The Establishing Shot: SPEEDY SINGHS UK PRESS CONFERENCE with RUSSELL PETERS, VINAY VIRMANI & GURPREET GHUGGI SINGH

THE CRÈME OF INTERNATIONAL TALENT DESCEND UPON THE UK TO ANNOUNCE THE CROSSOVER FILM OF 2011 ‘SPEEDY SINGHS’

Comedy Sensation Russell Peters and Screen Debutant Vinay Virmani alongside fellow
Cast and Crew Members at London Press Conference



Friday 23rd of September, London: Today saw some of the most lauded and iconic stars from American, Canadian and Indian cinema and entertainment take to the stage in London to promote one of the most exciting Hollywood crossover films to emerge in recent times, ‘Speedy Singhs’, releasing in the UK on Friday 30th September 2011. International comedy sensation, Russell Peters, and rising star of cinema, Vinay Virmani, joined fellow cast and crew members including much adored comedian/actor Gurpreet “Ghuggi” Singh and co-producer Ajay Virmani as they addressed the audience and conducted a Q&A session with media in attendance.

Russell Peters entertained the media with his witty comments and perfect comic timing as he spoke about his experience of working in the film. He commented, “I always worry about what people will think of my films but I actually LOL’d (laughed out loud) when I saw this. I actually got teary eye when I saw the film at the Toronto International Film Festival where it premiered. The film is shot, directed and cut extremely well.”



Indian comedy king Gurpreet “Ghuggi” Singh added, “I have never seen or experienced anything like Speedy Singhs before with its combination of Hollywood and Bollywood. It was great to work and share a screen space with Russell.”

Debutant star Vinay Virmani has received rave reviews from journalists and critics alike for his performance as Rajveer Singh. In commenting on the mass appeal the film will have crossing cultural and generational boundaries, he said, “Everyone can relate to the film, it is something everyone, of all ages, can enjoy. Every time I look at the Speedy Singhs poster, it shows that people have come from all over to be in this film from all industries, not confided by any boundaries. To sum, Speedy Singhs is about love, life and laughter.”

Speedy Singhs tells the story of Rajveer Singh essayed by Vinay Virmani caught between two cultures and two sets of ideals. The film speaks of the sports genre underdog, but in this case, the underdog reflects issues of assimilation that immigrants deal with daily as they strive for acceptance in their new home country. The entire cast highlighted the backdrop of the script as it explores the issues of race relations, migration and cross-cultural tensions while superbly balancing both tenderness and humour for the silver screen. Vinay Virmani and Russell Peters both reflected on their own experiences growing up in suburban Canada when Vinay mentioned “there are elements in the film that are from my experience”.

Co-producer Ajay Virmani echoed this saying, “Speedy Singhs is a very simple movie made from the heart and carries a message of all the struggles families from India go through. The story is based on personal experiences, about coming of age and trying to find a balance between being Indian and Canadian.”

As a surprise treat for the audiences and to highlight the success of the film’s music, in true hearty Punjabi style, “Ghuggi” and Vinay shared a musical moment as they Bhangra’d to the hit song Ne Aaja Ve.

Directed by Hollywood filmmaker Robert Lieberman (‘D3: The Mighty Ducks’, ‘Table for Five’) and produced by First Take Entertainment and Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar’s Hari Om Entertainment, ‘Speedy Singhs’ is a gripping, cross-cultural hockey drama set in the Indo-Canadian community of suburban Toronto, Canada. Other stars in the film include Hollywood heartthrob, Rob Lowe; the demure Camilla Belle (‘The Lost World: Jurassic Park’, ‘10,000 BC’); and veteran of Indian cinema Anupam Kher (‘Bend it like Beckham’). A galaxy of other exciting cameos are provided by the likes of recording artist and actor Aubrey “Drake” Graham and Grammy Award winning rapper Chris “Ludacris” Bridges. Ludacris added his vocals to the cross-urban music track of the year, “Shera Di Kaum”, the promotional song for ‘Speedy Singhs’, where he also features in the video.

‘Speedy Singhs’ releases in cinemas across UK and worldwide on 30th September 2011.

Release Date: 30 September, 2011

Speedy Singh
Set in suburban Toronto, the film tracks a young man struggling between traditional Indo-Canadian family expectations and his dreams of hockey stardom

Director: Robert Lieberman
Writers: Noel S. Baker, Jeff Schechter
Stars: Vinay Virmani, Russell Peters and Rob Lowe

For more information on film visit the www.theestablishingshot.com

The Establishing Shot: STARS OF SPEEDY SINGHS, RUSSELL PETERS, VINAY VIRMANI & OTHER KEY CAST MEMBERS TO VISIT LONDON

On Friday 23rd September comedy heavyweight Russell Peters, well known for his controversial worldwide sell out performances, Indo-Canadian star Vinay Virmani and other cast members, will be arriving in London to promote new cross-cultural film ‘Speedy Singhs’.

