Big B's AB Corp to focus on quality movies

Directed by R Balakrishnan of 'Cheeni Kum' fame, the film will see Abhishek Bachchan playing reel-life father to Big B, who will be seen as a 13-year-old suffering from progeria, a rare disease of premature ageing among children.

"AB Corp has minimised its field of activity. We want to keep the company strong and hold hands and work. We are happy doing our small little things," Bachchan said in an interview.

"We have been making films since 1995. Our recent films have been 'Virrudh' with Mahesh Manjrekar and 'Family' with Rajkumar Santoshi. 'Paa' comes after a gap. We didn't find a good opportunity in between," he said.

Slated to release on December 4,  Bachchan said the film has been produced on a budget of Rs 15 crores.

The first corporate entity in the Hindi film industry to produce movies since 1995, AB Corp, earlier known as Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Limited (ABCL) has seen several highs and lows to survive the entertainment world.

"We were the first to become a Corporation. We are lauded and criticised. After five years, many such companies came up and Corporatisation suddenly become a big thing and the ultimate way of how entertainment industry should function," the actor said. 

The production company suffered huge losses after films like 'Tere Mere Sapne' and 'Mrityudaata' bombed at the box office.

Bachchan admits that "Lack of knowledge at distribution and exhibition and managerial skills brought the company on the brink of financial disaster. We were not good at managing it. We did not know distribution and exhibition."

"But now we are out of the red," he added. On its tie up with Reliance Big Pictures, Bachchan said, "Paa has been jointly produced by the two companies. We don't know distribution, exhibition, financing and production and they don't know creativity.. so we will work together and share profits."

The superstar also agreed that marketing and film promotions assumed bigger role because the business has become large and focussed.

"The film has to earn money in the first two weeks. The system of silver, golden jubilee is over. We have to sell our product and there is excessive amount of entertainment that is present in our lives today... Marketing has become important ingredient," he said.

"Earlier we did not have television and competition. Films ran for several weeks in theatres. Amar Akbar Anthony ran for 25 weeks in 15 theatres of Mumbai alone," Big B said.

Umesh Kulkarni's Marathi film 'Vihir' is AB Corp's next production which will release in January.