From films to fitness

After five film releases in three years- Samar in 1999, Kuch Khatti Kuch Meethi and Bollywood Calling in 2001,  Sur and Kaante in 2002, content company Pritish Nandy Communications has pinned an ambitous target of producing nine films a year.

According to Rangita Pritish-Nandy, PNC's executive producer, these nine releases will include both big and small budget films. "Of course, there will be at least one multi-starrer in a year. We are also considering multiple, crossover genre films where we plan to look at mainstream cinema releases in the West, in addition to addressing the NRI audience."

Apart from in-house film productions, the company had also leaped into co-production ventures with James Ivory and Ismail Merchant for Mystic Masseur and Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi  with Paris-based Artcam. The entry into joint venture production, says Nandy, is entirely dictated by the strength of the film and not by financial compulsions.

According to the company's chief executive officer, Sidhhartha Das, PNC expects to double its turnover this year, thanks to its new ventures. "We hope to clock Rs 40-45 crore (Rs 400-450 million) this year," he says.

For the Rs 20-crore (Rs 200 million) company, it's been a step at a time to expand its portfolio as content provider to the media and entertainment industry. From producing television soaps to organising mega events, such as the Sansui Viewers Choice Awards, to strengthening its presence in the Indian film industry, the company has come a long way.

And the latest charge into feature films, says 23-year-old Nandy, is a logical step to "establish the banner" as a creative content provider for feature films.

Slated for release in the coming months are Jhankar Beats in March by first-time director Sujoy Bose, Mumbai Matinee, directed by Anant Balani, in April and Sudhir Mishra's Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi in May. The objective of hiring fresh and sometimes lesser known directors, says Nandy, is to go beyond the usual pool of filmmakers to give a fresh and new insight into the medium.

Interestingly, under the PNC banner, the company also runs a wellness centre called Moksh, as well as a sports complex in Mumbai. The latter, which has a 20-lane bowling facility, was set up in 1999 while the 10,000 sq ft Moksh came up two years ago.

The wellness centre is located in a heritage property, where every facility from power workouts to spa fitness to a designer café and an oxygen bar are available under the same roof.

Nandy, who personally conceptualised the project, thinks health is an emerging sector that needs to be tapped. PNC is already scouting for properties and franchise partners in Delhi. "There will always be the neighbourhood gyms. But what we do is to provide all the other related services as well," she says.

The Moksh project  was completed at the cost of Rs 5.5 crore (Rs 55 million), but Nandy is now looking at establishing both the high and low-end wellness centres. According to Nandy, it was important for PNC to diversify from software into health and fitness as it wanted to be a brick and mortar company.

"Though we had virtual goods in the library but had nothing like, say, a steel plant. Also, we believe that content not only drives TV channels, film theatres and stage shows, but brick and mortar structures as well."

From TV shows to bowling to health to blockbusters, PNC is clearly gambling on content in its portfolio expansion.