Sun Network to produce 10 Tamil films a year

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MUMBAI: Kalanithi Maran's next big plan is movies. Sun Pictures, the movie arm of Sun TV Network, plans to produce 10 films a year in Tamil language as a serious effort to reduce pressure on cost of acquisition of movie rights for its TV channels.

After initially experimenting in Tamil, Sun will produce in the three other southern languages where it runs a clutch of channels.

Sun's focus will be on in-house production of small-to-medium budget and script-driven movies. "Sun will not get into mega budget movies since it does not find the risk-return profile of the business suitable," a source close to the company said.

The extensive presence of Sun in TV and radio segments provides cross-promotion and monetisation opportunities. Sun will also be able to utilise its cash balance of Rs 4.3 billion (figure till end of FY 2008).

Sun's strategy finds support among analysts as Tamil movies make about 25 per cent of their total revenues from ancillary streams such as TV telecast and radio.

Sun can also effectively use its media platforms to promote the movies. Industry estimates put advertising and promotion as 20 per cent of a movie's release cost.

Sun Pictures has already announced it would be distributing films like Atlantic Cinema’s ‘Kadhalil Vizhundhaen’, Sundar C’s ‘Thee’, Jeeva’s ‘Thenavattu’, ‘Siva Manasula Sakthi’ and Narain-starrer ‘Pookkada Ravi’.

Source : http://www.indiantelevision.com/headline...nov259.php