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LOTR wheels out stage for 25m musical

By Valentine Low, Evening Standard 02.03.07

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Right now it is a massive revolving wheel, a complex web of wires, struts and machinery.

But in a few weeks it will be transformed into Middle Earth for what is easily the most expensive musical to be seen in the West End.

This moving floor - nearly 1million worth of automated engineering - will be the basis of the set that will see the stage of the Theatre Royal Drury Lane turned into mountains, valleys and battle scenes for the 25million production of The Lord Of The Rings.

With three "revolves" - as the rotating wheels are known - and 17 "lifts", all of which can move independently, it will allow the show's producers to change the shape of the set to an almost-unprecedented degree without the actors having to leave the stage.

Previously, the most expensive West End production was Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, which cost 6.2 million to stage.

Lord Of The Rings producer Kevin Wallace said: "It's like a landscape changing as the actors move through it and over it. It's like you're watching something which is almost cinematic visually - but it's three-dimensional."

One of the most dramatic scenes where the revolving stage will be used to full effect is the battle of Helm's Deep. It will rise and fall to show the Orcs first preparing for battle and then storming the citadel. Another is in the first act, when Frodo and the other hobbits are fleeing the Black Riders.

Wallace said: "It subtly changes its configuration as they are running through the Ford and along the roads of Middle Earth, trying to get to Rivendell. It is constantly changing."

The stage, built by Delstar Engineering of Suffolk, cost 450,000 to construct and about the same again to automate, he added. The production, which will start previewing in May, has been changed substantially since it was first seen in Toronto last year, where it was greeted with mixed reviews.

It has been cut down to three hours and will feature new musical numbers by the show's composer AR Rahman.

Wallace said: "What we have made is a piece of musical theatre for non-Tolkien audiences."

James Loye, from the Canadian production, plays Frodo, Malcolm Storry is Gandalf and Laura Michelle Kelly is Galadriel.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/theatre/article-23387464-detai ls/LOTR+wheels+out+stage+for+%C2%A325m+musical/article.do

Atul Agnihotri's Hello takes off

Posted online: Friday, March 02, 2007 at 0000 hours IST

Director Atul Agnihotri's new directorial venture Hello, based on Chetan Bhagat's best-selling novel One Night @ The Call Center was launched recently. The first shooting schedule was completed on different locations of Mumbai. Starring Sharman Joshi, Sohail Khan, Gul Panag, Amrita Arora and Ishaa Koppikar, it will also have Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif making special appearances. Produced by Paul Parmar, the film has music by Sajid-Wajid. T-Series enters world of animation
T-series has entered the world of animation through films on Ganesh, Akbar Birbal and Krishna Leela. The VCDs of these are readily available in the market in different languages like English, Hindi, Kannada, Telugu and Marathi at affordable rates. There's much more coming up in the form of wallpapers and interactive games. Imtiaz Ali signed for Shahid-Kareena Kapoor starrer
Shree Ashtavinayak CineVision Ltd. have signed director Imtiaz Ali to direct a love story starring Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor. Shooting will begin from March 20 in Mumbai, Chandigarh, Simla and Kulu Manali. Eros inks deal with Mauj
Eros International has signed a major license deal involving minimum guarantee revenues with India's leading telecom solutions company, Mauj Telecom, for distribution of Eros' mobile content through Mauj's worldwide network.

In the past the two companies have collaborated on films including Omkara and I See You. The deal includes films such as Namaste London, Eklavya - The Royal Guard, No Smoking and Friends Forever.

