‘Colors', the Hindi general entertainment channel (GEC) of Viacom 18, is preparing for a July debut. It may be the 11th channel in the genre, but Rajesh Kamat, CEO, Colors, the JV between Viacom Inc and Network 18, is confident that his "differentiated" and "disruptive" programming will win viewers. Kamat, 34, should know since he steered Endemol India, the Indian arm of the international television program format major for two years prior to joining Viacom 18. He's also worked for Coca Cola India and Star India. He spoke to Shuchi Bansal on Colors' plans and trends in the GEC segment.

Why did you enter the overcrowded Hindi GEC segment, especially since entry costs in the category are prohibitive?

Viacom Inc, with MTV, VH1, Nick and Paramount is a $13. 2 billion setup. Between Network 18 and Viacom, we have nine channels. Besides, we are present in print and the online space with websites like jobstreet.com, yatra.com and moneycontrol.com. So we have a captive audience. The most logical thing to complete the offering was a GEC. From our standpoint we are completing the pipe. We believe that audiences can be funneled into the network.

The same logic was given when you launched the teleshopping channel Homeshop 18. Does it work?

Homeshop 18 is different. In teleshopping you are trying to change a mindset. The Indian consumer is used to touch and feel. In the case of Colors, I want my share of the pie. Actually, Indians watch two hours of television every day on an average, while the American average is four-and-a-half hours. But I am not even talking about expanding the pie yet. We have to first get those 100 GRPs (gross rating points, that is, the weekly sum of TRPs), create a base and then get the other 200.

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Well, the 1973 Rishi-Dimple starrer has a distinction to its credit. It was perhaps the first film to start merchandising its products the hair clips and pins worn by Dimple Kapadia could be bought by fans.

The concept of Bollywood merchandising has come a long way since then. The latest film to have marketed its products is Ashutosh Gowariker’s magnum opus Jodhaa Akbar whose main characters would be reproduced as toys by a leading toy maker. Besides toys, other merchandise includes jewellery, coffee mugs, sports items, stationery, curios, mobile ring tones, vehicles, food, beauty products, toiletries, bath items and apparel.

The movie credited with popularising merchandising is Sooraj Barjatya’s Maine Pyar Kiya (1989) - the ‘Friend’ cap featured in it sold like hot pancakes. Another Barjatya blockbuster, Hum Aapke Hain Kaun also did brisk business, with Madhuri Dixit’s purple sari becoming a craze. Films that have merchandised successfully of late include Bhoot, Fanaa, Goal, Hum Tum, Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon, Saawariya, Om Shanti Om, Na Tum Jaano Na Hum, Koi Mil Gaya and Krrish.

So, why are filmmakers increasingly venturing into merchandising? Firstly, it adds up to the profits. Also, by flooding the market with movie-centric products, the movie gets more visibility. As Ram Kamal Mukherjee, VP, Pritish Nandy Communications explains, “Merchandising is a tool for the filmmaker to keep his film alive in public memory. It’s all about providing something different, a unique product to the customer.

Bollywood memorabilia or merchandising has a lot to do with how retail functions. Till now, it was marginalised. There were thousands of outlets and negotiating with them was a very tedious process. Now, with major retail outlets replacing the numerous others, distribution and placement becomes easier,” says Ravi Gupta from a premier production house.

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A Bollywood filmmaker plans to make a film about a British teenager murdered at one of Goa’s famed beaches, but a lawyer said the family was afraid the script could deviate from the truth. Scarlett Keeling, a 15-year-old British girl, was raped and murdered at Goa’s Anjuna beach in February, triggering criticism of the police and highlighting the lack of safety for tourists in India.
The new film, Rave Party, will have song and dance sequences on Goa’s pristine beaches, and will include a scene depicting the last few minutes of Keeling’s life when police say she was raped and left to die in the shallow waters. “It will be a Bollywood film with a tinge of reality as I want people to come to the theatres and learn from the film,” Prabhakar Shukla, the film’s director told Reuters from Mumbai. Two people have been arrested in the case. One has been released on bail, prompting Fiona MacKeown, mother of the dead teenager, to push for a federal police investigation. Keeling’s death highlighted the easy availability of drugs, especially at Anjuna beach where Keeling’s body was found. Police say Keeling’s attackers confessed that the teenager was high on alcohol, ecstasy, LSD and cocaine, when she was raped. “Everyone should learn and see what is happening to tourists in Goa,” Shukla said by telephone.

