February launch for Sahara One’s movie channel, Filmy

Filmy aims to be ‘hatke’ (different) – it claims to have the maximum original programming amongst Hindi movie channels

Executives at Sahara One are rubbing their hands in anticipation. The time has finally come for Sahara One Media and Entertainment to launch its Hindi movie channel, Filmy, across India. Filmy will be launched officially on February 12, 2006. With giants such as SET Max, Zee Cinema and STAR Gold already jostling each other for viewer mind space, did we really need another Hindi movie channel?

“We believe there is a lot of scope for another Hindi movie channel,” asserts Ashutosh, business head, Filmy. “Let me draw a parallel. New news channels keep coming up despite there being so many channels already on the scene. Similarly, the Hindi movie genre is far from saturated – there are few players and lots of scope to expand the entire category.”

Ashutosh insists that Filmy will be a little ‘hatke’ (different) from the others in the genre.

“Filmy is a fun, irreverent channel,” he says. “We will showcase three titles in a day on an average, as opposed to the five back-to-back titles that are telecast by most other Hindi movie channels. Our packaging will be slicker – we will have a narrative style of programming, which will help replicate the cinema experience.”

But the trump card that Ashutosh is relying on is original programming. “In a sense, we won’t be simply a movie channel. We’ll be like a GEC, offering loads of original programming. This content is what will differentiate us. In fact, we have roped in four unique anchors to do the job,” he says.

The four anchors are instantly recognisable characters from Bollywood: Lallan, an aspiring actor from a small town, who hopes to make it big in Mumbai’s film world; Red Don, who sells DVDs during the day and is a comical ‘don’ by night; Ruchi Reporter, a journalist who uncovers juicy gossip on Bollywood and its celebrities; and Rokkky (played by actor Chunky Pandey), who hosts a comical talk show, interviewing Bollywood look-alikes.

These four anchors will appear from time to time and Ashutosh hopes they will lend the channel a distinct character.

The original shows that Filmy will showcase include ‘Aaj Ki Filmy Khabar’, ‘100 % Filmy’, ‘Personal Se Sawaal Karti Hai’, ‘Rokkky’s 99’, and ‘200 % Filmy’.

The marketing campaign for the channel will break on Republic Day (January 26). The campaign comprises TVCs, which will run on Sahara One’s bouquet of channels as well as certain other channels. The commercials feature spoofs on various movies, with the tagline, ‘Maa kasam, Filmy hain (I swear by my mother, it’s Filmy!).’

Apart from the TVCs, there will be Internet advertising, outdoor and a moderate use of print. But the biggest marketing activity that the channel is conducting is the ‘Filmy Yatra’, Filmy floats traversing all over India to promote the channel. This ground promotion will culminate when the floats return to Mumbai on March 14, which is when Filmy will celebrate World Filmy Day.

Filmy will be distributed by the Sahara One Network.

© 2006 agencyfaqs!