ITV

Category: Specials

  • BBC Worldwide announces MipTV line-up









     

    MUMBAI: UK pubcaster the BBC‘s commercial arm BBC Worldwide will be present at the television trade event MipTV.

    The Fixer, Kiss of Death, Cranford and Life in Cold Blood are some of the British shows that will be showcased.


    In The Fixer characters delve into the sinister underbelly of the police force.







    Kiss of Death investigates a mysterious murder by weaving together stories of the various protagonists in a bid to uncover the truth.



    Mistresses has been sold to 12 broadcasters in 12 different markets following a wildly successful launch at BBC Showcase, the annual trade event which sees BBC Worldwide generate programme sales and broker co-production deals for the BBC and independent British producers.



    Ashes to Ashes will feature at MipTV alongside British master classes in period dramas such as Lark Rise to Candleford, Jekyll and Oliver Twist.



    Cranford is another global success after it sold to seven international broadcasters in seven different markets. This year‘s natural history highlights are also strong, says BBC Worldwide.



    David Attenborough‘s Life in Cold Blood and the co-production exploring Wild China which airs this year in the run up to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing are unrivalled examples of natural history productions.



    BBC Worldwide MD global TV sales Steve Macallister said, “From cold blooded reptiles to red blooded mistresses, and lunar landings to Jurassic thrills – our catalogue packs a real punch this MIP.



    “We look forward to drumming up plenty of sales for British television up and down the Croisette.”








    British comedy will also be present with new titles like Never Better and Gavin and Stacey, the extraordinary story of an ordinary boy from England, and an ordinary girl from Wales, which is hot on the heels of previous international hits like The Office.



    As far as science programming is concerned, BBC Worldwide will be offering features such as Moonshot which celebrates the 40th anniversary of the lunar landing as well as Oceans and Earth: The Power of the Planet which uses latest production techniques and dramatic narrative to explain the history of our planet.



    In the children‘s category, In the Night Garden will be offered up for grabs as is the Animalia show.








  • Singapore’s MDA to showcase factual content at MipTV








    MUMBAI: The Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) will be promoting a substantial slate of Asian-themed, Made-by-Singapore factual content under the Singapore Pavilion, at MipTV.


    Included in the line-up of 44 television and animation titles are Olympic and China-themed High-Definition programmes that showcase Singapore‘s capability in developing current and compelling Asian stories for the global stage.


    MDA also has a library of 200 hours of Made-By-Singapore public broadcast content for which it will be exploring distribution opportunities at MipTV.


    In all, MDA will be leading 17 Singapore companies to MipTV 2008. Of the 44 titles showcased, 14 are new Hi-Definition (HD) titles, continuing the trend of driving Made-by-Singapore HD content production for the global market.


    The emphasis on Asian factual content with the potential for international distribution across several platforms such as digital and mobile, books, games and merchandise, underscores MDA’s strategic intent to build Singapore into a trusted global capital for New Asia Media.



    MDA CEO Dr Christopher Chia says, ”New Asia Media represents the exciting new opportunities in Asia created by the explosion of convergent media and an economically-resurgent Asia driving growth around the world. On the content side, New Asia Media embodies the finest stories about a confident and dynamic Asia, told by Asians themselves.



    “Singapore is well-poised to lead in this genre due to its strategic location in the heart of Asia and strong tradition in documentary and info-educational programming. Indeed, with an English-speaking population, high literacy levels, think tanks, research institutes and a strong telecommunications network, Singapore is one of the very few Asian countries able to produce English-language documentaries on Asia. This ensures our documentaries have local relevance, and yet carry international appeal and commercial viability, providing international media companies with a very compelling business proposition.”









    Against the backdrop of the Beijing Olympics, a slate of commercial Olympics-themed factual content titles will also be showcased at the Singapore Pavilion.



    It includes Beijing: Biography of a Capital. This is a three-part HD documentary exploring the three themes that have defined Beijing for over a thousand years – from its nomadic beginnings, to its iconic dynasties and today‘s modern, thriving metropolis. Supported by MDA, this is a joint collaboration between Singapore’s The Right Angle, Beijing TV and BBC Global Channels. and is scheduled to premiere on BBC Knowledge across Asia during the second quarter of 2008 and will be broadcast in Europe.



