• Investment World
• eWorld
• Brand Line
• Mentor
• Life
• Brand Quest
• The New Manager
• BL Club
• Smartbuy
• Books
• Gallery

Stocks

• Quotes
• SE Diary
• Scoreboard
• Open-End Mutual Fund

Cross Currency

• Rates
  
  

Shipping

• Ports
  
  

Archives

• Yesterday
• Datewise
• Resources
• In Focus
• In Depth
• Events 2007

Group Sites

• The Hindu
• The Hindu ePaper
• Business Line
• Business Line ePaper
• Sportstar
• Frontline
• The Hindu eBooks
• The Hindu Images

Our Bureau

New Delhi, June 3 Despite recession Bollywood’s travelling awards, the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) will be a lot more grand and expensive this year.

The event is to be held in Macau, China, and Cirque du Soleil’s resident show at the Venetian Macau (SIC) resort hotel is the show stealer.

“We would have liked to showcase a Hindi film in a world premier, but unfortunately because of the strike we don’t have the right film available to us,” said Mr Sabbas Joseph, Director, Wizcraft International Entertainment, which is organising the three-day event next weekend.

Star TV has the broadcast rights to the event.

While television and other rights bring in a third of the revenues, other earnings come from gate proceeds and sponsors.

Mr Joseph says the $8-10 million property has found enough takers this year, along with the two main sponsors Videocon and Idea Cellular, there is Panasonic, Gitanjali Lifestyle and Macau Tourism Board.

“Earnings are put back into the event as the IIFA is designed as a non-profit project with the purpose of promoting Indian cinema to the world,” says Mr Joseph.

The prices of tickets range between $50 and $330, and Mr Joseph claims they sold out in 3-4 days.

Actors like Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan and Sonam Kapoor will perform live at the awards night. Brand ambassador Amitabh Bachchan said that the show has grown over the years, cementing its position as a significant larger-than-life phenomenon.

Wizcraft says it is readying the next phase of the tour.

The cancellations of shows during the tour last year were before the slowdown had really hit home and for different reasons.

Though Mr Joseph admits the consumer in the West has been affected by the global economy, he believes “if you deliver high quality people will pay”.

More Stories on : Events | Radio/TV

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Copyright © 2009, The Hindu Business Line. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu Business Line