B4U Movies launches 2 October; plans to go pay in January at Rs6.50 sticker price

(Posted on 25 September 2001, 8:20 pm)

Sticking to a schedule laid out at the end of July, B4U Entertainment Channel becomes B4U Movies on 2 October 2001, it was announced today.

In a new avatar 13 months after B4U Entertainment was launched on 3 September 2000, CEO Ravi Gupta and his team will be hoping to leverage what is B4U's main strength - its library of movies (over 2,000 films) that it holds the rights to, both current hits and blockbusters and old classics.

And wasting no time, the plan is to encrypt B4U Movies by November, Debashis Dey, chief distribution officer, B4U Television Network Ltd, says. According to Dey: "The proposed date for going pay is sometime in January '02. We feel that two months will be a reasonably good period for viewers to sample the channel." However, sister channel B4U Music will remain free-to-air a la MTV.

"After going pay in January the average rate per subscriber per month is proposed at Rs. 6.50p. We also feel that our channel will be a refreshing change, as it is not clustered by a bouquet of unwanted content, which currently the operators are forced to subscribe to," says Dey.

As for the programme line-up, current titles include - Lajja, Devdas, Suno Sasurji, Pyaar Deewana Hota Hai, Baas Itna Sa Khwab Hai, Daraar, Silsila Hai Pyaar Ka, Mohabbat, Beti No 1, among others, apart from hit films like Taal, Josh, Jungle, etc and old classics.

B4U Movies will telecast three hits per week - a Friday premiere, a Saturday blockbuster and a Sunday classic. In addition a super-hit 'Movie Of The Month' will be screened, says Dey.

"In between films we intend to showcase a host of Bollywood based shows, highlighting film shooting, the studios and the classic films attached with them, Bollywood masala, gossip, behind the scenes, raw cuts, countdowns, market, flops, hits, comedies, super stars, and many more unique programmes in innovative formats," Says Dey.

Among the shows that are planned are:
Lehren - A Bollywood video magazine. The long running and popular 'Lehren', will provide updates on Bollywood and the stars.
Studio Beat - A weekly round up from the studios in Mumbai. Using archival footage and interviews with old timers, stories around the studios that made the industry what it is today.
Superhit Hungama - A weekly countdown show set in exotic locations. Money Talkies - An update of the industry that throws light on the losers and the winners.
Box Office - A weekly update on collections and performance, reviews and analyses from trade pundits.
Shot Cut - Full length films cut down to half an hour, keeping only key scenes intact.
Director's Cut - Interviews with directors.
Stardom - profiles the stars.
Riot - The show presents some of the most hilarious scenes in Hindi movies. Countdown Café - The Indipop countdown that brings to you the best 10 tracks of the week. Ghazals, Punjabi Pop, Remixes and more.
South Side Story - Film update and news from southern India.
The Preview - Previews of the movies to be telecast on B4U.
Rushes - Daily updates on recent events in Bollywood.

The B4U Network is promoted by steel magnate L M Mittal, Kishore Lulla and Gokul Binani, all based in the UK. Lulla is also the promoter of Eros International LTD, the largest overseas film distributor and the first to take Hindi movies to the UK and the US.

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