RUSSELL PETERS

• An Indo-Canadian comedy sensation
• Achieved sold out performances at prestigious venues such as Sydney Opera House and Madison Square Garden, as well as breaking the UK attendance record at London’s O2 Arena with the highest number of tickets sold for an individual comedy show.
• Listed by Forbes as one of the top earning comedians in the US
• Russell is famous for stand up performances poking fun at risqué subjects such as race, class and culture.
• Alongside his stand up career, Russell is also a familiar face within the film industry featuring in broad range of films including Hollywood sci-fi thriller ‘Source Code’ starring Jake Gyllenhaal.

Lead actor Vinay Virmani will also be in attendance at the conference. Making his UK film debut, the promising young actor championed by Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar, is the star of the film playing the 21 year old Rajveer Singh who goes against the odds to achieve his dream of an ice hockey career.

ABOUT SPEEDY SINGHS

• Directed by Hollywood filmmaker Robert Lieberman (‘D3: The Mighty Ducks’, ‘Table for Five’)
• Stars Rob Lowe, (‘West Wing’, ‘Brothers & Sisters’), Camilla Belle (‘The Lost World: Jurassic Park’, ‘10,000 BC’), lead actor Vinay Virmani and comedian Russell Peters, with cameo appearances from music artist Aubrey “Drake” Graham, Grammy Award winning rapper Chris “Ludacris” Bridges and Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar who is also the co-producer.
• Premiered at TIFF with great reception!
• The film is about Canada’s first all-Sikh hockey team called ‘Speedy Singhs’ and explores the issues of race relations, migration and cross-cultural tensions while superbly balancing both tenderness and humour.

Bollywood and Hollywood heavy-weights come together for the forthcoming cross-cultural film Breakaway, produced by the award-winning, Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar. The film also stars Rob Lowe, Russell Peters and Aubrey “Drake” Graham who has rendered a song for the film.

In Breakaway Akshay will be seen collaborating with the Grammy Award winning American rap artist Chris “Ludacris” Bridges for the track 'Shera Di Khom', again representing the amalgamation of Eastern and Western talent (media note below).

Akshay continues to be in a unique league of his own, untouched by any other Indian film star to date. With more than 120 films under his belt, many of which have crossed the shores to become critically acclaimed, Akshay is fulfilling his mission of bridging the gap between Indian cinema and Hollywood. Through his ingenious collaborations with Hollywood players and institutions, the global king of Indian cinema has been instrumental in the merging of Indian cinema into the global market. Other music stars he has collaborated with include Snoop Dogg and Kylie Minogue who both made their Bollywood debuts alongside Akshay.

Fondly known as the Global Ambassador for Bollywood, superstar Akshay Kumar continues to make his mark in Hollywood with the exciting, forthcoming release, ‘Breakaway’ releasing on 30th September 2011. The industry multi-rounder has produced and makes a cameo appearance in the cross-cultural film, directed by Robert Lieberman (‘D3: The Mighty Ducks’). Akshay presents another industry first as he becomes the first Bollywood star to produce a Hollywood film.

Sharing screen space with one of India’s top billing actors is a host of globally respected mainstream artists such as Hollywood heartthrob, Rob Lowe; global comedy sensation Russell Peters and actress Camilla Belle (‘The Lost World: Jurassic Park’).

After working with international music sensations Snoop Dogg for the title track Singh is Kinng and Kylie Minogue for Chiggy Wiggy for the film Blue, Akshay collaborates with the Grammy Award winning American rap artist Chris “Ludacris” Bridges for the track 'Shera Di Khom' in Breakaway. Also Aubrey “Drake” Graham also renders a song for the film.

Co-produced by Akshay’s home banner Hari Om Entertainment, ‘Breakaway’ is a gripping, cross-cultural hockey drama set in the Indo-Canadian community of suburban Toronto, Canada. The project provided the perfect Hollywood opportunity for the superstar, combining a locational backdrop he has always shared a deep connect with and his passion for sport.

Release Date: 30 September, 2011

Speedy Singh
Set in suburban Toronto, the film tracks a young man struggling between traditional Indo-Canadian family expectations and his dreams of hockey stardom

Director: Robert Lieberman
Writers: Noel S. Baker, Jeff Schechter
Stars: Vinay Virmani, Russell Peters and Rob Lowe

For more information on film visit the www.theestablishingshot.com

The Establishing Shot: SPEEDY SINGH WITH ROB LOWE, RUSSEL PETERS, LUDACRIS, AKSHAY KUMAR NEW RELEASE DATE 30 SEPT 2011

Bollywood and Hollywood heavy-weights come together for the forthcoming cross-cultural film Breakaway, produced by the award-winning, Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar. The film also stars Rob Lowe, Russell Peters and Aubrey “Drake” Graham who has rendered a song for the film.

