Padmalaya Starts Promos In Us For Jataka Tales

The Hyderabad-based Padmalaya Telefilms (PTL) has begun its pre-sales activities in the US for its 200-part animation series 'Jataka Tales', which is joint venture production with Film Club, US and Anglo American Film Distributors (AAFD). The pre-sales activity is seen as a test point for the planned 200 episodes.

G Srinivasrao, vice-president, said, "We have begun the pre-sales activity for Jataka Tales which is one of our biggest animation projects. We have exhibited the demo at the Cannes Festival and we will now be taking to festivals in Europe and United States. We have also been talking to some European and UK channels as a part of this exercise." He further said that such an activity is important for such big projects.

The venture is envisaged as a coming together of Hollywood expertise in packaging and distribution to a global market, with cost-effective Indian production ability. The production cost per episode is about $150,000 and the entire planned sequence would cost about $30 million. Per episode production cost anywhere else would be at least $2,50,000 according to the company. Srinivasrao said that the 200 part series should take care of four years of their production work.

Through, Film Club, the characters of Jataka tales will be adapted for various cultures. PTL would bring to the table its creativity and AAFD its ability to sell the product to over 70 countries besides tapping other mediums.

PTL is also all set to release its 40 minute special animation film 'Night Before Christmas' for a US home video company called Porch Light. Srinivasrao said that it was a US project.

On why pre-sales activity was not happening in India, Srinivasrao said the television series was made for a global audience, incorporating characters which the viewers would identify with. The pre-sales activity is understood to take close to a year before the series goes into production.