SWEET SUCCESS: Fox got off to a good start in India with "My Name is Khan".
Sanford Panitch, President of Fox International Productions, and Vijay Singh, CEO of Fox Star Studios, were in town for the announcement. Before they rushed to catch a screening of “Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya” in connection with the Hindi remake of the film, we caught up with the top bosses to quiz them on their strategy and challenges.
“Now that we have got our markers in place for Hollywood and Bollywood, we thought it was time for our foray into Tamil with this two-film tie-up with Murugadoss,” says Vijay Singh. “Even in Bollywood, we are not trying to do 35 films at a time... we want to do five to six films. The idea is to work with the best talent.”
Does the studio feel the need to relax norms, and be flexible with the relatively unorganised nature of film production in India? “Certainly, there's some need for adaptability when you are trying to make local language films anywhere in the world,” admits Sanford Panitch. “But, we have the benefit of having the infrastructure already in place with STAR.”
Acknowledging the ground realities in film distribution, Singh notes: “It's about adapting and trying to understand each market reality, and then trying to develop a business model appropriate for that market.”
“The markets are changing as well,” Panitch quickly adds. “There are filmmakers who want to follow the Hollywood norms in making films, whether it is working with a script, or as Aamir Khan has been doing, not taking on multiple films. Or doing test screenings.”
It may be less organised here, but the basic principles in filmmaking don't change, observes Singh. “Recognising some of the challenges, we are taking our time to make sure we get a script we are happy with, and ensuring we are working with budgets that are workable.” As Panitch explains, “We do what's best for each particular film. Sometimes, if we get a big movie star, then there are certain things you have to bite off on.”
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