*Hitting the Ghajini jackpot*
*Priyanka Joshi *
A scene from *Ghajini*.
*Top Emailed Features* <http://www.rediff.com/forwards.html>
• Neetu Chandra on
Maxim<http://specials.rediff.com/movies/2009/jan/07sli1-neetu-chandra-on-maxim.htm>
• Ghetto
superstar<http://www.rediff.com/movies/2009/jan/09review-slumdog-millionaire-raja.htm>
• Happy Birthday,
Bipasha!<http://specials.rediff.com/movies/2009/jan/07sld1-happy-birthday-bipasha.htm>
*Have you tried this?*
• Ask a question <http://qna.rediff.com/>
• News on your
Desktop<http://adworks.rediff.com/cgi-bin/AdWorks/click.cgi/www.rediff.com/textlinks.htm/1050715...@top/2207142_2199522/2202155/1?PARTNER=4&OAS_QUERY=null>
*Advertisements*
• DVD/VCD - take a
pick<http://adworks.rediff.com/cgi-bin/AdWorks/click.cgi/www.rediff.com/textlinks.htm/1050715...@top/2102109_2094593/2102255/1?PARTNER=4&OAS_QUERY=null>
• Building Construction -
click<http://adworks.rediff.com/cgi-bin/AdWorks/click.cgi/www.rediff.com/textlinks.htm/1050715...@top/2102110_2094594/2102256/1?PARTNER=4&OAS_QUERY=null>
• Advertise ur service
here<http://adworks.rediff.com/cgi-bin/AdWorks/click.cgi/www.rediff.com/textlinks.htm/1050715...@top/2102111_2094595/2102257/1?PARTNER=4&OAS_QUERY=null>
** <http://www.rediff.com/forwards.html>
Advertisement
Nirula's.<http://adworks.rediff.com/cgi-bin/AdWorks/click.cgi/www.rediff.com/movies_homepage.htm/1034471...@middle/2204187_2196591/2199199/1/200P/%7C#|?OAS_QUERY=&PARTNER=0&impress_key=8d09dc03daab515078e24da1c0afac16>
Well-known
name in Hospitality Ind into Quick Serve business with Rest, Pastry Shop,
Snack Bar & Ice Creams. Wow ! Kya Choice Hai. 5Rediff P4C
Classifieds<http://pay4clicks.rediff.com/>
January 14, 2009 11:14 IST
M*adhu Mantena*, better known as
*Ghajini's<http://www.rediff.com/movies/2008/nov/25rahman-goes-gloriously-wild-with-ghajini.htm>
*producer, makes no bones about his past failures. Having jumped into
business when he was all of 18 years old, forfeiting his studies, Mantena
admits candidly, "I created my own music label while still a teenager, made
money, then lost much more. When I went out of business, I approached my
cousin Ram Gopal Varma
[Images<http://search.rediff.com/imgsrch/default.php?MT=ram gopal
varma>
] in the hope of finding work."
Cousin Varma, who wasn't making any films then, asked him to take charge of
marketing at Varma Corporation. "I went from Hyderabad to Mumbai
[Images<http://search.rediff.com/imgsrch/default.php?MT=mumbai>
], in the hope that I would start afresh in Bollywood even though I had zero
experience in films," he adds.
- *Also Read: What Aamir Khan won't do for
Ghajini<http://specials.rediff.com/movies/2008/nov/21slid1.htm>
* <http://specials.rediff.com/movies/2008/nov/21slid1.htm>
His first big achievement was signing a "hefty" in-film placement deal for
Tata Safari [Images <http://search.rediff.com/imgsrch/default.php?MT=safari>
] cars in Ramu's film, *Road*. He notes, "This helped the film clinch that
necessary economic support."
