IANS

"Vivah", starring Shahid Kapur and Amrita Rao, is India's first Indian mainstream movie to premiere on the Internet.

"The online premiere of 'Vivah' is predominantly aimed at 25 million global Indians and non-Indians who have an appetite for Indian entertainment but do not have access to original and legal downloads," said Rajjat A. Barjatya, managing director of Rajshri Media Pvt Ltd, at the launch of their site Rajshri.com Thursday.

"In 'Vivah' we have shown the sanctity of Indian marriage and commitment. This movie will connect with the global audience," Rajjat said at a press conference here.

Three versions of "Vivah" - Hindi, a Hindi version with English subtitles and a Telugu version titled "Parinayam" - were made available on rajshri.com Friday.

Surfers can stream the film on their broadband enabled devices or download-to-rent by paying $9.99 (approx Rs.445) with a limited 72-hour license.

Rajjat doesn't think that worldwide premiere on the Internet will effect the box office collection of the movie.

"The premiere is a deliberated effort. Nothing can replicate the experience of watching a film in a theatre. It is an effort to convert a non-consumer into a legitimate consumer," he said.

The entertainment portal will also have a huge library of more than 300 classic movies in multiple Indian languages. Apart from that, it will have top TV shows, music videos, short films and documentaries.

"Rajshri.com is a marathon. We have just taken a step. Every day we will be coming up with something new," said Rajjat.