At least 126 foreign nationals have died in Goa in the past two years, most of them in accidents or as suicides. But some police officers admit privately that a few cases might have links with drug peddlers. “The film will speak the truth about the drug nexus in Goa,” the director said. But Keeling’s family lawyer said the family was not sure how a film on Keeling could help her get justice. “We might object to the film if we find it is being made into a Bollywood thriller and has excessive deviation from facts,” Vikram Varma, the Keeling family lawyer said from Goa. “Her mother said she would welcome a film if the director sticks to the truth.” The shooting of Rave Party will start in July for release in December,

In his latest blog, actor Aamir Khan talks about a certain Shahrukh licking his feet.

The perfectionist star is in Panchgani, with family and kids.

Aamir writes: "I’m sitting under a tree, on the edge of a valley, approximately 5000 feet above sea level. The river Krishna flows far below us snaking its way among the Sahyadri mountains.

A cool breeze is blowing, jannat ki hawa (breeze from the heavens), as my mother calls it. Ammi, Ira and Junaid are by my side and we are in the middle of one of our favourite board games ‘Settlers Of Catan’.

Shahrukh is licking my feet and I am feeding him biscuits every now and then. What more can I ask for?

Now, before you jump to any conclusions let me add that Shahrukh is the name of our dog. And before you jump to any further conclusions let me add that I had nothing to do with naming him.

In fact Shahrukh is the dog of the caretakers of our house. When I bought this house it came with the caretakers and their dog!

Apparently Shahrukh (the actor) was shooting for a commercial in this house a few years ago, and that very day the caretakers bought a pup…, and named him Shahrukh.

What are the chances of me buying a house which comes with a dog called Shahrukh!!!

Some of my friends claim that I bought the house just because of the dog. I would have to be a serious fan of Shahrukh’s to want to do that. Your guess…

All I can say is I’m waiting for him to come over.

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Kajol is holding up pre production work on Karan Johar's next flick My Name Is Khan, as she has yet to sign on the dotted line.

According to media reports Kajol has reportedly stated in interviews that she would only agree to star in the film once she reads the final script.

However, Karan has said that his script is complete and Kajol has seen and admired it.

According to sources Kajol might be delaying signing up for the role opposite actor Shah Rukh Khan because she is waiting on her husband Ajay Devgan.

Bhatt camp has again introduced another face to the tinsel town. The bubbly, Sonal Chauhan, is excited with her debuting character opposite Emraan in Bhatt’s latest flick “Jannat”.

The path to jannat was not so easy yet not so tough for the model turned actor Sonal. Let’s share her bit of journey to the success-dome, forthcoming film “Jannat”, Emraan Haashmi and little more…

Q.: “Miss World Tourism” in 2005 and then films. How was the journey?
A.: Actually, the year I won the honour, offers for films started coming in my way. Amongst them were offers for “Show Biz” and “Awarapan” from Mahesh Bhatt which I let down.

After that he offered me for “Jannat”. I liked the story of the film as well as the character I was offered to portray. Then I signed contract for three films with Mahesh Bhatt.

Q.: Please tell us about your character and the film.?
A.: The name of my character in the film is Joya. She belongs to a small town but her outlook is that of twenty first century.

The most important thing about the character is that she is not weak at all. It’s accepted that being in love we start supporting the lover all the while and even at the time he attempts something wrong. But she is not a girl like that.

She raises her voice against odds even though the man behind that is her boyfriend. She is a bold character. But please, don’t take the word bold for any other meaning.

