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Content is everywhere

Sudipta Datta

Posted: 2008-09-28 23:46:23+05:30 IST
Updated: Sep 28, 2008 at 2346 hrs IST

The borders are melting in the Indian film industry and how. If Percept is readying to launch its second Pakistani film Ramchand Pakistani this October after Khuda Kay Liye’s great run in India, leading entertainment company Eros International has a line-up of 35 releases this year, including 15 in Tamil. With the multiplex boom, cinema is now being made for all kinds of audiences and production companies are going the extra mile to ensure people flock to the screens.

And scouting for good content, breaking down all barriers, is one sureshot way to bring people to the multiplexes “When we saw Khuda Kay Liye at the Goa film festival, we were so moved that we contacted the Director Shoaib Mansoor,” recalls Ashok Ahuja, Director, Percept Picture Company. “We convinced him that the film should come to India.” After its tremendous success, Javed Jabbar, the Producer of Ramchand Pakistani, got in touch with Percept.

So it is that Percept will release a second Pakistani film, Ramchand Pakistani, starring Nandita Das among others, on October 2. The film was slated to launch on August 1 but got delayed at the censors. “The film has been seen by the Delhi Censor Board and referred to a revising board,” adds Ahuja, “because these are sensitive issues and everybody wants to play it safe.” Ramchand Pakistani tells the real-life story of a Pakistani boy who strays into Indian territory by mistake and is put behind bars.

Producers are working out different ways of marketing as well. For example, a film like UTV’s A Wednesday has a limited release but Indian Films’ Singh Is Kinng gets the widest release ever for a Hindi film worldwide with 1,350 prints across 1,700 screens. While A Wednesday has done reasonably well, Singh is Kinng had a massive Rs 59.5 crore worldwide collection in the release weekend itself.

If Pakistani films are coming to India, Hindi films are releasing there as well. Singh is Kinng had a day and date release in Pakistan with 15 prints. In Lahore Dha Cinema, it was sold out for the entire week in advance and had to run 1 am shows to accommodate the audience.

At the Rs 900 cr Pyramid Saimira group, the effort is on to create a story bank. Says CMD PS Saminathan: “Right now we are not doing any remakes but our effort is to create a story bank which will enable us...

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