They say there is no business like the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Mid-year-assessment-It-was-a-roller-coaster-ride-for-Bollywood/articleshow/47830513.cms">movie business</a> and indeed every Friday we have at least one new movie tossed at the audience. And by Sunday, we get to know whether the movie will be a hit, a miss or just an average fare. 
	 
	So far, 2015 has been quite an interesting year from Bollywood’s perspective. Why I say so is because on one hand we had magnanimous opus like Baahubali achieving great success and on the other, there were small budget movies such as <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Relive-the-90s-with-Dum-Laga-Ke-Haisha/articleshow/46395043.cms">Dum Laga Ke Haisha</a>, NH10 and Badlapur, that managed to swoon the audiences and the critics. 
	 
	Sequels like Tanu Weds Manu Returns managed to outshine their last offering and then we had Piku that conveyed human emotions in a brilliant way and also got the cash register ringing.
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>
				Movie Name</td>
			<td>
				Budget</td>
			<td>
				Earning</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dum_Laga_Ke_Haisha">Dum Laga Ke Haisa</a></td>
			<td>
				Rs 15 Crore</td>
			<td>
				Rs 100 Crore</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Badlapur_(film)">Badlapur</a></td>
			<td>
				Rs 25 Crore</td>
			<td>
				Rs 119 Crore</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NH10">NH10</a></td>
			<td>
				Rs 13 Crore</td>
			<td>
				Rs 32.1 Crore</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanu_Weds_Manu_Returns">Tanu Weds Manu Returns</a></td>
			<td>
				Rs 30 Crore</td>
			<td>
				Rs 252 Crore</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piku">Piku</a></td>
			<td>
				Rs 42 Crore</td>
			<td>
				Rs 141 Crore</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baahubali:_The_Beginning">Bahubali: The Beginning</a></td>
			<td>
				Rs 120 Crore</td>
			<td>
				Rs 600 Crore</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

	So should we conclude that the era for clichéd, formula-based movies, is coming to an end? 
	 
	Not really as in 2015, we had movies like Hero, Tevar, Roy, etc that banked on the predictable story line to woo the audience and managed to garner mixed acceptance. 
	 
	But, if we see a larger picture, new concepts with small budgets and strong script are doing well. 
	 
	The success of Dum Laga Ke Haisha, Tanu Weds Manu Returns and last year’s Queen hinted that directors and storytellers should venture with newer concepts to engage and entertain the audience. 
	 
	To this trend, Komal Nahata, trade analyst, said, “I would not like to say that there is a trend shift that is happening. From the past three-four years we have seen some small budget movies doing pretty well. The market for such films is also growing. Earlier they used to do well only in certain multiplexes, then it grew to few cities but now in pockets pan-India, they do well.” 
	 
	While it is true that there are quite a few experimental movies that are being screened, but multiple sources in the industry, on conditions of anonymity, told us that about 60-75% of the movies that go on the floor never see light of the day. 
	 
	 
	 
	A lot of these movies are actually finished products but fail to make it to cinema halls as the distributors are unwilling to buy them or the producer has lost confidence in the movie and does not want to spend more money in promoting them. 
	 
	Despite of the fact that some movies do well in global markets, they are not released in India. The movies that have found place in this list include Peddlers, The Coffin Maker, Dekh Indian Circus, etc. 
	 
	Mind you, not all of these shelved movies have lesser known faces as their star cast. The Coffin Maker stars Naseeruddin Shah while Nawazuddin Siddiqui features in Dekh India Circus. 
	 
	Siddiqui said, “It is rather unfortunate that a lot of content-oriented movies in India are still struggling to get funding in the country and there are a few completed projects that are not able to secure a release. Not just Dekh India Circus, there are a few more of my movies that are currently not released and I have started taking more commercial projects since last year with the hope that if I become a little more known face, it will be easier for my directors and producers to get the pending projects released.” 
	 
	And off-beat movies that managed to secure a release, had to face a tough time in the process. 
	 
	For instance, Shonali Bose’s “Margarita With a Straw”, which has Kalki Koechlin as the leading lady, garnered accolades at Toronto International Film Festival and Koechlin also bagged the best actress award at The Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in 2014. After much delays, the movie finally released to Indian audience on April 17, 2015.
<div style="page-break-after: always;">
	&#xa0;</div>

	Unfortunately, not all the movies are lucky as this one. There are quite a few of these Bollywoods' lost children that fail to get a screen space in the midst of high-brow glitterati. 
	 
