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New Delhi, Mar 19 () Social media app Likee on Thursday said it has crossed 115 million month active users globally and that it sees a huge growth potential in India. The short video platform, developed by Bigo Technology, claims to have recorded 208 per cent growth in its active user base. "According to the report released by the company for October-December 2019 quarter, the monthly active users (MAU) of Likee reached 115.3 million from 37.4 million in the corresponding period of 2018, representing an increase of around 208 per cent on yearly basis," Bigo Technology Pte Vice President Mike Ong told . Ong attributed the growth in MAU to expansion of geographical coverage, augmentation of monetisation capability, among others. "We continued to expand Likee's geographic coverage, refine its content offerings, and augment its monetisation capabilities. As a result, Likee's total MAU swelled, representing a whopping increase on yearly as well as sequential basis," he said. The company, which now operates across 180 countries, sees India as a promising market with a large growth potential. "Likee is growing rapidly and has seen a strong momentum globally. Likee is evolving to be the most favoured short video platform among its audience. India provides a huge scope for growth and will stand to be a promising market for us in the future as well," Ong said. Likee was released in 2017 after which the Singapore-based Bigo Technology partnered around 10 Bollywood production houses to push user engagements in India. The company's Bollywood partners include Salman Khan Films, T-Series, Fox Star Studios, Red Chillies Entertainment, Jjust Music and Ashutosh Gowariker Productions Pvt Ltd. PRSRVK

Likee crosses 115 mn monthly active users globally, sees huge growth potential in India

Mumbai, Survival drama series "<keyword id="78072" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="kaala-paani" source="Orion">Kaala Paani</keyword>" has been renewed for a second season, streaming platform <keyword id="128682" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="netflix" source="Orion">Netflix</keyword> announced on Monday. The series is described as a "a grounded story about the fight for survival and questions audiences on how far they would go to survive." "Kaala Paani" comes from <keyword id="1167084" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="sameer-saxena" source="Orion">Sameer Saxena</keyword>, who had directed "Jaadugar". He serves as a showrunner and co-director on the project. The season one, which premiered last month, starred Mona Singh, Ashutosh Gowariker, Amey Wagh, Sukant Goel, Vikas Kumar, <keyword id="2007295" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="arushi-sharma" source="Orion">Arushi Sharma</keyword>, Radhika Mehrotra, Chinmay Mandlekar, and Poornima Indrajith, among others. It was set in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Saxena said the team is thrilled to dive into the world of "Kaala Paani" once again. "'Kaala Paani' has been successful in triggering conversations around the choices we make collectively or as individuals and the larger impact it has in maintaining our ecological balance. Partnering with Netflix to tell a story like this only strengthens our faith in good storytelling getting its due. As we gear up for Season 2 of Kaala Paani, we are thrilled to dive into the world once again and pick up the character journeys from where we left off," he said in a statement. Tanya Bami, Series Head, <keyword id="3194526" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="netflix-india" source="Orion">Netflix India</keyword> said "Kaala Paani" has received an overwhelming response and they are excited about the sophomore season. "Seeing fans connect with the show and the characters is a true testament to the power of unique storytelling and their inclination to have distinct voices on-screen. We're pleased to be able to take that leap with Sameer, Biswa and Amit and we can't wait to bring our viewers another riveting chapter from the Andaman &amp; Nicobar Islands with an all new season of Kaala Paani, only on Netflix," Bami said. The makers are yet to share the plot and cast details of the second season.

