Indian game developers are making a beeline to sign Bollywood stars for video games based on their films and lives. This move is viewed by some as the next big event in an entertainment market driven by the movie-mad youth.

A research by an Indian industry body and consultancy, PricewaterhouseCoopers has found out that only 40 per cent of a Bollywood film's earnings come from the box office. The rest come from music, DVD and mobile phone ring-tone sales and soon, the nascent industry hopes, from mobile game downloads.

Last year about two dozen Bollywood films were accompanied by video games such as Don, modelled on a movie of the same name compared to just three the year before.

Many more Bollywood films are expected to tie up with gaming companies this year. "The Indian market is poised for a gaming explosion," said Rajesh Sawhney, head of Reliance Entertainment, a division of India's biggest business house, which launched a gaming company called Zapak in November last year.

Gaming based on Bollywood films and personalities is already booming. Companies are planning to invest heavily in this sector in the near future.

It is no surprise that when it came to choosing a brand ambassador, Zapak picked Bollywood action hero Salman Khan. Several games will star the muscular Khan, who promised at the launch to help develop "whacky" concepts to keep his fans happy.

The siren Sameera Reddy, is a sword-wielding street fighter in a game developed by Jump and named after her. Even the 64-year-old movie legend Amitabh Bachchan has not been left out.

There's a game being developed which is based on his film Baabul about widow remarriage. Anywhere else in the world, his age and the subject matter would have been a strict no-no for a gaming concept, but not in Bollywood-crazed India.

"We are forever looking for new games, and the best way to find new games is in Bollywood films," said Neeraj Roy, head of the Hungama Mobile portal.

Many of these video games are designed for mobile phones. Not surprising in a country where cell phones outnumber personal computers by more than ten to one.

Although the company behind the Bachchan game, a mobile portal called mauj.com, is charging Rs. 50 ($1) for the game download, many games are free at the moment. The games also work as a marketing tool for films.

"As many new films are made, there are new games on them. So it is a win-win situation for us, the Bollywood companies, and gamers at large," Roy added. - SAMPURN