Hindi
Indian film buyers give Filmart 2009 a miss
Hong Kong: Indian buyers at the 13th edition of Filmart in Hong Kong are a dissatisfied lot this year.
“There are very few action films of the kind that are popular in India on offer at Filmart this year,” says a regular buyer at film markets such as Filmart and Cannes. “There are a number of subtle factors involved in the decision to buy films at Hong Kong,” he added.
“While there are fewer cinema goers because of the meltdown, the price of movie rights has not gone down this year. In some cases, the charges have gone up,” revealed another film buyer.
Jackie Chan’s diminishing popularity in India is another important deterrence for buyers from India. His type of films are either too expensive or not viable. “Viewer fatigue with Jackie Chan and martial arts movies has started happening in India,” said an Indian buyer from South India.
“The really big films that will be well accepted will have buyers, and the sellers of big films generally provide the buyer with a reverse negative print. But Indian film buyers will be selective in picking up small films,” said a buyer from Mumbai.
Another big bugbear for Indian buyers at Filmart is conversion of the films that are hawked here. Very few of the sellers have the films in the internegative format. Most sellers at Filmart generally provide the movies on HDCAM or DigiBeta format.
Indian buyers need the content on Reverse Negatives (RN), since very few Indian theatres run movies using digital projection. Cost of conversion, though lower in India, could adversely affect the viability of screening the film in the Indian sub-continent.
“I know of buyers from India who are still sitting on the films that they purchased rights for during the last edition of Filmart because conversion and dubbing is a big cost factor. Quality dubbing in the different Indian languages also affects the profitability,” said another Indian buyer.
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