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With mobile and wireless connectivity in India has been growing at an impressive 80 per cent CAGR, the opportunity to monetise Hindi film content through mobile properties such as ringtones, wallpapers, songs and video clips is becoming increasingly lucrative. According to Kishore Lulla, Chairman & CEO, Eros International, "The Mauj deal is a significant landmark in Eros' commitment to tap into the new media opportunities presented by digital convergence." OBIT
Sound recordist Harbans Singh passed away on February 6 following a brief illness. He had worked in over130 films in Hindi, Punjabi, Bhojpuri and Haryanavi including Dharma, Ek Kunwari Ek Kunwara, Do Yaar, Ek Nanhi Munhi Ladki Thi, Geeta Mera Naam, Anubhav and Aasman Se Ooncha amongst others. He is survived by his wife, three daughters and two sons. Subhash Ghai launches Bombay To Bangkok, also signs Salman, Anil
Subhash Ghai has signed Salman Khan and Anil Kapoor for an as-yet-untitled film to be produced and directed by Ghai on a subject written by him, Sachin Bhowmick and Kamlesh Pandey. The musical to be scored by AR Rahman will go on the floor in May. Meanwhile, Ghai has completed the principal photography of his current directorial thriller Black N White starring Anil Kapoor and Anurag Sinha, a graduate from Pune's FTII. After Iqbal, Ghai has teamed up with Nagesh Kukunoor again for Mukta Searchlight's Bombay To Bangkok. The romantic comedy has Shreyas Talpade and a Thai model Lena in the lead. Naseeruddin Shah will make a special appearance. The music and background score will be composed by Salim-Sulaiman. The film will be produced by Elaho Hiptoola and Rahul Puri. 75 years of Hindi talkies celebrated
The Mumbai School of Broadcasting & Communication along with the Indian Organization of Mass Communications will jointly be hosting a mega-event on March 14 in the city to celebrate 75 years of Indian talkies. It will start with a screening on Daastan-e-Alam Ara followed by a discussion whose speakers included film historian Feroze Rangoonwala, SFX experts Ramesh Meer, writer Hasan Kamal and Director of National Film Archives of India, KS Shashidharan. Living legends like BR Chopra, Dilip Kumar, Nimmi, Kamini Kaushal, Prakash Mehra and J Om Prakash will be felicitated. Saira Banu and Rakesh Roshan amongst others will be honoured too. Dinkar Chaudhury, one of the organisers, said that the Cine & TV Artistes Association, Film Writers Association, Indian Motion Pictures Producers Association, Indian Film Directors Association, Indian Music Industries, NFDC, National Film Archieves of India, Western India Film Producers Association, Film Makers Combine, Dadasaheb Phalke Academy and Federation of Western India Cine Employees are supporting the event. A souvenier highlighting Indian cinema in the global context will be released on the occasion. India-Germany sign co-production treaty
An audio-visual co-production treaty between India and Germany has opened new windows for established as well as independent filmmakers in both countries and should give a push to post-production offshoring in India. While the finer details are still being worked out, the crux is that German and Indian producers can contribute between 20 to 80 per cent of the total cost and co-produce films.

The films produced within this framework will be seen as national films. The treaty covers the entire spectrum of the creative economy — film, video, documentary, animation and audio. industry.

http://www.screenindia.com/fullstory.php?content_id=15026

Thursday, March 01, 2007 23:30 IST

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Festivities to mark Rajasthan Day celebrations

Updated: 02-28-2007 Jaipur, March 1 (IANS) The Rajasthan government has lined up a series of events, festivals and competitions to celebrate Rajasthan Day during March 24-30.

The events will include performances by celebrities such as actor Hema Malini and singer Kailash Kher and plays by the Prithvi Theatre Group from Mumbai. Folk artistes have been also been roped in.

Rajasthan tourism department officials say that efforts are on to invite singing legend Asha Bhosle and musician A.R. Rahman.

The inaugural celebrations for 'Dhora Ri Dharti' (Land of the Desert), organised by the tourism department, will take place at the Sawai Mann Singh stadium here, Usha Punia, Rajasthan's minister of state for tourism, told IANS.

The ceremony will be followed by a dance performance by Hema Malini.

A variety of cultural programmes will be held against the backdrop of the Albert Hall Museum here over the week. These will include a concert by ghazal maestro Ghulam Ali at the Albert Hall. Prithvi Theatre Group will perform March 27.

