Bollywood Goes Hulu

Online streaming giant Hulu has signed a deal with Bollywood distributor Saavn. The five debut Hindi-language films on the web channel will include Sarkar, Hera Pheri, Deewana, Hulchul and Dhaai Akshar Prem Ke.

Although nationally this may not seem like as big a deal as Walt Disney Co.'s recent purchase of a stake in Hulu, Bollywood films have a wide international appeal. Hera Pheri (2000), for example, was a box office hit in India and came in #8 on opening weekend in the UK, ahead of X-Men: The Last Stand, The Da Vinci Code and Mission Impossible III. Vin Bhat, co-founder and CEO of Saavn, said, "One of Saavn's goals is to make Bollywood more accessible to everyone and by having these films on Hulu we believe that more people in the U.S. will open up to the genre that is revered by billions around the world."