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.