• Film to release on 3rd July across 2000 plus screens worldwide 
• Advance bookings open this Sunday across multiplexes 

Mumbai, 25th June 2009: Eros International, the leading integrated company within the Indian media and entertainment sector has announced the forthcoming worldwide release of one of the most anticipated blockbusters this year, Sajid Nadiadwala's Kambakkht Ishq, co-produced by Sunil A. Lulla and directed by Sabbir Khan on 3rd July 2009. Eros is releasing the film across an unprecedented 2000 plus screens worldwide, making it one of the widest releases in recent times. This would include more than 1400 screens in India and over 600 overseas and will be a combination of prints and digital format.  

Labels: Eros

Mumbai, London, 5th June 2009: Eros International, the leading London-listed Indian media and entertainment company has announced the release dates of its highly anticipated forthcoming attractions – Kambakkht Ishq, Love Aaj Kal and Aladin.

Post the extended dry spell at screens this summer, audiences are in store for some exciting cinema with the release of Sajid Nadiadwala's Kambakkht Ishq co-produced by Sunil A. Lulla and directed by Sabbir Khan on 10th July. Kambakkht Ishq signifies the first ever Indian film to feature both Indian stars and Hollywood talent on one cinematic canvas - India's top-ranking artists, Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor, with special guest appearances by Sylvester Stallone, Brandon Routh and Denise Richards. An exciting 'chemistry' between a dashing stuntman in Hollywood and a firebrand model, Kambakkht Ishq creates a perfect premise for a thrilling battle of the sexes with music by Anu Malik. 

Eros will release Love Aaj Kal, presented by Illuminati Films in association with Eros International on 31st July.  Produced by Saif Ali Khan and Dinesh Vijan, co-produced by Sunil A. Lulla and directed by Imtiaz Ali, Love Aaj Kal stars Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone. A contemporary romantic story told in inimitable Imitaz Ali style, the film has music by Pritam.

Aladin, produced by Eros International and Boundscript and directed by Sujoy Ghosh is slated to release on 14th August. A larger than life modern day adaptation of the evergreen Arabian night's tale, Aladin stars Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt and Riteish Deshmukh and will mark the debut of Jacqueline Fernandes. The keenly anticipated film packed with great action, adventure, music and romance has music by Vishal and Shekhar.

De Dhana Dhan and Veer will follow in the second half of the year.

Labels: Eros

EROS INTERNATIONAL PIONEERS FIRST AUTHENTIC COLLABORATION BETWEEN HOLLYWOOD AND INDIAN FILM TALENT AT CANNES FILM FESTIVAL 2009

Three international film releases announced to extend the reach of mainstream Indian Cinema beyond its 3.6 billion fan base with Kambakkht Ishq, Love Aaj Kal and Aladin

With India being the second largest English speaking nation in the world with a population of 1.3billion, there is now an unprecedented interest in India's $10 billion media and entertainment industry propelling at over 12.5% CAGR. As Hollywood majors continue to venture east for a stake in this industry, Eros International, the London listed leading Indian filmed entertainment studio with a global distribution network, has solidified its position as the true international player of Indian Cinema, as it announces three exciting, international film projects at Cannes Film Festival, 2009 – Kambakkht Ishq, Love Aaj Kal and Aladin. 
 
The introduction of Eros International's 'Kambakkht Ishq' will be unique to this year's festival and marks the beginning of a milestone film phenomenon among the key players of international cinema, signifying the first ever Indian film to feature both Indian stars and Hollywood talent on one cinematic canvas - India's top-ranking artists, Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor, with supporting performances by mainstream talent, Sylvester Stallone, Brandon Routh and Denise Richards. 
 
Much of the dialogue thus far on Hollywood amalgamating with Indian cinema has been 'behind the scenes' such as joint ventures for distribution of content across all formats, monetising libraries and exploring opportunities to create crossover films that will tap into India's booming local language market as well as wider audiences outside of India. However, 'Kambakkht Ishq' celebrates the 'on screen' synergy between the artists themselves. Whilst the film stays true to its rooted Bollywood principles as a genre, 'Kambakkht Ishq' is a major example of Eros International's aim to redefine Indian cinema according to changing tastes of both mainstream audiences, as well as domestic audiences in India.   
 
'Love Aaj Kal' will set a new precedent for the love story sub-genre for which Indian cinema is so famous. One of the most enrapturing romances of modern times, marrying traditional Indian cinema with the energy and exuberance of young love, 'Love Aaj Kal' also marks Eros International's exciting synergy with Saif Ali Khan's newly formed company Illuminati Films and stars the on-screen heartthrob himself alongside spellbinding star Deepika Padukone, and veteran actor Rishi Kapoor. 
 
'Aladin', one of the most unique Indian film productions of recent times – a larger than life family adventure heralding a modern day adaptation of an age old story. With a stellar cast that includes the world's biggest superstar as per a BBC poll, Amitabh Bachchan, Riteish Deshmukh, Sanjay Dutt and debutante Jacqueline Fernandez, 'Aladin' marks a new turning point in Indian filmmaking and content that will truly appeal to traditional and international Indian film cineastes. The visual effects for the film have emerged from the EyeQube Studio, an Eros International company headed by Charles Darby, taking the celluloid world of special effects to an entirely new stratum. 
 
In commenting on Eros International's showcases at this year's Cannes Film Festival, Sunil Lulla, Executive Director and President – India says, "With the multi-faceted global fan base of Indian cinema standing at 3.6 billion, we want to be at the forefront of meeting the ever-increasing demands of audiences by pioneering innovative film content. Through our vision and innovative content, we have been instrumental in increasing the mainstream appetite for films of Indian origin or those encapsulating a strong essence of Indian sensibilities, as well as servicing the emerged market among contemporary Indian audiences that wants to consume Indian films that are truly 'international' in style, subject and content. It has been our objective to increase the level of expectancy for the films of our genre year after year, 2009 being of no exception as with great pride we introduce three extraordinary film projects at Cannes."