	I managed to see the world premiere of one such movie in the very heart of London’s film world. Being a movie enthusiast, I had heard a lot about London’s prestigious Raindance Film Festival and it was quite a coincidence that I managed to see a Bollywood movie listed as an `official selection’. 
	 
	Curiosity got the better of me and I reached just in the nick of the time to see ‘Peter Gaya Kaam Se’ (PGKS) (aka The Goa Run). The super plush Vue Cinema in Piccadilly Circus was almost full and the first theatrical screening for this lost Bollywood baby was a complete entertainment package. 
	 
	John Owens' action packed adventure tells the story of a motorcycle taxi driver from Goa (Rajeev Khandelwal) who falls in love with Mira, a beautiful and beguiling drug smuggler from London (Lekha Washington). This out and out commercial flick was originally produced by UTV Spotboys but got shelved and largely forgotten during Disneys' protracted takeover of the company. 
	 
	Director John Owen, who has worked in India for many years as one of MTV and Channel [V]’s head honchos, had penned and directed this story. The movie was shot extensively in Goa and took about a month to complete. It turns out that, the Raindance founder Elliot Grove took a personal interest in the film. 
	 
	 
	 
	Says Owen, "Raindance loved the film and were determined to host the world premiere, especially as I am the first Brit to direct a Bollywood film. A fact that makes me very proud. So when Disney finally gave permission I flew over to Mumbai, finished the sound work we had pending at my cost, did the subtitles myself and had a high end digital print made. The quality of the screening was just superb.” 
	 
	Raindance is in its 22nd year and has become one of the world’s premiere film festivals and very highly thought of by the industry itself. 
	 
	Owen adds, "We didn’t have any money to promote the screening so it was all word of mouth and the buzz of social media. People came from all over the country, it was amazing." 
	 
	Ironically, on the very same weekend Disney's Khoobsurat was premiering in the UK and I could see a theatre just across the street in London's Leicester Square showing it. 
	 
	When I put this point across to Owen, he chuckled and said, "It's funny because Shashanka Ghosh and I have been friends since our MTV days. I stayed with him when I was over in Mumbai fixing up the film in September and we joked about him being Disney's loved and me being their unloved child.” 
	 
	Given the response this movie managed to get sans any promotion and that too in London, I was curious to know what plans Owen or Disney have for this movie. Owen shared that some high-flying industry folks were amongst the excited audience and they saw real potential for the film in the UK and the US. 
	 
	No wonder, UK distributors are showing interest in the movie. Even in India PGKS is well-liked amongst industry insiders who were given personal screenings by the director. After all, the film does come with some pedigree. Anurag and Abhinav Kashyap were `creative producers' and UTV’s top producer on the job at the time was the visionary Vikas Bahl (who has given movies such as Chiller Party and Queen). So, what happens now to Peter Gaya Kaam Se? 
	 
	Owen picks on a philosophical note and shares, "It's all about love and timing. PGKS came along at the wrong time in the marriage of UTV and Disney. So, it’s the unwanted child. A bit like how Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire was for Warner Brothers. Warners’ just didn’t like the film so they let Danny go off and find a new home with Fox Searchlight. Fox loved the film, supported Danny, and made Slumdog a massive box office success. The film industry does not work like a science. Sometimes it comes down to personal taste. When I get depressed about the whole thing I think of Danny and Slumdog and get inspired all over again.” 
	 
	While Owen never had the resources or connections to find buyers for PGKS, on its own, he is looking to crowd funding and other ways to get this movie to be released.
<div style="page-break-after: always;">
	&#xa0;</div>

	It is noteworthy, that UTV Spotboys was the pioneer of small budget, content-oriented movies in India. 
	 
	Khosla Ka Ghosla was one of the first movies in this genre that was produced under UTV Motion Pictures. Later between 2008 and 2009, under the UTV Spotboys banner, they released movies such as Dev D, Oye Lucky Lucky Oye, Welcome to Sajjanpur, A Wednesday, Mumbai Meri Jaan and Aamir. All these movies managed to get a fair share of success at the ticket window. 
	 
	 
	 
	Another coincidence worth pointing out in the case of Peter Gaya Kaam Se is that it went on floor almost at the same time as Paan Singh Tomar. 
	 
