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NEW START!
One of India’s leading brands in the hosiery segment, Dollar Industries Limited recently unveiled its new corporate brand identity with actor Akshay Kumar in its first ever digital launch.
The company digitally revealed its newly designed logo. The re-branding exercise is the result of a calculated decision to create a youth friendly image along with an improved brand architecture and user friendly interface. The unique concept was one of its kind initiative by the brand to reach out to its consumers and share its message of ‘Wear the Change’ by staying in tune with digitisation and changing times.
Commenting on the occasion Akshay Kumar, brand ambassador, Dollar Industries Ltd. said, “My association with Dollar has been stupendous since the last ten years, and today, I am thrilled to be unveiling their new brand logo and identity through this virtual activity. Currently, the pandemic across the world has generated an unprecedented circumstance and calls for widespread cooperation at all levels of society. In every situation, I search for positivity and as the Brand
KABIR KHAN,
Sangeeta Yadav
Pandemic or no pandemic, to have to beg for your hard-earned money is sad,” says actor Sanaya Irani about the non-payment of dues in the TV industry.
Actor Manmeet Grewal’s suicide due to financial crisis left her heartbroken, as did the news about many others in the industry who’re complaining about unpaid dues.
“I’ve not done TV for six years but I do remember during my time, too, producers
Ambassador of Dollar I urge everyone to stay safe during such difficult times, with a hope that we will be back soon.”
Sharing his thoughts about the new brand revelation, Vinod Kumar Gupta, managing director, Dollar Industries Ltd. stated, “Our brand identity focuses on ‘Wear The Change’ which is aligned with our business ethics to constantly innovate and keep up with the trends and changing consumer needs. The reinvigorated brand identity will provide a new dynamism to the business profile internally, to the end customers and stakeholders.”
It’s not the time for blame game, believes Kabir Khan as multiplex chains have openly expressed dismay about films being released directly on OTT platforms as a result of the pandemic. But the filmmaker, whose big-ticket sports drama ’83 was waiting in the wings used to make excuses. It’s always blamed on the channel. One person passes the buck to the other. I never had to wait for long because the producers I worked with were nice and I was very professional about these things,” she says.
Some actors wait for four to eight months or more for their dues. The 36-year-old actor asks, “Why are you working for somebody for this long? First, producers opt for newcomers who are willing to work for less money. And in the fear of losing work, actors are okay getting to release just weeks later, when the lockdown was announced, says that he is ready to wait — not just for theatres to open, but for a time when a sense of comfort prevails.
Speaking for his own film and even Rohit Shetty’s Sooryavanshi, two high-profile titles which were going to be released just weeks apart from each other, Khan tells us, “We will be ready (to release when the lockdown opens), but having said that, we will only come out with our movies when the comfort is palpable, and when we feel that ‘Okay, the fear has gone away, and
people might feel paid after eight months.”
The only way to change this, according to Irani, is to raise your voice at the right time. “If you don’t get your money in three months, raise your voice in the fourth month,” she says.
The actor, who did a few projects before the lockdown, is also waiting for her payments. She says, “I’m willing to wait. I understand that it’s a hard time for everybody. Luckily, I’m not in a hand-to-mouth situation. In such tough times, none of that name and fame matters.” comfortable to put on masks and gloves, to watch a film. Both, Rohit and I, would want the audience to enjoy our films on the big screen. It’s not like the lockdown will open and we will throw our films to test the waters.” While he understands that theatres and multiplex owners have their reasons to feel disappointed, he also points out at the producers’ predicament. “Everybody has invested a certain amount of money in their films and they may be seeing that in the near future, they’re not going to be able to recover the costs because there’s no clarity about when theatres will open,” explains the 49year-old filmmaker. In this scenario, he says, it’s not wise for producers to lose on “both counts” theatrical revenue and the chance to secure a bigger price from an OTT platform.
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Prashant Singh
With no movie shoots taking place for over two months now, filmmakers have surely been feeling the pinch. And those who had their [film] sets erected before the lockdown have, especially, been badly hit. Now, as the cost of maintaining the sets spiral and monsoon coming close, they are being dismantled.
Reportedly, Akshay Kumarstarrer Prithviraj’s twin sets [in Dahisar] are set to be pulled down. Also, Ajay Devgn’s Maidaan sets – of a football ground spread over 16 acre – has been dismantled.
Some time back, reports suggested that the set of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Gangubai Kathiawadi [starring Alia Bhatt] was getting demolished but now, it has emerged that sets “are still intact” in Film City. Experts believe that maintaining a set – costing anything between ₹5 crore to ₹50 crore depending on the lavishness – for a long duration isn’t feasible for any filmmaker at this point “when they are already under lot of financial duress”, and that’s why dismantling becomes logical.
Now, as sets get dismantled, can filmmakers look at moving out of India – once things become fine across the world – to complete their films? “Yes, it can be an option for those who still have to wrap up huge chunks of their films, provided they find a way to cheat and shoot outside of India, or even out of Mumbai where things are under control,” says Nikamma director Sabbir Khan, who has 3-4 days of work left on the film.
Others, however, feel that moving out of India “won’t be easy” because most Hindi films are “intrinsically desi” with “very Indian backdrop.” Nikkhil Advani, who has about 10 days’ work still left on Arjun Kapoor-Rakul Preet Singh starrer, has a different reason. He says, “I can’t think of shooting out of Mumbai just for the sake of completing a film. There are so many daily wage workers such as carpenters, spot boys etc., who depend on Hindi film shoots for their livelihoods. I’d rather wait and start work in the city, unless my script demands me to move out. For instance, my show, Mughals has to be shot in Uzbekistan, and even [Akshay starrer] Bell Bottom is to be shot in a couple of countries.’
Maidaan makers, too, have no plans to “travel out of India or Mumbai in a rush to have their film completed.” “Our film is a sports film with many actors and a huge team. How will we take out 500 people, and shoot? It’s difficult. We plan to erect the sets again around September-October and start the shoot by November. We still have about 30 days’ shoot left on the film,” says a source close to the film’s production team.
We will only come out with our movies when the comfort is palpable, and when people might feel comfortable to put on masks and watch a film.
FILMMAKER