ITV

Category: Production House

  • Industry needs to handhold to come out of this crisis

    Industry needs to handhold to come out of this crisis

    MUMBAI: The film and television producers are gearing up to restart shooting in the wake of guidelines issued by the Maharashtra government and the easing of lockdown restrictions. Film and TV post-production activities in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Telangana have also resumed, albeit with restrictions.

    Indiantelevision.com reached out to leading TV producers to understand their plans in the days ahead.

    Shakuntalam Telefilms founder Shyamashis Bhattacharya said, “People are eager to work; getting them on set is difficult but getting them to work is easy. We have new challenges before us like sanitisation and social distancing, but we will strictly adhere to all the norms.”

    But how production houses with lower budgets will work with added costs of sanitisation and other procedures? According to him, Hindi GECs would be able to sustain and work as soon as the government gives permission. Budget constraints, however, will pose challenges to regional channels. In that case, they might take more time than others to think of suitable measures. He said that broadcasters and production houses are already in talks to find out if there can be deduction in production budgets.

    Producers already have plans to start fiction shows with a lesser number of crew. Non-fiction shows, however, will be on hold as they require larger crews. According to him, broadcasters are also under pressure as there haven’t been any advertising revenues for many months.

    Optimystix Entertainment founder-MD Vipul D Shah suggests, as a measure of social distancing, that editing rooms will require redesigning. A separate space will be allotted to editors with one in one room. Most preferably, they will be asked to work from home.

    Makeup artists and hairdressers are constantly required to be with actors. But, to maintain social distancing, actors will now have to work without makeup artists at least for a few months. However, all these measures are still on paper; one has to wait till shooting starts to test the efficacy of their implementation.

    Indiantelevision.com reached out to Vaishnave Media Works Ltd MD-chairman Kutty Padmini to understand how things have progressed in the Tamil industry.

    She said, “Full-fledged shooting has not yet started in the Tamil industry as not more than 15 to 20 people can work together at a time. So, we have requested the Tamil Nadu government to grant permission for 40 people.” She adds that 30 people can be present inside the set and 10 outside; they will include drivers, generator operators and the rest.

    She said that the pending post-production works like dubbing, CJI, and VFX have started.

    According to Padmini, the Tamil Nadu government decided to resume shooting with 20 people after someone suggested that in Hollywood the shoot is happening with just 22 members. She says that this scenario is not relevant to India.

    “Resuming shoot with minimum people is possible for me as I do my own scripts and everything else, but it might not be possible for other people. It is not quite difficult also. Today, the technology is so advanced that we do not need so many lights or technicians like in the black-and-white era.”

    Padmini made it clear that she is planning to resume shooting only after 15 June. Currently, she is busy creating content for her YouTube channel.

    On creating a bank of certain episodes, Padmini says that now broadcasters allow the creation of banks of only five episodes. Story narrations might change in accordance with other factors like change in TRPs. And then there are many other factors like availability of actors, who come from Karnataka and Kerala.

    During the pandemic, a lot of production houses had to lay off employees, but the situation has been different for Padmini as she preferred to hire people based on projects.

    Padmini is utilising this lockdown period to create scripts which are doable with lesser crew. She is currently working with MSN, Amazon Prime, Dangal and Aha Media in Hyderabad.

    Creative Eye founder Dheeraj Kumar is positive that soon Maharashtra will also start post-production works like other states. Kumar’s 20-year-old show Shree Ganesh will make a comeback on Star Plus. The show will premiere on 2 June and air from Monday to Sunday at 6:30 pm.

    “The show is going to start but I have to do some additions, promos, and post production works. So, I am giving whatever technological help that is required through constant communication with editors and technicians. Basically, my problems are very immediate. The bigger challenge is we cannot start our post-production works until and unless we follow all the guidelines imposed by Maharashtra government,” he added.

    Kumar has his own studio, pro-cut machines, tools, equipment for mixing and sound. Apart from this, he regularly sanitises his studio building. He is bringing in place sanitise tunnels to effectively disinfect offices and equipment. In order to maintain social distancing norms Kumar has enough rooms that could be allotted to the technical staff.

    Kumar is also going to implement an odd-even formula in terms of staff to begin shooting. He believes broadcasters and producers will have to support each other in these troubled times.

    “Going forward we will have to think very carefully with regard to logistics and finances. Necessity is the mother of invention. We will have to learn to work with less crew and a tight budget. Industry needs to do the handholding to come out of this crisis,” he concludes. 