But Lady Luck shone on him at the premiere of *Sarkar
[Images<http://search.rediff.com/imgsrch/default.php?MT=sarkar>
]*, where he learnt of a big buy-out deal between Reliance [Get
Quote<http://money.rediff.com/money/jsp/quote_process.jsp?query=reliance>
] and Adlabs [Get
Quote<http://money.rediff.com/money/jsp/quote_process.jsp?query=adlabs
films ltd>
]. Mantena took the opportunity to call up Manmohan Shetty, who offered him
a chance to work for Adlabs's overseas distribution arm. "That's when I
learnt how the overseas market works and we cracked the market with *Krrish
[Images <http://search.rediff.com/imgsrch/default.php?MT=krrish>],*" he
exults. The film went on to make Rs 16 crore in overseas markets and set
cash registers ringing for Adlabs.
For a lad who had grown up watching Rajinikanth and Chiranjeevi-starrers,
over-the-top films, Mantena had no clue that he would be producing a
Bollywood movie in five years, with a megastar and a director who could not
speak Hindi. While this 32-year old producer may be still counting his cash
collections from *Ghajini
[Images<http://search.rediff.com/imgsrch/default.php?MT=ghajini>
],* which have reportedly grossed Rs 162 crore in the domestic market and Rs
39 crore overseas, this "newest" Indian millionaire is not at all shy of
sharing his glee.
- *Download
Ringtones<http://adworks.rediff.com/cgi-bin/AdWorks/click.cgi/www.rediff.com/textlinks.htm/1050715...@top/2675042_2661411/2664854/1?PARTNER=4&OAS_QUERY=null>
*
"Yeah, seems like my lessons in overseas marketing and branding are paying
off," he says with a hearty chuckle. If industry punters are to be believed,
the film might go on to rake in Rs 200 crore. "I am sticking to the formula
of fewer, bigger, better," he says.
According to estimates, *Ghajini*'s marketing spends by the various brands
associated with it totalled a whopping Rs 10 crore, while other
eyebrow-raising antics like multiplex staff sporting *Ghajini*'s look and
hairstyle (of course!) are estimated to have cost up to Rs 4 crore.
Why was this required when he had a star like Aamir to promote the film?
"With such a film, we had to use a variety of devices to make the film a
conversation point in order to make people want to watch it, so that they
could become a part of the talk around it," he rattles off his answer.
- *Also Read: How Aamir got his Ghajini
cut<http://specials.rediff.com/movies/2008/nov/24sd1-how-aamir-khan-got-his-ghajini-cut.htm>
*
Close to 1,500 prints in domestic markets and over 300 prints overseas, the
largest number for any Bollywood movie, were distributed, giving it a wide
reach. "The need to release the film to a wider audience base is critical to
ensuring that there is maximum collection in the first two or three weeks,"
he acknowledges. Mantena declares that the bulk of the film's collections
happened through single-screen theatres and digital cinemas run by UFO
Moviez. He is proud of the fact that he has made a film that is being
watched by the masses, not just the classes.
Does this mean no small-budget, new-age multiplex films for Mantena? "I am a
platform for the directors. If there is a story that can be made in a Rs 60
lakh budget, then I don't see why I won't back it," he responds. He has
already floated a production house, TellTale Pictures, with friend Abbas
Tyrewala, director of *Jaane Tu
[Images<http://search.rediff.com/imgsrch/default.php?MT=jaane tu>
] Ya Jaane Na*, and is a strict believer in the "one film at a time".
No wonder this young producer thinks Aamir Khan
[Images<http://search.rediff.com/imgsrch/default.php?MT=aamir khan>
] is god. In fact, he gives the actor so much credit that it can be humbling
to hear him speak about Khan.
So, any break from the movie business on the cards? "Hell no, I need to get
working on my next film *1-800-LOVE, *and then there's also the constant
worry about the dollar strengthening as we plan to shoot our film in Boston
starting this May," he says, his producer-self finally in character.
This film, to be directed by Tyrewala, holds a special place for Mantena. He
explains enthusiastically, "I am trying out a new business model with
*1-800-LOVE
*where people involved, like A R Rahman, John Abraham
[Images<http://search.rediff.com/imgsrch/default.php?MT=john abraham>
], Abbas Tyrewala, and a few heads of departments will be given a percentage
from the film's collections. This way, everybody involved will get to be
part of the film."
http://www.rediff.com/movies/2009/jan/14hitting-the-ghajini-jackpot.htm
--
regards,
Vithur
