ITV

Tag: Azhar

  • Film & TV exec Vivek Krishnani to head Sony Pictures India

    Film & TV exec Vivek Krishnani to head Sony Pictures India

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures India (also known as SPE Films India) today announced the appointment of Vivek Krishnani as its managing director, come 1 November. He will be replacing industry veteran Kercy Daruwala who is retiring after a long stint at the studio.

     

    Vivek was most recently Senior Vice President – Revenue and Marketing at MSM Motion Pictures. MSM Motion Pictures is the film production arm of Multi Screen Media,  which is a part of Sony Pictures Entertainment Television Network.

     

    Says Sony Pictures Entertainment senior vice-president, international distribution, Asia, Brett D. Hogg: “I’m very pleased to welcome Vivek to Sony Pictures India. He’s a media veteran with very valuable experience in the unique and dynamic Indian market, in both Hollywood and local-language productions. Under his leadership, we look forward to taking Sony Pictures India to even greater heights.”

     

    Sony Pictures Entertainment produces, acquires, and distributes its films under its various film labels: Columbia Pictures, TriStar Pictures, Screen Gems, Sony Pictures Animation, Sony Pictures Classics, Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions and Sony Pictures International Productions.

     

    Vivek is excited about his new position. Says he: “I have had a great experience being part of the Sony family and I am now looking forward to a new role with Sony Pictures India. With a legacy of over 80 years since the first Columbia Pictures office opened here, Sony Pictures has over the decades continued to entertain Indian and global audiences. We have our own pipeline through which these products get funnelled. We are committed to further strengthening our distribution network in India and overseas for both Hollywood and local films. “

     

    He points out that the studio has a great slate of films lined up which are going to keep him busy just as he takes over. Among the big ones include the Jack Black starrer GooseBumps (in Hindi, English and Tamil) on 30 October, animation flick Hotel Translyvania 2  (on 6 November), the Daniel Craig (Bond) and Ralph Fiennes starrer Spectre (in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu). “ I’m excited to hit the ground running,” he says.

     

    Apart from the Hollywood pipeline, he is really looking forward to the MSM Motion Pictures-Balaji Motion Pictures  Azhar which is slated for a March 2016 release and also aims to scale up things a notch through  “third party acquisitions for India and overseas for Indian titles to whom we can provide an effective dependable distribution mechanism. We are committed to local product.”

     

    His  vast experience at 21st Century Fox, Fox Star Studios and prior to that with Turner Entertainment Networks should serve him well. 

  • Q1-2016: Balaji Telefilms’ net down 80% at Rs 2.08 crore; revenue down 45%

    Q1-2016: Balaji Telefilms’ net down 80% at Rs 2.08 crore; revenue down 45%

    MUMBAI: Balaji Telefilms Limited (BTL) reported lower consolidated profit after tax (PAT) (less than one-fifth) in the quarter ended 30 June, 2015 (Q1-2016) at Rs 2.09 crore (2.8 per cent margin), which was down 80 per cent as compared to the Rs 10.56 crore (7.8 per cent margin) in Q1-2015 and less than one-fourth the PAT of Rs 9.54 crore (12.3 per cent margin) in the immediate trailing quarter.

     

    BTL reported 44.8 per cent drop in consolidated total income from operations (TIO) in Q1-2016 to Rs 74.64 crore as compared to the Rs 135.34 crore in Q1-2015. The company’s Q1-2016 TIO dropped 2.6 per cent as compared to the Rs 76.94 crore in the immediate trailing quarter.

     

    Note:  (1)100,00,000 = 100 lakh = 10 million = 1 crore

    (2) All numbers are consolidated unless stated otherwise.

     

    Television segment

     

    BTL’s television segment reported 57 per cent growth in revenue from operations at Rs 68.46 crore in the current quarter as compared to the Rs 43.50 crore in Q1-2015 and 15 per cent more than the Rs 59.51 crore in Q4-2015.

     

    The segment reported a 62 per cent growth in PAT to Rs 4.51 crore as compared to the Rs 1.96 crore in the corresponding year ago quarter. PAT in Q4-2015 was however more than double at Rs 9.61 crore. Consolidated EBIDTA in the current quarter was Rs 4.97 crore as compared to the Rs 14.71 crore in Q1-2015.

     

    The segment’s cost of production shot up by 54 per cent in the current quarter to Rs 55.21 crore as compared to the Rs 35.77 crore in Q1-2015 and was 23 per cent more than the Rs 44.91 crore in Q4-2015, though the company had shot more commissioned programming hours in Q4-2015 than in the current quarter.