  • Film, TV directors’ association requests Maharashtra govt for changes in shooting guidelines

    Film, TV directors’ association requests Maharashtra govt for changes in shooting guidelines

    MUMBAI: The Indian Film & Television Directors’ Association (IFTDA) has sent a letter to the Maharashtra government seeking the removal of certain clauses in the guidelines for resuming shooting of films, OTT shows, and television serials as they are difficult to be adhered to. Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray recently permitted the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) to resume shooting only if these guidelines and SOPs are followed strictly.

    IFTDA president Ashoke Pandit wrote, “We are glad to note that each and every point that we had presented and discussed in the above meeting has been considered and implemented in the GR released by the government. All the clauses that are mentioned in the GR are in line with the requirements raised by the stakeholders of the Industry. However, we would like to request you to please revisit two clauses mentioned in the GR.”

    One major concern is that any person above 65 years of age will not be allowed to work on the set. This category includes prominent actors like Amitabh Bachchan, Anupam Kher, Paresh Rawal, Annu Kapoor, Naseeruddin Shah, Dharmendra, Shakti Kapoor, Mithun Chakraborty, Pankaj Kapur, Jackie Shroff, Danny Denzongpa, Dalip Tahil, Tinnu Anand, Rakesh Bedi, Kabir Bedi and others. It also has legendary directors, filmmakers and writers like Anil Sharma, David Dhawan, Subhash Ghai, Shyam Benegal, Mani Ratnam and Prakash Jha.

    According to Pandit, this clause is impractical since it would restrict some of the great luminaries of the industry.

    Another major concern highlighted by Pandit is the availability of doctors and nurses stationed at each shooting premises.

    The letter notes that Maharashtra is already facing issues due to non-availability of the doctors and nurses to cope with the increased number of patients from the Covid2019 pandemic and therefore it is not practical to have a doctor and nurse to be stationed at each shooting premise.

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  • Distressed studios ready to give concessions to producers

    Distressed studios ready to give concessions to producers

    MUMBAI: Huge financial losses, unbearable maintenance costs, the fear of impending rain ruining the sets… Studio owners in the country have been living with all these woes and challenges after the lockdown was imposed to curb the spread of Covid2019. 

    Ever since the lockdown, studio owners, bereft of any revenue during the last two months, have been bearing the operation costs such as for maintenance, workers’ salary, loan interest, etc.

    Says Future Studio promoter Archana Shourie, “If Rs 100 was the revenue we earn in a month, which is zero now due to the crisis, the expenses of Rs 40 continue to exist as we have been paying all our workers 100 per cent salary from the company’s account, which will take us six months to come to normal.”

    Shows such as Guddan – Tumse Na Ho Payega, Dil Ye Ziddi Hai, and many other projects of Balaji Telefilms are shot at Future Studio. Shourie says, “Once the shooting starts, I don’t think there would be any issues going forward. We are waiting to see how the government will help us restart.”

    The financial crisis in the television and ad industry is so huge it has almost created a panic-like situation, says Shourie. “I don’t believe lockdown is really going to be a solution to stop the spread of Covid2019, because people have gone into a major depression.”

    Future Studio has taken all necessary precautions such as sanitisation of cabin, sanitizer stands across the premises. It has also arranged a doctor and nurse along with an ambulance.

    Lambodar Studio owner Chandan Thakare, who has been burdened with debts, has been facing harassment from people from whom he had borrowed loans for business. Says Thakare, “Currently, we are facing huge financial losses. Rains are approaching in a couple of weeks and would need to prepare ourselves, but all of our six workers have left for their hometown and will be back after everything normalises.” 

    Thakare is one of the partners of Lambodar Studio in Malvani, where Marathi shows called Ek Hoti Rajkanya and episodes of Crime Patrol's were shot, but they remain paralysed due to the current crisis. Thakare has studio sets of a police station and two chawls and one bungalow at different locations. His studio business, a joint venture with four studios and production sets, has been facing financial crisis.

    He fears that rain may flood the studio and that the sets will be ruined. “We don’t have labourers to cover it with tarpaulin,” he says.

    With almost zero revenues, he has been incurring an operational costs of at least Rs 7.5 lakh per month. On average, Thakare used to earn revenue of not less than Rs 17-18 lakh per month, of which profit used to be Rs 4 lakh. Plus, he had to pay the interest from the profit.

