ven before he could fling his wrists to cast his web on Indian audiences, they seemed under a spell. Teasers of Spider-Man 2, the sequel to what had been one of the biggest grossers of 2002, had started almost six months before the release. It meant an early start to a plethora of marketing and promotional activities.

The arrival of Spider-Man 2 meant a bagful of opportunities for Columbia Tristar, a division of Sony Pictures Worldwide, distributors of the movie in India. In any case, marketing Spider-Man would not have been a problem, considering the pull he enjoys the world over. The Indian-looking owner of the pizza shop and the Chinese family Spidey helps in the movie, are a broad hint that India and China are major target audiences. ... more