Bollywood and movie merchandising
Inspired by Hollywood, the Hindi film industry is beginning to go into film merchandising – introducing dolls, masks, key chains, school bags and T-shirts – and hopes to one day reap millions like in the West.
In the US, manufacturers and retailers collectively earn US$16 billion annually from Hollywood movie merchandise. According to a Hollywood trade report, the studios also earn close to what their movies fetch from the box-office and home entertainment market from their film's merchandise.
The success stories are far too many in Hollywood. Director George Lucas earned about US$9 billion from merchandising and sequel rights of Star Wars. Producers of the Harry Potter series have so far collected US$11.8 billion from different contracts. Merchandise from the E.T. fetched filmmaker Steven Spielberg over US$1 billion.
Though Bollywood has started to realise the potential of movie merchandising now, the revenues it has been able to earn from it are paltry.
"The Indian market is yet to catch up with movie merchandising. But there is great potential for the movie merchandise business to grow," Saurabh Varma, chief marketing officer of Reliance BIG Pictures said.
Right now all eyes are on Drona merchandise brought out by Zapak. These include a combination of games and toys, comprising two sword packs – Drona and Ritz – Magic Busters, Mind Masters, Mystery Shockers and Bully Zapper pack.
A series of comics are also being published based on the key characters of Drona, which stars Abhishek Bachchan and Priyanka Chopra. The first in the series – The Adventures of Drona – has already hit the stands. The series are being marketed by Euro Kids.
"If you look at a Hollywood movie, the revenues are split evenly between theatre (ticket) sales, home entertainment and merchandise. In India, cinema merchandise at the moment generates nothing. That is going to change with malls and multiplexes and a middle class of hundreds of millions," said Andrew Heffernan of Eros International, the producers of Drona.
Abhishek-Priyanka launch Zapak Drona merchandise
