Cine Blitz

Cine Blitz

An issue of Cine Blitz featuring Sonam Kapoor on the cover
Editor Nichola Pais
Categories Film Magazine
Frequency Monthly
First issue December 1974
Company Blitz Multimedia Pvt. Ltd.
Country India
Based in Mumbai
Language English & Hindi
Website www.cineblitz.in
ISSN 0971-9970
OCLC number 18389308

Cine Blitz is a noted Hindi and English film magazine published every month from Mumbai about Bollywood, Hindi cinema.[1] Started in December 1974, as of 2006, it was one of the top three film magazines in India.[2][3]

Cine Blitz belongs to Blitz Multimedia Pvt Ltd. It was originally started by Rifa Publications, headed by Russy Karanjia and publishers of the popular political weekly Blitz. His daughter Rita Mehta was the first editor-in-chief of the magazine.[4][5][6] Currently, Nichola Pais is the editor of Cine Blitz and owned by VJM Media Private Limited of Vijay Mallya, after a 2001 acquisition.[7]

History

Cine Blitz was launched by Russy Karanjia's Rifa Publications in December 1974,and his daughter Rita Mehta became the first editor-in-chief of the magazine. The first issue of December 1974, had Zeenat Aman on the cover. To give the new magazine "a flying start," Rita Mehta approached Protima Bedi and asked her to do a streak run across Mumbai, first at Flora Fountain and then at Juhu Beach. Pictures of it would be carried in the inside pages of the inaugural edition.[3][8]

The ensuing controversy forced the magazine to then (falsely) claim that the naked run was actually shot in Goa and later superimposed on images of Mumbai. However, the goal of popularising the new magazine was achieved and Cine Blitz went on to become one of India's leading film and gossip magazines for years to come. Its attitude was reflected in its rather tongue-in-cheek tagline of "C to Z of Hindi Films - Everyone covers AB".

For the subsequent three decades Cine Blitz continued to be a leading film magazine.[3][9] However around 2000, the magazine sales stagnated for three years and in 2001 it was acquired by UB Group chairman Vijay Mallya under groups by VJM Media Private Limited, though Rita Mehta, its previous owner continued as editor-in-chief of the magazine.[9][10]

The acquisition lead to the revamp of the magazine, and in 2003 Cine Blitz launched its international editions, US and UK editions catering to the Asian diaspora, with launch fucntion in London.[11][12] And in 2006, Rita Mehta was replaced as editor-in-chief by Nishi Prem, the former editor of Stardust.[13]

In 2009, to mark its 35th anniversary,[14] the magazine released a coffee table book about history of Hindi film industry, Love & Longing in Hindi Cinema by editor Nishi Prem.[15][16][17]

References

  1. ↑ Wendy L. Bowcher (2012). Multimodal Texts from Around the World: Cultural and Linguistic Insights. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 179. ISBN 978-0-230-25163-2.
  2. ↑ Kasbekar, Asha (January 2006). Pop Culture India!: Media, Arts, and Lifestyle. ABC-CLIO. p. 119. ISBN 978-1-85109-636-7.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Protima's naked run: Cine Blitz Profile". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 2014-07-30.
  4. ↑ "Cine Blitz profile". The Hindustan Times. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
  5. ↑ Bachi Karkaria (Feb 2, 2008). "'Blitz' founder Karanjia dead". The Times of India. Retrieved 2014-07-30.
  6. ↑ "R.K. Karanjia: Living through the Blitz". The Hindu. February 6, 2008. Retrieved 2014-07-30.
  7. ↑ "Diageo-USL deal puts to test Mallya’s credentials". Mint (newspaper). Nov 9, 2012. Retrieved 2014-07-30.
  8. ↑ "CineBlitz Film Magazine". VJM Media. Retrieved 2014-07-30.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Alokananda Chakraborty (October 30, 2001). "Business houses and publishing: Is there a synergy?". afaqs!. Retrieved 2014-07-30.
  10. ↑ "Vijay Mallya to buy Cine Blitz magazine". Rediff.com, Reuters. Retrieved 2014-07-30.
  11. ↑ "International edition of Cineblitz launched in London". Economic Times. Retrieved 2014-07-30.
  12. ↑ Bollywood gossip mag Cine Blitz is relaunched
  13. ↑ Cine Blitz celebrates 32nd anniversary
  14. ↑ "Coffee-table book 'Cine Blitz Gold' launched in Mumbai". Daily News & Analysis, DNA. 1 December 2009. Retrieved 2014-07-30.
  15. ↑ "CineBlitz Gold book launch with Vijay Mallya, Aamir Khan, Katrina Kaif & Karan Johar". First Post. 2009. Retrieved 2014-07-30.
  16. ↑ "Covers and coffee". The Tribune (Chandigarh). December 13, 2009. Retrieved 2014-07-30.
  17. ↑ "Chairman of UB Group Vijay Mallya, actor Aamir Khan..". Hindutan Times. December 1, 2009. Retrieved 2014-07-30.

Bibliography

External links