ITV

Tag: Balaji Telefilms

  • ALTBalaji onboards Snehil Dixit Mehra as head of content & digital media

    ALTBalaji onboards Snehil Dixit Mehra as head of content & digital media

    Mumbai: A wholly-owned subsidiary of Balaji Telefilms ALT Digital Media Entertainment appointed Snehil Dixit Mehra as the head of content & digital media. Earlier, Mehra worked with filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali as associate director.

    Mehra has a vivid professional portfolio and worked as a writer, director and digital influencer. He recently forayed into acting with her stellar performance in Jio Studios’ Apharan Season 2.

    Mehra brings with her an enviable experience in the media and entertainment space and over 16 years of experience in the broadcast industry. She has held various leadership positions at Bhansali Productions, Star India, Sony Entertainment Television & Endemol India. Ektaa R Kapoor is keen on expanding her digital footprint with producing more originals and after the immense success of her digital reality show Lock Upp she aspires to create more original formats for the non-fiction audiences. Thus, a high-profile acquisition was expected, given the content powerhouse wanted the leadership to work in close association with content creators and producers.

    In her new role, Snehil will be leading the content and programming division for ALTBalaji and will be responsible for managing the upcoming original content line-up and the platform’s creative strategy.

    Talking about joining the team, Snehil said, “This is my second innings at ALTBalaji, a homecoming for me, however with a larger mandate now. I am looking forward to planning a roadmap for further accelerated growth of ALTBalaji as a leading digital content hub.”

  • Balaji Telefilms reported an income of Rs 119 crore for Q4 FY22

    Balaji Telefilms reported an income of Rs 119 crore for Q4 FY22

    Mumbai: Balaji Telefilms has announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended 31 March 2022. The group posted an income of Rs 119 crore for the quarter and a loss of Rs 33.3 crore.

    The group revenues for the year stood at Rs 337 crore and a loss of Rs 133 crore. Altbalaji contributed Rs 102 crore to overall revenues. It sold 3.88 million subscriptions in FY22 excluding subscribers on partner apps. Its direct subscription revenue stood at Rs 52.39 crore.

    The TV business clocked 863 hours of production across seven shows for four broadcasters. There are two more shows lined up and should commence shortly.

    Altbalaji added 13 shows over 12 months on its platform. Its reality show Lock Upp has crossed more than 500 million views. The watch time on the OTT platform stood at 15.75 billion minutes, with an engagement time of 66 minutes. Video views stood at 1.29 billion cumulative to date.

    The company also has seven movie projects in the pipeline with leading actors and directors in the country.

    “The movie business continued to make good progress in completing its productions given that normal operations were fully resumed on account of easing of restrictions,” said the statement. “Further, with the relaxations implemented in terms of re-opening of cinema theatres, the theatrical distribution business is steadily on its way to regain momentum and this has accordingly allowed the company to pursue its monetization strategies for completed productions in terms of theatrical launches as well as deals for direct to digital.”

    The company has seven movies planned for release in FY23 and pre-locked existing deals on a few movies. As part of its strategy, Balaji Telefilms continues to control investments in movies and pursue pre-sales and co-production deals where feasible.

    “The relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions and norms in this financial year allowed us to operate at our optimum efficiency levels,” said Balaji Telefilms Limited managing director Shobha Kapoor. “Altbalaji continues to drive subscription growth and we added 3.88 million subscriptions during the twelve months. We added 13 shows in the twelve months which included the highest watched reality show Lock Upp in OTT space signalling the reach of the business. We continue to have strong controls on the cash spend while driving overall profitability including some strong strategic content sharing deals which allows us to further our growth. Our TV business has shown good recovery in terms of production hours and we hope to improve this momentum as two new shows will commence. In the movie business, production for some exciting projects is at various stages of completion. We closely monitor the availability of theatrical releases and direct to digital launches. Overall, the year has been good and expected to continue the momentum.”

  • Nachiket Pantvaidya resigns as group CEO of Balaji Telefilms

    Nachiket Pantvaidya resigns as group CEO of Balaji Telefilms

    Mumbai: Nachiket Pantvaidya has resigned as group chief executive officer of Balaji Telefilms, the company notified in a regulatory filing. This was his second stint with the company.

