MxMIndia

Tag: PVR

  • Subtle sensitisation supersedes stereotypes, and doesn’t always come at the cost of ₹₹₹s, writes Shruti Pushkarna

    Are businesses missing out on opportunities to sensitise & include?

    Starbucks outlet at Noida Sector 16B where the baristas use sign language
    Starbucks outlet at Noida Sector 16B where the baristas use sign language Photograph: Shruti Pushkarna

     

     

    By Shruti Pushkarna

     

    Shruti PushkarnaThis week started with waking up to the news of Morbi bridge collapse and the death toll crossing 130. Since 2020, health, education, employment, entertainment and almost every aspect of our lives have been reeling under the aftermath of Covid 19. News reports and social conversations revolve around natural or manmade disasters, rape and murder, fiscal scams and political horse trading.

     

    Radicalisation and inflation are on the rise. Cars, petrol, houses, food, everything costs more. There are no jobs.  Businesses are struggling. We are taxed for everything, including hospital room rent.

     

    In short, an average Indian is grappling with a gazillion problems on a daily basis. If your own issues don’t depress you enough, there is communal hyperbole to push you towards hopelessness.

     

    A simple ask for empathy seems unreasonable against this ubiquitous backdrop of societal grief. At a time, when the daily commute to work and back is an exercise in aggression due to bad roads, bad driving and bad traffic, how can anyone retain their sensitivity towards another human being?

     

    Thousands of people in urban and rural parts of the country can’t think beyond arranging two square meals a day. No wonder politicians and corporate giants get away with dirty ploys and false promises, because who is keeping track anyway?

     

    Fighting for inclusion and access for persons with disabilities sometimes seems secondary in this context. Especially if a large part of advocacy involves calling out the gaps and faults. At times, it helps to apply a two-pronged approach to the same problem. Where shrill activism fails, positive reinforcement does the trick.

     

    On that optimistic note, let me refrain from citing unmet targets and implementation loopholes pertaining to the country’s disabled population in today’s piece. Instead I want to share two encouraging encounters which deserve propagation.

     

    Due to temporary confinement following a knee injury, my movements inside and outside the house were possible only with the aid of a wheelchair. Desirous of watching a movie in the cinema hall, I booked a seat in PVR Director’s Cut at Ambience Mall, Delhi. I assumed there would be wheelchair access to the last row of seats I booked. But when I reached the assigned auditorium, the staff enquired if I could stand up and walk at all. Used to taking my mother (in her wheelchair) around inaccessible spaces, I was ready to slip into my activist avatar, demanding access. Just then the extremely polite personnel brought out a motorised wheelchair and helped me shift out of mine.

     

    Before anyone else entered the hall, I was escorted up the several set of stairs, seated secured with a seatbelt. It took the wheelchair operator around ten to fifteen minutes to transport me to my seat. He did that with patience and grace. I was mightily impressed. Of course, similar treatment was meted out at the time of exiting the hall. In addition, as my husband escorted me to the accessible washroom, the PVR staff jumped up to help, ensuring the facility was clean.

     

    My inability to walk didn’t hamper my entertainment experience, thanks to the trained and empathetic staff. There are definitely solutions available to accommodate and include, even in physical spaces that are built discarding the principles of universal design.

     

    I also noticed fellow movie-goers observe how a young person with an impairment was out and about, enjoying a fun evening like anyone else. If there were people speculating why did I venture out at all, I’m certain there were an equal number wondering, why not!

     

    Subtle sensitisation supersedes stereotypes.

     

    A few days ago, when I went down to a newly opened Starbucks to fetch myself my morning dose of caffeine, I was in for a pleasant surprise. I noticed the baristas at work were quietly focused on their jobs except they exchanged a few signs with each other as orders were passed on.

     

    Curious, I asked the cashier if they were hearing impaired. Her response was affirmative. All the seven baristas were hearing and speech impaired and their two managers were fluent in sign language. The cashier proudly shared that she was pursuing an advanced course in Indian Sign Language to further bridge the communication gap.

     

    With a barista at the Starbucks outlet
    With a barista at the Starbucks outlet

    As I collected my cup of coffee, I remembered to sign ‘Thank You’ to the cheerful server. I also signed to check if I could take a picture with him. He obliged, acknowledging my honest attempt to communicate in an inclusive language.

