ITV

Tag: Krrish

  • Eros Now forges advertising partnership with ‘Quantico’

    Eros Now forges advertising partnership with ‘Quantico’

    MUMBAI: Eros International and International Media Distribution (IMD) have inked an advertising partnership for Priyanka Chopra’s upcoming US television series Quantico. Chopra will make her American television debut as Alex Parrish on the series, which will begin airing in the US on ABC from 27 September.

     

    The OTT platform Eros Now will showcase an entire line-up of Chopra’s films in celebration of Quantico’s premiere. Through a special advertising agreement, ABC will feature Quantico promotional spots before each of Chopra’s films on Eros Now On Demand from 4 September to 29 October to drive tune-in for the new FBI series.  

     

    “We are excited to bring Priyanka Chopra’s collection of Eros films to television viewers around the world in celebration of her historical crossover from Bollywood to Hollywood. We, along with the thousands of proud South Asian families in the US, are anxious to support an Indian actor in a lead role on a television show airing on a mainstream US network. This is truly momentous and we are delighted to curate a collection of Eros titles to honor the occasion,” said Eros International president Ken Naz.

     

    Sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes footage from Quantico will be available to watch in addition to Bollywood films featuring the star. 

     

    The movies starring Chopra that will be showcased on Eros Now On Demand are God Tussi Great Ho, Teri Meri Kahaani, Agneepath, Mary Kom, Shootout at Wadala, Anjaana Anjaani, Krrish, Krrish 3, Salaam-E-Ishq and Ra.One.

     

    All titles on Eros Now On Demand are in Hindi and subtitled in English.

     

    To access the special collection of Priyanka Chopra Bollywood films on Comcast, customers can go to On Demand > Premium Channels > Eros Now > Priyanka Showcase. For other operators, customers can consult the On Demand menu.

  • Can India become a sports merchandising haven?

    Can India become a sports merchandising haven?

    MUMBAI: The entire business fraternity in India gets buoyed by 500 plus cumulative reach of a sporting event or a movie grossing over Rs 300 crore, but hardly puts any effort in translating this success into other formats. One of the most reached sporting event in India, the Indian Premier League (IPL) over eight years of operation, faltered to develop the merchandising business in India. The story is quite similar in movies too. Star Wars holds the record of largest selling merchandises in movies as it has garnered $12 billion over the years and is still evolving. Indian super hero movies like Krrish and Ra:One hardly managed to scratch the surface of the huge merchandising industry.

    Since last year, PUMA has been pumping some much needed energy into the dormant merchandising industry in India. The sports apparel giant signed a five year deal for approximately $51 million per year with London based English Premier League (EPL) football club Arsenal FC in 2014. Arsenal is ranked seventh in the list of top Soccer team valuations, which is lead by Spanish giants Real Madrid FC.

    This year, PUMA flew all time Arsenal legends Ray Parlour and Sol Campbell to India and made them launch the Home and Away kit. A screening of historical Invincibles documentary was organised alongside road shows. Mehboob Studios in Mumbai turned into a battalion of gunners wearing red and white, welcoming the legends wholeheartedly by cheering out loud and clear.

    Parlour and Campbell were mesmerised, and the eagerness in fans’ eyes to see the new kit unveiled was an encouraging sight for PUMA India managing director Abhishek Ganguly. “India holds 10 per cent of Arsenal’s social media fan base and we feel, we are stronger together. This year’s campaign is named ‘Powered By Fans,’ to make fans feel special to celebrate with them. The new kit is an elevated version of last year, more comfortable, more stylish” he said.

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com about the merchandising market in India, PUMA India executive director product and merchandising Atul Bajaj says, “The market is still at a nascent stage. However, the growth potential is huge and as long as the brands involved have synergies it is a win-win situation. Though the size of licensed merchandise globally is much bigger, the growth rate for this segment is in the range of 80-90 per cent.”

    To add to PUMA’s delight, the team broke its trophy jinx by winning the FA Cup in 2014 and wearing PUMA apparel they defended it by winning again in 2015. The fans are more excited now as they believe the league title is inching closer. Sharing PUMA’s aspirations in the second year into the deal Bajaj asserts, “We expect a huge growth in this second year of our association, exceeding 200 per cent. Arsenal has a huge and loyal fanbase, the performances are great with much more to follow and to top it all we have a great merchandise range for the fans. It also helps that Indian fans comprise close to 10 per cent of overall Arsenal fans on social media.” 

