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Posts tagged the longest week
I didn’t want to be Aditya Chopra’s clone-Uday Chopra
09 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Interviews
Admitting he’d never make it big in Bollywood, Uday Chopra goes to Hollywood, but not as actor
Chandrima Pal (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 5, 2012)
In a summer green shirt and faded denims, Uday Chopra is comfortable in his sprawling office that looks out to a carefully tended terrace garden. You sense it is a season of change — the gardeners are pruning the rambunctious monsoon plants while the scion of one of Bollywood’s most influential families is chipping away at his new role as CEO of Yash Raj Entertainment (YRE).
He’s heading the banner’s international film producing and financing subsidiary that’s working with Olivia Wilde, Nicole Kidman and Olivier Dahan of La Vie En Rose fame. He has just launched a comic book label called Yomics (“pronounce it y-yomics; there is a nice lilt to it”) that draws from characters of famous Yash Raj films, while he continues to be occasional actor in films like the Dhoom franchise.
“Of the three, acting will remain my first love. But it has taken a back seat,” says Chopra, who hasn’t been a favourite with the box office. “There came a point when I had to be realistic. I knew I would never really hit stardom or make a successful career out of acting. I had to change tracks,” he says.
It was five years ago, during a casual chat with older brother Aditya Chopra, that the idea of creating a presence in the “world’s most competitive film industry” was born. “We knew we wanted to do something in Hollywood, but didn’t know how. It was impossible More >
Fenil’s Bollywood Talk # 180
01 year ago
DESI BOYZ-CHITRANGADA SINGH’S FORAY INTO COMMERCIAL CINEMA!
There’s one significant factor that has really made me excited for Desi Boyz! It’s not the coming of Akshay Kumar-John Abraham together after 6 years. It’s also nothing to do with the chemistry shared by the actors with their respective heroines. It’s neither the fact that film looks fresh and youthful nor that Desi Boyz deals with male escorts! It’s the Chitrangada Singh factor that has me excited! The dusky lady is a stunning actress but has always been associated with serious cinema. Desi Boyz will be her first commercial entertaining film. She has been offered many such films in the past which she had rejected. However, she chose Desi Boyz of all of them and that really makes me curious for this film!
Desi Boyz also stars Deepika Padukone besides Akshay, John and Chitrangada and has been shot almost entirely in London. The film didn’t make waves while filming. Even after promotion commenced, the hype hasn’t been considerable. Yet, industry is hopeful that the film will take a huge opening as there has been no other significant Hindi film since sometime (Rockstar released 2 weeks back which received mixed reviews). Moreover, the film, as said before, deals with the issue of male escorts which is something new to Bollywood. A section of moviegoers have assumed that this stripper film might be vulgar but director Rohit Dhawan (son of David Dhawan) has assured that it’s a clean film. In fact, Rohit was hugely More >
Yash Raj Films launches ‘YRF Entertainment’
01 year ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
By Bollywood Hungama News Network, November 23, 2011 – 12:27 IST
Uday Chopra has announced the formation of YRF Entertainment, a Hollywood-based production and financing company focused on developing and producing feature films for the U.S. and international marketplace. The company is launched and funded by Yash Raj Films, the 41-year old studio that was founded by Yash Chopra, and continues to be one of India’s most prolific film producers and distributors. Uday Chopra will serve as CEO of YRF Entertainment and has hired Jonathan Reiman to head development and production under him.
Uday Chopra commented, “My family has a deep commitment to making and distributing quality films that entertain and enlighten audiences. I share that passion, as well as a love for American films that I have had since childhood. It is that enthusiasm and my love of the creative process of filmmaking that drove me to start this new venture.”
YRF Entertainment is currently producing and financing The Longest Week, which began shooting last week in New York City. Written and directed by Peter Glanz, the movie stars Jason Bateman, Olivia Wilde, and Billy Crudup. Uday Chopra is producing with Neda Armian. Exec Producers are, Jonathan Reiman, Chris Marsh, Stone Douglass, and Taylor Materne.
The comedy tells the story of a bratty “man-child” (Bateman) who still lives with his parents in a chic Manhattan hotel but suddenly finds himself evicted, disinherited and hopelessly in love with his best More >