	The latter, too, was produced by UTV Spotboys and managed to get a release on March 2, 2012, almost four years after it was complete and it managed to be a box office success largely due to word of mouth. 
	 
	The bigger coincidence is that Paan Singh Tomar, too, was premiered at the 2010 British Film Institute London, almost two years before its domestic release. 
	 
	We spoke to Rucha Pathak on why it was such a challenge to make a movie like Paan Singh Tomar. 
	 
	Pathak was the associate producer of Paan Singh Tomar and Sr. Creative Director at UTV (now Disney India) when this film was being made and is now Head of Creative &amp; Development at Fox Star Studios. 
	 
	“The main challenges we faced while trying to make Paan Singh Tomar was that because it was probably the first time a film like this was being made people did not realise what it was going to be like and it was therefore completely against the trend in those days,” she said. 
	 
	Also we could not help ask her if is it really possible to get any small budget movie out there in the market to which she answered, “It is difficult to release small and medium budget films these days but not impossible. I think if one can find the right marketing budget and the right target audience that you want to reach out to, then it’s possible to release a film. It is really critical these days to make films at the right budget and market films at the right budget. Once that is under control then I believe one can get a film out to reach an audience that it is meant for.” 
	 
	While Pathak emphasised on the budgeting bit, Nahata feels, “Exhibition or the release strategy is very detrimental to the business of content driven movies. The moment there is a big movie coming in, they are thrown out. Most such movies need time for the word of mouth to pick up.” 
	 
	
<a href="https://infogr.am/screens_count_on_day_of_release" target="_blank">Screens count on day of release</a> | <a href="https://infogr.am" target="_blank">Create infographics</a> 
The distributors today are looking for instant gratification. They would expect the movie to have 80 to 90% occupancy rates for its release Friday itself. If the movie does not show results by Sunday, then on Monday it is thrown out. This was not really the case earlier. I still remember when Maine Pyaar Kiya released, it had just one cinema hall in Mumbai, later when the word of mouth spread, the movie was given more space and it was a such a huge hit,” shares Ami Shah, co-founder and creative director of IntelliAssist (a company that has handled social media mandates for Bollywood movies). 
 
Indeed, distribution is one big challenge for small budget, content-oriented movies in India. However, Director Onir mentions that it is not the only one. Just to give you a perspective, Onir is an Indian film maker, who has churned out movies such as 'I AM, My Brother Nikhil’ and Bas Ek Pal. He had crowd funded his movie I AM, which released in 2010 and also bagged the national award for the same. 
 
Ask him if given a chance would he again crowd fund a movie or give any other director struggling for funds the same suggestion and he replies, “No it is one thing to make a movie and altogether another to get it to the cinema. Marketing a movie, especially a content-oriented one is a hard job.” 
 
I would agree with his point that it is tough nut to market a movie that does not have bankable stars. Like, Filmistaan, the 2014 movie was an endearing tale of wannabe actor, who gets kidnapped by terrorists and held in the home of a Pakistani who deals in pirated Hindi films. The tale captures how both of them bond over movies. 
 
The trailers of the movie looked very bland and I was not sure whether I would want to waste time watching this movie. Fortunately for me, one of my friend dragged me to this movie and I would admit that it was actually one of the best movies of 2014 that I managed to see and yes it did manage to win a national award as well. 
 
The cost of marketing in itself is quite high as well and it is not just important to buy ad space but also to connect right with your target audience. This is perhaps one lesson that the movie Queen managed to do well and of course the word of mouth helped it consolidate its position over a period of time. 
 
Onir also mentions that the government will have to play a greater role to help protect content-driven cinema in India. “The approach that our government takes is that they treat Bollywood as a business and not art. However, it will have to realize that like any art even movies need a bit of support”. In his opinion, there could be plenty of other avenues where movies can be showcased. 
 
Now talking about television, we have 24-hour movie channels that end up playing same movie almost every weekend. Most TV channels pick up movies that have done well on the box office, so that they don’t have to do much in terms of marketing and yet they can have good TRPs on their so-called “World Television Premiere”. It is a possibility that some of these movies that are left biting the dust, some might be ideal for the TV watching audience but so far these gems are not able to get any real support for this medium too. 
 
With the coming of 4G, it is expected that some of these movies might get a fresh lease of hope. There are producers and directors that are looking for alternative channels to monetize their movies via online ads and pay per view models. Currently none of them has been able to come out with a full proof plan and hence some great marvels of Hindi cinema continue to rot in their graves, while the others in the hands of resilient makers are fighting it hard to get to their audiences.

