Mukta Arts plans to hit the small screen soon

After silverscreen stars taking a shine to television, it is now the turn of high profile film makers to hit the small screen.

One of the first mega banner to foray into the television space is Subhash Ghai's Mukta Arts which has lined up small budget films made exclusively for television and film-based television shows.

The company has started work on a pilot project to test the waters and is in talks with all major satellite channels for block deals where Mukta Arts will retain intellectual property rights to the films.

Ghai's television content company Mukta Telemedia too has started pre-production work on three television shows. It is learnt that the company is in preliminary discussions with an international channel in India to start airing the shows by the current fiscal end.

"The television business is being developed to expand the revenue pie, diversify risks and to establish a toehold in all aspects of the entertainment revenue chain," said Ravi Gupta, chief executive officer, Mukta Arts.

The expansion will push overall revenues to Rs 100 crore plus by 2006 with revenues from television accounting for 15 per cent of the pie, Gupta explained.

The majority 35 per cent would come from films, 10 per cent from distribution, 15 per cent each from exhibition and post-production services and the balance 10 per cent from investments, he added.

At present, around 60 per cent of the revenues flow from films, distribution and exhibition streams while 30 per cent is drawn from investments and eight per cent from post-production services. Mukta Arts clocked a net profit of Rs 3.39 crore last fiscal.

The films will be family oriented with budgets of below Rs five crore. As Gupta pointed out, releasing small budget films in theatres may not necessarily offer high returns.

The television shows will focus on film-based entertainment. As Gupta puts it, "Since films are our core strength, we will bank on them."

He denied any co-production tie-ups for films or television programming saying that the content will be produced entirely in-house. The company's experience in television content production is limited to Archana Ah Ha on Zee TV and curtain raisers for Subhash Ghai's films.

Subhash Ghai, known for his mega budget magnum opuses, has set the trail ablaze. The question is will other industry heavyweights follow suit?