Bikram Duggal Archives -

Marvel’s ‘Black Widow’ to release in India a day prior to the US

After the emotional juggernaut of Avengers Endgame, Marvel fans are gearing up in excitement as the studio has already unveiled plans for a massive lineup in the years to follow! This new phase of Marvel has been said to be the biggest of all in history, beginning with the standalone superhero flick Black Widow due for release in 2020.

“Over the last few years, Marvel movies have brought about an entertainment revolution in the country. Every Super Hero from Marvel – be it Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk and even the newer members like Black Panther, Doctor Strange and Captain Marvel – have become household names. Black Widow is one such character who has been integral to the Marvel journey and has been a fan favourite; especially in India. We have seen Natasha Romanoff as a spy, assassin and an Avenger; but she remains a mystery and fans now want to know her origin story more than ever. And as a special treat for these fans; we are releasing Black Widow a day prior to the US,” said Disney India head studio entertainment Bikram Duggal.

Portraying a spectacular arc in the Avengers franchise, Scarlett Johansson is all set to present a raw, powerful origin story of Black Widow, continuing to add more to an emotional story that millions of fans have come to know and love since a decade. Black Widow will relive the Endgame feeling of excitement going into the cinema with fellow fanatics, which brings us to a fantastic piece of news for Indian fans!

Get set to be the first to see the superhero spectacle as Black Widow releases in India on 30 April, a day before the US release date! The studio is all set to present the movie in six languages – English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is the voice for ‘Maleficent’ in Hindi

Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has been brought in by Disney, to lend voice for Maleficent in the Hindi version of Maleficent: Mistress of Evil.

Rai Bachchan revealed the news herself through a teaser on social media. The teaser features her as the Disney anti-heroine, lending voice to the cult character made memorable by Angelina Jolie. The Hindi teaser, released on Wednesday night has received more than one lakh likes on Rai Bachchan’s Instagram account. With striking green eyes, a strong red pout and severe updo, Rai Bachchan looks quite convincing as Maleficent in her latest post, which has received a lot of appreciation already.

Commenting about the association with Rai Bachchan voice for the Hindi version of Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, Diney India’s Bikram Duggal mentioned, “Looking at how Angelina Jolie fits Maleficent’s role down to the letter, it was hard to imagine anyone else essaying the character other than Aishwarya Rai Bachchan for our local audience. We wanted to build a strong connect and bring her character to life in Hindi and felt Rai Bachchan’s persona, which is filled with elegance and poise, would be a perfect blend.”

The sequel Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, which releases on 18 October, follows few years later after the incidents of the 2014 original movie. Based on the classic fairy tale, Sleeping Beauty, the sequel has been directed by Joachin Rønning and stars Ed Skrein, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Robert Lindsay, Harris Dickinson, Sam Riley, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple and Lesley Manville.

Shah Rukh Khan pairs with son Aryan to voice for the Hindi version of ‘The Lion King’

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan and his son Aryan will be lending their voice for King Mufasa and his son Simba respectively in the Hindi version of Disney’s upcoming live-action film The Lion King.

“The Lion King is that one movie that my entire family loves the most and it holds a very special place in our hearts. As a father, I can totally relate with Mufasa and the endearing relationship he shares with his son – Simba,” Khan said in a statement.

On Sunday, gearing up for the India-Pakistan World Cup match, the actor tweeted a picture of him and Aryan wearing T-shirts in team India colours as Mufasa and Simba rising speculations about his involvement in the upcoming movie.

Disney India head – studio entertainment Bikram Duggal said, “The Lion King is a classic that epitomises Disney’s prowess of bringing heart-warming stories that are timeless and transcend generations. Now with the re-imagined version, our aim is to reach out to a wider audience; introducing the tale about a pride of lions to a whole new generation of audiences while forging a deeper connect with existing fans.”

“We cannot imagine having a better voice cast than Shah Rukh Khan and his son Aryan to bring the characters of Mufasa and Simba to life in Hindi,” Duggal added.

The Lion King may debut in China on 12 July, a week before it opens in the U.S.. Recently, the local government in China also gave an early 24 April release date to Disney/Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame (two days before domestic), while Sony’s Spider-Man: Far From Home got a 28 June opening day, ahead of its 2 July U.S. opening.

Directed by Jon Favreau (Iron Man and The Jungle Book), The Lion King is scheduled to be released on 19 July in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.

