theatremagic

MMindscapeTM EDITORIAL

Bhavanashi Ramakrishna

Editor, Theatre Magic

contentsTMTheatreMagic

DIGITAL (S)TAKES!

This issue of TW has two sets of page numbers - International

pages TW-1 to TW-64 for TW, and India pages TM-1 to

TM-36 for TM. TM is inserted between pages TW-50 and

TW-51 of TW.

TM-6Urvashi Dons a 3D Beauty

PVR Buys DTS, Strengthens Hold

SP

EC

IAL

FE

AT

UR

E

TM-24

'Reel'ing Under Reality!

TM-32

Being on the Cutting Edge (of)Technology, Cinematically

TM-18

TM-28

A Different Stroke ofCinema Design

IND

IAP

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As I sat down conjuring up my ‘mindscape’ to fillout this brief space, two things struck my mind andbegan to pull it on either direction: digital cinema,and digital piracy. While one projected India’sgrowing cinematic brilliance through 2k colours, theother showed the anti-vibes through an evenly magnified lens.

Just as the cinematic world began reckoning India as a growingdigital major, with the hitherto diehard-conservative,standalone cinemas joining the multiplexes in the DCI-compliant digital journey, the recently busted lab-based piracyserved a notice- the digital stakes are in jeopardy, probably inbigger danger than ever, with cross-border attachments!

With all the digital claims, India still happens to be a majorly‘standalone’ market, and there had been some trulycommendable efforts to digitise this potential market so thatthe unified digital stakes would bring a bigger, common good.The film-loyal, average exhibitor was slowly changing hisnotion that the ‘digital high-funda’ was being thrust on his

community just because theWest ran out of its film-

business ideas and wanted tomake new business – in the name of piracy spectre –

which was bought by the modern ‘big brothers’ ofIndian cinema. Now, if piracy happens in the digital lab itself,‘what’s your (s)take?’ is his question!

That the digital cinema helps thwart piracy goes withoutsaying, at least notionally! Making it practically possible isan undeniable responsibility on the champions of digitalcinema. Any little dilution in this realisation would onlydilute the whole cause, and India would have to stake notdigital fame, instead digital shame!

New Cinematic Treat in Bengaluru

Urvashi Dons a 3D Beauty

Roughly two-and -half-years ago,

when TM visited Urvashi Theatre in

Bengaluru, the wonderment that took

over initially soon turned into

reassurance of a bold and grand

statement, both in art and architecture

of the cinema: art- for the illustrious

genre it symbolised, and architecture- it

was made to express itself.

Urvashi - a name that connotes a

celestial damsel - played true to its

name with beauty and bold elegance

characterising its existence. Topping all

the periodical beautifications to keep it

enticing, the cinema did a major

renovation at the time by

incorporating state-of-the-art sound

and projection system (that comprised

Strong Ultra Xenon projection, Tanoi

speakers and JBL amps) a complete

overhaul of seating and screen, and

computerized ticketing, in addition to

a swanky recreation area within the

theatre premises. (Read Theatre World

September 2007: 'Urvashi appeals in

New Glamour')

That was to make the theatre

Breaking News...

Even as the most vehement and biggest advocatesof technology cinema continue to weigh theiroptions, a conventional, standalone cinema did thevery unconventional, in the parley of the industrytalkers. More, this happening in a very conventionalbackdrop, without the ado that is usually associatedwith today's fancied multiplexing.

Urvashi Theatre - the iconic symbol of Bengaluru'scinematic pride - became India's first standalone, andSouth India's second cinema to have done a DCI-compliant 3D digital, elevating the city's cinemascape to the global 3D domain. On the occasionof 11 Anniversary, TM celebrates the glory with a snapshot tribute to the bold, pathbreakinginitiative.

By Bhavanashi Ramakrishna

January-March 2010TM-6

adequately competitive with the

aggressive multiplexes, as also in tune

with demand of the time.

For a second time in two years, again

responding to the same demand,

Urvashi did what most cash-rich cinemas

hesitate. It has incorporated a DCI-

compliant, 3D digital projection system,

becoming India's first standalone

conventional theatre to do so. However,

it is next to Sathyam Cinemas of

Chennai who took the honours of

being India's first to have 3D digital, but

with Sathyam being a multiplex in its

own right - with a cluster of five screens

- Urvashi takes the laurels of being the

first 3D digital standalone with a large

capacity of 1100-plus seating, including

a balcony of 464 seats, and 56 x 28 feet

screen. That sets up for a truly awesome

setting, more for a 3D digital viewing.

As for the tech-specs, the system

comprises

• Christie's new Solaria Series 2k

digital projector CP2220 that is also

rendered ready for the 4k

projection as and when content is

made available

• Server solution by Qube Cinema

XPD

• 3D systems by XpanD X101

Interestingly though, Urvashi's install of

XpanD studio-grade 3D system is India's

first, and reportedly Asia's third, after

HongKong's Golden Harvest cinema,

and Japan's Shochiku cinema.

While the Christie projection and Qube

XPD server systems were supplied and

installed by Mumbai-based Scrabble

missed out

in the

mega

action,"

immediately

comes the quip from Amit R Gowda, the

young and dynamic heir-apparent of

Urvashi. "The blockbuster movies are

increasingly happening in 3D digital,"

says Amit. "Not having a screening

system for those movies means not only

we are missing all that action and

excitement, but also we are denying our

patrons the opportunity to live the

entertainment," he says, adding, "this

also means potential loss of business."

"Three D digital blockbusters like 'Up','

Ice Age,' 'Transformers: Revenge of the

Fallen' and 'Monsters Vs Aliens' have all

come and gone. They were not released

in Bengaluru because no theatre in the

Entertainment (as part of the latter's

joint-initiative with Christie), the

XpanD 3D system was sourced directly

from the USA. Though Scrabble is also

now a partner of XpanD for India,

Urvashi management struck the deal

directly with the manufacturer,

understandably for a better bargain.

Now, Urvashi is rearing for the

December 4 release of Jim Carrey's

`Christmas Carol,' and the all the much-

hyped December 18 release of James

Cameron's animated magnum opus

`Avatar.'

And, many more later- some 30 titles

that are promised, if not lined up to

come in 3D over the next 12-18

months.

Now the big question why?

"Simply because we didn't want to be

Amit R Gowda

What Makes Urvashi Alluring?If getting a good movie is one

thing, and presenting the same is

the other, the next thing in line is

getting the patrons to set the cash

registers ringing. Urvashi has been

able to do this as a regular practice.

Reason? The common human

psyche: price and ease.

Despite investing a whopping Rs.

1.4 crore, Urvashi cautiously kept its

admission price just the same as its

film-based screening

which means the patrons

get to enjoy higher thrills

at low price. Since the

ticketing can be done

online, it is considered far

more easier.

What's more, Amit is

seriously contemplating linking

Urvashi's ticketing system to Facebook

and Twitter.

With so much sophistication added

to its unique ambience, isn't

Urvashi alluring?


city was equipped with digital- let alone

3D," explains Amit, "this only meant we

have been denying our supportive

patrons the best entertainment option.

This is exactly where we wanted to

move ahead, come what may the cost."

Obviously, the system install costed over

Rs. 1.4 crore but the Urvashi operator is

undeterred. More, he is doubly

exuberant. "With movies like Avatar

round the corner, we cannot afford to

miss the action anymore," Amit declares.

"Giving the best form of entertainment

has been, and will be our forte."

Urvashi had actually begun screening

Bollywood, and South Indian movies

on its 2k digital format for over three

weeks now. "It's been incredible," says

the operator. "The digital

presentation, particularly in 2k, has a

clear edge over the film-based

screening," he explains. "Once the

audience have experienced and learnt

what the movie watching experience

can be with 2K digital, the word

spreads and bringing more and more

audiences, most of them repeatedly."

Ajab Prem ki Ghazab Kahani movie

gave a box office collection of over Rs.

16 lakh in the first week of running

itself at Urvashi. That's 75 per cent

occupancy, and too good for any

cinema. The theatre had ran 2012 for

two weeks to almost a packed house.

"We ran four shows a day in the first

week," informs Amit, "21 out of 28

shows went houseful." The theatre

reduced the number of shows by half

in the second week, and had half of

them running to full house.