     

    This Starbucks is located on the ground floor of a commercial building that houses several private offices and a co-working space, in Noida Sector 16B. High influx of professionals provides an unmissable opportunity for sensitisation. Hiring persons with disabilities in a mainstream job helps counter misconceptions along with restoring agency and dignity.

     

    These two recent incidents speak of the power of change that is possible with certain additions and adjustments to a limited (and rigid) idea of normal. Publicising and broadcasting such acts of inclusion can whip up support for the excluded (disabled, elderly, severely ill) sections of the population. Practical demonstrations also help individuals and institutions realise that incorporating accessibility is not unfathomable.

     

    Here’s hoping that several such reports feature on the ‘good news’ sections of mainstream media.

     

     

    So why are we publishing this column on an A&M site? Well, we strongly feel that the media can dramatically transform the world of persons with disabilities. And this series can help bring forth issues that the media must champion to create a truly inclusive and accessible India. To write this column, we invited Shruti Pushkarna, a former journalist who now works as Director, EnAble India where she heads North India operations as well as media and communications outreach. Shruti writes for MxMIndia every other Thursday. Her views here are personal. To access the archives of all her 60-plus columns, please visit: https://www.mxmindia.com/category/columns/shruti-pushkarna/

     

  • To deliver an unparalleled experience with a network of more than 1500 screens

    PVR & INOX announce merger

    By Our Staff

     

    The Board of Directors of PVR Limited (PVR) and the Board of Directors of Inox Leisure Limited ( have approved an all stock amalgamation of INOX with PVR. Upon obtaining all approvals, when the merger becomes effective, Inox will merge with PVR. Shareholders of INOX will receive shares of PVR in exchange of shares in Inox at the approved share exchange (“swap”) ratio.

     

    The combined entity will be named as PVR Inox Limited with branding of existing screens to continue as PVR and Inox respectively. New cinemas opened post the merger will be branded as PVR Inox.

     

    PVR’s Ajay Bijli would be appointed as the Managing Director and Sanjeev Kumar would be appointed as the Executive Director. Pavan Kumar Jain will be Non- Executive Chairman of the Board. Siddharth Jain would be appointed as Non-Executive Non-Independent Director in the combined entity.

     

    Commenting on the announcement, Ajay Bijli, Chairman and Managing Director of PVR said: “This is a momentous occasion that brings together two companies with significantly complementary strengths. The partnership of these two brands will put consumer at the centre of its vision and deliver an unparalleled movie going experience to them. The film exhibition sector has been one of the worst impacted sectors on account of the pandemic and creating scale to achieve efficiencies is critical for the long term survival of the business and fight the onslaught of digital OTT platforms “

     

    Commenting on the announcement, Siddharth Jain, Director –  Inox Leisure Ltd said, “Coming together of two iconic cinema brands, which are driven by passion, is certainly the most historic moment in the Indian cinema exhibition industry. Both companies have set high service benchmarks in an endeavor to offer the best cinema experience in the world, to the most passionate moviegoers, and would continue to do so as a unified entity. As we head into the industry’s revival amidst headwinds, this decisive partnership would bring in enhanced productivity through scale, a deeper reach in newer markets and numerous cost optimization opportunities, and continue to delight cinema fans with world-class experiences and landmark innovations.”

     

  • The film observes the patrons and their experiences while stating ‘Every seat has a story

    PVR’s brand film celebrates its patrons and their stories

    By A Correspondent

     

    PVR has launched its brand film to celebrate its audience for over two decades. The film observes the patrons and their experiences while stating ‘Every seat has a story.’

     

    Said Ajay Kumar Bijli, Chairman and Managing Director, PVR Ltd: “It has been over two decades since we started and if there is one thing which has stayed constant; it is our focus on the customer and the experiences they yield in that three hours inside the cinema. We have evolved in every aspect but at the heart of our business lays the audience who drive us, guide us and encourage us to do better, push the envelope and explore new things.”

     

     

  • Rentrak hopes its association with ITV, which buys space for ads in theatre screens on behalf of companies, will help it overcome the hurdle of PVR and Inox not sharing data

    Research firm Rentrak ties up with WPP’s Interactive Television to collect box-office data

    By Pritha Mitra Dasgupta

     

    Media research company Rentrak has entered into an alliance with WPP’s cinema advertising unit, Interactive Television (ITV), to try and overcome a roadblock it has hit in India over collecting box-office data.