Netflix renews survival drama Series 'Kaala Paani' for S2

<ul><li>The weekend collection of <keyword id="46636" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="Pati-Patni-Aur-Woh">Pati Patni Aur Woh</keyword> starring Kartik Aryan, Bhumi Pednekar and Ananya Pandey is pegged at ₹34 crore. </li><li>Panipat starring Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Kapoor and Kriti Sanon registered a slow start. </li><li>Panipat’s total box office collection is almost the half of Pati Patni Aur Woh. </li></ul>Pati Patni Aur Woh starring Kartik Aryan, Bhumi Pednekar and Ananya Pandey had a good weekend. The rom-com earned nearly ₹9 crore on its first day, and its weekend collections are pegged at ₹34 crore. If the film continues to hold on to its audience on Monday, it will be a hit, <a href="https://boxofficeindia.com/report-details.php?articleid=5690">reported Box Office India. </a> <div type="twitter" handle="taran_adarsh" handlename="taran adarsh" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1440352704/profile_pic_taran_normal.jpg" favoritecount="7617" retweetcount="410" status="#KartikAaryan versus #KartikAaryan... *Day 1* biz... 2019: #PatiPatniAurWoh ₹ 9.10 cr 2019: #LukaChuppi ₹ 8.01 cr 2… https://t.co/xnxpNCqoQz" createdat="1575699184000" id="1203195702026940417"></div>
 Pati Patni Aur Woh is Kartik Aryan’s best opening day ever. Luka Chuppi’s first day collections stood ₹8 crore whereas that of Pyaar ka Punchnama 2 and Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety were at ₹6 crore. Both these movies went on to be superhits that established him in the industry. He is one of the busiest actors today and bagged the sequels of two hit franchises — Love Aaj Kal 2 and Bhool Bhulaiya 2. Pati Patni Aur Woh itself is a remake of BR Chopra’s 1978 film where Abhinav Chintu Tyagi struggles to balance his married life and an affair. Last week, Ashutosh Gowariker’s magnum opus Panipat starring Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Kapoor and Kriti Sanon-- also released. The movie which depicts the third battle of Panipat in 1761 however registered a slow start. It made ₹4 crore on its opening day and ₹5.78 crore on the second and its total weekend collections were at ₹18 crore. Panipat’s total box office collection is almost the half of Pati Patni Aur Woh. Panipat narrates the story of Marathas and Ahmad Shah Abdali — the ruler of Afghanistan. Rajasthan Tourism Minister Vishvendra Singh <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=Ban+on+panipat&amp;rlz=1C1GCEU_enIN864IN864&amp;oq=Ban+on+panipat&amp;aqs=chrome..69i57j69i60.2386j0j7&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">demanded ban on</a> the movie as it portrays Bharatpur king Maharaja Surajmal in an unseemly manner.

Pati Patni, Woh aur paisa — the Kartik Aryan starrer earns twice as much as Arjun Kapoor’s Panipat

Mumbai, Renowned film art director <keyword id="194218" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="nitin-desai" source="Orion">Nitin Desai</keyword>, who created sets for blockbuster films such as "Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam" and "Lagaan", was found hanging on Wednesday at his studio in Maharashtra's Raigad district neighbouring Mumbai, a senior police official said. Prima facie, it seems to be a case of suicide, the official said, adding they are investigating the case from all angles. "Desai's body was found hanging with a rope in the morning at the N D Studios," Raigad Superintendent of Police Somnath Gharge said. The studio is located in the Karjat area of Raigad, about 50 km from Mumbai. After being alerted, police rushed to the spot, the official said. The police are investigating the case from all possible angles, Gharge said. Desai, who was in his late 50s, served as art director and production designer for a number of Bollywood and Marathi movies. He was also known for his art work in films such as "Jodhaa Akbar" and "Prem Ratan Dhan Payo". The art director's death sent shock waves across the industry with film personalities such as Hema Malini, Riteish Deshmukh, Siddhartha Basu, and Neil Nitin Mukesh mourning Desai's passing. Actor-politician Hema Malini said Desai's death was a "terrible loss" to the film industry. "Such a warm human being, associated with many of my projects and ballets... May he find peace wherever he is," she tweeted. Neil said it is difficult to accept the heartbreaking news of Desai's death. The late art director worked on "Jail", the 2009 film starring the actor. "Our beloved #nitindesai has left for his heavenly abode. He was simply a genius. A visionary artist with grace, style who understood not just his craft but people. He was a positive soul who spread only love to all. My God give his family strength. Om Shanti," he wrote on the microblogging site. Basu, who worked with Desai on popular reality shows such as "Kaun Banega Crorepati" and "Dus Ka Dum", said he was shocked to hear about the passing of his "friend and artistic collaborator". "He made sets for so many of our shows - KBC, Kamzor Kadi, Heartbeat, Bluffmaster, Dus ka Dum, Sach ka Saamna.. Conjuring world class installations on an industrial scale. Om shanti," Basu wrote on Twitter, which was recently rebranded as X. In his career spanning over 30 years, Desai closely worked with directors like Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Rajkumar Hirani, and Ashutosh Gowariker.

