UTV Motion Pictures scores a triple whammy with 'Race' & 'Tare Zameen Par' release in Pakistan
'€ The only Indian studio to get three films censored in Pakistan.
'€ Race is the second Indian film to have a day & date Pakistan release, the first being 'Goal' also a UTV film.
Abbas-Mastan's 'Race', distributed by UTV Motion Pictures received Pakistan censor on the eve of the worldwide release on Mar 21, which makes it the second Indian film to have a day & date release in Pakistan, the first being UTV's Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal in November 2007.
This is not all Aamir Khan's directorial venture 'Taare Zameen Par' also got censored on exceptional grounds in Pakistan and is scheduled for a March end release. This sets a trend for Hindi films getting a legitimate theatrical release in Pakistan.
Distributed by Karachi based Eveready Pictures, 'Race' will have a 15 print release across 9 cities including Lahore, Karachi and Hyderabad. 'Taare Zameen Par' to be distributed by Geo TV will have a 15 print release in Pakistan. Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal has grossed half million USD so far, from Pakistan, making it the fourth largest overseas market after US, UK and the Middle East.
"We are glad that the Pakistan authorities have opened their cinemas to India films, and are particularly proud that 3 of our films have been cleared for release. Pakistan is slatted to become an important overseas market for our cinema with an audience that mirrors the sensibilities of our domestic audience" says Siddharth Roy Kapur, Director, UMP Plc
Abbas Mustan's gripping multi star thriller 'Race' distributed worldwide by UTV Motion Pictures, released across 1600 screens worldwide in 26 countries this holiday weekend beginning March 21, 2008. Produced by Tips Industries Ltd 'Race' has the highest number of shows ever screened in India with 3600 shows per day in multiplexes.
Starring Anil Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan, Bipasha Basu, Katrina Kaif and Akshaye Khanna, the film will release across 1300 screens in India, of which 450 are digitals. In the overseas market it will release almost in 300 screens with 56 in UK, 118 in the US, 30 in the Gulf, 15 in Pakistan 14 in Australia and the balance in the rest of the world.
Established in 1995, as a division within UTV Software Communications, UMP Plc has arrangements with a number of major Hollywood studio including Walt Disney, Fox Searchlight and, Will Smith's company Overbrook Entertainment.
Listed on at the London AIM market, UMP Plc has played an active role in bringing the studio model to the Indian film industry, where it is able to leverage script development, budget and time management and international distribution. Having become a strong player in Indian and international cinema with the success of movies like 'Rang De Basanti', 'Khosla Ka Ghosla', 'Life in a... Metro', 'The Namesake' & 'I Think I Love My Wife'.
UMP Plc has also distributed movies like Aamir Khan's directorial debut 'Taare Zameen Par', Anees Bazmee's 'Welcome' in the international markets and co-produced movies like Ashutosh Gowariker's 'Jodhaa-Akbar', which is the biggest blockbuster of 2008.
It's list of forthcoming slate includes Abbas Mustan's 'Race' along with M. Night Shyamalan's 'The Happening' Madhur Bhandarkar's 'Fashion', Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's 'Dilli 6'. UMP Plc is also working with a talent pool of directors that include Vishal Bhardwaj, David Dhawan, Shyam Benegal and Iranian director Majid Majidi amongst others.
