Showing posts with label Vivek Rangachari. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vivek Rangachari. Show all posts
Sushant Singh Rajput in Hindi adaptation of Bangalore Days?
8:04 AM
Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; August 23, 2018)
South remakes are a tried-and-tested formula in Bollywood. We hear another young actor is joining the bandwagon. Says a source, “Sushant Singh Rajput has expressed a keen interest in a Malayalam film. He has set up his own production company and has already announced a few projects that will be made under his banner. One of them will be the Hindi remake of Bangalore Days.”
The film, which released in 2014, revolves around three cousins who lose touch after school, but are reunited in Bangalore. The way they reconnect and support each other is what the movie is about. Sushant loved the Dulquer Salmaan-starrer. Our khabri tells us, “Sushant liked the film’s concept and how it imparts a message in a subtle way. He wants to play Nivin Pauly’s character (that of an engineer) because he connected with it. He’s also currently in discussions with producer Vivek Rangachari, who currently has the rights for the Hindi remake. It remains to be seen whether the Raabta actor acquires the rights or co-produces the film with Vivek.” We texted Sushant and informed his spokesperson, who told us that the actor is busy shooting in Jamshedpur and couldn’t be reached.
Vikram Bhatt ready to kick off Haunted 2
1:58 PM
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 4, 2016)
Five years after he surprised the box-office with Haunted 3D, Vikram Bhatt is all set to take the franchise forward. The writer-director reveals that the script has been with him for a while since Part 2 was supposed to roll soon after Raaz 3. "But then ASA, the company I was working for, folded up and all planned projects came to a standstill. It was only recently that I picked up the 'Haunted' conversation again with producers Arun and Vivek Rangachari and we decided to go ahead with the sequel," informs Vikram, adding that if all goes well, Haunted 2 should kick off later this year.
Vikram, for whom the setting and look of a film is as important as the characters and the twists in the plot, wants the story to unfold on a beautiful, desolate beach somewhere in England, Scotland or Ireland. "I remember the beach from David Lean's Oscar-winning 1970 epic romance, Ryan's Daughter. Rosy Ryan is on a cliff high above the Atlantic, in an isolated Irish village, when a gust of wind snatches her parasol. It goes sailing down towards the ocean and is retrieved in the nick of time by the mentally impaired Michael, who reunites her with her parasol on the beach. The scene left an indelible impression and now has me scouting for a similar beach," smiles Vikram, who'd like to shoot the film in autumn.
This Haunted doesn't take off from the earlier one but is a fresh story about a ghost whisperer whose gift of conversing with spirits turns out to be a cross she has to bear. "Like the original, I've woven in a love story with a magical end," he says.
Haunted had revolutionised Hindi cinema by bringing in 3D, Vikram believes that since our audience does not care for the immersive 3D experience, the technology has run its course. "They have had enough things thrown at them in the last five years and today, a producer would think twice about investing in 3D. As of now I'm not thinking of introducing any technological innovation but never say never," he shrugs.
The earlier film resurrected the career of Mahaakshay Chakraborty aka Mimoh. This time, since the film revolves around the girl, he would like to take an established actress. "But in my quest for one, I wouldn't want to miss out on the season since I have a particular look in mind. I can see a white beach with grey skies and seagulls flying. In that case, I would go ahead with a new face," he signs off.
Nimrat Kaur’s dabba from The Lunchbox to come to life at post-BAFTA party
7:46 AM
Ankur Pathak (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 3, 2015)
The Lunchbox won over critics and moviegoers with its unique story and now that the film is in the running for a BAFTA, an equally unusual bash that's been planned to raise a toast to the film's globe-trotting journey.
Mirror has learnt that producer actor Irrfan Khan, Nimrat Kaur and director Ritesh Batra will throw a post-BAFTA party where the fare will include food featured in the film.
