Tag: Vikram Malhotra

Saif Ali Khan To Star In Hindi Remake Of Hollywood Film Chef

[tps_footer]In a major move that is set to put the Indian movie business on the world content map, Abundantia Entertainment, Eros International and Alumbra Entertainment, today, announced that they would produce the Hindi remake of the high-profile Hollywood hit, ‘Chef’. The producers also confirmed getting leading man, Saif Ali Khan, to star in the iconic role.

‘Chef’, is a 2014 breakthrough hit film that was written, produced and directed by Jon Favreau who also featured in the titular role essaying Chef Casper. The multi-talented Favreau shot to fame with the 1996-film, Swingers and since then has had a long and distinguished career in Hollywood. Amongst his vast range of films, Jon has directed Iron Man, Iron Man 2 and Elf among others and has been the executive producer on Iron Man 3 and Marvel’s Avengers franchise.

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The critically appreciated and commercially successful ‘Chef’, which boasts of a famous supporting cast with the likes of Robert Downey Jr., Sofía Vergara, John Leguizamo, Scarlett Johansson and Dustin Hoffman and amongst others, is the story of professional Chef, Carl Casper, (played by Favreau himself). Carl, quits his job at a popular Los Angeles restaurant after refusing to compromise his creative integrity to its controlling owner. As he tries to figure out his next move, he finds himself in his hometown, Miami, where he teams up with his ex-wife, friend and son to launch a food truck. Taking to the road, Chef Carl goes back to his roots to reignite his passion for the kitchen and his zest for life and love. What follows is an endearing journey of relationships, self-discovery and success.

Earlier this year, Abundantia Entertainment, founded by Vikram Malhotra (formerly COO – Viacom18 Motion Pictures) acquired the remake rights from Favreau’s company, Fairview Entertainment and went on to partner with Eros International, India’s leading film studio and Alumbra Entertainment.. The Hindi version will be distributed and released by Eros worldwide.

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Speaking on his passion project going global, Jon Favreau said, “I’m delighted to see ‘Chef’ get an Indian remake. I’m excited to see how this personal film translates to the Indian culture. The themes of food, music and family should resonate well.”
Terming ‘Chef’ as one of the most endearing and inspiring films of recent times, Vikram Malhotra, Founder & CEO of Abundantia, said, “Ever since I first saw ‘Chef’ I knew that this film had to be made in India. Charming relationships, a feel-good story and a unique journey of self-discovery make ‘Chef’ the ideal film to bring alive in an Indian context. Add to that the blazing spirit of entrepreneurship and the rapidly evolving food scene in India and the context for a Hindi remake is brilliantly set. We are proud and honored that an icon of Hollywood like Jon Favreau has chosen us to take forward his passion-project in another part of the world. I am also delighted that one of the finest actors in our country, Saif Ali Khan, will helm the title role in the Hindi version”.

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Partnering on the project, Sunil Lulla, Managing Director, Eros International Media Ltd added, “Eros has been at the forefront of breaking content barriers and taking Indian movies worldwide. Be it our global blockbusters like English Vinglish, Tanu Weds Manu Returns, Bajrangi Bhaijaan or our upcoming line-up like Bajirao Mastani, we are keenly focused in making content speak a universal language. We are delighted to bring a special film like ‘Chef’ to the Indian audience in their own language and look forward to working closely to make ‘Chef’ connect to millions of movie-goers in the Hindi language.

The work on the Hindi remake has begun and a script that will adapt ‘Chef’s’ story to the Indian palate, keeping the flavor of the film intact, is already underway.

Vikram Malhotra and Ridhima Lulla of Eros International made the formal announcement with Jon Favreau in Los Angeles on October 26th.

Also Read: Photos: Bollywood Stars Snapped On Their Vacation

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2015/11/25
Viacom18 Ropes In Ajit Andhare As Motion Pictures COO

MUMBAI: Viacom18 Media Pvt Ltd has announced the appointment of Ajit Andhare, as the Chief Operating Officer of its films business – Viacom18 Motion Pictures. Ajit replaces Vikram Malhotra, who put in his papers, some time back, to pursue his entrepreneurial interests. (SEE REPORT HERE)

Sudhanshu Vats, Group CEO said of this appointment, “In Ajit, we’ve found the right leader to drive Viacom18 Motion Pictures to the next level of growth & profitability. His passion for films coupled with his education and experience across varied fields like Engineering, Marketing and Creative production give him the edge to build a Business that would become a benchmark in the industry.”

Ajit will be responsible for the growth and profitability of Viacom18 Motion Pictures and will be reporting to Sudhanshu. He will also lead Viacom18 Motion Pictures’ distribution alliance with Paramount Pictures.

With an experience of over 17 years, Ajit has previously worked with Colosceum Media Pvt. ltd. since 2007, a venture that he founded, along with Capital18 and with Unilever Plc. in India and Asia Pacific region. He holds an MBA from the Indian School of Business & B Tech from REC Rourkela.

Speaking on his appointment, Ajit commented, “The fundamentals of Motion Pictures business in India are improving with growth in digital distribution, multiplex screens, emerging digital platforms and above all success of high content cinema. It’s a great opportunity to lead one of country’s premier studios recognized for its distinguished work in this exciting context.”

2013/04/16
Viacom18 COO Vikram Malhotra Puts Down Papers

MUMBAI: Viacom18 Motion Pictures COO Vikram Malhotra has today announced his resignation.

