ITV

Category: People

  • Indian television’s ‘Baa’ Sudha Shivpuri passes away

    Indian television’s ‘Baa’ Sudha Shivpuri passes away

    MUMBAI: Veteran actress Sudha Shivpuri, who essayed the role of Baa in Ekta Kapoor’s iconic serial Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhie Bahu Thi, passed away on the morning of 20 May. She was 77.

     

    Her funeral was held at the Oshiwara Crematorium today at 2.30 pm. She was married to actor Om Shivpuri and is survived by daughter Ritu and son Vineet.

     

    Shivpuri had been unwell for the last couple of years after she suffered a stroke in December 2013, which affected her basic motor skills.

     

    Prior to acting in television, Shivpuri also had a stint in films. Her debut film was Basu Chatterjee’s Swami (1977). Apart from this, she also worked in movies like Insaaf Ka Tarazu, Hamari Bahu Alka, Sawan Ko Aane Do, Sun Meri Laila, Burning Train, Vidhaata and Maya Memsaab.

     

    In her TV career, Shivpuri acted in serials like Aa Bail Mujhe Maar, Rajni, Missing, Rishtey, Sarhadein and Bandhan amongst others. However, it was Kapoor’s Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhie Bahu Thi, which ran on Star Plus from 2000 – 2008, which catapulted her to instant fame. 

  • ET Now ups Sandeep Gurumurthi as executive editor

    ET Now ups Sandeep Gurumurthi as executive editor

    MUMBAI: Times Network’s business news channel ET Now has elevated Sandeep Gurumurthi as executive editor. Besides heading the channel’s editorial operations, Gurumurthi also anchors the daily primetime show Business Tonight at 9 pm.

     

    Concurrent to Gurumurthi’s elevation, Nikunj Dalmia has been promoted as chief editor- financial markets, responsible for market hours and morning band, whereas Supriya Shrinate has been elevated to the position of chief editor- news, with all bureaus reporting into her.

     

    Times Network CEO & MD MK Anand said, “Gurumurthi has maturity and aggression in the right doses and will bring energy and dynamism to the news room. He has played a critical role in ET Now’s leadership so far and going forward his expertise will be invaluable in building ET Now into a power brand. In his new role as the executive editor, he will be responsible for all editorial and programming for the channel.”

     

    Gurumurthi added, “I’m delighted to be taking charge of ET Now at this juncture. The channel has been built on key pillars of integrity, speed and accuracy and I am certain that we will continue to deliver value for all our viewers and stakeholders. ET Now has pioneered innovation in the business news genre and I look forward to working with the highly talented team here to raise the bar, yet again.”

  • Balaji Motion Pictures appoints Tushar Hiranandani as development head

    Balaji Motion Pictures appoints Tushar Hiranandani as development head

    MUMBAI: As a step towards strengthening its film unit, Balaji Motion Pictures Ltd (BMPL) has appointed Tushar Hiranandani as head of development.

     

    Hiranandani has written films like Masti, Ek Villain, Main Tera Hero and ABCD2.

     

    Balaji Motion Pictures CEO Shubhodip Pal said, “Tushar joining us is a step towards further consolidating our content generation capabilities. We will continue to invest in an eclectic film library. India is a movie-crazy nation and we have been successfully presenting a huge range of films that have garnered great reactions from audiences. With several successful films in our library over the years and an exciting pipeline of content-led films across genres over the next few months, we welcome Tushar to our young team, passionate about entertainment and look forward to making BMPL a powerhouse to look out for.”

     

    Hiranandani added, “I believe in developing great scripts, because only scripts makes great cinema. Ekta and the team have shown immense faith by giving me this position and allowing me my creative freedom. Balaji is already one of the top studios in India and my aim is to work together with an already talented team, to make it the best in the industry and eventually widen the cinematic experience for audiences.”

  • News Nation CEO RK Arora resigns

    News Nation CEO RK Arora resigns

    MUMBAI: In a major industry move, RK Arora, who is credited with building brands in the news broadcasting space, has resigned as the chief executive officer (CEO) of News Nation Network.