     

    The company is unable to collect data from PVR and Inox, two of the biggest local cinema chains. PVR, which has a nearly 70% market share, wants Rentrak to pay a fee to get access to its theatres, while Inox will sign up only if PVR does so too, said top sources at GroupM, WPP’s media-buying group.

     

    Rentrak has a tie-up with GroupM and its agencies in the US. The box-office data will be useful for advertisers while considering displaying ads in movie halls. So far only two cinema chains, Carnival and Cinepolis, have inked deals to share box-office data with Rentrak in India.

     

    Rentrak hopes its association with ITV, which buys space for ads in theatre screens on behalf of companies, will help it overcome the hurdle. It believes with the pact, which is in exchange of exclusive data, it will get access to movie producers and advertisers, who can, in turn, help it in convincing PVR and Inox to come onboard.

     

    “ITV is supporting Rentrak in getting access to cinema owners across the country. For cinema advertising to become bigger and take its rightful place in the media mix, it needs to become more accountable and measurable,” said Ajay Mehta, chief executive of ITV. “Box-office data will give advertisers clear measures and ways to calculate the RoI (return on investment).”

     

    Rentrak tracks box-office information from more than 1.25 lakh cinemas in 40 countries. The company directly collects and compiles box-office data on real-time at the theatre and gives it to stakeholders after further processing. “Through us distributors not only will get access to box-office data, it will help in better release planning, programming, determining release windows, and also understand audience preferences,” said Rajkumar Akella, managing director of Rentrak India, while confirming the alliance with ITV.

     

    According to ITV, India needs a scientific methodology to measure box-office data as cinema advertising — ads played inside cineplexes and multiplexes — accounts for more than Rs 400 crore in annual revenue and has grown at about 15% annually in the past three years.

     

    “We expect it to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of 20% over the next three years,” said ITV’s Mehta.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2015, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

    Licensed to republish

     

  • On the rise and rise of the Rs 1,350-crore PVR group and what keeps the chairman and managing director's business ticking

    The Rise & Shine of Ajay Bijli

     

    By Binoy Prabhakar

     

    In early June, Ajay Bijli, chairman and managing director of PVR Ltd, India’s largest multiplex chain, stepped into a cinema run by Major Cineplex Group in Bangkok. X-Men: Days of Future Past, the latest instalment in the superhero franchise that is popular with children, was playing and Mr Bijli was not surprised to see he was one of the few adults present in the auditorium.

     

    Mr Bijli was unnerved by the experience, an unexpected turn for someone who “eats, breathes and dreams movies”. It wasn’t because of the movie or the audience.

     

    The cinema houses the 4DX system, an immersive screening experience that multiplex chains believe will soon become the preferred way to watch movies. The 4DX technology features seats that rock and roll, moving in sync with the action on the screen, even offering scents and smoke as well as lightning, wind and fog effects. “For me, it was too much,” said Mr Bijli, sitting in his plush office in Gurgaon. “But the kids… they loved it.”

     

    Mr Bijli was in Bangkok to test how the audience took in the new system. The 4DX theatre experience had just passed with flying colours. The technology will be introduced next year at PVR’s 15-screen property in Noida, the biggest in the chain, as the cornerstone of its Superplex concept.

     

    As Mr Bijli returned from Bangkok, Kamal Gianchandani, president of PVR Pictures, the movie distribution division of the group, was preparing to travel to Bucharest in Romania. There, Mr Gianchandani would meet executives of Grand Cinema Digiplex and Light Cinema.

     

    The two enterprises have taken the lead in the field of Alternate Content, a concept wherein cinemas showcase live performances and broadcasted events across the genres of sports, comedy, theatre, music, opera and ballet – any form of content besides movies. Mr Gianchandani wanted to see whether PVR could embrace these forms of entertainment.

     

    Mr Gianchandani returned satisfied. “It is another form of content being supplied to cinemas within the same properties,” he said, shaking off the effects of jet lag, at the company’s regional office in Mumbai’s Andheri. PVR will introduce Alternate Content later this year.

     

    Show Time

    The 4DX technology and Alternate Content are the latest in a series of multiplex formats such as Imax, a state-of-the art projection and sound system, ECX (enhanced movie experience), which boasts 100% surround sound and great picture clarity, and Director’s Cut, plush auditoriums complete with reclining chairs, that PVR has introduced at its various properties. These formats complement different types of auditoriums, enabling PVR to offer a stuffed bouquet of products for the movie buff (see Now Showing…).