    It’s speculated that around mid-June shootings are likely to resume, says Thakare. “The shooting of only daily soaps will resume at a single location, whose storyline and cast change every episode, like for example Crime Patrol.” Thakare dreams of giving a better livelihood to at least 500 employees’ families working with or under him.

    Artisan Studio owner RS Garg Shree Ganesha says: “This crisis has made everyone learn something out of it. We may take time to come back to normalcy with proper hygiene and social distancing.” He has been facing a monthly revenue loss of at least Rs 10 lakh and maintenance cost of Rs 2-2.5 lakh.

    Garg, who jointly owns two-three studios on the outskirts of Mumbai, has been seeking at least half of the decided payment from producers, but ready to come to a middle ground through mutual understanding. He expects industry to bounce back soon and shall have a meeting with producers soon, once everything opens up. Artisan Studio doesn’t have many labours; it has a manager, an electrician and a few security guards and has been paying fully for the last two months.

    Despite the woes, some studio owners are extending whatever help they can to the needy in these times of crisis. 

    While all other studio owners are worried about the top-line decline, Mother Nature Studio owner Vishal Kandhari has completely turned one of the studio properties into an NGO. He along with his 14-15 employees, who are volunteering for this noble cause, has been distributing food packets to the people living on the streets, who have been suffering most due to this lockdown.

    Kandhari, like other studio owners, is facing a financial crisis but this has not stopped him from feeding at least 3000-4000 people in the Andheri-Borivali belt almost every day now. He started this initiative through an NGO called Punyakarma Foundation. His initiative has received multiple donations, including from his colleagues, and has been appreciated and supported by Bollywood celebrities such as Tiger Shroff, Imtiaz Ali, Ashish Vidyarthi, and Pallavi Joshi.

    Kandhari says, “The lockdown cannot be extended for a longer period. We have to come out of this and need to have an alternative solution. We need to use our intelligence as the virus is here to stay and don’t see it fading out soon.” He expects producers to take extra precautions before resuming shooting and make proper arrangements for the crew.

    Kandhari owns three studios each in Mud-island, Naigaon and Malad link road. He has 50-60 employees, of which 45 of them have returned to their hometowns. So far, all workers are being paid full, but going forward the studio has to re-think about their wages. Like Thakare, Kandhari is also worried about the rains approaching in a few weeks. He is also worried about leakage and water-clogging ruining the studios.  

    Thanks to their good relations with producers, studio owners have received all the payments at least till 15 March. They may have to forgo the last two months’ rent. In order to restart the business, studio owners are ready to help their fellow industry mates, especially producers, in whichever way possible, to help them stand back on their feet once a green signal for shooting comes from the government.

    Studio owners believe that it’s time to help each other and emerge stronger from this situation. Towards this goal, they are ready for renegotiation of contracts with the producers if required. They are also willing to give a concession of at least 10-15 per cent to help producers resume the stalled shooting. 

  • Producers in Maharashtra gearing up to resume shooting

    Producers in Maharashtra gearing up to resume shooting

    MUMBAI: Producers are gearing up to resume production after Maharashtra government on Sunday gave the official sanction in this regard.

    The government gave green signal for the resumption of film and television shootings in non-containment zones.

    Indian Film & TV Producers Council chairman (TV division) and Hats Off Productions founder J D Majethia told Indiantelevision.com that producers have started the process to resume shooting of films and television/OTT serials.  

    He said, “Every producer will have to fill up an application form. If someone wants to shoot outside Mumbai, he/she will need to take permission from the district collector. Currently, we are in the process of filling up an application form with all the details that will be uploaded in the course of next two to three days.”

    After filing the application form, the concerned authority will scrutinise the details based on numerous factors like studio space, SOPs, etc. After evaluating the application and depending on the situation, they might be granted permission within seven days, he explained.

    Regarding the exact shooting date, Majethia said it will be finalised after discussing with other producers in two to three days.

    He added that every broadcaster, film producer and OTT platform will have to apply for permission separately. Shooting outside Maharashtra, however, is not allowed. The cultural affairs ministry said that producers will have to conduct pre-production and post-production works by adhering to the rules and regulation laid down by the government.

    Producers will have to apply to the managing director of the Maharashtra Film City in Goregaon, Mumbai, and to district collectors outside Mumbai for resuming shootings.

    Majethia clearly stated that they are filling up the application form after taking into consideration the well-being of everyone involved. He concluded: “Our topmost priority is to safeguard the lives of our people; we are thinking of all possible measures to resume the shoot without risking anybody’s life.” 

