Swwapnil Joshi’s ‘1 OTT’ joins hands with Subhash Ghai’s Whistling Woods International for quality content
11:37 AM
The ‘1 OTT’ app, (Bharat Ka Apna Mobile OTT) a hybrid regional streaming platform, is joining hands with Whistling Woods International (WWI) film communication and creative art institute, to telecast the films made in various language by the students of the latter on the OTT platform. Whistling Woods International’s founder and Chairman Subhash Ghai and 1 OTT’s founders, Narendra Firodia and Swwapnil Joshi made the announcement.
Some of the films to be telecast on ‘1 OTT’ were made by some of the leading directors in the films industry as the students of the WWI a few years ago. WWI will provide ‘1 OTT’ with fresh and entertaining content developed by its students.
‘1 OTT’ is a venture by actor Swwapnil Joshi and industrialist-philanthropist Narendra Firodia, ‘1 OTT’ is widely known as Bharat Ka Apna Mobile OTT. Along with the Narendra Firodia and Swwapnil Joshi the 1OTT platform has been supported by noted name in DTL activation Vinayak Satpute with founder members Venkatesh Shrinivasan, Rajiv Jani, leading banker Satish Utekar and noted name in entertainment industry Chetan Maniar.
While speaking about the joint venture Subhash Ghai, the showman of Bollywood and Chairman of Whistling Woods International, said, “There are more than 10,000 scripts from our ancient era, from Walmiki to Tulsidas, but only 2000 of them have been converted into films. The acting school founded by us is to cater to this untapped stuff. I will keep producing films in my second half of the life. I keep telling my students at Whistling Woods to work on the untapped stories and understand their nuances, the point of view behind them. I can proudly say that my students have been working on it for last 15 years. I am proud to be associated with ‘1OTT’ because it will give recognition to my students and budding talent by showcasing their works through mobile App.”
“I used to make films in Hindi, but today the films are produced in various Indian languages and they are doing good amount of business. Now, you cannot make films any one particular language, but they have to be in maximum Indian languages and it is the future of the film industry. The changes we have witnessed in last two decades have stormed the film industry. I am happy to learn about the OTT App my friend Swwapnil has come up with to cater to various Indian languages. Though India has various languages, we have more than 5000 dialects in use and we should always keep it in mind while producing content,” said Ghai.
Swwapnil Joshi said, “We are thankful to Whistling Woods and Subhash Ghai ji for this association which is just the beginning of very long-term partnership. Through this partnership audience will get an opportunity to watch the very first projects of now well-known directors in Bollywood. These films are from all genres and are made by the students of Whistling Woods. It’s a great platter of entertaining cinema for the audience. They are in 4 to 5 Indian languages, and of course in English.”
Swwapnil Joshi has thanked Whistling Woods International for the association with ‘1OTT’ and Ghai for gracing the occasion. “I thank Ghai sir for having shown faith in an upcoming platform like us. It swells our hearth with pride and gives us a lot of positivity and encouragement to do bigger and better projects in the future. When you think about the legendary director Ghai saab, the first and foremost words come to your mind are craftmanship, grandeur, storytelling, world class stuff among others,” he said.
Narendra Firodia said, “India is a huge market for the contents on OTT and it has been proven in the last two years. Since the regional languages were not getting the due participation on these platforms, we decided to launch ‘1 OTT’ for the content in Indian languages. The platform will benefit the contents from all the Indian languages. We are aiming at giving quality content in Indian languages to our viewers and that way it will be India’s OTT. The joint venture with WWI is nothing but showcasing the upcoming and one of the best talents from industry on this platform.”
Chetan Maniar said, “We at 1OTT, a hybrid regional streaming platform are very pleased to announce the tie up with Whistling Woods International which is Film Communication and Creative art institute located in Mumbai promoted by the Mr Subhash Ghai. Whistling Woods will provide 1OTT with fresh and entertaining content developed by its students. In my personal opinion there shall be lots of opportunities created within the industry. The synergy creates an ecosystem that allows aspiring content creators to showcase their talents and viewers getting fresher content to view. 1OTT looks forward to this new initiative which we are certain will be of mutual benefit. In many ways it's a perfect fit.”
After the logo of ‘1 OTT’ was launched by Maharashtra governor B S Koshyari in January, the OTT platform joined hands with Padhega Bharat drive in February to offer the syllabus for students of Classes V to X on the digital platform. The 1 OTT platform will cater to the regional content covering all major Indian language to become truly ‘Apne Bharat Ka Apna Mobile TV’. The platform will prove the OTT of India by telecasting films and series in regional languages including Hindi, Marathi, Bengali among others.