Labels: Eros, Kambakkht-Ishq, Love-Aaj-Kal

Mumbai, 5th May 2009: Shri Arjan Lulla, founder of leading Indian film studio Eros International and member of Indian Film Exporter Association was conferred the Dadasaheb Phalke award for the globalization of Indian cinema at a glittering ceremony in Mumbai on Monday. He was bestowed the prestigious award on the occasion of the 140th birth anniversary of Dadasaheb Phalke on 4th May 2009.

The worthy honour comes to Arjan Lulla in recognition of his successful innings as a visionary who has been instrumental in developing the export market and bringing Indian cinema on the world map today. The seed for the success of Eros and the Indian film industry globally were sown by Arjun Lulla more than thirty years back when he founded the business of Eros in 1977 to explore the opportunity to export Indian films. He was one of the pioneers in acquiring all format rights of films for overseas exploitation catering to the NRI audiences at a time when the overseas market was virtually non-existent.

Under the supervision and guidance of Arjan Lulla, Eros commenced its overseas distribution through setting up offices in UK in the 80s and the company grew multi-fold with the launch of its operations across the United States (1997), South Africa (2000) and Dubai (2001). Eros commenced operations in Fiji in March 2004 and its Australian business followed later that year. In 2006, Eros became the first Indian media company to get listed on AIM, LSE.

Today, Eros International is a globally recognised integrated studio with operations in 5 continents and over 50 countries with an unrivalled distribution network. One of the core competitive strengths that Eros leverages till date is its 1900 strong library that Arjan Lulla accumulated over the years. Despite his sons - Kishore and Sunil Lulla at the helm of affairs and very successfully fulfilling his vision for the company, Arjun Lulla at 75, with his indefatigable spirit refuses to retire and continues to be an active participant of the company’s businesses.

Labels: Eros

Labels: Akshay-Kumar, Eros, Kambakkht-Ishq, Kareena

MUMBAI, 28th February 2009: In a special showcase of the music of their forthcoming Aa Dekhen Zara, Eros International, the leading London-listed Indian media and entertainment company launched the band ADZ – Rising at Enigma, Marriott in Mumbai last night. In an exciting performance by the band led by the film's music director Gourav Dasgupta, the lead cast of the film - Bipasha Basu and Neil Nitin Mukesh also joined the band on stage. What followed was a thrilling performance by the band and Neil himself who has sung the title track Aa Dekhen Zara accompanied by an enthusiastic Bipasha grooving to the tunes.

In a unique marketing initiative, Viki Rajani, the producer of Jehangir Surti's Aa Dekhen Zara in conjunction with Gourav Dasgupta, has created a band to promote the film. The band will follow a club trail and perform at leading hotspots in various cities over the next few weeks across the country including Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi etc as part of the film's music promotion. Adding icing to the cake will be Neil Nitin Mukesh who will accompany the band during the various club performances.  

Speaking about the unique platform to promote the film's music, Producer Viki Rajani said, "At Eros, we constantly endeavor to create a buzz around our releases through innovations as these to break the clutter around the numerous film releases. What better than a launch of a sensational and talented band like ADZ Rising led by the music director himself to promote the film's music and I must say the band along with my cast did a fabulous job at the performance last night".

"Eros has not just given a chance to new talent in the form of songs in the film but also had such a lavish launch for them and given them such a big platform to showcase their talent. ADZ Rising comprises of talented musicians and I had a fantastic time last night, love the new singer Dibyendu's voice", said Bipasha Basu.

Neil Nitin Mukesh added, "I had the time of my life last night performing live in front of a fantastic audience. I am really excited to be a part of this film and these unique promotions by Eros. The music has been receiving very positive response and I am looking forward to joining the band during the club trail across the country".

ADZ Rising is led by Gourav Dasgupta along with Dibyendu Mukherjee – vocalist and drummer, Roshan on keyboard and Miss India Earth 2003 Shweta Vijay  - female vocals  and  guitarist  -  Mizo.   Gourav has also given music for the film's title track. The rest of the film's tracks have been composed by Pritam.  

Labels: Aa-Dekhen-Zara, Eros

Labels: Billu, Eros

Eros International, the leading company in the Indian media and entertainment sector, announces its next global release, Drona, the first film of its kind, combining state-of-the-art special effects with an engaging magical adventure, which will indulge audiences with a rollercoaster ride of entertainment never experienced before in Indian cinema.

Releasing on 2nd October 2008, Drona has managed to capture the attention of the audience by generating maximum awareness through an all out 360 degree marketing campaign which has translated into tremendous advance bookings across cities in India. Every multiplex chain has reported higher advance ticket sales for Drona over any other film this week. The hype is tremendous complimenting the festive season of Eid. Here are some preliminary figures which are continuing to grow:

Cinema Drona Kidnap
Cinemax Versova, Mumbai 793 583
Cinemax Sion, Mumbai 328 368
Eternity, Mumbai 209 177
Inox Nariman Point, Mumbai 1014 1063
PVR Juhu, Mumbai 298 328
Inox, Pune 1000 1000
E-Square, Pune 1250 450
Inox, Baroda 63 61
Inox, Nagpur 1 66 35
Inox, Nagpur 2 20 36
Cinemax, Nagpur 259 79
Inox, Raipur 95 31
Spice-NOIDA 1318 834
M2K Cinemas, Delhi 500 850
Satyam-Nehru Place, Delhi 907 298
Satyam-Patel Nagar, Delhi 197 79
Satyam-Janak Place, Delhi 262 63
Entertainment Paradise, Jaipur 182 62
Inox Vaibha, Jaipur 600 92