Confirming the same, Vivek Rangachari, one of the producers on the film said, "After the screening, a lot of people wrote to us saying that they want to devour the meals shown in the film. So the team came up with the idea that the party should include the dishes Nimrat's character cooks in the film."
The team is planning to hire the services of the same caterers who supplied the food for the film (No, it wasn't home-cooked at all). When asked if the makers will still go ahead with the bash even the film fails to collect the BAFTA, Vivek said, "Absolutely. The Lunchbox has become perhaps the most travelled Indian film. That in itself warrants a celebration."
Anurag Kashyap's Ugly to finally release on December 26, 2014
8:02 AM
Ankur Pathak (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 13, 2014)
Anurag Kashyap's Ugly, which
played in the Director's Fortnight section at the 2013
Cannes Film Festival, will open in the theatres in India on
December 26. Interestingly, the director's period drama, Bombay Velvet,
featuring Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma, was initially planned as a
Christmas release but has since been pushed forward to May 15, 2015.
Confirming Ugly's Christmas
outing, the film's producer Vivek Rangachari told Mirror, “We wanted to
unveil the date just a fortnight before the release. A crisp campaign is
being planned. There is a lot of buzz surrounding the film.“
The film was set to release on October 11, 2013 but while applying for a certificate, Kashyap wrote a letter to the Censor Board of Film Certification (CBFC) registering his protest against the anti-smoking disclaimer, pointing out that it is against his fundamental rights under Article 19 (Right to speech and expression) and Article 21 (Right to Life).
The CBFC responded by saying that he wouldn't be granted a censor certificate unless he complied with the rules. The Cigarettes and Tobacco Products Act makes it mandatory for filmmakers to carry the disclaimer.
The director then filed a petition against the Board at the Mumbai High Court. In May, the Union government opposed the petition. However, the court allowed Kashyap to make a representation before the Central government seeking modifications in the rules.
Looks like Kashyap has finally made peace with the censor rules.When asked what made him change his mind, Rangachari retorted, “That's something only Anurag can answer.“
Ah well, we'll puff away at the question while we wait for Anurag's Ugly Santa Claus to come jingling into town.
Confirming Ugly's Christmas
outing, the film's producer Vivek Rangachari told Mirror, “We wanted to
unveil the date just a fortnight before the release. A crisp campaign is
being planned. There is a lot of buzz surrounding the film.“The film was set to release on October 11, 2013 but while applying for a certificate, Kashyap wrote a letter to the Censor Board of Film Certification (CBFC) registering his protest against the anti-smoking disclaimer, pointing out that it is against his fundamental rights under Article 19 (Right to speech and expression) and Article 21 (Right to Life).
The CBFC responded by saying that he wouldn't be granted a censor certificate unless he complied with the rules. The Cigarettes and Tobacco Products Act makes it mandatory for filmmakers to carry the disclaimer.
The director then filed a petition against the Board at the Mumbai High Court. In May, the Union government opposed the petition. However, the court allowed Kashyap to make a representation before the Central government seeking modifications in the rules.
Looks like Kashyap has finally made peace with the censor rules.When asked what made him change his mind, Rangachari retorted, “That's something only Anurag can answer.“
Ah well, we'll puff away at the question while we wait for Anurag's Ugly Santa Claus to come jingling into town.
More than a yr after release, Delhi HC sends D-Day back to the Censors
7:49 AM
Vickey Lalwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 26, 2014)
More than a year after its release, Nikhil Advani's D-Day went back to the censors on Tuesday. afternoon. In response to a PIL filed by social activist Teena Sharma, the Delhi High Court, in an unprecedented move, asked the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to review the certification of the film which focused on the Indian intelligence agency RAW's (Research and Analysis Wing) operations in Pakistan.
The film was cleared with a U/A certificate, before its July 2013 release, by former CBFC CEO Pankaja Thakur, reportedly in collaboration with Kanika Dang, one of the actors in the film. After its release, Teena approached the court to contest the certification, arguing that the film featured adult content. A year later, the court has sent D-Day back to the CBFC for a review, in the presence of the film's producer Vivek Rangachari.
