The Man Bringing The Best Indian Films to Your Doorstep
By Sumita Sheth

South Asian cinema, an opportunity to learn the steps to the latest chart-song for some, whilst a chance to check-up on the latest fashion statements for others, is also definitely an escape for many who miss the home that they left behind. With the hectic work-life in the US and little vacation time that we can spare to schlep over the 20 hours of flight-time separating us from our South Asian roots, most of us relive or imagine everyday life there by watching what is shown on the big screen.

Jawahar Sharma, head of operations for Yashraj Films in North America is young, charismatic and a cool diplomat, and the man bringing some of these films to your doorstep. Overseeing the distribution of the films of the largest and most successful production house in India has been a feat of his marketing and management skills. We spoke to Sharma about the state of Indian films in the USA.

	Yash Raj Films Website

So, have movies always been your passion?
My professional background is Finance and Marketing and my general skills have been in the business of films. Until recently that is: after I graduated from the New York Film Academy, I had a far greater appreciation for the aesthetics of film making. So I ran the cycle backwards, first understanding the business of films and then the art behind them.

If you had to choose one – would it be Bollywood or Hollywood? And why?
Personally, I don’t like that term “Bollywood”. As a consumer, I always believed that a good film is a good film is a good film. I will watch anything from anywhere in any language, with subtitles if need be, as long as it is well made.

That being said, Indian films are our mainstay because of their peculiarity – no where else do you have an industry as particularly dedicated to the form of the musical. They are our comfort food, like mom’s daal chawal. So, whether it's once a week, once a month, you always come back to this staple.

What makes Yash Raj films so successful? (e.g. making Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gam one of top 10 in the US - congrats on managing that by the way)
Thanks! Yash Chopra has established himself as the leading director and producer in the industry. Our branding has always been clean, good movies with romance, that you can also watch with the family. Also, our movies have been a little ahead of the times. Take Kabhi Kabhi or Silsila, those were very progressive for their time. The same spirit continues today. While the subject treatment is sensitive and sensible, we always keep the environment in mind and reflect it accordingly. Some recent examples are Dhoom, Hum Tum and Salaam Namaste.

Dhoom which you just mentioned, did not do that well in the US despite being a hit in India. Any thoughts on why that might have been?
That is true. The movie did well in India but it only got a lukewarm reception here. I think it’s because India accepts new stars while there is some resistance against them abroad. When Hrithik Roshan’s first movie came out, the reaction in the US was basically “who is he?” and the movie did not do that well here, but it catapulted him into an instant heartthrob in India.

In that sense the Diaspora is still an echo of the Indian market. However, as that echo gets louder, it is taken into greater account.

Now, to some more technical questions. We would like to acquaint EGO's readers with the way in which Bollywood movies are distributed here. How does the process work?
Depending on the movie, we use 40 to 45 dedicated screens across the US and Canada, that show only South Asian movies. In addition, we also use mainstream theatres that show South Asian movies along with their usual fare.

Based on the size and type of movie, we choose the number of theatres or screens to approach. Typically, Indian movies are now released on the same date all over the world. We make deals with individual theatres. Depending on its popularity, a movie will generally run for 2 to 6 weeks at a theatre.

Which cities do you favor? Are there any interesting patterns with which movies do well where, or at which time of year?
Our choice of theatre venues is driven by the demographic. For example, New York/New Jersey, L.A., Chicago, and other large cities in the US have sizeable South Asian populations. We focus stongly on these areas while also cultivating new markets.

As for patterns in movie release dates, the macro picture is driven by India. The movie release date is still mainly directed by the Indian market and its trends. Therefore most of the movies release around Indian holidays, like Diwali, Eid, Christmas, occasions when the family wants to go out and celebrate, most probably by watching the latest movie. Due to the global same-day release policy, North America gets the movies at the same time. It just so happens that Diwali will often coincide with American holidays, like Thanks Giving and of course Christmas is the same everywhere. The summer is also a good time for movie releases in India, as of course, it is here.

Do you collaborate with any other film companies, and if so, how does that process work?
Yes, we collaborate with other film companies. Yash Raj Films produces as well as distributes movies. Therefore, we definitely distribute our own label, for example we distributed Veer Zaara ourselves. At the same time we will distribute movies from another producer, like Rakesh Roshan’s Koi Mil Gaya or Yash Johar’s Kal Ho Na Ho, as part of our business in North and South America.

With Yash Raj Films estimating that you lose $5 to pirate sales for every $1 of legitimate sales, any words on video piracy?
Video piracy is a great evil that continues to plague this industry. We work with law enforcement, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement force, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, local police departments- every conceivable office that can play a role in hindering this illegal activity. However, the face of piracy is changing. Once it used to be a camera sneaked into a movie hall. That has now spread to illegal DVD copies. We are always fighting the black marketers in new ways.

Are you expecting any new movies that may be able to do as well as K3G (Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gam) anytime soon?
This year, we mostly have newer faces with smaller names; therefore the box office has been doing ok. We do have Salaam Namaste with Saif Ali Khan and Preity Zinta, which looks all set to do really well.

Next year however, we have a lot of big name releases. We expect a lot from Fanaah our Aamir Khan and Kajol movie as well as Dhoom 2, starring Hrithik Roshan, Abhishekh Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai.

Images: Courtesy Yash Raj Films
Top: Kabhi Kushi Kabhi Gham
Top Middle: Hum Tum
Bottom Middle: Dhoom
Bottom: Salam Namaste