    The main challenge facing The Right Angle was finding the means to bridge the expectations and knowledge gap between Beijing TV’s China audience and international viewers. The Right Angle worked with Beijing TV to isolate, from over a thousand years of chronology, universal themes that would appeal to global viewers everywhere.



    Dr Chia adds, ” Beijing: Biography of a Capital vividly illustrates Singapore’s capabilities in producing quality Asian-themed English documentaries and developing content of relevance to Asian and Western audiences, as well as its appeal as a key partner for Western and China broadcasters and content providers.”



    Other Made-by-Singapore China titles at the Singapore Pavilion include Mad About English. This is a documentary 0on China’s newfound passion for the English language as it prepares to host the 2008 Olympics. The Crunch is a reality format on how six of the world’s toughest men and women underwent endurance challenges set against the backdrop of different natural wonders of China. Seven Wonders of China, meanwhile, reveals the genius of China‘s greatest builders, engineers, designers and visionaries for the many engineering marvels, with the use of CGI and dramatic reconstruction.



    Additional titles demonstrate Singapore’s capability in producing factual content across a variety of Asian themes that have broad international appeal. For instance, Saving Gaia, a documentary produced by MediaCorp News, examines how environmentalists, climate experts and the public in Asia are fighting back in nature’s defence. Design Asia examines the philosophy of Asia’s best-loved iconic designers, covering retail, fashion, interior design and furniture, including Ashley Isham (fashion, Singapore), Samsung (electronics, Korea), Muji (household items, Japan) and GOD (lifestyle, Hong Kong)..

  • Fremantle to distribute content from Travel Channel at MipTV








    MUMBAI: Television format creator and distributor FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) has announced its partnership with The Travel Channel making it the exclusive international distributor for the network’s original programming. The agreement provides access to a catalogue of more than 200 hours of top-tier programming from the US Travel Channel as well as a first-look at new productions for possible co-financing for international distribution. FME will make The Travel Channel library available for international sale at MipTV, which takes place in Cannes from 7-11 April.


    Headlining the slate are talent-led titles Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern, Samantha Brown Passport to China and Best Places to Find Cash and Treasures with Kirsten Gumm all shot in high definition.



    FME CEO David Ellender said, “As the world gets smaller viewers are very excited to learn about new places and cultures. We are delighted to deliver programming that takes a fascinating approach to the topic with the best of talent and the highest in production values in the genre.”



    Travel Channel Media president, GM Patrick Younge says, “FremantleMedia is a leader in global content distribution, and the ideal partner to represent the Travel Channel‘s content in the international marketplace. This opportunity enables us to both build the Travel Channel brand internationally, and to support the US tourism industry by showcasing domestic destinations to millions of international travellers.”









    Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations invites viewers to travel the world with the experienced chef and writer seeking out authentic experiences and food that flavour the world’s culture. The Zero Point Zero production, profiles Bourdain who is currently the executive chef at Brasserie Les Halles and has run kitchens in many prestigious eateries such as New York City‘s Supper Club and One Fifth Avenue. His literary work has appeared in the New York Times, The Times and The Face. He is a contributing authority for Food Arts magazine.



    Following his wanderlust, Bourdain’s journey takes him to people and places far beyond the realm of food. From Iceland to Vietnam, the show presents a candid view of a chef out of his kitchen and his comfort zone!



    Packing an open and curious mind, a strong stomach, and a healthy appetite for travel, Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern follows the chef and food writer, as he tastes his way around the world eating bear, tongue, pigeon, brain, turtle soup, and even pig’s toes. In each episode, he reveals the beauty of both the locations and the traditions behind the foods he consumes; he broadens the viewers’ culinary horizons and encourages their palates to venture outside grilled cheese sandwiches and hamburgers and take a chance to taste the world.



    Taking her viewers on an adventure of a lifetime, in her series Samantha Brown Passport to China the travel presenter discovers what’s new in one of the world’s oldest countries. In a land where East is meeting West in surprising ways, China is being rebuilt as a tourist Mecca because of the 2008 Olympic Games.



    On Best Places to Find Cash and Treasures host Kirsten Gumm takes the viewer on a journey to uncover relics, buried jewels and other valuable items at real locations accessible to the public. Kirsten then takes her finds to local experts to transform her raw gems into fabulous treasures.


    How much are they worth? Find out when certified appraisers price them in our final “Show Me the Money!” reveal. In pursuit of each treasure, Becky brings viewers along as she unearths unexpected finds.