Recalling that Monsters Vs Aliens

collected as much as Rs. 75 lakh from a

few 2k digital theatres in Mumbai

circuit, Amit says it wouldn't have

collected more than Rs. 15 lakh, had it

been shown on film medium.

According to him, over and above the

quality of the moviemaking, it is the

presentation that makes it more

appealing. "This appeal comes with 2k

digital which is what we are doing," he

declares.

That almost 30 titles are lined up for

the next 18 months or so, Amit is not at

all worried about regular content flow.

"The content is there and coming, we

need to be geared up to grab it," he

says. "Avatar is anyway the most

anticipated movie in recent years. We

are eagerly waiting for IceAge too."

Animated movies with themes like

Monsters Vs. Aliens, Avatar and Ice Age

go very well with Indian audiences, the

operator says, adding since there are

more of such genres coming from

Hollywood, and sometimes from India

too, 2k digital and 3D digital are the

best way to go about presenting them.

So, digital and 3D is fast catching up

Indian cinemas, at least in urban

markets, no?


PVR Buys DTC, Strengthens Hold

Putting all the long-held speculations

to rest, PVR Cinemas has finally

announced its buyout deal with the

ailing DT Cinemas. The interesting part

of the otherwise expected story is that

the realty behemoth DLF Group has

given away its non-core business unit

on a slump sale basis, with a bonus

attached- an exclusive multiplex

partnership for the cinematically

strong-rooted PVR.

Further, this acquisition news came

close on the heels of PVR's sale of 10

per cent of equity - amounting to Rs.

42 crore - to the Thai exhibition

company Major Cineplex Group, with

whom it set up the joint-venture PVR-

Blu O bowling alley business.

In what is said to be the the best

buyout deal in the country after the

Reliance ADAG's buyout of Adlabs,

the PVR-DT Cinemas buyout deal is

estimated at Rs. 56 crore, in cash and

stock. As part of this, PVR will issue

2.55 million shares, worth

approximately Rs. 36 crore to DT

Cinemas - which is said to be 10 per

cent of the fully diluted paid-up share

capital - and pay Rs. 20 crore in cash.

Further, PVR will have exclusive rights

to operate as a multiplex partner in all

the mall developments that the DLF

Group would create in the country.

That the DLF group has mega malls

planned at Delhi (Chanakaya Puri),

Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Noida,

Jalandar and Lucknow amongst other

cities, the DT Cinemas buyout deal will

give PVR an enviable operating

ground and significantly contributes

to consolidating its business strengths.

This is significant from the point of

view that PVR has plans to create as

many as 100 more screens over the

next 18 months time.

According to the market observers, the

only consolation for the losing DLF, if

it can be viewed as such, is that PVR

would operate the accruing 26 screens

from DT brand on a revenue-sharing

basis by sharing 15 per cent of the

revenues with the DLF, rather than a

fixed rental for the real estate.

"The acquisition of DT Cinemas and

long-term strategic partnership with

the prestigious DLF Group is part of

our expansion strategy," said PVR

Chairman and Managing Director

Ajjay Bijli commenting on the

acquisition. "It will further enhance

PVR's position as a leading multiplex

operator in the country," he said,

adding, "the industry is undergoing a

paradigm shift. We foresee an

opportunity for growth in the film

and exhibition space, and we want to

be prepared to meet the challenges

and provide innovative solutions in

entertainment."

PVR is now stronger by as many as 26

screens from six locations in New

Delhi, Gurgaon and Chandigarh,

taking the total tally to 134 screens,

from the current 108 from its own

stable. Another three-screen cinema

has been slated for launch shortly.

According to industry experts, the deal

would give PVR around 60-70 per cent

of the market share in the national

capital region, and will further

strengthen its position in the multiplex

industry.

The company's current market cap is

estimated at Rs. 321.73 crore. It has

reported a consolidated net profit of

Rs 6.44 crore and consolidated

revenue of Rs 92.22 crore for the

quarter ended September 30, 2009.

The expected has happened finally. The ailing Delhi-based multiplex chain DT Cinemas - afterprolonged dilly-dallying - has come under the fold of the eying PVR Cinemas, another Delhi-based multiplex chain. The former's changing hands wasn't something sensational. What thebuyer got in the bargain is interesting- a very critical operating space and more strength to theregional hold, besides the best monitory deal. A TM perspective:

The buyout of DT Cienmas by PVR

means the end of an ambitious brand

that was created with lot of promises

and corporate wherewithal. Though a

non-core business for the realty giant,

it infused every skill and energy

required to make it a competing

business and an attractive brand.

Futuristically named Digital Talkies, the

DT brand did make some aggressive

moves in the initial stages like hosting

special film festivals - including what

was referred to as reverse digital,

meaning movies that were made in

digital format and converted to film

medium - and making strategic

partnerships with friendly circuits for

sharing domain skills and strengths. It

Disappearance of A ‘Digital Talkies’ Promisecreated a triangular alliance with

Fame Cinemas of Mumbai and

Sathyam Cinemas of Chennai towards

this goal. As part of the alliance, the

company had also contemplated

creating a consortium for ushering in

digital cinema.

The objective of the proposed

consortium was to shoot, distribute


and exhibit movies in digital format.

The company, on its own, had in turn

mooted roping in tech-brains such as

Shekhar Kapur for making digital

movies of the popular genre.

When the DLF IPO created

unprecedented ripples in the market,

everyone was given to understand

that the DT cinema brand will be

rejuvenated and explode across the

cinematic grounds in the country.

However, somewhere in the middle, it

appeared to be losing track from

where it never really managed to

come back. Compounding the tough

times was the rude upheaval in the

realty industry that shook the feet of

the brand's mighty parent that

suddenly appeared 'not in a mood' to

spend its beaten strengths to energise

its entertainment business.

The dicey journey thus began, ended

in landing under the PVR banner.

The 'Magadheera' of Cinema!In an age where movies

disappear in the second, if

not the first, week of their

release, and bite the dust

doubly faster than their

making time, here is a reel

Magadheera. Produced and

released by Geetha Arts - that

created the mega Bollywood

blockbuster Ghajini - and

directed by S S Rajamouli,

the Magadheera has re-

written most filmy records of

India. Consider this:

" It ran to houseful shows for

over 100 days in as many as 223

centres

" It ran to houseful shows for

over 50 days in as many as 302

centres

" It emerged to be the biggest

ever hit and highest grosser in

South India

" It surpassed the hitherto biggest

hit (Shivaji's Rs 62 crore

collection) by netting Rs 104

crore, excluding the satellite

and audio rights

" It collected Rs 28 crore in the

first week itself- 16 centres

collected Rs one crore each,

which is an all-time record in

the south

The movie starring Chiranjeevi's son

Ram Charan Teja and Kajal Agarwal in

the lead roles is claimed to be second

only to Ghajini which is from the

same production house and collected

Rs. 200 crore.

Set in two periods - 600 AD and

contemporary times - the movie

revolves around a reincarnation theme

that has apparently enticed the movie

audiences into multiple visits.

The extraordinary success of the movie is

attributed not only to the fact that no

expenses were spared to make the film

come good, but also to the genius of the

director who is hailed to have unleashed

the best of the story telling skills on the

big screen. Though the industry pundits

predicted good returns for the movie,

considering the way it was

made, no one really expected

it would turn out to be such a

mega hit to challenge the

mighty Ghajini.

"I told Rajamouli, 'there are

no budget limits for this

movie. Spend whatever you

want, make whatever you

like but it should be lavish

and should re-write the

history'," Allu Arvind, chief

of Geetha Arts, was quoted

as saying. "Rajamouli is a

great director with excellent vision.

He made it."

Probably, a more modest statement

from the producer-distributor, who is

also the maternal uncle of the movie's

here, is that "this success belongs to

entire Telugu cinema. Magadheera is

the pride of Telugu cinema…this credit

goes to all Telugu people who made

this movie bigger. "

The reality check is that Indian movie

audiences - who are largely oriented

to popular entertainment - have

always welcomed a story that is told

grippingly, irrespective of the

production extravaganza and

effusing glamour. Are the believers of

outlandish moviemaking and oozing

oomph factor paying an eye or ear?