Total 9361 6489

Drona is a “real world meets fantasy action adventure film” sure to thrill audiences, both youngsters and adults alike. The film sets a new benchmark for Indian cinema and will present to international audiences a fascinating Indian hybrid of Harry Potter and Indiana Jones.
Directed by Goldie Behl and co-produced by Sunil Lulla, President of Eros International and Shristi Arya of Rose Movies, Drona features Indian film superstars Abhishek Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra, Kay Kay Menon and Jaya Bachchan as they have never before been seen on screen. With a dramatic departure from the personas they have portrayed in any of their previous films, Drona recreates the stars in a ‘look’ that cinemagoers will be seeing for the first time in Indian cinema. The film also sets a precedent with regard to breathtaking location filming, leading Indian cinema into new territories as far afield as Namibia, Czech Republic and Prague.
Inspired by the rich tapestry of Indian mythology and translated to the modern day, Drona is a compelling tale of one man’s spectacular journey through the labyrinth of mystic myths and legendary legacies. The lead protagonist, ‘Drona’ (Abhishek Bachchan), takes a voyage that forces him to confront his fears and to become the hero he was destined to be. The forces of good and evil clash in this breathtaking fantasy adventure that will beckon audiences into a universe where mythic heroes challenge the powers of darkness.

Drona also celebrates India’s advance into the celluloid realm of visual effects and the first collaboration between two respective heavyweights in the global film industry: Eros International – the leading integrated company within the India media and entertainment sector; and Charles Darby – the international pioneer of cinematic special effects, whose credits include ‘Titanic’, ‘The Matrix’, ‘Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon’, ‘The Fifth Element’ and ‘Minority Report’, who together formed EYEQUBE Studios, India's first company that is built from the ground-up for film effects supported by world-class training from renowned international experts in the field. EyeQube studios is the leading house for Drona and has handled these 300 most complex special effects shots, which are also most complex ever to come from Indian cinema industry.

Drona is released and distributed worldwide by Eros International, committed to giving Indian cinema a global platform with commercial distribution and marketing muscle. Commenting on the release of Drona, Sunil Lulla, President of Eros International, India says, "Eros International is immensely proud to release a film of Drona’s calibre to a worldwide audience and one that has given Eros the opportunity to further push the filmic boundaries of Indian cinema and explore new territories with our unparalleled collective imagination. Drona is one of the biggest budget films to emerge from India. With this film, we have once again taken the decision to plunge into ever deeper creative depths and to treat our audiences to innovative and original film content.”
Drona releases worldwide on 2nd October 2008. Advance UK Previews on the festive occasion of Eid on 1st Oct 2008. See the photos of Drona Here

Labels: Drona, Eros

Marking the dawn of a new era in Indian filmmaking that truly reflects its progressive nature in the new millennium, the wait is finally over as Drona - an Eros Pictures co-production and 2008’s biggest budget Indian epic - unleashes itself in cinemas across the UK and worldwide on 2nd October 2008.

Eros International stands at the forefront of pioneering content production in India and Drona heralds the first film of its kind, combining state-of-the-art special effects with an engaging magical adventure, which will indulge audiences with a rollercoaster ride of entertainment never experienced before in Indian cinema.

Drona sets a new benchmark for Indian cinema and will present to international audiences a fascinating Indian hybrid of Harry Potter and Indiana Jones. Directed by Goldie Behl and produced by Sunil Lulla and Shristi Arya, Drona features Indian film superstars, Abhishek Bachchan and Priyanka Chopra as they have never before been seen on screen. With a dramatic departure from the personas they have portrayed in any of their previous films, Drona recreates the stars in a ‘look’ that cinemagoers will be seeing for the first time in Indian cinema. The film also sets a precedent with regard to breathtaking location filming, leading Indian cinema into new territories as far afield as Namibia, Czech Republic and Prague.

Drona also celebrates India’s foray into the celluloid realm of visual effects and the first collaboration between two respective heavyweights in the global film industry: Eros International – the leading integrated company within the India media and entertainment sector; and Charles Darby – the international pioneer of cinematic special effects, whose credits include ‘Titanic’, ‘The Matrix’, ‘Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon’, ‘The Fifth Element’ and ‘Minority Report’, who together formed EYEQUBE Studios, India's first company that is built from the ground-up for film effects supported by world-class training from renowned international experts in the field.

Commenting on the release of Drona, Sunil Lulla, President of Eros International, India says, "Eros International is immensely proud to release a film of Drona’s caliber to a worldwide audience and one that has given Eros the opportunity to further push the filmic boundaries of Indian cinema and explore new territories with our unparalleled collective imagination. Drona is one of the biggest budget films to emerge from India and unequivocally the technical best. With this film, we have once again taken the decision to plunge into ever deeper creative depths and to treat our audiences to innovative and original film content.”
Inspired by the rich tapestry of Indian mythology and translated to the modern day, Drona is a compelling tale of one man’s spectacular journey through the labyrinth of mystic myths and legendary legacies. The lead protagonist, ‘Drona’ (Abhishek Bachchan), takes a voyage that forces him to confront his fears and to become the hero he was destined to be. The forces of good and evil clash in this breathtaking fantasy adventure that will beckon audiences into a universe where mythic heroes challenge the powers of darkness.

The biggest magical adventure film ever to emerge from India, Drona releases in the UK and worldwide on 2nd October 2008.

Read more about Drona

Labels: Abhishek-Bachchan, Drona, Eros

London, 1 September 2008: Eros International, the leading integrated studio within the Indian media & entertainment sector, announced today that it has signed multi-film content licensing deal with Rupert Murdoch owned Star TV, one of the leading entertainment channels in India.

The deal encompasses a selection of catalogue films from Eros' strong content library of over 1900 titles, including Salman Khan's Tere Naam and Hrithik Roshan's Naa Tum Jaano Naa Hum.

Sameer Rao, Senior Vice President, Strategic Planning & Commercial, Star India Pvt. Ltd said, "It gives us immense pleasure to associate ourselves with a globally acclaimed studio of Hindi Cinema, Eros International. For us it's a commencement of a long lasting relationship which we would like to extend with the licensing of many more blockbusters going forward."

