Ayngaran

[piyaara]

 As you may know Ayngaran are a good resource of Tamil DVD and CD's, with basically my entire Tamil collection being from them. 

 I hadn't ordered anything for a while and, a couple of days back, I decided to order some DVD's, only to find that I could not, due to the 'UK' not being available on the drop-down list at the checkout stage.  I have sent two e-mails to them in the hope that they can rectify the situation.

 Fortunately, if you're not from the UK, then you will be OK. 

 I'll keep you informed.

[Stephen]

That's very strange - I placed an order with them just a couple of weeks ago. Perhaps this has something to do with their recent buyout by Eros?

[piyaara]

 I'd forgotten about that but, I assume its just a simple database issue.  The oddest thing is that the price is still in Pounds Sterling and the address form still has Post Code even when any other nation is picked. 
 
 I could order with my address as normal but, for example, USA as the country.  As the Royal Mail would dutifully post it off to the good ol' USA, I'd rather wait for Ayngaran to fix the problem. 

 Can you remember where the option for UK was in the drop-down list, Stephen?  It may help if I have to write a third e-mail to Ayngaran...

[veracious]

What!

I thought Ayngaran were UK-based themselves! The last time I got some Tamil DVDs from them, they were posted from the UK...

[Stephen]

Can you remember where the option for UK was in the drop-down list, Stephen?  It may help if I have to write a third e-mail to Ayngaran...

I'm pretty sure it was listed at the top of the list along with the USA, though I'm not sure which one was at the very top.

[Nina]

That's certainly odd.

Are you anywhere near London itself? There's an Ayngaran shop in SW19. And also, as I have recently discovered, an Ayngaran shop in Paris 2 streets away from the Eurostar terminal where the DVDs (all originals) retail for 5 euros, compared to the GBP 8.50 they cost on-line (and that too before postage)!  Might work out cheaper to get yourself to the nearest shop: the transportation costs might work out less than postage depending on where you live, and you could make a day out of it in a Tamil neighbourhood with lots of yummy food.

I also wonder if the lack of the UK as an option for a UK-based operation might be because there is now a UK-only website, which they simply have forgotten to publicise or link to??  KAD, for example, has separate "India-only" and a "rest of the world" online shops; maybe Ayngaran is in the process of making the same distinction.

[piyaara]

 Veracious, yep, their main office is in the UK though they do have branches around the world. (PS. Hey! Where's Stimpy?)

 Nina, sadly London is a bit distant to go and get some DVDs, moreso Paris.  At least if I go to either capital, I know there is an added attraction.    

  The separate website is certainly a possibility.  Though it sounds that non-UK customers would prefer cheaper postage instead of a dedicated site anyway.  Also, would demand require a separate website?  I suppose time will tell...

I'm pretty sure it was listed at the top of the list along with the USA, though I'm not sure which one was at the very top.

 Thats what I thought.  I still haven't heard anything from ayngaran, though being the weekend that's hardly suprising.  I'll use that info in my next e-mail.

[MrB]

That's very strange - I placed an order with them just a couple of weeks ago. Perhaps this has something to do with their recent buyout by Eros?

I had not heard about the Eros takeover. How disturbing, that the producers of some of the best quality Indian DVDs should be taken over the producers of some of the very worst quality ones.

I just phoned them up to find out what's going on with the web site. Apparently they are changing the it, and UK customers currently cannot order online. I didn't really pursue them on why they can ship to Birmingham, Alabama but not to Birmingham, England. The nice man on the phone reckoned the new site would be up in a month's time or so.

[piyaara]

 Thanks so much for the info, MrB.  Looks like Nina was spot on with her deductions.

 However I'm suprised they did not keep the site as it was until the new site was up and running...

 C'est la Vie... 

[Prem Rogue]

I just ordered a couple of CDs from Ayngaran.  How long does it usually take for them to deliver to the US?

[piyaara]

 Being in the UK, I would normally get them on the 3rd or 4th day after ordering.  They write, on the website, 2 weeks for all orders and, I could imagine them taking that time to get to the US (I usually get my orders from Bhavani in 2 weeks).  Then again the British Postal Office strike has only recently ended, so it may be longer than that.  Hopefully they may have cleared the backlog so your order can get to you in 2 weeks.

[Prem Rogue]

Funny story about those two CDs I ordered.  My credit card charges a 1% fee on international transactions.  This fee was $12, which I thought was strange.  Then I noticed that Ayngaran had charged my CC about $1200!  They rectified the situation quickly.  I'm a big AR Rahman fan, but not big enough to pay over $600 each for his CDs!

[veracious]

!!!!

These are my excited exclamation marks after visiting London's Ayngaran shop (situated in 30 High Street, Colliers Wood - Northern line tube, Zone 3 - it's a decent walk from the tube station but easy to find and there's a South-Indian restaurant on the way should you get impatient or something!).

