Extreme Mumbai, Without Bollywood’s Filtered Lens

By SOMINI SENGUPTA

LONDON

When the British filmmaker Danny Boyle went to Mumbai, India, to make a movie, he found what has all but vanished from cinema here at home: life in extremis.

He also lost what he once considered central to his craft — the power to control what unfolds in front of his camera.

In Mumbai, which is also known as Bombay, thousands of people gathered every time he started shooting “Slumdog Millionaire” on the streets. Permits were delayed, then granted in the nick of time. Sometimes the city morphed overnight, as new construction sites came up and down. Best-laid plans proved useless. India took over. Kindly adjust, it seemed to say. “You have to let go,” is how Mr. Boyle described the experience this month, in an interview on tamed, temperate Long Acre here. “You don’t act omnipotent. You have to let whatever is there get into the film.”

The result is a part-vérité, part-magical journey into ground zero of the Indian dream — a Mumbai slum — with a film that tells the story of love, pluck and greed through the eyes of a child forced to grow up too soon.

“Slumdog Millionaire” is ostensibly about a young contestant on the Indian version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.” The story of his short but rich life unfolds in a series of flashbacks, one game-show question at a time. Foreign audiences will find some of those flashbacks to be brutal, even revolting, but such is an Indian slum dog’s life. And Mr. Boyle, 52, the maker of films as varied as “Trainspotting,” “The Beach” and “28 Days Later,” does not flinch from it. He sees this as a movie about memory, each remembrance pulling the hero closer to the woman of his dreams.

The movie opened in the United States on Wednesday, and is to be released in India in late January, assuming it can clear that country’s often-prickly censor board.

Perhaps the most remarkable thing about “Slumdog Millionaire” is that, despite the director’s strenuous denials, it could well be a Bollywood film, “almost an homage to the ’70s masala potboiler” of Indian cinema, the film’s co-director, Loveleen Tandan, called it. Its protagonist is an underdog striving to strike gold, flanked by a malevolent brother and an underworld don, with a woman stuck in the middle — all classic elements of popular Indian cinema.

The movie is awash with song — and even a little dance. There is a proper Bollywood star, the fabulously creepy Anil Kapoor with his fabulously creepy slicked-back hair. Most audaciously, for a film that expects to win over an American audience, close to a third of the dialogue is in Hindi, with English subtitles. Imagine Abbas Kiarostami making a Western, with a third of the dialogue in English.

“They think you’ve gone potty,” Mr. Boyle recalled of the initial reaction from his backers in Hollywood.

The decision to go with Hindi stemmed from a need to find child actors who could be true to the characters in the script. Ms. Tandan, who is Indian, said it was impossible to find English-speaking Indian children who could play hard-knuckles slum kids. Mr. Boyle immediately understood that, she said, and agreed to rewrite the script into Hindi. Ms. Tandan ended up hiring real kids, some of them from the Mumbai slums, to play the three lead child characters.

“For us it’s almost like a validation of our celebration of cinema, the way we tell our stories,” Ms. Tandan said. “It feels like it’s ours.”

“Slumdog” is decidedly not Bollywood in one crucial respect: It was shot on the streets of Mumbai, from the dense warrens of a tin-roofed shantytown to a red-light district to the architectural landmark Victoria Terminus train station. Most Bollywood filmmakers do not shoot on the streets of the city — they recreate it in studios or they choose to shoot in more exotic locales (Brooklyn, for instance) — because that way, as the “Slumdog” crew learned, lies a certain madness. Mumbai is not only crowded, it is also a city where tens of thousands of people live on the streets. The street is their living room; why wouldn’t they crowd around Mr. Boyle’s crew?

Christian Colson, the producer, recalled that during filming in the red-light alley at least 3,000 people encircled the crew. They didn’t all seem friendly. To try to drive away the crowds would be folly, Mr. Boyle quickly realized; not only would the effort be costly, but a new one would gather just as fast. Sometimes, he recalled, he would leave a scene not quite knowing whether he had gotten the shot he needed. Invariably it turned out that he had much more.

“The control freak would say you need a bigger army,” he said. “It’s not about that really. If you go with it, if you abandon that kind of control freakery, it will give you something extra.”

