Find John at johnabraham.com

Just like their counterparts in Hollywood (who have had personal websites up for years), most Bollywood stars are now hosting official websites in their names, facilitating direct communication (read hero worship) with their fans.

John Abraham’s got a website too called www.johnabraham.com

When did you set it up?

About two months ago as I felt having my own website is the best way to interact with my audience directly. Through my website they can connect to me. I don’t like to use the term “fans” for me, they are my audience. In two months we have had two million hits. The website is also a way of establishing my brand — the John Abraham brand should outlive the person over a period of time.

How often do you log on?

At least once in two weeks. I carry my laptop everywhere I go and join my audience on forums and chats. I do itoccasionally because unfortunately, I don’t have enough time.

Do you read messages posted there?

I make it a point to read each and every message. Due to time constraints and logistics, I can’t reply to every mail but I send out an auto-reply to all of them.

Thought of maintaining a diary online?

I keep my audience updated on my movie releases and what’s the latest happening to me. It’s a one-on-one website where you will get all the information on me, current and otherwise. When I came out of hospital, I told my fans all that had been happening to me till then.

Do you promote your films on your website?

Yes. When I went to UK to promote Taxi No. 9211 we had put up johnabraham.com as a media partner

French trying to attract Bollywood

• 10 producers to go on a sponsored tour of France
• Measures initiated to tap commercial promotion of French cinema
• Indian producers to get tax exemption, free transportation and accommodation
• Bid to release French films in India commercially

The French are wooing Bollywood in a big way and have, at the same time, initiated steps to tap the huge potential for commercial promotion of their cinema in India.

As part of efforts to forge a deeper relationship with India in the field of cinema, the French Government has decided to sponsor a tour of 10 producers, mostly from Bollywood and centres of other Indian languages, to theme locations in France soon after the Cannes festival. Veteran filmmakers, Yash Chopra and Bobby Bedi, would be part of the delegation that would visit Ile-de-France (Paris region), Lyon, Poitiers and other places.

"We are trying to attract Indian film producers to shoot in France and have already taken certain measures", Mohamed Bendjebbour, Audiovisual attache (Film & TV Department), French Embassy in India, told The Hindu on Thursday. As a result of the measures, Shah Rukh Khan would be travelling to Paris next week for a three-day shooting of "Don," being directed by Farhan Akthar.

The measures include giving tax exemption for all expenses of producers, free transportation and accommodation in some regions. The French Government also agreed to allow cooks of Indian film crews to use kitchens in Accor group of hotels across France.

One of the major advantages of shooting in France was that one could travel in less than an hour from the Alps to the Eiffel Tower.

WILL for Partnership

Hollywood heart throb and Grammy award winner Will Smith was today amazed to know that Bollywood on an average makes more than two movies a day.

''It's no mean achievement to churn out more than 800 films a year,'' he remarked at a news conference called here to announce launching of Sony Entertainment Television's (SET) English movie channel PIX.

Smith said, ''I came to know from Abhishek Bachchan that his father Amitabh Bachchan had worked for 25 films at the same time.

Its really great.'' He said, ''India is on its way to becoming the superpower and I have come here to get the first hand experience of the entertainment industry.'' Responding to a question, Smith said he admired Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai's beauty and talent and regreted that he has not yet got an opportunity to be paired with her.

Smith said he drove to Agra to see the Taj Mahal and found it ''the most beautiful creation on earth'' and symbol of the love that Shahjahan had for his wife.

Smith asserted that the film 'Pursuit of Happiness', presently under production, is his best film so far in which he is acting with his seven-year-old son.

Bollywood film on AIDS

A Bollywood film about a single mother and her young son’s struggle to live with HIV/AIDS opened in cinemas across India last week, marking the first foray by the Indian Catholic church into commercial cinema.

The Hindi-language ‘Aisa Kyun Hota Hai’ (Why Does This Happen?) is made with church money and it is hoped it will spread awareness about HIV/AIDS among India’s 1.1 billion people of whom more than 5.1 million are living with the deadly virus. That makes India the second worst affected nation after South Africa. “The film’s message is that today’s youngsters should delay their sexual debut, practice safe sex and be loyal in their relationships and not be prejudiced against other faiths,” said Reverend Dominic Emmanuel, the film’s executive producer and a spokesman for the Catholic diocese in New Delhi.