     

    “Movie content is not in my hands. Consumers also have many options to watch cinema such as smartphones, portable devices and so on. So it is important for us to ensure that the customer who comes to our cinemas says this is a different experience, a great experience.”

     

    To keep customers hooked, PVR is in constant touch with providers of celluloid technology – what Dolby is doing in acoustics, what Christie is doing in projectors or what Imax is doing with its screens.

     

    The common thread running through PVR’s offerings is that they have been spawned by visits to the properties of counterparts abroad. Every year, the management visits the best cinema chains in the world. Last year, the entire PVR management visited Regal Cinemas, the largest theatre chain in the US and AMC Entertainment Holdings, the No. 2 US theatre chain, to view their operations. The company then cherry-picks and absorbs the best practices of these operators into its operations.

     

    “That’s all we do. That’s the advantage of doing only one thing,” said Mr Bijli. Mr Bijli is a big fan of Howard Schultz of Starbucks, Jeff Bezos of Amazon and Rahul Bhatia of IndiGo, entrepreneurs “who do one thing but do it exceedingly well”. He has adapted the same philosophy in his business. “There is always something better to do. That’s the beauty of running one business.”

     

    The business mantra has clearly worked. Today, PVR is not only the largest multiplex chain in India, it has also taken an almost unassailable lead in the number of screens compared with competitors. Its finances too are on an uptick, outperforming competitors’ (see Sitting Pretty).

     

    The Early Days

    A number of factors – external and internal – colluded to help PVR’s ascent. When Mr Bijli’s Priya Exhibitors Private Ltd decided to launch multiplexes, they were unheard of in India. He found a backer in Australian media company Village Roadshow (PVR retains its initials even after the company pulled out in 2003). When PVR completed its first multiplex project – the four-screen Anupam in Delhi’s Saket – the government ended price control of movie tickets (films were once watched for Rs 11 in the balcony, remember).

     

    Finding an audience wasn’t going to be a problem. The single screens were suffering from poor lighting and acoustics besides dreadful seats and toilets.

     

    There was one wrinkle though. Multiplexes had to be ensconced in malls. As if on cue, malls began sprouting around the country. The first-mover, rather the only-mover, advantage helped PVR. So when a mall project was announced, Mr Bijli simply had to travel to the location. PVR had the smarts to choose locations diligently, scouting for ones where people constantly watched movies, had the capacity to pay and had a stable government. (It stays away from Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast to this day due to insurgency).

     

    Pramod Arora, group president of PVR, who spearheaded this effort, said once a location was picked, PVR started goading developers to build malls. It even started identifying parcels of land and helped with design. As a rule, PVR does not sign up with done-up malls. The reason is simple: costs typically spike once a mall gets underway; by partnering at inception, the company seals a sweet deal. The agreements are usually for 25 years and rentals are spiked by 15% every three years. There is a lock-in of seven years, which essentially means a developer can’t evict PVR, but PVR can pull out after seven years if a malls loses its lustre. As PVR strives for a payback from investments within three years, this part of the agreement too suits it fine.

     

    Developers don’t mind because multiplexes are the lynchpin of a mall. They are the people magnets. PVR was long the preferred, even sole, partner for malls because competitors emerged on the scene only by 2002. By then, it had a built a pipeline of 100-odd screens.

     

    PVR did not blindly pursue expansion, keeping a watchful eye on returns on investment. A mall may have offered cheap rentals, but if it was located in a poorly connected area or if the property itself was wretched, PVR stayed away.

     

    Mr Bijli said he strongly believes that profitability must not be sacrificed for scale. This belief made PVR attractive for funding. ICICI Venture wouldn’t have stepped in with Rs 40 crore when Village Roadshow exited or L Capital would not have invested `108 crore in 2012 to help acquire rival chain Cinemax if PVR wasn’t making money.

     

    Renuka Ramnath, who has invested twice in PVR (first in her capacity as head of ICICI Venture and as CEO of Multiples Alternate Asset Management, a private equity firm that owns 15.2% in PVR), said in her line of business, the proof of the pudding is whether investments are successful or not. “Financially, it has been a tremendously rewarding journey in both investments in PVR.” Ms Ramnath said the few cornerstones on which Mr Bijli was building the business were obvious. “He was putting a lot of attention on building a brand that transported consumers to a make-believe world.”

