Joint exercises

Sponsorships, JVs, tie-ups and more in Percept's pitch to go global.

Shailendra Singh is taking a breather. The managing director of Percept Picture Company (PPC), Singh has recently returned from London where his company became India's first motion picture company to become the official sponsor of Raindance Film Festival 2006. "We introduced a script contest this year and gave away two prizes in the "Percept:best script" category," says Singh.

The Rs 1,000 crore company, PPC has announced strategic tie-ups with film directors like Nagesh Kukunoor (Dor, Kukunoor's recent fare, was produced by PPC), Madhur Bhandarkar (the company will produce Traffic Signal as next year's release), Priyadarshan (Malamaal Weekly) and Ram Gopal Varma (PPC has roped him for an English film project that has been postponed indefinitely). "Ramu's films in the domestic market have flopped miserably. Once he completes his pending projects, our film will start," clarifies Singh. Director David Dhawan joins the ranks now and will make two films for PPC, one of which is slated for a 2007 release. "We don't invest money foolishly. Our company studies the market thoroughly and scrutinises the scripts. But we give complete freedom to our directors," he says.

While PPC has its hands full with tie-ups, the entertainment conglomerate has also gone ahead and announced a Rs 150 crore joint venture with Bhandarkar. This is for the first time in Indian film history that such a tie-up has taken place and with this JV, PPC and Bhandarkar will create and produce feature films, television serials, advertising films, stage plays and other related content under the company called Madhur Bhandarkar Motion Pictures Ltd. "We will provide management expertise while Madhur will execute and complete films," says Singh, adding, "We will identify scripts and produce feature films that will be either directed by Madhur or directed under his creative supervision."

PPC has also tied up with PVR Cinemas to showcase an audio-visual campaign on anti-piracy. "We felt it was a good idea for a leading exhibitor and a producer-cum-distributor to join hands together for such a cause," feels Singh. PPC will have a series of three-five minute film capsules showcasing the anti-piracy theme. "It's a well-thought out initiative," says Singh, whose first film on anti piracy is already out.