The other events include a tattoo show, puppet shows, adventure sports, a golf tournament, a 'Run for Rajasthan' and a maha aarti (prayers). Rural sports like kabbadi, kho-kho and tug-of-war will take place at the SMS Stadium.

http://www.andhracafe.com/index.php?m=show&id=19578

Rajinikanth "very happy" with Sivaji songs
Rajinikanth in AVM's "Sivaji". The film will hit theatres in the first or second week of May. By S.R.Ashok Kumar Actor Rajinikanth, who recently saw edited versions of song sequences from his much-awaited 'Sivaji', is said to have been very happy with them. Sources said an excited 'Superstar' gave director Shankar a hug and praised him for the effort. It is now learnt that the film would hit theatres in the first or second week of May. There were expectations of it being released on Tamil New Year's day. Re-recording is yet to be completed. Director Shankar is waiting for a session with music director A.R.Rahman, who is expected to complete the re-recording in a week's time. Members of the unit also said the songs available online were not complete and fans were eagerly looking forward to listening to the full audio track after the audio release on Monday.

Films such as Cheran's 'Mayakkannadi' and Karan's 'Karuppasamy Kuthhagaitharar' are slated for release on Tamil New Year's day.

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/009200703281340.htm

"It becomes challenging to write with A.R.Rahman, as the tunes are of different time durations" - Javed Akhtar By Abid, March 26, 2007 - 03:07 IST Not much has been heard about your initial phase in Bollywood? I landed in Bombay in October'64 after completing my graduation from Bhopal. My first job (at a studio) gave me a handsome salary of Rs.50 per month. And I used to sleep in the studio itself. Later I got to write a few dialogues for a writer who could not do so, due to his illness. And that got me my second job that doubled my pay. But it was not until 1968 that I got credited for a film called 'Yaqeen'. The struggle continued till 1970, when I managed to get my first full fledged project. My first job (at a studio) gave me a handsome salary of Rs.50 per month. And I used to sleep in the studio itself. As a writer, what changes do you see in the hero of the 70s and that of today? Earlier, the hero used to be a clerk, a teacher, a police officer. He used to be a middle-class person, who used to mingle with the crowd, move around in traffic jams. Today, the hero lives in a plush house, does nothing, and he steps out of his house straight into Switzerland, Australia and New Zealand. And there is nothing wrong in that. Times have changed and with the coming in of corporates I see more changes. There has been a lot of hue and cry about the remaking of classics, your views? Why not? It has been done in Hollywood since a long time and many such remakes have won Oscars also. I think ' Devdas' was a very good remake of the Bimal Roy classic by Bhansali. How does it feel that after 'Don' as a director, Farhan (along with Riteish) has succeeded as a producer with 'Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd.? It feels wonderful as a father because Farhan is finding success consistently in almost all his endeavours. Attempts were made to sabotage 'Don' from day one, any reason for that? Well, for me the movie is a big success and that is all that matters. Is there any truth in 'Don' sequel being made by Farhan? I cannot comment on that, better ask the man at the helm of affairs, Farhan! Your daughter Zoya Akhter is making a film called 'Kismat Talkies'. Is it the same project that was publicized as 'Nargis'? Yes, she is working on 'Kismat Talkies' and it is the same project that was wrongly publicized as 'Nargis'. That was never the title. Are you writing the lyrics for Karan Johar's next (once again after 'KANK'), featuring Shah Rukh Khan and being publicized as 'KHAN'? Yes, I am but I am not aware of the title you mention. Is Kajol making her comeback with Shah Rukh Khan? Kajol has already made her comeback! No, with Shah Rukh Khan Maybe In today's times, when the lyrics are written after the tune has been composed, which of the music directors makes it difficult for you? No one makes it difficult as such, but with A.R.Rahman, it becomes challenging, as the tunes are of different

http://www.indiafm.com/features/2007/03/26/2443/

good job madhu. Sorry I was quite busy with school and all stuff! Where are all others? 😊

Originally posted by: Jaseeka

good job madhu. Sorry I was quite busy with school and all stuff! Where are all others? 😊

Wellcome back Geet. Really where is Rachna and doly!!