     

    PVR has decked the path to that world with top-of-theline technology, plush interiors, great ambience, comfortable chairs and good service. At least 50 properties of the chain are located in prime locations, where the company has invested in interiors that resemble a five-star hotel as well as cutting- edge formats such as ECX and Imax.

     

    Each cinema is designed different. Typically, PVR revamps a property after five years, driven by a 10-member team that hires a mix of Indian and foreign architects.

     

    But wouldn’t these investments be lost on an audience that loves to watch Humshakals rather than Edge of Tomorrow? Sanjeev Kumar, joint MD of PVR, said it’s a given that multiplexes have to offer excellent customer experience. “No chain can be agnostic to that. If the AC is not working, seats are dirty, sound system is compromised, a customer will not go back. That’s what keeps us on our toes.”

     

    That calls for running a round-the-clock operation. Multiplex as a business doesn’t sleep, according to Arpan Dutta, chief customer officer, PVR. When the last customer exits – usually at 1 am – a housekeeping team starts cleaning. When their work is over, an operations team – which works in shifts – takes over. Preparations to sell tickets and food and beverages (F&B) begin an hour before a show starts.

     

    Once the first ticket is sold, the cinema manager’s key task – how to maximize revenue – begins. The bywords are strike rate and ‘upselling’. The first relates to selling food and drinks to all the people queuing up before stalls and the second to selling extra goodies – a person who comes to buy salted popcorn, is coaxed to also part with a soft drink.

     

    Box office collections are still the mainstay of PVR’s operations, but in recent years, the F&B business has become a money-spinner. “In F&B, there was a perception, probably rightly so, that cinema food was not good. We have worked to change that,” said Mr Bijli.

     

    The man driving that change is Gautam Dutta, chief operating officer of PVR Cinemas. He hired a corporate chef to prepare food and a five-star hotel veteran to oversee services. The PVR menu today would give a restaurant a run for its money. The results are showing. The spend per head – a measure of F&B revenues – long tapered around 20-25%, or Rs 45, of the average ticket price (ATP) of Rs 175. It has since risen to 35%, or Rs 62, according to Mr Dutta.

     

    Mr Dutta is a marketing veteran, but selling movies is primarily the prerogative of producers and distributors. (PVR’s marketing budget is less than Rs 20 crore, peanuts for a Rs 1,350-crore group). That has allowed him to devote time to other aspects of the business. Besides the F&B drive, another brainchild of Dutta has been the Super Saver. On Wednesday in the west and Thursday in the north, PVR sells tickets at a discount of Rs 75-125, to woo fans who find prices daunting or are not keen to catch a particular movie.

     

    The surge in footfalls on a Super Saver day makes up for the rest of the days, even the weekends. It is still a cautious pricing strategy – a multiplex wouldn’t want to wean away its affluent weekend customers with steep discounts.

     

    PVR executives said they are acutely aware that customers reject high prices. Still, ticket prices have been growing at 4-5% a year. Many squirm at the steep ticket and food prices.

     

    Nitin Sood, chief financial officer, PVR, doesn’t quite agree. ” We test prices to check what customers are willing to pay (based on a cinema manager’s advice).” Mr Sood argued that the bulk of the cinemas – PVR Cinemas with 340 screens – is targeted at the masses. And multiplexes cannot charge lesser than single screen cinemas.

     

    Reducing prices is nevertheless the last resort, according to Arpan Dutta. People will not watch for free a bad movie. The alternative is to reduce the shows of a dud, inject fresh movies and rework the schedules.

     

    This is the task of the programming team, which is also overseen by Gautam Dutta. The team receives a forecast of movies from producers. It also helps that multiplexes offer customers the flexibility to offer different movie timings – a gap of usually five minutes between shows and up to five shows a day at one auditorium – but exhibitors must understand consumer behaviour. The right time slots can draw crowds, the wrong ones will push them to a competitor.

     

    This is the task of the programming team, which is also overseen by Gautam Dutta. The team receives a forecast of movies from producers. It also helps that multiplexes offer customers the flexibility to offer different movie timings – a gap of usually five minutes between shows and up to five shows a day at one auditorium – but exhibitors must understand consumer behaviour. The right time slots can draw crowds, the wrong ones will push them to a competitor.

     

    If PVR appears to be running a well-oiled machine, it boils down to Mr Bijli’s mantra of running one business efficiently. He is clearly not a big fan of diversification. He said he would rather absorb something really intrinsic to his business.