  • Help each other to bring the industry back on its feet: TV producers

    Help each other to bring the industry back on its feet: TV producers

    MUMBAI: The television producers believe that helping each other to revive the business, as and when the state government allows production to resume, will help the industry get back on its feet. This was the unanimous view of a virtual round table conference organised by indiantelevision.com to discuss the challenges faced by TV producers.  

    The panel, moderated by indiantelevision.com founder, CEO and editor-in-chief Anil Wanvari, had Swastik Productions & One Life Studios producer & managing director Rahul Kumar Tewary, SOL Productions founder and managing director Fazila Allana, Contiloe Pictures founder and CEO Abhimanyu Singh, Endemol Shine India CEO Abhishek Rege, Fremantle India Television Productions managing director Aradhana Bhola, Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah producer Asit Kumarr Modi of Neela Films, and ANM Global managing partner Nidhish Mehrotra.

    It was a two-hour-long animated and insightful discussion that touched upon the issues which are afflicting the production community during this pandemic. Towards the end, there saw a question-and-answer session between the moderator and panellists.

    The majority of panellists agreed that the lockdown has prompted them to think about the future, watch enormous content. And the further extension of the lockdown is adding to their financial stress. The country has been under shutdown for over two months now, the total cases across the nation surpassing the one-lakh mark with around 4000 deaths due to the Covid2019.

    SOL Productions founder and managing director Fazila Allana says that the lockdown has been interesting so far, it gave the producers a time to plan for the future. They are in a wait-and-watch mode.

    Contrary to the Allana’s view, Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah producer Asit Kumarr Modi says: “We were expecting 10-15 days of lockdown, but the situation is getting grimmer with the extension. There is no positivity remaining and I don't have a happy mindset after two months of lockdown.”

    The producers expressed the view that they somehow tried to stretch the fresh content on TV until March, but with the beginning of April every other broadcasting network started showing re-runs of archives and are doing the same even today, except with some error-and-trial work from home shows.

    Many producers had predicted lockdown, shut their offices and stopped shooting before prime minister Narendra Modi announced the official lockdown on 24 March.

    Expressing his concern that prolonged lockdown is taking a toll on businesses, Swastik Productions & One Life Studios producer & MD Rahul Kumar Tewary says: “We can’t be in lockdown forever and the nation's economy needs to be revived. We need to have ways, initiatives, and measures as an alternative to start businesses. It's an evolution and a new way to do business. We need to evolve.”

    Sharing Tewary’s view, Fremantle India Television Productions managing director Aradhana Bhola says: “The lives of the people are important but we need to revive business and try different ways to find the solution. I think this is the time to reset, and need to find ways to do it collectively.” She doesn’t believe that the producers will have a typical set of doing a production from home; rather it will have a hybrid studio setup of producing content remotely.

    And in these testing times, to guide the panellists on the legal front, ANM Global managing partner Nidhish Mehrotra says that nobody had thought of adding pandemic as force majeure clause in the contract globally. He adds that if insurance talks about the pandemic in your contract then you're covered, but if it doesn't mention it, then you are not eligible for the same.

    With over-the-top media having taken the centre stage amid the pandemic, Modi says, “The audience’s behaviour will drastically change after post-Covid2019 situation. And, I am positive that producers will come with more creative shows. We need to create shows which make viewers happy. Both fiction and non-fiction will have their own challenges.”

    Listing out the challenges post-lifting of the lockdown, Contiloe Pictures founder and CEO Abhimanyu Singh explains: “All the stakeholders will have to understand each other’s problem. It has to be a healthy discussion, which helps us find a solution. We will face multiple challenges once the lockdown is lifted, and the budget cut is going to be a collective problem.”

    He adds, “Our biggest challenge as a producer is to ensure the continuity of the shoot. Once you have started the shoot, don’t stop it”. Singh is of the same view of Modi that the viewing patterns of television audiences may change. According to him, AVoD will co-exist with television and SVoD is here to stay as many OTT platforms have proved their mettle.

    The Maharashtra government has listened to the television fraternity’s concerns. Endemol Shine India CEO Abhishek Rege, who was one of the producers who attended the virtual meeting with the chief minister in this regard, said: “The state government has formed teams to do surveys at shooting locations and will also come up with final SOPs.” Rege hopes that by the first week of June the government should come out with a concrete plan and shooting would resume soon.

