Bollywood Wave

Microsoft CEO launches the revamped Yash Raj Films Website

Indian consumers can now shop for Yash Raj Films products online and worldwide users can download music in a digital format online.

Steve Ballmer, Microsoft’s Worldwide CEO launched the revamped Yash Raj Films Website www.yashrajfilms.com at NCPA in Mumbai today, marking the advent of a new era for Indian entertainment consumers. Not only can they now place orders for their favourite Yash Raj Films audio and video titles online and have it delivered home, they can also download digitally songs from the latest YRF production, “Dhoom:2” as well as a whole host of audio content from the YRF archives ranging back to “Dil To Pagal Hai”.

The new Website is also India’s first DRM (Digital Rights Management) enabled online Webshop, through which users can buy and download audio tracks in a digital format, using Microsoft’s Windows DRM technology which allows safe download of digital content over the web. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, who was in India to kick off IndiMIX ‘06 – Microsoft’s seminal web event of the year, unveiled the Website to an audience of over 1000 designers, developers, top corporate honchos and an estimated 100,000 viewers over the Internet, through the live webcast of this event. Yash Chopra (Chairman, Yash Raj Films) was also present on this occasion and was felicitated by Mr. Ballmer.

Said Mr. Chopra, “The Yash Raj Films Website has been popular across the globe. The revamped site opens the way for the discerning Indian viewer to purchase the best of Yash Raj Films content without stepping out of their homes. The DRM solution is the first of its kind in the country and we expect it to fuel a revolution in the entertainment industry. We also believe that the new Website will enable us to remain in close touch with consumer expectations, and we shall continue to adapt to the latest technologies to offer our consumers the best entertainment experience possible”.

The other key feature of site is its Online Store, which allows visitors to shop for their favourite video (DVD, VCD) and audio (CD, Cassettes) titles online, and have the same delivered to their homes. While this facility has been operational for overseas customers since 1997, when the YRF Website was originally launched, Indian users can now reap the full benefits of the revamped site www.yashrajfilms.com

Incidentally, Yash Raj Films also released the songs of Dhoom:2 on iTunes on the day of its store launch. The audio content of all YRF archive catalogue titles will soon be available for digital downloads on iTunes and other leading digital platforms of the world.

The YRF Website is one of the most popular Indian Websites generating almost 20 million hits per month and is immensely popular among all Indian film lovers worldwide. The new Website has been developed using Microsoft’s latest .NET technology.

yashrajfilms
- - visit yashrajfilms.com

Madhuri Dixit, 39, was a prolific and much sought after star before she settled in the US in 1999, after marrying a Indian surgeon there. Following her marriage she was pernickety in picking her roles and acted in just a couple of films every year till 2002. Her last film was Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Devdas, a critically acclaimed box office success.

In an interview with the Times of India newspaper earlier this month Dixit had revealed that she planned to act in a film to be produced by her business manager, Rikku Rakeshnath. However, since Dixit herself had encouraged Rakeshnath to produce a film, and offered to act in it, no one was quite sure how committed she was to a comeback.

Dixit, who has two young sons, sought to allay fears by saying, “If I’m going to be away from my family for my film, it better be worthwhile.”

Even while Rakeshnath was in the process of firming up plans for his Madhuri Dixit film, Yash Raj films has announced that Dixit will make her comeback in a film to be produced under their banner, putting to rest any doubts about the comeback. Indeed, Dixit reportedly liked the script of the Yash Raj films so much that she immediately agreed to take it on.

Shooting for the yet untitled film, to be directed by debutant Anil Mehta, is expected to start in Jan 2007. Mehta has earlier been the cinematographer for films such as Lagaan, Veer Zara and Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna.

sawfnews.com

Despite the terror alert in UK after the Heathrow airport attack plan was foiled, Bollywood seems to be putting all odds behind with filmmaker Vipul Shah shooting his ‘Namaste London’ there on a massive scale.

Shah’s 30 crore venture ‘Namaste London’, which trade sources claim is a contemporary remake of the classic ‘Purab Aur Paschim’, is being shot with a big crew of as many as 100 people in central London. The other films on the floors there are - Yash Raj’s ‘Jhoom Barabar Jhoom’ and Nikhil Advani’s multi-starrer ‘Salaam-e-Ishq’.

Industry sources, however, said it is a sheer coincidence that three mega scale productions are shooting in London at the same time, even when each movement there is being combed rigorously and the air traffic is in a mess.

Vipul Shah said from London that his crew is facing difficulties in sending people to and from India. “The main problem that we are facing is airport transfers and visas. Actually, the problem began after Mumbai blasts, following which there was some strictness shown in giving visas, but after Heathrow alert things have worsened,” he said.

After the arrests of people of South Asian origin in connection with the terror plan, there is a tense atmosphere. A lot of ground transportation involved in shooting is usually undertaken by people of Pakistani origin, he mentioned.

“We are shooting at various locations in the heart of London because 75 per cent of ‘Namaste London’ crew are English locals. But, permission procedures are certainly being more stringently observed,” he added.

Meanwhile, sources also said shooting with completely Asian crews is being monitored closely and even subjected to some questionings.

hindu.com