Celebrated Iranian film maker Majid Majidi's next film, titled Beyond The Cloud, that dwells on the adoration of love and life, starts rolling today in Mumbai. Produced by Zee Studios and Eyecandy Films, the film dwells on nuanced human relationships, an area that Majid specialises in. It will be shot at numerous locations in India with Indian actors.

Says Majid, “Filmmakers like Satyajit Ray, whose work I adore, have represented India's culture, rich heritage and the lives of common people to a global audience. These visions and images have stayed in my mind for years and cajoled me to make a film in India. Finally, I'm in Mumbai with a lovely team to narrate a story woven around the lives of common people.“

Akash Chawla, Business Head, Zee Studios, adds, “It's our pleasure to associate with a global icon like Majid Majidi. Over the years, he has narrated stories with authenticity and honesty that Zee also aligns itself with while serving content to its audience globally. This film, his first venture in the country, celebrates an India unseen by the world with a heartwarming story.“

Shareen Mantri Kedia and Kishor Arora from Eyecandy Films, elaborate, “Words can't describe the genius that is Majid. His vision and artistry are unparalleled. As fans, we have been spellbound by his narratives. It's an honour to bring him to India. Working with him and developing this project over the last few years has been an enriching experience.“
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Shahid Kapoor's younger brother is all set to make his acting debut with the renowned Iranian filmmaker's next, which will be shot in Mumbai and Jaipur
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 23, 2017)

After the success of Rustom, Zee Studios and Kriarj Entertainment will team up once again for their next film in association with Jar Pictures. The untitled project stars Irrfan in the lead role and will be directed by Tanuja Chandra. The light-hearted romantic travelogue will capture the protagonist's journey through the picturesque locations of Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Sikkim.

The movie will go on floors this October and is slated for an early 2017 release. Irrfan says, “I loved the script for its innocence and fun quotient. I also liked the breezy storytelling.“

Akash Chawla, Business Head of Zee Studios, adds, “We are focussed on good content and credible partners. For this film, we have a world-class performer Irrfan in a never-seen-before avatar.“ Arjun N Kapoor of Kriarj Entertainment adds, “Our focus remains on cinema that entertains and at the same time, gives the audience its dose of well-crafted thought-provoking films, even if it remains commercial at the core. We are happy to say that our new movie directed by Tanuja is in the same vein.“

Zee Studios, who are one of the front runners in Bollywood, have also emerged strong in regional cinema. After backing Marathi movies that have fared well at the box office, they now have plans to make inroads down South. While their Hindi slate includes Akshay Kumar's Rustom, which releases on August 12, Nana Patekar's Tadka and Sanjay Dutt's first movie after his release from prison, four other major announcements are likely to be made soon. It will also bankroll National Award winner Paresh Mokashi's next Marathi film, besides six other projects in the same language. Meanwhile, their last Marathi outing Sairat, helmed by National Award-winning filmmaker Nagraj Popatrao Manjule, which has wowed the public and critics alike and broken records, will be remade in all South Indian languages.

Nittin Keni, CEO of the studio, says, “Sairat has achieved a feat that will be remembered in the history of Indian cinema. We're excited to partner with Rockline Entertainment to remake it.“ Akash Chawla, Business Head of the studio, adds, “It has a universal story and the potential to make an impact across languages. We believe the film caters to the realities of South India as well, so we will remake it in Telugu and Kannada, followed by Tamil and Malayalam.“

Rockline Venkatesh, actor-producer and owner of the entertainment company that is co-producing Sairat in southern languages, says, “It is a beautiful movie that touches your heart. I am glad that we have got an opportunity to remake it. This is our first venture with the studio and we are looking forward to a strong relationship with them.“

The word 'tadka' conjures up images of sizzling hot and tasty food. National Award-winning actor Prakash Raj, who has over 300 films to his credit, is set to serve the audience a 'delicious' cinematic offering with Tadka, which also marks his directorial debut in Hindi cinema.

The film, a remake of Prakash's Tamil hit, Un Samayal Arayil (2014), has an interesting cast comprising Nana Patekar, Shriya Saran, Ali Fazal and Taapsee Pannu. The actor-filmmaker has also tasted success with Oggarane and Ulavacharu Biryani, the Kannada and Telugu versions respectively. The subjects of all the four films are inspired by the 2011 Malayalam hit Salt N Pepper, the rights of which were acquired by him.

While Nana essays Prakash's role and pairs up with Shriya, Ali and Taapsee play the younger couple in this unique tale of love that brews between a middle-aged duo over their passion for cooking. The quirky and colourful comedy will be shot in Goa.