    He was appointed as group CEO in July 2021. Before rejoining Balaji Telefilms, Pantvaidya was the managing director at Asianet News Media and Entertainment. He was also the group chief operating officer at Balaji Telefilms and CEO of its streaming service Altbalaji.

    Pantvaidya has over two decades of experience in the media and entertainment industry having worked in organisations such as Star, Sony, Disney and BBC.

  • Divya Dixit, SVP – Marketing, Partnerships & Revenue of Alt Balaji moves on

    Divya Dixit, SVP – Marketing, Partnerships & Revenue of Alt Balaji moves on

    Mumbai: Altbalaji senior vice president marketing partnerships and revenue Divya Dixit has moved on. She confirmed the development to Indiantelevision.com and is currently serving her notice period.

    Dixit joined Balaji Telefilms in September 2018 and has been leading its OTT platform Altbalaji’s direct subscription growth and marketing for its originals. She was previously associated with Zee5 as vice president of marketing and direct revenue.

    Dixit has two decades of experience in the media industry with stints at Star TV Network, Saregama India, UTV, Sony Entertainment Television and Percept.

  • Star Plus brings back ‘Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi’ after 14 years

    Star Plus brings back ‘Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi’ after 14 years

    Mumbai: Star Plus has decided to stir nostalgia among its viewers this February. The broadcaster has announced that its popular family saga ‘Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi’ is set to return to the television screens after close to 14 years.

    The iconic TV show which made actor-turned-politician Smriti Irani a household name for her portray of Tulsi Virani will re-run on Star Plus at 5 pm daily, starting 16 February. It will also be available for streaming on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster announced on Twitter on Tuesday.

     

     

    Getting all nostalgic, producer Ekta Kapoor took to Instagram to share the old promo of the serial, which features Irani opening the gates of the Virani household to welcome audiences into the world of the show. Reminiscing the earlier days, Kapoor wrote, “Today, as I look back, I recall every memory, every moment that made this show a most loved one! Usi pyaar ke saath judiye is safar se dobaara. Budhvaar se, harr roz, shaam 5 baje, sirf StarPlus par.”

     

     
     
     

     
     
     
     
     

     
     

     
     
     

     
     

    A post shared by Erkrek (@ektarkapoor)

     

    The soap opera aired first aired on Star Plus on 3 July 2000 and ran till 6 November 2008 becoming one of the longest-running TV shows at that time. Set around the day-to-day affairs of the Gujarat-based Virani family, the TV show that aired between 10-11 pm on weekdays struck a chord with the masses.

    During the eight years of telecast, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi became one of the most-watched Hindi GEC shows in India, after Kaun Banega Crorepati. Featuring actors like Ronit Roy, Amar Upadhyay, Hiten Tejwani, Gauri Pradhan Tejwani, it also won the ‘Best Continuing Series’ at the Indian Telly Awards for six consecutive years (2002-2007) 

    The show took a leap in story three times including 20 years leap in February 2002, a three years leap, and again a 20 years leap in June 2006, before finally going off air in 2008.

  • Colors bolsters programming lineup with two new shows

    Colors bolsters programming lineup with two new shows

    Mumbai: Colors and Balaji Telefilms have joined hands for the sixth edition of the fantasy fiction show “Naagin” that will premiere on 12 February starting at 8 p.m every Saturday and Sunday. The channel has also announced a new fiction property called “Parineetii” set for the 14 February premiere and will air from Monday to Friday at 10 p.m.

    “I am excited to continue my long-standing relationship with Colors and strengthen it further with the launch of two new shows,” said producer Ekta Kapoor. “We began the journey of ‘Naagin’ more than six years ago and have come a long way to bring the epic story of our serpent queen in five enthralling seasons and I am elated to announce the next one. With an incredibly captivating theme, this season is going to be grander than ever. Along with Naagin, we are also launching ‘Parineetii,’ a show that depicts a beautiful yet complex hue of friendship.”

    “At Colors, it is our deep-rooted commitment to introduce variety entertainment through stories that connect with the audience,” said Viacom18 head Hindi mass entertainment and kids TV network Nina Elavia Jaipuria. “After adding an exhilarating romantic thriller ‘Fanaa- Ishq Mein Marjawaan’ to our fiction line-up, we are delighted to announce the new season of our most coveted fantasy fiction franchise ‘Naagin’ and a brand-new drama ‘Parineetii.’ With these unique new concepts, we continue with our promise to provide unlimited entertainment and hope that the viewers will connect with our stories and characters.”

