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  • Marathi film industry poised for growth with superior content

    Marathi film industry poised for growth with superior content

    MUMBAI: In recent times movies like Killa, Timepass, Lai Bhaari and Fandry have managed to break regional shackles and create a buzz amongst all and sundry. Reason – the Rs 300+ crore Marathi film industry has been churning out some quality content lately. What’s more, made on puny budgets – when compared to the big daddy of Indian cinema – Bollywood, many a Marathi films are breaking even and also profiting.  

     

    More often than not the fate of Bollywood movies depends on the star quotient. A Salman Khan movie will do well, no matter what. Such is the power and charisma of the man. Compared to this, in Marathi cinema, there is less reliance on stars as it is superlative content that sets the cash registers ringing.

     

    The Riteish Deshmukh starrer Marathi movie Lai Bhaari collected over Rs 40 crore at the box office, while Timepass collected Rs 30 crore. On the other hand, Classmate collected nearly Rs 21 crore at the box office turnstiles. These numbers say a lot.

     

    While these films get a limited theatrical release, when the content clicks with movie aficionados, distributors are ready to shell out that extra moolah for a wider release.

     

    The Marathi film industry churns out close to 100 movies a year as compared to 1000+ Hindi movies that are released every year. While the cost of production of a mid-budget Marathi movie is Rs 1.5 crore, the budget touches Rs 3.5 crore for a big budget Marathi movie. On the other hand, promotions budgets are in the range of Rs 1.5 – 2 crore, which includes advertising, distribution and release cost.

     

    Global Sports Entertainment And Media Solutions directors Arjun Singgh Baran and Kartik Nishandar said, “The Marathi film industry is showing great potential to grow further if strategised well. And the State government is doing a lot for the growth of the Marathi film industry. However, producers still have to pay rental to single screen theatres, which adds up to the overall cost. With this, the movie becomes expensive for the producer.”

     

    With the proliferation of digital and social media, today every brand, movie, personality or company are using the medium to get their message across to million of people at one go. Reiterating the importance of the digital platform, Baran and Nishandar said that digital marketing plays a prominent role in the success of a movie. “Digital marketing over the last one year has grown to the next level with the presence of maximum number of youth on the digital platform. As the target audience has shifted from the age group of 14 to 45, the maximum exposure a movie gets is only through digital marketing,” the duo opined.

     

    While the Marathi movie has always been high on the content, the industry didn’t get its rightful place under the sun until now due to lack of finance, distribution and proper marketing. However, in last five years or so, Marathi movies’ box office collections have seen a considerable jump.

     

    According to director Swapna Joshi, content is the key for a movie’s success. “There is a drastic change in Marathi cinema content. There are three major positive changes that have taken place in Marathi film content over the past few years. The first is that the content is becoming very strong, bolder and wider. Secondly, while collaborating modern context into content, we are not letting go of our core values. Thirdly, the production value of a Marathi movie has really gone up in recent times. One thing that the industry should take care of is not to compromise quality over quantity,” Joshi said.

     

    Key revenue generating factors for a movie are its theatrical distribution coupled with targeted promotions. Actor, director and producer Mahesh Kothare added, “Times have changed and there is an evolution of cinema, which gave an impetus to piracy. Unlike olden days, the shelf life of a movie these days is just a few weeks. So the total box office collections depend on the number of theatres that a movie has been released across. Maximum screens means maximum reach, which automatically results in maximum profit. While most of the revenue is recovered in the first week itself, if a movie runs for four weeks, it’s a bonus and if the run continues into the fifth week, the movie is a great success.” 

     

    9X Jhakaas programming head Rohan Rane opined, “The Marathi film industry is growing and celebrities want to be a part of it because both the industries are working very closely with each other. There are many Marathi music launches and releases, which are attended by Bollywood biggies. Similarly, there are many Marathi actors, who have become a part of Bollywood movies.” 

