hu at iffa....discussion thread - Page 2

Kingdom of Dreams, a Great Indian Nautanki Company initiative, is all set to launch this summer. With Indian culture as its core theme and Bollywood connection being an integral part, this new-age, larger than life destination aims to be a treat to entertainment lovers.

In an exclusive conversation with exchange4media, Viraf Sarkari, Director, Wizraft, said, 'Kingdom of Dreams is a very unique, live entertainment and regional destination that every Indian will be proud of. It's a large experiment on the dream I had. There is a void in the expression that represents our country in terms of art and culture, and I always wondered why somebody is not doing something on it.'

The launch will take place in three phases. Phase one will see the commencement of Nautanki Mahal and Cultural Gully.

Sarkari elaborated, 'Nautanki Mahal is the world's first 4D theater and the play showcased here will be the world's first cinematic live musical. It is going to house the world's biggest Bollywood play, which has been written by Javed Akhtar, music is by Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy, dance direction is by Shiamak Davar, Omung Kumar is doing the entire production and art design, Alen Amin is doing the stunts, while Neeta Lulla will do the costumes. While Cultural Gully is a place that showcases India in one walk, it also has the best of handicrafts, local cuisines and hundreds of folk dancers performing live. People of India tend to find their culture boring, but we are going to change that with the inception of Kingdom of Dreams.'

With a seating capacity of 836, Nautanki Mahal is a high-tech theater boasting of a hydraulic stage, automated fly bars, state-of-the-art matrix sound system with complete surround system that will make the whole ambience realistic, in sync with the play. For example, if there's a jungle scene, the audience would be able to smell greens or a coffee shop scene, where they would smell the aroma of coffee.

Phase II will see the launch of the Showshaa Theater in September-October, which comprises a 450-seated amphitheater. 'Showshaa Theater will showcase the rich Indian values and its diverse culture. Epics like the Mahabharata and Ramayana will be presented with a modern touch so that people don't find it boring. We will have mock Indian weddings, wherein all the rituals will be performed by visitors themselves. It will be unique and memorable,' said Sarkari.

Phase III will see the opening two more theaters ' one of them will be a Performing Arts Centre that will provide a platform for budding talents, while the other one is still in the pipeline. This apart, plans are in place to rope in media partners as well.

The company plans to spend big on advertising. 'We have created a list of agencies, be it advertising, digital, etc., and the marketing budget would be Rs 15 crore per year,' Sarkari informed.

The Magnificent, Marketing & Masses

While the marketing plans are in place, work is still on at the location site. Cultural Gully is expected to sport a traditional yet contemporary look with minute detailing going into every corner of it. From Rajasthan to Punjab to Kerala, the structures and designs of every major Indian state is being adopted to give an authentic touch and feel, so that one can relate to the essence of that particular region.

IIFA Buzz, the premium Bollywood lounge for movie-buffs, is in its last stages of completion.

Speaking on the plans and strategy ahead, a confident Vikram Rao, Head of Marketing, Kingdom of Dreams, said, 'We are ready for the launch in the first week of July. The ground activation and the pre-launch campaign will begin 15 days prior to that. This will be the public launch, but before that there will a few launch evenings booked for celebrities, media, corporates, etc. The marketing will be segmented and we will start with the unveiling of the brand ' Kingdom of Dreams. It is very important for people to know what exactly this concept is. This will be supported by BTL activities by Wizcraft. The launch will include print medium across the metros and radio, which will play a very important role, and OOH, especially at airports. Eventually, mouth of word will spread. We will also advertise in Mumbai since that's where the Bollywood hub is.'

Meanwhile, the management is keeping its focus on extensive advertising through radio. On being asked what made radio a crucial medium, Rao replied, 'Radio in India today is a platform for segment driven marketing, and I can pick a particular time slot according to listnership, based on programmes, segments, and it will be good for us in terms of reach apart from being cost-efficient and interactive.'

On the post-launch activities, he said, 'We will follow up with a campaign that will be BTL and activation driven. Here, the print campaign will shift gears from the launch campaign to content around the plays at Nautanki Mahal, IIFA Buzz and other sections. So, every ad or radio jingle will be content driven under the mother campaign. We will be actively involved in digital marketing. It is very important for us to drive traffic towards the booking engine on our website (www.kingdomofdreams.co.in), though we are collaborating with bookmyshow.com for the initial few months.'

'Zangoora', the musical will mark the beginning of Nautanki Mahal, the aesthetic theater. On weekdays there will be one show, while weekends will have two shows per day. Between 6 pm and 12 midnight, the entry charges are Rs 750 per head, but before 6 pm, the charges are Rs 500. Access is through specially designed smart cards and the entry charges are fully redeemable as this amount, after adding top-up money, can be used in Cultural Gully or to buy play tickets, and if at all there's a balance amount, it can be used within six months of the visit. An ample parking space for over 6,000 cars will allow hassle-free parking too.

Moreover, there will be online booking discounts, bundle bookings, weekend special pricing and more, however, as of now, it is too early for the management to comment on this bit.