Hindi Film Industry - After Independence Day, What?

By: Amit kumaR Agarwal

It's August 2024, 2/3rd of the year has passed and there has been only one blockbuster in the Hindi Film Industry, ironically a dubbed-Telugu language film, Kalki 2898 AD. Mind you, the film did the business taking hugely mixed reviews in its stride!

While there have been films that have been successful to moderately successful - Fighter, Hanu-Man,  Deadpool and Wolverine, Shaitaan, Munjya, Bad Newz, Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya - they were few and far in between from the 150-films released as of August 9, 2024.

It's not just the actors and producers that are worried, distributors are worried, exhibitors are worried. Will the Independence-Day releases strike gold on August 15?

There are three major Hindi releases - Stree 2, Khel Khel Mein, Vedaa. With a 5-day extended weekend (Monday being a holiday, Raksha Bandhan) expectations are high, but with the state box-office is in; are the exhibitors really bullish.

Satyam, an exhibitor based in Uttar Pradesh said that he has expectations from Stree 2 which has taken a huge advance. He said though he liked the trailer of Khel Khel Mein as well, it is for the multiplex crowd in the cities, and he hopes Khel Khel Mein works as well.

Rakesh Jain, a distributor based in Delhi said that while Stree 2 is everyone's favorite, he feels Khel Khel Mein is the dark-horse. The music is hit and the trailer has really been loved by everyone. Though he too feels the film's business will be restricted to cities.

Laila Pannda, an actress based in Mumbai has already made plans, "for me it is Khel Khel Mein on Friday and Stree 2 on Saturday".

Where does it leave Vedaa then, "I feel Vedaa should work at smaller centres, though the feel of the film is very 'Dhaakad' (Kangna Ranaut starrer) kind, but I feel it should work" gushes Nitin, another exhibitor from Uttar Pradesh.

The writer feels that while Stree 2 is a sure-shot blockbuster, Khel Khel Mein should do decent business as well (if the film is as well made, as the trailer). Though Akshay Kumar is going through a bad-phase, everyone agrees it is the films that have let Akshay down. As for Vedaa, it will be all about smaller centres.

BUT - the big question is after the Independence Day - what?

The next notable releases are well after a gap of two and a half months - on the Deepawali. Does it mean empty cinemas, after 10-days till Deepawali.

Well, it is high-time the Hindi film producers and film-makers, take a logical stock of things so that the industry doesn't choke and die.

Not Just A Review l Ulajh l 1 on 5

By: Amit kumaR Agarwal

Week after week, film-makers and trade rant about the way Hindi Film Industry is dying a slow-death. Is the audience not interested in cinema anymore.

The writer recently had the misfortune of watching few films on OTT's after their theatrical debacle Dange, Savi, etc. and now Ulajh in cinema.

Audience is very much interested but they want a story that connects and not just a stylish assortment of scenes.

Reason films are failing left, right and center, is the script, the writing - get it in place and you will have the audiences coming in.

Ulajh made by a news and media conglomerate is a testimony to this statement. Is it hard for the writers to come even with a plausible plot, forget the script. 

An audience bored with the film even plot-doctored. If the return of a terrorist can open secrets and the minister wants to handle it such that Pakistan is blamed, why this half-baked plot? They can easily kill the terrorist in Pakistan given the contacts of the minister; minister hiding his secret.

There are many such gaping holes in the script that make the film a drag. Direction again is very weak, with no feeling of thrill or suspense fused in the narrative.

The female-protagonist, Suhana, has a very shallow character, as such audiences never really root for her. Also, at the start of the movie she is shown as a very strong woman. Suddenly she becomes all vulnerable and weak; this character shift is unexplained and very glaring. Also, today when there are so many deep-fakes, she could have just said it is a doctored sex-video, instead of being 'willingly' blackmailed.

All these questions, make the plot and the narrative very unconvincing and weak.

Janhvi Kapoor tries hard to add layers to her performance, but with such an ill-etched protagonist devoid of any connect with the audiences, she finds the job tough. Rest of the cast is just about fine.

