Q&A: Hemal Jhaveri on Movies OK

CI: What is the rationale behind launching a new Hindi movie channel? Why call it Movies OK?

Hemal Jhaveri (HJ): We have the largest Hindi movie library in the market, especially after the acquisition of  Viacom's library that was announced in the beginning of year 2012. We wanted to launch a channel that would attract an entire family as an audience and not target a particular member of the house. Movies OK would provide its viewers a holistic family experience with its content. And by naming it as Movies OK we extend the 'OK' branding further (STAR had launched Life OK in December 2011). 

CI: But would Movies OK not eat into the viewership share of Star Gold?

HJ: Not really. It will only give the viewers one more platform to watch movies. It's like having two PVRs in Mumbai's western line, one in Juhu, the other in town. The fundamentals remain the same. You give the viewer two options.

CI: How do you anticipate the advertisers to respond to another Hindi movie channel from the same media house?

HJ: Movies OK will only broaden the scope for advertisers. The viewer's profile will be defined over a period of time but nevertheless, it is a customised product that advertisers would want to tap. We intend to give the same advertisers another platform to showcase their brands.

CI: How will Movies OK's marketing strategy help the channel stand out in the current market?

HJ: Right from the movie promos to the content packaging, our offering is unique in every which way. Infact, we will be launching 'seven day seven premieres' some time this month itself. This will be a one-of-a-kind experience for our viewers. So, there is a clear differentiation in terms of crafting communication from the available content for Movies OK.