In Breakaway Akshay will be seen collaborating with the Grammy Award winning American rap artist Chris “Ludacris” Bridges for the track 'Shera Di Khom', again representing the amalgamation of Eastern and Western talent (media note below).

Akshay continues to be in a unique league of his own, untouched by any other Indian film star to date. With more than 120 films under his belt, many of which have crossed the shores to become critically acclaimed, Akshay is fulfilling his mission of bridging the gap between Indian cinema and Hollywood. Through his ingenious collaborations with Hollywood players and institutions, the global king of Indian cinema has been instrumental in the merging of Indian cinema into the global market. Other music stars he has collaborated with include Snoop Dogg and Kylie Minogue who both made their Bollywood debuts alongside Akshay.

Fondly known as the Global Ambassador for Bollywood, superstar Akshay Kumar continues to make his mark in Hollywood with the exciting, forthcoming release, ‘Breakaway’ releasing on 30th September 2011. The industry multi-rounder has produced and makes a cameo appearance in the cross-cultural film, directed by Robert Lieberman (‘D3: The Mighty Ducks’). Akshay presents another industry first as he becomes the first Bollywood star to produce a Hollywood film.

Sharing screen space with one of India’s top billing actors is a host of globally respected mainstream artists such as Hollywood heartthrob, Rob Lowe; global comedy sensation Russell Peters and actress Camilla Belle (‘The Lost World: Jurassic Park’).

After working with international music sensations Snoop Dogg for the title track Singh is Kinng and Kylie Minogue for Chiggy Wiggy for the film Blue, Akshay collaborates with the Grammy Award winning American rap artist Chris “Ludacris” Bridges for the track 'Shera Di Khom' in Breakaway. Also Aubrey “Drake” Graham also renders a song for the film.

Co-produced by Akshay’s home banner Hari Om Entertainment, ‘Breakaway’ is a gripping, cross-cultural hockey drama set in the Indo-Canadian community of suburban Toronto, Canada. The project provided the perfect Hollywood opportunity for the superstar, combining a locational backdrop he has always shared a deep connect with and his passion for sport.

Release Date: 30 September, 2011

Speedy Singh
Set in suburban Toronto, the film tracks a young man struggling between traditional Indo-Canadian family expectations and his dreams of hockey stardom

Director: Robert Lieberman
Writers: Noel S. Baker, Jeff Schechter
Stars: Vinay Virmani, Russell Peters and Rob Lowe

For more information on film visit the www.theestablishingshot.com

THE ESTABLISHING SHOT: SPEEDY SINGH AKS BREAKAWAY UNITES THE CREME DE LA CREME OF MAINSTREAM & INDIAN TALENT ON SCREEN IN THE CROSSOVER FILM OF 2011

‘Rajveer Singh’ (Vinay Virmani) is 21 years old and aspires to play professional hockey, struggling to succeed in a predominantly white man’s sport. Facing prejudice from his peers, he decides to assemble an all-Sikh hockey team called ‘Speedy Singh’ and these talented young men begin a challenging journey of social acceptance and ethnic assimilation, while still retaining their proud roots. However, further conflict arises for Rajveer at home, as his orthodox Sikh father (Anupam Kher) wants him to dedicate his life to the family business and the Sikh faith. Caught at the crossroads between family duty and following his dreams, Rajveer prepares for the biggest challenge and game of his life.

‘SPEEDY SINGH’ UNITES THE CRÈME DE LA CRÈME OF MAINSTREAM &

INDIAN TALENT ON SCREEN IN THE CROSSOVER FILM OF 2011

Hollywood Director Robert Lieberman presents one of the most heartfelt Cross-Cultural Dramas of recent times, releasing on 23rd September 2011

Some of the most lauded and iconic stars from American, Canadian and Indian cinema and entertainment join forces in 2011’s most poignant drama, ‘Speedy Singh’, releasing in cinemas worldwide and in the UK on Friday 23rd September 2011. Produced by First Take Entertainment and Hari Om Entertainment, ‘Speedy Singh’ is a gripping, cross-cultural hockey drama set in the Indo-Canadian community of suburban Toronto, Canada.

Directed by Hollywood filmmaker Robert Lieberman (‘D3: The Mighty Ducks’, ‘Table for Five’), ‘Speedy Singh’ features Hollywood heartthrob, Rob Lowe; global comedy sensation Russell Peters and the demure Camilla Belle (‘The Lost World: Jurassic Park’, ‘10,000 BC’) alongside Indian stars including sensational screen debutant Vinay Virmani who delivers a world class performance, and veteran of Indian cinema Anupam Kher (‘Bend it like Beckham’). The co-producer of the film is India’s biggest star, Akshay Kumar, who is the first Bollywood star to become a producer of a major Hollywood film. Akshay continues to make his mark in Hollywood and makes a guest appearance as himself in the film. A galaxy of other exciting cameos are provided by the likes of recording artist and actor Aubrey “Drake” Graham and Grammy Award winning rapper Chris “Ludacris” Bridges. Ludacris added his vocals to the cross-urban music track of the year, “Shera Di Kaum”, the promotional song for ‘Speedy Singh’, where he also features in the video. The track is already championing the airwaves and global playlists ahead of the film’s release.

