Bollywood producers reach deal with multiplexes, end strike

June 23rd, 2009 Eros Entertainment’s Neil Nitin Mukesh and Bipasha Basu starrer Aa Dekhen Zara fell victim to the producers v/s multiplexes stand off and was not released in the multiplexes. The film had released on March 27th when the production and distribution sectors were all geared up to suspend all new releases indefinitely in a bid to boycott the seven warring multiplex chains.

June 12th, 2009 MUMBAI - Filmmaker Mukesh Bhatt says his bad experience with the multiplexes during the release of "Raaz 2" inspired him to become a crusader for producers' rights during the standoff with multiplex owners over profit sharing. He now wants to meet the prime minister to remind him about an independent government cell that he promised to set up to safeguard filmmakers' interests.

June 11th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The makers of Neil Nitin Mukesh and Bipasha Basu starrer "Aa Dekhen Zara" are set to release the fast-paced romantic musical thriller again Friday. Director Jehangir Surti's film was first released March 27 and was shown only in single screen theatres because of the stand-off between producers and multiplexes.

June 7th, 2009 MUMBAI - The Hindi film industry was hit badly by the stand off between producers and multiplex owners and lost about Rs.300 crore, says Amit Khanna, chairman of Reliance Big Pictures, who was one of the architects of the 12-hour meeting between the two parties. But he adds that the row had brought about more cohesiveness among filmmakers.

June 6th, 2009 NEW DELHI - A slew of Bollywood biggies are lined up for release with the row between producers and multiplex owners having ended. Multiplex owners are now doing a re-think on whether to go ahead with the proposed screening of T20 World Cup matches, especially after the "exorbitant" fees for telecast rights.

June 5th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Heaving a sigh of relief after a 14-hour meeting that Friday resolved a crippling four-month dispute between Bollywood producers-distributors and multiplexes, United Producers and Distributors Forum (UPDF) chairman Mukesh Bhatt said that he was glad to have finally achieved "fair rights for Friday nights". "We are so happy that that we have achieved what we had set out to achieve - fair rights for Friday nights," Bhatt told IANS over phone from Mumbai.

June 5th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The two-month-long standoff between the producers-distributors and multiplex owners over revenue sharing, which was resolved Friday, has led to a whopping Rs.300 crore (Rs.3 billion) loss to the industry. The strike has cost the Indian film industry over Rs.3 billion, Mukesh Bhatt, United Producers and Distributors Forum (UPDF) chairman, told IANS over phone from Mumbai Friday.

June 1st, 2009 NEW DELHI - Tom Hanks-starrer "Angels and Demons", which released in India Friday mostly across single-screens has grossed around Rs.19 million in its first weekend. The movie that has already gained the top spot at the US box office released in India with 133 prints across 135 screens in four languages - English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu - mainly in single-screens across the country.

May 25th, 2009 All eyes were on producer Vashu Bhagnani and the multiplex chain of BIG Cinemas what with their production Kal Kissne Dekha was slated for release on coming Friday. Vashu was all set to release his son Jackky Bhagnani’s debut vehicle in single screens and BIG Cinemas chain of multiplexes.

May 25th, 2009 BANGALORE - The long standoff between multiplex owners and Bollywood filmmakers has affected the Kannada film industry too, with two big budget Kannada films "Dubai Babu" and "Taakat" failing to reach the multiscreen cinemas here because of the row over revenue sharing. The producers fear they will have to bear heavy losses because of the tiff.

May 21st, 2009 Ok, so now it is turning out to be too bad to be true. All eyes were set on the Monday gone by as there was a wide spread belief that the meeting held on this day between producers and multiplexes would result in a positive outcome.

May 16th, 2009 MUMBAI - Aditya Shastri, producer of Bollywood movie '99', released his film against the wishes of the United Forum, an association of Bollywood producers. Producers are having a standoff with multiplexes over revenue sharing.

May 14th, 2009 MUMBAI - Bollywood star Hrithik Roshan is set to attend the special screening of his much-talked about film 'Kites' with co-star Barbara Mori, said his father Rakesh Roshan who also added that he will project the movie as his production house's first truly international product. Director Anurag Basu will also be there with them at 62nd Cannes Film Festival that opened Wednesday.

May 9th, 2009 Bollywood boycott dulls Indian screensMUMBAI, India — The dispute between Bollywood producers and Indian multiplexes over revenue sharing hardened this week, with no end in sight to the monthlong boycott of new releases. Indian movie fans — who spend an estimated 63 billion rupees ($1.27 billion) each year at theaters — were again presented with a tepid array of aging Hollywood blockbusters and regional films Friday, the night usually reserved for new releases.

May 3rd, 2009 By Joginder Tuteja Even though Kunal Khemu's '99' is arriving at the time when there is still no clarity around the stand off between producers and multiplexes seeing some sort of resolution, the actor insists that 'personally', he supports the strike. "If you ask me, then honestly speaking I support the stand that the producers have taken.