But then, this logic holds perhaps only for metros, as movies generally get released later in Tier I and Tier II cities, giving an additional impetus to piracy. One such victim was the hallmark movie Chak De. Reveals Piyush Kant of Rediffusion DY&R, the PR spokesperson for PVR Cinemas, to 4Ps B&M, “Chak De did phenomenal business in the metros, but in smaller towns, it was released after 2 months. The success of the film led to people from small towns to unwillingly buy pirated versions.” Reports of videos being pirated even before films are released is a common phenomenon. Says Akash Taneja, Executive Director, Institute of Intellectual Property Development, FICCI, “Estimates say Bollywood alone suffers losses to the tune of approximately Rs.3,000 crore every year, with films losing as much as Rs.2,000 crore annually.”


So will the DVD strategy hit bull’s eye? Some naysayers don’t think so! 4Ps B&M caught up with Kunal Kohli, director of super hit films Hum Tum and Fanaa belonging to the Yash Raj stable, who avers, “Legalising home videos will help us earn only a miniscule amount, which is equivalent to the tip of the ice-berg. Piracy damages are done within a week of the film’s release. Production houses earn nothing as compared to what these goons do.” But what about the various associations that the industry has to fight piracy? Kunal bemoans, “They have not been able to create that much of an impact since the piracy racket is very scattered and widespread. It is difficult to pin-point as to where exactly the leakage is happening... Really, the fight cannot be won through our initiatives alone. The audience too has to be aware and educated.” An emotion mirrored by Sajid Khan, the famous comedian and director of Heyy Baby, to 4Ps B&M, “Indian audiences need to be educated that by watching pirated movies, they are missing a complete theatrical experience. The audio-video quality of a movie as projected in a theatre cannot be translated into a pirated DVD.”

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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