The countdown has begun! On one side is the biggest star of Hindi cinema [SRK]. On the opposite side is the biggest director of Hindi cinema [Sanjay Leela Bhansali]. The battle royale this Diwali is being keenly watched by people from within and outside the industry. Which film will steal the march and garner a big opening? The speculations have begun…

Year after year, most Diwali releases have elicited a tremendous response. Diwali is special. People are in a mood to spend, party, get entertained. The footfalls at movieplexes show a meteoric rise during this festive season. The business escalates if the films are talked-about. And it definitely can't get bigger than OM SHANTI OM and SAAWARIYA.

The worldwide distributors of the two films [Eros - O.S.O., Sony - SAAWARIYA] are working at a feverish pace, marketing the products aggressively, besides getting the best deals from movieplexes. The two films are being given an extensive release across the globe. Expectedly, the first week billing will be earth shattering!

Two [or more] good films can easily co-exist during Diwali. Let's hope and pray, both O.S.O. and SAAWARIYA make the film industry richer by several crores this festive season. Let the festival of lights make the scenario brighter this November.

Business Talk With Taran Adarsh

After a meeting on Monday most of the prominent multiplex chains, including PVR Cinemas and Inox Leisure, are learnt to have removed promotions of Om Shanti Om and Saawariyan and have refused to agree to the term and conditions of the distributors.

As of now, none of the multiplex chains has signed any deals with the two distributors to screen the two majors productions of the season.

When contacted PVR Cinem’s film division COO Ashish Saxena said, “We have reached no conclusion yet with the distributors.” He confirmed that many multiplex players have stopped promoting the movies as of now. Said Adlabs Cinemas’ COO Tushar Dhingra, “ We have not signed any formal agreement with the distributors as of now.” While Eros officials were not available for comments, S P E Motion Picture Group officials refused to comment, stating that it was an internal matter.

Industry sources, however, believe that Sony Pictures Entertainment is under more pressure as Saawariyan is its first Indian co-production with Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Sources are also anticipating that if the situation worsens, both these players might look at negotiations separately. “I don’t think SPE and Eros have signed a formal agreement for price negotiations,” added a source.

Sharukh Khan’s Om Shanti Om and Saawariyan which have locked horns on all fronts including date of release, promotional tie-ups with brands, costumes and marketing budgets, decided to get together on revenue negotiations with multiplex owners. According to sources in the industry, the distributors asked for a revenue share of 50% for the first week, and 40% for the subsequent two weeks. Traditionally, a movie distributor charges 50% revenue share for the first week, but 30% revenue for the second and third week

Meenakshi Verma, TNN

While film production company Eros International and Hollywood’s Sony Pictures are still battling to grab as many of the 800-odd single screens in the country - for their upcoming films Om Shanti Om and Saawariya - the same isn’t true when it comes to multiplexes.

The two have come together and are jointly negotiating with leading multiplex owners for higher revenue share.

This is the first time that the two production houses are jointly negotiating with theatre chains for a percentage share, which even veteran filmmakers such as Yash Chopra, promoter of Yash Raj Films, has never been able to command.

Sources said that Sony Pictures and Eros International are demanding 50 per cent of the ticket sales in the first two weeks and 40 per cent in the third and fourth weeks.

“Production houses are aware that multiplexes cannot ignore the two biggest films of the year. Therefore, they are in a position to command a high revenue share,” said an top executive of a leading multiplex.

Till date, only Chopra has used his muscle with cinema hall owners while asking for higher revenue share. Early this year, Yash Raj Films struck a deal with movie exhibitors under which the company will get 50 per cent of the revenue earned through ticket sales in the first week, 45 per cent in the second and 40 per cent in the third and fourth week, for five films under the banner of Yash Raj Films.

Industry sources added that the representatives from the two production companies would meet leading multiplex owners on Monday to negotiate revenue sharing terms.

While Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Saawariya marks Sony Pictures’ foray into the Bollywood industry, Om Shanti Om’s worldwide distribution rights were bought by Eros International for around Rs 74 crore from Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chilies Entertainment.

