Google to use films to push market share in India

MUMBAI: Google on Monday said it has tied up with Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan's production company Red Chillies Entertainment for promoting his coming film Ra.One.

Besides promoting Ra.One on YouTube, Shahrukh will be doing online video chats with fans through Google's social networking site 'Google+'.

"YouTube has already tied up with Hollywood movie distribution companies to distribute content online. Today's event here is being livecast over YouTube as well. Ra.One's London red-carpet premiere will also be livecast on YouTube," Google's Vice President Sales & Operations (India), Rajan Anandan, said.

Sony Playstation will be launching a Ra.One-based game on its gaming consoles in India shortly.

"This initiative will break new ground in digital marketing for Bollywood films and the 'Make Your Own Ra.One Promo' contest is a great example of how the channel will enhance fans' interactive experience with the movie," Red Chillies Entertainment Pvt Ltd's Head of Digital & Marketing, Shailja Gupta said.

YouTube is already known to have tied up with major Hollywood studios to offer premium content to its paid subscribers abroad.

YouTube has also finalised deals for scheduled content on themes such as fashion and sports to launch "channels".

Besides promoting YouTube itself, roping in Shahrukh Khan is also a move to boost Google+, which is in competition with Facebook, in India, a senior official said.

"In the last few years, Indian production houses have begun to embrace the YouTube platform to engage fans, distribute movies and leverage rich media ad formats to promote their movies online....We aim to become an online entertainment hub as we have 22 million unique users in India, which we expect to double every couple of months," Anandan said.