ITV

Tag: Bas Yun Hi

  • “We are comfortable being a stand-alone channel ” : Alex Kuruvilla Managing director MTV India

    “We are comfortable being a stand-alone channel ” : Alex Kuruvilla Managing director MTV India

    Music channel MTV is all set to stir up some buzz on the Hindi film scene.Its first venture into the world of movie making, Bas Yun Hi, will see the channel partnering with Bandra West Productions. The film is being billed as a lighthearted romantic comedy. MTV India managing director Alex Kuruvilla spoke to Indiantelevision.com‘s Ashwin Pinto about the film and other issues.

    When and how did the idea come about?
    Bas Yun Hi is a true partnership in every sense of the term. The process started a couple of years ago when we started making efforts to modernise our brand equity. So we go into clothing through MTV Style, branding products through credit cards. Being involved with the process of filmmaking was a natural step since a major part of our programming is film based. When Raja Menon ( director and producer of BYH) and Pratap Raju (BYH co-producer) came to us with the idea we were attracted to it from the word go.

    Through Bas Yun Hi we spotted a window of opportunity to create a new genre of film, which would mix reality and fantasy. The film will present everyday scenarios in an interesting fashion so that the end result is neither heavy handed nor trivial. We also needed to be sure that it would fit across the 25 million homes that the channel reaches. The fact that experienced hands were involved in production gave us further reassurance. We are in the process of building up a serious business out of the brand.

    “Based on the audience reaction to ‘The Osbournes‘ we might look at producing a ‘desi‘ show along similar lines featuring a popular personality that the Indian audience can identify with”

    Is the channel trying to emulate the success MTV has had in the US with films like Orange County?
    Absolutely. However at the moment our core competence is limited as these are testing waters for us. We have always been involved with films in terms of contests, promotional teasers, behind the scenes features but the process always commenced when the product was ready. Here, we have got involved at the beginning before even the final script was ready. At each stage of production, we have been lending our creative inputs and guidance to all aspects of the film whether it was the music or the storyline.

    What is the film‘s target audience?
    This is a film that will cut across the board. It will hold appeal not just to the teeny bop generation but to the entire family.

    When will the promos and marketing strategy start?
    Until now, our entire energy has been focused on production. Now we will get into the business of using our marketing and promotional muscle to create awareness. The process will roll out in a trickle down manner across various mediums, be it on the channel, online or even on ground activities. We are also talking to a couple of companies regarding sponsorship.

    Any further film projects in the pipeline?
    Not as of now. We are waiting for the response to the film before we decide upon our future course of action.

    What about further programming initiatives for MTV?
    A new programming block soul2soul will start airing next week. This show rides high on the huge wave of health and mind consciousness that is growing. We felt that we could add something new by giving our spin to it. In addition MTV Bakra with Cyrus Broacha will be back with a bang shortly.

    The MTV special, titled Staying Alive: A Global Forum on HIV/AIDS which featured former US president Billl Clinton will air on 27 July. The hugely publicised VJ Hunt, which took place in Mumbai earlier this year, will air on the channel on 29 July.

    “Through ‘Bas Yun Hi‘ we spotted a window of opportunity to create a new genre of film, which would mix reality and fantasy”

    Since the beginning of 2002, how has the channel been faring in terms of share vis-a-vis rivals Channel V, etc, B4U Music?
    For the past two and a half years, we have managed to maintain our lead especially in the primetime band and the situation should continue unchanged.

    The channel has started airing the reality show The Osbournes? Is there any possibility of an Indian reality show being produced by MTV?
    That is something we would certainly look at. After all, television properties developed at home like MTV‘s VJ Hunt have now gone into other countries. Therefore, it makes sense to scrutinise television show formats that have been a huge success abroad. Based on the audience reaction to The Osbournes we might look at producing a “desi” show along similar lines featuring a popular personality that the Indian audience can identify with.

    Has the channel succeeded in attracting new advertisers during the course of the year?
    The situation has been very healthy on this front this year. In fact, we have managed to attract companies marketing financial products like ABN Amro too.

    When is the channel going pay?
    We are keeping a close watch on the developments concerning CAS. Once CAS is in place, the entire broadcast scenario will change, so it is difficult to anticipate future developments. Therefore, as of now a decision has not been taken.

    Reports indicate that Zee and Sony are keen on MTV India joining their bouquet. Has anything happened on this front?
    Not just Zee and Sony but quite a few other parties have been coaxing us to come aboard. We however, are at the moment comfortable being a stand-alone channel. If you examine the television scene, Aaj Tak and BBC World are going from strength to strength without being strung along with other channels.

  • MTV breaks Bollywood bastion with ‘Bas Yun Hi’

    MTV breaks Bollywood bastion with ‘Bas Yun Hi’

    MUMBAI: MTV is getting into film production with Bas Yun Hi, a maiden venture of the new production house Bandra West Productions. 

    To be released in theatres across India in October this year, Bandra West Productions has entered into a partnership with MTV for creative input as well as for promotions. Bandra West, promoted by Raja Menon and Pratap Raju, aims to make films that will not just do well commercially but will also provide emotional sustenance for the viewer. While Raju serves as co-producer of the venture, Menon wears the director’s cap. While the two are not looking at Bas Yun Hi as a litmus test, they are not talking to other television channels for future initiatives either.

    “This is our first project and at this point of time our sole concentration is on Bas Yun Hi. We want the medium budget film to be commercial in the sense of dragging people into cinema halls but at the same time it shouldnt repeat the same old formula. Judging by public reaction when the film is released within the first couple of weeks in October we will proceed further.” chorus the two.

    Queried about the story and nature of Bas Yun Hi they say, “Well the story, which takes place within the span of ten days, is steeped in emotional urban reality. The characters are down to earth, so the audience will not have a problem making a connection. This is important, because as Indians, we express ourselves emotionally more easily. Although the story is entirely fictional, one character could be an amalgamation of a few people in real life. The friends are all at the starting points of their respective careers and their various personalities enable them to bounce off each other. For instance, Aditya harbours dreams of being a filmmaker. Another character is an aspiring actress. The story takes a dramatic twist when one character plays a prank on another.”

    They also explain the reason why most films released earlier this year flopped. “For us, the script was fundamental. Without the solid grounding of a healthy screenplay, the glitz and glamour of a film tends to get lost in the shuffle. This is one of the main reasons why so many films released this year have performed indifferently at the box office. Another problem is that there is not sufficient differentiation between one product and the next. We however are trying to create space of our own.” 

    The duo have also made a conscious attempt to avoid exaggerated melodrama that peoples Bollywood – like a hero saving the country, for instance. When a song is played, it serves a mechanism to take the story forward, they claim. So, Nandita Das grooving to a Salsa tune in the film is just an example of a glimpse into the character’s mindset, they say.

    Bas Yun Hi has been shot in Bangalore over a period of 40 days; post-production is currently on. While Uma da Cunha is responsible for the casting, the first time she has handled a Hindi film, the music has been supplied by Rajeev Raja & Merlin.

    Noted cinematographer Jehangir Choudhary along with sound engineer Nakul Kamte have shot the film in sync sound, as with Lagaan and Dil Chahta Hai, Kamte’s earlier ventures. “There is no dubbing, which makes a huge difference to audio output,” says Menon. Queried about the difference between making an ad and a feature film, Menon who has a wealth of experience in the ad film world said, “In the former you are dealing a product. In a span of 30-40 seconds you have to pitch it to prospective consumers. With film the time period is much more. It allows freedom. It is also a more personal experience as you are dealing with the lives of people. However if a film fails at the box office you have yourself to blame. It is a no excuse medium.”