Adlabs is Reliance MediaWorksAdlabs Films has changed the

company's name to Reliance

MediaWorks Limited with effect from 5

October, 2009. The company has

received the certificate from the

Registrar of Companies, Maharashtra

registering the aforesaid change in

name. The company's Board of Directors

had decided to change the name as the

original name Adlabs Films, was

reflective of the company's initial

business as a film processing laboratory.

Pursuant to the Reliance ADA Group

acquiring the controlling stake in the

company in 2005, the company

witnessed growth in the canvas and

scale of its operations as Reliance ADA

Group's financial strength and

management expertise acted as a

catalyst in its expansion across

businesses like exhibition, film and

media services, and television software.

Reliance ADA Group's financial

strength and management expertise

have acted as a catalyst in expanding

the company across various inter-

related businesses of exhibition, film

and media services, and television

software.

The company today has a presence in

the film exhibition business in India

and internationally; and has entered

new segments of the film production

value chain including digital post-

production,digital cinema mastering,

studios/shooting floors, film and TV

equipment rentals, visual effects and

image enhancement, film restoration

BPO and other value added services

The company's operations include a 100

per cent owned facility in Los Angeles,

California - Lowry Digital - which is a

premier digital restoration facility. The

company also houses a television

production house, the BIG Synergy.

Reliance MediaWorks CEO Anil Arjun

said, "the name Reliance MediaWorks

Limited more accurately reflects our

identity as a diversified film and media

services company with a global presence

and enables us to draw upon the

international recognition of the Reliance

Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group brand."


Inox Opens in RajarhatMovie buffs in Kolkata now had a

brand new reason to cheer about the

Diwali this year. They were presented

with a new four-screen cinema at the

City Centre New Town Mall in Rajarhat

locality of the Eastern metropolis.

Taking the honours with their latest

cinema launch, Inox Leisure Ltd.

became the only multiplex chain to

have seven multiplexes in West

Bengal, including four in Kolkata.

The new multiplex has four screens for

a total of 1190 seats, including 34

luxurious recliner seats. Created in line

with what is boasted as Inoxian

standards, the cinema is characterised

by state-of-the-art sound and

projection, edge-to-edge screen, plush

seating with ample legroom and

professional services all presented in

an attractive ambience.

INOX Rajarhat which has 4 screens &

1190 seats including 34

luxurious recliner seats will

be open to patrons from

16th Oct'09. Nationally INOX

operates 29 multiplexes and

105 screens in 20 cities across

India.

Luxury is the

corner stone of

all INOX

multiplexes;

plush seats with

ample leg space,

lush carpeting in

the auditoriums,

a spacious

lobby; all

backed by world class hospitality will

take the movie viewing experience at

INOX Rajarhat to a different level

altogether.

Mr. Alok Tandon-CEO, INOX Leisure

Ltd. said, "We have been at the

forefront of the multiplex revolution

in West Bengal with the highest

number of properties in a single state.

The people of Bengal are true

connoisseurs of cinema and their

continued patronage to our existing

multiplexes has been very

encouraging. We hope that patrons

will similarly continue to enjoy their

experience at our latest offering INOX

Rajarhat with its convenient location,

easy accessibility, state-of-the-art

facilities and high-end technology.

"With 7 multiplexes & 26 screens in

our stable, East is topmost on INOX's

expansion map. We aim to have 17

multiplexes & 66 screens in this part of

the country by the end of 2011."

added Mr. Tandon.

INOX presently operates 4

multiplexes in Kolkata

(INOX Forum, INOX City

Centre, INOX Swabhumi

and INOX Rajarhat), 1

each in Darjeeling,

Durgapur and Burdwan.


Scrabble in Pact with XpanDScrabble Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.,

India's leading provider of solutions

for digital conversion, already

working in a partnership with

Christie, broke yet another ground

recently by making non-exclusive

alliance with XpanD, the USA-based

3D cinema and technology platform.

The partners have an ambitious plan

to roll-out a total of 100 3D digital

screens in the first phase that is

intended to commence in

November-December 2009.

The partnership endorses XpanD's

reputation as the dominant 3D

leader in the Asian continent, and

validates the progressive vision of

Scrabble Entertainment towards

digital conversion of Indian cinema

exhibition industry. Having already

developed the critical space in the

digital conversion business through a

strong business model of VPF,

Scrabble is positioned to set off to

the next level of digitisation with 3D

digital roll out.

Mukta Movies to FeedCinepolis India

Cinepolis India has entered into an

agreement with Mukta Movies

Distributors - the distribution concern

of Mukta Arts - for sourcing movie

content for its upcoming rollout of

multiplex theatres across India. Under

the terms of the three-year agreement,

Mukta Movies Distribution will source

all domestic movie content for

Cinepolis.

The Mukta-Cinepolis tie-up opens a

big opportunity for Indian movies

going overseas for international

distribution to the Latin and South

American markets where Cinepolis has

a strong presence. Cinepolis has been

instrumental in developing Mexico to

become the fourth largest market for

Hollywood movies over the past

decade.

Cinepolis Mexico tops the movie charts

with over 60 per cent market share in

the country. In India, Cinepolis had

announced plans to rollout 500

screens in the next seven years, most

of which will be in the megaplex

format. Large format megaplexes

allow for more titles to be played and

for titles to stay in theatre for a longer

first run. This, in turn, offers consumers

with more movie choices and

producers with a superior financial

payback on their film investment.

All Cinepolis theatres have been

claimed to feature digital projection

technology. The first Cinepolis

multiplex is scheduled to open in

Amritsar in November 2009.

"We are pleased to associate with a

renowned global brand like

Cinepolis," said Mukta Arts chairman

and managing director Subhash Ghai.

"With their aggressive pan-India

rollout plan and their large format

megaplex designs, we stand ready to

support Cinepolis India for all their

film programming needs with high

quality and timely service."

"Cinepolis is pleased to partner with

Mukta Arts which is a premier brand

in the Indian film industry," said

Cinepolis India country head Milan

Saini. "With its long standing and

strong associations with all banners

and production houses in India,

Mukta Arts can provide us with a key

advantage in securing the wide and

diverse content that we require for

our national foot-print of cinemas."

By financing the exhibitors'

transition to the digital format,

Scrabble had already secured the

studios' commitments to provide

both 2D/3D content, and its forecasts

to install over 200 systems annually is

expected to provide a natural

succession into 3D digital domain.

XpanD, in its turn, has been making

strong strides in the North American

market endorsing the Hollywood

movement of the 3D experience.

"The XpanD system provides

complete flexibility for the

exhibitors," said Scrabble

Entertainment CEO Ranjit Thakur.

"It's the best value for money system

out there considering that the

exhibitors can maximize their

revenue potential every time," he

said, adding, "we are proud to

partner with a company like XpanD."

According to Maria Costeira, XpanD's

CEO, this, by far, has been one of

their most exciting announcements

as the first 3D company to penetrate

India's digital marketplace. "We

intend to demonstrate and maximize

the XpanD 3D brand by introducing

India to our advanced, cutting-edge

active technologies while providing

an entirely new concept and, for

many movie patrons, delivering the

3D experience for the very first

time."

Says Mohammad Ahmadi, President

of Technology & Operations for Asia:

"Our goal of partnering with a very

capable, prominent and aggressive

regional deployment entity was met

when XpanD and Scrabble

Entertainment entered into this

partnership. I am very pleased to add

Scrabble Entertainment to a list of

great partners we have on this

continent."

Though India has about four 3D

digital cinema installs till now, the

market buzz is that the industry had

been rearing to explode. That now

an attractive business case is in place,

the industry is expected to see

multiples of 3D digital rollout in the

coming months which XpanD is

targeting.

January-March 2010 TM-17

Indian genius has always made waves on foreign shores in various domains, including cinematicentertainment. It's been more in the reckoning particularly in the recent past- thanks to theemergence of a new genre and generation of entertainment entrepreneurs. Here is a snapshotof Indian genius getting accolades in overseas domain in the recent months (It consciouslyavoided the laurels achieved more than three months ago lest it sound stale):

NFDC Movie Lauded at Toronto FetePaltadacho Munis (The ManBeyond the Bridge), a Konkanilanguage movie produced byNational Film DevelopmentCorporation of India (NFDC) anddirected by debutant filmmakerLaxmikant Shetgaonkar, won thecritics' awards at the TorontoInternational Film Festival.

