The Power Players

GROUND ZERO

ENTERTAINMENT POWER LIST

1.Aamir Khan: Jab life ho out of control, hoontun ko kar ke gol, seetebaja ke bol... all izz well - the new anthem from A Khan's latestmonster hit 3 Idiots - is rocking the nation. Already reckoned to bethe biggest grosser of all time, 3 Idiots was shrewdly marketed byAamir personally. Yes, for three years running Aamir Khan has chosenChristmas Day to deliver big ticket hit films - Taare Zameen Par,Ghajini and now 3 Idiots. Pump up the volume for the joust between theKhans has just got louder with Aamir Khan hitting the ground running.As producer, director and actor; Aamir Khan is now in a league of hisown. Following his convictions, Aamir is known to take well informeddecisions. At the very top of the power pyramid, Aamir has shown thathe is cerebral and insightful in his understanding of what the masses andclasses want. His appeal now cuts across all age groups and stratas.Aamir has learnt to aggressively market the films that he acts in andproduces. Without a doubt the first among equals, he is extremelychoosy about the subjects that he picks. His A list of endorsements isequally long and lucrative - Parle, Toyota Innova, Tata Sky, CocaCola, ministry of tourism's Athiti Devo Bevo and Samsung Mobile.Percept and Hansa Research's CelebTrack very clearly ranks Aamir Khanas highest paid brand ambassador. Each campaign is reportedly inexcess of Rs 10 crore. His name spells manna at the boxoffice and as a celebrity endorser, he remains peerless. The Rs 75crore (including commissions) 3 Idiots has already clocked Rs 100crore and counting in its opening weekend. He is definitely my numberone man in theentertainment world. Three films are on the anvil from his productionhouse in 2010 - Dhobi Ghat where he has a special appearance, DelhiBelly and Anusha Rizvi's Peepli Live which will be screened at theprestigious Sundance Film Festival.
2.Raghav Bahl/Rajesh Kamat: The men behind the amazing success of Colorswhich broke through the clutter in the GEC space to forge an identityof its own. Raghav Bahl was smart enough to architect a joint venturewith Viacom while Rajesh Kamat has led the channel to the zenith in ashort span of 18 months. By leaving blue sky between itself and StarPlus and Zee, Kamat using the jagged edge of disruptive programminghas changed the paradigm. NDTV Imagine, Real, 9x and Colors all beganmore or less at the same time, but while others have either shut shopor floundered, Colors has made rapid advances. India's Got Talent,Khatron Ke Khiladi, Big Boss were the reality shows that formed therump of the attack on established players, while the food and drinkshows Balika Vadhu, Bairi Piya, Bhagyavidhata and Uttaran provided theballast. Meanwhile Bahl has also beaten back the challenge ofpretender ET Now which was launched with serious acoustic damage. HisCNBC TV 18 remains steadfast as number one player in businesstelevision, while CNN IBN has also managed to stay afloat in the newstelly space. But Studio 18/Indian Film Company's script has all gonewrong this year with Luck, Shortkut, Little Zizou, Fruit & Nut, LifePartner, London Dreams collapsing in a heap. Other than GurinderChadha's international film It is a Wonderful Afterlife starringShabana Azmi which has been shot in London, they have no productionsslated for next year.
3.Kalanithi Maran: Remains the czar of southern telly and has alsomanaged to set up one of the largest FM radio networks (Red FM 38stations) in the land along with Big FM. His Sun TV network is stillhead and shoulders above everyone else south of the Vindhyas. Hisprice warrior strategy in DTH (SUN Direct) has also paid handsomedividends, as he enlargesthe scope of his business operations to become a vertically integratedmedia and entertainment behemoth. Even as Reliance Big and Airtelstruggle with the subsidy model, Sun Direct has made ra[pid inroads inthe southern markets using brand rub off and recall of the mothershipSun TV. Staring out with $84,000 in bank loans, he has constantlyadded mass and muscle to his business, remaining the one bastion thatglobal players are unable to breach. From a monthly news videoPoomaalai, Maran has used his family connections with great dexterityto earn the sobriquet of Television King of south India, as Forbesdescribes him.
4.Shahrukh Khan: Public perception may have replaced the Badshah withthe Ghulam a.k.a Aamir Khan in pole position in B Town, but you cannever discount SRK. Khan's Billu might well have been a turkey at thebox office, his own enlarged presence proving to be a big damper; butthe expectation levels are peaking for his next big release - My Nameis Khan. Khan has no competitor as a romantic hero. With Karan Joharreturning to helm Khan and Kajol is what appears to be the story of anautistic protagonist agsint the backdrop of Islam and terror in theUS, expect the unexpected from SRK. Fox Star Entertainment has forkedout close to Rs 90 crore for this biggie. Khan might still bestruggling to come to terms with his cricket team - Knight Riders -but with a new coaching staff and Dada returning as captain, IPLseason 3 might finally see him performing better. So, not a greatyear, but SRK is SRK and as a power player in B Town, he is unmatched.Before My Name is Khan, there will be another extended specialappearance in Sushmita-Fardeen starrer Dulha Mil Gaya. His mega RedChillies project Ra 1, a sci fi flick directed by Anubhav Sinha willalso go on the floors in 2010. Also sometime in August 2010, expectFarhan Akhtar's Don 2 to go on the floors.