There were many lessons in cross-cultural understanding. On scheduling, an Indian cast and crew simply didn’t operate in what Mr. Colson called the militaristic style of a British operation. There was the Indian bureaucracy: permits would arrive a few minutes before a scene was to be shot, or at least once, after it had been shot. And then there was the need for, well, a certain authenticity. On one occasion, Mr. Colson recalled, the Indian authorities took umbrage at a scene in the script in which a suspect is tortured by a police commissioner during interrogation. The Indian authorities told Mr. Colson to take out the police commissioner. No police officer above the rank of inspector should be shown administering torture, they said. The makers of “Slumdog Millionaire” obeyed.

For Mr. Boyle one of the toughest challenges was casting the lead role: the 18-year-old protagonist, Jamal Malik. He auditioned one young Indian actor after another. Many of them were capable, but they all looked buffed out, Mr. Boyle recalled, because they were all grooming for roles in Indian cinema.

In the end Mr. Boyle went with an actor his teenager daughter recommended: Dev Patel, from the British television series “Skins.” That choice could be called the most dissonant part of “Slumdog Millionaire.” Though he is a fine actor, Mr. Patel’s accent gives away who he is: a Briton of Indian origin. Not a kid from a Mumbai slum.

For Mr. Boyle the only knowledge he had of Mumbai came from the stories his father told. As a soldier in the British Army during World War II he had been stationed there, en route to Japan, “waiting to die,” as Mr. Boyle put it.

“He was there in Bombay when the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima,” he said. “He said, ‘We all knew we were going to go home.’ ”

Mr. Boyle’s Mumbai picture is based on a novel, “Q&A,” by the Indian writer Vikas Swarup, and adapted by Simon Beaufoy, the British screenwriter best known for his Oscar-winner, “The Full Monty.” Shot over three months, for about $13 million, “Slumdog Millionaire” was temporarily orphaned when its original backer, Warner Independent Pictures, was shut down this year. Stuck with the movie and facing a crowded release schedule of its own, Warner Brothers, the mini-studio’s corporate parent, contracted with Fox Searchlight to distribute and market the movie in North America. In September “Slumdog” won the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Mr. Colson, the producer, said he likes to think of “Slumdog Millionaire” as a Dickensian story playing out in the Asian megalopolis of the future: “Oliver Twist set in Mumbai.”

Mr. Boyle, for his part, does not think he has made an Indian movie. “No, no, no, it’s not a Bollywood film. It’s a good story. It’s a narrative.”

But there is a reason it is set in Mumbai. “The extremes of storytelling are available there,” he explained, “and it’s kind of disappearing here.” There is also a reason the movie had to be shot there. Whatever you call it, Mumbai or Bombay is not a city that can be manufactured on a set, Mr. Boyle maintained. It is not distinguished by its architecture, but by its atmosphere, its noise. “Slumdog Millionaire” captures all of that, though because it is a movie, it misses one thing that truly distinguishes Mumbai, the way it smells: part drying fish, part human waste.

“You immediately know, don’t fake it,” Mr. Boyle said. “You feel a miasma of detail in a city. It is just marching. You are racing forward. You have to go with it.”

Menabur Ilmu, Menuai Generasi Baru

Perfilman adalah sektor industri nan seksi. Siapa sih yang tak ingin melirik pada bisnis satu ini? Para investor berduyun-duyun menanamkan modalnya di sana. Apakah para pelakunya siap menghadapi tantangan ini? Di sini letak masalahnya. Proyek memang tak pernah kurang, tapi justru malah sumber dayanya yang kewalahan.  

Untuk mencari sumber daya yang mumpuni memang tak mudah. Salah satunya adalah melalui pendidikan formal. Sebut saja Institut Kesenian Jakarta, tapi apakah cukup? Ini masalah yang lain lagi. Jika mayoritas pekerja film adalah lulusan IKJ, maka tiap tahun kandidat pekerjanya datang dengan standar dan materi yang nyaris seragam. Sutradara Nia Dinata sempat mengeluhkan fenomena ini. “Ya bagaimana, para pekerja film kita semua datang dengan standar IKJ, tidak ada perbandingan,” ungkap sineas yang kerap disapa Teteh ini.

