Latest news with #RonnieScrewvala
News18
04-08-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Ronnie Screwvala On Sam Bahadur And Ullozhukku's National Award Win: ‘Matter Of Great Pride'
Last Updated: RSVP founder Ronnie Screwvala celebrates as Sam Bahadur and Ullozhukku wins big at the 71st National Film Awards. RSVP Movies, known for producing content-driven films like Uri: The Surgical Strike, The Sky Is Pink, and Sam Bahadur, has received significant recognition as two of their films, Sam Bahadur and the Malayalam film Ullozhukku, won big at the 71st National Film Awards. The production house dominated the National Film Awards with multiple wins this year. Sam Bahadur won National Awards in the categories of Best Feature Film on National, Social, and Environmental Values, Best Make-Up (Shrikant Desai), and Best Costume Design. On the other hand, Ullozhukku won the awards for Best Malayalam Film and Best Supporting Actress for Urvashi. Reacting to this mega win, RSVP founder, Ronnie Screwvala said that it is a matter of great pride for them, and that it motivates them to continue making cinema that leaves an impact. 'Winning the prestigious National Award for two of our very special films – Sam Bahadur and the Malayalam one – Ullozhukku, is indeed a matter of great pride for all of us at RSVP. We strive to make cinema that leaves an impact. While we are overwhelmed with these honours, we express our deepest gratitude to the jury and the audiences for their tremendous love and support. This only motivates us to continue creating meaningful and impactful cinema," he said. The winners of the 71st National Film Awards were announced on August 1. Sam Bahadur became the Hindi film to win the most accolades. Vicky Kaushal reacted to the film's big wins and expressed his pride. He congratulated the team of Sam Bahadur and lauded director Meghna Gulzar. Sharing a post on the film's awards, Vicky wrote, 'So proud. Congratulations, team!" Sam Bahadur explores the highs and lows of Sam Manekshaw's illustrious career and his journey to becoming the first Indian Army officer to be promoted to the rank of Field Marshal. This biopic sheds light on Manekshaw's unparalleled contributions, showcasing his valour, strategic brilliance, and unwavering dedication to the nation. Ullozhukku is a 2024 Malayalam drama film written and directed by Christo Tomy. Featuring powerhouse performers Urvashi and Parvathy Thiruvothu in lead roles, the film also includes Arjun Radhakrishnan, Alencier Ley Lopez, Prashanth Murali, and Jaya Kurup in pivotal supporting parts. Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Time of India
15-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Voice AI startup Navana AI raises Rs 7 crore in round led by Antler India
Academy Empower your mind, elevate your skills The voice AI startup raised Rs 7 crore in a pre-Series A, led by Antler India along with Ajay Agarwal, Ronnie Screwvala, and Sandeep has developed three products -- a voice AI contact centre , a speech recognition API, and the contact centre intelligence API. The company currently has more than 40 clients supporting voice bots in more than 12 languages in the the company had raised Rs 6.2 crore in an angel round led by Sandeep Singhal from Nexus Ventures along with Standford Angel Fund, Rajan Mehra, and Saahil brings the total funding raised so far by the company to Rs 13.2 by brothers Raoul Nanavati and Jai Nanavati in 2018, is a full-stack platform that helps enterprises to deploy voicebots, transcription systems, and real-time analytics at scale.'Whether it is for an urban English speaker or a person in a village speaking Bihari, our services allow enterprises to solve problems at a pan-India scale,' Nanavati told company will use the funds for its research and development (R&D) activities and to scale its products. 'Our goal is to help enterprises automate their contact centre solutions . We will be focussing on both R&D for India-based technologies and for scaling up our product into the market,' he such as Bajaj Finserv , currently use Navana's voice bot features, which are largely focussed on the banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI) is a voice-first market, and enterprises here can't rely on global, generic models to serve their customers. Navana's proprietary data and Indic-language voice AI stack uniquely positions them to power this shift,' said Gowri Shankar, associate partner of Antler, India.
