~ A Joint Initiative to Bring Contemporary World Cinema to Indian Audiences~
~ NDTV Lumière to Span Multiple Platforms from Theaters to Internet Downloads ~

Mumbai, January 24th, 2008… NDTV Imagine, the new entertainment initiative from NDTV Ltd. today announced plans for its second initiative in the entertainment space.  Following close on the heels of the launch of the Hindi general entertainment channel, NDTV Imagine has joined hands with Manmohan Shetty, founder of Adlabs, and Sunil Doshi, film activist, festival jurist and producer of critically acclaimed films as Mixed Doubles, Bheja Fry, to launch NDTV Lumière - an initiative to bring contemporary cutting edge world cinema to India.

Announcing the launch of NDTV Lumière, Sameer Nair, CEO, NDTV Imagine said, “At Imagine, we aim to explore every possible avenue in the entertainment business.  Having successfully launched our Hindi GEC that caters to a mass audience, we now present an exciting new initiative to bring contemporary international cinema to discerning Indian audiences.   NDTV Lumière is an endeavor that takes us beyond television and propels us into the realm of multiple screens, multiple platforms and multiple technologies.” 

NDTV Lumière will be the first movement of its kind in India that aims to meet the long-existing need of film enthusiasts.  It will provide access to top quality cinema from across the world, premiering the best of world cinema in Indian theatres immediately following their worldwide release. The movies from NDTV Lumière will also be made available across multiple platforms such as home video, a 24 hour TV Channel, pay-per-view across DTH platforms and internet downloads.  Furthering the cause of world cinema, NDTV Lumière will organize a host of events and promotions such as lectures by well known experts from the world of cinema, workshops for film students, and opportunities to interact one on one with the directors and cast of these films – offering audiences insight and a context to the film, over and above the joy of a unique viewing experience. 

The films from NDTV Lumière will span across genres from drama, animation and comedy to horror, thrillers and political dramas.  These films include popular, critically acclaimed films from across the world and also the finest award-winning international cinema from Cannes, Berlin, Sundance, Toronto, Pusan, Locarno, Venice Film Festival and other international film festivals.  At NDTV Lumière, the endeavour is to create awareness of current global trends in an industry that is constantly evolving with the continuous influx of new talent, and to offer audiences a wider variety of films to choose from.

Dr. Prannoy Roy, Executive Chairperson, NDTV Ltd. said “NDTV Lumière is a commitment from us and our partners to bring the finest contemporary world cinema to audiences all across India.  The best of world cinema on NDTV Lumière will be available across multiple platforms.  There is a growing population of international film lovers across the world and in India and with NDTV Lumière these film lovers will have easy access to international movies of the highest quality".

Manmohan Shetty, Director, NDTV Lumière, further added, “While the Hindi film industry and other regional cinema continue to rule the box office in India, I always felt that there was space for cinema from Europe, Latin America, Africa, South East Asia and Arabic countries. I am happy to have partnered with NDTV Lumière to bridge this gap by providing contemporary world cinema to the growing and evolving audience in our country. ”

This is the first time world cinema will be brought to India on such a grand scale. New age masters such as Fatih Akin, Aki Kaurismäki, Elia Suleiman, Pedro Almodóvar, Emir Kusturica, Wong-Kar Wai and Abbas Kiarostami amongst others will be complemented by legendary veterans such as Fellini, Truffaut, Bergman, Louis Malle, Antonioni and Chabrol, offering a collection of films that showcases the best talent from around the world.

Commenting on this initiative, Sunil Doshi, Director, NDTV Lumière, says “The Lumière brothers brought cinema to India from France in 1896.  It is only fitting that more than a hundred years later, the movement that is bringing a new wave of cinema back into the country should be called NDTV Lumière. Also during my tenure as jury at the various international film festivals over the last 12 years, I have observed that world cinema in India has been sadly restricted to films from Hollywood and a few scattered film festivals. We have never really offered the best of contemporary world cinema to our audience here. NDTV Lumière heralds my long cherished dream to bring diverse and contemporary world cinema and the works of new and emerging master film-makers to India on a grand scale and offer viewers a multiple distribution platform including a 24 x 7 television channel.”

Alliance Lumière Pvt. Ltd. will be a joint venture of NDTV Imagine, Manmohan Shetty and Sunil Doshi which will distribute its content under the brand name NDTV Lumière.

For further information, visit www.ndtvlumiere.com

About NDTV Lumière
NDTV Imagine is the new entertainment initiative from NDTV Ltd.  Spearheaded by Sameer Nair, the company has planned strategic forays into key businesses in the media and entertainment space. Following the launch of NDTV Imagine, its Hindi general entertainment channel, the company has joined hands with Manmohan Shetty, founder of Adlabs, and Sunil Doshi, film activist, festival jurist and film producer, to launch NDTV Lumière - an initiative to bring contemporary cutting edge world cinema to India.  NDTV Lumière will provide access to top quality cinema from across the world through multiple platforms such as theatrical release, home video, a 24 hour TV Channel, pay-per-view across DTH platforms and internet downloads. Alliance Lumière Pvt. Ltd. is a joint venture of NDTV Imagine, Manmohan Shetty and Sunil Doshi which will distribute its content under the brand name NDTV Lumière.  For further information, visit www.ndtvlumiere.com

About NDTV
NDTV Ltd, founded in 1988, is India's largest news and infotainment network. It is home to the country's best and brightest reporters, anchors, camerapersons and producers; 23 offices and studios across the country host India's most modern and sophisticated production, newsgathering and archiving facilities. NDTV has an unmatched track record of successfully launching three news channels in India and two abroad: NDTV 24x7 is a clear leader in the English news segment, NDTV Profit, a 24-hour business plus channel, is India's number one business news channel, NDTV India is amongst the country's leading Hindi news channels, and NDTV MetroNation is fast emerging as one of the most watched city specific channels. It is credited with pioneering several broadcasting and programming initiatives in Indian television and has expanded into one of the nation's biggest broadcasting houses by growing beyond news broadcasting and venturing into non news verticals.