3-D films on television now

Thiruvananthapuram, June 17 (IANS): The larger than life experience of watching 3-D films can be soon had on television screens in the confines of your homes.

The doyen of the Malayalam film industry, Navodaya Appachan, is working on the ambitious project to convert his 3-D films, "My Dear Kuttichathan" and "Magic Magic", for television.

Appachan said his son Jijo is working on the technical details to make the films compatible for TV and to ensure that the viewer gets the same effect as watching a 3-D film in a movie hall.

"For making it available to television, certain modifications are required and my son is presently working on it. We expect that this would be ready in a few months from now," Appachan told IANS.

Like on the big screen, all television viewers will also have special glasses.

"Talks are going on with soft drink giants Pepsi, which is likely to get the contract for distribution of the special spectacles to all homes," said Appachan.

"My Dear Kuttichathan" released in 1984 is India's first 3-D film. "Magic Magic" was released last year.

Both films have been remade into Tamil, Telugu and Hindi and Appachen is hopeful of a huge television market waiting to be tapped.

The veteran filmmaker had another first to his credit when the Chinese Film Development Corporation bought the rights of both his 3-D films to be dubbed in Chinese.

"The dubbing work is going on in China and reports indicate that it would be over soon. It would be the first time that an Indian film would hit theatres across China," said Appachan.

When it comes to experimenting with technology, Appachan beats his competitors in the country. Besides innovating with 3-D, he was also the man who produced India's first 70 mm film "Padayottam", a Malayalam film released in 1980.

Before that, he had produced the first Malayalam cinemascope movie "Thacholi Ambu" in 1977.

Appachan produced the hit "Manjil Virinja Pookal" in 1980 that launched several careers including those of Mohanlal, Poornima Jayaram, director Fazil and music director Jerry Amaldev.

In 1995, he opened Asia's biggest and India's first theme park Kishkintha at Chennai.