 

Bagaimana dengan sekolah film di luar negeri? Boro-boro. Kuliah di IKJ saja tak ada biaya, apalagi harus ke luar negeri. So, adakah solusi lain yang lebih mudah?

 

Salah satunya adalah activism, ini istilah dari Teteh lagi. Beberapa waktu silam dia menyebutkan bahwa Indonesia butuh banyak aktivis di bidang film dan bukan hanya mereka yang menjadikannya ajang memupuk laba. ”Sampai kapan industri ini bisa bertahan? Kalau bisnis ini sudah tak jalan, bisa-bisa mati suri lagi seperti masa lalu,” keluhnya saat itu.

 

Laku activism tak hanya melulu bertaut dengan regulasi. Pelatihan film tanpa melewati jalur formal bisa jadi piranti yang dimaksud. Misalnya workshop ataupun pelatihan ketrampilan di sektor film.  

 

Prakarsa ini banyak dilakoni oleh sineas kita belakangan ini. Ada yang pernah mendengar nama Reload Film Center? Ini merupakan institusi bikinan Rudi Soedjarwo. Langkah senada juga dilakoni Hanung Bramantyo lewat  Dapur Film Community. Kemudian ada pula Moviesta dari Monty Tiwa, Happy Ending Pictures dari Nia Dinata, ataupun Timur Merah milik Helfi CH Kardit.

 

Semuanya bermuara kepada pembelajaran soal film sekaligus penciptaan regenerasi dari kalangan sineas sendiri. Diharapkan kelak, muncul banyak sineas yang bisa diandalkan guna menjawab tantangan produser untuk menggarap lebih banyak proyek lagi.  

 

Tanpa Bayar

Boleh jadi apa yang dilakukan Nia Dinata dengan Happy Ending Pictures-nya sangat unik. Divisi baru dari Kalyana Shira Films menampung siapapun yang memiliki naskah atau minimal sinopsis yang baik. Kelak cerita ini dibangun bersama-sama untuk menjadi film utuh plus sebuah strategi promosi. ”Banyak sekali potensi sutradara dan penulis di luar sana yang tak mendapatkan wadah untuk meluncurkan tulisannya ke publik. Nah, saya ingin mendirikan institusi yang mewadahi itu,” begitu kata Teteh.

 

Duet sutradara Agasyah Karim dan Khalid Kashogi sudah merasakan tangan dingin Teteh. Kata mereka Teteh membimbing untuk membangun proses yang dibutuhkan untuk sebuah pembuatan film. Mulai dari penggodokan skrip, persiapan produksi, pemilihan pemain, produksi, pasca produksi hingga promosi, semua dilakukan atas supervisi Teteh.

 

”Menjadi menarik, karena kita memulai sesuatu yang baru, segar denganfilmmakers baru yang bisa kita ”nurture” lewat proses praproduksi sampai pascaproduksi,” komentar Teteh suatu kali. Untuk magng membuat film dengannya tak sulit. ”Asalkan punya naskah yang menarik, saya tidak mau ketemu orang kalau tidak membawa skrip. Minimal sinopsislah,” ungkapnya bersemangat.

 

Sang Pionir

Jauh sebelum Teteh, Rudi Soedjarwo sudah melakoni hal serupa dengan Reload Film Center. Bedanya, Rudi memberikan pelatihan lebih spesifik kepada masing-masing bidang dalam proses pembuatan film.

 

Reload Film Center berdiri tahun 2006. Di sana tersedia pendidikan di bidangScriptwriting, Editing, Directing, Acting, Cinematography dan Producing. Namanya juga sekolah, so pasti siswanya kudu membayar sejumlah uang. Namun lantaran ini sekolah non formal, metode mengajar lebih condong kepada praktek. Untuk pemberian materinya lebih sering dilakukan dengan diskusi, siapapun ingin bertanya pasti akan dijawab.

 

Kang Dali, salah seorang dari Reload Film Center, mengatakan bahwa siswa di Reload Film Center selalu aktif untuk bertanya. “Misalnya suatu ketika para siswa Reload akan membuat film pendek, untuk itu mereka akan dibimbing oleh Rudi ataupun para senior yang ada di Reload, lebih banyak belajar dari praktek,” demikian ucapnya. Dijelaskan Dali lagi, setelah mereka banyak belajar, maka tak segan-segan mereka akan dilibatkan untuk magang dalam film-film yang diproduksi oleh Rudi,” ujar Kang Dali lagi.