     

    The Indian film industry has a history of more than 100 years, wherein Marathi cinema is the oldest form of cinema. According to the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) and International Film Festival of India (IFFI), the first indigenously made film was Raja Harishchandra in 1913, which was produced by Dada Saheb Phalke, as part of Marathi cinema. It was made with Marathi dialogues while shooting with a fully Marathi crew.

     

    That said, the Marathi film industry, which has been churning out superior National Award winning content lately, is poised for growth in the coming years even as the release environment gets more and more conducive.

  • Interactive programming, the new trend

    Interactive programming, the new trend

    MUMBAI: Ever imagined talking to Aamir Khan while watching his film? Thanks to the broadcasters who have now started taking the digital approach seriously, the dream is turning into a reality for many.

     

    For the country which eats, sleeps and breathes movies, it will be unwise of movie channels to not create a connection between the two. Multi-screening is a reality today and media planners believe that if one needs to survive in today’s digital age then a broadcaster needs to be available on all the platforms.

     

    Taking a cue from changing consumption patterns, the increasing number of middle-income households and the propensity of consumers to spend on leisure and entertainment, channels today are pursuing two important facets – innovation and interaction.

     

    A case in point is &Pictures, from the Zeel stable, which for Aamir Khan’s first unreleased movie, Chale Chalo, invited fans of the movie and the actor together and gave them the opportunity to watch the movie along with Khan himself.

     

    Chale Chalo, a documentary film, based on the making of Khan’s Oscar nominated movie Lagaan, became a talking-point even before it was aired on the channel. The buzz created on the social media and the chance to speak to the actor during live dial-ins achieved an unbelievable ratings. “No one expected a documentary film to garner more viewership than the original film,” says pleased Zeel executive vice president – marketing, national channels Akash Chawla.

     

    “Until a few year ago, only News channels had an option of live dial-ins, but since second screen is becoming an important part of viewing today and is becoming a reality in India as well, we had to go beyond the usual,” he adds.

     

    The concept of bringing high-level of interactivity was later also used by Sony Entertainment Television for the premiere of Dhoom 3. The channel wanted to interact with its younger audience and hence, invited kids for a live call-in to the Dhoom star, Aamir Khan.

     

    In an earlier interview to indiantelevision.com, Sony Max senior VP and business head Neeraj Vyas had said that the use of digital space has became a kind of a case study for them. “Even post the IPL, we have some very aggressive plans. We were the first ones to have live tweets during the telecast of Jab Tak Hai Jaan. We got close to 2,500 responses. We also had Twitter contests called #TalaashHunt for Talaash. Through the contest we added around 11,545 followers from 11 to 14 July, 2013, the day the movie was telecast,” he had said then.

     

    Recently, Sony Max showcased a special programme Pancham – Mujhey Chaltey Jaana Hai that showcased never-seen-before nuggets about Rahul Dev Burman aka Pancham Da.

     

    The channels know that viewers today want more than just plain-vanilla movie watching experience. &Pictures created a crowd-sourced Online Milo Sajna during its launch a year ago, where viewers wrote a script and the channel shot the best one and showcased it online. It added another feather in its cap with a blogger activity in a train for the movie Chennai Express.

     

    However, the new trend isn’t as simple as one might think of. Depending on projects, teams (research and digital) sit together to ideate and come up with tactical measures to woo viewers. Channels are even earmarking a certain amount ranging from 10 to 20 per cent of the total marketing budget on these projects.

     

    “Anything innovative always catches advertisers fancy,” says Zee’s chief sales officer Ashish Sehgal while adding that the brands too want to interact with viewers and hence, are eager to advertise on such innovations.

     

    As per sources, a normal film would charge as less as Rs 6,000 for every 10 second ad slot; however, the innovations especially for a blockbuster film can charge up to Rs 2 lakh. “Chale Chalo sold 10 second ad spots for a lakh. And the interactions helped the channel earn almost Rs 2 crore from it which would have never happened especially for a documentary,” says a planner.