Meaningful Content in Indian Cinema: A Lost Battle?

June is at the fag end and we almost have a mid-year report card of Bollywood. Though the year started on a dismal note, it picked up towards May and June. 
 
This year, January was like a drought month and even movies starring big names did not interest the audience. As Arjun Kapoor and Sonakshi Sinha starrer-'Tevar'- failed to take off, even the Horrex (horror + sex) formula did not work out for ‘Alone’ and ‘Khamoshiyan’. 
 
Other movies that released in January and failed to make a mark included Sonam Kapoor-starrer ‘Dolly Ki Doli’, 'Sharafat Gayi Tel Lene', ‘Crazy Cukkad Family’, ‘Hawaizaada’ among others. 
 
The only respite that the Bollywood lovers got was from Akshay Kumar’s ‘Baby’, which also became the first movie of 2015 to enter the Rs 100 crore club. 
 
But the jinx did not end in January as February continued to bring more bad news for the industry. 
 
The big shocker came in the form of ‘Shamitabh’. The movie, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Dhanush, was directed by R Balki, the maker who has given us movies like Pa and Cheeni Kum. 
 
Later in the month, ‘Roy’ released, which recorded a good start but by weekend the movie fizzled out. Most trade pundits pegged the crucial India-Pakistan match at the World Cup as the reason for the drop of sales on Sunday but the movie could not recover much post this phase also because of negative word of mouth. 
 
Thankfully, later in the same month we had movies like ‘Badlapur’ and ‘Dum Laga Ke Haisha’. Both managed to gather decent collections at the Box Office. In fact, ‘Dum Laga Ke Haisha’ was a complete surprise package and managed to pull crowds even in its third week . 
 
March threw a mixed bag as Anushka Sharma starrer 'NH-10' received critical acclaim. April again was a dry month as Bollywood had nothing to offer that could have clicked with the Bolly buffs. 
 
However, Bollywood saw a turnaround in May. It started on a high note with Akshay Kumar starrer ‘Gabbar is Back’, which went to collect Rs 86.55 crore at the Box Office. This was followed by Deepika Padukone, Amitabh Bachchan and Irrfan Khan’s 'Piku', which struck a right chord with the audience and collected Rs 111 crore worldwide. 
 
Later in the month, Kangana Ranaut wowed the audience with her spectacular acting in ‘Tanu Weds Manu Returns’. As per reports, the movie managed to collect Rs 190.87 crore worldwide. Given that the movie was made with Rs 31 crore budget, it stood out and is the most profitable movie of 2015 till date. 
 
But, the disappointment came from ‘Bombay Velvet’. Everybody had high hopes from Ranbir Kapoor’s flick but it fell flat. 
 
The momentum seems to continue with ‘Dil Dhadakne Do’ and ‘ABCD 2’. ‘Dil Dhadakne Do’ has managed Rs 37.05 crore in the first weekend and is holding the fort well. Also ABCD 2, sequel of ABCD, managed to get the biggest opening for 2015 and continues to do a good business over the week. 
 
The later half will see a slew of big- starrer movies such as Salman Khan starrer ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’, Vikas Bahl of Queen fame’s ‘Shaandaar’, ‘Singh is Bling’ featuring Akshay Kumar, Nikhil Advani’s ‘Katti Batti’, Aishwarya Rai’s comeback movie ‘Jazbaa’ and also ‘Dilwale’ in which fans will see Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol paired together. In addition, there will also be a third installment of ‘Hate Story’, ‘Hera Pheri’ and ‘Kya Kool Hai Hum’ to look forward to. 
 
Commenting on the movie sentiment of 2015, Komal Nahata, Trade Analyst shared, “It has been a good 2015 so far. Sure there were some upsets in the start of the year but May has been extremely kind and the rest of the year looks really promising." 
 
We hope that the forthcoming movies get the cash ringer buzzing for Bollywood and we continue to see some entertaining movies in the latter half of the year. 
 
(Image: Indiatimes)

Mid-year assessment: It was a roller coaster ride for Bollywood

They may not be the crowd-pullers of <keyword id="143" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bollywood">Bollywood</keyword> but when they are performing out there, you are sure to be captivated. Supporting actresses have been a part of Bollywood for as long as you can remember and more often than not, they have acted their hearts out in a way that people are not likely to forget. Many of them come from a theatre background and have strong acting calibre. So we think they will be equally impressive in carrying off a lead role. 
 
