Moser Baer debuts with 101 Tamil video titles

Leading diskette manufacturer Moser Baer has entered the home video market with 101 Tamil film titles.

At the official launch of its DVDs and VCDs in Chennai tomorrow (January 10), the company will introduce a mix of old classics and popular new Tamil films featuring Rajnikant, M G Ramachandran and Shivaji Ganeshan.

Among the key Tamil titles being released are Ullam Ketkume, Batsha, Padikkadhavan and Kadhal Parisu.

G Dhananjayan, chief operating officer of the entertainment division, said the company would start by test-marketing its products in two cinema-crazy states, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

"We want to fine-tune our sales, distribution and packaging through the pilot project in these states before going national," said Dhananjayan.

In Tamil Nadu, Moser Baer will sell its DVDs and VCDs through 7,000 retail outlets and the home video brand will enter Kerala two weeks later with the new Malayalam film, Tiger.

The company will roll out its DVDs and VCDs nationally next month and enter the Hindi film market with Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan starrers such as Zanjeer, Baazigar and Khakee as well as blockbusters such as Tezaab and Qurbaani.

The company has bought a number of Hindi film titles from Mumbai-based home video label Bombino and also got exclusive marketing and selling rights for several films from Delhi-based Captain Video.

A couple of weeks ago, Moser Baer, the optical storage media company that makes floppy disks, compact disks and digital versatile disks, announced its foray into the home video segment at unheard of price points "" its film VCDs will come for Rs 28 and DVDs for Rs 34.

Current home video labels are priced between Rs 150 and Rs 400.