The two films are slated to hit the screens on November 9. Recently, Eros International and Sony Pictures announced their alliance to jointly produce and acquire Hindi films.

While Sony Pictures will distribute some of the films in the US, Eros International will make use of its presence overseas to distribute movies in other territories. The two production companies will jointly work in India.

BusinessStandard

The release of the film may still be a month away but the producers of the two films have set their marketing machineries in fuill swing in a bid to woo the cinegoers.

While ‘Om Shanti Om’ tied up with Shopper’s Stop for the merchandising of it’s costumes, it was Pantaloon that tied up for the merchandising of clothes worn in ‘Saawariya’.

The producers of ‘Om Shanti Om’ Red Chillies is in the process of signing a deal for promotion of the film in association with brands like Nokia and the cosmetics company Maybelline.

At the same time, producers of ‘Saawariya’, Sony Columbia Tristar Films have signed a in-film merchandise deal with Kishore Biyani’s Future Group which involves a ‘Saawariya’ range of menswear, home products and beauty products to be retailed at Big Bazaar stores.

Sony Pictures have also signed a Rs five-crore contest-based promotion with Neo Sports for the ongoing India-Australia cricket series.

Only time will tell who will emerge the winner in this “clash of the titans”. However, the ultimate winner in all this will be the business of films in India which will witness a heightened curiosity among cinegoers for the films and consequently increasing number of them heading for the cinema halls.

Who will be the winner in business Saawariya or Om Shanti Om - Post Your Comment

MUMBAI: As the release date of this year's most awaited movies Saawariya and Om Shanti Om is getting closer, their producers are stepping up on the marketing and promotions activities and distributors on theatre bookings.

Producers Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Shah Rukh Khan are wishing luck to each other but at the same yearning for their own movie to receive a better public response. Meanwhile distributors of the both these movies, Sony Pictures India (Saawariya) and Eros International (Om Shanti Om) have come together to jointly approach multiplexes in granting both movies equal number of shows as well as equal revenue sharing terms.

Pertinent to note here that last month Eros International and Sony Pictures had announced an alliance, wherein the two companies would co-invest in Hindi movies. So, is there any rivalry? The two companies jointly approaching multiplexes will ensure good business for both companies. But it doesn't end here. What makes for bigger business, is them asking for unheard of revenue sharing terms.

Sources inform, "The revenue sharing terms that Sony and Eros are asking for is much more than that of Yash Raj's also. They are looking at 50 per cent share for the first two weeks, followed by 40 per cent share in the third and fourth week."

Yash Raj Films, on the other hand, shares 50 per cent revenue in the first week followed by 45 per cent and 35 per cent in the subsequent two weeks.

A meeting between the concerned parties is likely to take place early next week where the matter will be discussed and the terms may be further negotiated.

Considering the fact that there is great hype surrounding these films and they are releasing during the festive and vacation period, the opening of these films is bound to be astounding.

Also since no other Bollywood movies are releasing on 9 November, the multiplexes will have only these two movies to play until 23 November when UTV's Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal and Eros' Dus Kahaniyan release in theatres.

Sony Pictures' all India distribution head Kercy Daruwala says, "To avoid unnecessary clash, we thought Om Shanti Om and Saawariya should get the same terms. Later, let the audience decide, which movie is better."

When asked for a confirmation on revenue sharing figures Daruwala added, "Matters are still under discussion; hence we have not arrived at a decision."

Eros officials remained unavailable for comment at the time of filing this story.

Rohini Bandhari, Businessofcinema

My jaw drops on seeing a shirtless Shahrukh Khan.

The closest I can recall seeing his waxed chest is through that transparent shirt in the song Sooraj hua madhham... in Karan Johar's Kabhie Khushi Kabhi Gham.

Even if I am shaken and stirred, the journalist in me pretends not to show it.

But SRK is hell-bent on showing off his body, and dissecting it—down to why he got the left nipple pierced and not the right.

"How do you think I look," he asks everyone around, including the rather baffled CNN crew that has specially flown down from the US post the success of Chak De! India to capture the inexplicable appeal of King Khan.