The production house behind big films like ‘Tanu Weds Manu’, ‘Son of Sardaar’ and others, Viacom18 Motion Pictures’ most recent films include ‘Special Chabbis’ and ‘Saheb, Biwi aur Gangster Returns’.

Vikram Malhotra has been at the helm of affairs for over two years has successfully headlined projects like Akshay kumar’s ‘OMG- Oh My God’, Vidya Balan starrer ‘Kahaani’, ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’ and ‘Shaitan’; and has also released Hollywood blockbusters like ‘Transformers: Dark of The Moon’ and ‘Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol’ in India.

At such an illustrious time for the production house, which has only grown from strength to strength in the past two years, Malhotra’s resignation has come as a shocker.

When we reached out to Vikram Malhotra, he confirmed the development himself, and also stated that he would be on board as COO until July 2013, to ensure a smooth and seamless transition for his successor. He revealed that he has quit with a view to pursue his entrepreneurial aspirations.

Speaking to businessofcinema.com, Vikram Malhotra said, “I am excited to now pursue my own dream and aspiration in the same space. As of now, we have released the news of my resignation, but unfortunately I can’t share the details of my upcoming entrepreneurial venture as yet, as we are still firming up the plans. What I can reveal is that the new venture will be in the motion pictures and digital space itself, and will follow an independent model.”

Speaking about his tenure at Viacom18 motion Pictures, he added, “I have had a personally fulfilling and proud time at Viacom18 Motion Pictures and am privileged to have lead a talented team that redefined many a things in both production and distribution of Hindi as well as Hollywood films (marketing and distribution of Paramount movies).”

Viacom18 Group CEO Sudhanshu Vats was all praises as he said: “Vikram has admirably led the reboot of this business to put Viacom18 Motion Pictures amongst the top players in the industry. Over the last two years, we have had tremendous success, stretched the envelope and redefined the rules of Hindi Cinema, making critically acclaimed films that were commercially successful as well. We have an impressive line up ahead with movies like ‘Chashme Baddoor’, ‘Bhag Milkha Bhag’, ‘Madras Cafe’ and ‘Boss’. As he now ventures out to pursue his entrepreneurial dream, I wish him all the success in his new venture.”

2013/03/19
Audiences Are Evolving Faster: Vikram Malhotra On Analog Vs. Digital

MUMBAI: The on-going FICCI Frames, a three-day long media and entertainment conclave is being held at the Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre, here in Powai.

Day 2 at FICCI Frames saw a spirited seminar titled: ‘Film Distribution & Exhibition: Challenges and the Way Forward’, which saw distinguished film fraternity personalities like Viacom 18 Motion Pictures COO Vikram Malhotra, film distributor Anil Thadani, UFO Moviez India Ltd. CEO Rajesh Mishra and Real Image Media Technologies Founder and CEO Senthil Kumar on the panel. The session was moderated by Reliance BIG Cinemas COO Ashish Saxena.

The topic under discussion was the analog vs digital prints, and the near-death of the analog format of film distribution. Rajesh Mishra predicted the end of the analog prints era within a short span of one year. He also spoke about India’s pressing need for more screens and reduced screen density for the vast population.

Mishra added that digitization has transformed the face and functioning of the film distribution business, and he also touched upon the wider penetration of digitisation. “The cost of distribution has become one-fifth of what it used to be, but the reach has gone up by five times. In the next one year, it will be the end of print era,” he said, prophetically signalling the doom of the print era. He also put the numbers in perspective: as 500 to 600 prints play across 2500 to 3000 screens today.

The esteemed panelists also broached the topic of how digitization has helped fight piracy in film distribution. Said Vikram Malhotra, ruing the fact that a film’s fate is linked to its release: “We release 18 to 19 films a year but we still don’t know what the optimal release size is.” Reiterating his point, Malhotra added that “a film is defined by its release”, rather than the other way around.

Malhotra, speaking about the solutions for issues ailing the film distribution business, pointed out that the shift from big screen to small screen is evolutionary and will take a long time.

Said Vikram, “The top 2 challenges are analytics and experiences. One of the founding principles of any industry is to get access to data. What is the optimal penetration for any film? Is doubling our screen width the only solution? We can go from 9,000 to 18,000 screens- and that is convenience. The key is return on investments. Studios have promoted good content and professionalized the setup.”

Speaking about upcoming films like ‘Kahaani 2’ from the Viacom stables, Malhotra said: “Audiences are evolving faster. Consumer research showed the way for marketing spends. We would like to double screens for ‘Kahaani 2.’ Blockbusters will give deliver greater ROI across all value chains for studios. We are exploring TV releases too.”

Comparing the ground realities of film distribution between the UK, U.S.A and India, Senthil Kumar said: “In India 1.2 billion people have only 9000 screens . We have one-sixteenth the screen density of the US. UK has 8 times more (screen density) with 60 million people and 3000 screens. China added 5000 screens last year, with one chain alone adding 1000 screens.”

Speaking about the lack of proportion, he added that half the screens in India are located in four of the Southern states, which goes to show that in some parts of India the screen density is abysmal.

The discussion inevitably led to the question of raising ticket prices, on par with other South Asian countries. Some panelists, like Anil Thadani felt that high ticket prices would curtail and cut down on repeat viwers, and would lead to increased piracy of films.

Thadani used the prime example of a blockbuster like ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’, to justify his case: “It had 30 prints in Bombay with tickets priced at Rs 30 and Rs 50. The revenue was collected along the same range as now. It adds to the longevity of the film.”

2013/03/13