 

Nyaris Serupa

Semangat serupa untuk menciptakan pekerja film terlatih juga dilakoni Monty Tiwa lewat bendera Moviesta. Kok bisa sama? Tentu saja karena Rudi mendirikan Reload Film Center sendiri bersama Monty Tiwa. Perbedaan visi dari mereka berdua membuat mereka bubar jalan. Menurut Monty, perbedaan visi itu disebabkan oleh masalah penanganan SDM.

 

Rudy dalam Reload Film Center-nya melihat setiap orang harus dapat bekerja sesuai tuntutan industri. Monty lain lagi. Menurutnya, anak-anak adalah anak-anak. Biarkan saja mereka berkembang sesuai porsi masing-masing. “Anak-anak disini kan masih ada yang berusia 18-20 tahun, jadi ngga bisa kita paksa mereka untuk bekerja selayaknya profesional, karena satu hal yang menjadi penekanan gue disini adalah, kita sama-sama berangkat dari cinta film,” tegas Monty.

 

Berangkat dari kecintaan pada film, lalu belajar membuat film, dan akhirnya membuat film. Agaknya itulah bentuk yang ingin dicapai Monty dengan Moviesta familynya. Sebagai sebuah komunitas, so pasti Moviesta terdiri dari orang-orang dengan visi serupa. Pembelajaran tentang film pun dilakukan dalam bentuk workshop yang digelar untuk internal mereka.

 

“Selama ini sih kita memang masih menyelenggarakan workshop untuk kita-kita aja, tapi kita udah punya planning untuk melakukan workshop ke SMA-SMA,” ujar Ika salah seorang anggota komunitas Moviesta. Dalam Workshop yang dilakukan oleh Moviesta itu sendiri juga masih berkenaan dengan script writing, directing, hingga kamera.

 

Kendati selama ini kegiatan Moviesta masih untuk kalangan sendiri, bukan berarti mereka tertutup bagi yang ingin bergabung. “Dateng aja kesini, syaratnya apa ? Kuat-kuatan main pimpong aja sama gue,” ujar Monty setengah bercanda. Ya, komunitas yang berlokasi di Jalan Perdagangan No 1, Bintaro ini memang dibentuk sedemikian rupa layaknya sebuah rumah yang diisi keluarga. “Yah palingan patungan buat bayar listrik aja,” jelas Monty. 

 

Dari kiprah Moviesta Family sendiri sudah terbukti jika regenerasi dan pendidikan film itu penting adanya. Hasil itu tampak dengan munculnya personil mereka dalam tim produksi film Otomatis Romantis, serta menjadi tim penulis skenario dalam film Barbi3. “Gue juga sudah mempersiapkan Vander Tejasukmana, Dias Ardiawan, sama Indra Zahri untuk bisa jadi sutradara,” seloroh pria bertubuh besar ini.

 

Aktivitas Informal

Sungguh menarik kiprah aktivisme para sineas itu. Hanung Bramantyo punya kiat lain lagi lewat Dapur Film Community. Komunitas ini konon didirikan untuk menciptakanfilmmaker-filmmaker yang berkualitas. Awalnya kegiatan dalam komunitas ini bentuknya informal semata.

 

“Paling saya nanya-nanya directingitu apa, segala macam,” cerita Iqbal. Belakangan, lantaran banyak koleksi film dan buku tentang film di sana, dia juga banyak belajar. Hal senada juga diungkapkan Fajar BGT. Dia malah mengawali karirnya di tempat ini dengan ikut magang bersama Hanung. “Saya menjadi pencatat skrip dan asisten editor di film Brownies,” demikian ucap Fajar. Ya, proses belajar itu dilakukan dengan metode learning by doingdiselingi dengan berbagi wawasan.

 

Fajar BGT dan Iqbal Rais adalah dua orang hasil gemblengan Dapur Film Community yang telah mendapatkan kesempatan untuk membuat film. Tahun ini mereka muncul lewat film debutnya, masing-masing Best Friend ?serta The Tarix Jabrix. Khusus untuk yang belakangan, mendapatkan sukses besar di bioskop.