The movie was selected by thefestival for its Discovery Section thatdiscovers new and emergingfilmmakers from around the world,and showcases their debutingworks. As many as 30 such movieswere selected for screening, thatincluded Shetgaonkar's work. Of allthe 30 entries, Paltadacho Muniswas selected as the winner ofthe International Federation ofFilm Critics (FIPRESCI) Prize. Thehonour, besides its class, is alsovalid from the point of view ofthe recognition that it gets. TheFestival is considered one of the

largest and most prestigiousinternational film festivals of the worldand generates a business of over $135million CAD annually.

The jury citation for Shetgaonkar'sfilm read, "far from the sensoryoverload of India's big cities, this filmexplores smaller but enduringdilemmas, drawing together keenenvironmental sensitivity with anuanced view of village dynamics."Director Shetgaonkar, immersed in theculture of the region, tells his tale withgrace and attentiveness, taking thevillage traditions and beliefs seriously,while casting a jaundiced eye on thosewho exploit them," the citation added.

Expressing happiness at thehonour, NFDC chairman Om Purisaid, "the Toronto InternationalFilm Festival is a major globalplatform for all kinds of cinemafrom around the world and this isan honor for India and for thefirst-time filmmaker. We hope tosee more NFDC films making amark and winning internationalawards for artistic excellence."Obviously exulted over the honour,the awardee LaxmikantShetgaonkar said, "I am excitedwith this honour. The idea is to raisean issue, try to reflect differentperspectives and make people

think. Though my film is inKonkani, it being showcased atthe Toronto festival reinforcesmy faith that it is all aboutmaking a good film,irrespective of which languageyou make it in."

Badshah Gets a Black Belt Honour

Bollywood Badshah is truly going

places- from one honour after the

other across the international

entertainment horizon- the latest

being a 'Black Belt' in Taekwondo

from the Government of Korea.

Delegates from the Korean Embassy

in New Delhi have especially flown

down to Mumbai to confer the

award on king Khan.

The title actually comprised two

honours. Besides the Black Belt

Honourary in Taekwondo - a 5th

degree in Taekwondo levels - it also

regards Shah Rukh

as the Honourary

Ambassador for

Culture and

Tourism.

"It is wonderful to

wear this. I feel like

I know Taekwondo

but a special thank to the Consulate

General," said an exulted Khan on the

occasion.

This is second international accolade

for the 43-year-old Bollywood

Badshah, coming on close heels of the

honourary doctorate in arts

and culture by Bedfordshire

University in London for his

contribution to culture. The

award was based on the

nomination made by the

reputed NGO Routes to Roots.

Earlier, roughly a year ago,

Khan was honoured as Datuk by

the Malaysian government,

making him the first Indian movie

star to be conferred a prestigious

Malaysian title.


Cairo Feather inMadhur's CapNoted movie director

Madhur Bhandarkar has

added more feathers to

his cap. The 33rd Cairo

International Film Festival

held in the Egyptian capital of Cairo from 10-20

November had a special section called Tribute to

Madhur Bhandarkar, and has also screened five select

movies from the renowned Bhandarakar staple.

The movies screened included Chandni Bar, Page3,

Corporate, Traffic Signal and Fashion.

The Festival which was held under the presidency of

actor Dr Ezzat Abou Ouf and honorary president Omar

Sharif was attended by such celebrity figures as Salma

Hayek, Lucy, Liu, Samuel L.Jackson, and Tom Berenger.

That this tribute came close on the heels of the

Bhandarkar retrospective at the recently concluded

Moscow International Film Festival, it added further

aura around the fame that the Mumai-based movie

maestro has carved for himself.

An exulted Madhur said, "my movies are not exposive,

maybe they just hold up a mirror to society. My movies

are not judgmental, I just show what happens in our

society, sometimes there could be a solution and

sometimes there may be none. Life goes on."

Known for his socially relevant and hard hitting films

Madhur has been felicitated with the highest honor in

the Hindi Film Industry by winning the prestigious

National Award thrice for his films Chandani Bar, Page-3

and Traffic Signal.

Cinefan's Lifetime AchievementAward for GulzarEminent movie personalityGulzar has been conferredupon with The Osian'sCinefan Film FestivalLifetime AchievementAward for 2009 for hiscontribution to Indiancinema. The award waspresented to the writer-poetrecently at a glitteringprogramme organised at the Siri Fort in New Delhi.The Lifetime Achievement Award for CinematicContribution is the most prestigious Award presentedby Osian's Cinefan and the tribute focuses on Gulzar'screativity and contribution to entertainment that goesbeyond cultural, linguistic and other boundaries.Noted film director Mrinal Sen was the winner of theAward last year.

Gulzar's work has served as an inspiration forgenerations of audiences right down to thecontemporary times. His films, dialogues and songshave swung from the romantic lyricism of a mora goraang layi le in 'Bandini' to that of the 1970s with'Aandhi,' 'Parichay' and 'Kinara,' to the youthfulmoods of 'Bunty Aur Babli' (2005), 'Omkara' (2006)and 'Slumdog Millionaire' (2008).

Gulzar's contribution to the history of Indian cinemahas also been to infuse a sense of poetry and wistfulcontemplation about the complexities of human life -as a writer of films, as a director and as a writer ofsongs. His movie Machis, and his songs from the movieAastha still haunt millions of movie lovers in India andabroad.

Show Man on the Emmy Awards Jury

Mukta Arts chairman and noted film producer-director

Subhash Ghai - popularly referred to as Show Man for his

brilliance of moviemaking - has been invited by the

International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences as a

Juror in the final round of judging for the 2009

International Emmy Awards.

Ghai has also been invited as a Juror to attend the 37th

International Emmy Awards Gala, which will take place

on 23 November in New York City.

An elated Ghai said: "I am honoured to be a part of the

International Emmy awards 2009 and feel humbled

representing my

country on this

International stage.

It is my dream to

see India too being

nominated for

these awards and I

hope my dream

comes true soon," said Ghai.

The nominees for the awards come from the regional

semi-finalists from each of the four Emmy judging regions

i.e. Europe, Latin America, Asia, Africa & Middle-East.


Tahaan Nominated to Gold Coast Fete

Santosh Sivan's Tahaan, a fable about a little

boy's journey to find meaning and purpose in

his world, has been nominated for Best

Children's Feature Film in the 2009 Asia Pacific

Screen Awards (APSA). The award ceremony

will be held on 26 November, on Australia's

Gold Coast.

Established in 2007, APSA is an international

cultural initiative of the Queensland State

Government, Australia. It brings together, in a

unique collaboration, Atlanta-based CNN

International, and Paris-based UNESCO and

FIAPF-International Federation of Film

Producers Associations.

Tahaan has been nominated from over 210

movies submitted from 43 countries in the

Asia-Pacific region. It will compete for the

coveted prize against Indonesia's 3 Wishes 3

Lovers, New

Zealand's The

Strength of

Water, Korea's A

Brand New Life

and Turkey's The

Bogeyman.

Tahaan was

premiered at the Cannes Film Festival

2008, after which it has been

showcased in over 25 festivals across

the globe including, Rome, London,

Pusan, Seattle, Hong Kong,

Stockholm, Cairo, New York and

Cinekid to name just a few.

Tahaan features actors such as

Anupam Kher, Sarika, Rahul Bose,

Rahul Khanna and Victor Banerjee.

The film has been produced

by IDream Production and

Santosh Sivan Films.

IDream Independent Pictures,

who took the worldwide

rights for the movie, sold it to

territories across the globe- like

South Africa, the Netherlands,

Spain, Turkey, Greece Sweden,

Japan and the USA.

After Rehman, It's Rasul

at the Academy

Following the footsteps

of music virtuoso A R

Rehman, sound

technician Resul Pookutty

is joining as a voting

member of the Academy

of Motion Pictures.

Pookutty who made

global waves of accolades

a few months ago winning an Oscar for

his work in Slumdog Millionaire, now

made another- to be the voting member

of the prestigious Academy of Motion

Pictures.

He is one among the 134 artistes who

have received an invitation to join the

Oscar ballot. Some of the other names

who are part of this group include

Hollywood actors Jack Nicholson,

Quentin Tarantino, Will Smith and

Indian celebrities like A.R.Rahman and

Mira Nair.

