kapoorekta.com

Balaji Telefilms Ltd that forayed into the digital space recently, announces the launch of its first ever iPhone application named 'Ganesha Stories' under its New Media initiative. With the launch of this application, Balaji Telefilms Ltd expands its presence in the internet and mobile space to cover the growing iphone and itunes users.

Balaji Telefilms Ltd - New Media division was set up to expand and capitalize on its creative and production facilities to cover the mobile and internet space. In the mobile space the team has made significant strides in creating original content in audio and video format, deploying and marketing the same across all major mobile networks. The division is poised for a significant play on the 3G platforms in the future.

The Ganesha iPhone application allows consumers to have access to their favourite Elephant God on the move. Aartis and stories revolving around Lord Ganesha are available at the click of a button featuring the best names in Bollywood playback singing.

Commenting on the launch, Ekta Kapoor, Joint Managing director, Balaji Telefilms Ltd said, "Mobile Entertainment is a growth area for us. We are focusing on creating content for Mobile Phones. Delivering top quality mobile entertainment is becoming possible with improved phones like iPhone and better networks."

"Over the last year Balaji Telefilms Ltd has evolved from being a leader in the television and film production to creating a strong footprint in the Online and Mobile VAS space," said Puneet Kinra, Group CEO, Balaji Telefilms Ltd.

"The Mobile entertainment space has assumed great significance today and we plan to focus extensively on the same to address the current consumers as well as the evolving market of 3G content both in India and internationally."

Commenting on the launch, Uday Sodhi, CEO, Balaji Telefilms Ltd – New Media said, "The Mobile VAS industry offers significant opportunity to offer innovative, interactive & original content to the consumers across platforms. Taking our efforts in the mobile space forward we have now begun to roll out a range of applications for the iPhone market, 'Ganesha Stories' being the first. We are confident that our story telling ability combined with creative use of technology will bring a joyful experience to the consumer."

It’s a little over a year since the dramatic STAR Group and Balaji Telefilms saga came to an end. With this, the Ekta Kapoor-promoted soap factory’s fortunes changed. After posting losses for almost eight months, Balaji finally came out of the red in the latest quarter. In an interview with Aminah Sheikh,Balaji Telefilms' Group CEO Puneet Kinra talks about the company’s plans. Edited excerpts:

The last one year has been tough for Balaji, from being the leading TV production house to a struggling outfit...
Our old shows under our contract with STAR began going off air from the last quarter of 2008, and it has taken us some time to get new shows on air. Also, new shows by other broadcasters have been commissioned at a far lower value, largely driven by the recession that also hit the entertainment industry. Thus, our realisations per show came down drastically, from Rs 27 lakh per hour in 2008 to Rs 15-16 lakh per hour in 2009. In the last quarter of 2008, we were hit by the TV strike, which affected our bottom line for that quarter.

By what per cent have the realisations per show come down?
Over 40 per cent. But after eight months of operating losses for the quarter ended December 31, 2009, we have posted a net profit of Rs 1.81 crore (from Rs 0.56 crore during the corresponding quarter of 2008). However, the company's total revenue came down 23 per cent to Rs 38.97 crore for quarter from Rs 50.56 crore in the corresponding quarter. The number of shows have increased, but the realisations have come down. So, the revenue is not high. But we forecast steady growth in the months to come.

How many hours of programming do you air now?
As of now, we produce 216 hours of programming across Hindi general entertainment channels (GECs) and 158 hours (sponsored programming) in the south every quarter. We have seven shows on air across Hindi GECs and four shows on the Sun network. In the next two quarters, we may not launch new shows as our focus now is to strengthen our position and consolidate before increasing the number of shows.

What are Balaji’s plans in the new media domain?
Under the new media vertical, we have launched a portal 'Hoonur.Com' — an online talent platform that helps independent professionals showcase their talent and get projects/businesses from the film and television fraternity. We plan to launch exclusive entertainment content for the internet and mobile platforms. We are in the process of launching three shows on the new media platform this year and we will own the intellectual property rights of the shows.

