, the 40-something chief executive officer of UTV (United Television), is dreaming big. Last fortnight, he announced the setting up of a vertically integrated studio model for the film industry in India.
That is to say, UTV will make many films simultaneously, with different directors or companies, and provide them with creative, marketing and distribution support. "The idea is to offer a 360 degree support structure," explains Screwvala.
Corporatising the film industry is not just about getting loans for making films.
"It could also be at the creative level where we could help people with their scripts," says Screwvala. Though UTV has been exposed to Rupert Murdoch's Fox studio model, "the idea has to be adopted to the Indian environment," he says.
But having a well-diversified media company with interests in television software, animation, studio and special effects business, why does Screwvala want to concentrate on the film industry?
"Because it is depressing that the film industry has not really grown beyond Rs 4,000 crore for some years. On the other hand, the television industry, including spends on programming, advertising as well as subscription revenue, is a Rs 20,000 crore industry today," reasons Screwvala.
Incidentally, UTV got involved with films three years ago when it produced"Fiza" and distributed "Lagaan." Today, it has nine films on the floor, including three co-productions with Star India that will mark the latter's foray into the Indian film industry. The company is also strengthening its distribution network in India and abroad.
To be sure, the films business is not distracting Screwvala who continues to put more and more fiction and non-fiction programmes on TV channels like Star Plus, Sony, Zee, BBC and CNN. Few know that the company has also been producing a one-hour daily soap for a Malaysian channel for the last six years.
"We should be clocking 31 hours of programming a week by September this year compared to the 14 hours a week we do today," says Screwvala.
Clearly, Screwvala's entertainment content factory may soon resemble his mammoth toothbrush production plant that manufactures 6 million toothbrushes a month for some of the leading brands in India.
A graduate from Mumbai's Sydenham College of Commerce, Screwvala expects the Rs 165 crore UTV to grow by about 35 per cent a year.
