Now access Bollywood films at the click of a mouse

Hindi film aficionados need not go to film theatres or buy a VCD to see their favourite blockbusters. They can now watch the film of their choice sitting in the comfort of home by downloading films to the PC or television set through the net.

Production houses like Rajshri Productions, Global Distributors and Eros International have taken the first steps to change the way people see Hindi Film.

A few months ago, Rajshri Media launched a website, www.rajshri.com from which movies, music, favourite dialogues, scenes from the movie can be downloaded. The company has also put up its first movie - Vivah - premiered both on the net as well as the movie halls on the same day.

Another production house Eros International, which holds rights to 1,300 movie titles, offers video-on-demand through their website www.bondemand.tv. For the online Bollywood service the company has a strategic technology and marketing alliance with Intel Corporation.

Eros also has an alliance with Microsoft, under which consumers with a Microsoft media centre edition PC and a combination of Intel ViiV technology can connect wirelessly to any big screen including TV. It means that consumers will be able to access this content directly on their television via Intel ViiV enabled PC's.

Movie viewers need not go to a website if they have this system. They can access the service and get a full screen living room experience. The initiative with Intel viiv was launched at the Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas early this month.

The first movie to be released through this technology was Bollywood star Arjun Rampal's 'I see You'. The additional advantage for consumers living abroad is that broadband downloads of films also comes cheaper than going to a movie hall.