It's
been
a
busy
2007
for
Eros
International—the
London
AIM
(Alternative
Investment
Market)
has
listed
the
Indian
media
and
Entertainment
Company.
It
released
30
films,
of
which
ten
were
global
launches
and
has
included
such
hits
as
Om
Shanti
Om,
Namastey
London
and
Heyy
Babyy.
However,
in
2008,
Kishore
Lulla,
chairman&CEO,
Eros
International,
plans
more
global
launches,
focusing
on
content-creation
and
consolidation,
upgrading
its
distribution
channels
across
formats,
and
has
releases
lined
up
until
2010.
He
speaks
with
Sudipta
Datta
from
London
on
Eros'
long-term
plans
for
India
and
why
the
'Americanisation'
of
the
Indian
entertainment
space
spells
good
news
for
Bollywood.
Excerpts:
What
are
your
areas
of
focus
in
2008?
The
focus
is
on
content
and
consolidation.
We
are
updating
our
distribution
channels
by
integrating
content
across
all
formats,
cinema,
television,
home
entertainment,
pay
TV
and
new
media.
In
the
home
entertainment
segment,
for
example,
we
are
building
up
a
library.
We
have
1,900
titles
now,
we
are
going
to
aggressively
buy
content.
In
the
regional
and
Bollywood
space,
we
have
identified
eight-10
targets—content
Companies
having
libraries
and
future
productions—for
acquisitions:
the
acquisitions
will
be
completed
by
the
end
of
2008.
What
is
the
film
making
model
that
you
follow,
is
it
leaning
towards
Hollywood
or
Bollywood?
Well,
the
Eros
model
is
exactly
like
a
studio
model
except
that
we
do
not
physically
own
a
studio.
In
fact,
most
of
the
foreign
studios
are
getting
rid
of
their
physical
studios.
Then,
you
can
shoot
anywhere
in
any
location
across
the
world.
You
are
paying
a
lot
of
attention
to
your
special
effects
studio.
Comment.
Oh
yes.
That's
our
second
area
of
focus
this
year.
We
feel
that
as
the
Bollywood
market
expands
and
the
400
million
middle
class
have
more
spending
power,
they
will
demand
good
quality
entertainment.
We
want
EyeQube
Studios
to
do
big
visual
effects
out
of
India.
The
first
one
Alladin
has
already
gone
on
the
floors.
We
will
also
release
Drona,
for
which
EyeQube
is
handling
the
special
effects.
It's
a
Harry
Potter
meets
Indiana
Jones
movie,
if
you
will,
but
it's
an
original
story.
What's
the
Eros
calendar
of
films
looking
like
this
year?
We
are
going
to
release
20
films
this
year—all
will
be
launched
globally
too.
Last
year,
we
released
30
films,
but
only
10
out
of
those
were
global
releases.
We
have
55
projects
across
genres
locked
in
for
the
next
two-and-a-half
years,
which
means
there
are
releases
lined
up
until
2010.
Is
action
also
picking
up
on
the
Eros
Music
front?
We
will
step
up
activity
and
sign
on
new
artists
and
promote
their
albums.
How
easy
is
it
now
to
do
business
in
a
corporatised
Bollywood
framework?
Has
the
mindset
changed?
It's
a
totally
relationship-driven
industry
where
money
plays
a
part.
No,
the
mindset
has
not
changed.
If
we
have
been
successful,
it's
because
we
have
a
30-year
experience
in
the
business.
We
are
a
corporate
house
but
we
have
a
relationship
with
everyone
in
India.
We
are
also
going
to
set
up
distribution
offices
across
India
to
bring
transparency
into
the
business.
You
have
tied
up
with
a
host
of
directors,
haven't
you?
Yes,
we
have
tied
up
with
various
directors.
We
are
now
going
to
create
a
bank
of
screenplays.
Where's
the
growth,
and
revenues—going
to
come
from
for
Eros?
The
Indian
market
is
growing
in
a
big
way.
But
the
international
dubbed
Markets
are
growing
too.
In
five
years,
we
want
50%
of
our
revenues
to
come
from
India
and
50%
from
international
Markets.
At
the
moment,
this
ratio
is
more
or
less
65-35
(international/India).
Give
us
a
perspective
on
Bollywood.
Where
is
it
headed
in
the
next
5-10
years?
The
Indian
film
industry
now
resembles
what
the
Hollywood
movie
industry
was
between
the
1940s
and
1970s.
But
what
Hollywood
did
in
50
years,
we
will
do
in
10
years.
In
the
next
five
years,
a
lot
of
multiplexes
will
be
built,
people
will
spend
more
on
entertainment,
producers
will
spend
more
on
quality
of
films,
we
are
going
to
get
Americanised
and
that"s
a
good
thing
for
the
business
of
entertainment.