Subhash Ghai launches record label to promote aspiring singers, composers from his filmmaking school
8:47 AM
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; August 15, 2020)
Amid the intensifying insider-outsider debate in Bollywood, Subhash Ghai has stepped up to promote new talent. The filmmaker is set to launch his label, Audeus Music, today that will provide a platform to meritorious music students at Whistling Woods International. He explains, "We have such gifted students on our campus. So, I thought why not create our own platform to display their talent to the public and position them to be picked up by producers?"
The filmmaker has zeroed in on four songs, with one slated to drop online every week. "The maiden track is titled Universal echo, which has been written and composed by me with the musicians and singers of the school. It is inspired by the Gayatri mantra," adds Ghai. The offerings will include audio stories, plays and shows created by students and alumni of the filmmaking institute. The label will also collaborate with established media houses and digital banners to provide opportunities to aspiring musicians.
I had an attraction towards the Yamraj myth-Arati Kadav
9:09 AM
Arati Kadav on why she made the switch from engineer to sci-fi filmmaker and why death isn't permanent
Aastha Atray Banan (MID-DAY; March 8, 2020)
"My name is Aarti only, but when I was younger, I made up my mind that I wanted to change the spelling," says Arati Kadav, the director of the sci-fi movie Cargo. She may look unsuspectingly docile, but it's this rebellious streak that perhaps led the IIT Kanpur graduate, who once worked at Microsoft in Seattle, to become a filmmaker. Cargo, which premiered at MAMI last year, is about life on Pushpak 634A, where a demon works for the Post Death Transition services, and with the help of a female astronaut, gets dead people ready to be recycled for rebirth.
Though the plot of Cargo sounds complicated, it was with the simple stories of Panchatantra and Indian mythology that Kadav, who grew up in Nagpur, first was introduced to science fiction. "I used to write short stories about fantasy—all things magic came naturally to me. Also, my family was crazy about computers. We got one early on. So, there was a good mix of fantasy and technology," says the daughter of an engineer and a teacher.
It was in Seattle that she got a video camera, and started making short videos by herself, while also studying about Martin Scorsese. And so, when she got back to India, she enrolled at Mumbai's Whistling Woods for a course in filmmaking. Her first film there, about a grey coloured man living in a colourful world, was what got her hooked. "He buys himself a colorful robot, who is enamoured by his greyness. The film was appreciated in the school, and I got a big kick making it, seeing my vision come alive. And then I knew, this was a high I wanted to keep feeling."
It may be Western sci-fi (Philip K Dick, Ray Bradbury and the likes) that has shaped most people's view of the genre, but Kadav is a fan of Eastern sci-fi, which she feels she could relate to more as well as an Indian. One example is Ted Chaing's Arrival, which eventually made it to the big screen. "The original, The Story Of My Life, is the most beautiful story ever. When I read it I wanted to die of jealousy. Sci-fi doesn't need to be larger than life. It can be simple, nuanced and yet very profound. There is a Spanish author, who is a champion of the unreliable narrator—a character whose version of events doesn't seem to be complete or accurate. Isn't Indian folklore like that as well? Kuch bhi ho sakta hai."
Before Cargo, which is going to travel to other film festivals ahead of its OTT debut, Kadav dabbled in making ads and music videos. But, after Cargo, there is no looking back. "So India has the coolest sci-fi in shape of its own mythology. Like Mahabharat. But, every generation can impact these stories. I had an attraction towards the Yamraj myth. But I wanted to make the afterlife concept more interesting. So after you die, you come to the spaceship, which is like an immigration counter, before you get rebirth." As she gets ready for audiences to start watching it and passing verdict, she says she has a message to go with it, too. "I think what I really wanted to say was that if a life ends, there are still traces of us left behind. Nothing gets over forever. Secondly, forever is not about living on and on. Forever could just be a moment. For instance, when you are looking at a beautiful flower. It could just be that."
In the hands of a male director, content of Lipstick Under My Burkha would have become crass-Aahana Kumra
7:58 AM
Aahana Kumra, who plays a small- town beautician in Lipstick Under My Burkha, opens up about her journey
Kusumita Das (MID-DAY; July 16, 2017)
She may be one of the newest crop of actors in the industry, but Aahana Kumra exudes the sure-footedness of a veteran. Having done a few indie ventures such as The Blueberry Hunt and Sona Spa, both with Naseeruddin Shan, the 32-year-old actress is now waiting for the release of the much talked-about Lipstick Under My Burkha, where she shares the screen with acting stalwarts Ratna Pathak Shah and Konkona Sen Sharma.