While the Delhi Regional Officer who presided over the review refrained from stating whether the certification has been changed, Rangachari claimed, "The film has retained the U/A certificate. But yes, there are three to four points in the film where new cuts have been made." And what are they? "Rishi Kapoor's foul language had to be edited out," he admitted.
Rishi played Iqbal Seth, a character reportedly modelled on Dawood Ibrahim, one of India's most wanted criminals.
When contacted, Teena said that if the film retains its U/A certificate, she will move court again. "If the Delhi High Court demanded that the CBFC should see the film again, isn't it clear that my concerns were legitimate? If need be, I shall request the intervention of CBI," she asserted. A source close to the development pointed out that the producer will now try to sell the satellite rights so that he can make a quick buck. "If he gets an A certificate, the price will drop," added the source.
Ugly to finally release as Anurag Kashyap agrees to insert anti-smoking disclaimer
9:43 AM
Bharati Dubey (MID-DAY; May 24, 2014)
Anurag Kashyap’s Ugly may finally release in cinema halls. The filmmaker has
decided to continue with his fight against inserting disclaimers in
smoking scenes of the film but he wants the producers of the film to
release the film.
Anurag says, "The film’s producers have stood by me throughout but I don’t want to delay the film any more because so much is at stake. I will soon make a presentation for the new government to consider as the court has given me such an option". It maybe recalled here that Kashyap had challenged the notification that made it mandatory for filmmakers to put anti-smoking disclaimers during smoking scenes in a film. In his petition, the filmmaker pleaded for the rule to be set aside.
In response to this, the Central Board of Film Certification restrained the filmmaker from releasing the film Ugly after which he moved court in December. But the court did not give him any interim relief and instead asked him to make a presentation before the central government.
Vivek Rangachari of Dar Motion Pictures, which is co-producing Ugly, says, “ We are in the process of finalising the film’s release date. Our fight will go on but we will comply with the board’s directives and insert the no smoking disclaimer as we don’t want to delay the film’s release." Ugly, earlier slated to release on October 11 last year, is also releasing in France sometime in June.
Rangachari says, “Internationally, the film will see a limited release; we plan to release the film a little later in India.’’
Anurag Kashyap’s Ugly may finally release in cinema halls. The filmmaker has
decided to continue with his fight against inserting disclaimers in
smoking scenes of the film but he wants the producers of the film to
release the film.Anurag says, "The film’s producers have stood by me throughout but I don’t want to delay the film any more because so much is at stake. I will soon make a presentation for the new government to consider as the court has given me such an option". It maybe recalled here that Kashyap had challenged the notification that made it mandatory for filmmakers to put anti-smoking disclaimers during smoking scenes in a film. In his petition, the filmmaker pleaded for the rule to be set aside.
In response to this, the Central Board of Film Certification restrained the filmmaker from releasing the film Ugly after which he moved court in December. But the court did not give him any interim relief and instead asked him to make a presentation before the central government.
Vivek Rangachari of Dar Motion Pictures, which is co-producing Ugly, says, “ We are in the process of finalising the film’s release date. Our fight will go on but we will comply with the board’s directives and insert the no smoking disclaimer as we don’t want to delay the film’s release." Ugly, earlier slated to release on October 11 last year, is also releasing in France sometime in June.
Rangachari says, “Internationally, the film will see a limited release; we plan to release the film a little later in India.’’
Do B-Town filmmakers really benefit from the Cannes Film Festival?
