Hindi
Home video rental market in an upswing
MUMBAI: The fracas between multiplexes and film producers over revenue sharing has not left cinemagoers without any source of entertainment, though there is an anxiety concerning the release of new films. Viewers are now turning to home video in a big way. Not only are pirated films selling like hot cakes, original CDs/DVDs are going off the shelf of video rental libraries far too frequently.”We have been witnessing a 15 per cent growth over and above our regular growth of 15- 20 per cent on a month-on-month, since a month and a half. On an average movies watched by a member increased from 8-10 DVDs to 12 DVDs per month which very much more than the number of movies watched usually. Also, to make the most of these times, we have introduced a couple of offers so as to induce more people to watch movies at home with BIGFlix and are getting great response so far,” says bigflix.com chief lead online DVD rental business Pankaj Chandra.
There has also been an increase in the demand for alternative content. Shemaroo Entertainment Ltd director Hiren Gada avers, “Due to the lack of new releases, our CD/ DVD sales have increased and are placed anywhere between 30 to 40 per cent. Another noticeable effect is that sports content is also in huge demand, thanks to the Indian Premier League (IPL) matches.”Movie rental
service Seventymm has claimed that the demand for films has shot up by almost 25 per cent. The stoppage of new releases has seen a surge of new customers. Earlier its clients would rent up to three films a week but now they would hire almost five films every day, says a source in the organisation. The company has a market share of 60 per cent with 1, 20, 000 customers pan India.
However, Moser Baer COO G Dhananjayan begs to differ. He says, “Old films are not being asked for. Yes, fresh titles are always in the askance. We are of course keeping ourselves abreast of the current situation. A few days earlier, we released Dev D and today we are releasing Dilli 6. All said and done these are fresh films and will attract considerable attention. Besides, there is no such news that sales or hiring of films have gone up. From the vast market we have around the country, from nowhere have we heard that CD/DVD sales are on the rise. In fact people are depressed because the inflow of new films has stopped.”
Hindi
Marico founder Harsh Mariwala’s book Harsh Realities set for film adaptation
Almighty Motion Picture taps Karan Vyas to script Marico story
MUMBAI: Almighty Motion Picture is turning its lens on India Inc., with plans to adapt Harsh Realities: The Making of Marico into a screen project. The story charts the rise of Harsh Mariwala, the chairman and founder of Marico, and is currently in early development, according to a report by Variety.
Writer Karan Vyas, known for his work on Scam 1992, Scoop and Made in India – A Titan Story, is attached to pen the screenplay. The project continues the studio’s growing interest in real-life Indian narratives that blend business with human drama.
At the heart of the story lies a defining moment in 1987, when Mariwala chose to step away from the family-run Bombay Oil Industries and strike out on his own. What followed was not just the creation of a company, but the reinvention of a legacy. Marico would go on to become a global FMCG player, with brands like Parachute, Saffola, Set Wet and Livon becoming household names, reaching nearly one in three Indians.
The source material, co-authored by Mariwala and renowned business strategist Ram Charan, offers more than a boardroom chronicle. It captures the grit behind the growth, the risks behind the rewards and the leadership lessons forged along the way.
The adaptation aims to move beyond balance sheets and brand milestones, focusing instead on the person behind the enterprise. Expect a narrative that leans into the emotional stakes of entrepreneurship, where decisions are as personal as they are professional.
Today, Marico draws about a quarter of its revenue from international markets across Asia and Africa, reflecting its steady transformation from a domestic player into a multinational force. Yet, if the makers have their way, the screen version will remind audiences that every global success story begins with a leap of faith.
With development set to begin soon, this is one business story that may just trade spreadsheets for storytelling, and profit margins for moments that linger