Q.: In your real life, how are you affected with your character?
A.: I am truly affected with this character. As human beings, we do learn something everyday in and out. And I guess every film will teach me new things as with each film I’ll have chance to play new characters.

As far as Joya is concerned, the character has taught me a lot. I love my family exactly the way Joya loves her family. My family is the biggest weakness I have.

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What will Aishwarya Rai wear down the red carpet at this year's Cannes Film Festival? Ever since she arrived by horse drawn carriage, dressed in a stunning yellow dress for the premiere of her film Devdas in 2002, Rai’s annual presence at the festival has added a unique Bollywood hue to the red carpet proceedings. Last year, my heart skipped a beat when Rai arrived decked in a white gown with her new husband Abhishek Bachchan on display.

Her choice of apparel has always created waves. In 2003, the Armani-clad Rai was the first Indian actor to sit on the prestigious judges’ panel and the following year, decked in Chopard and a Neeta Lulla skimpy white dress, she made spectators gasp in awe. Black was her colour of choice in 2005 and she arrived hand in hand with fellow L’Oreal brand ambassador Andie MacDowell in 2006. This year Rai will be there again: she is contractually bound by L’Oreal to appear.

Rai, hubby Abhishek and father in law, Amitabh Bachchan will be in town and will probably stay at the Martinez Hotel where they stayed last year. The trio’s latest film, Sarkar Raj, the sequel to Sarkar which is based on The Godfather, will enjoy an out of competition premiere.

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When a Mumbai film school asks potential students to prove their tax status, you can be sure that its courses are expensive.
But applicants for the Whistling Woods Intl. school, which charges $30,000 for a two-year diploma course in directing, comfortably outnumber the 150 available places.

On that count, the school, the $15 million brainchild of Bollywood director-producer Subhash Ghai, is already a success -- even before the first graduation next month.

Ghai wanted to build the institute partly as a means of giving back to the industry, partly as a means of grooming talent for his own Mukta Arts production shingle, but mostly because he felt the alternatives were inadequate.

"The Film and Television Institute of India (in Pune) taught us about European cinema. But how many of its graduates are names in the industry today?" Ghai asks. "Our USP is that our faculty are active industry professionals." Industry stars who have already taught there include veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah, cinematographer Rajen Kothari and scriptwriter Anjum Rajabali.

Meghna Ghai-Puri, Ghai's daughter and president of WWI, stoutly defends the institute against charges that its pupils are from the uppermost layer of society and will be out of touch. "We are elite, but not elitist," she insists. "We were founded by the industry. We teach the art, technique and business of cinema. We give students the skills to make arthouse and mainstream, documentaries and shorts. And we prepare them to find their own voice anywhere in the world. While Bollywood may not cross over internationally yet, talent certainly will."

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Surya seems to tough have some competition now. The actor, who has been working hard on his body is now sporting a six-pack.

However, he will face stiff competition now in the form of Akashdeep Sehgal, who will play the villian in KV Anand's Ayan. The Bollywood boy is popular on the small screen and is now all set to make his acting debut in Kollywood.

Surya has been busy with the shooting of Varanam Aayiram and has been travelling extensively to shoot the Gautham Menon biopic. Tamanaa, of Kalloori fame will play the heroine opposite Surya in Anand's magnum opus. Ayan is the second directorial venture of KV Anand, who had previously directed Kanaa Kandein.

“Spiderman and Superman and the one with the big ape have eaten into our market; Indian cinema needs to compete,” Amitabh Bachchan has said. Will this rare kiddie film kick-start a new genre in Bollywood?

Middle-class couple, Aditya (Shah Rukh Khan) and Anjali (Juhi Chawla) Sharma move into Nath Villa, a Goan mansion with their brattish young son Banku (Aman Siddiqui). Aditya’s job as chief engineer on a cruise ship means that Anjali and Banku are left home alone in what the locals regard as a haunted house. Indeed, it is inhabited by the spirit of Kailash Nath (Amitabh Bachchan) whose attempts to scare the new inhabitants are in vain.

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