It's a rhetorical question; it demands nothing but approval. But before I can react, director Farah Khan pitches in: "Your body is like John's (Abraham) and you are dancing like Hrithik." SRK's famous dimples get switched on bright: "I have the abs; I don't need to act now."

It is the very last shooting schedule of King Khan's forthcoming home production, Om Shanti Om (OSO). The cheesy number, Dil mein mere hai darde disco is being canned at the swanky Yashraj Studio. Being on the sets is an other-worldly, out-of-the body experience. It's hard not to get intimidated by such full-on Bollywood kitsch. Shirtless SRK in faux leather pants is shaking his booty alongside tall, lissom white girls, wearing golliwog wigs, leopard print leotards and hoop earrings.

A huge eagle provides a Chandamama-like backdrop, while welders perched precariously on the roof create sparkles that provide a shooting star effect. The theme is 'fire' and the song will move on to the 'water' and 'wind' themes, I am told. Meanwhile, a pregnant Farah Khan, expecting triplets, and complaining of morning sickness in between shots, is angry at the cameraperson for cutting SRK's crotch from the frame. "We are not shooting a Bengali art film here, get it (the crotch) back," she roars on the mike, and stretches herself on the director's couch.

SRK is in a jolly good mood. Unsparingly mocking, he sends up everything for a lark: the 'Yashraj Films'-inscribed cutlery with which he eats his McDonald's burger, Rahul Rawail's new film, Buddha Mar Gaya, and a news item in the Economic Times which quotes a 'prosumer' survey to declare that Ram Gopal Varma's Darling will be the biggest hit of 2007. The mention of fire is enough for him to tell us a hilarious anecdote about watching Deepa Mehta's film of the same name in the company of his mother-in-law and squirming all the way. SRK even sends up SRK. He complains to Farah about how he hates shooting with the leggy models: "They make me look and feel like a chaprasi (peon)."

It's not all fun and games. Seriousness surfaces as Khan reads the scripts of promos of OSO that will show on NDTV, red-stemmed glasses perched on his nose. The film is ready, the marketing and hype are about to unleash and you can see how keen he is to get all the details of the launch right. The performer's job is done, the producer-businessman has taken over.

SRK is at an interesting juncture in his life. He is not just a star. Many see him embodying, through the Rajs and Rahuls he plays, the spirit of post-liberalisation, feelgood India—just as Big B's Angry Young Man represented the angst-ridden India of the '70s and the '80s. And 2007 has, so far, been a glorious year for him. Chak De has been the year's biggest hit. What's more, it's the first film in his entire career to earn him commercial and critical approval in equal measure. "They loved you in Chak De," I tell him. "We will undo that with OSO. I can't make people love me for so long," he says, tongue firmly in cheek.

With OSO, SRK is back to giving us an absolutely in-your-face Bollywood movie, the mother of all entertainers, with a mother of all item numbers starring every single big star in the industry. In this film, Shahrukh is paying tribute to his own world, the Hindi film industry. "This is a film made by fans of Hindi films. Farah is the biggest one, I am a close second," says SRK. The film plays out a reincarnation theme against the backdrop of 1970s Bollywood, and later, the Bollywood of 2008. Its logline is, "for some dreams to be fulfilled one lifetime is not enough". The story is about the passion of a junior artiste, Om, for the regal heroine number one, Shantipriya (a throwback to Hema Malini), a love story cut short by death and renewed with rebirth. Shades of Kudrat, Karz, Karan Arjun and Reincarnation of Peter Proud. "It's a hugely dramatic film," says SRK. "The story has been told earlier, the beauty lies in telling it more interestingly." So apart from drama, there is also comedy.

Why the '70s? "I love the films of that period—Sholay, Deewar, Yaadon Ki Baraat, Hum Kisi Se Kam Nahin, the films of Vijay Anand, Nasir Hussain, Manmohan Desai. The era had glamour and fashion," says Farah. "We are what we are because of that kind of cinema," says SRK. "When they talk Bollywood in London they think of bell bottoms, sidelocks and long hair and over-the-top music. Bollywood is a term which, people don't realise, is used for the '70s."