9:27 AM
From left: Actor Lalit Behl, Ranveer Shorey, YRF’s Avtar Panesar, director Kanu Behl, actor Shashank Arora and Guneet Monga at a photo call for their film, Titli, at the ongoing Cannes Film Festival. Titli is the only Indian film in contention for an award at the fest. Pic/PTI - See more at: http://www.mid-day.com/articles/do-b-town-filmmakers-really-benefit-from-the-cannes-film-festival/15321174#sthash.6z1M1UlI.dpuf
From
left: Actor Lalit Behl, Ranveer Shorey, YRF’s Avtar Panesar, director
Kanu Behl, actor Shashank Arora and Guneet Monga at a photo call for
their film, Titli, at the ongoing Cannes Film Festival. Titli is the
only Indian film in contention for an award at the fest. Pic/PTI - See
more at:
http://www.mid-day.com/articles/do-b-town-filmmakers-really-benefit-from-the-cannes-film-festival/15321174#sthash.6z1M1UlI.dpuf
Even though half of Bollywood ends up at Cannes Film Festival every year, the returns from the film festival are said to be disturbingly low. Is the festival bringing good returns or is it just a matter of prestige to be there?
Shakti Shetty (MID-DAY; May 23, 2014)
At the Cannes film festival that is currently
underway, red carpet appearances by Indian beauties once again grabbed
the headlines. Like every year, there has been a steady stream of
delegates from B-Town who find themselves at the French Riviera — where
they pose for pictures, if nothing else. This has been so because Cannes
is not just about competition; the festival offers scope for exploring
new markets and that’s a race our industrywallahs don’t wish to be left
behind in. The fact remains that it has been more than six decades since
an Indian film bagged the top honour there.
All of which begs the question: is all the brouhaha worth it in the end? Do filmmakers get decent returns after spending huge amounts on exhibiting their films at the festival in the non-competitive categories? Turns out the answers are not really straightforward. But there is an underlying hope to do better, regardless of the film’s fate.
Indian premieres
Dibakar Banerjee, co-producer of Titli, the only Indian feature film in contention for an award this year, doesn’t sound worried about the film’s business prospects — at least for now. “Films and their market are interlinked and festivals act as a medium between the two. That’s also why we thought Titli should premiere at Cannes. We feel that it’s the best possible launch pad for the film. It is in the competitive category so obviously, it’s going to attract the best possible distributors.”
The competition category does get more eyeballs although Indian films have peripheral channels too. Like setting up stalls at the festival and hoping to find interested parties and territories. That’s one of the reasons why run-of-the-mill films like Shortcut Romeo, Kites and Hissss manage to get screened.
Making waves
Not very long ago, there was a stigma attached to the film fest circuit. But there’s no doubt that now there’s a sudden rise in Hindi films being screened at film festivals.
Ashim Ahluwalia’s Miss Lovely — which was screened at Cannes in 2012 — followed a slightly different route. Although the film hardly created waves upon its release in India, he managed to sell its theatrical rights in many territories, including the US, where the film will release on June 20, 2014. The film was also sold to distributors in Europe, including France and Eastern Europe as well as Latin America. Thanks to it screening at Cannes, Fortissimo Films sold the film in new markets such as Japan and Taiwan.
Ask him whether the hype about Cannes is for real and Ahluwalia chooses to play it safe. “I can’t comment on other films, but having Miss Lovely in the official competition category at Cannes was helped boost my film’s international sales. I would say that it was an essential platform for my film.”
Last year, DAR Motion Pictures, with films like The Lunchbox, Ugly and Monsoon Shootout, attended Cannes. All three ventures were premiered at the event although none were slated to win a major award. In such a scenario, business must be the motive, right? Wrong. According to Vivek Rangachari, producer at DAR, it’s too early to discuss profits. “It will take years before we talk about money. We have a long way to go before we stand shoulder to shoulder with international films. It won’t happen overnight anyway. Cannes might look like a glitzy event but it’s all about business. And that happens in the background with the sales agents, distributors and publicists from across the globe at work,” says Rangachari.