    As can be seen below in the graph, the sports merchandising market globally grew to $20.07 billion in 2015 compared to $19.57 billion in 2014.

    The other factor that predominantly hampers the merchandising industry is piracy. Substantial number of football fans are often spotted all over the country wearing club jerseys but seldom are they original. Though for PUMA the target audience is totally different, Bajaj feels knockouts do damage a brand.

    He says, “While knockouts damage a brand, however in terms of business, the target group is completely different. The Arsenal fan and PUMA consumer would never want to buy or wear a cheap fake knockoff. We also have a legal cell in place, which proactively ensures that this menace is minimised.”

    Merchandising is not only limited to jerseys, which is the most expensive one but other exclusive products like training kits, wrist bands and stockings used by the players also attract fans. However, brands do not pay enough attention to those, feels Arsenal’s officially recognised Delhi fan club admin Nishant Singhal.

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, Singhal says, “Powered By Fans delight every fan and the ones that I interact with wear the official jersey of the team. The problem with merchandising is the range of products. Apart for home jerseys, it is very difficult to find anything available and I would request PUMA to change that. Special thanks to them for getting Ray Parlour and Sol Campbell in India. Pricing is not an issue as it is identical globally and people can buy online to avail many discounts.”

    Speaking on the range of products, Bajaj claims, “PUMA has a complete range of Arsenal products including Replicas, fanwear, footwear, accessories and more. An Arsenal fan will have the complete range of products available to choose from and enough options to showcase his love for the club.”

    Bangalore Arsenal FC official fan club admin Vinay CP is also buoyed by the fact that this year the campaign is named Powered By Fans. He oversaw the proceedings of the 2014 jersey launch. Vinay feels that PUMA is giving adequate visibility to Arsenal products. “In every PUMA store that you enter, you will see Arsenal merchandise everywhere and that’s something I like as a fan. The reason why the merchandising business is not picking up in India is because of the pricing and piracy. Still the number of original jerseys is going up substantially.”

    PUMA has also tied up with Amazon India to enhance its reach. The home jerseys, which are priced at Rs 4299, can be purchased from PUMA outlets, in.Puma.com and Amazon India. “Amazon helps us reach to a far wider group of consumers and markets, which were earlier inaccessible. The ease of purchase encourages people – who either do not have access or do not want to travel, but be able to get the latest products sitting in their homes. Above all, it provides us a great platform to engage with the fans. Our event related posts on Amazon’s social media for example drove top tier engagement rates,” adds Bajaj.

    Baseline co-founder and director R Ramakrishnan feels that in India, merchandising and licensing has huge growth potential. “India is a lucrative market and that’s why PUMA is aggressively promoting Arsenal merchandises by getting in legends in the country. Football merchandising is always a style quotient, the jerseys are always elegantly designed with one title sponsor on it, which one can wear and flaunt unlike those in IPL where it becomes more billboard and less apparel because of the number of sponsors. Given the youth population in the country, I think elegant merchandising will pick up in India,” he says.

    A merchandising expert on condition of anonymity opines, “The merchandising partners never really ran an interactive on ground campaign be it WWE, football or cricket and hence the merchandising industry never picked up. It’s so ironical that a country like India, where cricket is considered as less sport and more religion, hardly has a substantial merchandising base. On one side, you have Sachin Tendulkar and on the other side Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant. India never took merchandising seriously. PUMA is bringing in what was missing in merchandising industry, they got in Arsenal legends, organised a road show, screened Invincibles for the first time in Asia and that’s the way ahead. They have already started putting hoardings on prime locations. As a well wisher of the merchandising industry I feel all the licensed partners should put in more efforts and rejuvenate the industry.”

    IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla in the recent past had said that the BCCI will sell IPL merchandise centrally to boost up the sector. Seven out of the eight teams agreed to that, whereas Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) decided to sell their merchandise separately as they already invested a lot in developing the business. Overall, it remains to be seen if other big names will also join in and contribute to what PUMA has started for the merchandising industry in India to pick pace and reach its potential.