    The new season of “Naagin” will feature an ensemble cast including Tejasswi Prakash, Simba Nagpal, Sudhaa Chandran, Mahekk Chahal, Urvashi Dholakia and Manit Joura. 

    “After witnessing an action-packed start to the year, we are set to raise the momentum with two new shows – ‘Naagin 6’ and ‘Parineetii’,” said Viacom18 chief content officer Hindi mass entertainment Manisha Sharma. “We are delighted to strengthen our long-standing relationship with Balaji Telefilms with these two shows helmed by none other than Ekta Kapoor.”

  • ALTBalaji direct subs up 69% YoY; half-yearly revenue at 34cr

    ALTBalaji direct subs up 69% YoY; half-yearly revenue at 34cr

    Mumbai: Balaji Telefilms announced its financial results for the quarter and half year ended 30 September 2021.

    Selling 2.9m subscriptions during H1Fy22 (vs 1.7m in H1FY21) ts streaming platform ALTBalaji reached a current active direct subscriber base of over 1.45m. This excludes subs on partner apps. Direct subscription revenues stood at Rs 34cr vs Rs 24cr. ALTBalaji contributed Rs 39cr to the half-year Group revenues at Rs 141cr

    The platform added nine shows in the half-year taking the overall library to 87. Some of the hits launched in H1Fy22 include Punchh Beat Season two, Broken but Beautiful season three, and Cartel. ALTBalaji continues its strategy of driving deeper audience engagement through differentiated content targeted at mass India.

    During the half-year, the TV business produced 363.5 hours of content across seven shows for four broadcasters. Five new shows have been lined up, and should commence shortly, it said.

    Movie business also resumed production. With five projects in the pipeline, the company said it is making good progress, even as it waits for the availability of theatrical launch windows. Deals across direct to digital are also being explored. As part of its strategy, it continues to control investments in movies and pursue pre-sales and co-production deals where feasible.

    Balaji Telefilms Limited MD, Shobha Kapoor said, “ALTBalaji continues to drive subscription growth. We added 2.9m subscriptions during the half-year. We added nine shows in the half-year and now have a very strong lineup for the rest of the year. Our strategic content-sharing deals will ensure we maintain control on the cash spends while driving overall profitability.”

    Commenting further on the TV and movies business, she added, “Our TV business has shown good recovery in terms of production hours and we hope to improve this momentum as five new shows commence. In the movie business, production for some of the exciting projects are at various stages of completion and we are closely monitoring the availability for theatrical releases as well and direct to digital launches. Overall, the year has started well and we will build on this momentum through the year.”

  • Balaji Telefilms elevates Sunanda Gupta Jenna to VP, digital originals

    Balaji Telefilms elevates Sunanda Gupta Jenna to VP, digital originals

    Mumbai: Media and entertainment company Balaji Telefilms has promoted Sunanda Gupta Jenna to vice president – digital originals. She joined the media conglomerate in August 2019 as a creative producer for ALTBalaji originals.

    Prior to joining Balaji Telefilms, Jenna was associated with the ZEE network as programming head weekend for &TV. In her earlier stints, she has worked with Viacom18 and Endemol India.

    Jenna is a broadcast media professional who has experience in spearheading programming, content selection/creation, management, and television production. She has been a part of various projects including channel launches (COLORS, &TV), long format reality shows (IGT, Bigg Boss, Voice ), live TV shows (LMI), finite fiction (The Mentalist Agent Raghav, Darr horror series, Crime Series), and live events.

  • ALTBalaji direct subscriptions up 35% QoQ; 1.8m subs sold in Q1 FY22

    ALTBalaji direct subscriptions up 35% QoQ; 1.8m subs sold in Q1 FY22

    Mumbai: Balaji Telefilms has announced its financial results for the quarter ended 30 June 2021. The company’s direct-to-consumer business, ALTBalaji sold a total of 1.8m subscriptions in Q1 FY22 as against 0.9m in Q1FY21, up 35 per cent. Direct subscription revenues stood at Rs 17 cr vs Rs 13 cr.

    The OTT platform has a current active subscriber base of 2.4m, excluding subscribers on partner apps. Quarterly revenue stood at Rs 21cr.

    Having added six shows last quarter, ALTBalaji has taken the overall library to 86 shows. The Company said it continues its strategy to drive deeper audience engagement by creating content that is targeted at mass India seeking differentiated stories, while remaining focussed on the younger audiences.