    The other challenges that were discussed by the producers were pay cuts and shooting locations. According to Rege, there is no specific regulatory body to monitor pay cuts; it’s an individual decision. Similarly, Modi highlights the fact that television producers don’t have a proper shooting infrastructure in India, and “it should be our next focus once the pandemic ends.”

    During this lockdown period, with no work to do, television producers are using their free time to either binge-watch some good content and/or planning the future course of actions or trying to find an alternative way to deal with this situation once the lockdown ends.

  • Producers’ association warns against fake news of production restarting

    Producers’ association warns against fake news of production restarting

    MUMBAI: Indian Motion Pictures Producers' Association (IMPPA) has appealed to people not to fall prey to false and baseless information regarding re-starting of shooting.

    IMPPA in a press release said that they have been informed by many members who have come across messages being spread in the press and social media in the name of Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE). The official release by IMPPA also mentioned the latest WhatsApp message being circulated in the name of the office-bearers of FWICE.

    According IMPPA, the false news spreading on social media in the name of FWICE states: “Shooting of TV serials shall start from June end for which FWICE has issued guidelines that one inspector and ambulance shall have to be present on sets at all times and though only 50 per cent workers will be allowed to work, the producers will have to pay workers and if anything untoward happens to any worker due to Covid2019, the concerned producer will have to pay compensation of Rs 50 lakh  to that worker.”

    To verify the details, IMPPA spoke to FWICE general secretary Ashok Dubey who informed that all these guidelines and directions circulated in the name of FWICE are totally false and baseless.

    FWICE also confirmed that no such decision or guideline shall be finalized unless all the producers’ association agrees to the same. It also made it clear that the decision to restart shoot post Covid-2019 pandemic shall be valid and subsisting only if the same is countersigned and authenticated by FWICE and the producers’ association and the president of IMPAA.

  • Cine employees fed appeals to Maharashtra CM to resume post-production works

    Cine employees fed appeals to Maharashtra CM to resume post-production works

    MUMBAI:Federation of Western India Cine Employees has appealed to Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray to grant permission to resume the post-production work of the media and entertainment industry. 

    In the letter the federation said that the media and entertainment industry is the largest revenue earner, but the Covid2019 lockdown has ceased all the production activities. As a result the industry is suffering huge losses.

    Producers have poured in huge funds into various projects. The association appealed that it will be a great relief to them if they are able to release their projects immediately after the lockdown is lifted.

    The federation sought the chief minister’s permission to continue with the post production activities, such as editing, sound recording, etc. of such projects nearing completion, so that it will give relief to the industry.

    It assured the chief minister that necessary guidelines pertaining to the health, safety and security of the workers involved in such post-production activities will be adhered to.

    The federation expressed the hope that the chief minister will be considerate and thoughtful regarding its plea and provide the necessary permissions to resume the post-production activities for the stuck projects in the media and entertainment industry.

  • Sri Adhikari Brothers’ ‘Galti Kiski,’ based on Kiran Bedi’s book, to air on DD

    Sri Adhikari Brothers’ ‘Galti Kiski,’ based on Kiran Bedi’s book, to air on DD

    MUMBAI: India’s leading media and entertainment conglomerate Sri Adhikari Brothers is bringing yet another classic hit show, ‘Galti Kiski,’  based on the book ‘What Went Wrong and Why?, written by super cop and lieutenant governor of Puducherry Kiran Bedi. The show will air on Doordarshan National from 19 May every day at 1 pm.

    ‘Galti Kiski’ is a real-life narrative based on the book ‘What Went Wrong And Why?, written by the super cop Kiran Bedi. It is a unique compendium of real-life first-hand experiences – candid, poignant, touching and thought-provoking – that will compel peopleto sit up and take notice. A true revelation of social and economic maladies that adversely affect the present-day society and the way one can handle such scenarios and a destination for those who sought help in similar matters. It places these realities for greater appreciation by all those who can play a role in preventing such happenings, and defines the duties to do and the responsibilities to accept

    SABGROUP patriarch Markand Adhikari said: “In lieu of our commitment to leverage our content library to Doordarshan, we are glad that ‘Galti Kiski’ which featured the super cop Kiran Bedi is going to air on Doordarshan National, We are willing to do whatever it takes to help our nation stay engaged and keep the momentum going during the lockdown."