The challenge was to recreate the spirit of those times. "It's very interesting to create a period. People think period is only kings and queens. Every decade is a period," says SRK. The big stars of the times, and even the junior artistes, appear in songs and cameos. SFX have been deployed to make the film's heroine serenade with Sunil Dutt. Even though Vishal-Shekhar have scored the music Pyarelal (of LP fame) was asked to arrange two songs, to achieve the sweeping orchestral effect of the music of the times. Listen carefully, even Javed Akhtar's lyrics are a throwback to Anand Bakshi lingo.

The success of Chak De has set a high benchmark for the new film, which releases this Diwali. And SRK is aiming high too—for nothing less than a blockbuster hit. The distribution rights of the Rs 35-crore film have been sold to Eros Entertainment for a whopping Rs 75 crore and 2,000 prints of the film will be released worldwide. These are record figures. Normally, the rights for a big film are sold for Rs 35-40 crore, and only a 1,000-odd prints are released.

With this film, SRK is also hoping to bequeath to Bollywood its new star, a stunning looker and dancer called Deepika Padukone. "She has a brilliant, languid poise," says Farah. So a lot is, obviously, at stake, and the chances of success and failure are equally high. Even SRK knows that. "There will be lots of people who will have reservations; lots of them will love it shamelessly," he predicts.

Apart from the Rs 75-crore target to be achieved, there are other challenges. Films on films are traditionally not supposed to do well. Moreover, the film will be locking horns with another biggie: Sanjay Leela Bhansali's magnum opus, Saawariya, which marks the debut of Rishi and Neetu Kapoor's son Ranbir and Anil Kapoor's daughter Sonam. Saawariya is also the first foray of a big time Hollywood studio, Sony Pictures, into Bollywood film production. So, in a way, it's nothing less than SRK vs Hollywood. As a producer, he has already made a neat Rs 45 crore on the film. But there is more than personal profit at stake: SRK's reputation is on the line.Will he get those returns in for the distributor? Will he expand the Bollywood money market? Or is he flying too high like Icarus? This Diwali, we will know.


Namrata Joshi - OutlookIndia

Recently,while addressing at the Leadership Summit,Mr.Khan, with his super-sharp wit and mercurial repartee, zapped the daylights out of a gathering of several dignitaries and certain media representatives who tried to un-nerve him with their incessantly inane querying.

The best was his reaction to a question about the aggressive marketing of his competitor's film.

"Let the Americans watch Saawariya,
Indians will watch Om Shanti Om."

Touche,SRK!

The two pre-eminent films of the year, Saawariya and Om Shanti Om, are likely to rewrite the rules of film marketing in India.

Both the films are releasing Nov 9 and the distributors have waged an aggressive publicity campaign.

Shah Rukh Khan’s 6-pack abs in Om Shanti Om are being used to lure the audience. In Saawariya, Ranbir and Sonam Kapoor, the scions of two illustrious Bollywood families, are touted as the film’s high points.

But the competition to market the films is tough. Because Om Shanti Om, Farah Khan’s second directorial venture, has the backing of Shah Rukh and his Red Chillies Entertainment, Saawariya has director Sanjay Leela Bhansali at the helm with Hollywood studio Sony Pictures backing him.

Reportedly, Sony Pictures, the co-producer of Saawariya, has allocated Rs 200 million for the film’s publicity. It is not surprising because Hollywood is known for exorbitant marketing budgets for movies.

Sony had released 750 Saawariya trailers in India and another 800 globally last month. No Indian film has got such a widespread first look.

the marketing budget for Om Shanti Om is not known, the cost of the film is reported to be Rs 350 million while Saawariya has been made at a budget of Rs 400 million.

It promises to be the biggest box office battles of all times.

There's still a month left for Diwali and for Om Shanti Om and Saawariya to release. But if you thought there was just a week or so left who could blame you, looking at the publicity blitz.

What's even more interesting is that, separate though both style and story are, the marketing tricks have consistently paralleled each other.

Both have an actor- or two making their much-hyped debuts. Both have directors with muscle and mega hits to their credit. And ironically both have been marketing their films on similar platforms.