     

    The innovations are moving regional as well. Zee Marathi premiered Fandry with a difference. The campaign was woven around the concept Jaaniv Zhali, Badal Havaa that aimed at bringing about change in society and making a difference in the lives of children. The channel tied up with 10 NGOs that work in the area of child development and protection and raised funds for these NGOs through the movie and also got the likes of Nana Patekar, Sonali Kulkarni, Urmila Matondkar to promote it.

     

    Media observers believe that though it is a good trend and getting the movie channels what they want, but with time the innovations might overlap and hence, each channel will have to differentiate itself from the other. “A lot will depend on how they keep the mark up and come up with innovations that will attract viewers and not come up with an interactive programming just because it is a fad,” opines a media planner.

  • Festival of National Film award-winners of 2013 commences in capital

    Festival of National Film award-winners of 2013 commences in capital

    NEW DELHI: A festival of films that won awards at the 61st National Film awards for 2013 has commenced in the capital with the screening of Marathi feature film Astu by Sumitra Bhave and Sunil Sukhtankar and short film Chidiya Udh by Pranjal Dua.

     
    Organised by the Directorate of Film Festivals at the Sirifort Complex, it will feature all the National Award winning films for the public during the four-day festival.

     
    Thus, it will screen 30 feature films and 23 non-feature films.
     

    The inauguration was attended by filmmakers Sumitra Bhave and Sunil Sukthankar among others.
     

    Entry to the screenings is free and on first come first serve basis.
     

    Some of the other films to be screened at the festival are Ship of Theseus, Miss Lovely, Shahid, Crossing Bridges, Fandry, Liar’s Dice and The Coffin maker.

     
    A total of 41 awards are to be given by the President in the non-feature film category while the number of awards in feature film category is 40.

     
    Hindi films once again dominated the National Film Awards by getting as many as fifteen awards among feature films. Marathi came next with ten awards followed by Bengali with six and Tamil and Kannada with five each and Malayalam with four.

     
    However, the highest number of awards went to the Bengali film ‘Jaatishwar’ which won awards for best female playback for Rupankar and the film ‘e tumi kemon tumi’, best costume for Sabarni Das, best make-up for Vilram Gaikwad (for hero Prosenjit) and Kabir Suman for best musical score.

     
    ‘Bhag Milkha Bhag’ by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra bagged the award for the most popular film providing wholesome entertainment. ‘Fandry’ got the Indira Gandhi Award fir best directorial debut by Nagraj Manjule, the Nargis Dutt award for national integration for Balu Mahendra’s tamil film ‘Thalaimuraigal’ and the social issues award went to the Marathi ‘Tuhya Dharma Koncha’ by Satish Manwar.

  • Zee Marathi – World Television Premiere of ‘Fandry’ acts as a catalyst for social awakening & change

    Zee Marathi – World Television Premiere of ‘Fandry’ acts as a catalyst for social awakening & change

    MUMBAI: The National Award Winning and critically acclaimed movie ‘Fandry’ will premiere on Maharashtra’s number 1 Marathi channel ‘Zee Marathi’ on 29th June 2014. This time its not just content with just high ratings from blockbusters like Duniyadari, Mee Shivajiraje Bhosale Boltoy, Natarang and Balak Palak amongst others in the past, the channel has gone one step ahead this time with the film Fandry.

     

