MUMBAI: In a landmark Bollywood deal, indiaFM and Sharman Networks have come together to launch the Kazaa 'indiaFM Channel'.
This application boasts of a Bollywood inspired area which will give users exclusive access to previously unavailable premium content that includes movie and music video trailers, Bollywood parties and behind-the-scenes video footage from indiaFM, the world's most popular Bollywood entertainment site.
According IndiaFM.com founders Saleem and Suleman Mobhani, "Even as Indian cinema prepares itself to cater to a global audience, it is fitting that we tie up with Kazaa to assist the movie studios we partner with for promoting their movies across the world."
According to an official release, this deal means that film producers can now distribute promotions around music, movies and other large, media rich files - that would be too large and expensive to host on a traditional web site - with greater cost efficiency. By distributing via peer-to-peer (P2P), IndiaFM.com has changed the paradigm of movie promotion once again, as well as enabling Bollywood fans to access material that was previously not available to them online.
This alliance would help film-makers to showcase their content, especially the overseas audience. In the near future, an application like Kazaa would be a significant alternate source of revenue to the producers and a key element of their marketing plans.
In a related development, indiaFM.com confirmed that the initial launch of movie promotions on Kazaa is Sanjay Gupta's Plan and Cutting Edge Entertainment's Aetbaar, the most awaited thrillers, both releasing in January 2004. Says Gupta, "IndiaFM.com has always executed the most innovative promotions for Bollywood movies, and with this deal Kazaa, indiaFM.com cements its position as the leader in Bollywood movie marketing."
Added indiaFM head of entertainment marketing Siddartha Roy, "We are continually working to forge strategic relationships with key industry players such as Kazaa to expand our audience and extend our presence in the online entertainment market, which will soon be a multi-million-dollar business. It sets a new precedent for how marketing partners can fully leverage their assets to develop new and enhanced experiences for their consumers."
Cutting Edge Entertainment's Mandeep Singh said, "Accessibility and speed are two key components for people seeking info or downloading content on the Internet. This alliance will ensure that consumers wanting access to promotional content of movies are able to do so quickly providing immediate gratification. This will also ensure that consumers are able to enjoy the experience of the content with the richness and quality with which the content was visualised."
Reacting to this development noted Bollywood movie trade analyst Taran Adarsh opined, "With Indian cinema going beyond the shores of India, it is imperative to have tie-ups that would not only give Indian cinema the reach, but also prove as a revenue model. IndiaFM.com's tie-up with Kazaa is a step in the right direction and I feel that this will open new doors and avenues for film producers in India, who want to reach out to the international audiences. Also with the West showing keen interest in Bollywood content as can be seen from Bollywood fairs, the tie-up becomes even more crucial, for it will act as bridge between two sources wanting to explore each other."