  • CNN-IBN indian of the year: entertainment nominees revealed

    CNN-IBN indian of the year: entertainment nominees revealed

    MUMBAI: CNN-IBN is back again with one of the biggest and the most credible awards in the Indian media, CNN-IBN Indian of the Year 2013, in association with GMR, where the iconic inspirational faces of India in the present calendar year are recognized. A highly distinguished jury panel comprising of personalities bestowed with the most prestigious Padma honours choose the winners across five different categories: Politics, Sports, Entertainment, Business and Public Service.

    CNN-IBN unveils the nominees in the entertainment category of ‘CNN-IBN Indian of the Year’. The contenders for the 8th edition of the upcoming award includes renowned celebrities like Deepika Padukone for reinventing herself as a leading lady and delivering a slew of hits in 2013, Farhan Akhtar for his full-bodied performance in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Hrithik Roshan for creating the India’s most successful superhero movie through Krrish, Kapil Sharma for creating the most successful standup comedy show ever, that has a universal appeal across audiences, Shah Rukh Khan for producing and starring in one of the Hindi cinema’s biggest blockbuster, Chennai Express and last but not the least Team Lunchbox for the sensitive and skillfully mounted film that has piqued the west’s appetite for the Indian Cinema.

    Don’t forget to catch the Entertainment Nominees on Wednesday, 11th December @10.30 PM & repeat telecast on Thursday, 12th December @12:30 noon only on CNN-IBN.

    To nominate, please visit https://www.facebook.com/indianoftheyear/app_1439162886303532
    For more, you can also visit the official website IndianoftheYear.com.

  • Krrish Kross Konnection

    Krrish Kross Konnection

    MUMBAI: With Krrish, Rakesh Roshan, the most original grass root filmmaker in Hindi cinema, turned contemporary when he blended his old school emotion-romance-music formula into a superhero film. While he maintained all the necessary ingredients of Indian cinema, he gave his hero, Hrithik Roshan, extra ordinary powers which he uses generally to help people till his situation is challenged. In Krrish 3, Roshan decides to pit his superhero, Hrithik, with another such power, a super villain, Vivek Oberoi. In the process, Roshan compromises on things he most cherished that is Indian sentiments of mother’s love, romance, music which has been his forte and a strong script. Here it is a script of convenience. For example, his hero, who could not fly, starts doing so when the villain flies!!

     

    Producer: Rakesh Roshan.

    Director: Rakesh Roshan.

     

    Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra, Kangna Ranaut, Vivek Oberoi, Arif Zakaria, Rajpal Yadav, Rakhee Tandon.

     

    In short, what Roshan has done is to take an age old family story and tried to fit it into a sci-fi superhero movie where, even holding the hero’s family captive by the villain is straight out of last century melodramas. The film is a virtual yellow pages of endorsements as, soon as the film starts you see a number of products being plugged.

     

    Hrithik continues with his stint as the saviour superhero as Krrish 3 opens. But his sudden absence from his work costs him his job as he is presumed to be goldbricking. That is when the villain, Vivek decides to make his presence felt. He uses his genius for all the bad purposes. He is wheelchair bound with only his face and two index fingers functioning but which are enough to cause heavy damage or hurt someone. To cure his condition, Vivek needs a bone marrow from a person matching his own DNA. Having failed to find it in a human being, he mixes his DNA with various animals to create what he calls ‘maanvar’ a mix of maanav and janwar. To finance his experiments, he needs huge sums and to raise which he spreads dangerous viruses which kill thousands in a matter of minutes then cash in on it by marketing its antidote. He starts with   an African country and looking at its success, decides to attack India next.

     

    The deadly virus is spread using public transport, waterlines etc. The doctor who had found an antidote for the virus after learning of the plight of the African country has been killed by one of Vivek’s maanvars, Kangna Ranaut who is made mixing human and chameleon DNAs and, hence, can change forms.

     

    When the virus spreads in Mumbai and people drop dead every minute, Hrithik Sr (father of Krrish) observes that neither he, Krrish nor Priyanka Chopra, pregnant with Krrish’s baby, have been affected by the deadly virus. He realises that the family’s superpower makes them immune and their DNA can be used to devise an antidote. That is achieved and the city is saved. This makes Oberoi a very, very angry man but also makes him think that there has to be a connection  between him and  Hrithik Sr since only one kind of DNA would be able to kill the virus and in some way they both must share the same DNA! It is midway through the film and the tone is set for confrontations as Oberoi wants Hrithik Sr in his custody, for in him lies his own cure.