    Going beyond the gamut of vanilla promotions, Zee Marathi has endeavored to make a difference through Fandry. For starters, the channel has embarked on a mission to bring about change. The campaign woven around the concept ‘Jaaniv Zhali, Badal Havaa’ aims at bringing about change in society and making a difference in the lives of children. The channel has tied up with 10 NGOs that work in the area of children development and protection and will raise funds for these NGOs through the movie. This will be done through special break content that has been created for the movie. The channel has roped in some of the most popular Marathi actors to pledge their support for this cause and thereby create awareness and raise funds towards the cause of these NGOs. Some of the celebrities who will be part of this campaign include Nana Patekar, Sonali Kulkarni, Urmila Matondkar, Sachin Khedekar, Makarand Deshpande, Sachin Pilgaonkar, Atul Kulkarni, Amol Gupte alongwith vereteran Artists Vikram Gokhale and Dilip Prabhavalkar. These artists will support NGOs across Maharashtra; working towards the cause of children in varied areas. Some of these NGOs include Lokbiradari Prakalp (Gadchiroli), Snehankur (Ahmednagar) Eklavya Nyas (Pune), Narmadalay , Qest : Quality Education Support Trust (Solapur), Punrutthan Samarasata Gurukaul (Pimpari Chinchwad), Hamara Foundation (Mumbai) to name a few.

     

    The film’s campaign including the promos have been adeptly designed to communicate the strength of the content, the awards accolades and the cause in a smart and impactful manner.

     

    In addition to the above, the channel has also started a social media campaign through Facebook titled as ‘Jaaniv Zhali, Badal Havaa’.  As part of this initiative, all the Facebook users have to do is click on pledge tab called ‘Nirdhar Badlacha’ (Pledge for CHANGE) and register their support for the campaign. For each pledge Rupee 1 will be contributed towards the cause of these NGOs by Zee Marathi. Through this initiative Zee Marathi aims at building the reach of the campaign as there is no cost involved to the user.

     

    Speaking on the Fandry ‘Jaaniv Zhali, Badal Havaa’ initiative, Mr. Deepak Rajadhyaksha, Business Head, Zee Marathi said “Blockbusters have always rated well on Zee Marathi and this has been established beyond doubt. It is not often that one gets a chance to make a difference to someone’s life and hence we have gone beyond the regular model of a movie premiere and decided to make a difference. We have always taken up interesting initiatives; one’s that we believe in and feel we can strongly support. With the reach and viewership we enjoy in Maharashtra it was imperative for us to create a drive that would force people to think and pledge their support to change. We have always associated ourselves with movements to make a change and the Fandry campaign for change is just another step in that direction.” While the viewers will be voluntarily donating to the NGOs, the channel will definitely contribute to the cause. Mr. Rajadhyaksha adds “Charity begins at home and hence the Zee Marathi family felt it was right for us to donate a sum of Rs 5 lakhs towards the cause. We believe our viewers will support this noble cause and add a smile on the faces of the many Jabya’s (character name of the lead protagonist of the movie) across Maharashtra.”

     

    The channel creative and marketing teams have been working round the clock to ensure that there is no stone unturned in bringing about change. Pledging support to this cause is Zee 24 Taas who will run a few special features on the NGOs and interview the artists associated with the cause. Also lined up is the interview with Nagraj Manjule, the director of the movie who based this story on true happenings in his native village. The movie produced by Esselvision stars Somnath Avaghade as Jabya apart from Kishor Kadam and Nagraj Manjule who plays a cameo in the movie. Based in the heartland of rural Ahmednagar, the movie is about the rampant caste discrimination in society and its ill effect on school going Jabya who wishes to live like just another child. ‘Fandry’ has won critical acclaim and won awards at many international film festivals apart from the coveted National Award.

  • Culinary comedy Jadoo to be Closing Night Gala Film at the 12th annual IFFLA

    Culinary comedy Jadoo to be Closing Night Gala Film at the 12th annual IFFLA

    MUMBAI: On Tuesday, 18 March, the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) announced its 2014 lineup of narrative and documentary features and short films for this year’s festival. The impressive program reflects the rich diversity of Indian cinema, as well as the future of Indian filmmaking, with filmmakers bringing their acclaimed films to Los Angeles (LA).

     

    The festival, widely recognized as the premiere showcase of groundbreaking Indian cinema globally is celebrating its 12th year. The IFFLA will run from 8-13 April at ArcLight Hollywood in Los Angeles, the festival’s home since its inception.