Pranab Kapadia, President – Distribution, Eros International, said, "This is just the beginning of a great relationship between Eros and Star, which are both leading players in the Indian entertainment domain. We look forward to working together more closely. According to PWC, the television sector in India is growing at over 22% CAGR and is slated to be worth over US$15 billion by 2012. With over 50% of programming content of Indian television networks being film based, Eros expects to see significant growth in TV syndication."

Eros International recently also announced a series of major television syndication deals with Sony Entertainment Television and Sahara Television.

Labels: Eros

Mumbai, 22nd July 2008: Eros International, the leading company in the Indian media and entertainment sector has showcased the first look of the much awaited Eros International Presentation of a Rose Movies Production “DRONA” A Film by Goldie Behl across screens worldwide. Produced by Shrishti Arya and Sunil Lulla, the film stars Abhishek Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra, Kay Kay Menon and Jaya Bachchan.

With thrilling visual effects and featuring Abhishek ‘Drona’ Bachchan in a never before seen avtaar, the trailer has evoked a fabulous response and has raised the excitement quotient among AB fans, audiences and industry alike. With more than 900 trailers going worldwide, Eros is looking at hitting a record number of screens with Drona’s first look.

Eros is highly focused on Drona, one if its blockbuster releases this year, an exciting and first time ever visual treat for audiences which will release across screens on the long holiday weekend, Thursday 2nd October on the occasion of Idd and Gandhi Jayanti. A real world meets fantasy, the action adventure film is sure to thrill audiences – youngsters and adults alike.

Labels: Abhishek-Bachchan, Drona, Eros

Mumbai, 22nd July 2008: Eros International, the leading company in the Indian media and entertainment sector has showcased the first look of the much awaited Eros International Presentation of a Rose Movies Production “DRONA” A Film by Goldie Behl across screens worldwide. Produced by Shrishti Arya and Sunil Lulla, the film stars Abhishek Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra, Kay Kay Menon and Jaya Bachchan.

With thrilling visual effects and featuring Abhishek ‘Drona’ Bachchan in a never before seen avtaar, the trailer has evoked a fabulous response and has raised the excitement quotient among AB fans, audiences and industry alike. With more than 900 trailers going worldwide, Eros is looking at hitting a record number of screens with Drona’s first look.

Eros is highly focused on Drona, one if its blockbuster releases this year, an exciting and first time ever visual treat for audiences which will release across screens on the long holiday weekend, Thursday 2nd October on the occasion of Idd and Gandhi Jayanti. A real world meets fantasy, the action adventure film is sure to thrill audiences – youngsters and adults alike.

http://drona.erosentertainment.com/

Labels: Drona, Eros

Cast: Salman Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Manisha Koirala, Priyanka Chopra and Anupam Kher.

Labels: Amitab-Bachchan, Anupam-Kher, Eros, Manisha-Koirala, Priyanka-Chopra, Salman-Khan

Mumbai / London / New York, 5th May 2008: Eros International, the leading integrated company within the Indian media & entertainment sector announced today the expansion of its presence on popular social networking sites such as Facebook, Orkut and MySpace with the launch of Eros branded community sites for the upcoming release of ‘BHOOTHNATH’.

Eros has lined up an exciting array of contests for autographed CDs and posters as well as interactive activities such as polls, discussions and exclusive images and videos for the Bhootnath community sites on Orkut, Facebook and MySpace. Eros’ development of film-specific communities on social networking sites supports the company’s ongoing strategy to connect online with Bollywood fans around the world.

“Eros was the first Indian media and entertainment company to partner directly with YouTube as we recognized early the rapid growth in popularity of social networking platforms. Bhoothnath is the perfect film for us to expand our social marketing reach and support as it has such great appeal across all segments of the market with the presence of a leading icon like Amitabh Bachchan as well as being a children’s film”, said Kumar Ahuja, VP International Sales & New Media for Eros International.

http://bhoothnath.erosentertainment.com/

Labels: Amitab-Bachchan, Eros

Mumbai, 15th April 2008: EyeQube Studios Pvt. Ltd., a joint venture between Eros International Plc and Charles Darby, today announced that the state-of-the-art visual effect studio in Mumbai has commenced operations. The company has officially begun work on the much-awaited films, “Aladin” and “Drona”. A slate of other feature film work will be announced within the next few months.

Meanwhile, EyeQube continues its enormous recruitment drive to help service its vast amount of production work over the coming months and years.

Spread across an area of 20,000 square feet, the studio has one of the best facilities for visual effects in India with the latest state of the art hardware and software. The company will be utilizing both Auto Desk’s Maya for 3D and the foundry’s Nuke, as it’s primary composite program.

Charles Darby, Creative Director of EyeQube & Senior Visual Effects Supervisor said, “I’m extremely proud to see EyeQube open it’s doors and although we have a fabulous set-up technically, I’m most proud to see a facility that feels creative and approaches the work in a more artistic manner. EyeQube is an ideas factory, we make possibilities and that’s where our future lays. We will develop each show we come into contact with and really harness India’s untapped potential, it’s artists, whilst giving them a strict production structure. This year we will be unwrapping a number of really exciting new projects and everyone of them is a wonderful opportunity for us to do something new.”

“Six months ago, we announced the launch of a spectacular dream – a state-of-the-art visual effects facility in India promising to position Indian films on par with the best in Hollywood. Today, we are very pleased to announce the dream has formally been given shape in the form of EyeQube Studios. Following Aladin and Drona, through EyeQube we aim to announce shortly several more exciting content driven projects with a belief in taking Indian cinema to new heights”, added Sunil Lulla, President, Eros International, India.

EyeQube will produce not only Indian films with high-end visual effects, but also be selectively involved with a few prestigious international projects. The company will primarily handle visual effects for all of Eros International’s top-end productions and co-productions.

Labels: Eros

Mumbai, 14th April 2008: Following the fabulous box office performance of Heyy Babyy last year, Eros International - the London AIM listed leading integrated company within the Indian media & entertainment sector and Sajid Nadiadwala once again join hands, this time for a four-film co-production deal.

