GENG CONQUERS INDIA

Geng Conquers India - New Straits Times

2010/07/16
SUBHADRA DEVAN
sdevan@nst.com.my

Geng, the locally-produced animation film, is spreading its wings into India’s big screens in full 3-D glory, writes SUBHADRA DEVAN

UPIN and Ipin, with their gang of Malaysian cronies, will soon roam the screens of India — in full 3-D glory.

Are the Indians ready for Malaysia’s cute, bald boys? Judging from the screams of laughter from children and guffaws from some adults at the premiere of Geng: The Adventure Begins in Mumbai recently, it’s a done deal. The Les’ Copaque production — and the first-ever Malaysian film screening in India — was presented in Hindi by its Indian partners, India Tales (indiatales.com) and Ken Films, at a private screening at the well-known PVR Cinemas on Juhu Road.

The location itself was a fun setting as you get to pass India’s iconic star Amitabh Bachchan’s house enroute to the theatre, a stone’s throw from Mumbai’s famous Juhu Beach.

The theatre, one of the largest cinema chains in India, bustled with about 30 excited children, dressed snazzily for the private screening, with hapless parents in tow. Beaming with pride were Les’ Copaque’s managing director Burhanuddin Md.

Radzi, wife Ainon Ariff, Geng director Muhammad Usamah Zaid Yasin, co-creator Mohd Safwan Abdul Karim and Kamil Ahmad Othman, Multimedia Development Corporation’s head of Creative Multimedia Department.

Also present were Nancie Foo, representing the Malaysian Film Producers Association, Wan Zaidi Wan Abdullah, the Malaysia consul general in Mumbai, and Norazlan Hadi Abdul Kadir, Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation Trade commissioner, and their spouses.

The Juhu area is still glamorous as it is popular with the film crowd as well as Mumbai folk.

Once upon a time, Mumbai’s first resort hotel, Sun ‘n’ Sand Hotel which fronted the beach, was quoted in gossip columns as the place for fabulous film parties.

The Juhu airstrip used to be Bombay’s international airport.

It’s a good choice for Geng’s 90-minute Indian adventure.

The tale, as you may know, is about two friends who balik kampung for fun but end up solving a mystery and some crime.

It’s the special effects that take you on a rollercoaster ride.

While the Malaysian rock song Damai is by Ito, in the Hindi version, it’s as stirring when sung by playback singer Suraj Jagan (of Rock On and 3 Idiots fame). Most of the dubbing team were present at the premiere, and were seen laughing at their experiences with Geng.

Says voice-over artiste and actor Feroz Khan who acted as Titli, the Butterfly character: “Rajeev Raj, the casting director, made me see the feminine side of the character.

It was good fun.

I had to learn to modulate my voice to suit the character, and stylise it a little as Titly is such a stylised part to play,” says the 30-year-old. Adds Rajeev: “They all put their hearts into their characters.” Ken Films, a film and music distribution company that has co-production and distribution agreements with world’s leading media firms, spent about US$1.1 million (RM3.5 million) to dub Geng and bring it to India.

Ken Films and India Tales, a startup media and entertainment company specialising in animation films and TV series, have put a conservative forecast of US$4 million in box-office takings.

In Malaysia, the box-office takings for Geng was RM6.3 million, as revealed by the National Film Development Corporation (Finas).

Burhanuddin says Geng’s production cost was RM3 million (from Les’ Copaques with an additional RM1 million grant from the government’s e-Content fund for digital content). Geng is India Tale’s first international co-production.

“This film is one of the biggest blockbusters in Malaysia,” says Ken Films chairman Anish Singhal, “and this is the first launch of a Malaysian film in India.

So, for us, it is getting the Malaysian culture into India.”

In fact, he has planned for Geng to be a global product, which is why it will be dubbed in English, Tamil, Telegu, and seven other regional languages.

In the Hindi version, Geng is still a scream with Indian characters like a Sikh and a strong Tamil-speaker. “Geng is very different from other animation films in India, which are more about mythological characters. But Geng is about promoting Asian and Indian culture,” adds Anish.

Ken Films’ managing director Nalin Singh says: “We are looking forward to the home video and DTH market for Geng to be a huge success.”

The film is set for digital theatrical release in Hindi across India in about 400 theatres by July 30 (or Aug 6, depending on theatre availability).

Geng is also set to make it to the video-on-demand market.

“It’s a good response,” says Burhanuddin after the premiere.

He seems close to his goal of creating the Malaysian version of Mickey Mouse.