Now, Pookutty will be among the other

6000 members of the Academy, to

choose the Oscar winners.

Krishna Shah Honouredwith Raj Kapur AwardEminent Indian film personality overseasKrishna Shah has been honoured withthe prestigious Raj Kapur Award forLifetime Achievement by the UnitedStates Asia Business Forum (USABF). He was honoured for being

first Indian to have made a mark in Hollywood as a writer anddirector on Broadway, Hollywood and Indian Film Industry.The award was presented at a glittering programme held aspart of the Forum Convention recently in Los Angeles. Theprogramme which was attended by the Mayor of the city,Antonio Villraigosa as the event's chief guest, had severalIndian dignitaries, including Union Cabinet Ministers. Theconvention had attracted hundreds of entrepreneurs anddelegates from about 45 countries.The USABF convention primarily focuses on 20 high-growthcategories across its operationa domain, includingentertainment and media. "Raj Kapoor has been one of mymentors during my college days in the USA. He inspired me to

come back to India to make movies. That became Shalimar,"said an exulted Shah on the occasion.Shah has been fascinated by the transformation of the Indianfilm industry, particularly the rise of young filmmakers withtheir innovative cinema, which would have made Raj Kapoorvery proud from wherever he is. I accept this award in thename of The New Indian Cinema, a future that is alreadyhappening," Shah added.


Rahman Scores Another LaurelIndian music virtuoso A Rahmanscored another global laurel. CouplesRetreat, Rehman's first venture intomainstream Hollywood, hasreportedly crossed the 100 milliondollar mark at North American boxoffice. The 113-minute comedy wasreleased worldwide on October 8 inAustralia and New Zealand andOctober 9 in the USA. It hasreportedly grossed over $ 102 milliondomestically, besides over $20 millionoverseas.

Rahman provided original music forCouples Retreat, besides writing andperforming two songs: Na Na andSajna. Rahman's son A. R. Ameen

also sang in Na Na.Shot in Tahiti(French Polynesia)and the USA, itrevolves aroundfour couples whogo to a tropical-island resort for vacationing. It is yet tobe released in many countries.Looking at the success of the movie, theindustry pundits feel Hollywood-Bollywood marriage could bring betterresults at the box office. AcclaimedIndo-American statesman Rajan Zedwho is also the chairperson of Indo-American Leadership Confederation,hoped that the tremendous success

Couples Retreat wouldpave way for morecreative-technical-financial alliancesbetween Hollywoodand Bollywood in thecoming years.

Written by Jon Favreau, anddirected by Emmy-nominated PeterBillingsley (Dinner for Five), themovie stars MTV winner VinceVaughn of Wedding Crashers fame,Golden Globe winner JasonBateman of Arrested Developmentfame, Golden Globe nominatedKristin Davis, known for the Sex andthe City programme, etc.

Inox Makes 100 pc Revenue GrowthBenefiting from the sudden outburst of

cinematic enthusiasm of the post-Q1

scenario, Inox Leisure Ltd. reported

impressive growth rate for the second

quarter of the financial year 2009-10,

ending September 30. The multiplex

chain saw 105 per cent growth in

revenues for Q2 with Rs. 70.68 crore

versus Rs. 34.51 crore in Q1. The

company profits grew to Rs. 5.30 crore

from a PAT loss of Rs. 4.01 crore in Q1

and EBITDA grew to Rs. 12.22 crore from

an EBITDA loss of Rs. 1.74 crore in the

first quarter.

During the quarter, Inox opened one

new multiplex, comprising of four

screens at Central Mall in Indore, taking

the total tally of properties under

operation to 28 multiplexes, with an

aggregate of 101 screens, across 20 cities

in India. After the addition of its Rajarhat

near Kolkata the company now has a

total of 29 multiplexes and 105 screens.

The company's profits have apparently

come from the increased footfalls- from

19,77,829 in first quarter to 39,25,880 in

the second quarter.

Looking segment-wise, the company's

multiplex division accounted for major

share with a gross revenue of Rs. 66.67

crore in Q2, growing from Rs. 59.86

crore in Q1, and film production

accounted for Rs. 4 crore against nil in

the last quarter.

Inox Leisure Ltd. Director Deepak Asher

said, "our strong performance is

reflective of the stringent cost control

measures adopted by us and the good

film releases we have seen in this

quarter."

However, for the half-year ending 30

September 2009, the company's

revenues showed.

Inox Makes 100 pc Revenue Growth

Fame SuffersRS. 90 Lakh Loss

Fame (I) Limited, formerly Shringar

Cinemas Limited has reported a loss of

Rs. 90 lakh for the three-month period

ending 30 September 2009. This, against

a net profit of Rs. 2.82 crore earned for

the same period during last financial

year. However, the company reported

increase in its operations from Rs. 32.95

crore during the second quarter of last

year to Rs. 37.05 crore for the second

quarter of the current fiscal.

For the half-year ending 30 September

2009, the company revenues declined

marginally to Rs.53.31 crore from Rs.

65.83 crore earned for the same period

last fiscal. The company also reported

higher net losses at Rs. 10.43 crore as

against Rs. 84 lakh for the same period

last financial year.

The company, in its results

announcement noted that the half-

yearly figures are not strictly comparable

with the period ended 30 September

2008 on account of the business

interruption caused due to the strike

called by the United Producers and

Distributors Forum in the quarter ended

30 June 2009.

Segment-wise, the company's revenues

from theatrical operations increased from

Rs. 30.68 crore for the second quarter of

2008-09 to Rs. 35.38 crore for the same

period this year. However, the profits

from theatrical operations have fallen

from Rs. 4.75 crore to Rs. 1.86 crore.

During the quarter under review, the

Fame further consolidated its multiplex

expansion with the launch of two new

facilities- a five-screen multiplex at Value

Mall in Bengaluru and, four-screen

multiplex at Seven Seas Mall in

Vadodara.

Reliance MediaWorks's Strong Q2Reliance MediaWorks Ltd. - formerly

Adlabs - and a member of the Reliance

ADA Group announced a strong second

quarter results for 2009. Sharply

reducing its net losses to Rs. 11 crore

from Rs. 64 crore accounted during the

last quarter, the company bounced back

with an EBIDTA of Rs. 34 crore as against

a loss of Rs 9 crore dented during the

trailing quarter.

The company reported a total

operational income of Rs. 189 crore,

posting an increase of 80 per cent over

the preceding quarter. Taking the

major share in the rise, the exhibition

division revenues accounted for Rs.

115 crore, with an increase of 62 per

cent over the last quarter. Revenues

from film and media services are

reported to be Rs. 48 crore with a rise

of 64 per cent.

Most important development for the

company during the quarter has been

that the it changed its name to

Reliance MediaWorks Ltd, to reflect

the company's transformational

evolution pursuant to Reliance ADA

Group acquiring controlling stake in

2005. The company today has a

leading presence in domestic and

international movie theatres,

comprehensive range of film and

media production services and

television software.

BIG Cinemas, the company's cinema

exhibition division added 16 screens in

the second quarter and currently has a

network of 480 screens spread across

India, US, Malaysia and Netherlands. BIG

Cinemas also entered New Delhi with

the reopening of Connaught Place's

landmark Odeon theatre as Odeon BIG

Cinemas. The company also opened

Mumbai's first megaplex with nine

screens.

Reliance MediaWorks Motion Picture

Processing and DI Lab continued to

maintain market leadership. The

processing laboratory has won the

prestigious National Award for the 4th

consecutive year. The company also

launched film cameras and equipment

rentals service, making it India's largest

camera and equipment rentals

company.

"Reliance MediaWorks has shown

strong performance in all its business

segments in this quarter," said the

company Chief Executive Officer Anil

Arjun. "The company's strategic

investments and scaled business

operations have resulted in the

creation of a robust business model

which makes us a significant player

across the entire film and media

services value chain and enables us to

be a leading beneficiary of the

continuing upswing that the industry

has seen since July this year."


PVR Nets 27 pc ProfitPVR Limited reported a net profit of

Rs. 6.44 crore for the three-month

period ending 30 September 2009, as

against Rs. 5.05 crore earned during

the same quarter of previous

financial year- thereby showing a rise

of 27 per cent. The EBIDTA for this

quarter is reported to be at Rs. 19.25

crore as against Rs.16.23 crore from

the corresponding quarter last fiscal,

with an a 19 per cent jump.