     

    The culinary comedy, Jadoo has been chosen as the Closing Night Gala Film. Jadoo, a delightful and delicious exploration of family bonds amidst two feuding brothers’ restaurants in England, will screen as the festival’s Closing Night Gala. Jadoo is written and directed by IFFLA alum Amit Gupta, and first premiered at the 2013 Berlinale (Berlin Film Festival). It features a wonderful ensemble cast that includes Kulvinder Ghir, Amara Karan, Harish Patel, Tom Mison, and Madhur Jaffrey. The red-carpet screening will be followed by an exclusive after-party at Nirvana-Bombay Palace in Beverly Hills.

     

    As previously announced, IFFLA will open with Jeffrey D. Brown’s Sold, produced by Jane Charles, and executive produced by Emma Thompson.

     

     IFFLA’s Artistic Director Jasmine Jaisinghani expressed his excitement in a press release stating that he is proud of this year’s IFFLA line-up which includes an especially diverse range of cinematic experiences, covering many regions of India and the diaspora. Jaisinghani said, “We would like to thank our Programming Advisor in India, Uma Da Cunha, for helping our programming team source some of these exceptional films.”

     

    Program highlights also include the North American premiere of Anurag Kashyap’s latest, Ugly, an intense, masterfully directed psychological thriller that premiered in the 2013 Director’s Fortnight section of Cannes; Liar’s Dice, the remarkable directorial debut of South Indian actress Geetu Mohandas that premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival; Anup Singh’s latest feature Qissa: The Tale of a Lonely Ghost, starring Irrfan Khan (Life of Pi, Slumdog Millionaire), winner of NETPAC Award at the Toronto International Film Festival, and Dioraphte Award at the International Film Festival Rotterdam; the Audience Award winner at the 2013 Slamdance Film Festival Hank & Asha, an exploratory, romantic look at two people bonding in the digital age by newcomer James E. Duff; Nagraj Manjule’s Fandry, a highly praised debut feature for its multilayered emotion and realism on the subject of caste discrimination; Brahmin Bulls, starring Roshan Seth (Gandhi, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Mississippi Masala) and Sendhil Ramamurthy (Beauty and the Beast, Heroes) as an estranged father and son unexpectedly brought together to confront the family’s past; and Siddharth, a nuanced look at a family whose son goes missing, by lauded Canadian director and IFFLA alum Richie Mehta (Amal).

     

    The festival’s feature documentary competition includes an eclectic mix of films from established and upcoming filmmakers that consider India’s unique traditions and dynamic future. The films include: the world premiere of The Auction House, an intimate and funny look at two brothers trying to keep their anachronistic family business going in the digital age; festival favorite Powerless, which depicts intense struggles over electricity in a mid-size Indian city; Faith Connections, IFFLA alum Pan Nalin’s beautiful and rare look at the Kumbh Mela; and the National Award-winning Shepherds of Paradise, about an arduous, mountainous trek through an animal drive in the Kashmiri winter.

     

    The popular Bollywood by Night series returns this year with Bombay Talkies and Monsoon Shoutout. Premiering at last year’s Cannes Film Festival, Bombay Talkies is a quartet of short films that celebrates 100 years of Indian cinema. The omnibus film features work by four of India’s most exciting contemporary directors: Karan Johar, Dibakar Banerjee, Zoya Akhtar, and Anurag Kashyap, as well as a stellar cast that includes Amitabh Bachchan, Rani Mukerji, and Katrina Kaif. Monsoon Shootout is a thrilling debut by IFFLA alum writer/director Amit Kumar, about how a split-second decision made by a rookie police officer has rippling effects in his life and the lives of those around him.

     

    The shorts competition showcases a diverse selection of 15 films that include narrative, documentary, experimental, and animated works. Highlights of this year’s program include Academy Award shortlisted Kush; Sundance award winner Love.Love.Love; and the world premiere of acclaimed director Umesh Kulkarni’s The Fly.