Kumra was, in fact, a student of Naseer and Ratna, in her Whistling Woods International days. From the classroom to the camera, she appears to have made a smooth transition. In the film, directed by Alankrita Shrivastava, she plays a small-town beautician who feels stifled in her personal and professional life, and wants to elope to a big city with her lover. The feisty role involved her engaging in several intimate scenes.
“Under the hands of a male director, this kind of material, about four women exploring their sexuality, could have easily become crass. But, when I read this script, I was blown away by the finesse with which Alankrita has handled the story and situations. Even in the indie space, such well-crafted roles are not written. I’d have been an idiot not to have taken it up,” Kumra says.
Born and brought up in Lucknow, Kumra was 13 years old when she moved to Mumbai. “My mum is a former CID officer and my dad used to work in pharmaceuticals in Moscow.” Her initial days in Mumbai were marked by long hours spent at Prithvi Theatre, assisting Sanjna Kapoor. “I had too much energy, and realised just hanging around in Prithvi, doing workshops, assisting backstage, even selling tickets, would channel that energy in the right way. It was only a matter of time that I would be drawn to the stage.” Kumra recalls herself as a hyperactive college kid. “I was into every performance platform possible.”
There was a slight U-turn she took after her graduation, when she started interning at Lowe advertising agency. But soon after, she charted her path towards Whistling Woods to begin her journey as an actor. “I wanted a job where I could go to work and not get bored. That’s why, no matter how big or small the role is, I am mindful about how impactful it is.”
Even for an actress who has in the past worked with the likes of Amitabh Bachchan in Yudh, her role in Lipstick Under My Burkha, made her nervous. “I was doing sex scenes for the first time. I don’t think even my co-star, Vikrant (Massey) had done anything like that before. I remember, during one of our initial scenes, we just sat there for 15 minutes staring at each other, wondering how to get started,” she laughs.
There was also the time, when she had no idea which co-star had left her slightly bruised. “I had a few intense making out scenes with both Vikrant and Vaibbhav (Tatwawdi). And they had all to be filmed in a single day. The next morning I was cribbing about my ordeal when Plabita (co-star) pointed out that my lips had turned blue! And, I had no idea if it was Vikrant or Vaibhav.”
Aahana was nervous about her mother seeing the film. “I told her she didn’t have to, if she didn’t want to. I was greatly relieved when she told me she enjoyed it.” This is the first time that Aahana was working with a female director, and she describes Alankrita as a hard task master. “She’s very inspiring, and she’s never easily satisfied with a scene. When you feel you have done your best, she’ll keep nudging you for a better take. It was exhausting, but, I guess it all paid off.”
Bombay HC allows Whistling Woods International to continue operations
7:41 AM
Bharati Dubey (MID-DAY; July 31, 2014)
Subhash Ghai has got some reprieve. On Wednesday evening, Bollywood’s showman heaved a sigh of relief when the Bombay High Court admitted his review petition and allowed him to continue operations in his film school, Whistling Woods International (WWI), till a verdict is arrived at in the case.
While no one from Ghai’s office was available for comment, sources say that the court has admitted his review petition and allowed WWI to continue with its operations on its Film City campus. The students are said to have welcomed this decision and are relieved that their courses will not be hampered now.
When contacted, Mangesh Mohite, Joint Managing Director, Film City Studio, confirmed the news. He said, “The court has granted Ghai interim relief by allowing him to operate on his WWI campus — which stands on a 5.5 acre land — till the verdict is announced.’’ He added, “The court has asked them to deposit around Rs 10 crore, out of which Rs 1.38 crore has to be paid within the next 10 days.’’ It may be noted here that Film City Studio served a notice to WWI on July 14 asking them to vacate the premises and pay a retrospective rent amounting to Rs 91 crore. Ghai then moved the High Court seeking stay on vacating the premises by filing a review petition and pleading the court to save his film school.
Star support
It may be pointed out that in the last few days, the industry had come out in support of Ghai. While Karan Johar and Hirith Roshan made a last ditch effort to request the intervention of Prithviraj Chavan, Shyam Benegal too had written to the Maharashtra CM. On July 21, the filmmaker wrote to Prithviraj Chavan pleading to not close down the institute.
In the letter, he wrote, “To close down an internationally recognised and reputed educational institution of the country, apart from FTII, would be an unimaginable disaster.” He also wrote, “It is difficult to understand why an institution that has received support from the Maharashtra government is now being treated so summarily. It brings credit neither to the Maharashtra government nor the nation as a whole. It seems unjust to close down what is surely among the best educational institutes devoted to the study of cinema and TV.”
