Mahesh Ramanathan

Percept Picture Company (PPC) known for films like Pyar Mein Kabhi Kabhi, Phir Milenge and Hanuman, has just sealed deals with 18 directors, including David Dhawan, Nagesh Kukunoor and Ram Gopal Varma, to produce 30 films in the next 24 months. That’s an ambitious target considering that the company has made only 11 films since 2002. In July, it is releasing Corporate, a film on boardroom battles funded by Sahara One and produced by Percept. With an eye on the international market, PPC wants to become a major Indian film studio on the lines of the big Hollywood studios. So what’s going on? Mahesh Ramanathan, chief operating officer of the Mumbai-based company, tells Shuchi Bansal what the company is doing. Excerpts:

Q: Percept Picture Company (PPC) makes only low-budget films. What about making a blockbuster?

We have produced about 11 films, straddling genres, from comedy, cinema with a cause, animation, docudramas to thrillers and candy floss romances. We take pride in being an “ideas” house that produces differentiated content and not run-of-the-mill entertainers. Our method of selecting projects through ‘consumer desire analysis’, that is, focus group research, in the metros has resulted in a success ratio of 33 per cent for our films against an industry average of 10 per cent. Since we focus on the concept and the script and not on the ‘star’, our success is not linked to the budget of a film. If we come across a story idea that deserves a ‘blockbuster’ budget, we will go for it.

Q: Other than making Hanuman II, 16 Kids and Maa Santoshi Maa this year, what are your plans for the film business?

We are scaling up our film production plans to complete 30 Hindi films and international features in the next 24 months. We have signed up 18 top directors, including Ram Gopal Varma, David Dhawan, Anubhav Verma and Nagesh Kukunoor, in the Hindi motion picture space to explore new-age genres and contemporary story ideas for developing them into films. We are also representing some of our directors internationally to pursue Hollywood productions.

There is immense interest in Hollywood in remaking small budget successful Indian movies. We’ve already got a request to remake Page 3 for the international market. Eventually, in five to six years’ time, it is our ambition to turn PPC into a major Indian studio along the lines of the best-known Hollywood studios. We’re looking at the big picture ? winning worldwide acclaim as the most professionally managed and profitable Indian studio ? rather than exploring myopic strategies of producing a certain kind of formula films with the hope of making some money in India.

Q: What’s special about the Hanuman sequel and Maa Santoshi Maa?

The Hanuman sequel will be set in kalyug (modern times). It will be supported by merchandise and mobile games based on the film. Maa Santoshi Maa is an adaptation of Jai Santoshi Maa, one of the biggest hits produced in the 75-year history of Indian cinema. Our film will be released in about 1,500 cinema halls as opposed to the 400-500 screens that a new film hits on an average.

As a business philosophy, Percept follows the 4 C formula in film making ? classics, commercial, cause and children’s films.

Q: Are you serious about films for children?

We believe in good and clean entertainment for children. We started out with Makdee (in which Shabana Azmi played a witch) in 2002. Hanuman II and 16 Kids prove that we are serious about entertainment for children. That one third of India is under the age of 15 is well known. Sadly, Indian filmmakers are oblivious to the demand-supply gap in quality children’s content. In fact, not a single award in the film industry recognises the children’s cinema category.

Q: How important is your film distribution business?

Film distribution is the key to exploiting content. We have 14 releases lined up in 2006. Distribution is all about scientific exploitation of rights. Hollywood exploits 60 different rights for a film. For instance, it sells rights to a film separately to cruise ships and airlines. Besides, there are pay-per-view rights and even re-make rights. In India, producers rarely exploit more than six. We want to bridge that gap and ensure that we are less dependent on the fate of the film at the Indian box office.