     

    The company’s television segment reported revenue of Rs 52.76 crores from 240.5 hours of commissioned programs as compared to the Rs 42.57 crore for 208 commissioned hours in Q1-2015 and revenue of Rs 59.51 crore for 258 commissioned hours in Q4-2015. The number of commissioned hours does not include Nach Baliye. Revenue per hour for commissioned programs in Q1-2016 increased 7.4 per cent to Rs 21.94 lakh as compared to the Rs 20.42 lakh in Q1-2015, but was 4.9 per cent lower than the Rs 23.06 lakh in the immediate trailing quarter.

     

    UPCOMING TELEVISION SHOWS

     

    BTL is gearing up to launch four new shows across four general entertainment channels (GECs) in 2015. The first show is a finite series of 130 episodes, which will be aired from Monday to Friday on Sony beginning second week of September. The second show is a daily fiction serial to be aired on Star Plus from Monday to Saturday from the second week of September. The newest GEC &TV from the Zee Entertainment Enterprises stable will air a new Balaji fiction daily from Monday to Friday by end September. On the other hand, Colors will air a finite show called Nagin comprising 26 episodes of one hour programming, which will be aired on Saturday and Sunday by end October this year.

     

    Additionally, the company is also in talks with GECs for various non-fiction ideas.

     

    UPCOMING MOVIES

     

    BTL has multiple films namely Grand Masti, XXX, Kya Kool Hai Hum 3 and Udta Punjab on the floor. These are either in the post production stage or are nearing completion. The company is looking at releasing these in Q3 or Q4 of the current financial year if schedules stand. Another biopic Azhar is expected to be released in Q1-2017, while shooting is also in progress for a superhero film Flying Jat.

  • Balaji Telefilms eyes regional expansion; seeks local partners

    Balaji Telefilms eyes regional expansion; seeks local partners

    MUMBAI: Even as the promoters have upped their stake in the company in the light of Star selling its 26 per cent stake, Balaji Telefilms Limited (BTL) has set sight on the regional television programming space for expansion.

     

    The production house, which recently wrapped up the seventh season of Nach Baliye on Star Plus, plans to launch as many as 10 shows in Bengali and southern languages. Moreover, in order to break into the regional space, BTL is also eying tie-ups with local partners.

     

    “Our plan is to have three – five shows each in Bengali and Southern languages by the end of FY2016,” the company said in its annual report.

     

    This apart, BTL is also mulling launching a few of its Hindi shows in regional languages. The first of these would be the telecast of the Zee TV show Kumkum Bhagya, on Zee Bangla. At the same time, the production powerhouse is also eyeing tie-ups in the south, which will yield three to four shows.

     

    It may be recalled that in December 2014, BTL had entered into an alliance with the Kolkata-based Chhayabani to form Chhayabani Balaji Entertainment and create distinctive, contemporary and clutter breaking television content for Zee Bangla.

     

    Also under consideration is the plan to launch its celebrity sports reality show Box Cricket League in the regional space. At the same time, BTL has set a target to launch six new shows in the Hindi general entertainment channels (GEC) space this fiscal. While plans are underway to launch a comedy show on the lines of the Great Indian Laughter Challenge, BTL is also readying a high concept fiction show for Star Plus.

     

    With audiences patronizing the Balaji brand, the company’s key focus is to improve its bottom line during FY2016.

     

    “We aim to be more process-driven, rather than personality-driven. With changing dynamics of the industry, we are aiming to capitalise our capabilities in making high-concept fiction and non-fiction shows. To begin with, we are coming up with a high concept, high fiction show for Star TV. We are confident of the ratings of our new shows, especially reality based shows,” the company said.

     

    On the movies front, BTL has a strong pipeline of movies lined up for FY16 and FY17.  With aspirations to become the number two entertainment studio going forward, the production house has in its kitty 8 – 10 films like Azhar, A Flying Jatt, Suspect X, Naatak, and Bhool Se Naam Na Lo Pyaar Ka, among others.

     

    Not ignoring the fast-developing digital space, BTL is also in the process of creating its own IP and genuine B2C content to tap the burgeoning platform.

     

    That said, BTL seems poised to spread its wings and fly even more so now with BTL group CEO Sameer Nair, armed with his business acumen, adding extra stars to the creative prowess of Ekta Kapoor.