Eros International has entered into an agreement with Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment to co-produce four films out of which the talented Siddharth Anand of Salaam Namaste fame will direct two films. He has also directed the Saif Ali Khan – Rani Mukherjee starrer Ta Ra Rum Pum.

Eros and Sajid Nadiadwala are also producing Kambakht Ishq directed by Saabir Khan with Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor in the lead roles.

Another film as part of the four-film agreement would be a Salman Khan starrer, the rest of the cast and crew for which are being finalized.

Sunil Lulla, President, Eros International, India said, “We are glad to join hands with Sajid Nadiadwala with whom Eros has enjoyed a long association. With Sajid’s experience and track record, we are confident this association will lead to further blockbusters like Heyy Babyy and other hits like Judwa, Mujhse Shaadi Karogi”.

Labels: Eros

EROS INTERNATIONAL ANNOUNCES THE LARGEST LINE-UP OF FILMS FOR AN INDIAN MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY EVER

Studio set to dominate market with over 35 releases this year

Mumbai / London / New York / Los Angeles: 7th April, 2008: Eros International, the leading company in the Indian media and entertainment sector announces an unprecedented line-up of films for 2008 by an Indian studio. Following a highly successful 2007 with some of the biggest blockbusters including Namastey London, Partner, Heyy Babyy and Om Shanti Om, Eros has further raised the stakes by releasing an unrivaled line-up of more than 35 releases this year including many groundbreaking Tamil films.

Eros is highly focused on its blockbuster releases this year which include the Eros International-Rose Movies co-production Drona, a never before seen visual treat for audiences to be released over the Indian Independence Day weekend. A real world meets fantasy action film; the visual effects filled Drona directed by Goldie Behl stars Abhishek Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra, Jaya Bachchan and KK Menon.

Eros will also this year release Sujoy Ghosh’s Aladin, the evergreen Arabian night’s story in an unprecedented Bollywood format. An Eros International production, Aladin will set the standard and benchmark for visual effects in Indian cinema. 2008 will also see the release of another Eros production - Toonpur ka Super Hero, an animation film with live characters. Starring the husband-wife duo Ajay Devgan and Kajol once again, Toonpur is a story in which a real life hero accidentally lands in the world of cartoons and transforms into a real life hero.

Other blockbusters slated for release this year include the much awaited and anticipated You, Me Aur Hum marking the directorial debut of leading actor Ajay Devgan while teaming up with wife Kajol after a long hiatus; the Diwali weekend bonanza Yuvraj, a musical extravaganza for which showman Subhash Ghai dons the director’s hat once again starring Anil Kapoor, Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif and Eros International-Sajid Nadiadwala co-production Kambakth Ishq directed by Saabir Khan with Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor in the lead roles.

In addition, romantic comedy God Tussi Great Ho starring Salman Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Amitabh Bachchan and Sohail Khan is slated for release this year. Packed with great music and comedy, it is expected to be another successful film of the year. Also scheduled to release is the Ganesh Acharya directed comedy Money Hai Toh Honey Hai with Govinda, Aftab Shivdasani, Celina Jaitley and Hansika Motwani in the lead roles.

Eros will release Ravi Chopra’s Bhootnath, the Amitabh Bachchan, Juhi Chawla starrer with a special appearance by Shah Rukh Khan internationally this year. Other films in the pipeline for release internationally by Eros in 2008 include the madcap comedy – Rakesh Roshan’s Krazzy 4. Directed by Jaideep Sen, the film stars Juhi Chawla, seen after a long gap in a comic avtaar along with leading character actors Irfan Khan, Arshad Warsi, Rajpal Yadav and Suresh Menon as the gang of crazy four; and master story teller Ram Gopal Varma’s Sarkar Raaj. Starring the highly anticipated trio cast of Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Sarkar Raaj is the sequel to award winning Sarkar, which was based on the politician-underworld nexus in Mumbai. It is one of the much-awaited films this year with the ensemble of the Bachchan family adding an interesting dimension.

Other noteworthy releases during the year include Mehbooba, a romantic comedy by Afzal Khan and starring Sanjay Dutt, Ajay Devgan and Manisha Koirala, Haal-e-dil, a young love story directed by Anil Devgan and starring newcomers – Producer Kumar Mangat’s daughter Amita Pathak and actor Shekhar Suman’s son Adhyayan Suman. Also in the pipeline are Had Bahedi with Rishi Kapoor, The Great Indian Butterfly by Sarthak Dasgupta which has earned rave reviews in the festival circuit, Pankh an unusual story starring Bipasha Basu and Mahesh Manjrekar, Hijack by Kunal Shivdasani and starring Shiney Ahuja and Esha Deol and Mr. White Mr. Black, a comic suspense thriller starring Suniel Shetty and Arshad Warsi.

Eros International has recently released Bombay to Bangkok, Sunday and the critically acclaimed Black & White directed by Subhash Ghai this year.

In the regional cinema space, leading integrated Tamil media & entertainment company Ayngaran International, an Eros International company, has at least 15 films lined up for release this year. Films by directors like Prabhu Deva, Raju Sundaram, Jhananthan, Vishnu Vardhan, Selva Raghavan and other leading filmmakers will be part of the Eros-Ayngaran bouquet.

The Eros International-Ayngaran slate includes Aegan by Raju Sundaram starring south superstars Ajith and Nayanthara, a yet untitled project by dancing legend Prabhu Deva in the director’s chair with Vijay and Nayantara in the leads, Peraanmai by Jhananathan having Jeyam Ravi as the lead star, Sarvam by Vishnu Vardhan and Arya along with Trisha in the lead roles, two untitled projects by Selva Raghavan and a host of other films.

The international line-up of Tamil films include Kuruvi by Dharani starring Vijay and Trisha, Jeeva and Aneez’ Dhaam Dhoom with Jeyam Ravi and Kangana Ranaut in the lead, Varanam Ayiram by Gautam Menon and starring Surya with Sameera, Kanthaswamy with Vikram and Shriya, the Surya and Tamanna starrer Ayan and more.