'Lagaan' art director Nitin Desai found hanging at his studio near Mumbai

Tamil drama "<keyword id="10477675" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="koozhangal" source="Orion">Koozhangal</keyword>" ("Pebbles"), directed by filmmaker Vinothraj PS, has been selected as <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword>'s official entry for the 94th Academy Awards. The movie follows an alcoholic abusive husband who, after his long-suffering wife runs off, sets out with his young son to find her and bring her back. It stars newcomers --Chellapandi and Karuththadaiyaan -- and is produced by <keyword id="2571616" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="vignesh-shivan" source="Orion">Vignesh Shivan</keyword> and Nayanthara. "India's official entry for Oscars this year is 'Koozhangal'. It was picked by a 15-member jury, headed by filmmaker Shaji N Karun, in a unanimous decision," Supran Sen, Secretary General, Film Federation of India, told PTI. A total of 14 films, including Malayalam feature --"Nayattu", Tamil film "Mandela", filmmaker Shoojit Sircar's "Sardar Udham", Vidya Balan-starrer "Sherni", Farhan Akhtar's "Toofan", Captain <keyword id="188665" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="vikram-batra" source="Orion">Vikram Batra</keyword> biopic "Shershaah" and Marathi film "Godavari", were in the race. Shivan also took to Twitter and shared the news that the film will represent India at the Oscar's best international feature category. "There's a chance to hear this! And the Oscars goes to... Two steps away from a dream come true moment in our lives... #Pebbles #Nayanthara @PsVinothraj @thisisysr @AmudhavanKar @Rowdy_Pictures Can't be prouder , happier &amp; content," he posted on the microblogging site. Vinothraj said he was grateful for all the love and support. "Could not be more happier to receive this news," he tweeted. "Koozhangal" had won the top honour, the Tiger Award for best film, at the 50th International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), earlier this year. Following the announcement, filmmaker Hansal Mehta sent his best wishes to the team behind "Koozhangal". "All the best to this little gem! What is important is that this film's onward journey gets solid support both strategic and financial or else these selections only remain a local cause for celebration," he tweeted. Director Onir also congratulated the cast and crew and said he is looking forward to watch the film in theatre. "Congratulations@PsVinothraj@VigneshShivN@AmudhavanKar. Looking forward to watching #Peebles in the theatres . Have heard so much good things about the film. Best wishes," he wrote. The 94th Academy Awards are scheduled to take place on March 27, 2022 in Los Angeles. The nominations will be announced on February 8, 2022. No Indian film has ever won an Oscar. The last Indian film that made it to the final five in the best international feature category was Ashutosh Gowariker's Aamir Khan-starrer "Lagaan" in 2001. The other two Indian movies to have made it to the top five are "Mother India" (1958) and "<keyword id="488018" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="salaam-bombay" source="Orion">Salaam Bombay</keyword>" (1989). India's entry for the 2021 Oscars was Malayalam feature "Jallikattu", directed by Lijo Jose Pellissery. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/banks/news/icici-bank-net-profit-rises-25-on-lower-provisions-in-september-quarter/articleshow/87226034.cms">ICICI Bank net profit rises 25% on lower provisions in September quarter</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/apple-is-hiring-engineers-and-interns-for-their-tech-team-in-india/articleshow/87205763.cms">Apple is hiring engineers and interns for their tech team in India</a>

Tamil drama 'Koozhangal' is India's official entry for Oscars 2022

​The Oscar fights never go out of fashion in India. We have not made our mark there yet in spite of many Indian connections with movies like Life of Pi and <keyword id="32892" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Slumdog-Millionaire">Slumdog Millionaire</keyword>. But when it comes to selecting India’s official entry for the Foreign Language Film category at the <keyword id="9344" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Academy-Awards">Academy Awards</keyword>, the heat is full on. This time, there were as many as 22 contenders and some entries like Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, English Vinglish, Celluloid, Shabdo, Ship of Theseus and <keyword id="6354603" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Kamal-Haasan">Kamal Haasan</keyword>’s Vishwaroopam created a lot of buzz. But the final battle royal seemed to have boiled down to just two – Mumbaikar <keyword id="1539946" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ritesh-Batra">Ritesh Batra</keyword>’s <keyword id="1678680" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="The-Lunchbox">The Lunchbox</keyword> and Goa-born <keyword id="1602536" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Gyan-Correa">Gyan Correa</keyword>’s <keyword id="1602537" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="The-Good-Road">The Good Road</keyword>. However, The Lunchbox lost to The Good Road, which earlier bagged the national award for the best Gujarati feature film. Correa’s flick was picked by a 19-member jury, appointed by the <keyword id="291689" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Film-Federation-of-India">Film Federation of India</keyword> (FFI). 
 
What they tweeted 
A Press release said the decision had been unanimous, but congratulatory and disgruntled tweets followed. Here’s a look at some of the significant ones. 
 
Gujarat chief minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword>: Delighted to know that Gujarati film The Good Road has been chosen to represent India at Oscars. My best wishes. 
 
<keyword id="7929" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Anurag-Kashyap">Anurag Kashyap</keyword> (the film-maker co-produced The Lunchbox with <keyword id="197931" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Guneet-Monga">Guneet Monga</keyword>): Feeling very, very disappointed, can’t comment on the film I have not seen, but it better make it to final five… I don’t know who the federation is. But it goes to show, why we completely lack the understanding to make films that can travel across borders… I hope and pray I am wrong and it actually is a film that knocks the socks off everyone… We should then make a clean policy, you want to send the best film, then send the national award winner. Or send the one most likely to win... Anyway, disappointment and anger aside… let’s go back to make cinema… 
 
<keyword id="3778" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Karan-Johar">Karan Johar</keyword> (The director-producer turned presenter for The Lunchbox): Really shocked and disappointed… #LUNCHBOX had every factor working in its favour... we may have just lost our golden chance… SAD!!! 
 