Seems makers were confident of the film, as they wanted to make it a franchise; but the disaster of the film will curtail their plans, unless they take the OTT route. 

Audiences expected a much superior product from the makers of Raazi and Badhaai Ho.

Global Startup Summit 2024 Delhi NCR Edition: A Resounding Success, Sparking Innovation and Collaboration

Global Startup Summit | Delhi NCR 7th Edition

held on 13th July, 2024 at Radisson, Udyog Vihar

 

The 7th edition of the Global Startup Summit, held on July 13th in Delhi NCR, co-powered by Aditya Birla Sun Life AMC Limited, has concluded with resounding success, bringing together a prestigious gathering of industry leaders, venture capitalists, and entrepreneurs. The event provided an enriching experience with over 8 hours of thought-provoking panel discussions covering topics including

HealthTech, PropTech, D2C, and SAAS. Concurrently, the Asia PropTech Forum, HealthTech Summit, Bharat Technology Conclave, and International D2C Conclave gathered experts to delve into sector-specific advancements and investment opportunities. Driven by a strong dedication to driving forward- thinking innovation and cooperative partnerships, this year’s summit served as a pivotal junction for entrepreneurs, investors, and thought leaders to cultivate impactful connections. Emphasizing inclusivity and empowerment, the Global Startup Summit provided essential resources such as funding opportunities, technological insights, and mentorship vital for the success of startups. Positioned as a cornerstone platform, the summit accelerated entrepreneurial growth by bridging gaps between startups and investors, driving collective progress, and fostering community empowerment within the startup ecosystem.

A highlight of the summit was the highly anticipated Global Startup Battles. In a thrilling 4-hour session, 12-15 startups competed fiercely, pitching their groundbreaking innovations to a panel of esteemed investors acting as judges. The winner, Exobot Dynamics Pvt. Ltd., stood out with its mission to revolutionize human lives through advanced and accessible bionic technology, impressing the judges with its vision and execution. Other notable participants, such as Housing Street (Jasvinder Singh), Ghost Pay (Priyanshu Jhavar), Intozi Tech Pvt Ltd (Naresh Kamboj), and KMS Vets (Manish Singh), also captivated the audience with their inventive solutions and visionary ideas and and insightful workshops on applying for Shark Tank India, conducted by Satyam Anand, Senior Business Analyst at Shark Tank India. 

Global Startup Summit Delhi NCR is proudly partnered with Mojo Capital (Investment Banking Partner), Gamezon (Entertainment Partner), Global Startups Club (Ecosystem Partner), along with, 100x Brands, www.bol-news.com (Media Partner), The Unplanned (Media Partner), Intellithink (Brand Partner), Lifetime Health (Allied Partner), Intelli RMS (Allied Partner), Krispcall (Allied Partner), Mom's Skin Essentials (Gifting Partner), Picasso Parri (Gifting Partner), Intellithink (Allied Partner), SteerX (Brand Partner), F For Finance (Brand Partner), The Indian CEO (Brand Partner). 

These collaborative efforts bring together visionaries and industry experts to enhance the entrepreneurial landscape. Through these strategic partnerships, the summit aims to stimulate growth, offer essential resources, and cultivate abundant opportunities for startups to flourish in today's competitive market. Additionally, the summit proudly announces an exceptional lineup of renowned speakers and investors.

