MUMBAI: Adlabs plans to pump in an estimated Rs 800 million to Rs one billion (Rs 80 to 100 crore) into its home film production and co production ventures for 2007.
Among the home productions scheduled for release this year are Ram Gopal Varma Ke Sholay which is nearing completion. Pre production work has commenced on Sarkar 2, informs Adlabs CEO film production Praveen Nischol. Sarkar 2 stars Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai.
Milan Luthria’s next will also be produced under the Adlabs banner. “The film is titled Revolver- bullets to die for. We are in the process of signing on Sanjay Dutt for the film and its shooting should commence by January 2008,” adds Nischol. Sriram Raghavan’s thriller film Johnny Gaddar with Dharmendra, Rimii Sen and Neil Mukesh is also being brought out under Adlabs’ home production division and is scheduled to release soon.
Also ready for release is Adlabs’ co production with N Chandra, Breaking News, which stars Perizaad Zorabian, Atul Kulkarni, Sarika, Rajpal Yadav, Anupam Kher and Seema Biswas.
Post production work is on on Prakash Jha’s Khoya Khoya Chand, a film that will release in the first week of June. Directed by Sudhir Mishra, it stars Shiney Ahuja, Soha Ali Khan and Rajat Kapoor. This film, Mishra claims, is his most expensive film to date with a budget of close to Rs 100 million (Rs 10 crore). Jha’s Dil Dosti Etc is also complete and will release in May this year. The film has been directed by debutant Manish Tiwari and stars Shreyas Talpade and Imaad Shah. Adlabs is also working with Jha on his film Rajneeti.
“Adlabs has released Vipul Shah’s Waqt and Namastey London. Pre production work has commenced on three more of Shah’s films and shooting should commence by June or July,” informs Nischol.
Love Story 2050, starring Priyanka Chopra and Harman Baweja is currently in its post production stages in Prime Focus. The film, that will release by July this year, is reportedly being made on a budget of Rs 400 million (Rs 40 crore) and has on board eight Oscar winners, to work on its Visual effects.
Ram Gopal Varma’s Shabri, starring Isha Koppikar, is in its post production stages currently. The film is directed by Lalit Marathe (the writer of Varma’s Bhoot).
The Salman Khan starrer Marigold, which is Adlabs’ co production with Hyperion Pictures, will release in July 2007.
Adlabs is also working with Ramesh Sippy on three projects, two of which will be directed by Rohit Shetty and Rohan Sippy respectively.
“Jaybrotto Chakraborty from Kolkata is directing a relatively small but quality project with Jaya Bachchan and Om Puri, titled Love Song. It is an English film shot in Kolkata,” says Nischol.
Adlabs has also undertaken production of regional films – a Tamil Film titled Kireedam and a Punjabi film with director Manmohan Singh are in the pipeline. Adlabs is also co producing films with MTV India targeted specifically at youth, but details on these are not available yet.
