MUMBAI: Internet’s the place to be in! Close on the heels of Yash Raj Films relaunching their website today, comes the announcement that the Rajshri Group has launched a new website through its digital media and entertainment arm – Rajshri Media (P) Limited.

The website – www.rajshri.com – will serve as an online broadband entertainment destination for premium Indian video content.

What’s more, in an unprecedented move, the website will premiere Sooraj R. Barjatya’s upcoming film Vivah online on the same day as its worldwide theatrical release (10 November). The film stars Shahid Kapur and Amrita Rao.

The online premiere is aimed predominantly at the growing number of international consumers for Bollywood entertainment, who are both broadband enabled and technology savvy.

Rajshri Media has already aggregated more than 3,000 hours of Indian video content across multiple genres. Consumers can stream and download full-length feature films like Phir Hera Pheri, Hera Pheri, Amar Akbar Anthony, Ek Duje Ke Liye, Love In Tokyo, Hum Aapke Hain Koun amongst others.

The website also features film and non-film music videos, concerts, humor clips, short films and documentaries licensed from the most respected individuals and organisations of their fields.

Rajshri Media managing director Rajjat A. Barjatya says, “Digital media and networks are fundamentally changing the way entertainment content is created, distributed and consumed worldwide. Rajshri Media is proud to be at the forefront of this change and aims to entertain and enrich the lives of millions of consumers across the globe with the power of Indian wisdom, heritage and entertainment, using digital technology as an enabler. Rajshri.com will serve premium Indian video content across multiple genres, free and paid, on demand 24×7 to a worldwide audience. The aim of the portal is to be the first choice of the global Indian community and that of the non-Indian consumer, who is fast increasing her appetite for Indian entertainment and all things Indian.”

Director Sooraj R. Barjatya adds, “Indian entertainment is fast becoming the first choice of millions across the globe. We believe the premiere of Vivah on rajshri.com marks a new era in the distribution and monetisation of Indian entertainment content. In an instant, we are able to reach interested consumers across the world and also convert non-consumers into potential consumers of Vivah.”

Three versions of Vivah will be available on rajshri.com starting 10 November, 2006: original theatrical version in Hindi, theatrical version in Hindi with English subtitles and its Telugu version, Parinayam.

Consumers will be offered options to stream the movie on their PCs or download the movie with a limited 72-hour license. Consumers can further choose to stream either high or low bandwidth versions of the movie, depending on the speed of their broadband connectivity.

Going forward, Rajshri Media plans to aggressively build depth and breadth in each content category of rajshri.com, add new features to the site on a regular basis, launch sections on astrology, numerology, Indian food, spirituality, regional language content across multiple categories and integrate rich content repurposed for mobile phones, iPods and other digital devices.

One of the key focus areas of Rajshri Media is the creation and development of original programming for new media and digital devices, which has the potential to spawn an entirely new digital entertainment revolution in the days to come.

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