The church production also focuses on religious harmony in a pluralistic India. The film, so far, has had a lukewarm response from the public, but its producers say they hope to do well in the country’s east and northeast, which account for the bulk of India’s almost two percent Christian population. The film has songs and dances and is high on melodrama as a rebellious son seeks to earn money and respect for his mother — whose husband left her — but ends up paying for his sexual indiscretions and infects his girlfriend with HIV.

Former Bollywood leading lady Rati Agnihotri plays the mother in the 20 million rupees ($440,000) film that also has in its cast several young and lesser-known actors. Though there has been an explosion of sexually explicit movies, advertisements and music videos in India in the past five years, most people do not discuss sex or the dangers of HIV/AIDS openly. reuters

Intel News Release

Eros, Intel Align To Launch ‘B On Demand’, World’s Largest Official On–Demand ‘Bollywood’ Portal Using Intel® Viiv™ Technology
Audiences to Access Eros’ Content Library via www.bondemand.tv on Intel Viiv Technology and Intel® Centrino® Mobile Technology–Based PCs and Laptops

CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW, LAS VEGAS – Jan. 5, 2006 – Intel Corporation and Eros International, the single largest international distributor in the Indian film industry known as “Bollywood,” today announced plans to make B on Demand, Eros’ digital content portal, and future digital video services available for on–demand delivery over the Internet for the first time ever via Intel® Viiv™ technology.

Intel’s collaboration with Eros International will enable the company to deliver its premium content library over broadband Internet connections to more than 50 million South Asian consumers plus millions of other consumers around the globe through Intel Viiv technology–based PC platforms. Eros plans to make its digital content available on PCs from leading manufacturers by the second quarter of 2006.

As an industry first, Eros is pioneering disruptive viewing release windows and bringing “day and date premieres” to consumers as key components of the company’s online distribution strategy –– exemplifying a major Bollywood studio’s approach to embracing the innovative approach of Intel Viiv technology.

“Our effort with Intel will give us the opportunity to serve an even broader audience worldwide, enter new markets and gain new revenue streams while exploring a variety of exciting new digital entertainment and distribution technologies,” said Kishore Lulla, Eros chairman and CEO. “We’ve been a market leader in traditional media distribution channels such as cinema, DVD and pay channels with more than 1,500 top titles and new acquisitions and productions every year. Digital entertainment is the next logical extension and a huge growth area for us, and Intel Viiv technology is going to play a very important role in accelerating our online distribution initiatives.”

“Our work with Eros exemplifies our mutual objective to deliver world–class entertainment all over the world,” said Kevin Corbett, vice president of Intel’s Digital Home Group and general manager of the Content Services Group. “Our goal is to give virtually anyone anywhere in the world the same easy access to the broadest possible library of information and entertainment content from the comfort of their living room. Eros is a big part of this vision as one of the leading content distributors for the Indian film industry that will allow consumers access to blockbuster titles days after their theatrical release in India.”

Intel Viiv technology is designed to make it easier for people to download, view, manage and share digital entertainment on a wide variety of viewing screens and networked devices such as portable media players, digital TVs and routers.

Eros Group has carved a unique place in the Indian Film Industry as the most dominant International Distribution House of Bollywood films – the result of two and half decades of pioneering effort in the business. Eros is arguably the only Indian media conglomerate built along the lines of a true Hollywood Studio model – creating, distributing and exploiting film content through all the windows of its life cycle on a worldwide basis and quite literally –– “Taking Bollywood Places.” More information is available at www.erosentertainment.com and www.bondemand.tv.

Intel, the world leader in silicon innovation, develops technologies, products and initiatives to continually advance how people work and live. Additional information about Intel is available at www.intel.com/pressroom.

Eros International and BonDemand are trademarks or registered trademarks of Eros Media Ltd. or its subsidiaries or associate companies.

Intel and Intel Viiv are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries.

* Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.