The Hindu Business Line : `Filmmakers must invest more in marketing'

IT would auger well for the film industry in Mumbai if it were to adopt the Hollywood model and invest adequately in the marketing of movies that are made, Prof Arindam Choudhury, Managing Director of Planman Life and Director of the soon-to-be-released Hindi film Rok sako to rok lo, has said.

Prof Choudhury told presspersons here on Tuesday that successful Hollywood films have three things in common — a great storyline, good performers and appropriate marketing. In India, in contrast, producers were yet to realise the benefits of investing in marketing initiatives.

He said that Planman Life had spent Rs 6.5 crore in making Rok sako to rok lo but had earmarked an additional corpus of Rs 5.5 crore that would be spent on marketing the film.

He said the marketing strategy had been formulated after in-depth research and feedback from targeted viewer groups on what kind of marketing initiatives would draw viewers to the cinema halls.

As part of the marketing strategy, Airtel users across the country can view the film a day before its commercial release on December 10, on their mobile handsets, provided their handsets were compatible for such applications.

According to Prof Choudhury, film producers in Mumbai indulge in "wild fantasies" and were ignorant about the linkages between the deployment of modern marketing techniques and the success of the films produced by them.

"In Hollywood, they have a strong focus on return on investment. In Bollywood, it is not so," he said, and added that Planman was hopeful of raking in between Rs 25 crore and Rs 27 crore from the film.

For the international market, a bundled offer of the film would be made along with Planman's debut release Saanjhbatir Roopkathara (Strokes & Silhouettes). Zee Group is handling the distribution of the films globally.