The chain of Fun Republics across the country are the more obvious face of this Essel Group subsidiary. E-City Entertainment, however, is much more than that.
Apart from the Family Entertainment Centre (FEC) chain, E-City is also emerging as an outsourcing hub for international broadcasters and production houses. It markets and exports television software and films. E-City has positioned itself as a one-stop-shop for all network television channels and distributors in various countries.
Indiantelevision.com's Ashwin Pinto caught up with E-City Entertainment business head (films) Ajay Gupta for a lowdown on how the company is faring.
How did E-City fare in 2003? |
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How fruitful was Mip TV for E-City? |
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Which markets are growing for Indian television content? If their telly novellas can do very well, then there is no reason why our telly novellas which are very similar, cannot be successful there. |
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Could you dwell on the content requirements of different international television markets vis-?-vis Indian content? China is more interested in acquiring home video rights for Indian films. In Thailand, we have been able to sell the costume programmes. These sell more towards South East Asia because to some extent the cultures are similar. In other countries though, it is not easy to sell telly novellas because our shows are very long. People do not look for 150-250 episodes. They are looking for a far more brisk product. The distribution scenario has also changed. There was a time when Russia used to buy a lot of our films. Then when they broke up into CIS, things changed. Fact finding on our part as to what kind of content works is still going on. |
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Could you talk about how E-City is going about consolidating its content library? |
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As far as Fun Republic is concerned, how many FECs are running and how many do you plan to set up in the future? The cost of setting up an FEC differs from place to place on account of the land, the quality of materials used and the labour. That is why Mumbai is more expensive. |
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Have any targets been set in terms of revenue for the year? On the television sales front, we are looking at a 50 per cent growth. The more we network at events like Mip TV, the more we will be able to stay in people's minds. Requirements keep changing. We are in the process of defining our niche market. However, I would not like to divulge the names of my buyers. |
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Are there any factors that are hampering the growth of multiplexes in the country? The thing was that real estate people who are not familiar with the cinema business put in a lot of applications. Later, they realised that they would need an operator. They can make the cinema halls, but who will run it for them? |
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Are you thinking in terms of setting up FECs in other countries like China and Pakistan? |
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Could you talk about the role that digital cinema will play in the future of Indian films? |
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Could you talk about how the concept of the FEC has redefined entertainment in a metro like Mumbai? Therefore we offer game parlours, food courts, retailing activity. We also have a speciality restaurant in Chandigarh. All this makes for a wholesome family outing. |
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How many retailers does Fun Republic have? |
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Could you talk about the different services that Fun Republic has added to retain consumers? Secondly, from the time you visit the box office till the time you leave the multiplex, the service has to be very high. It may be the concessions offered during intervals, how the usher makes you sit inside or how clean your toilets are. The ambience is also crucial because that is how you build loyalty. The total experience is what counts. Going to a multiplex is not just about watching a movie. Our other services like food parlours complement each other. I would also like to reiterate the fact that car parking is important. If that is not present you are throwing your customer out. In Andheri, we have space for 500 cars which nobody else has. In fact, there are instances all over the country where shopping malls with the best of brands have not been able to attract customers as they are situated on busy roads without adequate parking. |
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"The moment you can control Amitabh Bachchan with your remote, the charisma of movie-watching is gone!" |
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Today with the plethora of television channels, the Indian consumer needs a reason to come out. Do you do a lot of marketing and promotional activities? I would like to know your views on convergence. When convergence comes in, you will be able to see movie clips on your mobile. Will that satisfy you? Most people would rather see the big picture. Do you see the Imax format being used for Indian films in the near future? Internationally, where you have 250 Imax screens, it made sense to convert Matrix Reloaded and Matrix Revolutions into that format. People cannot keep seeing the same documentary again and again. Have you tied up with hotel chains and tour operators to promote Fun Republic to the domestic and international tourists? The three star clients will come out to see a Hindi movie. Executives in five star hotels do not have the time usually to spend a few hours outside. |