Wider reach
Director Anand Gandhi of The Ship of Theseus fame is currently working on his second cinematic venture, Tumbad. Interestingly, Ruchi Bhimani, the film’s producer, is at Cannes and she has an agenda on her mind; she’s scouting for suitable co-producers for the film. “The whole industry lands up there. The curiosity surrounding Indian films is recent and it has to be generated regularly because of the opportunities that lie ahead. It’s the same old question: How am I going to make my next film? Who’s going to watch it and how will I reach out to more people in different territories? Once you find people willing to back you, money is going to follow,” says Gandhi.
Obscure figures
Having shown three films at Cannes, including Bombay Talkies, Ugly and The Lunchbox, Anurag Kashyap is another regular at Cannes. He’s clearly in favour of the current trend. He believes that the event does help cinema — both art house as well as the commercial variety. “I don’t think the Cannes film festival is overrated. For instance, I don’t think people had any idea about how much business The Lunchbox did. Let me tell you that it’s much more than our mainstream films.”
Indeed, the latest buzz says that it has replaced Indonesian blockbuster The Raid 2 as the most profitable non-American film in the USA. But at the same time, getting the exact box office figures for this Ritesh Batra film has become quite a task.
Kashyap explains that when you sell a film’s worldwide rights to a distribution company, the company will exploit the film’s potential and they aren’t transparent about its collections. So we don’t get to read the exact figures. There are many companies that have their own overseas distribution houses. Why are they running them if these films are not making any money overseas? The answer is pretty simple. "They make money but they just don’t report the figures,” he says.
All about the business
Trade analyst Komal Nahta says that when production houses or filmmakers set up stalls at Cannes in a bid to lure international distributors, they end up shelling out a hefty sum of money. “It’s more of an investment for the future. If a film sells well, great. If not, it’s a loss for the makers. But that’s what this business is all about — it’s a gamble,” he says.
Then again, not all Indian films manage to get to Cannes, despite many makers trying their best to showcase their work there. Director Ajay Bahl knows a thing or two about it. His film, BA Pass, missed the deadline for Cannes last year. He eventually released the film in India instead of waiting for one more year. “Getting selected in the competitive categories is the way to go for any film — be it Indian or international. Setting up a stall to sell a film in international territories, on the other hand, could be a cumbersome task,” he says.
(with inputs from Asira Tarannum)
All of which begs the question: is all the brouhaha worth it in the end? Do filmmakers get decent returns after spending huge amounts on exhibiting their films at the festival in the non-competitive categories? Turns out the answers are not really straightforward. But there is an underlying hope to do better, regardless of the film’s fate.
Indian premieres
Dibakar Banerjee, co-producer of Titli, the only Indian feature film in contention for an award this year, doesn’t sound worried about the film’s business prospects — at least for now. “Films and their market are interlinked and festivals act as a medium between the two. That’s also why we thought Titli should premiere at Cannes. We feel that it’s the best possible launch pad for the film. It is in the competitive category so obviously, it’s going to attract the best possible distributors.”
The competition category does get more eyeballs although Indian films have peripheral channels too. Like setting up stalls at the festival and hoping to find interested parties and territories. That’s one of the reasons why run-of-the-mill films like Shortcut Romeo, Kites and Hissss manage to get screened.
Making waves
Not very long ago, there was a stigma attached to the film fest circuit. But there’s no doubt that now there’s a sudden rise in Hindi films being screened at film festivals.
Ashim Ahluwalia’s Miss Lovely — which was screened at Cannes in 2012 — followed a slightly different route. Although the film hardly created waves upon its release in India, he managed to sell its theatrical rights in many territories, including the US, where the film will release on June 20, 2014. The film was also sold to distributors in Europe, including France and Eastern Europe as well as Latin America. Thanks to it screening at Cannes, Fortissimo Films sold the film in new markets such as Japan and Taiwan.
Ask him whether the hype about Cannes is for real and Ahluwalia chooses to play it safe. “I can’t comment on other films, but having Miss Lovely in the official competition category at Cannes was helped boost my film’s international sales. I would say that it was an essential platform for my film.”
