Mumbai, Feb 15: The moral of this story? You can’t treat films like toothpaste.
Last month’s double box office turkeys Aetbaar—financed by the Tatas—and Woh Tera Naam Tha—produced by Vijaypath Singhania of Raymond—only underscore the point.
Of the 15 or so films sponsored by companies in the last two years, none has scored big at the box office. Only a fraction have recovered their costs. Singhania’s film, made for a whopping Rs 12 crore, recovered just Rs 2 crore for its producers. Similarly, Aetbaar got back only half the Rs 12 crore spent to make it.

Industry watchers say the lack of knowledge shows.‘‘Corporates treat films as just another product they are investing in like a toothpaste or a tyre. The people who are handling their film projects have no knowledge about film-making,’’ said trade analyst Amod Mehra.
Companies are also too ambitious, says Mehra: ‘‘A film like Woh Tera Naam Tha should have been made in a budget of Rs 3-4 crore but the Singhanias invested close to Rs 12 crore.’’
For their part, corporates don’t believe much in analysis. Vivek Singhania, CEO and Director, PFH Entertainment Ltd, (producers of Na Tum Jaano Naa Hum and Chura Liyaa Hai Tumne) feels making movies and making money are two separate things. ‘‘Often producers make money but their films fail at the box office and many times films that make money are not profitable enough for the producers.’’
Singhania rubbishes the claim that organised ventures have not hit bull’s eye, ‘‘Why blame only corporates, if you see the track record of the last three years, only 10 films have succeeded. It’s just a coincidence.’’
Box office bloopers have included the Urmila Matondkar starrer Pinjar produced by the Oswal group, Churaa Liya Hai Tumne (Pantaloon), Satta and Teen Deewarein (Metalight, a listed company) among others.
Yet there are those who still believe it’s the new, professional way to go. ‘‘I’ve always maintained that the future of Bollywood rests with corporates,’’ said Amitabh Bachchan who introduced corporate culture in Bollywood way back in 1995 with ABCL.
Producer Vashu Bhagnani who financed films like Biwi No.1, Hero No.1 and Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya feels, ‘‘The best option for corporates is to tie up with established houses.’’
Sahara India Pariwar has done just that, having signed a Rs 35-crore deal with K Sera Sera and Ramgopal Varma’s Varma Corp to produce 10 films in two and a half years. Ash Parmani, chairman, K Sera Sera adds, ‘‘Corporatising Bollywood will create value for all channels of entertainment industry.”