  • Documentary pitching in a new age

     

     

    CANNES: “Pitching is not a matter of life and death, it is more than that.” This is how European Documentary Network (EDN) director Lena Pasanen ended the workshop session on How to pitch? at MipDoc, at the Hotel Carlton in Cannes in the south of France.

    Hosted with Paul Pauwels, project manager of the European Television Management Academy, the session was well attended and proved an eye opener to many.

    Pauwels said: “The world of television has changed. No longer is one person – the commissioning editor – the decision maker, it is teams that decide, based on the profile of the broadcaster. Therefore you keep things simple, bullet points, not too much detail, in one or two sheets of paper. Have a big picture so that they can remember, have visual impact.”

    He added that: “Once they buy in these people become your evangelists internally within their organisation. Once they are sold on your idea that is.”

     

     

    Added Pasanen: “Please don‘t catch the commissioning editors when they are eating; it is annoying. Also don‘t corner them in the toilet. If you get them in the lift, make sure you have a one-liner which will get their attention. Also make sure you have your contacts in each page pat down and clear so they can get in touch with you later.”

    After the commissioning editor shows interest, you will have put together a four five page document pointed out Pauwels, packed in with a lot of research.

    “They will ask you, why you want to make this documentary? If they don‘t get a feeling, this is a documentary you want to die for, they will drop you,” he said. “Then they will ask you when you can deliver,” he added. “You will sign agreements and then they will then set milestones for you, for getting more financing, if you don‘t deliver on your milestones, they will probably pull out.”

    The EDN TV guide is a good reference tool for a database of European Documentary Makers, he added.

    According to him, a bound script is needed very early, after the commissioning editor has shown interest. “This probably will come within four months of interest. You can do it in advance, it depends on the topic. Though of course the script changes as you produce. A very good research file is what you should work on, if not a script.”

    On the question of linking with a distributor he said that it is important to start talking to distributors very early; not when it is finished. “Remember if a documentary has gone to festivals, it is finished. So show the distributor when you have 20-30 minutes to show,” he said.

    He added that development cost should be 15 per cent of the project, “A sum of 5,000 euros can be good for research, fliers, EDN sessions etc. Documentaries cost 100,000 to 500,000 euros, it‘s a business, and producers who have the pockets should be your partners.”

    But he cautioned that deals should be done carefully. “Sometimes film makers have to pay money to distributors, because of costs,” he added.

     

    Pasanen pointed out that broadcasters have fixed slots genre wise. So you cannot cross over genres, have history and science in a project, she said.

    Pauwels pointed out that the positive side is that the European television market is going to explode with 5,000-6,000 broadcasters slated to come up. “You will get 500-1000 Euros per broadcaster. To recover your costs you have to have a 360 degree experience like DVDs, books, mobile, websites dgitial channels for smaller audiences”,” he said.

    Additionally, a route for recovering costs is to have different versions of the same documentary for different channels, opined Pasanen. “You need to know your broadcast partners needs…you must face the fact you need to do versions…for instance for one of our projects the Spanish people wanted emotions ,Germans wanted to know how they did it, the English wanted something else.”

    Both emphasised that the various windows of sale and creating versions can open up a rights nightmare. “Broadcasters want to cover themselves; they want all the rights whether DVD, or online or what have you. It‘s a just in case option even if they don‘t know what to do with them, You have to make it clear that they will have to deal with them or get more production budget, ” highlighted Paul.

    He added that currently this issue is open and no solution has been found. “Within three years an economically sustainable model will be found when with mobile TV, broadband will take off. Until then it will be a test period. There will be victims. But you can work with advertisers, brands, to help lower costs,” he opined.
     
     

  • Shirley Maclaine, Sam Neill to lend star presence at MipTV







    MUMBAI: Actors Shirley MacLaine and Sam Neill will join the new Miss World – Miss Zi Lin Zhang – and a clutch of international talent at the forthcoming television trade event MipTV featuring Milia in Cannes, which runs from 7 to 11 April 2008.


    UK-American producer and distributor Alchemy Television will host a media event on 7 April to launch their slate of four miniseries to the international marketplace. MacLaine will present the new mini-series Coco Chanel, in which she stars as the influential French designer.