Following is a list of top 7 supporting actresses of Bollywood whom we would definitely want to see in lead roles. 
 1. <keyword id="437076" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Swara-Bhaskar">Swara Bhaskar</keyword> 
We first noticed her as the bold Payal in Tanu Weds Manu, liked her as the housewife Suman in Aurangzeb and totally loved her as the Banarasi Bindiya in Raanjhanaa. This talented Delhi lass started her acting career with Act One, a Delhi-based theatre group. In 2008, she made her move to Mumbai and today, she is recognised as one of the most talented actresses. We would like to see her in a leading role where she can amaze us with her acting skills and have a bit more of screen space, compared to her earlier projects. 
 2. <keyword id="6366549" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Richa-Chadda">Richa Chadda</keyword> 
After being noticed in Oye Lucky Lucky Oye as the drunkard sister of the main lead, Richa Chadda has come a long way. If the critically appraised role in Gangs of Wasseypur series and her bold portrayal of a gangster called Bholi Punjaban in the sleeper hit Fukrey were not enough proof of her potential, she won hearts in a short yet memorable role in the Rs 100 crore hit Ram Leela. What we expect in the near future is a leading role in another mafia movie, which we think, suits her best. 
 3. <keyword id="30733" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Shahana-Goswami">Shahana Goswami</keyword> 
What might come as a shocker is that Shahana Goswami has been around for more years than you can remember. Her first outing was in Zoya Akhtar’s Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd., when she was just 20. To date, she has several laudable performances to her credit, including her most memorable role of Debbie in Rock On, the role that won her Filmfare Best Actress (Critics) award, a first for any supporting actress. With that kind of acting talent, we are sure she will be amazing as a leading lady in the future. 
 4. <keyword id="545350" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Aditi-Rao-Hydari">Aditi Rao Hydari</keyword> 
Debuting in a role much older than her actual age is a bold step taken by this Hyderabadi princess. But her beautiful portrayal of Rama Bua, the unmarried aunt of Sonam Kapoor in Delhi-6, earned her some pretty good roles in the later years. She worked as a supporting actress in Yeh Saali Zindagi, Rockstar and Murder 3, and later did some lead roles as well. Her portrayal of Lolita in London, Paris, New York earned her positive reviews but the movie failed to leave a mark at the box office. But just like the male lead, Ali Zafar, Aditi sang in the movie and the rendition got her some rave reviews. 
 5. <keyword id="139424" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Diana-Penty">Diana Penty</keyword> 
Her role of the innocent and pious Meera in Saif Ali Khan’s Cocktail impressed viewers and critics alike. With a dream debut and several nominations in her kitty, we expected to see more of this pretty model. However, Diana is yet to sign a lead role in any Hindi film and is currently busy promoting several brands. 
 6. <keyword id="523625" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Jeneva-Talwar">Jeneva Talwar</keyword> 
She is probably the least familiar name in the list, but that doesn’t undermine her acting talent. She has appeared in several acclaimed flicks like Ru Ba Ru, Turning 30, Patiala House and Shaurya, and proved time and again that you need not be a leading name to impress movie-goers. But we still want Jeneva to do a role in a commercial movie – so that the masses can further appreciate her praiseworthy prowess. 
 7. <keyword id="18941" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Divya-Dutta">Divya Dutta</keyword> 
Been there, done that… Divya Dutta is not new to the industry. In fact, she has been wowing us for some 20 years and still outshines many of her contemporaries when it comes to character roles. Who can forget her Multani-speaking character Shanno, who managed to strike all the right chords in Veer Zaara? Her portrayal of Ishrat Kaur, the elder sister of Milkha Singh in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, won her several awards and nominations. With ample industry experience, Dutta can do wonders if she ever decides to step in the shoes of a leading lady, in a role tailor-made for her. 
 
Image courtesy: Indiatimes

Bollywood Musing: 7 Supporting Actresses We Would Like To See Doing Lead Roles

<keyword id="3205550" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="LeEco">LeEco</keyword>, the leading global internet and technology conglomerate, today launched its <keyword id="3347367" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ecosystem-Membership-Program">ecosystem membership program</keyword> in India, coupling with its "<keyword id="835579" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Made-for-India">Made for India</keyword>" <keyword id="3348207" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Superphone-Le-1s-Eco">Superphone Le 1s Eco</keyword>. The announcement was made in collaboration with Eros Now, YuppTV and Hungama, at a packed event in Mumbai, along with youth heartthrobs Siddharth Malhotra and Jacqueline Fernandez. LeEco claims to redefine entertainment from Ordinary to Super with its ecosystem membership program. 
 