Brief history of the case
In 2000, the Film City Board passed two resolutions accepting and approving the WWI concept and project in principle.
An MOU was signed in September that year. The bhoomi poojan for the building was done in 2001.
In 2003, a PIL was filed against the government for granting this land with procedural mistakes. The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) alleged that the land price was undervalued.
Ghai claimed that the land was neither sold nor transferred but was granted to be used for a specific purpose under a joint venture with the government. Ghai was then sent a notice to stop construction on the remaining 15 acres of the open land in Film City and an affidavit was filed by the government to modify the JV into a lease model where Ghai would pay an annual rent.
Six years later, Ghai was told by the government that it could not find any provision to accept their lease model. Ghai claimed to have spent around R 80 crore on the project and that he was in debt upto R 52 crore. A PIL was then filed against the then chief minister of Maharashtra, Vilasrao Deshmukh, by farmers from Latur for misusing his power in allotting the land to WWI in 2000.
On his part, Ghai pleaded innocent in court, but the High Court pointed out procedural mistakes by the government and asked Mukta Arts to return the 14.5 acres of vacant land.
The institute was asked to vacate the remaining 5.5 acres, on which it stands, by July 31, 2014. In response, Ghai moved the Supreme Court but was met with rejection, after which he went back to the Bombay High Court.
Karan Johar, Hrithik Roshan & others appeal to CM to save Whistling Woods
9:32 AM
Bollywood heavyweights like Karan Johar and Hrithik Roshan appeal to the chief minister to save the institute, which has been ordered by the high court to return the 20-acre plot to the government by July 31
Yogesh Sadhwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 21, 2014)
With just 10 days to go for Whistling Woods International film school to vacate its sprawling premises in Film City, the likes of Karan Johar and Hrithik Roshan have started a last-ditch campaign to urge the chief minister to intervene and save the institute.
Buoyed by the support, institute head Subhash Ghai has sought an appointment with Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, while keeping up the legal battle to retain the space.
The Bombay High Court had in February 2012 ordered Ghai to vacate the plot following a public interest litigation that contended "gross abuse of power" by then chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh in allotting 20 acres in Film City to Ghai's firm.
The HC asked Whistling Woods to hand over the 14.5 acres of empty land to the government immediately and gave the institute till July 31, 2014 to vacate the 5.5 acres on which the institute stands.
Ghai challenged the HC order in Supreme Court, which in April dismissed his plea. On July 31, Whistling Woods' tenure comes to an end and government has drawn elaborate plans to take over the space and put it out in the market again. There are also plans to start a cultural university by the government.
While Ghai has filed a review petition in the Supreme Court and moved the HC seeking relief till the apex court hears his plea, the industry on Sunday decided to seek the chief minister's intervention.
As things stand, the HC has also restrained the institute from granting admissions to students for courses beyond 2014. The bench has also directed Ghai to pay a rent of Rs 5.3 crore annually since the year 2000 when the director entered into a joint venture with the government to start a film institute.
Leading industry personalities like Karan Johar, Hrithik Roshan, Sudhir Mishra, Boman Irani and Rohit Roy, among others, took to Twitter to express their support to the institute, highlighting its contribution to the industry. The stars tagged Chavan, who has recently become active on Twitter through his official and personal ids. Even industrialist Anand Mahindra joined in with his support.
"I firmly believe in our judiciary," said Ghai. "The beauty of our judicial system is that they will hear you again if you knock on their doors once again. I hope to get justice from our courts. In the meanwhile, I am touched by all the support. Most members of the industry have been associated with Whistling Woods in some way or the other. It is their very own institute and hence they have come out so strongly in our support. I have now sought time from CM Chavan to get his help in saving Whistling Woods."
Earlier, Ghai daughter Meghna, who is also the president of the institute, tweeted on Sunday morning seeking support. "Students, Alumni, Staff & Faculty of @Whistling_Woods appeal to you @prithvrj sir to support out Institute which is currently under fire."
In no time, several stars and filmmakers were not only endorsing Meghna's message but also adding their own pleas.
Karan Johar said, "As a filmmaker I request the authorities to preserve and protect @Whistling_Woods.... it has its heart embedded in contributing to cinema..."
Minutes later, actor Hrithik Roshan, too, chipped in. "Pls do not dislodge an institute which has done what it promised and more! @Whistling_Woods @meghnaghaipuri I salute you 4 all u hv done," he tweeted. Despite repeated attempts, the chief minister's office could not be reached for comment.