    The event will also feature Neill talking about his character in Iron Road while Sir Derek Jacobi and Louise Rose will present Diamonds and Bradley Whitford will promote Burn Up.


    Zhang, the new Miss World, representing the People‘s Republic of China, will also be at MipTV for Zeal Entertainment who distributes the Miss World Festival internationally.



    British comedy will be at the forefront during this edition of MipTV. Actress, humorist, singer and dancer Tracey Ullman is bringing her new show State of the Union. Sanjeev Bhaskar will showcase the series Mumbai Calling, and comedian-presenter Brian Conley will host the International Interactive Emmy Awards ceremony which takes place at MipTV on 8 April with several international stars.


    Carla Peterson and Luciano Castro, the glamour couple in Lalola, will be in Cannes to mark the international success of this Argentinian telenovela.









    The mentalist Uri Geller will return to MipTV to support his new show Staya Erusa: Find the Book of Knowledge and his Israeli hit show The Successor.


    On the French production front, the artists of Sisterhood will be on hand in the shape of Thea Boswell, Charlotte Becquin, Emmanuelle Boidron, Julia Cecilion and Pierre Deny (Marathon). Singer-actress Priscilla will be in town with on-screen partner Alexia Degremont to present their new musical series Chante.

  • Granada to showcase new content at MipTV 2008








    MUMBAI: Content distribution company Granada International (GI) will debut a range of content at the television trade event MipTV which takes place in Cannes, France from 7-11 April 2008.

    The drama slate includes Bonekickers. Secrets from the past are brought roaring into the 21st century in Bonekickers, packed with historical mystery and contemporary action adventure. This witty and fast-paced series centres on a team of talented archaeologists working at the front line of history. They are led by the feisty and passionate Dr Gillian Magwilde (Julie Graham), who is following in the footsteps of her brilliant mother both professionally, and in her obsession with finding the greatest relic in history.


    Each episode is a window through to an exciting period of history, including the excavation of murdered 18th century slaves, the possible discovery of the True Cross, the looting of Babylonian relics from the Iraq War and the exploration of secret chambers underneath the famous Roman baths.


    Another new show is Lost In Austen. In the show a thoroughly modern heroine threatens to ruin one of the world’s greatest literary love stories in this reinvention of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Hollywood actress Alex Kingston stars alongside Hugh Bonneville, Lindsay Duncan (Rome) and new Bond girl Gemma Arterton. Bored bank worker Amanda Price (Jemima Roper) literally becomes lost in her favourite Austen book, after she finds a strange portal in her bathroom and swaps places with its heroine Elizabeth Bennet.


    As she gets to know the Bennet family and encounters the famous Mr Darcy (Elliot Cowan – The Golden Compass), how can she keep this celebrated romance on track?










    Hollywood TV movies also feature in Granada International’s new high definition programming at the market, illustrated by Daughter of the Bride. Luke Perry stars in this family drama centred on a mother and daughter. Rose (Helen Shaver) and Roxanne (Joanna Garcia) are the perfect team as partners in a successful wedding planning company.


    But when Rose returns from a wedding dress research trip to Paris, she’s brought back something extra – a new fiancé! Roxanne’s resentment of her mother’s new love increases when he invites her own former fiancé to dinner. It doesn’t take much for Roxanne to try and stop the wedding. But when Rose confides that she only stayed with her unfaithful first husband to keep the family together, Roxanne realises her actions could ruin her mother’s chance for happiness with a man who truly loves her. Can she get the wedding back on track before it’s too late?


    The company will also showcase factual series including The Neanderthal Code. This is an evolutionary detective story, shot in High Definition. Neanderthals were humans that dominated Europe for a quarter of a million years and then mysteriously became extinct. Why did they disappear? And what part did we play in their downfall? The programmes travel the length and breadth of Europe, examining key locations where Neanderthals lived, meeting leading experts in the field, and using scientific expertise to reconstruct the Neanderthal’s world.


    Through dramatic reconstruction, genetic sequencing and CGI, the programme explores the fascinating theory that Neanderthals interbred with our ancestors. Is it possible that Neanderthal genes still live on today?



    For children‘s broadcasters the company has The Pinky and Perky Show. This is a CGI series for 6–11 year olds. Pinky and Perky are a pair of loveable piglets who have just been given their big break in television – their own live TV show full of crazy stunts, wild games, anarchic cartoons and top celebrity guests. Their show is loud, messy and frequently out of control, which makes it a huge hit with the kids at home – and very unpopular with some of the grown ups at the TV station.