    Balaji Telefilms’ TV business has continued at normal levels as daily show production was ensured with pandemic restrictions. During the quarter the Company produced 174.5 hours of content across six shows for four broadcasters.

    Balaji Telefilms, managing director, Shobha Kapoor said, “ALTBalaji continues to drive subscription growth and we added 1.8m subscriptions during the quarter. Our strategic content sharing deals will ensure we maintain control on the cash spend while driving overall profitability. TV business has shown good recovery in terms of production hours and we hope to improve this momentum as five new shows commence. In the movie business, production for some of the exciting projects are at various stages of completion and we are closely monitoring the availability for theatrical releases as well as direct-to-digital launches. Overall, the year has started well and we will build on this momentum through the year.”

  • ZEE TV to launch new show ‘Bhagya Lakshmi’ on 3 August

    ZEE TV to launch new show ‘Bhagya Lakshmi’ on 3 August

    Mumbai: ZEE TV is all set for the launch of its new show ‘Bhagya Lakshmi’ on 3 August. The show will air every Monday to Saturday at 8.30 pm only on ZEE TV.

    Coming from the stable of Balaji Telefilms, ‘Bhagya Lakshmi’ follows the journey of Lakshmi through the changes that come in her life on moving to Mumbai from Punjab after her parents’ demise. While Lakshmi is a true believer in God’s plan and the power of goodness and destiny, Rishi is a flamboyant and practical businessman. The story unfolds as these two completely opposite characters meet in a twist of fate. The show features actors Aishwarya Khare and Rohit Suchanti in the lead roles as Lakshmi and Rishi.

    The show launch was preceded by a social media initiative centred on the theme #NekiKiDor which is in tune with Lakshmi’s selfless character. Through the initiative, Lakshmi encouraged netizens to come forth and do a simple good deed every day by helping someone and spreading positivity.

    “Our collaboration with Balaji Telefilms is a time-tested one with some of television’s most precious gems having come out of our joint synergies. From ‘Hum Paanch’ in 1995 to ‘Kumkum Bhagya’ and ‘Kundali Bhagya’ that still continue to rule people’s hearts on our primetime, we continue to co-create content that strongly resonates with our audiences,” said ZEE TV business head Aparna Bhosle.

    Commenting further on the new launch she added, “Our latest labour of love is a story about someone selfless in a selfish world – a girl who believes in prioritising the needs of others above her own and expects little in return. The audience will root for destiny to treat her kind as we all want to see good things happen to those who live a life of good values and good karma. But is life always that simple? Viewers can tune in to find out!”

    Bhosle also shared that ‘Bhagya Lakshmi’ – the new addition to ZEE TV’s primetime – is only the first of “several exciting new content offerings coming up this festive season”.

    Talking about Lakshmi’s character, Balaji Telefilms’ producer, Ekta Kapoor stated, “Lakshmi is one of the purest souls we have worked on as a character in a long time. She represents inherent goodness – neki, a value that’s perhaps diminished in people’s vocabulary over the years, but it shouldn’t. As mankind, we’ve been through a lot lately and some of the toughest times have a way of bringing forth shining examples of kindness and benevolence. We’ve all read stories of people who went out on a foot during the pandemic and helped others in need. Lakshmi’s a lot like that. And when you see someone like that, you fall in love with them and want to see life presenting them with good ‘bhagya’ (destiny). Aishwarya Khare with her endearing sincerity and warmth is the right fit for Lakshmi and Rohit (Suchanti) will win hearts as always with his role as the flamboyant, practical, and dashing Rishi.”

    “While Lakshmi and I are different personalities, I feel there is a very strong connection between both of us and that is our common belief in Karma,” said Aishwarya Khare. “Just like Lakshmi, I truly believe that you get what you deserve in life, and selflessness and kindness towards others always attract the blessings of destiny. Lakshmi’s story is very different from some of the characters I have portrayed until now, which makes the whole process even more exciting.”

    Rohit Suchanti remarked, “I believe Bhagya Lakshmi brings forth a very unique story, something very distinct from what we have seen on television till date. My character Rishi is a very grounded and practical person who believes in shaping his life his own way. He believes in working hard, but also knows how to celebrate those victories. There is a lot of similarity between us, and I am sure I am going to have a lot of fun exploring this character.”