These influential industry figures include Nischaiy Pradhan (Founding Partner, Favcy), Khalid Wani (Founder & CEO, KWCG), Ameet Nandlaskar (Founder & CEO, Innovesta Group), Shantanu Nigam (Co-founder & IT Director, SEEDICON), Dr. Vibhuti Aggarwal (General Partner, Real Time Angel Fund), Sudhanshu Mittal (Head & Director Technical Solutions - Gurugram, NASSCOM), Mayur Toshniwal (Partner, Qubit Capital), Sagar Mahat (Founder & Managing Partner, Delhi Angels Den), Kumar Saurabh (Startup Evangelist, Ex-Vc), Shweta Raka (Founder & Managing Partner, Delhi Angels Den), Lalit Singla (Healthcare Industry Veteran), Biswajit Mishra (Co-Founder Hostbooks Limited), Avijit Mukherjee (Senior Vice President, DCGPAC.), Brijesh Damodaran (Managing Partner, Auxano Capital), Nagendra Khatri (Investment Team, Anthill Ventures), Sahil Kukreja (Investor, Trifecta Capital Advisors), Mahesh Iyer (Founder & Fractional CRO, RCG), Rony Saha (Investment Professional, Alkemi Growth Capital), Abhishek Kapahi (Founder & CEO, Scaler BEE & Startup Mentor & Angel Investor), Neha lakhwara (Founding Partner, AKCJ Ventures), Nikhil Aggarwal (Founder & CEO, Grip Invest), Surbhi Bafna (Founder & CEO, allter), Aaditya Mishra (Co-Founder , Luxorides), Shuvi Shrivastava (Partner, Lightspeed), Punret Beotra (Human Capital Manager, BEENEXT), Ajay Chaurasia (Vice President, RupeeRedee), Konstantin Riabtsev (Co-Founder & CEO, Lifetime Health), Deepak Wadhwa (Option Trader, Stock Market Coach), Dr. Sonali Kirde (Strategic Investor & Consultant), John Thomas (Managing Director, Assets Xperts), Dhawal Jain (Co-Founder & CEO, Mave Health), Priyank Ahuja (Career Coach, 577K LinkedIn Followers), Nidhi Sharma (LinkedIn Top Voice), Riya Gadhwal (LinkedIn 130K Followers), Amit Behal (@techdekho.in, 528k Instagram Followers), Shivani Gera (Investment Banking Professional| Personal Finance Content Creator).Shivangi Narula (Founder, Skilldify, Corporate Trainer, Content Creator) Shweta Singla (WEIN Capital), Sunil Shimalwal (WEIN Capital), Riya Goyal (LinkedIn Top Voice | 47K+ LinkedIn Followers), Darika Jain (Ex-Recruitment Coordinator, American Express), Jhanvi Singh (National Award Winner, Content Creator), Palakh Khanna ( Founder & CEO Break The Ice), Kashif Ali (@techfireco, 592k Instagram Followers), Siddhant Garg (Founder, The Corporate Stories), Devan Bhalla (Brand Builder, Content Creator), Hina Arora (Engineering Manager @ Jio, Career Coach), Paras Madan (Content Creator, Business & AI), Vivek Chadha (Co-Founder, AccelerateX Ventures), Lt Col Ankur Sabharwal (CEO, Invincio Academy), Dr. Ananta Singh Raghuvanshi (President, NAREDCO Mahi), Suresh Chandra Tripathi (Executive Director, Novocrete India), Ish Anand (CEO (India & UAE) & Global Board Member - EiC Corporation & iCapital Ventures, France & Luxembourg), Diwas Regmi (Founding team, KrispCall), Anmol Chopra (Founder, Dashback), Himanshu Upadhyay (Co-Founder, Nojoto), Harneet S N (Official Member & Leader, Forbes Business Council), Aaina Chopra (Founder, Growth Cradle), Priya Vajpeyi (Product Marketing Manager, Cuerik),Gunjan Madaan (SDE@Microsoft | Ex-Paytm | 150K+ on Linkedin), Lakshya & Chetan (Founders, Multipily), Palakh Khanna (Upcoming Star Creator of the Year, Personal Branding), Md Kashif Ali (Biz-Worthy Creator of the Year, Tech).

Moderators included Mohit Sureka (Founder & CEO, Global Startups Club & Mojo Capital), Ajita Dash (Founding Partner, Advoke Law LLP), Vishnu Chaitanya (Head of Research Marketing & Strategic Expert, Neutrodev), Sangeet Hemant Kumar (Founder & CEO, WealthiGO & SHK Global Ventures), Sehaj Kohli (Founder, Kalakrit), Rohit C. (Founding Partner, Advoke Law LLP),, Sangeet Sindan (Senior Corporate Lawyer), Ravi Babu G (Founder & Managing Partner, Catalex Legal LLP), and Sunny Bhasin (Leadership Coach, @sunnyconnect), Madhur Mohan Malik (Founder & CEO at StartupNews.fyi). These esteemed individuals represent a diverse range of expertise in startup ecosystems, finance, technology, and innovation. Their valuable insights and experiences promise to make the summit an enriching and transformative experience for all attendees.

