Director's cut

ENTERTAINMENT: Going by the trend, corporate houses are finding it easier to sign long-term deals with directors rather than actors.

While news of multi-crore deals for actors like Akshay Kumar and Hrithik Roshan has gone kaput, it's interesting to note that deals of corporate houses with film directors seem to work well.

With the Indian film industry slipping into ease with its corporate makeover, companies like UTV, Adlabs, Percept, to name just a few, are signing interesting deals with film directors for films.

Even PVR is stepping into production territory for two films that will be produced under the banner of Aamir Khan Films. The first film, Taarey Zameen Par, will be released in December 2007. And yes, it's Khan the producer that PVR has signed, not Khan the actor. Why do corporate houses find it easier to sign directors but not actors?

Director Vipul Shah, says, "As far as I know, Akshay Kumar's deal with Adlabs was such that the company wanted to deliver four films in one year. I was asked to direct one of the films but I felt it was an impossible target to achieve."

Shah, who has an 8-10 film deal spread over the next four years, will not only direct a few, but will also creatively produce the films. While earlier these film deals were pegged at Rs 200 crore, Shah says, it's unfair to put any budget on the films.

Praveen Nischol, CEO, film production division, Adlabs, informs that besides Shah, Adlabs has signed Ram Gopal Verma, Prakash Jha and Rohan Sippy for some of the forthcoming films. Sources, however, reveal that Adlabs has a 10-film deal with Verma for Rs 100 crore. Sippy, on the other hand, has a four-film deal with Adlabs.

Ashish Saksena, COO, film cell, PVR Cinemas, says, "Actors like Shahrukh, Aamir and Hrithik Roshan don't need to sign contracts with any corporate houses because there are directors who are writing scripts keeping them in mind." He adds, "By that yardstick, it makes sense for corporate houses to sign film directors because by doing so they're actually signing scripts."

Director Madhur Bhandarkar feels that corporate houses, which are gradually commanding their space in distribution and exhibition, need creative skills for which it obviously makes sense to rope in film directors, who in turn can suggest and rope in the best possible actors for their projects.

Bhandarkar, who has directed films like Page 3, Corporate and Traffic Signal with corporate house Percept Picture Company, says, "I will be directing, producing and creating content not only for films but also for television and commercials for Percept."

Even UTV, for instance, tied up with Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra recently for UTV Palador, its world cinema initiative. It also has another four-film deal worth Rs 280 crore with the director.

For those who think that only actors call the shots in the industry, thanks to some path-breaking deals, directors are gradually becoming a richer lot.

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IT'S A DEAL!

UTV ties up with Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra for a four-film deal worth Rs 280 crore

Percept Picture Company signs director Madhur Bhandarkar for film and television content

Adlabs has deals with Vipul Shah (Rs 200 crore for 8-10 films), Ram Gopal Verma (Rs 100 crore for 10 films), Rohan Sippy (four films) and Prakash Jha (two films)

PVR ventures into film production with Aamir Khan's forthcoming venture Taarey Zameen Par