 

Kini Dapur mulai mengarah menuju bentuk formal. Caranya, dengan workshop-workshop dimana para pesertanya juga membayar. ”Tapi nanti dikembalikan dalam bentuk makan siang atau buku diktat,” jelas Fajar. Tak hanya workshop untuk filmmaker, lantaran Dapur juga membuka kursus akting yang disebut DFC Acting Course. Saat ini setidaknya sudah mencapai tiga angkatan yang nantinya mereka akan disalurkan dalam jaringan kerja Dapur macam  film layar lebar, sinetron, video klip, iklan, dan lain-lain.

 

Anak Bungsu

Lahir paling belakangan, Timur Merah asuhan Helfi CH Kardit memang belum punya bukti apa-apa. Tapi jangan salah, dengan semangat ketimuran, Helfi melihat kaderisasi adalah wacana yang akan diusung dalam program Timur Merah.

 

Kaderisasi -termasuk pembelajaran film di dalamnya- dilakukan dengan santai oleh Helfi. Artinya, selama masih ada tempat untuk belajar (magang), sudah barang tentu Helfi akan menerima. Baginya, karena Timur Merah bukan tempat short course maka selama masih ada tempat pasti diterima. “Disini ngga ada pungut-pungutan bayar, karena ini bukan tempat kursus. Yang pasti mereka mau belajar, dan kalau tempatnya masih ketampung pasti gue akan terima,” ujar Helfi.

 

Helfi mencontohkan posisi editor. Helfi memiliki satu orang editor yang menjadi “pegangannya”, namun bukan berarti ia tidak butuh orang lain untuk menjadi editor. “Gue punya dua alat editing, yang satu alatnya itu dikerjakan oleh dua orang,” ujar Helfi. Maka sesuai dengan yang diungkapkan, jika memang ada kuota pasti akan ada kesempatan bagi yang lain.

 

“Waktu itu ada satu anak mahasiswa yang pengen jadi editor, ya gue ajak ngobrol dan dari situ kelihatan apakah dia punya bakat editing atau ngga. Akhirnya sekarang gue kasih kesempatan dia jadi asisten editor. Yang penting harus cinta film dululah,” jelas Helfi.    

 

Kiprah para sineas melakukan regenerasi di atas memang patut dihargai. Pasalnya, mereka tak hanya sekadar berbagi ilmu kepada rekannya yang lebih muda melainkan juga bisa semakin mengasah ilmu lewat proses dialog yang terjalin di sana.

 

 

 

 

 Berikut ini profil singkat "lembaga-lembaga kursus film" tersebut.

Dapur Film Community didirikan oleh Hanung Bramantyo pada tahun 2004. Dalam programnya, Dapur Film Community memberikan workshop yang berkenaan dengan film sekaligus pelatihan akting dengan membayar registrasi di awal. Setelah semuanya berjalan, anggota Dapur Film Community akan dilibatkan dalam beberapa produksi film. Sebagai bukti, Iqbal Rais dan Fajar BGT adalah dua yang telah menjadi sutradara dalam film The Tarix Jabrix dan Best Friend ?. Tertarik untuk bergabung ? Datang saja langsung ke Jl.AMD VIII No. 40 Lenteng Agung, Jakarta Selatan. Nomor Telephone 021 – 7803212.      

 

Reload Film Center didirikan Rudi Soedjarwo pada tahun 2006. Dengan membayar iuran sekitar Rp 2.500.000, Reload Film Center memberikan Pendidikan di bidang Scriptwriting, Editing, Acting, Cinematography dan Produksi. Sama dengan Dapur Film, Reload Film Center juga akan melibatkan anggotanya dalam film-film yang diproduksi Rudi Soedjarwo. Hal tersebut sudah berlaku bagi anggota Reload Film Center dalam film-film Rudi sepertiMendadak Dangdut, Ujang Pantry 2, Pocong 2, Liar dan Sebelah Mata. Reload Film Center berlokasi di Jl. Paso No. 19, Ragunan, Jakarta Selatan.

