How is Fox different from other international distributors in India?
I think we are best suited to handle films in India. This is largely because we have good relationships with exhibitors across the country. This has happened because we have been in the Indian market for over fifty years besides having the advantage of dealing directly with the distributors.

What is unique about the business of film distribution in India?
Business in this industry is 365 days a year. The difficult part is that playing-time in halls is restricted. Each film requires a different treatment. You have to be clear in terms of the audience you are attempting to target. We have released big hits like Titanic, The Full Monty and The X-Men. All these are for different audiences and we therefore have to approach them differently. Titanic, for instance, has appealed to people across age groups.

Do you have any research conducted for your movies?
There is market research and test screenings which are conducted. Questions like, `Should this movie be dubbed into other languages,' are attempted to be answered through research. We try to do our best for every movie that we release. The audience experience is most important to us and the objective is to get them to the cinema halls.

Are there plans to get into film production in India considering you are part of the same network that owns Star India?
The Indian market is certainly exciting at this stage. However, I believe Fox does not have the wherewithal to get into production at this stage. Our strengths are in the areas of marketing and distribution. Movie making is at one end of the spectrum and requires a different application altogether. I think there is a greater possibility of it coming from Star's end.

What do you think are the difficulties when it comes to entering the film production business?
I am quite uncomfortable with the idea of making a Hindi movie. The biggest impediment is that huge investments are required. Overall, I can say that Fox will not be investing money in the Hindi film industry for sometime to come.

What are your plans to further your business of film distribution?
Besides marketing and distributing our international films in India, we are also distributing Indian movies that are made in English. English August and Split Wide Open were distributed by us and there is a possibility that we will also distribute Rahul Bose's forthcoming movie Everybody Says I am Fine.

Are you also looking at distributing Hindi films in the near future?
This is a different market for us. For one thing, there are issues like money - which has to be paid upfront. Also, there is no producer involvement once the movie is released. The market also suffers from a lack of accountabilty. I do not see Fox entering it for a long time.

What is the potential you see in the Indian market today?
One positive thing is the number of multiplexes coming up. Over the next few years, there will be around fifty multiplexes across the top ten Indian cities. Multiplexes will see business doubling because ticket prices will be higher. Today, the number of cinema halls playing English movies are still few in number.

Do you think higher ticket rates will discourage people from coming to multiplexes?
Not at all. People will come to multiplexes for the sheer experience of watching a movie. In Pune, for example, most halls showing English movies are not even air-conditioned. Also, it is impractical to build a movie theatre today because of high property costs and the obligatory fifty percent tax on gross revenue. Problems such as these will be taken care of and I really see the emergence of a huge market.

How do you see the market emerging for somebody like you?
MGM and United Artists are not part of United International Pictures and that library has come to Fox. This will see our business increasing four fold over the next two years. Eventually, there will be new products to sell like the forthcoming James Bond movies.

What are the hurdles you face in this market?
While the market is exciting, there are quite a few challenges. There is no encouragement from the government's end to grow our part of the entertainment industry. There are too many restrictions and procedures at any stage.