UTV to release Vishal Bharadwaj's 'The Blue Umbrella'on Jan 5

Mumbai, Nov 25 (UNI) UTV has announced the launch of UTV Classics, a sub-brand of UTV Motion Pictures that would promote experimental and unconventional cinema, making it accessible to a broad audience.

The opening film to be released under the banner will be ' The Blue Umbrella' directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, that is set to release in theaters across the country on January 5, 2007.

Based on a Ruskin Bond novel by the same name 'The Blue Umbrella' aims at adding a new dimension to today's genre of kids' films by combining entertainment with a morality tale.

The film has astounding performances by Pankaj Kapur and Shreya Sharma. Having being screened at some of the top-notch film festivals abroad, 'The Blue Umbrella' is all set to captivate the minds and hearts of the young.

Says Ronnie Screwvala, CEO of UTV,''The entertainment tastes of a section of the audience are maturing with time and UTV Classics is an initiative to address the needs of this growing audience for different cinema. 2006 has been proof of this, with unconventional movies that have broken the mould and have been applauded by audiences and critics alike.

True to the works of Ruskin Bond, the film is set against the backdrop of an idyllic tranquil village in the scenic valleys of Himachal Pradesh. The film's heart and soul is the unsurpassed Pankaj Kapur, who plays NandKishore, a shrewd shopkeeper. Nandu, whose character is symbolic of the 'common man', gets enchanted by a beautiful, embellished mystical blue umbrella owned by Biniya, a small girl played by Shreya Sharma. The striking umbrella becomes the centre of attraction, disturbing the otherwise serene and peaceful ambience of the village.

The story takes an abrupt turn when the umbrella goes missing one fine day, thus begins the quest for the umbrella, leading the two leading characters into an unanticipated world of wisdom and knowledge. The umbrella, which has deftly been kept in the foreground by the director, symbolizes every human emotion from love to longing, from desire to greed.

Director Vishal Bhardwaj's talent is so vast that it encompasses all aspects of movie making. He began as a music director in 'Maachis' to full-fledged directorial ventures like 'Maqbool' and 'Omkara'. He also has the film 'Makdee' to his credit, which successfully managed to strike a chord with the imaginative and dreamy world of children.

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