However, the total consolidated

revenues for the quarter is shown to

be Rs. 92.22 crore as compared to

Rs.108.63 crore during the

corresponding quarter ended

September 2008 showing a decline

by 15 per cent. However, the

company's earnings look impressive

with a 105 per cent rise from its first

quarter of the current fiscal during

which it earned only R. 43.6 crore.

This was due to the eight-week shut

down of multiplexes following the

stand-off with the producers, as also

due to the factors like Swine Flu etc.

The exhibition business revenues

increased from Rs. 82.98 crore in Q2

2008-09 to Rs 86.87 crore during the

quarter under review, with a growth

of 5 per cent. EBIDTA margins grew

from 19 per cent in Q2 2008-09 to 22

per cent in Q2 2009-10 on the back

of sustainable revenues generated

from operations and various cost

rationalization measures initiated by

the company.

The PVR Pictures business was slow

during this quarter and there were

no major movies distributed/released

by the company. The other

subsidiary PVR Blu-O has been

performing exceptionally well and

delivering EBITDA margin of 33 per

cent.

The occupancies at PVR Cinemas in

this quarter averaged at around 33

per cent as compared to a dismal 20

per cent in the first quarter of the

current year. The ATP also increased

from Rs 132 in the previous quarter

to Rs. 145 in this quarter showing a

strong growth of 10 per cent. PVR

currently operates 26 theatres with a

total of 108 screens and 27,890 seats

across 14 cities in the country.

"On the back of various operating

initiatives taken by the management

to improve revenues and rationalize

costs, we have been able to achieve

an EBITDA margin of 21 per cent

during the quarter as compared to

15 per cent in corresponding period

of last year," said Ajjay Bijli,

Chairman & Managing Director, PVR

LTD. "Overall we see the consumer

sentiments really buoyant towards

movie going," he said, and added

"we remain highly positive about

the long-term prospects of the

leisure and entertainment Industry."

'Reel'ing Under Reality!In what can be an intriguing case of inspiration for Bollywood scriptwriters, the movie piracy

racket that shook the Tinsel Town out of its blissful slumber, exposed the spectre that hadlong been lurking from behind it. In the process, it brought the hitherto make-believeindustry to a grim reality. More, even after the big shake, the spectre is still at large.

TM tries to do a retro and a reality check.

Sometime in the second week of

September 2009...

Wee hours of the morning near Guru

Kripa Hotel at Kherewadi Junction in

Mumbai…

Two youth arrived on a motorcycle

from one side and while one came on

another bike from the other side. The

threesome quickly confabulated and

'exchanged' what they were ought to.

Then happened what was not

happening for some unknown

number of years. The cops, arriving

from nowhere, took the youths by

surprise and apprehended them, and

the material they were transporting: a

DVD print of the yet-to-be-released

Ashutosh Gowarikar movie What's

Your Rashee!

The men in mufti from the Mumbai

Police Crime Branch obviously did not

know that the apparent small link they

'caught' hold of would lead to

unearthing an ugly face of a massive

piracy racket that is hidden behind the

fancied corporate profiles; more, it is

being remote-controlled from across

India's North-Western border.

Bollywood, as also the rest of Indian

cinema entertainment industry, came

in for a rude shock when Afsar alias

Ashraf Haider Hussain, Firoz alias

Sameer Irfan Khanand Aman alias

Tanzeem Ali Hameed Ali - the three

youths nabbed from Kherewadi

Junction - reportedly pointed towards

top executives from very high-profile

corporate entities, three of them

commanding highest respect for

security, in the Indian entertainment

industry.

Acting on the leads taken during the

interrogation, the police moved

swiftly to zero in on one Durgadas

Shriramswami Bhakta, a business

development manager at the erstwhile

the Adlabs in Goregaon Filmcity, and

another Rajesh Harkishan Chaudhary,

associate vice- president of UFO Digital

Mastering office in Andheri, Reliance

Big Cinemas manager of overseas

distribution Neerav Shah, and

Shemaroo Entertainment head of

overseas distribution Kalapi Nagda.

According to Mumbai Joint

Commissioner of Police (Crime) Rakesh

Maria, Rajesh Chaudhary, would get

master prints of yet-to-be-released

Video Piracy

S P E C I A L F E AT U R E


movies. UFO processes the prints

digitally. Chaudhary would save the

movies on his laptop, put it onto a

DVD, and hand it over to Bhakta.

Bhakta then, passes the print on to

Afsar, who in turn passes it on to

Tanzeem, a computer expert. Tanzeem

uploads the movie to his computer,

and then sends it via Internet to the

kingpin of the racket, Asif, who is in

Karachi, Pakistan. Asif then sends the

movie prints to various countries that

include Bangladesh, Indonesia, The

Netherlands, Germany, France, and

Australia.

The youths have reportedly paid Rs.

two lakh to Bhakta for getting the

movie copy. Police have eventually

arrested Bhakta, his accomplice Ajal

Udayansingh Pal from the same lab,

and Rajesh. The fact that the police

have not only seized as many as 11

pirated titles from the accused, but

also touched upon the depths of cross-

border piracy that had apparently

made inroads into the echelons of

high-security set-ups in the country

exposed the grim reality. That the

cinematic India continues to 'reel'

under piracy, even with boastfully

digitised set-ups.

This major breakthrough, though, did

not come off just like that. The Crime

Branch had set up a few months ago a

special team that also had officers of

the police Social Service Branch to

keep a tab on piracy cases and rackets.

This happened building on the

strengths given to the department by

the Maharastra Prevention of

Dangerous Activities (MPDA) Act when

the Maharashtra Government brought

audio and video piracy under the

purview of MPDA. The new legislation

empowers police to book people

involved in piracy under the MPDA

wherein an offender can be detained

and sent to jail for a period of one

year.

According to police, they had actually

received a tip-off that the print of Dil

Bole Hadippa that was released on

September 18 was already available in

the market. Despite making their

efforts, police could not nab them.

They were, however, successful on the

second occasion, and with a bang.

On the face of it, respective companies

of the accused were said to have been

instantly disowned them by instant

termination, and strong

condemnation of the act that brought

then indignation.

Reliance Big Pictures said in a

statement: "Anybody found guilty of

any wrongdoing as far as the law of

the country is concerned, will be

strictly dealt with."

Welcoming the Mumbai police action,

Reliance Big Entertainment Chairman

Make a Difference: MPA India Appeal to CinemasThe Motion Picture Association of

America (MPAA) recently initiated a

massive campaign in association

with Indian film industry and

leading Indian multiplexes to curb

camcord-based movie piracy in the

country.

Named the 'Make a Difference'

campaign, the initiative was

launched at the Big Cinemas

Odeon in India's national capital

under the aegis of MPAA CEO and

Chairman Dan Glickman, PVR

Cinemas CEO Amitabh Vardhan,

and Adlabs COO Tushar Dhingra.

Glickman, who had apparently

come down specifically for the

programme, besides ramping up

the India operations, noted in a

statement: "As we continue to

release more Hollywood titles in

India, the number of camcords

coming out of the country is likely

to rise. However, we are sure that

the 'Make A Difference' training

package for cinema staff will go a long

way in helping them prevent

camcording, identify camcorders as

well as assist enforcement authorities

when they are caught making these

recordings."

Other multiplex chains in the country

such as Fame Adlabs and Fun Republic

have also been made part of the

nationwide training.

That MPAA has a wholly-owned local

office Motion Picture Dist. Association

(India) Pvt. Ltd., it hopes that the

Indian arm would address its concerns

more effectively by working closely

with local industry, government, law

enforcement authorities and

educational institutions.

According to the US India Business

Council - Ernst and amp; Young 2008

report on 'The Effects of

Counterfeiting and Piracy on India's

Entertainment Industry,' the Indian

film industry lost $ 959 million and

571,896 jobs due to piracy.

