Govinda's nephew's film

Film star Govinda will star with nephew Vinay Anand in a remake of a highly successful Telugu blockbuster called Aamdani Athanni Kharcha Rupayya. Chandrachur Singh, Tabu and Juhi Chawla will also star in this family comedy.

This is Vinay's second film after Dil Ne Phir Yaad Kiya.

"Distribution" is Zee's buzzword.

Zee network has taken over various films for distribution and also commissioning new ventures, after the success of their Gadar - Ek Prem Katha.

They have recently acquired from producer Devendra Dholakia an 'off-beat' musical thriller -- Tere Liye directed by Sanjay Gadhvi.

Satyajit Ray film restoration complete

Film Technicians have completed the restoration of Indian director Satyajit Ray's 1971 film Seemabadha, the Motion Picture Academy announced. The 1971 film print was damaged by mould.

The restoration, begun in January 2000, was completed by the Academy's film archive division in conjunction with the Satyajit Ray Society in Calcutta.

New English subtitles were created for the restored Bengali-language film, the 11th Ray title the academy has worked to restore.

Seemabadha is the second film in Ray's "City trilogy." The story focuses on the rise of an executive, Shyamalendu Chatterjee.

In June, the Sydney Film Festival featured the restored prints of Ray's Apu Trilogy: Pather Panchali, Aparajito and Apur Sansar.

Cinema halls strike

Over 100 cinema halls in Bombay shut their doors on Thursday, August 9, to protest the tax system levied by the state government.

The strike was supported by owners of single-screen movie theatres who are furious at a new policy exempting multiplex cinemas from entertainment tax for 3 years.

Under the new policy, multiplexes will enjoy complete tax exemption for the next three years and a 25 per cent exemption for the subsequent two years.

Compiled by Vivek Fernandes
Design: Imran Shaikh