Viacom 18 Motion Pictures? (earlier known as Studio 18) chief operating officer Vikram Malhotra started his career in advertising with FCB Ulka (now DraftFCB+Ulka), and then went on to work with Lever Johnson, the Tatas in the retail Internet business, the UB Group, followed by Balaji Motion Pictures, where he finally found his calling?the entertainment business. After a year and a half, he moved to Studio 18 which was recently re-named and restructured. FE?s Payal Khandelwal caught up with him to understand his penchant for the entertainment business, the new business model, the synergies between the film company and the other divisions of the Network 18 group. Edited excerpts.
How was the transition from the UB Group to the entertainment business?
I have always looked at assignments in terms of the kind of challenges they offer. When I moved from FMCG (fast moving consumer goods) to the beverage alcohol business of UB Group, the challenge was to develop a brand in a constrained environment since alcohol advertising is not permitted. Similarly, when I moved to Kingfisher Airlines, the airlines business was like a commodity and not a brand. It was a daunting challenge to create a brand where the mindset of a brand doesn?t exist. The learning that one gets from this disruptive contribution is a learning for life. After this, I assessed the opportunity in the entertainment business and films are the biggest manifestation of entertainment. There was immense opportunity for value to be unlocked and that?s what brought me here. My stint at Balaji Motion Pictures included valuable learnings and successful films like LSD and Once Upon a Time in Mumbai.
What were your reasons for zeroing in on the Network18 group?
The brand Studio 18 is huge and the media platforms and assets under the Network18 group in India are great. Viacom, is a global media powerhouse and Paramount Pictures rests within its fold. The assets that I would bring to the table and the kind of value, to be unlocked were huge catalysts in my choice.
What are the changes we will see in Viacom18 Motion Pictures?
We will now be a full-service studio and will engage at all points of a film including concept, development, marketing, distribution, production, and talent nurturing. We are launching a new sub-brand for youth ‘Tipping Point Films’ which is targeted at people between 18-25 years of age. This is the make or break segment for any film in India, not just in terms of footfalls but also in terms of their influencing capability as they have access to entertainment trends in the west and are part of a large social community.
What will be the synergies between Viacom18 Motion Pictures and other Viacom 18 and Network 18 platforms?
Through all the Network 18 media platforms and Viacom 18’s TV channels which engage with viewers on a daily basis, the messaging of our films will be delivered in terms of the quality of impact. The efficacy of our marketing will be higher because we will customize our offerings based on the platform. Our protagonist will engage with shows protagonists of these channels and thus the impact will be higher.
Secondly, the kind of consumer insights these channels have will help us. So, there is a synergy on research and development, marketing and synergy in terms of how we offer our portfolio to channels like Colors. On one hand, Colors will get quality assured, delivered on time motion pictures from us and on the other hand, Colors is a logical extension for us as it de-risks our investment on a film at an early stage. Thus, we end up creating an extremely symbiotic motion pictures business.
What are the crucial challenges in the film industry currently?
The first challenge is the poor penetration of motion pictures. The per capita availability of consuming platforms like multiplexes, etc., are still quite low. Until that and the size of the audience increases, we will not see the kind of quantum growth that the country has potential for.
The second challenge is the fickle audience, which they have a right to be as they are investing their money and time. Thus, understanding this audience and ensuring our film development is in line with those expectations is another challenge.