Basically, the store has everything the web store offers and so much more, cheaper prices (5 DVDs for 10 pounds/15 pounds/20 pounds depending on how new the releases are). There's about a million CD's and movies on VCD and VHS. If I had any "I can't find this movie anywhere!", there's a huge chance I would've found it here.

Also, the staff was super-friendly and helpful and recommended me about 5 movies I'd already seen.

I dunno about the Ontario and Paris shops but the London one was excellent.

And the staff gave me good news; they will be - eventually - releasing Bheema and Sivaji DVD (with extras!) should be out this Friday. Dunno when it'll be up on the web store but I know I'm looking forward to it.

[Dil Bert]

Also, the staff was super-friendly and helpful and recommended me about 5 movies I'd already seen.

"Look lady, Vikram has only done so many movies." 

BTW, I think it's traditional that if you travel to another country you have to do a big musical number with the locals.

[veracious]

"Look lady, Vikram has only done so many movies." 

He pointed at Anniyan, "Very good movie!" and I had to resist spazzing out completely, "I've seen it like 19 million times!".

My friend's comment upon seeing all those cheesy Tamil movie covers? "It was like going back to the 80's."

I can't bust out a song without the streets of Chennai beneath my feet, sad to say. But in summary, Ayngaran shop very recommendable!

[phul]

I had not heard about the Eros takeover. How disturbing, that the producers of some of the best quality Indian DVDs should be taken over the producers of some of the very worst quality ones.

That's exactly what I thought!

Has anybody bought any of their recent releases?

[Prem Rogue]

Ayngaran has updated its online shop:

Worldwide customers

UK customers

[Stephen]

Okay, after searching high and low and calling in favours to no avail, I am now relying on the help of the kind folks here at BollyWHAT?.

Is there anyone out there who has or can obtain the Ayngaran (not Pyramid) DVD of Kamal Haasan's Mahanadhi? I am a desperate man, so money is no object.

[Prem Rogue]

Is there anyone out there who has or can obtain the Ayngaran (not Pyramid) DVD of Kamal Haasan's Mahanadhi? I am a desperate man, so money is no object.

Indiaplaza and ExploreFree seem to have it.  I'd contact them to make sure its the Ayngaran and not Pyramid version.

I'll tell you where to send the check in a PM 

[Stephen]

Indiaplaza and ExploreFree seem to have it.  I'd contact them to make sure its the Ayngaran and not Pyramid version.

Already tried contacting both those sites and sadly neither actually have it in stock.

[theboldandthebolly]

Do Ayngaran dvd's usually have english subs with them?? On their website they advertise Abhiyum Naanum and it has subs with it. I checked bhavani dvd which has the same Ayngaran dvd (cover and all) but does not say whether it has subs or not. (I would contact bhavani dvd but since they never reply to my emails I won't even bother)

[kmemphis]

Do Ayngaran dvd's usually have english subs with them?? On their website they advertise Abhiyum Naanum and it has subs with it. I checked bhavani dvd which has the same Ayngaran dvd (cover and all) but does not say whether it has subs or not. (I would contact bhavani dvd but since they never reply to my emails I won't even bother)

When I got KK from Netflix, it was an Ayngaran DVD. Everything was subtitled, and they started at the right time.

[MinaiMinai]

^I would assume Ayngaran DVDs always have subtitles.  All of my DVDs from them have, and it seems to be a standard part of their package (plus excellent video quality, etc.).

One question I had though: on the cover of Ayngaran's DVDs it says "all Ayngaran DVDs carry a holographic sticker" or something like that.  I've noticed only half the Ayngaran DVDs I get from Bhavanidvd.com have a hologram, but they do have an embossed title on the cover and nice paper quality- which makes me think they are original because why would a pirated dvd maker go to the trouble to emboss and foil titles and other parts of it?  I suppose I should go back through my orders and verify that all the ones I got directly from Ayngaran have the holograms too...

Hmmm...

[theboldandthebolly]

Maybe I'll just go ahead and buy it. I like the quality of ayngaran dvds. Hopefully it will have subs.

[MinaiMinai]

So it's DVD ordering time for me this weekend and I have this huge spreadsheet I've compiled with prices and labels and such- my wishlist is largely comprised of Tamil DVDs, and I wanted to share that Ayngaran seems to have really dropped their prices!  Most of the DVDs I want are priced at 7.99 pounds (about $12 US dollars), and a handful were a few dollars less! 

What's funny is that Bhavani DVD is still selling their Ayngaran-produced Tamil DVDs almost exclusively at $15.99 a piece! Ripoff! Makes me wonder if Ayngaran is getting out of the DVD business or something.  I've already written about how I hate their order website and the DVDs take forever to arrive, but the DVDs are excellent quality and always have subs.