The Hindu
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Interview with Jehan Manekshaw of Drama Schools Foundation Mumbai
From studying theatre at Wesleyan University in Connecticut and Birkbeck College in London to working as an associate executive producer with Zarina Mehta and Ronnie Screwvala at UTV, to becoming the Director (Strategy and Vision) at Drama Schools Foundation Mumbai (DSFM), Jehan Manekshaw has come a long way. DSFM is the parent organisation under which thrives a drama school, an e-learning initiative for aspiring theatre makers, a theatre education initiative in schools, a corporate training initiative and more. Having been an integral part of Mumbai's theatre ecosystem for over 25 years, Manekshaw is now channelising his energy towards building 'Mumbai Theatre District' — a dream project to 'revitalise South Mumbai as a cultural hub for theatre', like Broadway in New York or London's West End. 'Corporates need to understand the role of art and culture in societal well-being,' he says. 'And the government needs to get behind the enabling of spaces where art and culture can be supported.' Edited excerpts from an interview: Q: How is theatre reinventing itself in the age of Instagram, when audiences seem to have short attention spans? A: Storytelling has changed from the listenership side or the viewership side because we have to accept the reality of mobile phones. We cannot do a three-hour play anymore. On the other hand, live entertainment does have its place now because people are looking for ways to reinfuse their senses that have become captive to digital devices. Theatre is allowing people to connect deeply. It is the root form or medium of storytelling. It came much before cinema arrived. Think of how much smarter and more enabled a content creator would be if they had a theatre background with strong foundations in the fundamentals of scene, emotion, acting, and performance. I have been thinking of bringing some really good theatre makers and content creators to jam and see what comes out of it. People have been saying that theatre is dead, but it just won't die. It could take on a new avatar, but it won't die. Q: People who do not come from wealthy families usually find it very hard to sustain themselves doing theatre. How does the Drama School Mumbai, of which you are the co-founder, equip students to be financially secure? What kind of opportunities open up after they graduate? A: I'll be honest. It's not easy paying for the course itself. It costs around ₹6 lakh per student. We try and find as many benefactors as possible to give student scholarships. Additionally, the drama school itself gives bursaries and discounts to help students bridge the gap. It is not an MBA programme, so there is no immediate campus placement at the end. They have to go out and freelance, so it is a struggle. But, in Mumbai, they find all kinds of jobs alongside pursuing theatre. They do ad films, they become assistant directors on movie sets. Some take up writing gigs and digital assignments. We have alumni leading corporate training workshops using theatre. We also have alumni who become poets, storytellers and spoken word artists. Many go back to their hometowns and launch their own initiatives. One of our students has become a theatre godfather in Mysuru. Another has started an evening drama school in Ahmedabad. The ripple effect is lovely. We hope these students enrich society in their own way. Q: Psychologists often speak of urban loneliness as an epidemic where people feel disconnected from themselves and each other. What role can theatre play in this scenario? A: Theatre is about connection, about not feeling alone. The theatre-making and rehearsal process is about holding space and allowing people to be themselves. In this, there is safety and healing. Theatre is also used in arts-based therapy. The work of Brazilian theatreperson Augusto Boal, in particular, has been quite powerful. His theatre is the kind where people get to express what they feel and think, and share why they are making certain decisions. They feel both seen and heard. Training as a theatre-maker also teaches you to be resilient, to go with the flow, and to adapt to change. For example, if you are on stage, and something doesn't go quite as planned, you have to carry on with the show. I feel these life skills are much more important than making a play. Q: What are the new directions that theatre is taking in India, in terms of spaces where audiences can come and watch a play? A: Theatre-makers are saying that I want to tell a story and I want a bunch of people to watch. You are getting to experience theatre in small studio spaces in the suburbs. That's where these stories can be told. Instead of telling makers what kind of stories to tell, we help them discover what they really care about so that they can tell their own stories in an authentic way. We teach them craft. We also have a production grant for alumni in the name of the late Niloufer Sagar, who taught at Drama School Mumbai. Thanks to her family, alumni get funding to write, direct and produce plays. Many of these have been staged in smaller studio spaces. The interviewer is a journalist, educator and literary critic.
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First Post
04-06-2025
- Business
- First Post
Not Ajay Devgn's nephew Aaman, this Salman Khan co-star was to debut in 'Azaad,' actor's mother reveals shocking details: 'For the first time in my life, I felt bad'
Produced by Ronnie Screwvala and Pragya Kapoor, this cinematic journey promised an intense tale of love and loyalty. But it failed at the box-office. read more Abhishek Kapoor's Azaad marked the debut of Aaman Devgan and Rasha Thadani, alongside Ajay Devgn and Diana Penty. Produced by Ronnie Screwvala and Pragya Kapoor, this cinematic journey promised an intense tale of love and loyalty. But it failed at the box-office. Dhoom 3 and Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan actor Siddharth Nigam's mother has now revealed shocking details about how her son was supposed to be a part of it. 'I took him along for the meeting. The entire script was narrated, and we waited for a year. I was happy because the film was good, and Siddharth would have had a strong launch in Bollywood. I really loved the script. But suddenly, after two years, Siddharth showed me the poster of Azaad,' she revealed. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD She added, 'He said, 'Mum, this has been released, and these are the people in the film.' Then we saw that the film starred Ajay Devgn's nephew and Rasha. For the first time in my life, I felt bad. When things like this happen, as a mother, it hurts. Then I realised both of them were star kids, and that made all the difference.' Nigam's mother continued, 'There's no one to blame. This is the business industry, so there's no point in asking why they did it — they must have had their own reasons. It's more of a personal realisation and pain. You get your hopes up thinking something might work out. We wait for an entire year, and then we see the teaser. So after watching it, we just thought, 'Oh, okay. Let's move on.'
