Inferno kicks up a storm

The country's growing appetite for Hollywood has led Sony Pictures to release the movie in India two weeks before in the US and spend heavily on promotions

With Hollywood films hitting the sweet spot with audiences in the country, Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is going all out to market the Tom Hanks-Irrfan Khan starrer Inferno, releasing October 14. The movie opens in India two weeks before the US and the studio has tied up with local multiplexes and other brands for its promotions. Also the film is being released in four languages and has several A-list actors lending their voice to the lead characters.

MADE FOR INDIA

• Releasing two weeks before in the US
• Releasing in four languages - Hindi, English, Tamil and Telugu — across 1,200 screens including 8 IMAX and 2 4DX screens
• Irrfan Khan has lent his voice for the Hindi dub while in Telugu, Rana Dagubatti is Robert Langdon's voice
• Separate trailer and posters made for India
• Brand tie-ups for contests and promotions specific to India

Industry estimates peg the share of Hollywood films at the Indian box office at around 10 per cent of total collections as of today. Back in 2008, this share was around five per cent. While it grew steadily over the years, last year (calendar 2015) showed a blip with movies like Fast & Furious 7, Jurassic World and Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, contributing massively to bring this up to almost 13 per cent. This year, the number is expected to be in the same range with The Jungle Book being a big money-spinner.

"Hollywood content is being consumed more than ever and global studios understand that there is value in investing in the market," says Vivek Krishnani, MD, SPE India. Inferno is the third in a series of adaptations of Dan Brown's novels featuring Harvard University professor of symbology, Robert Langdon.

Inferno's release was planned to avoid a clash with big Diwali releases and to take advantage of the festive season, a tactic being increasingly used by global producers to avoid a clash with big Bollywood releases. Studios see merit in being flexible over their release dates given the growing popularity of such films in the country. "Such conviction makes it possible to localise the communication around the film. We have made a special trailer for the Indian market and gone all out in traditional and new media to market the film," says Vivek Krishnani, MD, SPE India. With Khan playing a pivotal role, the studio is bullish over its prospects over the two-week (Dussehra to Diwali) window and it is sparing no effort in marketing the local conection.

Localisation - in terms of promotions and offers and releasing the movie in local languages - played a key role in the success of Disney's The Jungle Book. The marketing team leveraged the ties that many Indians have with the book and lined up a strong voice cast for the Hindi dub with names like Om Puri, Nana Patekar and Priyanka Chopra.

Dubbing has become a significant business opportunity for many Hollywood films. Inferno is hoping to ride this wave too. "In the past, Hollywood films have in a way suffered from lack of investment in promotion and dubbing. Now they have proved they deliver numbers," says Krishnani.

For this movie, Khan has lent his voice for the Hindi version and Telugu star Rana Dagubatti is voicing Robert Langdon in the Telugu dub. The movie will release in four languages - English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu in around 1,200 screens across the country. Krishnani explains that the 10 premium screens provide a superior experience and thereby, he hopes, will help add and retain footfalls eventually.

At the end of the day, however, most studios agree that no amount of marketing can substitute for the story. And it is here that many Hollywood films are scoring big. Even relatively low budget and low-key releases such as Don't Breathe, Angry Birds and Spotlight have met with reasonable success. "A major part is because the content is good, but localisation in marketing has also played a significant role," says Krishnani.

Divya Pathak, director- marketing, SPE India adds, "A lot of times, Hollywood films, especially ones with themes like Inferno, tend to have an elitist perception. There is a need to create a mass appeal." The studio is relying on localised trailers and posters and a partnership with Times Network's English movie channel Movies Now to build mass appeal. Additionally, the studio has released vignettes and interview snippets of Tom Hanks and Khan online and has recorded a special Dussera greeting from Hanks for Indian audiences.

"We have used a lot of the themes from the movie to localise the marketing as well. We have adapted the concept of the 'hunt' through puzzles online. The aim is to make the content known and relevant to the Indian audience," adds Pathak. The studio has also tied up brands like PayTm and Bookmyshow for push notifications and ticketing offers. It has tied up with Inox and another brand (name withheld as the studio has a non-disclosure agreement) for contests and promotions. Are audiences willing to play game?