"Piracy is a global menace. Over 90

per cent of newly released movies

that end up appearing on the

streets and on Internet sites

originate from illegal copies made

in cinemas," noted Adlabs COO

Tushar Dhingra. "Indeed, with the

advancement of technology, piracy

is getting a boost but the same

technology can also be used in

order to curb the spread," he said

and added, "BIG Cinemas firmly

stands behind this MPAA initiative,

which takes proactive action to

curb camcord piracy. We hope that

the antipiracy laws are more

steadfastly enforced in India."

PVR Cinemas CEO Amitabh Vardhan

added: "movie piracy results in

fewer movies being financed,

which means jobs are not created

and local goods and services - such

as cinema tickets - are not

purchased."



Amit Khanna was quoted as saying

"Reliance Big Entertainment and

Adlabs are committed to root out this

evil. We, being a part of this film

industry will continue to support all

efforts by the government and the

industry in this regard."

Recalling that the company's

processing lab is the only such entity

in India to have been recognized by

Federation Against Copy Right Theft

of UK, Khanna sought to reassure the

industry and the enforcement

agencies that they have the most

stringent security measures in place.

"We shall take all appropriate legal

actions against any individual(s) in the

organization found guilty of any lapse

or misconduct," he was quoted as

saying.

UFO Moviez, recalling the police

version, sought to clarify that 'its

executive was acting independently

without the knowledge of the

company.' It assured the industry that

the latter's business interests and

intellectual property were of paramount

importance to the company.

Shemaroo also gave its take on the

disgrace allegedly brought by its

executive. The company director Hiren

Gada was quoted as saying that the

company had nothing to do with the

incident and strongly condemned all

such illegal activities. He hoped that

those found guilty would be dealt

very strictly, and the company will be

cooperating with the authorities in the

matter.

Even as these corporates were

hastening to atone themselves, UTV

Motion Pictures - whose movie What's

Your Rashee formed the epicentre of

the disgraceful ripples - was reported

to have sent legal notices to the

companies in question demanding a

compensation of Rs 50 crore each

towards the damage that might have

been incurred due to piracy.

A Sheer Systemic Lapse!

"The problem is neither with the

technology, nor with the system," says

a pacifist. "It's the problem of the

mindset; of falling values; and greed

for quick bucks." According to him,

Indian industry doesn't have

aggressive anti-piracy campaigns that

primarily begin with educating the

stakeholders. The system, by itself had

been supportive with its loopholes on

most occasions, and the industry has

never seriously geared up to educate

people before pressing for stringent

measures.

Observers of the whole development,

point out that the Motion Picture

Association (MPA) - the assumed

global apex body for fighting piracy -

had actually long ago recognised the

"lab-stage-theft" of the movies as an

equally potential threat as that of the

"in-theatre-camcording." The very fact

that most Hollywood titles appear on

the American street corners as also on

the US-centric portals even before the

movie's theatrical release proves the

vulnerability of the post-production

and process phases of a movie- which

was why the MPA devised

programmes to eliminate such security

loopholes.

Interestingly, just two weeks before

the shocking revelations in Mumbai,

the MPAA India - the India-centric

outfit of the global agency - had

began conducting an extensive

exercise in association with the top-

notch multiplexes in the country on

curbing the 'in-theatre-camcording.'

MPA's global head, as well as the India

chief stressed the need figuratively to

curb camcording! (Read a separate

story: 'Make a Difference')

Perhaps, they all missed, or failed to

suspect the things that had been

brewing right under their feet!

Pirates' Own Lab!

If the involvement of corporate

executives in piracy was not adequate,

the pirates setting up an conversion

lab and a 'national' godown will serve

as fitting statement on the strengths of

the pirates.

Close on the heels of the first incident,

the Mumbai Crime Branch Police have

unearthed a what was claimed as a

national godown, and a processing

lab that had been used for copying

and storing movies. The existence of

these facilities came to light when the

police busted another major video

piracy racked for the second time in

the same week by arresting five

operatives from Mumbai and

Ahmedabad.

Three operatives from Ahmedabad -

Chirgag Rawal, Mois Roopwala, and

Resham Mehta - and two from

Mumbai - Imran Sheikh and Ashfaq

Beig have been nabbed. They were

arrested during a joint operation

conducted by the Social Service

Branch and Unit X of the Crime

Branch.

According to police, Rawal was the

kingpin of the video piracy syndicate

in Gujarat. Five DVD writer machines

Contd on page TM-34...



INDIAPLEXING

A Different Stroke of

Cinema DesignIndia had been experiencing fascinating multiplexing for some time now, with its cinema

exhibition industry regularly coming up with marvels of cinema design. There are a few

multiplexes that are classified truly international for their path-breaking design

innovation. However, here is one that, probably, tops them all- the newest cinematic

expression of HDIL– the Mumbai-based promoter of Broadway brand multiplex chain.

Coming up at Bhandup suburb of Mumbai, the new ‘Broadway’ cinema promises to set

a new benchmark in cinema design and the celebration of cinematic experience.

The newest cinematic statement that

is just about to express itself to the

residents of Bhandup as also the

movie lovers of the Mumbai is a

veritable statement of design

ingenuity. For, it explores the

unseen, if not unimagined, frontiers

of design expression, and exploits

the space intelligently to create a

spatial experience that is bold and

radically different from the

common.

Created as part of the

extraordinarily spread, 13.5 lakh

square feet Dreams Mall – a fondly

chosen name to symbolise a fancied

retail entertainment destination –

the new 6-screen cinema from the

Mumbai-based Broadway multiplex


INDIAPLEXING

chain is a fancy space of make-belief

living. The moment one steps into

cinema entrance, one is set to be

taken over a magical spell of

randomly combined geometrical

triangular forms done in various

shades and sizes.

The entrance, lobby and concession

areas are characterised by a blue

immanence of this triangular design

geometry that appears sober and

pleasant, while an adjacent

children’s recreation area – said to

be the ‘kids zone’ – strikes a

radically different note with

resplendently red triangles

intercepting lighter shade triangles.

The theme form is carried forward

from the lobby to expand into the

two large concession areas, as if to

continue the impact.

The combination of geometrical

triangular forms is central to the

visibly bold design theme of the

multiplex. The apparent attempt to

impart the ambience with the glow

of a crystalline lustre in a radically

different yet fanciful and mood-

setting fashion is carried forward

into the auditoriums. Different

from one another in their own

right, each of the auditoriums

characterise a unison of interior

walls and ceiling done in a uniform

crystalline format- treated by a

polypropelene fabric covering the

acoustical panels and tiles beneath.

Further, the geometrical forms are

characterized by protruding ridges

running from end to end, and


INDIAPLEXING

blending the walls and ceiling as

one single large form.

Five of the six auditoriums feature

this design scheme done in pink,

purple, red, green and blue. The

catchline is “the crystalline glow”

form is everywhere, permeating

every element of the design. While

these five auditoriums are uniform

in their structural design, the sixth

one stands apart both in its design

and cinematic offering. Created as

VIP Class, the auditorium has its

interior surfaces in a uniform black,

done in alternating big and small

rectangular forms and surface-

finished in polypropeline fabric. The

56-seat luxury auditorium features

extra-stretch recliners done in

supersoft leather. The auditorium is

also unique in that it is attached

with a distinctly designed VIP

lounge that offers speciality services.

As for the technicals, two of the

auditoriums feature 2K digital

projection systems supplied and

installed by MRH Digital Systems

while the other four feature 35-mm

film projection systems done again

by MRH Digital. The system

comprises Christie projection, QSC 4-

way speakers and amps, Dolby-

digital audio, and screens by

Harkness Hall. The acoustical panels

have been supplied by Anutone while

the technical design is done by Neville

Daruwala.

The interior lighting and

steplighting in the auditoria, done

in tune with the architectural forms

created, has been done by

Shrikrishnashray. The seating has


INDIAPLEXING

been supplied and installed by

Penworkers – sourced from China.

“It’s our flagship property,” says

Mukesh Gupta, CEO of HDIL

(Cinema Division). “We tried to

make it the way a flagship venture

should be,” Mukhesh asserts, “we

believe we did.” That the group’s

last venture at Khandivli has been

giving them good returns in that it’s

been getting an average occupancy

of 56 per cent, the group is buoyant

on its latest statement. That

multiplex chain has now increased

its footprint in Mumbai to a total of

17 screens.