     

    Oberoi lets loose his variety of maanvars on Krrish household to kidnap Hrithik Sr which demonstrates their strength. The attempt is foiled by Krrish but in the process of doing so, Priyanka is hurt. Admitted to a hospital, she is whisked away from there and Kangna takes her form and takes her place. Her job is to find out how the antidote for the virus was invented. While she fails to do that and only ends up falling in love with Krrish and also imagines a love duet with him.

     

    Hrithik Sr thinks that there is something curious about the events and feels its answer lies in Singapore where (in the earlier version of the film) Naseeruddin Shah had held him captive for long in a comatose condition. He does find out the secret behind Oberoi’s birth but is kidnapped by Oberoi’s goons. Oberoi needs his bone marrow to cure himself; because he has to be on his feet for the final showdown with Krrish.

     

    The long drawn dual between Oberoi and Krrish, spread over instalments, starts in the former’s den and moves out to various streets, skies and rooftops with a lot of destruction and a generous dose of special effects. The film ends with a promise of the next instalment of Krrish series as Priyanka delivers a baby boy with superpowers.

     

    Rakesh Roshan is handicapped by a solid script and an interesting story to tell. The scene where Krrish races over buildings to save an airplane with locked front wheels as he jumps on to them and forces them open to make a safe landing possible promises a lot. But, the film moves only on predictable lines. With other ingredients like romance and music missing, the director has to count mainly on special effect sequences which, of course, are very well executed. The film has just three songs of which Raghupati Raghav is well choreographed while Dil tuhi bata… has some melody element. Background score is effective. Dialogue could have provided some one-liner exchanges between good and evil but are a letdown being of mediocre kind.  The film has few characters of which Hrithik excels in both the roles he plays. Kangna shines in a negative role. Priyanka has limited scope and is good. Vivek Oberoi makes an impact in certain scenes till wheelchair bound but turned into an ironman in the climax restricts him.

    Krrish 3 does not in any way better its earlier version, Krrish; on the contrary it disappoints on some counts. However, due to solo Diwali release and a long gap for a Hrithik film to hit the screens will benefit as the film’s brand equity assures at least one time view for most cine-goers.

  • Krrish 3 now ties up with Worldoo

    Krrish 3 now ties up with Worldoo

    MUMBAI: India’s home grown superhero Krrish has been creating a sense of excitement and enthusiasm in India and the world over with his engaging promotions for the forthcoming film Krrish 3. Keeping up this momentum Krrish has now made his way into worldoo, an ever evolving online ecosystem for kids where they can live, express and play.

     

    This partnership will enable its users to get a glimpse into the world of their favourite superhero and have exclusive access to the avatars of Krrish and Kaya from this superhero movie franchise. Registered Worldoo users can unleash their creativity and get set into Krrish modes by sprucing up their homes on worldoo with interesting and exclusive themes from the movie.

     

    Worldoo members will also be eligible to participate in a special Krrish 3 contest and stand a chance to win some exiting prizes. All they need to do is visit the Community centre in the Mainland and answer a few simple questions about the movie. Lucky winners will also stand a chance to win posters signed by Hrithik Roshan and few other exciting goodies.

     

    Worldoo head – experience and brand Harsh Wardhan Dave said, “We want our worldoo kids never to miss out on the most popular and entertaining stuff that’s happening out there. We realise the kind of following that Krrish has with kids and we have decided to associate with them. Through worldoo, kids have a special chance to win cool merchandise. We are confident that this will add value to the experience of our worldoo kids.”

     

    The association with worldoo is a part of the digital marketing campaign for Krrish 3 spearheaded by Hungama Digital Media Entertainment. Hungama Digital Media Entertainment MD & CEO Neeraj Roy said, “Kids today are spending a large share of their day online via various connected devices- be it computers, tablets or event connected TVs. The worldoo platform will enable kids to learn in the playway method. Moreover the worldoo platform is fun and safe for kids to engage with on a regular basis. The popularity of our very own super hero will encourage kids to explore a different world online.”

     

    The worldoo team is constantly working towards creating content that adds value to the overall time a child spends online. Partnering with the Krrish series was a step in that direction, going forward the team is looking forward to working with brands which are effectively willing to collaborate and add to the ethos to create responsible global citizens of tomorrow.

