ITV

Tag: Varma Corp

  • Varma Corp inks deal with MTV to promote movies

    Varma Corp inks deal with MTV to promote movies

    MUMBAI: What does every good movie need to succeed? Promotion blitz of course!

    Latest, Varma Corporation has signed an exclusive deal with MTV to promote all the films released by the production house in 2004.

     
    The music channel is all set to provide a 360 degree marketing spin to the latest venture Ab Tak Chhappan. The channel will be promoting the movie, to-be-released on 27 February, across all spheres of MTV – on-air, off-air and on-line.

    Special vignettes, movie specials, t?te-?-t?tes with the cast and crew, in-show plugs, movie interstitial, in-show plugs, contests, and in-store promotions are planned as a countdown to the movie release, says a company release.

    Says MTV Networks India vice president and GM, creative and content, Cyrus Oshidar, “We’ve always admired Ram Gopal Varma’s style of filmmaking, which is the most contemporary and cutting edge representation of Indian cinema. As a channel with similar values, an association between MTV and Varma Corporation Ltd. is only natural. Ab tak hua hai AB Tak Chhappan… aagey aagey dekho hota hai kya!”

    While Varma Corporation founder Ram Gopal Varma offered, “MTV is the only channel I, all at The Factory and anyone who’s in with the times, watch. Need I say more?!?”

    AB Tak Chhappan stars Nana Patekar and Revati. Set in the teeming metropolis of Mumbai, this Shimit Amin debut directorial venture revolves around encounter killings; the protagonist – a cop who has killed 56 people so far.

    MTV has launched a vignette in news format AB Tak News – Special Report, which showcases the questions and situations surrounding encounter killings. In this special news vignette, inter-cuts to the actual film will be aired to make viewers to sit up and listen. The channel will also be publishing AB Tak Times, a crime beat news tabloid on encounter killings that will be made available across the newspaper vendors.

    The channel will be dedicating a special episode of MTV Big Picture to AB Tak Chhappan. The channel has even constructed special jail-like sets for the episode. Besides that, the channel will grill Ram Gopal Varma, Nana Patekar and other cast and crew members on the Hot seat all month long. A special vignette Guilty or not guilty?, to be aired on 26 February at 8.00 pm, has a VJ posing as a news anchor and interrogating and probing the making of the film, and presenting behind the scene situations. 

    Apart from the special content, the channel will also be airing a nonstop music block AB Tak RGV Festival to present the best of RGV for an hour daily at prime time. While all the shows popular MTV shows, Non Stop Hits and Housefull will highlight the soundtrack from the film while sharing interesting trivia and masala on RGV films, says the release.

    While that apart, MTV has also tied up with coffee chain Barista. Every 56th customer will get a free coffee shot along with movie tickets. As for the online promotions, mtvindia.com has designed contests and games exclusively on AB Tak Chhappan.

    Besides AB Tak Chhappan, the channel will also be promoting movies like Murder at 2, Vishnu Prasad Gaayab Ho Gaya, Naach, James, D, Boo! Darna Zaroori Hai and Vaastu Shastra. Whew! 

    All in all it seems interesting proposition as both MTV and Ram Gopal Varma have a quirky style. Interestingly, in Varma productions last successful release Darna Mana Hai, MTV’s flagship show Bakra was the running element in one of the stories. Also the wry humour and the in-your-face style was so much akin to MTV style. 

    Will such heavy duty promotions trickle in great results or will Bakra be on the Factory products. Time will tell.

  • Sahara inks deal with K Sera Sera, Varma Corp

    Sahara inks deal with K Sera Sera, Varma Corp

    MUMBAI: Sahara India Pariwar has tied up with K Sera Sera and Varma Corp in a Rs 350 million (35 crore) deal.

    The deal envisages production of ten movies in a period of two and half years.

    The deal includes the substantial stake that Sahara has acquired in K Sera Sera. All the films will be creatively headed by talent powerhouse Ram Gopal Varma and some shall be directed by him as well. The first of these to see the light of day will be Ab Tak Chappan, which is scheduled for a 27 February 2004 release. This, along with several others in the pipeline, herald Saharas venture into what is popularly termed as New Age Cinema.

    K Sera Sera Productions Ltd, a company formed by a group of NRIs has embarked into a major drive to enter the television content and movie making business in India.

    Commenting on the association, Sushanto Roy, Chief of Sahara Media & Entertainment says, “Three entities with a progressive bent of mind have come together to make good films. Ramujis mastery in his craft has also inspired us to work together for the small screen.”

    Parag Sanghvi, Managing Director, K Sera Sera says, “Our long term goal is to be among the top three production houses in India in the movies and television business. We strongly believe that our association with Sahara India Mass Communication Ltd. would bring the extra impetus and the drive to reach unmatched heights in the production world, within the Indian Entertainment Industry.”

    Says Varma, “It gives me great pleasure to be associated with Sahara India Pariwar who have such grand visions of movie making. I imagine that we shall see great cinematic excellence together.”

    Films produced by K Sera Sera include Darna Mana Hai and Ek Hasina Thi (already released) and Ab Tak Chappan (to be released in February). The movies currently under production are 2 oclock Murder, Naach, Gayab, Darna Zaroori Hai and James.