At the event, LeEco announced its Supertainment package for Rs 10,899, including Le 1s Eco for Rs 9,999 and a one-year membership fee of Rs 4,900, and a LeEco offer of Rs 4,000. For the first flash sale in Flipkart at 2pm on May 12th, LeEco will offer the Supertainment package at a jaw-dropping price of Rs 9,999. The registrations for this will start from 2 pm on May 3, 2016. 
 
William Lee, Content VP of LeEco, APAC, said, "Today we launched our innovative LeEco membership program with partnerships with Eros Now, Hungama and YuppTV. LeEco is the sole company that delivers a membership program which integrates terminals, clouds and applications in India. Indian Superfans can enjoy more than 2,000 movie titles through Le Vidi, over 100 TV channels via Le Live, and 2.5 million music tracks under LeEco membership." 
 
Speaking on the same occasion, Mr. Atul Jain, COO, Smart Electronics Business, LeEco India, said “to cope with LeEco membership program, we introduce a special 'Made for India' Superphone, Le 1s Eco, the first of its kind of integrating a content ecosystem. Le 1s Eco will redefine entertainment in the country. With this Blockbuster Superphone, we live up to our promise of offering the best value, breakthrough technology and great features at a disruptive price." 
 
Innovative Membership Program launched in India 
 
LeEco India launched its ecosystem-based membership program, which includes content, experience and service at this event. Besides providing users with rich and high quality content, this innovative membership program also integrated a comprehensive eco-services, like personal clouding services -LeEco Drive, LeMall and aftersales services. In 2015, LeEco global membership revenue reached to $417 million, top of its kind in the industry. The membership program provides users a seamless and extreme experience based on LeEco terminals, clouds, and applications, and will include more quality content and eco-services thanks to the company's business growth in India. 
 
The exclusive Live and Le Vidi under LeEco’s membership could reshape the entertainment industry and change the way users consume entertainment in India. Earlier this year, LeEco had outlined its strategy to focus on the content ecosystem in India, announcing its partnerships with Eros Now and YuppTV. With the aim to provide its customers a coherent viewing experience on their phones, LeEco has been actively working with stakeholders in the Indian market to curate country-specific content for its users. 
 
Live 
 
Now users can carry their favourite TV channels along, enjoying 100+ rich Live channels on their Superphone with ‘Live’ (powered by YuppTV). With top television channels like Sony Entertainment, NDTV, Gemini Movies, 9X Tashan, Sun TV, Times Now, Nickelodeon, Colors, and many others, Live will offer consumers a plethora of viewing options encompassing Music, Movies, News, Drama, Spiritual and Kids Entertainment across Hindi, English, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Gujarati, Punjabi, Bengali, Bhojpuri, Malayalam, Marathi and Oriya languages. 
 
Le Vidi 
 
With Le Vidi, users can catch the best of Indian movies now (powered by Eros Now). From enjoying the grand epic love saga - Bajirao Mastani, the latest blockbusters like Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Tanu Weds Manu Returns and other 2000+ titles and latest blockbusters across Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Punjabi, Marathi, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Bengali and English, LeEco’s Superphones will undoubtedly offer consumers entertainment choices that will truly redefine Entertainment to Supertainment. 
 
Live and Le Vidi will be available to all new Superphone users. Existing LeEco Superphone users can expect an OTA (Over the Air) software upgrade within May. 
 
Furthermore, to ensure faster and seamless distribution of content to its users, LeEco India is establishing its in-house Cloud and Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) in 10 cities across India, ensuring the best picture quality and minimum buffering time. With such strong back-end infrastructure, integrated technology and backed by the company's years of experience in internet video, the company will bring radical changes to the sector in India, enabling loss-less premium broadcasts across devices. 
 
LeEco Music 
 
At the mega event, LeEco also announced its partnership with Hungama Music, India’s largest on-demand music destination, as its Music Service. 
 
Hungama Music provides 3.5 million + tracks to choose from and the music are offered in 25 Indian languages. Users can even have a personalized playlist with their favorite songs on top and being recommended. 
 
