MUMBAI: Moser Baer (India) has released the Hindi film Phir Kabhi, which is produced by UTV Motion Pictures, directly on DVD.

This is the first time in India that a film has strategically bypassed the theartical release route and has sought to reach consumers through the growing home entertainment market. After the direct-to-DVD release, the movie will be premiered on television.

Moser Baer CEO Harish Dayani said, "It is an effort to innovate and also beat back piracy, which flourishes among other reasons because of the long window between the theatrical and DVD release of a film. Moser Baer has been narrowing this window, which used to be several months, down to a few weeks with many of its releases. This time we are releasing a film directly on DVD. If the home entertainment market in India is to grow, serious players have to overcome barriers and come up with innovations."

Phir Kabhie is directed by VK Prakash and stars Mithun Chakraborty and Dimple Kapadia. It has been produced by UTV Motion Pictures. The DVD is priced at Rs 99, while the VCD costs Rs 60. Additionally, the price for the film on the Super DVD format is Rs 27.