Also presented by Global Startup Summit are an array of prominent side events, including: Asia PropTech Forum: Bringing together over 400 delegates, 50+ PropTech startups, investors, and collaborators to discuss advancements and investments in Asia's PropTech sector. Moderated by Sangeet Hemant Kumar, Founder & CEO of WealthiGO & SHK Global Ventures, a standout session titled The Future of Real Estate: Integrating Technology for Smarter Urban Development captivated the audience.

Led by Dr. Ananta Singh Raghuvanshi, President of NAREDCO Mahi; Suresh Chandra Tripathi, Executive Director of Novocrete India; and Ish Anand, CEO (India & UAE) and Global Board Member of EiC Corporation & iCapital Ventures, France & Luxembourg.

HealthTech Summit: Featuring 35 to 40 HealthTech startups, investors, and ecosystem collaborators to explore innovations, investment opportunities, and collaborative ventures in healthcare technology. With speakers like Lalit Singla (Healthcare Industry Veteran), Konstantin Riabtsev (Co-Founder & CEO, Lifetime Health), Dr. Sonali Kirde (Strategic Investor & Consultant). The engaging panel discussion, moderated by Amit R. Agarwal, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of Bol-news.com, centered on The Future of HealthTech: Trends and Innovations.

Bharat Technology Conclave: Aiming to bolster the Tech & SaaS startup ecosystem by connecting startups with investors and providing branding, media placement, and access to a growing community. International D2C Conclave 2024: Reshaping the Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) business landscape by fostering a thriving ecosystem focused on knowledge-sharing and building meaningful relationships.

The summit day offered an exciting adventure for aspiring entrepreneurs and startup creators, providing valuable opportunities for direct engagement with prospective clients and venture capitalists. Attendees had the potential to secure seed and series A funding, along with various sponsored advantages. The event presented the perfect occasion to kickstart business journeys with enthusiasm and network with top-notch startup innovators nationwide.

As the Global Startup Summit 2024 - Delhi NCR Edition 7 wraps up, the event has proven to be a significant milestone in the startup ecosystem. The summit successfully fostered innovation, collaboration, and inspiration, shaping the future of startups and empowering entrepreneurs to drive forward with renewed dynamism.

The upcoming Global Startup Summit is slated to be held on September 28th at the esteemed in Hitech City, Hyderabad. This premier event is poised to attract industry leaders, venture capitalists, and visionary entrepreneurs for a day filled with stimulating discussions and exceptional networking prospects.

For further details and the latest updates on this and other upcoming events, please visit:

https://www.globalstartups.club 

News In Picture l Press Release

Inputs by: Amit kumaR Agarwal

The Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan releases the Books - Wings to Our Hopes-Volume I and Rashtrapati Bhavan: Heritage meets the Present published by Publications Division at Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre, in New Delhi on July 18, 2024.

News In Picture l Press Release

Gathering at the occasion of release the Books - Wings to Our Hopes-Volume I and Rashtrapati Bhavan: Heritage meets the Present published by Publications Division at Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre, in New Delhi on July 18, 2024. The Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan addressing on the occasion.

News In Picture l Press Release

Administrator, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu and Lakshadweep, Praful Patel calling on the Union Minister for Defence, Rajnath Singh, in New Delhi on July 18, 2024.

News In Picture l Press Release

Inputs by: Amit kumaR Agarwal

Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs & Power, Manohar Lal addressing the book release event of “Wired for Success” - How a Top Cop Turned Around Two Discoms at New Maharashtra Sadan, in New Delhi on July 17, 2024.

13 जुलाई 2024 के मुख्य सामाचार

'संविधान हत्या दिवस' पर सियासी घमासान, भाजपा ने अखिलेश से पूछा- क्या मुलायम सिंह यादव अराजकता का हिस्सा थे?