India.com
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- India.com
8 Hard-Hitting Bollywood Films Based On Real-Life Terror Attacks: Uri, Black Friday To Neerja
photoDetails english 2903712 Updated:May 21, 2025, 08:16 AM IST Bollywood Films Based On Real-Life Terror Attacks 1 / 9 Bollywood Films Based On Real-Life Terror Attacks: Today, let's go back in time and revisit some of the most impressive and talked about movies which were based on the plot of real-life terror attacks, leaving a lasting impact. Neerja 2 / 9 Neerja is a 2016 biographical thriller film directed by Ram Madhvani and written by Saiwyn Quadras and Sanyuktha Chawla Shaikh. The film stars Sonam Kapoor as the eponymous lead, with Shekhar Ravjiani, Shabana Azmi, Yogendra Tiku, Kavi Shastri and Jim Sarbh in supporting roles. It was based on a real-life event of attempted hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73 in Karachi, Pakistan by Libyan-backed Abu Nidal Organization on 5 September 1986. The film shows how head purser of the flight, Neerja Bhanot died trying to help save the passengers and crew, of whom 359 of the 379 on board survived. Uri: The Surgical Strike 3 / 9 Uri: The Surgical Strike is a war action film written and directed by debutant Aditya Dhar and produced by Ronnie Screwvala under the RSVP Movies banner. An account based on the real story of the retaliation to the 2016 Uri attack, the film stars Vicky Kaushal along with Yami Gautam, Paresh Rawal, Kirti Kulhari and Mohit Raina in pivotal roles. The Attacks Of Mumbai 26/11 4 / 9 The Attacks of 26/11 is a 2013 action thriller film directed by Ram Gopal Varma, based on the book Kasab: The Face of 26/11 by Rommel Rodrigues about Ajmal Kasab, then sole surviving perpetrator of the 2008 Mumbai attacks. The film stars Sanjeev Jaiswal in his film debut and Nana Patekar. Mumbai Meri Jaan 5 / 9 Mumbai Meri Jaan is a 2008 film directed by Nishikant Kamat and produced by Ronnie Screwvala. It stars R Madhavan, Irrfan Khan, Soha Ali Khan, Paresh Rawal and Kay Kay Menon. It deals with the aftermath of the 11 July 2006 Mumbai train bombings, where 209 people lost their lives and over 700 were injured. Hotel Mumbai 6 / 9 Hotel Mumbai is a 2018 independent action thriller film directed by Anthony Maras and co-written by Maras and John Collee. It is inspired by the 2009 documentary Surviving Mumbai about the 2008 Mumbai attacks at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in India. The film stars Dev Patel, Armie Hammer, Nazanin Boniadi, Anupam Kher, Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Jason Isaacs, Suhail Nayyar, Nagesh Bhosle, and Natasha Liu Bordizzo. Black Friday 7 / 9 Black Friday is a 2004 crime film written and directed by Anurag Kashyap. Based on Black Friday: The True Story of the Bombay Bomb Blasts, a book by Hussain Zaidi about the 1993 Bombay bombings, it chronicles the events that led to the blasts and the subsequent police investigation. Produced by Arindam Mitra of Mid-Day, the film stars Pawan Malhotra, Kay Kay Menon, Aditya Srivastava, Kishor Kadam and Zakir Hussain. Bell Bottom 8 / 9 Bell Bottom is a 2021 action thriller film directed by Ranjit M Tewari. The film is written by Aseem Arrora and Parveez Sheikh. It stars Akshay Kumar as the lead character, with Vaani Kapoor, Lara Dutta and Huma Qureshi in an extended cameo appearance. Bell Bottom is inspired from real life hijacking events in India by Khalistani terrorists during the 1980s, such as the Indian Airlines Flight 423, 405 and 421 hijackings. Batla House 9 / 9 Batla House is a 2019 action thriller film written by Ritesh Shah, and directed by Nikkhil Advani. Inspired by the Batla House encounter case that took place on 19 September 2008, the film stars John Abraham portraying the titular protagonist. The film showcases the encounter, and in its aftermath.