Riveting, entertaining but also entrenched in a strong social context, ‘Speedy Singh’ explores the issues of race relations, migration and cross-cultural tensions while superbly balancing both tenderness and humour. It tells the story of a young man caught between two cultures and two sets of ideals. The film speaks of the sports genre underdog, but in this case, the underdog reflects issues of assimilation that immigrants deal with daily as they strive for acceptance in their new home country.

‘Speedy Singh’ also has a generational story to tell, as a young man tries to find his way in a new, western world, daring to disobey his father’s sacred traditions. It gives the audience an insight into the little known Sikh culture, a beautifully humble group of South Asians that embrace a strong sense of community. These real issues ground ‘Speedy Singh’ in a story that has deep resonance – even in its hilarity, it has poignancy.

Comments Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar, “Breakaway is a touching story about a young Indian Ice Hockey player who wants to get into the big league. I am introducing Vinay Virmani, who is a very good Ice Hockey player in real life as well. The film is about an Indian family wanting to break the stranglehold that mainstream communities have abroad in sports.”

Release Date: 23 September, 2011

Breakaway
Set in suburban Toronto, the film tracks a young man struggling between traditional Indo-Canadian family expectations and his dreams of hockey stardom

Director: Robert Lieberman
Writers: Noel S. Baker, Jeff Schechter, and 4 more credits »
Stars: Vinay Virmani, Russell Peters and Rob Lowe

For more information on film visit the www.theestablishingshot.com

Bollywood meets Hollywood when Akshay Kumar collaborates with Ludacris for Breakaway

Bollywood and Hollywood heavy-weights come together for the forthcoming cross-cultural film Breakaway, produced by the award-winning, Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar. The film also stars Rob Lowe, Russell Peters and Aubrey “Drake” Graham who has rendered a song for the film.

In Breakaway Akshay will be seen collaborating with the Grammy Award winning American rap artist Chris “Ludacris” Bridges for the track 'Shera Di Khom', again representing the amalgamation of Eastern and Western talent (media note below).

Akshay continues to be in a unique league of his own, untouched by any other Indian film star to date. With more than 120 films under his belt, many of which have crossed the shores to become critically acclaimed, Akshay is fulfilling his mission of bridging the gap between Indian cinema and Hollywood. Through his ingenious collaborations with Hollywood players and institutions, the global king of Indian cinema has been instrumental in the merging of Indian cinema into the global market. Other music stars he has collaborated with include Snoop Dogg and Kylie Minogue who both made their Bollywood debuts alongside Akshay.

Fondly known as the Global Ambassador for Bollywood, superstar Akshay Kumar continues to make his mark in Hollywood with the exciting, forthcoming release, ‘Breakaway’ releasing on 30th September 2011. The industry multi-rounder has produced and makes a cameo appearance in the cross-cultural film, directed by Robert Lieberman (‘D3: The Mighty Ducks’). Akshay presents another industry first as he becomes the first Bollywood star to produce a Hollywood film.

Sharing screen space with one of India’s top billing actors is a host of globally respected mainstream artists such as Hollywood heartthrob, Rob Lowe; global comedy sensation Russell Peters and actress Camilla Belle (‘The Lost World: Jurassic Park’).

After working with international music sensations Snoop Dogg for the title track Singh is Kinng and Kylie Minogue for Chiggy Wiggy for the film Blue, Akshay collaborates with the Grammy Award winning American rap artist Chris “Ludacris” Bridges for the track 'Shera Di Khom' in Breakaway. Also Aubrey “Drake” Graham also renders a song for the film.

Co-produced by Akshay’s home banner Hari Om Entertainment, ‘Breakaway’ is a gripping, cross-cultural hockey drama set in the Indo-Canadian community of suburban Toronto, Canada. The project provided the perfect Hollywood opportunity for the superstar, combining a locational backdrop he has always shared a deep connect with and his passion for sport.

Release Date: 23 September, 2011

Breakaway
Set in suburban Toronto, the film tracks a young man struggling between traditional Indo-Canadian family expectations and his dreams of hockey stardom

Director: Robert Lieberman
Writers: Noel S. Baker, Jeff Schechter, and 4 more credits »
Stars: Vinay Virmani, Russell Peters and Rob Lowe

For more information on film visit the www.theestablishingshot.com