  • Stay Amazed with the New Sony Pix

    Stay Amazed with the New Sony Pix

    MUMBAI: Brand Sony is getting a makeover. Days after Sony Entertainment Television Network announced its fresh new look, Sony Pix is following suit, starting with a repositioning from ‘Hollywood is here’ to ‘Stay Amazed’.

    The new brand identity will be unveiled along with the world television premiere of Skyfall on 27 October at 1:00 pm and 9:00 pm on the channel.

    As opposed to the earlier tagline ‘Hollywood is here’, ‘Stay Amazed’ defines what it is about Hollywood that people like, breaking the clutter and making the channel stand out from the crowd. Significantly, it’s a brand promise that viewers of the rebooted Sony Pix will never have a dull moment, whether they’re watching it on television, social media or on-ground.

    The channel rifled through pitches from some 24 companies across five continents before zeroing on Argentina-based Medialuna (MDL) for designing the new look

    Says Sony Pix executive VP and business head Saurabh Yagnik: “The whole idea is to break the clutter and give the audience what they truly want to see and experience. The revamped look propagates the brand philosophy of being fresh, innovative and progressive. Our content and branding will establish Sony Pix as the most exciting, fun and entertaining English movie channel.”

    The repositioning has been a gruelling exercise with Team Sony Pix burning some serious midnight oil to brainstorm and understand what Indian audiences really want from in particular English movie channels and in general Hollywood. The channel has rifled through pitches from some 24 companies across five continents before zeroing on Argentina-based Medialuna (MDL) for designing the new look.

    Our content and branding will establish Sony Pix as the most exciting, fun and entertaining English movie channel says Saurabh Yagnik

    And the result is for all to see – an all new packaging in eye-catching ‘neon green’, which is part of Sony Pix’s revamped strategy to stay-in-sync with an increasing number of young viewers. What’s more, synergies have been worked out between the upcoming instalment of the Krrish franchise and Sony’s rebranding campaign.

    “The whole revamped look took nearly six months to execute, and we narrowed down on Medialuna after taking a close look at their body of work. We are really glad with the final outcome,” exults Yagnik.

    The new look will unravel along with the premiere of ‘Skyfall’ on 27 October

    Coming to the Skyfall premiere, a 360-degree promotional campaign is on the anvil, which promises to engage viewers like never before. The channel is gearing up for the ‘Biggest secret mission ever’ on Facebook – designed to give viewers a once in a lifetime opportunity to win a trip to the ‘Bond in Motion’ exhibition in London. (Bond in Motion is the largest official collection of original James Bond vehicles over the past 50 years).

    Says Sony Pix vice president – marketing Neville Bastawalla: “This is something that is really going to get our viewers engaged and get more involved with the channel. The mission will be played over three phases: one to crack a maze of obstacles using clues, second being a first of its kind game where your mobile phone becomes a remote to chase clues, and the third being simply type in the codes that are flashed on the screen during the premiere to win a chance to visit the ‘Bond in Motion’ exhibition in London.”

    It’s all about getting our viewers engaged and getting them more involved with the channel believes Neville Bastawalla

    While the in-house team has designed, conceptualised and executed the on-air promos, the outdoor Skyfall campaign, to be carried out in Mumbai and Delhi, will be handled by Leo Burnett India. Tonic Media will look after the digital front. Approximately 80-85 per cent of the marketing budget has been kept aside exclusively for the repositioning, and the channel is confident of a great response from the trade and audiences alike.

    Snapdeal.com is the presenting sponsor for the Skyfall campaign while Dell and Engage Deos are the powered by sponsors. Other sponsors include Toyota, Lombard suiting, Whirlpool, We Chat and many more.

    In charge of the digital component of the entire rebranding exercise is Tonic Media. With nearly 33,300 followers on Twitter and a little over 3,275 likes on Facebook at the time of penning this article, Sony Pix is looking to intensify its engagement with viewers on social media.

    Notty Pixy will get the inside dope of all the gossip from behind the scenes in Hollywood

    On the cards is an interactive initiative with NottyPixy, who is touted as this Hollywood insider, who works hard and parties harder, is quirky, has loads of attitude and resonates with the youth. The #NottyPixy hashtag has been launched to promote the Notty Pixy character, with Notty Pixy taking over the @SonyPix handle every Thursday. Further, Notty Pixy will get onto the channel from end-November, every Friday, at 7:00 pm, to run a movie of her choice and interact with viewers through social media as well as on-air with ‘Wow trivia with a Notty Pixy twist’.