With this unprecedented line-up, Eros International will again raise and set the bar for the Indian Media and Entertainment industry this year.

EROS INTERNATIONAL LINE UP 2008

HINDI TITLES

S.NO	FILM TITLE	PRODUCER	DIRECTOR	CAST
1	Drona	Eros International – Rose Movies	Goldie Behl	Abhishek Bachchan Priyanka Chopra Jaya Bachchan Kay Kay Menon
2	Aladin	Eros International	Sujoy Ghosh	Amitabh Bachchan Sanjay Dutt Riteish Deshmukh Jackie Fernandes
3	U, Me aur Hum	Eros International-Devgan Films	Ajay Devgan	Ajay Devgan Kajol
4	Toonpur Ka Super Hero	Eros International-Big Screen Entertainment	Kireet Khurana	Ajay Devgan Kajol
5	Yuvraj	Mukta Arts	Subhash Ghai	Anil Kapoor Salman Khan Katrina Kaif
6	Kambakth Ishq	Eros International - Sajid Nadiadwala	Saabir Khan	Akshay Kumar Kareena Kapoor
7	God Tussi Great Ho	Shabbo Arts-Afzal Khan	Rumy Jaffrey	Amitabh Bachchan Salman Khan Priyanka Chopra Sohail Khan
8	Money Hai Toh Honey Hai	Eros International-Big Screen Entertainment	Ganesh Acharya	Govinda Aftab Shivdasani Celina Jaitley Hansika Motwani
9	Bhootnath	Ravi Chopra	Vivek Sharma	Amitabh Bachchan Juhi Chawla Shah Rukh Khan
10	Krazzy 4	Filmkraft – Rakesh Roshan	Jaideep Sen	Juhi Chawla Irfan Khan Arshad Warsi Rajpal Yadav Suresh Menon
11	Sarkar Raaj	Ram Gopal Varma, Praveen Nischol	Ram Gopal Varma	Amitabh Bachchan Abhishek Bachchan Aishwarya Rai
12	Mehbooba	Shabbo Arts- Afzal Khan	Afzal Khan	Sanjay Dutt Ajay Devgan Manisha Koirala
13	Haal-e-dil	Eros International-Big Screen Entertainment	Anil Devgan	Adhyayan Suman Amita Pathak
14	Had Bahedi	Kaleidoscope Entertainment Pvt Ltd		Rishi Kapoor
15	The Great Indian Butterfly	White Feather Films	Sarthak Dasgupta	Amir Bashir Sandhya Mridul
16	Pankh	White Feather Films	Sudhipto Chattopadhyay	Bipasha Basu Mahesh Manjrekar Lilette Dubey
17	Hijack	Eros International-Alieya Motion Magic	Kunal Shivdasani	Shiney Ahuja Esha Deol
18	Mr. White Mr. Black	Bipin Shah	Deepak Shivdasani	Suneil Shetty Arshad Warsi
19	Bombay to Bangkok (Released)	Mukta Arts	Nagesh Kukunoor	Shreyas Talpade Lena Christiansen
20	Sunday (Released)	Eros International-Big Screen Entertainment	Rohit Shetty	Ajay Devgan Ayesha Takia Arshad Warsi
21	Black & White (Released)	Mukta Arts	Subhash Ghai	Anil Kapoor Anurag Sinha Aditi Kapoor

TAMIL TITLES

TAMIL SLATE

INTERNATIONAL RIGHTS

No:	FILM TITLE	DIRECTOR	ARTIST
34	Kuruvi	Dharani	Vijay, Trisha
35	Dhaam Dhoom	Jeeva & Aneez	Jeyam Ravi Kangana Ranaut
36	Varanam Ayiram	Gautham Menon	Surya Sameera
37	Kanthaswamy		Vikram, Shriya
38	Ayan	K.V Anand	Surya Tamanna
39	Arianil Kadavul	Simbhu Devan	Prakash Raj Santhanam Kanja Karuppu

Labels: Eros

EROS INTERNATIONAL RELEASES ‘HEYY BABYY’ ON BLU-RAY DISC FORMAT

Mumbai / London, 4th March 2008: Eros International, the leading company in the Indian media and entertainment sector announced today that in response to strong global consumer demand; it will release smash hit ‘Heyy Babyy’ to Blu-ray high-definition disc format on March 3rd. Eros continues to lead as the pioneer in Indian media and entertainment as this will be the first global release of a Bollywood film on Blu-ray disc format.

Eros’ exciting slate of Blu-ray Disc releases will begin with Director Sajid Khan’s ‘Heyy Babyy’ starring Akshay Kumar, Vidya Balan, Ritesh Deshmukh, Fardeen Khan and Boman Irani, followed shortly by superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s Om Shanti Om.

Driven by its mission to provide the greatest quality and leading products to their customers, Eros International long ago shared a vision with director Sajid Khan to bring this technology to India as this presents the film as never seen before. ‘Heyy Babyy’ has been mastered directly from the negative digital source under the supervision of Sajid Khan, with upgraded picture and sound. In addition to the film, the disc includes many extra features and a four hour in-depth documentary explaining everything about making a big budget Bollywood film.

“The proven Blu-ray technology has allowed us to take our films to new heights, fully utilizing the larger capacity and interactive capabilities for an incredible all-new consumer experience," commented Sunil Lulla, President of Eros International India.

Blu-ray discs offer next generation menus, 50 gigabyte storage capacity and incredible interactivity as soon as you put the disc in the player. For example, while watching the movie, you can seamlessly go to the pop up menu and navigate special features - pop ups, scenes and interactive director or star commentary.

"We are confident consumers will be astounded by the level of entertainment that can only be achieved by using the maximum capacity of the Blu-ray Disc format. We will soon be releasing “Om Shanti Om” and many of our all time classics that will appeal to the ever growing market of Bollywood and Indian film fans around the globe," commented Marcus Stuart Vannini, EVP of Corporate Development & Eros New Media.

