The Hindu : Kamal Hassan reaches out to cable TV operators

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jan 18, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Kamal Hassan reaches out to cable TV operators

By Sudhish Kamath

Post-`Virumaandi', Kamal Hassan makes a point in rural Tamil Nadu with cable TV. — Photo: R. Ragu

CHENNAI. JAN. 17. The Tamil film industry has held cable television responsible for its poor showing over the last decade. ``Cable TV and serials have weaned away audience from the halls,'' `Film News' Anandan, trade analyst and archivist, has said often.

Producer-director Kamal Hassan, however, is giving cable TV another role — a supporting one. Thanks to cable TV and technology, his latest production, `Virumaandi,' is reaching out to villages through 200 independent channels with an average base of 30,000 viewers each. A one-hour special on the movie, including an appeal from the actor to discourage piracy, telecast twice everyday, is part of the parcel which reaches rural Tamil Nadu through cable TV.

``Instead of treating cable TV operators as enemies, it's better to use them as branch offices, allies and vehicles of publicity,'' the filmmaker said. ``Cable TV could be used as a legitimate dispersal system.''

``It's unexploited, not unconventional. It's just that no one thought of it before. New technology has always been received with paranoia. It's a new way of reaching people through the most watched medium.''

The content will be updated every five days, said Prakash M. Swamy, CEO of Shrivari Media, which has tied up with Raajkamal International to take the promos to the villages. ``Additionally, we have plans of conducting live chats and video conferences with actors from the movie. We will have contests and prizes sponsored by local shops and establishments. You can say `Virumaandi' has actually come to the rescue of independent cable operators who were being choked by multisystem operators. Now, they are generating revenue from local sponsors with the content provided.''

The promotional activity will continue through cable TV for over a month.

The company has tied up with Media Planet, a service provider with 60 channels. A call centre will soon be set up here and anyone from the State can call the toll-free number for home delivery of tickets. ``At no extra cost. The idea is to drive the audience to the theatres. The Dindigul-based cable channel, Super TV, sold and delivered tickets for the movie. Towards the end of the campaign, Kamal will have telechats with fans from the remotest of towns,'' Mr. Swamy said.

``It is the joy of communicating and interaction that will be elevating to the audience. Some people believe that my strength lies in catering to an urban audience. But this film is for the villages,'' Mr. Kamal Hassan explained.

In Tamil Nadu, there are over 1,200 independent cable TV operators, of whom only 600 are registered. ``Out of the 600, we have selected 200 and provided them with the free content. So it's all clean,'' the actor said.

``There is a glorious time ahead. We have to legitimise the cable TV business. When we shake hands with them, they can't betray us. The Government too has helped us fight piracy by reducing taxes. We can now compete with pirates in bringing out digital video discs at cheaper rates.''

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