     

    Confirming the development to Indiantelevision.com, Arora said, “Today was my last date at News Nation. I have resigned from the post in order to explore better career options. I will be able to comment on my future move in a week’s time.”

                                                     

    On 15 December, 2014 News Nation roped in Arora as the CEO. Prior to News Nation, he was ITV Network group CEO and managed the group’s six news channels namely NewsX, India News and four regional news channels in the Hindi heartland. He was also instrumental in the company’s transformation and its unprecedented growth within a short span of two years. Prior to ITV Network, he was the BAG Network CEO for its news brands – News 24, E24 and Darshan 24. He was also associated with India TV since its inception.

  • Universal Music ups Deborah Hyacinth to SVP digital marketing innovation

    Universal Music ups Deborah Hyacinth to SVP digital marketing innovation

    MUMBAI: Universal Music Group has promoted Deborah Hyacinth to the new role of SVP digital marketing innovation.

     

    Based in London and reporting to UMG president of marketing Andrew Kronfeld, Hyacinth will lead the development and implementation of innovative digital marketing strategies for Universal Music Group’s artists and labels around the world.

     

    Since joining the company in 2011 as VP international digital marketing, Hyacinth has established UMG’s central marketing innovation team, building a suite of products and launching digital campaigns across social media, digital advertising and music streaming and developing successful new applications for rapidly evolving technologies such as augmented and virtual reality.

     

    Kronfeld said, “Deborah and her team have developed skills and capabilities that are right at the heart of our marketing campaigns all around the world. In Deborah we have an executive who is a leader in finding and building on the intersection of marketing, innovation, technology and creativity and I’m delighted she’s taking on this expanded role.”

     

    Hyacinth added, “Music continues to be at the forefront of digital innovation and I’m thrilled to be part of a team at Universal Music Group that has the vision and ambition to build on our leadership position and deliver ever more powerful marketing strategies and tools for our artists.”

     

    Since joining Universal Music Group in 2011 Hyacinth has spearheaded digital initiatives for a host of superstar and internationally successful artists including the Rolling Stones, Avicii, 5 Seconds of Summer, Ariana Grande, Sam Smith, Imagine Dragons and many others. She previously held a number of digital marketing roles at a variety of music and media companies including EMI and Reuters.

  • Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger sells stock worth $21.7 million

    Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger sells stock worth $21.7 million

    MUMBAI: Walt Disney CEO Robert A. Iger sold 200,000 shares of the company worth $21.7 million on the open market.

     

    The shares were sold on 11 May at an average price of $108.73.

     

    Additionally, according to an SEC filing, Iger also gifted 90,900 shares this week to an unknown beneficiary.

     

    However, Iger continues to hold more than 1.1 million shares in the company, which are valued at approximately $124 million.

     

    According to a statement issued by Disney, the sale was a part of Iger’s normal diversification of his portfolio.

  • Govt working to provide seamless work environment to film industry: Rathore

    Govt working to provide seamless work environment to film industry: Rathore

    NEW DELHI: Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore today said that the government was rigorously working towards providing a seamless work environment for the film industry by establishing a single window clearance mechanism.

     

    Inaugurating the India Pavilion at the Cannes International Film Festival in France today, he said a centre of excellence for gaming and visual effects had been announced. The government would do its best to be an infrastructure partner and would like to have faculty coming from the industry itself and looks forward to more faculty exchanges. 

     

    Rathore said, “India had already signed coproduction agreements with a slew of countries. In the last one year, five co-productions had been undertaken with France alone. We need to take these partnerships to the next level now.”

     

    He said the film industry is an important part of campaigns like ‘Make in India’ and ‘Skill India’ given its tremendous potential towards job creation. 

     

    The session also saw unveiling of the 46th IFFI 2015 regulations and ‘India Film Guide’ by the Minister.