How is the new brand Alt Entertainment different from the existing Balaji brand?
Balaji will continue to produce content for the masses across platforms, while Alt Entertainment will create content for television, motion pictures and new media, with the urban youth as the target audience. To begin with, Alt Entertainment will release a film directed by Dibakar Bannerjee, 'Love, Sex aur Dhoka'. Under the Balaji banner, we will release a film starring Ajay Devgan and directed by Milind Lutheria. In addition, there are six-seven movies in the pipeline, including 'Special Chabbis' by Neeraj Pandey and 'Shor' by DK & Raj.

Bollywood director Dibakar Banerjee says the camera plays a dynamic role in his forthcoming Love, Sex Aur Dhoka (LSD), which is about stories behind sensational headlines. And he is certain the content of the movie and the filmmaking technique will surprise audiences.

"The medium and the technique in the film are as important as the content. That is what will take the audience totally by surprise because they are not used to seeing a film being made this way," said Banerjee said.

"LSD is made with a digital camera and the way camera behaves makes it very different from the other Indian or international cinema. The concept is very new and it will hit the audience right in the beginning. And if the audience can get over that shock in the first 5 or 10 minutes, after that the content will keep them occupied. You will feel the presence of the camera as a dynamic character within the film and not as a recorder of the scenes. It's very dynamic," he said.

There are no known names in the film. Banerjee says he roped in non-actors to give it a real feel.

"To make it 'real' I have used all non-actors because the premise of the film is that it's not a film - it's stolen, found or accidentally acquired footages collected from various parts of the country. And the film is made on stories behind sensational headlines that we keep seeing in newspapers or televisions. We see the headline and then we forget, but there is a story behind every headline."

Asked if he has borrowed the idea from some real incidents, he said: "I don't think fiction is ever free of reality. Whatever is happening around impacts me. And things that happened around us has generated the fiction for the film. You can say that it is in the twilight zone between reality and fiction."

Banerjee's last two films were Khosla Ka Ghosla and Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!, but he has used lip-synched songs and an item number for the first time in Love, Sex Aur Dhoka.

"The film has five songs and for the first time I have incorporated lip-sync songs and an item number. The item number was shot in a weird way because in the film a young inexperienced filmmaker shoots the song. So I had to shoot it like an inexperienced person making lots of stupid mistakes," he said.

Throwing light on the storyline, he said: "In the film, three stories about very strong couples are intricately connected to each other. There are three different cameras that are recording these three couples' lives. And the film shows that by accident we have found those recordings."

Banerjee says that the idea was in his mind even before he made Khosla ka Ghosla.

"I was trying to do LSD before Khosla Ka Ghosla and then again I tried doing it, but then came Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!. I wanted to do a totally different film."

"I was seeing certain things happening in front of my eyes and I am still seeing them. Those incidents had a great impact on me. The issues are extremely important especially in the case of modern urban India," he said.

Does the film carry any message? "I don't think there is any film which doesn't have a message. Even the absolutely scorching, entertaining hit would have a message. It also has a message."

By ‘real’, she means a chilled out girl who likes to go out and have a good time. “I’m young and I have fun. I’m also on Facebook and other such sites,” she says.

Far from being bothered by the typecasting she faces, Kapoor finds it “amusing”. “If I’m associated with a certain kind of cult programming, people assume I have the same mindset. I make television for India, which believes in certain norms. And yes, those norms are a part of me. But another part of me is a single girl living in Mumbai. Both co-exist,” says Ekta.

Her ‘single girl’ remark prompts a question on when, according to her, her relationship status will change to committed. In response, she bursts into laughter. “That’s something I also don’t know. Let’s just say ‘que sera, sera’... whatever will be, will be.”

One thing that she is certain of, however, is the response the upcoming flick LSD, which is being produced by her company, will get. “It’s a very trippy film. People will either love LSD or hate LSD.” It is to make similar “cutting edge content” that Ekta has set up Alt Entertainment, a company she defines as her “alter ego”.

The film, she says, carries a shock value. “Sex is no longer just for pleasure. Now, it is used to get popular, or to get back at a girl who said ‘no’ to you...that’s what is portrayed in the film,” says Ekta, who was recently felicitated with the ‘Most Outstanding Woman Entrepreneur’ award by the Indo-American Society.

But films aren’t the only thing on her mind. “You must realise the value of the small things in life. I enjoy changing my Facebook status as much as I like making a film.”