The Hindu Business Line : India Inc warms up to tinsel town charms

According to White Stripes Entertainment, the Indian entertainment industry is going through a lot of reorganisation. Many corporates are coming into it for higher returns. "DIL sees a clear market for bringing in good corporate governance in the film and entertainment business. With the digitalisation of media, a big market for independent films has opened up where management control and creative content are keys to successfully achieving goals within budget constraint. This vision has given birth to White Stripes Entertainment," an official note from the company said.

White Stripes Entertainment is planning to produce an English feature film, Bollywood Café to be shot entirely on location in Los Angeles, California and to be completed by December 2004. The film is about an Indian immigrant family living in Los Angeles.

Venkateshwara Hatcheries Group had earlier made an entry into filmmaking through its division, Bala Entertainment International Pvt Ltd. Recently, Bala Entertainment tied up with Mirabai Films to form International Behenji Brigade (IBB) to look at prospects in the entire South Asian region. IBB is planning to produce three South Asian films over the next three years.

Bala Entertainment will provide funds and Mirabai Films will develop the scripts.

Unwittingly or otherwise, the Tata Group also found itself briefly in Bollywood. Tata Infomedia's Aetbaar failed to click at the box office. Some months ago the Tatas divested their equity stake in Tata Infomedia and are no more involved with that company.

The Aditya Birla Group made a foray into Bollywood through its entity Applause Entertainment. The latter is due to release Dev in June 2004. Directed by Govind Nihalani, the film stars Amitabh Bachchan and Kareena Kapoor.

Black, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, is due for release later in the year, said Mr Anshuman Swamy, CEO, Applause Entertainment.

Last year, the former chairman of Raymond Ltd, Mr Vijaypat Singhania, entered this business with his film, Woh Tera Naam Tha, directed by Kuku Kohli. But the film failed to make it big.

"Glamour is probably a very strong reason for people to make a foray into film making," said Ms Indu Mirani, Editor, Box Office, a film trade journal. "It was very surprising to see stodgy business groups entering this business. I guess, they thought they could bring management skills to the film making business, which is largely unorganised,'"she said.

According to Mr Pritish Nandy, Chairman, Pritish Nandy Communications Ltd (PNCL), the reason why so many people test the film business is that the entry barriers are low. "Which is a good thing and a bad thing," he said.

"It used to be like a casino. Now you can make big money or little money, but if you lose it is not much," he said. It is companies like PNCL and K Sera Sera that support and nurture the hopes of aspiring filmmakers. More importantly, it is the success of these companies that have attracted new players into the field.

Over the years, there have been many one-time players in the business of film making. "Even as many are getting in, several of them are also moving out," said an official at Balaji Telefilms.

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