    While the repositioning is aimed at taking the channel to greater heights, even presently, Sony Pix appears to be in a good space.

    A 360 degree campaign will be carried out for the repositioning

    Movies-wise, the channel has nearly 250 – 300 active film titles, which include the Rocky series, Spider Man franchise, Mission Impossible series, Terminator franchise, animation films like Madagascar, Shrek and Kung Fu Panda plus a recent acquisition – the complete Bond franchise along with the latest flick, Skyfall.
    Pix also boasts some big-ticket releases of 2013 including: Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, Captain Phillips, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, Hotel Transylvania, Smurfs 2, White House Down, Django Unchained, Grown Ups 2 and After Earth among others. Moreover, the channel is associated with five of Hollywood’s leading studios such as Paramount Pictures, Lionsgate, Sony Pictures, MGM and Universal.

    So does Pix plan to restructure its FPC (Fixed Point Chart) with the implementation of the 10+2 ad cap rule? “Firstly, I really don’t believe that the ruling will make a very big difference to English movie channels, but if it does get implemented, then we are ready for it as we at Pix believe we can deliver engaging content to keep our viewers hooked on,” replies Yagnik.

    Currently airing (14+2) 16 minutes of advertisements per hour of programming and second only to Star Movies in the English movie channel space, Pix has seen a 35 per cent growth in terms of its reach pre-DAS and post-DAS, and a 36 per cent growth in terms of TSV (Time Spent per Viewer), so while the channel is well placed, it is also making all the right noises to pip competitors at the post.

  • Krrish 3 launches Facebook Stickers

    Krrish 3 launches Facebook Stickers

    MUMBAI: India’s homegrown superhero Krrish is making leaps and bounds and attaining a cult status across the board with his exciting and engaging promotions for the forthcoming film Krrish 3. The latest is the collection of Facebook Stickers, a special set of emoticons which will make chatting with friends on Facebook even more fun. This is part of the digital marketing campaign for Krrish 3 spearheaded by Hungama Digital Media Entertainment. The Krrish characters join a league of international favorites including the ‘Minions’ from Despicable Me 2 and ‘Snoopy’ from Peanuts.

     

    The Krrish 3 stickers include common expressions and activities people use every day like happy, sad, drinking coffee, working late or partying with friends. Each emotion has been created with one of the three central characters – Krrish (HrithikRoshan), Kaya (KanganaRanaut) and Kaal (Vivek Oberoi). The emoticons also include special phrases like ‘I Love You’, ‘Call Me’ and very special ‘Krrish- The Protector’ sticker. These sticker packs will be made available for free in all regions, on the Messenger and Facebook
    apps for both web and mobile.

     

    Hungama Digital Media Entertainment MD and CEO Neeraj Roy said, “The promotions for Krrish 3 have a massive digital footprint right from the word go, with the worldwide first look and poster launch via a Facebook chat. With the world constantly connected via mobile internet and a social media becoming integral mode of communication, our endeavor is to make Krrish an integral part of your daily interactions.”

     

    Some of the iconic stickers on Facebook include the Minions from Despicable Me 2 and Snoopy- the famous Peanuts character. Hungama Digital Media entertainment is the digital partner for Krrish 3. In the coming weeks, Hungama a digital blitzkrieg around Krrish 3 with the launch of a game, a karaoke app and an augmented reality campaign that can be experienced around high footfall locations in India.

     

    Speaking on the launch of the Krrish 3 Facebook stickers, superstar Hrithik Roshan said, “Here’s presenting yet another digital innovation from the team of Krrish 3. To add more life and fun to your conversation, we’ve come up with these exciting new Krrish 3 stickers. You can now tease your friends, fight with them or challenge them in your chats.”

  • Graphic India and Filmkraft Productions partner to launch Krrish comics

    Graphic India and Filmkraft Productions partner to launch Krrish comics

    MUMBAI: Graphic India and Filmkraft Productions have announced the launch of an original digital comic series and comic magazine called Krrish: Menace of the Monkey Men.

