DJ BOLLYWOOD MASALA

Bharati Dubey | TNN (THE TIMES OF INDIA; May 30, 2010)

Mumbai: Missed Kites? Don’t worry. Hrithik and Barbara will soon burn up the small screen in the TV premier of the film.

The satellite rights for Kites were sold to an entertainment channel for Rs 20 crore even before the movie released. It’s probably the first time that a big ticket film will be premiered on television within a month of its release in cinema halls. Kites will be telecast in early June. Confirms Reliance Big Pictures CEO Sanjeev Lamba, “We have sold the satellite rights of Kites and will soon decide the telecast date. However, we cannot confirm or deny the selling price of the film.’’

Going by the prices of films’ satellite rights, they are the biggest eyeball-grabber on TV too. Bollywood blockbuster 3 Idiots has proved to be a master blaster on telly as well. Rights of the movie were sold for Rs 38 crore—the highest for any film in the history of Hindi cinema. Sajid Nadiadwala’s Housefull has been sold to TV for Rs 16 crore. “About 8-10% of the TRP for channels comes from films, so most of them are on a buying spree,’’ says a trade source. The last film to premier on TV was Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, which was screened after three months of its release.

This resurrection of the satellite business has brought relief to the recession-affected industry, though some argue that this is a temporary spurt caused by aggressive buying by a few players.

Lamba believes all the signs are positive. “There are about six-seven channels buying TV rights of films. Besides, there is a significant growth in DTH and cable households. Also, the advertising market has recovered and big ticket films have always been viable for broadcasters,’’ he says.

Jayantilal Gada, who is incharge of acquisition for Zee Network, has just the opposite view. “These prices are not real and will crash soon,’’ he says. “That is the reason we are not doing any buying. We will start buying once we begin to get the right price.’’

A trade source countered Gada, saying, “Most films have already been sold, there’s nothing left for anyone to buy.’’

With business in multiplexes being restricted to two weeks, the holdback period for other rights of films have been shrinking. Time was when satellite rights of films were sold six months after their release. Now, most satellite rights deals are cut before the film is released. Farah Khan’s Tees Maar Khan has sold for 18 crore. Prakash Jha’s Raajneeti and Hrithik-Aishwarya starrer Guzaarish have already been lapped up by TV channels for Rs 20 crore. Imran-Sonam romance I Hate Luv Storys has made Rs 12 crore in satellite rights.

How does pre-selling work? “We get to see part of the film and sit down with the producers before we buy it,’’ explains Sameer Rao, GM of Star Gold. “We buy a film only after evaluation.’’

Industry insiders insist that there is a huge risk involved in buying films before release. “Had the channel bought the rights of Kites after release, I don’t think the producers would’ve got the price they have made on it,’’ says a source. Siddharth Roy Kapur, CEO of UTV Motion pictures, feels the deal can go either way.

Satellite TV rates
3 Idiots: Rs 38 crore
Kites: Rs 20 crore
Guzaarish: Rs 20 crore
Raajneeti: Rs 20 crore
Tees Maar Khan: Rs 18 crore
Housefull: Rs 16 crore
*approx figures