Ritesh Batra (Director, The Lunchbox): Congrats to The Good Road. Hope it makes it all the way, else it will be a lost chance by FFI-appointed jury that lacks vision. Hope I am wrong… 
 
The Good Road and The Lunchbox: Head-to-head 
Some industry experts are not too enthusiastic and feel that The Lunchbox would have been a better Oscar choice for several reasons. So here is a head-to-head for our readers, along with some lesser-known facts. 
 
Auteur cinema is gaining prominence. Written by Correa himself, The Good Road is a documentary-style collage of stories woven around the highway where the protagonists lose their way, struggle on their personal quests and evolve in a way that touches the heart. The Lunchbox, on the other hand, brings to life the ever-present Mumbai dabbawalas (tiffin carriers) and a bitter-sweet story of bonding that starts with a misplaced lunchbox (according to a Harvard University study, the delivery system is so excellent that just one in a million lunch boxes will go to a wrong address). Each film reflects its director’s vision instead treading the beaten path. 
 
Both Correa and Batra did it hands-on. It was real-life research for both the directors. Correa got into a truck and went on a journey, getting to the core of things before he created his story. Batra worked as a <keyword id="415857" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Dabbawala">dabbawala</keyword> for a week to get the hang of it. 
 
But they come from different industries. That’s right. Batra studied Economics and worked as a consultant for Deloitte. He left the job to join the Graduate Film Program at New York University, but dropped out after a year and a half due to fund crunch. Correa is from the advertising space but decided to have a go at film-making. 
 
In spite of debacle, The Lunchbox gets a bite of the global pie. According to media reports, it has already been sold to 30 different territories globally and could be the first Indian film with 3 foreign producers – ASAP Films of France, Rohfilm of Germany and Cinemosaic of America, along with <keyword id="66984" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="NFDC">NFDC</keyword>, Sikhya <keyword id="4578" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="entertainment">Entertainment</keyword>, Dharma Productions and DAR Films from India. It can also be the first Indian movie to be released across 100 screens in Germany. Incidentally, the film was made on a shoestring budget of $1.5 million. On the other hand, NFDC produced The Good Road, but it doesn’t have an <keyword id="1878880" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="American-distributor">American distributor</keyword> yet. 
 
But what about Oscar compatibility? The Lunchbox might have got a favourable push at the Oscars, had it been chosen. For one, <keyword id="16207" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Irrfan-Khan">Irrfan Khan</keyword> is a familiar name (his roles in The Warrior, Mighty Heart, Slumdog Millionaire and The Amazing Spider-man certainly helped) and the movie has already received some rev reviews at Cannes, Telluride, Toronto and India. Moreover, <keyword id="6411012" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Sony-Pictures">Sony Pictures</keyword> Classics will be distributing the film in the US and that could have been another plus. The Good Road has one Oscar connection, though. Its sound designer Resul Pookutty has already won an Oscar for Slumdog Millionaire in 2009. 
 
Bottom line: Till date, only three <keyword id="143" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bollywood">Bollywood</keyword> movies made it to the nomination stage of the Oscar. These include Mehboob Khan’s Mother India (1957), <keyword id="7999" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Mira-Nair">Mira Nair</keyword>’s Salaam Bombay (1988) and <keyword id="17233" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Ashutosh-Gowariker">Ashutosh Gowariker</keyword>’s Lagaan (2001). The Good Road belongs to the art house pack, but going by the poor track record of other ‘arty’ films (Salim Ahamed’s Abu, Son of Adam in 2011, <keyword id="82569" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Anusha-Rizvi">Anusha Rizvi</keyword>’s Peepli Live in 2010 and <keyword id="33044" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Kalpana-Lajmi">Kalpana Lajmi</keyword>’s Rudaali in 1993), will Gollywood’s (a concoction of Gujarat and Bollywood) tryst with Oscar produce something more fruitful this time? Also, will it be possible for the Lunchbox team to push the movie at the Oscars even without the government’s backing? Let us wait and watch how ‘independent’ our independent cinema is in reality. 
 
With additional input from Agencies 
Image courtesy: Indiatimes

You Searched For "Ashutosh Gowariker" and got 6 results

Likee crosses 115 mn monthly active users globally, sees huge growth potential in India

PTI

Netflix renews survival drama Series 'Kaala Paani' for S2

PTI

Pati Patni, Woh aur paisa — the Kartik Aryan starrer earns twice as much as Arjun Kapoor’s Panipat

Preeti Soni

'Lagaan' art director Nitin Desai found hanging at his studio near Mumbai

PTI

Tamil drama 'Koozhangal' is India's official entry for Oscars 2022

PTI

‘Good Road’ Tops India’s Oscar Race; Will ‘Lunchbox’ Get The Global Pie?

Sanghamitra Mandal

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