पीएम मोदी ने महाराष्ट्र को दी 29,000 करोड़ रुपये की सौगात, कहा- मुंबई को फिनटेक राजधानी बनाने का लक्ष्य

सभी मेडिकल कॉलेजों को बनाना होगा तंबाकू निषेध केंद्र, नेशनल मेडिकल कमीशन ने दिए निर्देश

नेपाल में नदी में बही बस के एक भारतीय का शव मिला, दुर्घटनास्थल से 50 किलोमीटर दूर मिली बॉडी; अन्य की तलाश जारी

रूस में यूक्रेन का बड़ा हमला, तेल डिपो को बनाया निशाना; पुतिन की सेना ने भी किया पलटवार

जो बाइडन ने तिब्बत समाधान अधिनियम पर किए हस्ताक्षर, चीन के साथ विवाद के शांतिपूर्ण समाधान को दिया बढ़ावा

इजरायली अधिकारी का बड़ा खुलासा: हमास प्रमुख को निशाना बनाकर गाजा में किया गया हमला, दर्जनों लोगों की मौत

US: दो महिलाओं की हत्या और वीडियो बनाने के जुर्म में आरोपी को 226 साल जेल की सजा, 2019 का है मामला

San Francisco: अमेरिकन एयरलाइंस की फ्लाइट में फटा लैपटॉप, अफरातफरी के बीच खाली कराया गया विमान

Nigeria School Building: नाइजीरिया में भरभराकर गिरी स्कूल की इमारत, 22 छात्रों की दर्दनाक मौत

IND Vs ZIM: सीरीज गंवाने के बाद फूटा सिकंदर रजा का गुस्‍सा

IND Vs ZIM: सीरीज जीतने के बाद भी खुश नहीं हैं भारतीय कप्‍तान शुभमन गिल, अभी भी काम रह गया बाकी

Health-Tech Panel-Session @ Global StartUp Summit 2024

By: Aanya Kumar

Global StartUp Summit 2024 was a gala event organized at Radisson, Gurugram by Global StartUp Club founded by Mohit Sureka. The event saw many panel discussions and insights into starting a successful StartUp.

One of the panel discussions on “Future of Health-tech StartUps” was curated by Amit R Agarwal, known to establish a reputed entertainment and media vertical, in a self-sustained eco-system space. The speakers were reputed practicing doctors and health-tech founders with a vast degree of knowledge to share with the audiences. The panelists included Lalit Singla, healthcare industry veteran, Konstantin Riabstev, co-founder and CEO, Lifetime Health, Dr. Sonali Kirde, Strategic Investor and Consultant at Health-tech Startups , Dhawal Jain, co-founder and CEO, Mave Health.

Speaking to an audience that were listening with rapt attention, Dr. Sonali, also a mentor at StartUp India, said “The future of HealthTech is poised to revolutionize healthcare through advancements in AI, telemedicine, wearable technology, and personalized medicine. Innovations will drive more precise diagnostics, enable remote and real-time patient monitoring, and offer tailored treatment plans. As these technologies integrate seamlessly with traditional healthcare systems, they will enhance patient outcomes, increase accessibility, and reduce costs. With continuous collaboration and overcoming regulatory, privacy, and interoperability challenges, HealthTech will lead to a more efficient, effective, and patient-centered healthcare landscape”.

They talked on various issues like the future of health-tech, use of AI in the health eco-system, the way Indians are going digital in health-care. The challenges faced in making Indians go from the conventional health-care to going digital.

The insights given by the industry-experts hugely bolstered a discussion around the shape, challenges and future of health-care.

Speaking to the writer Agarwal shared very interesting information. “I was the first media-person in the world to make a film on covid vaccine”. Featuring real-life doctors, Dr. K.K. Khanna and Dr. Swarupa Mitra, the film — CovidGo, is now part of Germany’s Unified filmmaker’s Media library.

“Next I made world’s 1st feature film on mental health awareness, Honey Kapoor Origins. It got me Karmaveer Chakra Award instituted by iCONGO partnered with the United Nations”.

On being queried about the use of films and AV’s to reach out, Agarwal gushed the power of films and AV can help anyone create an audience-base and reach untapped geo-regions.