Celluloid moves

It is an ambitious target of Rs 150 crore turnover in five years that Savita Raj Hiremath, managing director of Tandav Films Entertainment Ltd, has set herself.

Surprisingly, the advertising professional, who runs Ushak Kaal with husband Raj Hiremath, is confident of achieving it even though her first film Khosla Ka Ghosla is yet to be released.

Her confidence, perhaps, stems from the fact that Khosla Ka Ghosla has already been bought by the Zee-Rajashri joint venture for distribution in India and abroad and will be released in March. That is not all. Tandav is already on its second project with scriptwriter Jaideep Sahni of Company fame.

"The idea is to make at least 10 films in the next five years," explains Hiremath. Of these, at least three promise to be big budget.

"Our big budget is about Rs 7-8 crore and not the conventional Rs 25-crore films," she clarifies.

In fact, her business model includes exploring opportunities in the international film market. "We have initiated talks for co-productions abroad. A deal with a Canadian film company wanting to shoot in India will be announced soon," she adds.

Hiremath feels that international co-productions is a big market as "even the foreign film companies are interested in making crossover films including shooting in India".

To tap the international market, Tandav Films is all set to open an office in London. "It will help us get business as well as distribute our films abroad," says Hiremath.

Back home, Tandav, with the help of Ushak Kaal, has created a campaign and a media plan to promote its debut film.

Interestingly, Padmalaya Films, the south-based entertainment major is a 75 per cent equity partner in Khosla Ka Ghosla.

Hiremath says Tandav Films is open to similar one-off project collaborations though she is also negotiating long-term partnerships. The company is also looking for venture capital for its next four films.

Tandav Films expects to make money on its first project thanks to tight cost controls. The film, starring Anupam Kher, Navin Nishchol, Tara Sharma and Praveen Dabbas among others, was completed in a non-stop 40-day shoot in Delhi.