     

    The India Film Guide is a comprehensive booklet with information on policy initiatives by the government pertaining to film sector, the listing of Indian companies at Cannes Film Market, Indian Films at Cannes and contacts of important people in the business of filmmaking. 

     

    The session was attended by Indian Ambassador to France Mohan Kumar, Bobby Bedi, Nandita Das, Karnataka Information and Public Relations Minister Roshan Baig, I&B ministry joint secretary (films) K Sanjay Murthy and Film Federation of India former president Ravi Kottarakara. 

     

    Bedi in his welcome address said, “India’s presence at Cannes had increased tremendously over the past decade and we have seen an increase in representation in terms of quantity and an improvement in the quality of content as well.”

     

    Kumar added that the aim should be to get Indian films in the most important category of films at Cannes. He added that over the next two to three years he would strive to work on that. The quality of films from India had been rich in content and quality. 

     

    Kottarakara felt that India has on offer some of the best shooting locations. “There has been a tremendous change in the Indian film landscape and the sector is definitely going to grow by leaps and bounds. We should try to experiment more to have a wider global acceptability. Also, India’s linguistic cinema which includes films in Tamil, Malayalam, Bengali, Marathi, Bhojpuri are as good as mainstream Bollywood films and should get an equal opportunity to be showcased,” he said.

     

    Talking about the much-debated issue of censorship in India, Das said, “As we mature, it is important to promote freedom of expression rather than curtailing voices.”

     

    On his behalf, Baig suggested that it will be great if the regional film industry is showcased as a part of the delegations to some of the major international film festivals.

     

    Murthy added that over the next few days,he hoped to learn from various film commissions and carry back new partnerships and learning experiences.

  • Promos have the power to make or break TV shows: Raj Nayak

    Promos have the power to make or break TV shows: Raj Nayak

    MUMBAI: Promos are an important medium via which television channels showcase their shows and entertainment properties. Citing the ever important role of promos in today’s cluttered and competitive television environment PromaxBDA conference chair and Colors CEO Raj Nayak said as the number of channels and shows increase, the task for promo makers gets tougher and bitter.

     

    “Everyone wants to get noticed with the help of that teaser. While some channels want to retain their audience, some others want to get audiences back.The small teaser is burdened with different aspirations. Promo is no longer just another brick in the wall; it is now one of the important aspects that has the power to determine the fate of a show,” Nayak asserted.

     

    The audience, which comprised promo makers and creative talent, was buoyed by Nayak’s encouraging comments directed towards them. “You are the real heroes of the television industry, which is evolving every day.You are the one that make every second of a promo count and that is one of the reasons why promos became such an important aspect. They have emerged as a major teamwork, which has the power to decide success or failure of an innovation. You all are the backbone of creativity in the television industry and with the growth of technology, I hope it gets better and bigger,” Nayak said.

     

    Talking about Colors’ voyage, he said, “We at Colors believe about disruption and differentiation. Television viewers have evolved and are not the same anymore. They expect quality in each and every segment and promos are one of them. While with Ashoka we portrayed love, power and affection of a mother – son relationship, Udaan was sensitive as well as esthetic. On the other hand, Code Red had to be different from all other daily crime shows and it was the promo that had the responsibility of communicating the message that Code Redwas different and that’s how important that short teaser is.”

     

    “Creativity is doing summersaults every now and then and you all are the real warriors of the war that wages every day in Indian television. I feel proud to chair the conference in PromaxBDA, which addresses to the creative pillars in the industry,” Nayak concludes.

  • Zee TV ropes in Star’s Rohini Singh as head of commissioning

    Zee TV ropes in Star’s Rohini Singh as head of commissioning

    MUMBAI: Zee TV has got on-board Rohini Singh as the new head of commissioning for the channel, who will be responsible for developing fiction content for Zee TV.

    The move comes in the wake of Zee TV programming head Namit Sharma’s departure from the company recently.

     

    Singh comes on board from Star Plus where she headed the fiction content development division since 1998.