Nittin Keni and Akash Chawla of Zee Studios, which is producing the venture in association with Prakash, say, “The subject is extremely gripping and will appeal to the audience of all age groups. The cast, led by our favourite Nana Patekar, will only take it a notch higher.“

Sameer Dixit and Jatish Varma of Movie Makers Inc, who are also jointly producing the project, add, “We are proud to be associated with such content-driven cinema. This is a never-seen-before combination of Nana and Prakash Raj. And with such a unique cast, the audience is sure to enjoy this light-hearted entertainer.“

Looking at the makers' mettle and the interesting line-up of actors, Tadka, with the tag line - Love Is Cooking - promises to be a dish to look forward to.

Speculations about Sanjay Dutt's first film after he was released from prison can now be put to rest. The actor is scheduled to begin his new innings with a Siddharth Anand film. Like the director's previous outings, this one too, traverses multiple cities across the world and promises to be a visual treat for viewers.

Mahesh Bhupathi and Virendra Arora of KriArj Entertainment say, “It makes us happy and proud that our company is partnering with Zee Studios for this film with Siddharth at the helm. The subject that we have zeroed in on and the set-up give us complete confidence about the quality of product that we will present to our audiences.“

Nittin Keni from the corporate studio echoes their sentiments. He adds, “The film has an exciting story with loads of action and thrills. As this is Sanjay Dutt's first release after a long time, we are confident it will be lapped up by fans across the globe.“

In the same vein, Akash Chawla of the studio and Arjun N Kapoor (Bhupathi's partner) add, “Sanjay has many facets to his personality and that has reflected in his array of performances over the years. With this film, we intend to showcase to moviegoers yet another dimension of his personality that will take them by surprise.“

The director, whose company Siddharth Anand Productions is jointly producing it, exclaims, “This is not just a film. It's an event. It's a fanboy moment for me to direct Sanjay Dutt at this point. Today, he represents and fills the void that Liam Neeson is known for, in the West. This film is a part of a first-of-its-kind genre in India. And that is an extremely exciting reason for making it.“

The New Year has begun with a bang for KriArj Entertainment (founded by Virendra Arora and Arjun N Kapoor), Friday Filmworks (Neeraj Pandey and Shital Bhatia's production house) and media conglomerate Zee Studios. Their first joint collaboration, the Akshay Kumar starrer Rustom, went on the floors at the start of the year. Directed by debutant Tinu Suresh Desai and written by Vipul Rawal, the film inspired from real-life incidents and set in the late '50s, also features Ileana D'Çruz opposite Akshay and Esha Gupta essaying a grey role. The movie also features Sachin Khedekar, Pavan Malhotra, Kumud Mishra, Parmeet Sethi, Sharad Kelkar, Kanwaljit Singh and Brijendra Kala adding further depth to this strong ensemble cast.

Nittin Keni and Akash Chawla of Zee Studios say, “In line with our vision of bringing great content and great stories with a strong and stellar cast, Rustom fits the bill perfectly. With the film being collaborated with fantastic creative and technical crew and the star cast being led by Akshay, we fully believe that the audiences will enjoy this thoroughly.“

Talking about their actors, Pandey adds, “I am a firm believer in strong ensemble casts as good storytelling can only be effective through strong overall performances - right down from the main lead to the smaller characters. Akshay to me, as I have often stated, is far more than a star and brings a strong commercial value to the project. He is one of the finest actors we have. Complement this with really strong performers in Ileana and Esha and the rest of the cast - and we have a dream team.“

The collaboration of two production houses and a corporate studio with Akshay is exactly a set-up that Virendra Arora had wanted to achieve for their company's foray into this industry. Arjun adds, “This is the momentous start that was being meticulously worked towards for our company. With Rustom as our first offering, the audiences will get a taste of what they can expect from us as filmmakers. Yes, we do know these are initial days but then as most people would agree that the foundation is more important than anything else.“

Sanjay Gupta's upcoming thriller Jazbaa boasts of a stellar cast. While Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Irrfan are playing the lead roles, Shabana Azmi, Atul Kulkarni and Chandan Roy Sanyal will be seen playing pivotal characters as well.Here's a lowdown on the film's USP and what went into its making.

TRIVIA

Photography
Jazbaa has been fabulously shot across different locations in Mumbai. Sameer Arya, the film's DOP, has beautifully captured the emerging skyline of the city like never before. Even the gritty locations in Mumbai have been shot aesthetically, making the film a treat to watch.

Dialogues
In Irrfan's words, the film's 'dhamakedaar seetimaar dialogues' are bound to entertain the audience. It was one of the prime reasons that attracted the actor towards the project.

Aishwarya's prep-work
Aishwarya did a lot of preparation to portray a lawyer in the film. She met lawyers and even went through various court case clippings to get the nuances of her character right. However, everything was not rehearsed. During a particular scene with dogs, where she was scared, her natural expressions were captured to add to the scene's authenticity.

Irrfan's perseverance:
Irrfan especially flew down from Lithuania for two days just to dub for the film so that it stayed on track for release.