    They’re determined to get rid of those pesky piglets and have a thousand cunning plots and plans to get them thrown off television for ever. The show must go on, but can Pinky and Perky work together to save the day?


    On the format side the company will showcase The Colour of Money. Here contestants play super cash machines to try and make their fortune. In this tense format from 12 Yard Productions, 10 contestants face a bank of 20 different coloured cash machines, each containing an unknown amount of money.


    The contestants must decide how much they’d like to win – and the more cash they play for the harder the game. Players choose to withdraw money from 10 machines, shouting ‘Stop!’ before each machine runs out. If they wait and the cash runs dry, then the security system closes it down and they lose everything.


    Another format is The Chopping Block and is set in the ultra-competitive world of restaurants. Each week two under-performing restaurants are revamped and pitted against each other to try to impress a renowned food critic or chef and to win a cash prize.


    This is a food fight for survival as both businesses are scrutinised, management practices questioned and their customers surveyed. Cameras capture the behind-the-scenes action as it unfolds and the pressure mounts as they try to turn their restaurants around in only 48 hours.

  • CCI Entertainment to showcase ‘Scathed’ and ‘Stolen Lives’ at Mipdoc









     

    MUMBAI: Canada‘s CCI Entertainment will bring Scathed and Stolen Lives, two reality-based documentaries produced by Odd Squad Productions, to Mipdoc.


    Mipdoc takes place in Cannes, France later this week and is the precusor to MipTV.

    Available for the first time, Scathed and Stolen Lives offer a look at the devastation caused by auto theft and crystal methamphetamine use, two of the many dangerous temptations faced by today’s youth.







    CCI Entertainment EVP of distribution Jill Keenleyside says, “We are so pleased to be able to distribute these informative and edgy documentaries. Both films address extremely topical subjects in society today that should be a part of a global dialogue.”


    Scathed takes an in-depth look at crystal methamphetamine, the highly addictive narcotic that has created a deadly epidemic among youth. The story is told by teenage users, health-care workers, as well as police providing a harsh dose of reality that will educate and inform.








    Metro Vancouver provides the backdrop for Stolen Lives, a documentary that delves into the criminal act of stealing cars. Winner of 2007’s Founders Choice Award at the New York Independent Film Festival, the film looks to remind viewers that all too often someone pays the ultimate price.







  • Galleon Holdings to unveil ‘Super Soccer Star’ at MipTV ’08








    MUMBAI: Galleon Holdings is taking its latest multi-platform reality talent hunt show Super Soccer Star to international buyers at MipTV 2008.

    The first season of the new talent search show is co-produced by Galleon Holdings and Guangdong TV Sports Channel, one of China’s largest regional broadcasters, and Chelsea Football Club.


    Galleon owns the Super Soccer Star show and format. Following the establishment of the first series, it has planned to roll out the format and the brand to other provinces in China and other countries in South East Asia. The show is launching on 7 April on Guangdong TV in China.



    Galleon Holdings CEO Stephen Green said, “Super Soccer Star is poised to become a national show in China and in other territories in SE Asia. This is an entertainment format with family appeal and many levels of engagement for the viewer. We’re delighted to have the backing of a brand like Chelsea, one of the most recognisable football brands in the world and one of the best followed clubs in China. MipTV gives us the perfect opportunity to forge relationships with international and regional TV, online and mobile partners.”









    Super Soccer Star aims to promote football skills and fitness in teenagers. Soccer schools and coaches across the Guangdong province will send their most promising 14 to 16-year-old players to the show to participate in the selection process over the 13 episodes.


    One of the final episodes will be held in Chelsea FC, leading to the winner being granted a place to train at the Chelsea Academy.

  • Rive Gauche to premiere ‘Scare Tactics 3’ at MIPTV









     


     


    MUMBAI: Rive Gauche Television will premiere the third season of Scare Tactics at MipTV.


    Scare Tactics is a reality revenge format series that follows people who lure their friends and families into scary scenarios that often turn hilarious on camera.


    Thirteen half-hour episodes will be made available to global buyers at this year’s market. The announcement was made today by Rive Gauche SVP of international sales Dorothy Crompton.










    In addition to the brand new third season episodes of Scare Tactics, Rive Gauche will also be offering broadcasters a total of forty-three completed episodes from the first and second seasons.