5.Reliance Big Entertainment: The largest integrated entertainmentplayer with businesses ranging from film processing to multiplexscreens to FM radio to content and of course distribution andproduction. Despite Cassandras claiming that the Steven SpielbergDreaworks joint venture was not fructifying, the $825 million deal wasinked in July. Though turkeys like Kal Kisne Dekha, Do Knot Disturb,Sikander dominated, Reliance Big Pictures ended the year with ablockbuster 3 Idiots. Demerger of the FM business, unprecedentedsuccess of Synergy Adlabs with its reality formats, the Amit Khannaled conglomerate pulled off two big coups - Pa and 3 idiots. More thanthat Big brought the fragmented industry together twice in the spaceof a month for big bang premieres of the two movies. At both functionsAamir and SRK turned up in support showing that the house has enoughclout and influence in B Town. Coming up in 2010 Shyam Benegal's WellDone Abba starring Boman Irani, Kites starring Hrithik Roshan, Maniratnam's Ravan starring Abhishek and Aishwarya followed by MadhurBhandarkar, Priyadarshan and Kunal Kohli helmed projects. There isalso Vinay Shukla's Mirch starring Konkona Sharma. Reliance Big's nextbig project will be SRK starrer Don 2 in August 2010.
6.Karan Johar: Another power player who is rising quickly. Karan Joharand his Dharma productions is one of the most influential players inHindi cinema. Notwithstanding his friendship with SRK, Karan Johar isset for a big 2010 with Lift Kara De a new show on SONY and of coursethe potential blockbuster My Name is Khan. Though 2009 was a mixed bagas a producer with Wake Up Sid which propelled Ranbir Kapoor tostardom with a Rs 36 gross, his big production Kurbaan hit skid row atthe B.O. Known for his consummate networking skills, Johar is the manwho people want to work with. Next year, he has My name is Khanfollowed by Kootchie Kootchie Hota Hai, an animation version of KuchKuch Hota Hai directed by Tarun Mansukhani. Sony Pictures-Karan Joharhave also come together for the remake of Stepmom starring Kajol,Kareena kapoor and Arjun Ramphal directed by Sidharth Malhotra.
7.Yash Chopra/Aditya Chopra: Still remain the prima donnas in B Town.Maybe their influence is waning after several duds in recent times,but that doesn't prevent the Yashraj banner being the most soughtafter. After the multiplex-producers standoff, they delivered thefirst big hit in the form of the sleeper New York which garnered Rs 61crore at the box office. Dil Bole Hadippa sank without a trace as adistracted Aditya Chopra finds his magic touch at the B.O waning. In2009, it also powered its foray in to television production which willbe unveiled on January 1 on Sony Entertainment TV with a catalogue ofweekend shows. Coming up Pyar Impossible, yet another Yash Chopravehicle for his son Uday along with Priyanka Chopra. The much hypedRocket Singh from the Chake De duo Shimit Amin/Jaideep Sahni came andwent even before you could say Ranbir Kapoor. The days of being knownas the undisputed entertainment mogul seem behind them.
8.Amitabh Bachchan: The Shahenshah retains his chutzpah and alluring charm.Taller than one and all in B Town, Bachchan delivered a kayo punchwith his amazing performance as Auro in Paa. Alladin was forgotten,RGV Ki Aag was forgiven and as southern superstar Rajanikant said, 'Ifyou do all these roles, what will actors like us do?' Eight yearsafter his gangbuster debut on the small screen with Kaun BanegaCrorepati, AB returned to host Bigg Boss for Colors. In a mega dealwhich amounted to Rs 126 crore for the show, An redefined frotntiers.Expect another powerhouse performance in Rann and then Teen Patti withben Kingsley. Bachchan's aura remains undimished, his gravitasunmistakable.
9. Subhash Chandra: The combative SC as he is known by many remainsindestructible. In the GEC sweepstakes, he has powered his way backinto the reckoning, even displacing Star Plus to become number onebriefly and in constant battle with the same channel for number twoposition with Colors having opened blue sky between itself and itsrivals. By enlarging the prime time programming band from 7 pm to 11pm, and rejigging his shows, he has remained in touch with the top.Further, he has bifurcated corporate assets amongst his family membersfor a painless transition to the next generation without any feuding.Though his Indian Cricket League experiment has ended with a whimper,he can always retain the satisfaction that he forced the BCCI to thinkup the IPL. He remains the progenitor of the big idea. His experienceat UNI was also a disaster and his plan to rejig operations ended withhis exit. In the television space, Chandra remains an important playerand can never be taken lightly.
10. SAIF ALI KHAN/RANBIR KAPOOR: Though Salman Khan delivered a bighit in Wanted (Rs 75 crore), the real stars of the year with Saif AliKhan and Ranbir Kapoor. Ranbir Kapoor emerged as the next big thingwith three releases - Wake Up Sid, Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani arunaway hit (Rs 90 crore) and the turkey Rocket Singh. Ranbir washailed by one and all as the latest Kapoor boy to sashay into thepantheon of stars. Ranbir looks his age and that is a refreshingchange from 40 somethings acting like youthful romantic heroes. Saifturned producer successfully with Love Aaj Kal (Rs 73 crore), but someof the sheen wore off when Kurbaan landed on its face at the B.O.Salman unfortunately delivered two big flops as well - London Dreamsand Main Aur Mrs Khanna.
The biggest hits of the year - 3 Idiots (Rs 100 crore and counting),Ajab Prem Ki Gazab (Rs 90 crore), Wanted (Rs 75 crore), Kaminey (Rs 74crore) Love Aaj Kal (Rs 73 crore), All The Best (Rs 62 crore), NewYork (Rs 61 crore), Wake Up Sid (Rs 36 crore) and Dev D (Rs 21 crore).
TURKEY OF THE YEAR: Akshay Kumar with six mega flops which broke theback of his producers - Blue, De Dana Dan, Chandini Chowk to China, 8x 10 Tasveer, Jumbo, Kambakht Ishq.
MOST ANTICIPATED FILM of 2010: Prakash Jha's Rajneeti starring KatrinaKaif, Ranbir Kapoor, Ajay Devgn, Nana Patekar.