The industry till now has seen Silver,

Gold and Platinum Classes. It hasn’t

yet seen a ‘Diamond Class.’ Perhaps,

the latest 1346-seat Broadway

multiplex at Dreams Mall is one.


Being on the Cutting Edge (of) Technology,

Cinematically

Sathyam Cinemas, Chennai - the iconic symbol of South Indian Cinema activism - has been thesynonym of bold cinematic initiatives in the country- right from super size giant movie posterson the theatre exteriors to doing the country's first 2K digital, 3D digital, more Imax theatrecommitments than most in Asia, and playing instrumental in alternative digital content. Arguably,it is one cinema enterprise that is undeterred by the market upheavals, and diligently seekingits pursuits of ushering in the technology cinema- which is why the exhibitor is being awardedthe DLP Market Achievement Award at CineAsia 2009, Asia's coveted industry platform. TM speaksto its First Person Tan Ngaronga(TN), Chief Operating Officer, Sathyam Cinemas, on its directionsand dimensions.

TM - Congratulations on the

CineAsia recognition. How does it

feel like?

TN - We are very pleased and honored

to receive the DLP Marketing

Achievement Award. Digital cinema is

something that we are passionate

about and has been something that

Sathyam Chairman Kiran Reddy

specifically pushing from many fronts

for a long time. It is fantastic that there

had been such a significant shift in the

last couple of years from print to

digital. There are many contributors

that have made this possible, from

producers to post production houses

ensuring that we have a significant

amount of content to play out in

digital.

TM - What brand or value addition

you think it brings to Sathyam

Cinemas?

TN - I am not sure how much brand

value this brings to Sathyam Cinemas,

but we have been committed to be an

'all-digital' exhibitor. We are

committed to bring the best picture

and sound quality available to our

customers. Hopefully this says

something about the brand and what

we are trying to do.

TM - Sathyam had

been full of

promises, since an

year or so, with

ambitions plans, but

yet to see one on

stream- What

reasons?

TN - We understand

that things have not

moved as quickly as we

would have liked them

too, however, last year

was a very tough year for the

exhibition industry with the recessions

and a range of other challenges so

things were definitely slow to progress.

As our primary strategy is completely

contingent on Retail projects we

restricted by these developments. As I

am sure it has been seen through the

The ‘landmark’ move: Sathyam COO Tan Ngaronga(right) andExpress Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd. COO Kim Kully (middle)


down turn, it is imperative to be in the

right locations with the right retail

partners to ensure that each site is

sustainable.

TM - We have been told about

Sathyam's two Imax theatres by

2010, and two more in the next two

years. At what stage are these

projects?

TN - The projects are well into the

planning stage and will start

construction in the very near future.

TM - Sathyam showed the way for

DCI-compliant Digital Cinema India

by deploying the country's first 2K

digital, and 3D digital. Would also

do the 4K?

TN - 4 K is definitely in the pipeline. For

all of our new projects that have

immediate projector requirements we

are ensuring that the projectors we buy

are 4K ready, and will want to ensure

that all of our sites are 4K in the

immediate future.

TM - If so, when and where? on the

existing Royapetah location ? or

elsewhere?

TN - Sathyam will be upgraded as the

older projectors can be either moved or

replaced.

TM - Not withstanding the brand

identity of doing the country's first

3D digital, how has been the

experience so far? How about the

regular supply of content?

TN - The stream of content has

improved and we are seeing more films

available in digital 3D being released in

India. Most of these titles have been

children's focused product, but we are

anxiously preparing for the release of

James Cameron's Avatar. We are

equipping more of our screens to be

ready for this release.

TM - What drives Sathyam Cinemas

for its bold initiates?

TN - We want to be on the cutting

edge of technology. Kiran Reddy is

obviously an advocate of being at the

cutting edge and pushing the

boundaries on improving the cinema

experience.

TM - Sathyam also made a bold

initiative with alternative content.

We, haven't, however, heard about

it again. Why? Are there any such

plans (on the anvil?)

TN - This never came to fruition.

Unfortunately, we were not able to

find content that would work for our

market. In terms of alternative content,

we want to find something that we can

establish a regular programme for,

something that can be shown in an off-

peak period and be promoted as a

regular event.

TM - In contrast to the movie

producing activism, the spread of

multiplexing has comparatively

been conservative in the south.

What reasons you see for this?

TN - This is predominantly due to the

slow rate of retail developments

coming on line. The lion's share of

multiplexes is in major retail

developments, but we will see a few

open in 2010.

TM - Judging from today's standing,

where do you see Indian cinema

exhibition industry in the next

three to five years time?


TN - We will see some multiplexes

open, but the rate will continue to be

behind expectations. Many people will

go down the path of either renovating

older screens with premium city

locations, or even attempt to do stand

alone projects due to the slow pace of

major retail developments.

TM - Most reputed research firms

have been awfully going wrong in

predicting the industry dynamics-

what reasons you see for this

fallacy?

TN - I am not sure why this is, but I

think it might have something to do

with the fact that many of the

demographic rates are off the mark. In

a recent McKinsey report, only 1 per

cent of people in India earn more the

10 lakh per annum. Therefore size of

the middle class is much smaller than

the 300,000 million that is claimed.

Thus, the disposable income of many is

more limited than people are

forecasting. So there isn't the money

for retail and recreation that is being

suggested.

TM - Indian cinema market is often

criticised for video piracy. How

menacing you see the challenge?

TN - Piracy is a huge issue that has no

foreseeable solution. As exhibitors, all

we can do is make sure that the cinema

experience is good enough to compel

people to get out of their homes to be

entertained. People are social animals

and have innate need to be in social

situations. Hopefully this and a great

experience offering will keep them

coming to the cinemas.

TM - Now Sathyam is getting a

high-profile tech honour from an

international platform. What

business responsibilities you think

would come attached with it?

TN - With our promise of being ahead

of the curve in technology, this means

that we need to keep up with the

improvements in technology. This will

mean that we will have to start looking

at the 4K digital technology that will

be available shortly from Texas

Instruments as well as other

improvements in the technology

sphere. We are committed to bring

the best possible experience to our

customers and sometimes that does

come at a price considering the speed

at which technological changes are

taking place.

(capable of printing hundreds of

copies per hour) along with 15,000

inlay cards had been recovered from

him. On ther other hand, 19 DVD

machines, a television set and 1,000

duplicate copies of Hindi movies were

recovered from Roopwala. Resham

Mehta, brother of the alleged Delhi-

based pirate Jitendra Mehta was

arrested with a laptop and 15

duplicate prints of some latest

Bollywood movies.

The modus operandi of the racket is

such that Sheikh and Beig approach

loaders engaged by distributors in

transporting the prints and offer them

anywhere between Rs 20,000 and

25,000 to sneak a print out for three

hours. The print would be taken to a

lab set up in Andheri, to be converted

to a digital format before being finally

burnt on a DVD. These prints were

stored in a godown in Mahim, before

being sent to Pakistani piracy kingpin

Asif, from where they would be

distributed all over the world.

A Shocked Industry

Though most people in the industry

do not want to recall what and why

happened, it is understandably sent

shock waves across the rank and file of

the film industry. There is a generic

sense of shattering of a mythical

belief. "We all believed 35-mm film

was very easy to copy and digital

version will safeguard against it- given

the 'foolproof' technology it came

with," an executive of a multiplex

firm, said, adding, "now the belief

stands shattered. It is now proven that

even the digital prints are not safe."

"People invest crores of rupees in

each movie, and in these days of

fancied film making, it runs into

few dozens of crores," says another

top executive of an exhibition-

production enterprise, "with acts

such as these, the fate of their

investment and professional

fortunes are sealed before they

open up."

Fumes an exhibitor: "most people

wouldn't spare a minute in blaming

cinema operators for piracy, they

say in-theatre-piracy is the main

cause of the menace. They say

digital cinema is the only and

effective solution. But what is the

solution when even the digital

prints are stolen and sold for

tainted money?"

The Tailpiece : Almost two months

after the police busted two of the

biggest video piracy rackets, the

multi-million dollar piracy market

seems to have hardly been affected.

Pirated copies of most film releases

like Blue, All the Best, and Main aur

Mrs Khanna were easily available at

stalls outside the suburban railway

stations and at shopping areas.

...contd from page TM-26

'Reel'ing Under Reality!


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