A.R Rahman to create India’s Marvel anthem for ‘Avengers: Endgame’

Marvel India has teamed up with India’s musical maestro, A.R. Rahman, to bring his genius for creating an all new anthem for Avengers: Endgame. The track is composed across three languages – Hindi, Tamil and Telugu and will be released on 1 April.

Over the last few years, Indian fans have loved and embraced the Marvel super heroes and the success of Avengers: Infinity War is a reflection of the popularity that it enjoys today in the country.

Marvel India studios head Bikram Duggal said, “Avengers: Endgame is not just a movie, it’s an emotional journey for fans everywhere in India. An original composition by Oscar winner A.R. Rahman was the perfect way to celebrate the love for Marvel among fans in the country. This is our small way of thanking the fans here for their extraordinary support.”

With Thanos snapping away half the population from the planet, the conversations around Avengers: Endgame have been unparalleled and Marvel Fans in India are eagerly waiting for 26 April to witness the grand conclusion of the superhero franchise in Avengers: Endgame, making it one of the most anticipated movies of the year.

“Being surrounded by Marvel fans in my own family, there was too much pressure to come with something really satisfying and apt for Avengers: Endgame. I hope Marvel aficionados and music lovers enjoy the track,” added Rahman.

Produced by Kevin Feige, Avengers: Endgame is directed by Anthony and Joe Russo with Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely penning the screenplay. Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Michael Grillo, Trinh Tran, Jon Favreau and Stan Lee serve as executive producers.

‘Incredibles 2’ smashes box-office records in India; becomes all-time grosser in just five days

The beloved Parr family made their much-awaited return to the big-screen after a long gap of 14 years, but the reactions so far from the fans suggest the animation flick continues to rule the roost. Incredibles 2 opened in Indian theatres last Friday and barely five days in, has already toppled Kung Fu Panda 3 to become the all-time highest grossing Hollywood animation film in the country with Rs 22.3 crore.

The Walt Disney production follows in the coat-tails of the MCU epic Avengers: Infinity War, another record breaker earlier this year, and released in as many as 925 screens across India. But has already surpassed the lifetime collection of Kung Fu Panda 3 that raked in Rs 22.12 crore in its total run.

Disney India studio entertainment head Bikram Duggal suggests that the remarkable success is a testament to the growing popularity of animation in the country.

Trade sources reveal the movie grossed Rs 3.9 crore on the opening day, but the figures almost doubled on the weekend with Rs 6.5 and Rs 7.5 crore, taking the tally for its first week to Rs 17.9 crore. Also, interestingly, as much as 34 per cent of the total tally has come from the Hindi dub version, another box-office high, considering animation content accounts for only 20-25 per cent of the net collections on an average. That is partially down to Bollywood superstar Kajol lending her voice for Elastigirl, generating enough buzz that the trade analysts feel helped push the overall collections.

Incredibles 2 is a sequel to the 2004 hit of the same name, but the first movie that witnessed Shah Rukh Khan and his son Aryan voicing Mr.Incredible Bob Parr and the little munchkin Jack-Jack respectively.

‘Baahubali’ Hindi version writer to pen Hindi dialogues for ‘Black Panther’

The official Hindi trailer for Black Panther has been released.

Disney India has roped in writer and lyricist Manoj Muntashir to script the dialogues for the Hindi version of Black Panther.

Speaking of this association, Muntashir said, “When Disney India approached me to script the Hindi dialogues for Black Panther’s dubbed version, I was extremely excited, not just as a writer but also as a fan. Of what I have watched so far, Black Panther has a very unique and intriguing plot. For a writer it’s always challenging to add local context to the dialogues without losing the original essence. I’ m very thrilled to be part of the Marvel Universe.”

Manoj, who is known for his work as lyricist and dialogue writer on the Hindi version of Baahubali: The Beginning and Baahubali 2: The Conclusion, has been brought on board to recreate the action and dialogues in the movie’s Hindi version as well.

“Given the excitement surrounding the release of Black Panther in India, as well as its direct connect with Avengers: Infinity War, it was paramount for us to ensure that all localisation efforts on the movie worked towards enhancing the movie’s appeal and at the same time retain the essence of the film,” said Disney India executive director and head (studio entertainment) Bikram Duggal. “Manoj Muntashir was our instinctive choice to bring alive the magnificence and mysticism of Black Panther in its Hindi version. We intend to make the Hindi version as appealing as the English version to its respective audience.”

Black Panther hits the theatres ‪on 16 February 2018 and will release in English and Hindi in IMAX 3D, 3D and 4D formats.