 

Moviesta adalah sebuah komunitas yang didirikan Monty Tiwa pada tahun 2007. Dalam kegiatannya, Moviesta yang bertempat di Jl. Perdagangan No 1 Bintaro ini mengadakan workshop yang berkenaan dengan film. Kegiatan Moviesta sendiri masih dalam lingkungan internal, tapi bukan berarti Moviesta tidak menerima pecinta film untuk ikut bergabung. Moviesta juga mengerahkan seluruh anggotanya dalam setiap produksi film yang akan dikerjakan Monty Tiwa, contohnya dalam film Otomatis Romantis serta Barbi3. Oh iya kalau mau ikutan, iurannya hanya sekedarnya koq. Kalau mau tahu informasi lebihnya, telfon aja dulu ke 021 – 70995738.

 

Happy Ending Pictures beralamat sama dengan kantor Kalyana Shira Films di Jl. Bunga Mawar No.9 Cipete, Jakarta Selatan. Lewat programnya, Happy Ending Pictures yang didirikan oleh Nia Dinata, akan selalu mencari naskah yang menarik untuk kemudian digarap bersama menjadi sebuah film. Seperti yang berlaku bagi Aga dan Ogi dalam film Gara-Gara Bola. Jadi kalau kamu punya naskah atau minimal synopsis yang menarik, kirim saja langsung, atau bisa telephone dulu ke nomor 021 - 7503223 / 7503225.

 

Timur Merah bisa jadi yang belakangan muncul, namun bukan berarti Timur Merah yang didirikan oleh Helfi CH Kardit tidak membawa semangat tinggi. Berdiri di tahun 2008, Helfi CH Kardit menyediakan tempat bagi siapapun untuk belajar sekaligus praktek pengerjaan film seperti editing, artistik ataupun lainnya. Silahkan saja datang ke Jl.Cibulan 1, kawasan Kebayoran Baru, Jakarta Selatan. Selama masih ada tempat, pasti akan diterima kok.(ajo/bat) 

Channel Profile - Asian Food Channel (AFC)

CHANNEL: Asian Food Channel (AFC)

COUNTRIES: Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Brunei and the Philippines

LAUNCH DATE: July 26, 2005

OWNERSHIP: Privately owned by Hian Goh and Maria Brown

DESCRIPTION: Targeted at adults aged 25 to 45, AFC is the first and only Asian food TV channel in the region. The pay-TV network aims to offer viewers the best in food programming from across Asia and around the world, providing a mix of both Eastern and Western programs in a variety of formats.

MANAGING DIRECTOR, ACQUISITIONS & PROGRAMMING: Maria Brown
MANAGING DIRECTOR: Hian Goh

PROGRAMMING STRATEGY: According to Maria Brown, the co-founder and managing director of acquisitions and programming at AFC, the philosophy of the network is simple: “In short, the Asian Food Channel is all about food, food and more food.”

Brown notes that as the network is about food and “the people who love it,” the viewer base is very diverse. “The channel’s core audience is made up of all adults aged 25 to 54, including high flyers, modern women and discerning foodies,” says Brown. “It’s a real mix of genders, ages, and professions and something we are very proud of.”

A zeal for food drove Brown to launch the network with Hian Goh, a managing director at AFC. “Both of us love food and think it’s an important genre for a region that is so passionate about eating,” explains Brown.

The channel’s daytime strategy is centered on stripping content so that it “can create relatively predictable, and hence, comfortable zones for the audience,” says Brown. Prime time features the channel’s top culinary shows, helmed by popular chefs like the Michelin-starred Briton Gordon Ramsay in Hell's Kitchen, Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares and The F Word, and Mark McEwan in THE HEAT with Mark McEwan.

Aside from stripping programs that already have a strong following, AFC has also created some specific zones where viewers can find a variety of content that has done well in the past. “We have a 'Best of Asia' zone in which viewers can expect to find repeats of some of the best food programming from around the region.”

AFC acquires content from around the world, but is “mainly focused on English-speaking territories and the territories in Asia,” says Brown. As the channel is fairly new, Brown says that the percentage of original programming on the channel is “relatively small,” but the channel will be looking to “ramp up its original productions in a significant manner” this year.

Brown is pleased about the growth of the channel but is aware of the challenges that a young network like AFC can be faced with. “If you look at any of the major channels here in Asia, it has taken them at least ten years to build their brand and viewer loyalty,” notes Brown.