Seeking support on social media
Anand Mahindra: "Institutes of learning take years to create & are the bedrock of an evolved city & society. To the CM@prithvrj:We must preserve @Whistling_Woods"
Actor Rohit Roy: "While collecting taxes from the film industry, they don't think twice but they want to shut a school @Whistling_Woods that is creating it!! This is a humble request to the powers that be... It is our only world class film facility.. Don't take it away.. @prithvrj ji, please don't.. The gvmt n honorary Shri @prithvrj should be looking for solutions to SAVE one of the ONLY institutions in India imparting film education!"
Film maker Sudhir Mishra: "So much land for crap n no controversies. So much fuss over land for an educational institution. Come on Sirs, surely there is a solution! @prithvrj pls find a solutn fr WWI. It's a 1st rate institution n Subhashji has done cinema a Grt service!"
Actor Boman Irani: "At the end of the day #whistling woods is a temple of learning. The last thing one must bring down. An appeal for students & industry," stated Irani.
Salman scolds Whistling Woods students for not standing up when Subhash Ghai passed by
9:09 AM
Upala KBR (DNA; April 7, 2014)
Salman Khan is known for treating his elders with respect. He even calls
his producers as Boneyji (Kapoor), Rameshji (Taurani) and Subhashji
(Ghai). He is known to stand up from his seat when his parents or any
senior person walks into the room. He doesn’t even smoke or drink in
front of his elders. Which is why he got so irritated when he saw some
students of the showman’s Whistling Woods showing ‘disrespect’ towards
their principal Ghai, and he fired them.Says an eye witness, “Last week, Salman dropped in at Whistling Woods to meet Subhashji. Since he’d come after almost three months, Ghai was giving him a tour of the place. They were walking through the corridors when Salman noticed four students sitting on a couch. Despite spotting the filmmaker and the star approaching, the four continued to sit and chat. This attitude infuriated Salman. He considered this as a sign of disrespect and what followed next was something that the students will remember forever.
The actor strode up to where they were seated and told them sternly, “Why can’t you get up when your senior like Subhash Ghai is passing through? Khade ho jayo! I myself get up when I see Subhashji coming towards me.” The students were taken aback and apologised to him and the filmmaker but that didn’t calm Salman. He retorted, “Yahan chai pi rahe ho, lekin industry mein chai bhi nahi milegi agar badon ki respect nahi karoge toh!” At this moment, Ghai intervened to defend his students with, “I pass by so many times. How can they stand up every time when they see me?” But Salman was in no mood to be pacified. The students apologised to the actor once again.
Ghai confirms, “Yes, Salman was very upset with a few students and scolded them for being disrespectful. Salim sahib and Salma bhabhi have groomed their children very well. Salman is a man of his words. He is very compassionate and generous. We have developed a mutual faith in each other.” He further adds that later Salman told him how much he loved the trailer and the music of his next film Kaanchi. The actor even spoke to the lead actress Mishti and gave her few tips on fitness.
Whistling Woods case: Bombay HC to deliberate on review petition
7:42 AM
Vickey Lalwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 24, 2014)
Bombay High Court has finally admitted the Review Petition submitted by Whistling Woods International Institute on the 2011 directive to vacate the land it occupies in Film City, Mumbai. The HC will deliberate on the petition in the next few weeks. Ghai says he has written around 30 letters to Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, but is yet to get any response.“Even Javed Akhtar, Shabana Azmi and Shekhar Kapur have spoken to the CM but every time he says ‘Nantar baghnaar’ (Will see later),” says Ghai.
But he insists that the number of students has not dwindled in what is arguably Asia’s largest film school. “I have to stop my ex-students from protesting. Education is not a real-estate business, honest people don't survive here, only those who spread negative energies do,” he adds.
In 2003, Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) had asked why land worth Rs 31.20 crore was valued at only Rs 3 crore. According to Ghai, Rs 3 crore was the value of the equity the government got, not of the land.
In 2004, the film school was asked not to develop the remaining 14.5 acres, of the 20 acres allotted, where the hostel and studio were to come up. In 2009, a Public Interest Litigation(PIL) challenged the land allocation. In 2011 Bombay High Court ruled against Whistling Woods, based on the litigation and in 2012 it directed the institute to vacate 14.5 acre of land and said that government will take over the remaining 5.5 acres on July 31, 2014. As of now, Whistling Woods does not have a plan B and may take temporary refuge in Mukta House in Film City