But do these Bollywood games really work?
Serena Menon
The trend of Bollywood movies being made into mobile games started with the mother of all blockbuster films, Sholay, a few years ago. Punit Malhotra's I Hate Luv Storys' mobile game which was launched on Wednesday, is the latest to join the bandwagon. But opinions about the concept vary.
Samir Bangara, chief operating officers of UTV Indiagames, says: "The game has been designed on four scenes in the film - when Imran (Khan) is making fun of Sonam (Kapoor), when he is trying to get Raj (Sonam's fiance in the film) drunk, the dance sequence and the action one."
However, companies who have spearheaded this business over the years feel that they walk a thin line, as not all Bollywood movies can be converted into mobile games.
Rajiv Hiranandani from mobile2win says, "I don't think any Bollywood movie can be made into a game. But the opportunity for it to return to the scene in a big way when 3G hits India stands tall. Movies like I Hate Luv Storys look great on screen, but they will appeal only to people who are interested in the movie. I don't think it will work for the average gamer."
Soon after Sholay, movies like Rang De Basanti, Sarkar, Ghajini, Quickgun Murugun and about 70-odd movie concepts were converted into mobile games over the last three years.
The games follow moments from the film and allow the gamer to make his decisions.
Alok Kejriwal, chief executive officer of Games2win, who was a part of the making of the Sholay game, clearly deems the Bollywood gaming industry a failed initiative, "These games are all a scam. We admit that the Sholay game was a huge flop. People told us that the horse racing sequence in the film looked terrible on the mobile screen," says Kejriwal.
Some feel that this promotional activity is a lucrative revenue model, while many don't, but they all agree that Bollywood will always have some takers.
HOW IT WORKS
The first level of the game is launched before the film's release. Second, post release and the third, if any, weeks later. They attempt to create a buzz about the film through these games.
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