From previously unheard star fees to roping in funding and new ways of distribution, filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar, Siddharth Roy Kapoor, chief executive officer, UTV Motion Pictures, Shyam Shroff, director of Shringar Films and Uday Singh, executive vice president of Sony Pictures, laid threadbare various aspects of the business at the inaugural chapter of the event.

“It is a golden period for directors. We know that funds are available and investment is safe”, said Bhandarkar. “The good thing is that all kinds of movies co-exist in the present scenario”.

While the audience has been treated to phenomenally expensive films, like Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Saawariya and Ashutosh Gowariker’s Jodhaa Akbar, in the recent past, Roy Kapoor pointed out the ground realities of soaring budgets. “The cost structures have increased crazily with high star fees and production costs. But it is quite challenging to keep the revenues in control,” he said.

UTV’s Rs 40-crore-plus Jodhaa Akbar has turned out to be the only big hit so far this year, followed by Abbas Mustan’s Race.

In the context of big money, the discussion returned again and again to Bhansali’s Saawariya, co-produced by Sony Pictures, which met with a poor response from the box office. However, Singh said corporatisation meant there were different ways a film could be exploited commercially. “The number of revenue streams is going up with new avenues like home video and merchandising. Theatrical release is no longer the only way of ensuring returns,” he said.

Coming to highly inflated star remunerations that hog the headlines, the panel explained why the industry’s leading men end up being spoilt. “There are five-six saleable stars and more than 30 producers. Everyone wants to make movies with the top rung stars,” said Bhandarkar. “Now producers make no less than six projects every year,” added Shroff.