Besides that, LeEco India will also provide more than 50 live online concerts from around the world, streaming directly to all LeEco members with Superphones. 
 
LeEco music with Hungama services will be online at the 3rd quarter of 2016. 
 
First "Made for India" Superphone with ecosystem content– Le 1s Eco 
 
Le 1s Eco is the first "Made for India" Superphone being integrated with a content ecosystem, which includes Le Vidi of more than 2,000 movie tiles and Live of over 100 TV channels and LeEco Music of 2.5 million tracks. Thanks to LeEco's successful Ecosystem mode, Le 1s Eco, with 10 local languages, has become the first brand in India that integrates a localized entertainment center in India. 
 
To have a fast and seamless entertainment experiences, Le 1s Eco is equipped with a powerful Helio X10 MediaTek Processor, 1.8 GHz with a 3 GB of RAM, enabling uninterrupted video streaming, and offering powerful multitasking capacity and a rich multi-media experience. 
 
The 5.5” inch (403 ppi) screen of 1920 x 1080 resolution display creates a clearer and larger-screen entertainment experience. 
 
The 13 MP rear camera and 5 MP front camera, with image beautifying function, ensure quality pictures and great video capability. The device also sports a powerful 3000 mAh lithium polymer battery for on the go usage. 
 
LeEco entered the India market with the launch of its Superphones in early 2016 - the Le 1s and the Le Max. The devices which are exclusively available on Flipkart, have truly disrupted the market with their best in class specifications at democratized pricing. The latest IDC report shows Le 1s ranked the top 1 phone for online sales, in the price range of 10,000 to 15,000 Rupees, in February in India. And by May 2nd, in just 89 days, LeEco has sold more than 400,000 Superphones in India, leading the full-metal phone trend in the market. Le 1s Eco will continue the full-metal body legend. 
 
To see more Pictures, click <a href="https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B224kQwsY3tRT3Q1V3EyQ2dEd0k&amp;usp=sharing">here</a> 
 
Supertainment Package at an introductory price of Rs 9,999 
 
LeEco launched its Supertainment package at Rs 10,899 including Le 1s Eco for Rs 9,999 and a one-year content membership fee of Rs 4,900 and a LeEco offer of Rs 4,000. For the first flash sale at 2pm on May 12th, LeEco will offer the Supertainment package at a jaw-dropping price of Rs 9,999. 
 
LeEco announced its content membership fee as of Rs. 490 a month or Rs. 4900 a year, and any person who buys a year content membership is entitled to get a hardware price deduction of Rs 4,000. 
 
LeEco has a global "Hardware Freebie Day" on April 14th, 2016, and a total of over RMB 2.36 billion (24.2 billion Rupees) sales were achieved across the LeEco ecosystem, including RMB 2.02 billion (21 billion Rupees) in membership subscription revenues. 
 
About LeEco: 
 
LeEco, formerly known as Letv, is a global pioneering internet and technology company with multiple internet ecosystems across content, devices, applications and platforms. Founded in November 2004 by Jia Yueting and Liu Hong, LeEco employs more than 10,000 people and is the world’s first video company to go public with a market capitalization of more than $12 billion USD. Headquartered in Beijing, China, it has regional headquarters in Hong Kong, Los Angeles and Silicon Valley. 
 
With “Complete Ecosystem, Groundbreaking technologies, and Disruptive Pricing” as the guiding principle, LeEco is engaged in a myriad of businesses, spanning from Internet-based Super TV and Superphones, video production and distribution, smart devices/accessories and large-screen applications, to e-commerce and even connected super-electric cars. The company also features one of the world's largest content libraries, comprising of movies, TV dramas, entertainment shows, sports and music, which can be conveniently viewed on LeEco products, including the Superphones, Super TVs, and in the near future, Le Autos. Breaking the barriers of industries, LeEco provides personalized products and services for an enhanced user experience at disruptive prices.

You Searched For "Tanu Weds Manu Returns" and got 4 results

Meaningful Content in Indian Cinema: A Lost Battle?

Surbhi Chawla

Mid-year assessment: It was a roller coaster ride for Bollywood

Surbhi Chawla

Bollywood Musing: 7 Supporting Actresses We Would Like To See Doing Lead Roles

Nandini Sharma

LeEco redefines Entertainment by introducing its Ecosystem Membership Program

Sponsored BI