     

    PVR Pictures, which distributes Hindi and English movies, and PVR Rare, which offers a platform for Indian indie flicks, bear the stamp of this motif. The first unit is the largest distributor of English movies in India. The second makes five times its budget. Shiladitya Bora, head, PVR Rare, said he releases these movies and documentaries not only in PVR screens but also on other platforms such as Netflix and iTunes.

     

    The bottom line is profitability. PVR has opened two restaurants to complement its multiplexes. Likewise, customers exiting a PVR cinema cannot miss outlets of PVR bluO, a bowling alley venture with Major Cineplex.

     

    Mr Bijli is loath to diversification, but he said in every entrepreneur’s journey, there tends to be a distraction. The distraction in his case happened to be film production. It remains the only blot in an otherwise spotless journey.

     

    PVR Pictures actually had a great start in production. The first two films – Taare Zameen Par and Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na – were big hits. But a series of bombs followed, the biggest being Khelenge Hum Jee Jaan Se. PVR exited on a high, though. Its last film Shanghai was a moderate hit and received critical acclaim.

     

    What Next?

    Wouldn’t – shouldn’t – a movie exhibitor excel in making movies? Mr Gianchandani said great footballers don’t always make great managers. “That business needs complete focus from the management.”

     

    To PVR’s credit, its didn’t stick around production too long. The same mindset has helped PVR weather storms such as competition from the Indian Premier League, a stock market crash and depressed earnings. Even so, PVR faces many obstacles, many beyond its reach (see Worry Lines). It faces curbs on pricing. Dual taxes are a bugbear – for a Rs 100 ticket, multiplexes are left with Rs 20 after paying entertainment tax, service tax and sharing the balance with distributors.

     

    But the most worrying obstacle has to be the slowing real estate market in India. Until the 2010 fiscal, PVR was a mere Rs 340-crore business. Revenues shot up to Rs 800 crore in 2013 fiscal and Rs 1,350 crore last year thanks to a massive expansion in footprint – Cinemax’s 135 screens were the main catalyst besides its own addition of screens.

     

    To keep revenues ticking, footfalls have to increase. For footfalls to increase, PVR badly needs to expand. But regretfully, real estate is scare in India (Director’s Cut is confined to Delhi, for instance). In this context, PVR’s ambition to become a 1,000-screen company by 2018 appears to be audacious.

     

    Mr Bijli remains unfazed, however. India remains underscreened – it has 8 screens for every million people compared with US’ 117 – and PVR has room to take underperforming single screens of other operators into its fold. That will swing the current 80: 20 ratio of single screens to multiplexes – 7,700 single screens compared with 1,700 multiplex screens in 2013, according to a KPMG Ficci study – in its favour.

     

    Mr Bijli said there is plenty of scope to grow in one’s own domain. “And our appetite to grow has only got bigger.”

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2014, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

    Licensed to republish

     

  • Talenthouse India is bringing together India's youth to crowdsource the National Anthem, with the movement 'My Nation My Anthem'

    Reinterpret the Anthem, win a prize

    By A Correspondent

     

    In a unique initiative, people across the country will now get a chance to show their love for the Anthem through India’s first-ever crowdsourcing of the Anthem. Called My Nation, My Anthem, the initiative will give filmmakers, musicians and singers an opportunity to render their interpretation of the Anthem. The shortlisted entries will be supervised by an expert panel in their creation of a new film, set to a new tune and sung by new voices. This is an initiative by Talenthouse India, a Reliance Entertainment division, along with PVR, Rising Sun Films and Rampage Motion Pictures.

     

    The idea behind the initiative is to engage with the citizens of the country and give them a sense of ownership of their proud heritage by helping them create a lively rendering and an engaging video for our Anthem.

     

    Crowdsourcing may be relatively new concept in India. An example of this, however, was the Government of India crowdsourcing the Indian rupee symbol wherein the new rupee symbol was chosen amongst thousands of new designs as proposed by the citizens of the country. The power of this mechanism is only set to grow. From the entries that captured various interpretations of the symbol, the then Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, India’s current President, chose the design submitted by D Udaya Kumar, a B Arch student of IIT Bombay.

     

    Similarly, Talenthouse will now empower the people of India by giving them an opportunity to contribute to a fresh take on the National Anthem.

     

    This creative invite is open to three different categories of budding talent – music composers, film makers and singers. Winning participants across the three categories will be creatively supervised by popular Bollywood director Shoojit Sircar along with Ronnie Lahiri and Ram Mirchandani to create a final film of The National Anthem to be showcased at PVR Cinemas before a movie screening.

