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MUMBAI: UTV and Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra Productions (Romp)
have teamed up to co-produce four films with a total outlay
of Rs. 2.8 billion. The gamut of films to be directed by Mehra
includes a trilogy, the first of which whose working title
is Paanch Kaurav (5-K) and Dilli-6 which is
based on Mehra's early years in Delhi.
 According
to an official announcement, UTV and Romp are also in talks
with Hollywood studios like Disney (which already has a small
stake of 14.9 per cent in the company), Fox and Sony for global
partnerships on this slate.
UTV CEO Ronnie Screvwala, " We worked great together
as a team on Rang De Basanti (RDB) and we look forward
to our next productions. We are all sitting at a very exciting
time in Motion Picture History in India, thanks largely to
changing, maturing and demanding tastes of audiences for our
Films. Today the challenge is in making strong Indian themes
but for a Pan Indian and Global audience, and I think Rakeysh's
sensibilities in this area, with help from a mature hand like
Syd in structured screenplay and our joint vision of taking
Indian cinema to a new level of creativity and communication
and to a growing diaspora for Indian Content, will make this
partnership over the next few years will be very rewarding
and challenging."
The first ever for India, a pre- announced and scripted trilogy
Paanch Kaurav (5-K) will be co-written by Hollywood scriptwriter
Syd Field along with Mehra. Infact, Mehra and Rensil D'silva
have already penned the first of series. In much the same
way that the content providers are looking to approach their
latest youth broadacast venture with multiple revenue verticals,
the trilogy would also have a special focus on ancillary revenues
that include retail, merchandising, console and mobile gaming.
"Today like the West, Indian cinema is focusing on garnering
world class expertise on the film script which is the Real
hero, resulting in world-class production, with universal
sensibilities that appeals to a global audience. With our
current co-productions it is our desire to bring cinema for
the global audience and our endeavor will be to Indianize
entertainment," says Mehra.
Dilli-6 which is based on Mehra's growing up years
in the Chandni Chowk area of New Delhi will start shooting
by late 2007, while the first of the 5-K trilogy, Paanch
Kaurav, directed by Mehra will go on the floors in 2008.
The second and third of the trilogy is open with an option
to be directed either by Rakeysh Mehra or an Indian/Global
talent, making 2008 and 2009 active days ahead for UTV Motion
Pictures and Romp.
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