WHAT’S NEW: A slew of new programming will be launching in prime time in January, including the second season of Hell’s Kitchen and the fourth season of Chef at Home, in which Michael Smith shows viewers how to prepare uncomplicated tasty meals. February will see the rollout of the third season of Restaurant Makeover, in which two industry top guns must overhaul a struggling restaurant and set it on the path of success with a small budget and very limited time. In the series The Cookworks, premiering February 4, Chef Donna Dooher entertains and inspires teams of largely inexperienced, everyday students who have sought out her culinary expertise. And The Naked Chef, featuring popular British chef Jamie Oliver, will premiere on February 10.

Brown is not actively pursuing new-media deals yet. “I’m sure new media will be a money spinner someday, [but] until then we will participate selectively in those windows,” she says. “At the end of the day, we are a TV channel, and we still believe strongly in our core product, [which] is television.”

WEBSITE: www.asianfoodchannel.com

Channel Profile - Astro Aruna

CHANNEL: Astro ARUNA

COUNTRY: Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam and Singapore

LAUNCH DATE: February 2006

OWNERSHIP: Astro All Asia Network

DISTRIBUTION: 2.5 million in Malaysia and Brunei, and 500,000 in Vietnam.

DESCRIPTION: The first-ever dedicated 24-hour Indonesian drama channel in Southeast Asia, with content that covers all areas of the genre, including romance, action, thriller and fantasy.

SENIOR MANAGEMENT:
Executive Director, Astro Entertainment: Zainir Aminullah
Channel Head: Meniek Andini

PROGRAMMING STRATEGY: With more than 1,000 hours of original productions, Astro ARUNA looks to provide the best of Indonesian entertainment for its viewers, which are largely females aged 20 to 50. Though the channel carries many female-skewed programs, it also continues to entertain its audience with a variety of daily serial dramas, sitcoms, mini-series and TV movies that are suitable for the whole family.

Zainir Aminullah, the executive director of Astro Entertainment, explains, "Astro ARUNA features the best drama selection for the family, packing it with the widest range of drama, comedy, romance, action, thriller and fantasy that feature popular Indonesian actors like Ari Wibowo, Lulu Tobing, Lenna Tan and Alexandra Gottardo. We believe that this combination appeals to Astro ARUNA's target market."

Aminullah points out that the original productions, which include drama series, telemovies and mini-series, are from PT Tripar Multivision Plus, one of the major production houses in Indonesia. A remaining 30 percent of the network's schedule is derived from co-productions and commissions.

"We are deeply committed to providing strong and compelling programs in a variety of genres for our viewers," Aminullah says. "Due to Astro's strong relationship with its channel partners, we work with a select group of production houses to offer quality programs."

Among the dramas that have achieved high ratings on Astro ARUNA are Bidadari, a fantasy story about a beautiful fairy sent to earth to help people do good deeds; Sulaiman, which has famous cast members, including Anjasmara, Nova Eliza and Lucky Widjatmoko, on a quest to fight evil and spread kindness to humankind; and Wah Cantiknya, a romantic comedy about a rich girl who needs to marry in order to receive her father's inheritance.

Even though Astro ARUNA has the competitive advantage of being the only channel in Southeast Asia that offers exclusive Indonesian programming, the network is keen to keep providing fresh content to ensure that the viewers continue to tune in.

"To delight our viewers, we broadcast an average of 50 hours of fresh drama titles monthly," Aminullah explains. "Astro ARUNA also schedules its programs based on a convenient viewing format, slotting in specific dramas at specific times to adapt to the different viewing styles in different regions." Its schedule is also shaped around the principle of additional screenings, repeating its programs to give viewers the convenience of catching a missed a program at a different time.

Aside from on its website, which features program-related information, Astro ARUNA’s content is also available on mobile in Malaysia as of November 1.

WHAT’S NEW: In November, Astro ARUNA will be airing Malaikat-Malaikat Kecil. The drama sees Indra Bruggman and Chaty Sharon starring together in a "heart-warming" family drama, says Aminullah. Astro ARUNA fans can look forward to three new mini-series by the end of 2008, as well as a host of fresh telemovies in various genres, including mystery, thriller and action.

WEBSITE: www.astro.com.my/channels/aruna

—By Kristin Brzoznowski