During a scene with Aishwarya, Irrfan, even after delivering a perfect take, requested Sanjay to do few more takes as he wanted to provide variation in the performance. At the end, the director was left spoilt for choices as all the takes were brilliant.

SPECIAL EFFECTS
There are around 800 VFX shots in the action thriller.


PRODUCERS' TAKE ON THE FILM

Nittin Keni, CEO, Zee Studios
A unified effort, what symbolises this film is the professionalism of its star cast. It is extremely difficult to maintain the balance between a hard day's shoot and take care of a young child at the same time, the way Aishwarya did; or Irrfan's generous gesture of flying down all the way from Lithuania to dub for the film. We are confident that this sheer hard work and positive team spirit will transpire on celluloid. We are delighted to bring Jazbaa to the audiences of over 40 countries simultaneously.

Akash Chawla, Business Head, Zee Studios
Every individual worked relentlessly to achieve the best in Jazbaa. It's an edgy thriller, an edgy thriller, which has been beautifully shot across the city of Mumbai. It will leave viewers spellbound.

Sachiin Joshi, Vice Chairman, Viiking Media and Entertainment
It's been an exhilarating and great journey being associated with Jazbaa. Fans and audiences would be in for a treat with powerhouse talents like Shabana Azmi, Atul Kulkarni, Irrfan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, not to forget the music and Sanjay Gupta's direction.

Sanjay Gupta, White Feather Films
Shooting Jazbaa was like fighting a battle every day as we wrapped up the whole film in 51 days. Sameer, the DOP, literally went to locations at 5 am to get it ready to film by 9 am. We had no luxury of taking it easy or relaxing in the vanity van. It was a hands-on job.

Jazbaa, produced by Zee Studios, Viiking Media and Entertainment and White Feather Films, releases worldwide on October 9.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Irrfan, Shabana Azmi, Chandan Roy Sanyal, Atul Kulkarni and Jackie Shroff don't stand apart just individually in Jazbaa, but have also worked closely to bring out the best in each other in this cool, fast-paced thriller.

Aishwarya plays an advocate while Irrfan essays the role of a tough cop. There are action and courtroom scenes that pack a punch. The actors ensured that these scenes create a wow moment.

In the action scenes, Irrfan shared tips from his previous experience with Aishwarya to bring out the required 'race-against-time' grit. For a car chase, the internationally-renowned actor volunteered to teach her how to drive rashly for the camera and ensure that neither she nor the crew, canning the scenes, were hurt. The on-screen chemistry between Aishwarya and Shabana or Irrfan and Shabana are a point of discussion because of the scenes' intensity and novelty, as all of them have acted together for the first time.

Akash Chawla, Zee Studios Business Head, says, “We decided to produce this film because it brings together such a stellar cast and a highly accomplished technical crew like Oscar-winning sound designer Resul Pookutty, cinematographer Sameer Arya and director Sanjay Gupta. We've tried to put together a quality product for an audience that is keenly awaiting Jazbaa.“

Sanjay says, “It's exciting to have a combination of powerhouse talent like Shabanaji, Aishwarya, Irrfan, Jackie, Atul and Chandan, especially when they come together with hard-hitting performances. Working with veteran actress and social activist Shabanaji is a milestone in my career. I've worked with male actors like Sanjay Dutt, John Abraham and others, but Aishwarya is not just another chick. She loved doing action scenes and has excelled in them. As for Irrfan, you give him a scene and he will surprise you with his own take and a performance that you can't imagine.“

Jazbaa, produced by Zee Studios, Viiking Media & Entertainment and White Feather Films, releases October 9.

Continuing with its aggressive Bollywood foray, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (ZEEL) will be, for the first time, collaborating with Himesh Reshammiya. The actor-composer-producer will also double up as the lead for the film titled Heeriye, jointly produced by his company HR Musik and the corporate's content engine, Essel Vision. A social, romantic and sensitive drama set in Kanpur, the producers promise it will have a mesmerising soundtrack.

For the part of the female lead, the corporate is taking the road less travelled and launching an innovative worldwide campaign called #FindingHeeriye.

Excited about their new association with Himesh's company, Akash Chawla, Business Head, Essel Vision, says, “It's a beautiful love story with a relevant social message. The film requires a fresh face to play the title role opposite Himesh. We'll soon introduce the format for which we'll use the digital assets of the company to implement this hunt and create an easily accessible platform to discover young talent.“

Being helmed by film critic-turned-director, Vishal Mishra, the film features Tigmanshu Dhulia in a pivotal role. The movie also promises soulful and melodious music. The debutant director enthuses, “It's a pleasure to have one of the biggest media houses of India backing my maiden directorial venture. It's a unique love story woven in the current social scenario.“

Heeriye is scheduled to go on floors this winter.