    Kiran Bedi said: ‘’During my journey as an IPS officer and there on, I always observed the rift between people at different stages of life and most of them were due to simple lack of compassion.This book is all about making an attempt at being fair and human. My mission behind Galti Kiski was simply to save the next victim, it wasn’t to gain publicity or popularity but to forewarn people. I am so honoured to have created a televised version of this with Sri Adhikari Brothers and the fact that it is going to be aired again on Doordarshan National during these grim times. It gives people a chance to introspect and rethink life after lockdown and make this society a better place to live in as one.’’

    ‘What Went Wrong and Why?’ was adapted in a Hindi version for the book with the same title as the show Galti Kiski. 

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  • Bimal Parekh joins Rainshine Entertainment’s board

    Bimal Parekh joins Rainshine Entertainment’s board

    MUMBAI: Entertainment company Rainshine Entertainment has announced the induction of industry stalwart Bimal Parekh into its board of directors. Portfolio manager to the stars, co-owner of Mumbai City FC along with Bollywood heartthrob Ranbir Kapoor, and financial advisor for blockbuster hits like Gully Boy, Bajirao Mastani, Andhadhun, Dangal, to name a few, Parekh joins Rainshine Entertainment to further strengthen its eminent board.

    Rainshine Entertainment creates, nurtures and develops content studios Indian and global audiences.

    Rainshine Entertainment chairman-CEO Neeraj Bhargava says: “We are excited to have Bimal join us on the Board of Directors of Rainshine Entertainment. His years of experience in investment and business, along with his acumen in handling finances of large-scale Bollywood ventures, lend themselves seamlessly to our vision of expanding and scaling up Rainshine. Together we will work towards our vision of bolstering each of our studios, helping them take on bigger and better initiatives, and also spreading Rainshine’s base to international markets. Bimal adds his vast Indian entertainment industry experience and complements our existing group of illustrious non-executive directors, including Arun Sarin, David Johnson, and Michael Montgomery, who, along with him, will guide us on our vision and global initiatives.”

    Bimal Parekh says: “Rainshine’s vision of building a professionally run and scalable content studio is just what the rapidly expanding market needs. Media and entertainment have always been an area of interest for me, and I’m glad I’m associating with an organization that has a sound understanding of the business and the industry at large. Rainshine’s vision and way of building its business aligns with my personal vision of the kind of work I would like to be associated with. I look forward to making this partnership fruitful and worthwhile for all of Rainshine’s stakeholders.”

    An alumnus of Sydenham College of Commerce and Economics, with over 35 years of experience, Parekh currently holds board positions in many prestigious forums and organizations.

  • Applause Entertainment appoints Yogesh Manwani as head of marketing & revenue

    Applause Entertainment appoints Yogesh Manwani as head of marketing & revenue

    MUMBAI: Applause Entertainment today announced the appointment of Yogesh Manwani as head–marketing and revenue. Taking over the reins from Ashok A Cherian, Manwani will be driving the integrated brand and revenue mandate.

    Manwani comes with over two decades of expansive experience in content marketing, brand strategy and business management and has held leadership positions at reputed media organisations like Star India, ZEE5 and others. A UCLA Anderson Alumnus, Manwani shouldered responsibilities entailed devising and executing multiple aspects of the Go-to-Market strategy – to grow market share for new and challenger brands.

    “Applause Entertainment is definitely the most uniquely positioned content studio in the country today, one that is blazing a new trail in the premium content space. Under the able leadership of Sameer Nair, Applause has created path breaking premium content across genres & languages. I am looking forward to contribute towards the growth and success of Applause Entertainment,” said Manwani.

    Promoted by Aditya Birla Group chairman, Kumar Mangalam Birla and headed by Sameer Nair, Applause Entertainment is the leading content studio in the country committed to investing and co-investing in the creation of content across shows, movies, unscripted and short-form. Since its inception in 2017, Applause has created 19 marquee shows that include the likes of Hasmukh, Criminal Justice, Hostages, Bhaukaal, Mind the Malhotras, The Office and many more.

    “These are difficult times, but we are confident that innovation in content creation and distribution will be a key outcome of this crisis. At a crucial juncture like this, I am delighted to have Yogesh come onboard to lead the marketing and revenue mantle. His repertoire of work is exemplary and exhaustive, and I am confident that he will add immense value to Applause’s journey ahead. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Ashok for his invaluable contribution to brand Applause; he has been a very critical part of our success so far and I wish him all the best for his future endeavours,” signed off Nair.