healthy sign. Everyone deserves love at any age. It about time our movies got old people out of the rocking chair and made them rock.”
Was all the bitterness about the way Anupam was unceremoniously replaced by Sharmila wiped away? “Oh it was erased long ago. It’s not healthy clinging to resentments in life. Sharmilaji and I are having a ball shooting together. She reminded me how I used to ask the director a hundred questions during Jawani. I told her the questions are still there but are more internalized now.”
Interestingly, little Avika Gore, who is now a household name thanks to the TV serial ‘Ballika Vadhu’, plays Anupam’s grand-daughter in Morning Walk. “She’s wonderfully self-confident. When I work with kids today like Purav Bhandare in Tahaan, Gargi in Hawaii Dada or Avi in Morning Walk, I feel inadequate.”
Anupam soon leaves to shoot for Gurinder Chadha’s film which has been named It’s A Wonderful Afterlife.
Back home, work at his acting school ‘An Actor Prepares’ keeps him on his toes. This acting school is one of Anupam’s proudest achievements, which has branches all over the world. The school has lately been in the news for one of his student Zaira Khan who’s been selected by Salman Khan to co-star with him apparently because she resembles Katrina Kaif.
“What rubbish! The girl looks nothing like Katrina. Except for the fact that they’re both fair-skinned, there’s no resemblance between the two at all,” ends Anupam.
"If Kangna has a conscience, she will regret her disgusting behaviour" - Suneel Darshan
‘It is important to have a good director to enhance one’s performance on screen. The worst thing to happen to me is a bad director’ - states Kangna Ranaut in the latest issue of a popular Bollywood magazine as she talks about life post Fashion and how she had almost lost control of her life till some time back.
That’s not all. While she speaks fondly about her first ever director Anurag Basu [Gangster] and acknowledges that it was his faith in her that turned her into an actor that she is today, she reveals that she shares a love-hate relationship with Mohit Suri [Woh Lamhe, Raaz - The Mystery Continues] and how Madhur Bhandarkar [Fashion] would make her feel special during the filming and how he would get her chocolates. However, a shocker comes in the statement that she makes about Suneel Darshan, the man who paired her opposite Upen Patel in the musical Shakalaka Boom Boom.
"I really have no say" - Dino Morea
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Dino Morea can’t help but shrug away in sheer despair as he sees an age old film of his being promoted all over again on satellite channels en route to it’s Friday’s release. Worse, the film is being marketed as a sleaze flick when it is actually a mystery thriller. We are talking about Gumnaam - The Mystery which was incidentally known as Gumnaam - The Unknown when it’s promos started coming on air first 4 years back.
Quiz Dino on the delayed release of the film and all the young man has to say is, “I really have no say, it’s a five year old film.”