     

    Zee TV business head Pradeep Hejmadi said, “Rohini has an exceptional track record for delivering outstanding drama. Her work speaks for itself and is driven by her passion for writing and storytelling. Her focus is always on recognizing and developing projects based around strong ideas with the potential to engage and entertain audiences. With her vast experience, Rohini will bring the very best from the established and emerging writers talent pool to Zee TV.  Known for its original and differentiated dramatic range and quality, Zee TV has scored some notable successes recently and Rohini is the right person to take it on to a new level. She and Charu Singh (head – fiction) will make a formidable team.”

     

    Singh said, “I look forward to steering Zee TV into the future and building on its success as it continues to be the home of the most original storytelling across a range of drama that is unique to it in the rapidly changing Indian television landscape. I am most excited to have this opportunity to commission and make entertaining, popular programmes for Zee TV audiences. We aim to make programmes that people watch and talk about in equal measure, and that’s a challenge I look forward to.”

     

    Singh has previously worked with TV 18 and was also part of many projects including Bhanwar (Sony TV) and Haadsa (Sab TV) from 1998 to 2000. She has also worked with brands like BBC (Jasoos Vijay), Twenty Twenty TV Company (Kaajjal – Sabbki Aankhon Mein Basi, on Sony and Darna Mana Hai) and Cinevistaas (Dilll Mill Gayye on Star One).

     

    She then joined Star Network and handled shows on Star One (Dill Mil Gayye, Milley Jab Hum Tum, Geet- Hui Sabse Parayi amongst others. She was responsible for the concept development of Geet, Pratigya, Maryada.  

     

    As head of Star Plus, fiction content development division, she spearheaded and launched shows like Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon, Ek Hazaaron Mein Meri Behna, Pyaar Ka Dard, Veera, Arjun, Kaali, Saraswati Chandra, Meri Bhabhi, Ek Ghar Banaoungaand Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon 2.

     

  • Al Jazeera English ups Giles Trendle as acting managing director

    Al Jazeera English ups Giles Trendle as acting managing director

    MUMBAI: Al Jazeera Media Network has assigned the role of acting managing director at Al Jazeera English (AJE) to Giles Trendle.

     

    The role was vacated by Al Anstey’s departure to lead Al Jazeera America. Giles will also continue in his current role as AJE’s director of programmes.

     

    Trendle joined Al Jazeera in 2004 to work on Al Jazeera Arabic’s flagship investigative documentary show Top Secret.

     

    He moved across to Al Jazeera English in 2006 where he commissioned and acquired films for the Witness documentary strand. He also oversaw numerous documentary series and helped develop content-sharing between the network’s channels.

     

    Prior to joining Al Jazeera, Trendle was an independent documentary-maker and journalist specialising in the Middle East. He began his career in journalism in 1985 spending many years in Lebanon as a freelance journalist. He reported for, among others, The Economist and The Sunday Times. He covered the Lebanese civil war, the Western hostage saga, and the guerrilla war in south Lebanon.

     

    He moved into television and over the years made numerous documentaries – including films in Iraq both during and after Saddam Hussein’s fall, as well as a film following former British hostage John McCarthy’s return to Beirut.

     

    Trendle said, “I am honoured to be asked to step up to the role of acting managing director.  I am committed to ensuring Al Jazeera English continues to be a news and current affairs channel that offers great journalism, original story telling, and uncovers human stories that need to be told. We have established ourselves as one of the most reputable and most watched news and current affairs outlets in the world. I’m determined that we do everything necessary to continue to be recognised as the very best at what we do, catering for our audiences no matter if they are using television, mobile, or social platforms.”

     

    Al Jazeera Media Network acting director general Mostefa Souag added, “Giles is an experienced journalist and has a strong track record of managing, directing and producing documentaries. He has multicultural understanding, versatility, and in his many years at Al Jazeera, he has placed emphasis on a relationship-building approach. Al Jazeera English will continue the upward trajectory it has been on in recent years and Giles’s leadership and experience will be essential for the continuing future success of the channel.”