QUOTE MARTIAL
MAKING WAVES
REVIEWS
SHORT TAKES
SOUTHERN SPICE
ROUGH CUTS
MEMORIES
ARCHIVES
MOVIES CHAT

Foreign agent

N C Srirekha

Shantanu Sheorey.

"Indians as Indians have become tolerant of nonsense... We have an extended tenacity to take things for granted and to be taken for granted." That isn't a major general on the situation in Kashmir, but director Shantanu Sheorey, better known for his photographic skills and the Kamal Haasan film he didn't make, Chachi 420, on business in Bollywood.

Sheorey asserts Indian film distributors are cheats and so he's tied up with Columbia Tristar to distribute his new film,Jadh. But Jadh isn't going to be the first film to be released to have a foreign distributor, for Pyar Mein Kabhi Kabhi got there first. But Sheorey was the first one to sign up with Columbia Tristar.

"Distributors in film business here (in Bollywood)... They are basically cheats.... Number 1 cheats," he adds, to ensure he gets the point across. He grudgingly admits, "I think there are one or two exceptions...," then contradicting himself, saying vehemently, "But they are all a bunch of cheats.... They have no accounting procedures.... You give them a film, they make all the money, and the producer ends up making losses.

"So many pictures are flopping," he continues, "how come the distributors are still making money? Obviously, because they don't report all the collections to the producer."

Sheorey hit upon the idea of roping in a Hollywood company when his efforts at finding a "clean" local distributor ended in failure. And so he signed with Columbia Tristar, the distribution arm of Sony Entertainment Pictures, for the worldwide release of Jadh, which is expected to be released in early January.

While Sheorey waited for the Foreign Investment Promotion Board clearance, and certain other formalities, Columbia Tristar will release Pyar Mein Kabhi Kabhi, a relatively smaller budget film, on Friday.

Columbia Tristar had 60 to 65 prints reserved for the overseas market and 80 to 85 prints for the local theatres.

Shailendra Singh, producer of Pyar Mein Kabhi Kabhi, isn't quite like most other Bollywood producers. He'd easily pass for one of the slicker products from those MBA courses that finally wiggle into a multinational. His approach spells professionalism and he has little patience with the whimsical ways of the Hindi film industry.

"We were very keen on working with an organisation like Sony Entertainment Pictures right from the word go. We did go to all the local distributors, but it was quite a painful process. There is no central body monitoring these distributors, there are no fixed norms, there's no certainty that they'll give you what they promise and they are all individuals with no accountability."

If attitudes are changing in an industry that has been running largely on the whims and fancies of some individuals, the new crop of no-nonsense film-makers are shaking them up.

A still from Jadh. Click for bigger pic!

"Nobody wants to deal with the local distributor anymore," says Sheorey, claiming the only reason they were persisted with was because there was no other option.

:These guys should have understood that they can't keep on cheating the producer and the audience for long. The moment an option is available everyone will desert them," Sheorey prophesies, making it clear that he thinks Sony Entertainment Pictures is the biggest thing after the talkies.

"It will be good if Columbia and a couple of other such companies come in and show us the right path. Because, a. there's going to be transparency and accountability -- producers will get what is due to them; and b. we won't have to worry about signing on a big star. We can now make films honestly with fewer stars and better actors rather than take on some actors who can't act but have better star value.

"I know such things happen even in Hollywood, but there at least there's a balance... A balance will be struck here now and it's going to be extremely difficult for big stars to survive because nobody is going to pander to their idiosyncrasies and unprofessional behaviour."

While Shailendra Singh says he signed on Columbia Tristar simply because he wanted "only the best for his maiden film", Sheorey claims he did it because he felt he'd benefit from the tie-up.

"See, it's very simple," he says. "If there's no accountability on the part of the production house, banks are not going to fund you, corporates are not going to fund you, overseas funders are not going to fund you. Take my film for instance. The post-production is going to be done in Australia. The guy who's done the sound for films like Elizabeth and Mission Impossible is going to do the sound recording. We are also looking at Australian producers to join us in future. They will bring in the funds. Now all this is only possible because I have a tie-up with Columbia Tristar."

What Sheorey is looking at is a 'first look' contract with Columbia. That means the company has the first right to refuse. "I am following their system where they bring the script to us first and then the rest follows. That's how Hollywood operates," he says by way of explanation.

Sheorey's film is being launched in India in four languages. Columbia has asked Sheorey to keep his overseas dubbing rights open, especially in south Asia, because there are already inquiries coming in from France, the Fiji Islands, Mauritius and other countries.

"Had I been with an Indian distributor, I would not have had this reach. Imagine, Columbia has 64 offices in 64 countries. That's phenomenal. You can't even think of what the reach is...."

While Sony looks well entrenched in India, other Hollywood distributors have been a little more cautious.

Sarabjit Singh, general manager, Paramount Films of India, says he has two concerns about distributing Indian films. He says it is not yet clear whether the rules allowed the full repatriation of returns on the funds invested.

A still from Pyar Mein Kabhi Kabhi. Click for bigger pic!

"If it involves only distribution of a film locally produced, it's okay. But if the film is to be financed by the studios, then it isn't clear to what extent the Reserve Bank of India will allow repatriation," he says doubtfully.

Sarabjit Singh says is the credibility of local producers is also suspect.

"Indian producers are looking to MPA companies from two aspects -- one is international exposure and exploitation of their films in the international market; and secondly, because the credibility of the MPA companies in the local market is quite high. We do not indulge in any wrong accounting, nor do we indulge in any wrong practices," he asserts.

According to him, business is usually not carried out very ethically in the film industry. Producers too should be willing to do clean business with greater transparency, he says, adding that even exhibitors tend to evade paying entertainment tax.

Though his was the first Indian film to be released by a Hollywood company, Shailendra Singh isn't so naïve that he thinks he has arrived.

"This industry is very large, complicated and impulse-driven. So there's no way I can say I've set a trend or anything like that. But, surely, it is a new form, a breath of fresh air. A lot of avenues are being opened up. And then I don't think there's any winning formula to make a successful film, especially when 92 out of 100 films are flops. It's scary business..."

Uday Singh, who oversees Sony's activities in India, says one reason the company stepped was because Bollywood was given industry status.

"I think that sent out a signal that they wanted to do things professionally and change the way films are being made. Don't get me wrong but we aren't here to teach them how to make movies -- they make as good a film here as anywhere else -- we are just here to help the cause by working with the people and the talent here. Indians certainly know their story telling extremely well."

But it has taken Columbia all of 65 years to step into Bollywood; it has offices in India since 1934 but couldn't drum up the courage to test the waters. And other multinationals are watching from the sidelines to see how it fares before stepping in to grab their share of the cake.