  • Overcoming traditional apathy towards city based sports is a key challenge for IPL

























    MUMBAI: Public apathy towards city based sports is the key challenge the BCCI‘s upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL), which kicks off on 18 April, will confront.



    This point came through loud and clear during a session on Sports and Entertainment on the final day of Ficci Frames 2008.




    BCCI VP Lalit Modi, who gave the keynote, said, “When Brett Lee who plays for Mohali takes Sachin‘s wicket will the Mohali cricket fans cheer against Sachin and cheer for their team? That is a key issue facing us.



    “Our initial aim will be to get fans into stadiums. The ultimate aim is for the rivalry between Delhi and Mumbai to match what exists between Liverpool and Manchester United. Of course this will not happen overnight. The creation of fan clubs will take time. It will not happen in the first year.”



    Another challenge, he concedes, is getting women and children to watch the IPL instead of the regular Saas Bahu soaps. IPL is in direct competition because it is in prime time.


    Ten Sports senior VP programming and production Peter Hutton is pleased about the fact that finally cricket is being scheduled during primetime and during weekends. This he says should have been done some time ago. Sport after all is paid for by television.


    He notes that ICL has been faring better than international cricket matches not featuring India. This shows the power of the Twenty20 format.




    Another challenge that the IPL faces lies in creating the kind of emotional connect that the national Indian cricket team has.


    Former cricketer Ajay Jadeja notes that Indians do not love sport. “We love the national Indian cricket team. That is why a South Africa versus Australia match which is high in quality gets low ratings compared with an India versus Bangladesh encounter which might be low in quality. There is an emotional attachment. It also exists for the Olympics and so when Rathod wins an Olympic medla we are ecstatic. If he does well in the World Champiopnships nobody is watching,” adds Jadeja.



    He also points out that cricket has the obstacle in that some players do not play for clubs with the same fervour as they do for their national teams. For instance Ganguly did not bond well with Lancashire. Team culture is not a priority in many cases.



    “In soccer you have players giving their all for their clubs. In fact some of them play their best for their clubs as opposed to their national sides. The club culture is embedded in that sport. For cricket it is often the opposite. Above all people watching the IPL need to believe that what they are seeing is real and not some reality show,” says Jadeja.




    Modi agrees that cricket has to be competitive and serious. There needs to be a hunger to win. Rivalries need to be real; Shah Rukh Khan might drive people into the stadiums but if the cricket is not a compelling experience how many people will stick around?



    While IPL is trying to replicate the success of the English Premier League (EPL) one of the reasons why the EPL does well is that England is a small country. PwC‘s Thompson notes that this allows fans can travel with their teams.


    Teams playing away matches get support. Will India be able to replicate this given its geography? Also big cities in the UK have different teams like Manchester United and Manchester City. This gives the local sports culture a huge boost. He spoke about a 60 city model for local sport. He also says that the reason the EPL gets so much money is the exclusivity of pay TV. In India this does not exist.



    Still it is important not to get pessimistic from the outset. The IPL has gotten new partners Hutton notes. Setanta will air cricket for the first time courtesy IPL. ” In Dubai there is a lot of interest about what is happening here. This is a far cry from the days when the BCCI had to pay someone to produce domestic cricket. I think that different loyalties can be created over time.”



    Modi further notes that the IPL marks the first that a sports league on this scale has been built from the ground up adds Modi. With EPL for instance clubs already existed and it was a question of putting their rights into one body. Asked as to why there was cap on the players purse during the auction he explains that the aim was to provide a level playing field. “This cap though is only for the first year. From the second year players can be traded. Keep in mind though the fact that corporates will not be tolerant of poor performances by players. They are not being picked by selectors.”



    He also had words of encouragement for other sports. He notes that as the economy grows there are more choices becoming available besides Bollywood and soaps. “You now have international sports events where international players like Rafeal Nadal, the Williams sisters playing here. The FI Grand Prix which takes place in Delhi in 2014 will be a landmark event.”



    And what can other sports learn from the IPL? Sports editor Ayaz Memon notes that it is key that other sports shake off the sluggishness of sports bodies. State apathy needs to be replaced with the drive of private enterprise which is what is being seen in the IPL. Jadeja further lamented the fact that India has a sports minister who has no interest in this genre.