    Krrish: Menace of the Monkey Men, will be released as a comic book magazine available in stores later this year and also be converted into an animated mobile comic that will be released as weekly chapters through an exclusive Krrish Comics App, which will be launched by Hungama Digital, the digital partner for Krrish 3. Carving Dreams was responsible for securing the deal between Filmkraft Productions, Graphic India and Hungama Digital.

    Hrithik Roshan commented, “As we get ready for Krrish 3, I am pleased to announce this bonus never before seen Krrish story from Graphic India, the leader in Comics for India, and Hungama, the first name in digital mobile. We’re working with an international team of comic book superstars so you can experience Krrish in a whole new way.”

    “Rakesh and Hrithik Roshan have created a hero that has captured the imaginations of millions across India. We are thrilled to be partnering with Filmkraft Productions and Hungama to continue the exploits of Krrish, in the natural extension of comic books, which is a perfect fit for any superhero.” Graphic India co-founder and CEO, Sharad Devarajan added. “Through digital comics Krrish can now fly straight from the big screen and into the small screen of mobile devices, reaching his millions of fans.”

    Filmkraft Productions founder and acclaimed producer and director, Rakesh Roshan said, “As we get ready to launch Krrish 3, one of the most ambitious movies in Indian history, a compelling comic book program based on the Krrish superhero is essential. Graphic India’s quality and production standards make them the perfect choice for us to partner with on this exciting expansion of the Krrish franchise.”

    The story features an action-packed original adventure of Krrish written and illustrated by legendary comic book creators, Tom De Falco, Ron Frenz and Sal Buscema, who have worked on leading comic book characters such as Spider-Man, Spider-Girl, Superman, Thor, The Avengers and countless others. The talents were recruited by Graphic India who is working with leading comic book, film and animation partners from around the world.

    Hungama Digital Media Entertainment MD and CEO Neeraj Roy said, “Krrish after capturing the hearts and minds of the nation is now ready to gain cult status with its first comic book magazine. We are proud to come on board as the Digital Partner for Krrish 3, and work with Filmkraft Productions and Graphic India, not to mention our long relationship with Carving Dreams. Our digital distribution strategy will take Krissh closer to every fan. The Krrish franchise is definitely now in the league of international superheroes a new generation is growing up with.”

    Carving Dreams CEO Afsar Zaidi said, “With the launch of Krrish comics, a milestone has been achieved in the rapidly growing space of Indian comics. Carving dreams is proud to be a part of the very first physical and motion comic created out of India’s biggest superhero franchise. The Krrish brand has taken a quantum leap with the current installment of the franchise and to position that with the right kind of image in the comic space we got Filmkraft Productions, Graphic India and Hungama Digital together to work on this creative association.”

    A preview of sketches from Krrish: Menace of the Monkey Men illustrated by Frenz is available exclusively on the Graphic India website and Facebook page.

  • Move over Krrish, Kid Krrish is here

    Move over Krrish, Kid Krrish is here

    Before the third installment of the Hrithik Roshan-starrer Krrish hits theatres this November, another superhero by the same name, albeit in a kid avatar, is set to storm the home box office.

     

    Come 2 October, the first of a four-part animation series titled Kid Krrish – a joint venture between Rakesh Roshan’s production house Film Kraft, Turner, and Toonz Animation – will premiere exclusively on Cartoon Network at 12.00 pm (CN Popcorn hour).

    Krrish is a family film, whereas Kid Krrish is only targeted at children; so we are clear about our target group expounds Rakesh Roshan

     

    The animation telly-film will see superhero Krrish’s (kid) namesake fighting an evil scientist and keeping him from getting his hands on a precious artifact that he is eyeing. According to the makers, Kid Krrish is about Krishna’s journey of self discovery, and will surely resonate with children of all ages. Add to that, the film will have Jadoo, the lovable alien from the Krrish franchise, who helps Kid Krrish realise his true powers.

    The announcement was made in the presence of Film Kraft Productions’ director Rakesh and his superstar son Hrithik Roshan, while there was no representation for Toonz at the event.

     

    About Kid Krrish, Rakesh said: “It is for the first time that a Bollywood character is set to get an animated version. The character of Krrish has been idolised by every child in India and has become an iconic super hero. Krrish is a family film, whereas Kid Krrish is only targeted at children. So we are clear about our target group. Toonz Animation has done a great job and if the movie does well, we will continue making it for years to come.”