If Neetu and Rishi Kapoor's son Ranbir and Anil Kapoor's daughter Sonam made a special appearence on TV reality show Amul Voice of India, then there were the Om Shanti Om stars on rival show Sa re ga ma pa.

On Tuesday King Khan and his costars will walk the ramp for an OSO inspired line of clothes. Think that's a first? Well no, Ranbir and Sonam already launched a line of Saawariya styled merchandise over the weekend.

So what can we expect over the next month? Most likely more of the same.

The distributors Eros for Om Shanti Om and Sony films for Sanwariya are keeping a close eye on the domestic and worldwide box-office and will no doubt be trying to outdo the other in the number of prints they release.

Initial figures reveal that more than 120 prints per film will be released in Delhi and UP alone. Pan India's figures are anybody's guess.

The interesting irony though is that, trade analysts predict a 100 per cent opening for both with or without the incessant hype.

Promotional wars have seldom been this close, and with the finish line in sight its safe to say there'll be little shanti

Richa Lakhera, NDTV.com

A cracker of a contest is in store this Diwali as Sanjay Leela Bhansali Saawariya and the Shah Rukh Khan starrer OM SHANTI OM gear up for release in the festive season.

Diwali 2007 promises to be a cracker of a contest in Bollywood where SRK’s Red Chillies-produced, Farah Khan directed ‘OM SHANTI OM which is the launch pad of Deepika Padukone , will compete with Bhansali’s SAAWARIYA a love story that brings together two newcomers, Ranbir Kapoor , son of Rishi Kapoor , and Sonam Kapoor , daughter of Anil Kapoor .

Bhansali’s favourites Salman Khan and Rani Mukherjee make a cameo appearance in SAAWARIYA the first Indian film being produced by a Hollywood major, Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Two blockbusters will determine the underperforming industry's fate.

Bollywood is betting on the battle between Eros International and Sony Picturesas they get ready to release their mega Bollywood films,Om Shanti Om and Saawariya, respectively, on November 9.

In a year in which blockbusters have been scarce, the industry is expecting the two films to rake in over Rs 180 crore from the domestic box office alone — 25 to 30 per cent of expected full-year collections from big-banner Bollywood films this year.

“Their success will determine the financial health of Bollywood this year,” said film analyst Taran Adarsh.

Box office collections till date have been around Rs 350 crore. This year’s hits include Abhishek Bachchan's Guru (which made Rs 40 crore), Salman Khan and Govinda starrer Partner (Rs 60 crore) and Heyy Babyy with trio Akshay Kumar, Fardeen Khan and Riteish Deshmukh (Rs 45-50 crore).

Eros International hopes to cash in on Shah Rukh’s popularity and the debut of badminton star Prakash Padukone’s daughter Deepika by almost doubling the price for distribution rights.

Eros acquired the movie from Shah Rukh Khan's production house, Red Chilies Entertainment, for Rs 74 crore. The movie had a production budget of Rs 40 crore.

Eros, which declined to comment, has sold the rights for Mumbai territory (which excludes Mumbai but covers other parts of Maharashtra, Gujarat, including Saurashtra) for around Rs 9 crore to Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision Ltd, against an average price of Rs 5 crore.

It is believed to have sold the West Bengal region to Inox for nearly Rs 1.5 crore (average prices here are between Rs 75 lakh and Rs 1 crore) and is talking with individual distributors of other territories.

The battle between the two production houses is also moving towards grabbing as many of the country’s 800 single screens as possible, since most multiplexes will screen both movies.

Eros International recently announced that it would release the film across more than 2,000 screens worldwide but refused to specify the India numbers.

A Sony Pictures executive said it was looking at releasing its film in at least half of the total single screens in the country. The company has already booked almost 30 per cent of single screens.

A single screen is booked by a production house on a “theatre hire basis”. Under this arrangement, a production company pays the theatre owner around 20 per cent of the cinema hall's capacity.

Thereafter, revenues earned through ticket sales go entirely to the production house. Single-screen revenues account for almost 60 per cent of box office collections.

Aminah Sheikh, BusinessStandard