The journalism bug seems to have bitten Bollywood big time. Almost every new movie these days uses a TV channel in some form or the other.
The life of a TV reporter on the celluloid touched its zenith with Preity Zinta playing one in Lakshya and Konkona Sen Sharma did the honours for the print medium in Page 3.
Recently, Priyanka Chopra did the same in Krrish and Lillete Dubey essayed something similar in Corporate. Now Koel Purie will do a retake in Breaking News.
Reality bites
Even if the film is not on a reporter, TV channels have been frequently appearing in movies — Yuva, Aitraaz, Fanaa, Rang De Basanti, all had some channel breaking the news.
It’s noteworthy that real channels lend some authenticity to the story of the film. Says Madhur Bhandarkar, “To remove the element of fiction, it’s better to use real channel names.”
Give & take
A subtle strategy is involved here.
TV channels act as an effective marketing tool, both for the movie as well as for themselves — while movies give channels a platform, they return the favour by promoting the movies through their shows.
Rakesh Roshan agrees: “Since we had roped in Star News for Krrish, I sold the satellite rights of the movie to them. The channel took care of the promotion of the film not only in India but also in Singapore. And it was a good deal.” Uday Shankar, CEO, editorial, Star News India, says, “As films are the most popular and wide spread medium of entertainment, the channel certainly gets a lot of visibility.”
{{/usCountry}}Rakesh Roshan agrees: “Since we had roped in Star News for Krrish, I sold the satellite rights of the movie to them. The channel took care of the promotion of the film not only in India but also in Singapore. And it was a good deal.” Uday Shankar, CEO, editorial, Star News India, says, “As films are the most popular and wide spread medium of entertainment, the channel certainly gets a lot of visibility.”
{{/usCountry}}Choosy games
While films buy authe nticity, channels too play choosy when it comes to appearing in a film as it is all about credibility. Says KVN Narayan Rao, director, NDTV, “The production house must suit our profile and enhance our brand. That’s why we associated with Yash Raj Pro ductions for Faana.” There is also a meagre possibility of a rise in the viewer base as people who do not watch certain news channels may start following them af ter watching them in films.
So, is TV the latest flavour in Bollywood?