The Hindu Business Line : Business takes to Bollywood

With business houses entering Bollywood, the film industry is gearing for a complete makeover. Their entry also ushers in more discipline into an industry known for its chaotic functioning.

Vijaypat Singhania

What are companies like Tata Infomedia, Reliance Infocomm, A.V Birla group, A.B. Corp, Sahara India, the Oswal group, Raymond chairman Vijaypat Singhania and many others doing in Bollywood? The answer is not hard to find. With Indian films going global, some of the leading corporates of the country are fast realising that there's a veritable fortune to be made in film production.

The 2003 hit Pinjar was made by the Oswal group's Lucky Star Entertainment Ltd. The Amitabh Bachchan-Bipasha Basu starrer Aetbaar and the not-so-hyped Woh Tera Naam Tha that hit movie theatres in January last year were produced by well-known names in Indian business. Though both films didn't make the box office jingle, they were significant in another way. The former marked the entry of Tata Infomedia Ltd and the latter that of business tycoon Vijaypat Singhania into Bollywood.

Apart from the above three, names such as Sahara India Mass Communications, PFH Entertainment, K Sera Sera and Cutting Edge Entertainment are fast replacing traditional financiers. The development has alarmed established film houses and Bollywood moneybags are dreading the entry of corporates who are tiptoeing into a business dominated by individual financiers. What started off as a mere brand promotion affair is now turning into a big fascination and slowly, but surely, Bollywood is getting corporatised. "We are into children's books and telephone directories and wanted to widen our horizon. We couldn't think of a better medium other than cinema," says Mandeep Singh, head of Cutting Edge Entertainment.

If making a presence felt was Singh's motivating force, then sending the right message across to the masses is what made Singhania enter the film world. "For long, I have felt that youth were not getting clean entertainment. All they've got till now was oodles of guns, drugs and violence. I entered this arena to make some sensible films," says the business tycoon.

`Boon for film world'

Many feel this is an excellent development for serious filmmakers who want to do meaningful cinema but cannot find the necessary funding. Most conventional financiers want a commercial hit and are not bothered about the aesthetics of a film. These creative minds now have a new source for finances.

Acclaimed filmmaker Shekhar Kapur raised this view at the Confederation of Indian Industries' Cinemint Conference. The ace director said, "The entry of corporates is a boon for the film world as it eliminates the biggest hurdle — financing of films. It will be beneficial for all-round growth and encourage more creative people to make films."

Amitabh Bachchan agrees and feels the entry of corporates will be a big boon for the industry. "It is a very smart move by the business houses. In the long run, it is definitely going to pay rich dividends. The best thing about this is the discipline that big organisations bring with them. Our industry sorely lacks it," says the superstar who was the main attraction of Tata Infomedia's Aetbaar. With his A.B. Corp, he too has entered film production and is making Ranveer with son Abhishek.

As far as work discipline goes, the corporates are learning their lessons the hard way. Unlike the business world that works on strategies and fixed guidelines, Bollywood has a reputation of being indisciplined and is a maze of irregularities.

"The industry works in a disorganised manner and no one can change it overnight. In any case, I am not inclined to bring about a change here. It will be a Herculean task that will need support from all quarters," says Singhania.

Business-like approach

However, the corporate world has tried to infuse certain values and principles into this otherwise chaotic industry. For instance, in the making of Aetbaar, Tata Infomedia Ltd had a written agreement with all the actors and technicians. The schedules and resource allocations were carried out with business plan exactitude.

"A good business sketch is paramount. It ensures the right scheduling of all the work from start to finish. It is very necessary that all departments — production, creativity, marketing, packaging and distributing — be scheduled on paper and then executed accordingly with proper monitoring," says Singh.

Another important business aspect that is often taken for granted in the industry is the value of time, which not many take seriously. "Let us not forget that time is money," says Singhania who took new faces in Woh Tera Naam Tha and cites time as a prime factor for that. "Big names were bogged down by other commitments and time was the most expensive resource. This was the main reason why I chose newcomers. We decided to have a no-nonsense approach to filmmaking." Indeed, the no-nonsense approach of corporates is a boon for newcomers. Now Sahara India Mass Communication Ltd is producing Sheen, a film based on the pain and agony of the victims of terrorism. It boasts an all-new star cast, with the sole exception of Raj Babbar. Apart from Sheen, Sahara has commissioned about 15 films that are in various stages of production.

Ram Gopal Varma

Sahara has also struck a two-and-a-half year deal worth a reported $17 million, with the hottest Bollywood corporate combo Ram Gopal Varma and K Sera Sera, for a production of 10 films. Their first product Ab Tak Chhappan has been a moderate hit and they are looking ahead to produce nine more films in the contract time.

The Varma-K Sera Sera collaboration is already on a winning streak. The two have released Darna Mana Hai and Ek Hasina Thi. Their forthcoming releases are Nimmi and Chala Vinod Tewari Hero Banne. Says Varma, "Legal finances are vital to make good films. There should be no pressure on filmmakers as far as funds for the film are concerned."

According to reports, Reliance Infocomm is also planning to enter tinsel town in a big way. Applause Entertainment floated by the A.V. Birla group is creating ripples by producing two Bollywood films, Dev and Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Black.

With so many business houses in the fray, it seems that Bollywood might witness not just `star wars' but also corporate battles in the future. And why not? With some 1,000 multiplexes slated to dot the country in the next two years, corporate giants are eyeing the huge returns that films have to offer — not just moolah, but instant name and fame too.

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