Last year, DAR Motion Pictures, with films like The Lunchbox, Ugly and Monsoon Shootout, attended Cannes. All three ventures were premiered at the event although none were slated to win a major award. In such a scenario, business must be the motive, right? Wrong. According to Vivek Rangachari, producer at DAR, it’s too early to discuss profits. “It will take years before we talk about money. We have a long way to go before we stand shoulder to shoulder with international films. It won’t happen overnight anyway. Cannes might look like a glitzy event but it’s all about business. And that happens in the background with the sales agents, distributors and publicists from across the globe at work,” says Rangachari.
Wider reach
Director Anand Gandhi of The Ship of Theseus fame is currently working on his second cinematic venture, Tumbad. Interestingly, Ruchi Bhimani, the film’s producer, is at Cannes and she has an agenda on her mind; she’s scouting for suitable co-producers for the film. “The whole industry lands up there. The curiosity surrounding Indian films is recent and it has to be generated regularly because of the opportunities that lie ahead. It’s the same old question: How am I going to make my next film? Who’s going to watch it and how will I reach out to more people in different territories? Once you find people willing to back you, money is going to follow,” says Gandhi.
Obscure figures
Having shown three films at Cannes, including Bombay Talkies, Ugly and The Lunchbox, Anurag Kashyap is another regular at Cannes. He’s clearly in favour of the current trend. He believes that the event does help cinema — both art house as well as the commercial variety. “I don’t think the Cannes film festival is overrated. For instance, I don’t think people had any idea about how much business The Lunchbox did. Let me tell you that it’s much more than our mainstream films.”
Indeed, the latest buzz says that it has replaced Indonesian blockbuster The Raid 2 as the most profitable non-American film in the USA. But at the same time, getting the exact box office figures for this Ritesh Batra film has become quite a task.
Kashyap explains that when you sell a film’s worldwide rights to a distribution company, the company will exploit the film’s potential and they aren’t transparent about its collections. So we don’t get to read the exact figures. There are many companies that have their own overseas distribution houses. Why are they running them if these films are not making any money overseas? The answer is pretty simple. "They make money but they just don’t report the figures,” he says.
All about the business
Trade analyst Komal Nahta says that when production houses or filmmakers set up stalls at Cannes in a bid to lure international distributors, they end up shelling out a hefty sum of money. “It’s more of an investment for the future. If a film sells well, great. If not, it’s a loss for the makers. But that’s what this business is all about — it’s a gamble,” he says.
Then again, not all Indian films manage to get to Cannes, despite many makers trying their best to showcase their work there. Director Ajay Bahl knows a thing or two about it. His film, BA Pass, missed the deadline for Cannes last year. He eventually released the film in India instead of waiting for one more year. “Getting selected in the competitive categories is the way to go for any film — be it Indian or international. Setting up a stall to sell a film in international territories, on the other hand, could be a cumbersome task,” he says.
(with inputs from Asira Tarannum)
If
one had to consider box office collections, admission and screen counts
across the world, only India has not been able to win top honours at
Cannes over the past five years. - See more at:
http://www.mid-day.com/articles/do-b-town-filmmakers-really-benefit-from-the-cannes-film-festival/15321174#sthash.6z1M1UlI.dpuf
Mickey Virus director Saurabh Varma sues producers for non-payment of dues
7:43 AM
Asira Tarannum (MID-DAY; March 11, 2014)
Looks like the production house DAR Motion Pictures is now making a habit of getting into trouble. Earlier, Nitin Keni served them a legal notice on behalf of Zee’s Essel Vision when despite being a co-producer for The Lunchbox, they were not kept in the loop about awarding the film’s distribution rights to UTV and Karan Johar.
Soon after, D-Day director Nikhil Advani expressed his anger against DAR Motion Pictures on social media. He was upset about the production house selling the Telugu rights of the film to a distributor who, in turn, showcased it as a sleazy film by using a scantily clad photograph of Shruti Hassan in the film’s publicity material. Shruti disassociated herself from the film and is said to be upset with the production house.