The “Heyy Babyy” Blu-ray discs are on sale and available immediately through www.erosentertainment.com and will be available shortly in retail stores throughout India, Canada, United States and United Kingdom.

Labels: Eros

London, 26th February 2008: Eros International, the London AIM listed leading integrated company within the Indian media & entertainment sector, today announced its pioneering advertising supported on-demand catalogue. With this, Eros for the first time will offer consumers free online content including exclusive content from the Eros movie catalogue of more than 1300 titles, 5000 music videos, behind the scenes, ‘making of movie’ footage, exclusive short form movie clips and events such as IIFA and more.

The advertising supported Eros on demand platform http://ondemand.erosentertainment.com will remain unique and exclusive with the unparalleled Eros content catalogue. “This is a pioneering model for the Indian film industry and we strongly believe in advertising supported business models. This initiative will give our plans to offer free online content a tremendous boost and benefit consumers largely”, says Manu Kaushish - SVP, New Media, Eros Entertainment.

“With the increase in demand for digital distribution and on demand consumption of content by users, this innovative step will help users take advantage of the absolutely free of cost instant access to the exclusive Eros movie content”, added Kumar Ahuja, VP – International Sales & New Media.

The revolutionary advertising supported Free Viewing will allow users to watch the Eros video content as a completely free stream. The video stream will be supported by periodic advertisements, a model similar to the television model. For users wanting to download and watch movies as a rental without advertisements, Eros has a paid download model where movies expire after first play. Alternatively users can also download and own the movie to watch through Eros’ paid downloads to own model format.

Eros is also in the process of working with other studios and content owners to offer additional Bollywood titles as well as TV content on the Eros platform. Currently the Eros roster of blockbusters include recent releases like Om Shanti Om, Partner, Namastey London, Cheeni Kum, Provoked, Gandhi My Father, Heyy Babyy and more. With Eros recently announcing the acquisition of 51% stake in Tamil film giant Ayngaran; it will also be adding Tamil content as part of the advertising supported free online content.

The novelty about video ad model would be unlike TV where brands pay for ads by reach of station, advertisers here would only pay for ads that have been viewed by a person on the Eros platform, making sure that every dollar spent results in views of the ad. For users, targeted ads mean that they will watch relevant advertising based on their demographic.

With this innovative initiative, Eros continues to add to its new media plans including the successful tie-up with YouTube for providing legal content and effectively generating revenues for the Eros content and consistently being ranked in Top 100 partners. Eros has generated over 16 million views to their short form content of movie trailers, short scenes, music videos and other exclusive content. The success of the YouTube free channel helped validate the demand and need for ad supported content and platform that Eros has just launched. Eros also recently announced partnering with Joost™, the world’s first broadcast quality Internet television service to provide more than 200 Bollywood movies and over 600 music videos from the Eros catalogue.

Labels: Eros

London, 12th March 2008: Eros International, the London AIM listed leading integrated company within the Indian media & entertainment sector, announces the release of U, Me Aur Hum starring Ajay Devgan and Kajol.

Produced by Devgan Films and directed by Ajay Devgan, U, Me Aur Hum is a special love story of Ajay (Ajay Devgan) and Pia (Kajol). The first time Ajay saw Pia, she served him drinks. She affected him more than the alcohol, and he found true love. He was a leading psychiatrist, but she messed up his mind. The first time Pia saw Ajay, he had had too much to drink. She watched him make a fool of himself, and was relieved when he passed out. She was a woman who followed her heart, but despite his claims of true love, she had made up her mind. Thus began the story of Ajay and Pia.

This is the first time that the real life couple, Ajay Devgan and Kajol, would be acting together after their marriage.

U, Me Aur Hum music has been directed by talented Vishal Bhardwaj, The music is out now on Eros cassettes and CDs available online on www.erosentertainment.com.

U, Me Aur Hum will be in cinemas worldwide on 11th April 2008.

Film’s official website - http://umeaurhum.erosentertainment.com/


Producer – Devgan Films

Director – Ajay Devgan

Distributor – Eros International

Music Distributor – Eros International

Cast – Ajay Devgan, Kajol Devgan

Film’s official website – http://umeaurhum.erosentertainment.com/

Release date – 11th April 2008

Synopsis


"Oh, how we danced on the night we were wed

We vowed our true love though a word wasn't said

The world was in bloom; there were stars in the skies

Except for the few that were there in your eyes.

The night seemed to fade into blossoming dawn

The sun shone anew but the dance lingered on

Could we but relive that sweet moment sublime

We'd find that our love is unaltered by time."

+ Lyrics to "The Anniversary Waltz," composed by Dublin/Frankl




The first time Ajay saw Pia, she served him drinks. She affected him more than the alcohol, and he found true love. He was a leading psychiatrist, but she messed up his mind.

The first time Pia saw Ajay, he had too much to drink. She watched him make a fool of himself, and was relieved when he passed out. She was a woman who followed her heart, but despite his claims of true love, she had made up her mind.

Thus began the story of Ajay and Pia.

A love story, that begins at sea. Ajay is on a cruise with his friends. Ajay is having a wonderful time dealing with martial strife, lots of bad language and huge hangovers, when he finds Pia, and time stands still.

After a disastrous first meeting, Ajay tries everything to woo her. She's not an easy catch at all, but finally, by sheer perseverance, he dances his way into her heart. Ajay and Pia marry each other against everyone’s advice.

They develop a strong and special bond. In each other, they find an anchor. But soon the tide goes against them. Weighted down by lies and deceit, their boat is rocked, and their relationship is on the verge of drowning.

As things get worse, Ajay and Pia realize that marriage is not a ritual or an end. It is a long, intricate, intimate dance together and nothing matters more than your own sense of balance and your choice of partner. And Ajay and Pia are used to dancing together.

So they battle all odds, and dance, and sometimes they fall. But every time they fall, they fall in love. And that's what a successful marriage requires. Falling in love many times, always with the same person.

This is the special love story of Ajay and Pia.

