PVR to distribute Indian films abroad

PVR Pictures will soon have its own infrastructure for distributing Indian films abroad, says its new president. Read on for more.

PVR Pictures has no immediate plans to co-produce movies in Hollywood but will soon have its own infrastructure for distributing Indian films abroad, says its new president, Kamal Gianchandani.

HT Image

“For Hollywood films, you need a different infrastructure and then you have to talk to a different set of exhibitors.” Right now, PVR is focusing largely on the domestic market. PVR has distributed over 60 Hollywood films in India, including first two parts of the

Twilight

series.

The flagship film production and distribution company of the PVR Group, Gianchandani informs, will start distributing Indian movies abroad in the next six months.

“We will have our presence in the US and the UK and are looking for alliances in other countries too,” he says. As of now, PVR has tied up with an independent company for overseas distribution and sale of Indian films overseas. PVR Pictures entered the production business with Aamir Khan’s directorial debut

Taare Zameen Par

(2007) and followed it up with

Jaane Tu...Ya

Jaane Na

(2008).

Its current co-production portfolio includes Anil Kapoor’s home production Aisha, Ashutosh Gowariker’s

Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Se

and Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s

Mad Madder Maddest

.

No Restrictions

Gianchandani adds, “We place no restrictions in terms of the budget for a film. Usually, it’s the story and the star cast that matter.” He also said the company would independently produce films. PVR Pictures will also have a separate label, Springboard, mainly for distribution of special projects that need a different treatment.

As part of distribution deals, PVR recently released Rahul Dholakia’s

Lamhaa

worldwide and Akshay Kumar and Trisha Krishnan-starrer

Khatta Meetha,

directed by Priyadarshan, in select Indian territories.

Coming up

“In a typical year, we would release eight to 10 Hollywood or films in other languages in India and about six-eight Hindi films, irrespective of whether it’s a co-production, an acquisition or a pure distribution deal. In terms of regional films, we would be looking for seven-eight Tamil films.”

PVR’s forthcoming Hollywood releases include

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

,

The Expendables, Agora, Piranha 3D, Step Up 3D, The Eagle of the Ninth, Fair Game, The Hole, The Rum Diary, London Boulevard

and

Biutiful.