     

    Aspiring music composers and musicians are invited to create a new rendition of the background score for the National Anthem and the winning entry will receive Rs. 30,000/- to produce the final track.

     

    Ambitious film makers get a chance to share their work that captures their representation of the National Anthem. The winning entry will receive Rs. 50,000/- to produce the final film. Apart from this, upcoming singers can render their voice to the National Anthem by submitting samples of their singing.

     

    With submissions open till February 21, 2013 the winners will be announced by February 23. They will then get a chance to be mentored by the established mentors in their creation of a final film of the National Anthem that will be showcased at theaters.

     

    Shoojit Sircar of Rising Sun Films said, “India has more than 50 percent of its population below the age of 25. In times where there is unnecessary discord between communities and regions, My Nation My Anthem promises to be an exciting project to evoke the patriotism within us towards our country and fellow Indians. I look forward to working on this initiative that embraces the diversity of our country, while bringing people together.”

     

    Gautam Dutta, COO, PVR said, “My Nation My Anthem has been designed to be a true representation of our diversity, captured by the youth. Movies bring people from all walks of life together and PVR is proud to showcase this version of the national anthem across our theatres.”

     

    Arun Mehra, CEO, Talenthouse India said, “We are incredibly excited to launch My Nation My Anthem. At Talenthouse, we believe that crowdsourcing has a unique power to bring out the best talent. This project is even more special as it is an inclusive initiative that every Indian will be inspired by.”

     

  • This does away with the practice of advertisers having to pay on the basis of projected box office collections of a movie

    PVR explores charging ads less for flops

    By Ratna Bhushan

     

    Multiplex operator PVR plans to link its advertising rates to ticket sales to make its cinemas more attractive to advertisers.

     

    PVR has approached advertisers such as Hindustan Unilever, Bharti Airtel and Hero Group with a first-time concept of charging for advertising at the start and during the interval on the basis of the number of tickets sold, a top PVR executive said.

     

    This does away with the practice of advertisers having to pay on the basis of projected box office collections of a movie.

     

    “There’s a captive audience, no remote control and least amount of spill over. Most of all, it’s completely validated because we can’t over-state ticket sales,” said PVR COO Gautam Dutta.

     

    The concept means advertisers can fix the reach and duration for which they pay to advertise. So, for example, if Agent Vinod flopped, advertisers would have the option of pulling out midway, and instead put their money on another flick-say, Kahaani.

     

    The bulk deal they would have committed to PVR gets carried forward to the next movie.

     

    Media-buying houses, which have been rooting for higher accountability on television ad spends, are keen on the new concept.

     

    “This could be a significant step towards making cinema advertising more accountable. Though small compared to television, it at least guarantees returns on investment,” said Basabdutta Chowdhury, CEO of Platinum Media, a division of media buying group Madison World, which buys media for Bharti Airtel.

     

    Ajit Varghese, MD, South Asia of Group M-promoted media buying firm Maxus, which buys on behalf of Hero Group, says: “Cost per audience is always a better measure in cinema advertising. It’s an ideal way of moving ahead, as long as it is implemented well.”

     

    The cost of in-theatre advertising works out about eight times cheaper than mass media, say media buyers. Theatre operators are allowed 18 minutes of advertising per movie screening.

     

    The buys can be segmented for consumers in tier II cities – at PVR Talkies, or at the high-end PVR Premiere, or at the luxury cinema Director’s Cut.

     

    Mr Dutta says the rates are flexible and would vary: “If Hero wants to advertise in our theatre in Baroda, rates will obviously be lower. If they want to buy screen time on theatres in Juhu in Mumbai, we will charge more.”

     

    PVR operates 179 screens across 24 cities. The move targets 28 m viewers in a year across PVR screens.

     

    Below-the-line advertising and promotions are common for most cinema and multiplex players. India’s largest carmaker Maruti, for example, had used sound technology to promote the launch of its new Zen model, while toothpaste brand Close Up had run a promotion where seats were sold only for couples.

     

    In 2011-12, cinema advertising contributed 13.5 per cent, or Rs61 crore, to PVR’s revenue of Rs492 crore. The company is projecting Rs85 crore in advertising revenue this fiscal. The concept could catch up among rival multiplex players as well.

     

    Source: The Economic Times

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