Businessworld's The Marketing Whitebook 2010-2011

This is a book you can't finish, like a dictionary, but need it at arm's length if you are in the business of getting a portion of somebody's wallet share. The Marketing Whitebook 2010-2011 from the Businessworld magazine is here, anchored by some insightful essays by leading lights on de-mystifying the macrocosm called India in all its segments, layers and spending patterns. The only disappointment for me has been the thinning of section on Banking & Financial Services including Mutual Funds which is usually quite detailed. This time, the recession seems to have made the publishers pull the section out. Insurance, that darling of commissions industry, is there tucked away safely.

IPL Vs. Films in Tollywood

If you can't beat' em, join them! An old adage seems to drive a change that seemed impossible before - multiplexes screening ultra-limited-overs cricket. But for Varudu and a few other non-descript movies, Tollywood is bracing for an over-crowded summer while leaving the next few weeks over for IPL - 3 cricket. This means more trouble for Tollywood movies which are reeling under hopeless losses despite heightened creativity. Last year, out of 121 or so movies made, less than a dozen are acclaimed hits. The entire film industry seems to grope around at crawling pace - no multi-starrers, herd-like mentality in coming up with themes (One Ready movie will lead to ten Namo Venkatesa's), burgeoning budgets, astronomical film footage exposed before screening, inability to diversify and build studio films (like Navatha Arts, Bhargav Art productions, Vijaya Productions), and whimsical heroes (Mahesh Babu), heroines (Charmi?) and comedians who quote a third of the movie's budgets besides general all-round apathy for small film producers. Tollywood is at an inflection point (which we will discuss later) and the IPL season is just an excuse for Tollywood to mull over where its going.

Finally, an E-Book Reader which works in India

I am not a big fan of Kindle or E-Books for reasons we'll know later, but over the last three days, I am smitten by this reading device called "Pi"  - India's first reading device with a battery life of 30 hours, which can download over a lakh books in pdf format. Ordered for just Rs.10,000, Pi is light and eminently readable, with USB port for importing files with even .jpeg, .doc, .txt extension as well as mp3 files (with earphones). As I begun downloading files and started my first E-Book experience, my Geek brother promptly pinpointed the gaps in Pi which a technologically-challenged person like me couldn't notice - no back-light, night-light, only B & W colors, were some of the drawbacks. But for now, this is just fine - the memory card also has 1 GB+ capacity. So, now I am one of the few (or am I the first) Hyderabadis to have an E-Book Reader. More later as I explore further...Right now, its E-books and in a few hours whether Oscars night belongs to Avatar movie or not.

Who are the 3 Idiots? Not Chetan Bhagat!

After the infamous run-in with the producers of the movie 3 Idiots, many would have written off Chetan Bhagat - the writer of the story that inspired the movie ("Five Point Someone")... Not only is Chetan Bhagat bracing himself for the next novel after "The 2 States of My Marriage" but he is laughing all the way to the bank. Sources from his publishers tell that after the successful release of 3 Idiots, Chetan Bhagat's books are in terrific demand, more than they can cope with. Already, he is the undisputed paperback king of India, but after this movie's release, even in Hyderabad, there's demand for 22000 copies  of Five Point Someone against 5000 copies available in various bookshops. The shortfall continues across pan-India. Whatever happened to the short-selling    by the author, Chetan (www.chetanbhagat.com) also made  neat capital out of the movie.  

"50 Economics Ideas you really need to know" by Edmund Conway

Economics has of late become a popular topic for discussion, thanks to a series of apocalyptic crashes and news flows dominating our daily lives from crude oil to subsidies to budget, TARP, warts and all.In this book, m       Edmund Conway, economics editor of the Daily Telegraph, introduces and explains the central concepts of economics in a series of 50 accessible and engaging essays. The essays range from discussion on theories such as Adam Smith's "invisible hand" and the law of supply and demand, linkages between wealth and happiness and the shape of current thinking on economics. It takes some interesting topics and gives a crystalline glimpse on topics that influence every aspect of our lives from buying a house to what you ate for breakfast this morning - Which country will be the world's leading economy in 10 years' time? What exactly is a credit crunch? Irrespective of what you do for a living, this is one book that's sure to come handy when you are set among people conversing on the land prices, international airports, entertainment economy, or why subsidies won't go away.

Paid Reviews?

There's lot of buzz in some websites and blogs that Tollywood producers pay cash to websites for giving favorable reviews in order to promote their films. A three-star or a four-star rating will make a world of difference - this is similar to the stock market operations. In stock market, operators identify some stocks with potential which can be buzzed up to new highs, later on cashing on the higher price levels to start offloading the stakes to realise huge profits. This is fine as long as the fundamentals support stock prices, or else, all hell breaks loose. Ditto, for movies which buzz. If there's no content, no movie can outrun the buzz. A four-star rating on a popular website can sustain only if the movie has some stuff and content. Its a close call for a blogger or a web journalist or a reviewer to choose between instant riches vs. credible success. Sooner or later, you will be found out -whichever way you are leaning towards or against.

Good website for Bollywood? What about Tollywood?

Is there a website you can zero in on all the block-busters right from Sholay to Maine Pyar Kiya, from Ghajini to Guide, from 3 Idiots to DDLJ? Go to http://www.boxofficeindia.com/ for a low-down on all block-busters. They may not be inflation-adjusted, but they give a way out of the maze of figures thrown in by media reports - whether MNIK (My Name is Khan) is Rs.150 crs. or 64 crs. Its a good site to compare apples vs. oranges and oranges vs. mangoes. But dismally, there's no credible website which tracks down the prolific Tollywood and its numerous releases - speculation and hearsay dominate Tollywood more than reality check. Its grown appreciably in the last many years but now comes an inflection point for more transparency so that we grow bigger and brighter. Any suggestions? One guy who I admire is Allu Sirish (brother of Allu Arjun). His take on Tollywood is different and enjoins the important thread between creativity and commercial viability. Check his views at : http://www.allusirish.in/