MUMBAI: Besides quality content, cinema needs a substantial marketing plan to drive the audience to theatres and count crores at the box office. Though there are dime a dozen players in Bollywood who specialise in marketing and strategising for a movie, the Marathi movie industry faces the crisis every now and then. With an aim to provide it with better marketing solutions, Arjun Singgh Baran and Kartik Nishandar launched Global Sports Entertainment And Media Solutions (GSEAMS) in 2013.
“The Marathi film industry is showing a holistic growth and has the potential to grow further if strategised well. Essel is the only company, which endeavours in movie promotion and strategising and thanks to them the industry is growing. Inspired by Essel’s pioneering work, we at GSEAMS are committed to becoming a one stop destination for film makers as well as investors,” Nishandar tells Indiantelevision.com in an exclusive chat.
GSEAMS has three wings namely movie marketing, talent management and production (film and television).
“The talent management venture of ours reached new heights when we signed a long term deal with Marathi cinema sensation Swapnil Joshi. All his dates are sealed for the next two years and that’s a huge success for us. Moreover, we also signed a deal with Olympian Sangram Singh, got him into Nach Baliye and Yuva. In the near future we are going to get 10 to 12 more stars on board,” informs Baran.
The Marathi movie industry, in recent times, has seen some growth with Lai Bhaari garnering more than Rs 40 crore at the box office. Moreover, the GSEAMS promoted Mitwa and Pyar Vali Love Story also did well as they generated revenues of Rs 13.5 crore and Rs 11.5 crore respectively. Terming the revenue generated as success, Nishandar adds, “We have promoted around 15 movies so far and all of them did well in theaters. Mitwa and Pyar Vali Love Story are the significant ones because of the numbers they got. We also signed a long term deal with Swapnil following our good work on those movies.”
The FICCI Frame report signifies that footfalls in theatres are taking a dip and a significant number of theaters are pulling down curtains in Maharashtra as well as across India. When asked if GSEAMS was concerned about the statistics, Nishandar says, “The main reason behind footfalls going down is improper planning and strategising and GSEAMS is there to address these issues. Timepass opened in 500 screens and belies the perception that the Marathi movie industry is going down. Also the government’s decision to premiere Marathi movies in prime time is a blessing for the industry so I see a lot of potential if things are planned and strategised properly.”
Additionally, GSEAMS is also enhancing its production capabilities and plans to produce both movies and television shows in the near future. Out of the three areas that GSEAMS is operating in, movie marketing is the most lucrative, bringing in a major chunk of revenue. “Production companies give high value to marketing and strategising and we sign deal at premium rates. We don’t only market the movie but also help in monetisation and distribution. We have association with Inder Raj Kapoor led STV, which enhances our distribution avenues and enables us to offer our client a global reach,” informs Baran.
Live events is also a territory where GSEAMS is trying to make a mark. The group organises the IMA Music Awards in association with Pandit Jasraj. What’s more the company is also looking to tie up with a leading newspaper to organize an entertainment award. “We are looking at live events very seriously and will organise many in the near future. Our strategy with live events is clear, we will only venture into those whose IP is exclusively with us,” says Nishandar.
“Going forward, we aspire to be the one stop destination for film producers, actors and investors who are looking to explore the industry. We want to be a studio, which has the capacity to take care of each and every sector. We are focusing more and more in the Marathi film industry and at this stage not looking for any further expansion,” concludes Nishandar.
