Industry
Filmmakers launch merchandise, spin-offs of tentpole movies for enduring income
Summary
- While titles such as Ranveer Singh-starrer 83 and Fighter have brought out merchandise collections, others like Baahubali and Singham have seen animation spin-offs stream on television and video-on-demand platforms.
New Delhi: Indian filmmakers are increasingly turning to new and relatively untapped revenue streams to bolster recovery prospects for big-budget tentpole movies beyond their theatrical run, especially at a time box office has turned uncertain and satellite and digital rights are drying up.
While titles such as Ranveer Singh-starrer 83, a film on the Kapil Dev-led Indian team winning the cricket world cup in 1983, and Fighter have brought out merchandise collections, others like Baahubali and Singham have seen animation spin-offs stream on television and video-on-demand platforms.
In a first, a spin-off of Prabhas-starrer Kalki 2898 AD titled B&B: Bujji and Bhairava started streaming on Amazon Prime Video in the run-up to the film’s theatrical release. While these are undoubtedly seen as ways to create IPs (intellectual properties) that can sustain beyond the individual film, industry experts point out that this is an unchartered territory for India and would need significant work to become sustainable.
Also Read: Luxury-format cinemas: Where tickets cost an arm, and popcorn, a leg
“By venturing into merchandise or rather collectibles and spin-offs, filmmakers create avenues for enduring income and, more importantly, enhanced engagement. This strategy taps into the audience’s deep emotional connections with characters and narratives, transforming moments on screen into lasting treasures in fans’ lives," Sameer Chopra, vice-president, marketing, Reliance Entertainment Studios, said.
For sports drama 83, Reliance Entertainment had partnered with tennis player Mahesh Bhupathi’s Swag Fashions Hub Pvt. Ltd (SFHPL) to launch a merchandise collection including apparel, clothing accessories, home furnishings, pillows, crockery, furniture, travel bags, backpacks, drink ware, wall-decor, clocks and face masks. The company has also developed animated homegrown IPs based on movies such as Golmaal, Singham, and Simmba, resulting in spin-offs like Little Singham, Golmaal Jr., and Smashing Simmba, among others, which air on kids' channels like POGO, Nickelodeon and Discovery Kids.
New revenue streams
Indian filmmakers are creating new revenue streams, transforming movies into multi-layered fan experiences beyond the movie screen, agreed Shruti Deora, senior vice-president at digital agency White Rivers Media. “Merchandise and animated spin-offs are just the glimpse of possibilities, offering significant revenue potential and deeper fan connections. In the future, we might see immersive virtual reality experiences that transport viewers into the heart of the film's world while E-sports and gaming leverage the film's themes to further captivate audiences," Deora added.
To be sure, entertainment industry experts point out these attempts are inspired by Hollywood and particularly the Marvel Cinematic Universe where everything, from merchandise to theme parks and specific rides are tailored to scale IPs and make them part of pop culture. Film studios and producers usually tie up with vendors and invest capital to manufacture products or create animated series. The licencee, in turn, works with them on a revenue-sharing model.
However, some industry experts feel the model is simply a gimmick for producers looking to create wide promotional campaigns for films, and Indian movie production companies don’t really have specific teams and strategies to see such plans through. Moreover, few Indian IPs are of the same calibre as those by global companies like Walt Disney to warrant such audience interest.
“While this is a step in the right direction to create big properties, IP laws in India are not as stringent as they are globally. Any local vendor can create spin-offs without licences and sell products for cheap, taking away from the exclusivity of it all," Mehul Gupta, co-founder and chief executive officer of independent digital agency SoCheers, said.