About Eros International plc

Eros International plc is an established global player in the fast-growing Indian media and entertainment arena. Being vertically integrated means that Eros not only produces and commissions films like studios but it also distributes and exploits films

across formats globally via cinemas, home entertainment, television formats and new media.

Established in 1977, Eros International has three decades of market leadership in creating a global platform for Indian cinema. The company operates in over 50 countries with worldwide offices in India, UK, USA, Dubai, Australia, Fiji and Isle of Man. It has built a successful business model around the release of 30-40 new films every year and the exploitation of a film library containing more than 1,300 titles, making it one of the largest content owners in the business.

Global Distribution, Motion Pictures, Music, Home Entertainment, e-Television, New Media and Animation are the main Strategic Business Units of Eros.

Eros successfully completes its 30th year in the business with the Vision of consolidating the fragmented industry, the Strategy of operating a vertically integrated business model.
Press Contacts

UK: vaishali.malhotra@erosintl.com

US: leena.pahuja@erosintl.com

India: amita.naidu@erosmultimedia.net

Labels: Ajay-Devgan, Eros, Kajol

Interview: KISHORE LULLA, Chairman & CEO, Eros International
‘What Hollywood did in 50 years, we will do in 10 years’
It’s been a busy 2007 for Eros International—the London AIM (Alternative Investment Market) has listed the Indian media and Entertainment Company. It released 30 films, of which ten were global launches and has included such hits as Om Shanti Om, Namastey London and Heyy Babyy.
However, in 2008, Kishore Lulla, chairman & CEO, Eros International, plans more global launches, focusing on content-creation and consolidation, upgrading its distribution channels across formats, and has releases lined up until 2010. He speaks with Sudipta Datta from London on Eros’ long-term plans for India and why the ‘Americanisation’ of the Indian entertainment space spells good news for Bollywood. Excerpts:
What are your areas of focus in 2008?
The focus is on content and consolidation. We are updating our distribution channels by integrating content across all formats, cinema, television, home entertainment, pay TV and new media. In the home entertainment segment, for example, we are building up a library. We have 1,900 titles now, we are going to aggressively buy content. In the regional and Bollywood space, we have identified eight-10 targets—content Companies having libraries and future productions—for acquisitions: the acquisitions will be completed by the end of 2008.
What is the film making model that you follow, is it leaning towards Hollywood or Bollywood?
Well, the Eros model is exactly like a studio model except that we do not physically own a studio. In fact, most of the foreign studios are getting rid of their physical studios. Then, you can shoot anywhere in any location across the world.
You are paying a lot of attention to your special effects studio. Comment.
Oh yes. That’s our second area of focus this year. We feel that as the Bollywood market expands and the 400 million middle class have more spending power, they will demand good quality entertainment. We want EyeQube Studios to do big visual effects out of India. The first one Alladin has already gone on the floors. We will also release Drona, for which EyeQube is handling the special effects. It’s a Harry Potter meets Indiana Jones movie, if you will, but it’s an original story.
What’s the Eros calendar of films looking like this year?
We are going to release 20 films this year—all will be launched globally too. Last year, we released 30 films, but only 10 out of those were global releases. We have 55 projects across genres locked in for the next two-and-a-half years, which means there are releases lined up until 2010.
Is action also picking up on the Eros Music front?
We will step up activity and sign on new artists and promote their albums.
How easy is it now to do business in a corporatised Bollywood framework? Has the mindset changed?
It’s a totally relationship-driven industry where money plays a part. No, the mindset has not changed. If we have been successful, it’s because we have a 30-year experience in the business. We are a corporate house but we have a relationship with everyone in India. We are also going to set up distribution offices across India to bring transparency into the business.
You have tied up with a host of directors, haven’t you?
Yes, we have tied up with various directors. We are now going to create a bank of screenplays.
Where’s the growth, and revenues—going to come from for Eros?
The Indian market is growing in a big way. But the international dubbed Markets are growing too. In five years, we want 50% of our revenues to come from India and 50% from international Markets. At the moment, this ratio is more or less 65-35 (international/India).
Give us a perspective on Bollywood. Where is it headed in the next 5-10 years?
The Indian film industry now resembles what the Hollywood movie industry was between the 1940s and 1970s. But what Hollywood did in 50 years, we will do in 10 years. In the next five years, a lot of multiplexes will be built, people will spend more on entertainment, producers will spend more on quality of films, we are going to get Americanised and that’s a good thing for the business of entertainment.

Labels: Eros, Interviews

Labels: Eros, Naseeruddin-Shah, Shreyas-Talpade

Labels: Arshad-Warsi, Eros, Sunil-Shetty, Video

Mumbai, January 2008: Eros International, the London AIM listed leading integrated company within the Indian media & entertainment sector has been featured as the ‘Company of the Year’ in PICKLE, the Indian entertainment business guide, in its handbook 2008. Owing to the company’s acumen for alliances, partnerships and acquisitions, Eros has been qualified as the prestigious magazine’s pick of the year. In addition, the magazine also features Chairman and CEO, Mr. Kishore Lulla – Eros International in Power 100, a column that covers business leaders and reel icons who are leaving an imprint on the generations ahead. About Eros International plc
Eros International plc is an established global player in the fast-growing Indian media and entertainment arena. Being vertically integrated means that Eros not only produces and commissions films like studios but it also distributes and exploits films across formats globally via cinemas, home entertainment, television formats and new media. Established in 1977, Eros International has three decades of market leadership in creating a global platform for Indian cinema. The company operates in over 50 countries with worldwide offices in India, UK, USA, Dubai, Australia, Fiji and Isle of Man. It has built a successful business model around the release of 30-40 new films every year and the exploitation of a film library containing more than 1,300 titles, making it one of the largest content owners in the business. Global Distribution, Motion Pictures, Music, Home Entertainment, e-Television, New Media and Animation are the main Strategic Business Units of Eros. Eros successfully completes its 30th year in the business with the Vision of consolidating the fragmented industry, the Strategy of operating

Labels: Eros, News