Movie debuts on cellphones
2004-12-09 06:39
India - An Indian cellular phone company plans to air a new Bollywood movie on mobile handsets for free and in full on Thursday in a bid to promote its video-streaming service.
Rok Sako To Rok Lo or Stop, If You Can, will be available to Bharti Tele-Ventures customers in 11 Indian cities at 15:00 (09:30 GMT), provided their phones have the supporting technology, said Atul Bindal, a director at India's second-largest cellular service provider.
Bharti Tele-Ventures Ltd will be "the first cellular service in the world to premiere a full-length movie on mobile phones," Bindal said.
"I am certain that this service will add a whole new dimension to the concept of mobile-based entertainment."
The Hindi movie, a teenage romance, was directed by debutant Arindam Chaudhary. Bollywood star Sunny Deol is the only name in a cast of virtual unknowns. It is scheduled for general release in movie theatres on Friday.
To be among the first to see the movie, Bharti customers' phones must have EDGE, or Enhanced Data Rates for Global System for Mobile Communications Evolution. EDGE enables cellphones to connect to the internet and transfer data at high speeds.
A maximum of 200 people will be able to connect and watch the movie simultaneously, and the movie cannot be copied or replayed.
The company hopes to air more movies, and may charge a fee depending on customer reactions to Thursday's preview, said a Bharti official.
On the net:
www.airtelworld.com
www.roksakotoroklo.com
- AP