Recently, it emerged that noted criminal Charles Sobhraj has sent them a legal notice restraining them from making a biopic on his life.
The latest news has it that Saurabh Varma (extreme right, in the picture above), the writer and director of Mickey Virus, has sent registered a complaint against Dar Motion Pictures with the Indian Films and Television Directors Association (IFTDA. Varma has also filed a case over non-payment of dues and for allegedly stopping him from working on other projects. Says a source, “Mickey Virus was one of the highest grossing films of 2013 in the new actor and new director category, and it was sold to two co-producers — Trilogic Media and Awesome Films — soon after the first promo was out. Post this, DAR has shown no interest in sharing the income with the film’s stakeholders or selling the film’s satellite rights.” He adds that he doesn’t want to say much right now. “I just wanted them to honour their commitment and give me my dues as per the contractual understanding. I am a filmmaker who wants to make good films and they are being unreasonable in restricting me from doing so.”
Ashoke Pandit, President, IFTDA, says, “Saurabh has been wronged by the production house. We have sent a notice to them and they will have to appear at the dispute committee meeting next week. You cannot make a producer wait for three years. Either make films with him or they should let him make films outside the banner.”
When contacted, Vivek Rangachari from DAR Motion Pictures denied any knowledge about Saurabh registering a case against them. “I have been travelling and I will have to speak to my lawyer to check if we have received a notice, because I am not aware of it as yet,” he said. Asked about Varma’s dues, Rangachari said, “We need to see that the script is up to the mark and the rest will be sorted out with Saurabh.”
Why Rangacharis are shocked with Nikhil Advani's reaction over D-Day Tamil version
9:30 AM
V Lakshmi (BOMBAY TIMES; February 2, 2014)
Bollywood director Nikhil Advani and actress Shruti Haasan recently voiced their objection to the release of their D-Day in Tamil as Dawood. While Nikhil levelled allegations against the film’s co-producers, the Rangacharis — Arun and Vivek — for selling the rights of the film without his knowledge, Shruti issued a press statement saying she was dissociating herself from the film’s Tamil version as it was being made without her consent, which she said was a “clear breach of contract”.
However, the spokesperson of the Rangacharis’ production house tells us that as soon as the change in the title was brought to their notice by the director, they addressed the issue with the distributors.
“D-Day was co-produced by us and Nikhil Advani’s production house; while we funded the project, the creative of the film was Nikhil’s prerogative. Even the contracts that were signed by the actors were with his company. The distributors for the film were finalised in concurrence with Nikhil and the same was shared with him and his company via e-mail in 2013. The distributors were given the Hindi, Tamil and Telugu India rights in consultation with them. Nikhil brought to our notice the change in title and inappropriate posters on January 29, and we immediately addressed the issue. We got in touch with the distributors through the right channels and got it rectified. But, we were shocked to see defamatory articles in the press the next day. Factually, whatever has been said is wrong because the very next day after Nikhil spoke to us, the title was changed to D-Day and the earlier posters were recalled. According to the standard distribution process, we gave the Hindi creatives to the distributors in the faith that those would be used. The distributors don’t show us the posters before they publicise the film. And as far as the consultation with actors goes, Nikhil and his company have to inform us as they were the ones who had signed the contracts,” he says.
“Nikhil knew that steps had been taken on Wednesday, the day he spoke to us, and he even agreed to what was being done. The title was changed and Hindi posters were used from the next day. He sent an advisory notice, drafted by a legal team, accusing us of a few things. He was aware of the commercial understanding, and I think he was trying to save face with Shruti,” says Vivek, who’s now consulting his legal team for further action. Adds Vivek, “Nikhil and his team went through every contract we drew up and now, he's saying he is unaware of them and putting the blame on us. We will give them an appropriate answer.”
According to him, the film might release in Tamil as D-Day on February 7.
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