    Kid Krrish will premiere on Cartoon Network on
    2 October at 12 pm

     

    About the partnership, Turner International India Sr. director and network head – kids, south Asia Krishna Desai said: “Turner has been a pioneer in terms of content and we believe that with Cartoon Network and Pogo, we have always provided a full consumer experience and will continue to strive for that. The coming together of three legendary companies in the form of Film Kraft, Toonz Animation and Turner will certainly be a mutually beneficial endeavour.”

     

    What really led to this collaboration? “We were approached by Film Kraft to make a live animation movie on Krrish. We took things forward but tried to reason that if we were trying to connect with children, then we would have to portray Krrish as a kid. So that’s how the idea of Kid Krrish came about,” said Desai.

    So what did Hrithik think of Kid Krrish? “See, before you ask me what are my expectations from the film, I have already got the best compliment from my two sons Hrehaan and Hridhaan… They are completely in love with Kid Krrish,” said the actor.

     

    Asked about similarities about the two superheroes, he said: “See, I don’t know about similarities, but Kid Krrish is certainly better than Krrish (jokes). Well, both stand for the same thing, both have a child alive inside them, both have their share of struggles, and both fend off evil.”

     

    Taking a moment to relive some of his childhood memories, Hrithik said: “Animation has been a big influence in my formative years. I still remember watching Popeye but I never used to love spinach. Though later, I got to know its importance and now, I basically survive on it. I also loved Tom & Jerry and the Justice League.”

    Coming back to the children’s superhero franchise, the first film will air on CN on 2 October followed by three more films in the coming six months to one year. All four films will be exclusively premiered on Cartoon Network. While the second film is already in production, the third and fourth films are at different stages, and will get into production in the coming months.

    Krishna Desai believes the coming together of three legendary companies in the form of Film Kraft, Toonz Animation and Turner will certainly be a mutually beneficial endevour

     

    The music of Kid Krrish has been scored by Aditya Sorab and the lyrics have been penned by Kausar Munir. Apparently, the title song is extremely catchy and will strike a chord with children thanks to its simple lyrics and soulful rendition.

     

    Was there any reason for selecting 2 October as the date for the premiere? Said Desai: “Since it’s a national holiday, we are sure that everyone will be able to enjoy the movie. Also, as for the 12:00 pm telecast time, well that is the prime time for Cartoon Network.”

     

    Elaborating on the promotional plans, Desai said: “Well, 95 per cent of the promotional activity will be carried out by Cartoon Network itself. We will do our bit to promote it digitally and also push it through OOH presence.”

     

    But isn’t it a fact that creating an original animation in India would do better with our audiences? “See, what I believe is the fact that be it any language, content is what matters in the end. So whether it’s Kris in Roll No 21 speaking in Hindi or Ben 10 talking in Hindi, what eventually strikes a chord with children is – if they can relate with the characters on the show, the show will be a success, no matter which language it is in,” Desai shot back.

     

    Would Turner be venturing into more animation films after Kid Krrish? “It completely depends on the idea and the script, because making a live action animation is a tough task, but if something interesting and worthwhile comes along, we will definitely consider it,” Desai concluded.

     

  • Krrish 3 trailer crosses 7.75 mn views in less than a week

    Krrish 3 trailer crosses 7.75 mn views in less than a week

    MUMBAI: Bollywood seems to be taking over YouTube in a big way. The trailer for Hrithik Roshan’s upcoming superhero flick Krrish 3 has already garnered over seven million views in less than seven days on YouTube.

    The two-minute long trailer was released amidst much fanfare last Monday and crossed a million views the following day. It managed to cross the three million views mark in under 36 hours as well. Given the craze of superhero films and Roshan’s fan-following, the feat seems interesting. The movie will take off from where Krrish, which was released in 2006, ended. While we have no clue about what happened to Krrish 2, the latest iteration in the Koi Mil Gaya series will see a release this Diwali.

    Krrish 3 is not alone, other upcoming big releases like Once Upon Ay Time in Mumbai Dobaara has seen just over a couple of million views on YouTube within a week of its releases. Other smaller flicks like John Abraham’s Madras Cafe and Shuddh Desi Romance too have seen a huge number of views days after their release on the online video streaming site.