Fox Star shells out Rs 100 crore for My Name Is Khan

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Brand Shah Rukh Khan (SRK) reigns, even in these times of recession. Fox Star Studios (FSS) has shelled out a whopping Rs 100 crore to acquire global distribution rights of the superstars upcoming film, My Name Is Khan. The film, which has been directed by Karan Johar, also has Kajol starring in it.

This is the highest price paid by a distributor for any Bollywood film till now, eclipsing the Rs 90 crore deal Aamir Khan struck for his blockbuster, Ghajini, with Indian Film Company in 2008.

My Name Is Khan, produced by Johar's Dharma Productions and SRK's Red Chillies Films, is estimated to have cost only around Rs 38 crore. The Fox deal is proof of Hollywood's increasing interest in Bollywood.

"A Hollywood studio has woken up to SRK's magic because he is a successful global entity. People love him the world over and so its a good business move for Fox. They know an SRK film can earn four times the amount they have invested. They must have done detailed research on this aspect." says advertising guru Prahlad Kakkar.

" SRK inspires confidence in buyers and excitement among the audience. Its not easy to match his stature. The deal is also important keeping in mind the current market scenario." says trade analyst Taran Adarsh.

Akshay Kumar's upcoming Blue, budgeted at Rs 75 crore, and Hrithik Roshan's forthcoming film Kites, also rumoured to have cost around Rs 75 crore, have been struggling to find buyers.

"Shah Rukh Khan is a huge brand. And if you add Kajol and Karan Johar to the equation, the package gets even bigger. Producers pay special attention to the star cast because ultimately big names play a critical role in attracting people." says Siddharth Roy Kapoor, chief executive officer, UTV Motion Pictures.

Kapoor explains that over the past few years, Bollywood films have witnessed a major economic reshuffle with the corporate majors pumping money into the Indian film industry.

"Its true that corporates have brought in big money, but no one is willing to invest without weighing the pros and cons. If anything, the corporate money has only raised filmmaking standards," says Kapoor.

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