Feasting on films

ITC Foods decides to ride on films to popularise its Sunfeast brand in Karnataka.

A marketing initiative by ITC Foods promises to breathe life into the Kannada film industry which, after a series of spectacular hits in 2005, is going through a season of flops.

The Bangalore-based foods business of the cigarettes giant has entered into an arrangement with the leading Kannada TV channel Udaya TV to launch the Sunfeast-Udaya Film Awards 2006.

The appetite for this kind of programming, coming after a long gap of five years (when Udaya TV's Film Awards had done defunct), is expected to be pretty high, and will give a boost to the Sunfeast brand among Kannada film buffs from Bidar in the northern tip to Mysore and Chamarajanagar in the south of Karnataka.

The first awards function is set for the last week of September. Udaya TV viewers will have their say on five awards "" best actor, best actress, best film, best music director and the best film director.

These will be decided by a public opinion poll. There will be a jury comprising industry experts to decide on other technical awards in areas like cinematography, editing and background score.

"We see the Sunfeast Udaya Film Awards 2006 as a golden opportunity for us to offer a fitting tribute to the glory of Kannada cinema," said Ravi Naware, head of ITC's foods division, while announcing the launch of the awards.

The first edition of the awards therefore, will be a tribute to the memory of late Kannada film icon Rajkumar.