Bulk deals for films

There’s more. Sahara One has signed Madhur Bhandarkar for three films for under Rs 20 crore, and Anubhav Sinha will make six films for Percept Picture Company. Furthermore, Sanjay Gupta’s White Feather Films will deliver a film every six months to Balaji Films.

While such deals have been in existence in Hollywood—Universal’s tieup, for instance, with Steven Spielberg—it’s now taken root in Bollywood. ‘‘This is a more mature way of producing films, especially when you are targetting 30 films in two years’ time. Through such deals, we work out the viability of the films together, but leave all the operational nitty-gritties to the contracted director. This is an ideal model to ensure quality films of a variety of genres,” explains Manmohan Shetty, CMD, Adlabs Films.

And it’s a win-win situation for both film producers and directors. While corporates have films delivered at their doorstep, directors no longer need to scout endlessly for funds. As director Vipul Shah explains, ‘‘This can come as a boon to film-makers like me who can now focus on the creative aspect without worrying about the financial aspects.’’

Moreover, as Sandeep Bhargava, CEO of Sahara One adds, ‘‘Through our deal with Madhur Bhandarkar, we are assured of a well-directed film. And since directors have a closer working relationship with actors, casting becomes that much easier’’.