ITV

Tag: Balaji Telefilms

  • Balaji Telefilms onboards Nachiket Pantvaidya as group CEO

    Balaji Telefilms onboards Nachiket Pantvaidya as group CEO

    Mumbai: Balaji Telefilms on Tuesday announced the appointment of Nachiket Pantvaidya as the group chief executive officer. He will be responsible for the overall growth and success of the group’s profit and loss of operations.

    Pantvaidya moves on from Asianet News Media & Entertainment, where he was the managing director. This would be Pantvaidya’s second stint with Balaji Telefilms post his brief exit in March. Before Asianet, he held the position of Balaji Telefilms’ group COO and ALTBalaji CEO.

    Commenting on the development, Balaji Telefilms’ MD, Shobha Kapoor stated, “We have an excellent camaraderie with Nachiket, and we welcome him back into the family. His proven track record of groundbreaking work is sure to continue in his second stint with us as well. I wish him all the best for this new beginning.”

    Balaji Telefilms’ joint MD, Ekta Kapoor added, “Nachiket is an experienced professional and I look forward to once again teaming up with him and doing stellar work. On the growth of the overall Group.”

    Pantvaidya said, “It’s a homecoming for me with Ekta and team, however with a larger mandate now. I am looking forward to planning a roadmap for further accelerated growth of Balaji Telefilms group.”

    Pantvaidya comes with a rich experience of over 20 years of experience in the mass and urban mass media business. His portfolio includes huge brands like Star, Sony, Disney, and BBC, to new a few. 

  • Team ‘Pagglait’ reunites for a three-film deal

    Mumbai: Following the success of “Pagglait”, Balaji Telefilms’ Ekta Kapoor and Sikhya Entertainment’s Guneet Monga have joined hands to sign director Umesh Bist for a three-film deal. The Netflix film released in March was Sikhya Entertainment and Balaji Telefilms’ first co-production.

    Commenting on their renewed partnership, Balaji Telefilms’ creative producer and executive VP Ruchikaa Kapoor Sheikh said, “Pagglait resonated with Indian audiences in unimaginable ways. Everyone found a connection with the story and that is Umesh’s biggest strength. Furthermore, the film established equity between Balaji and Sikhya and we’re thrilled to come together to tell stories that are both emotional and entertaining, stories that find their way to the hearts of the audience.”

    Sikhya Entertainment’s founder and CEO Guneet Monga said, “I still remember the day I met Umesh sir. His vision for his stories is unmatched and it is inspiring to see his faith and commitment to a project. Team Balaji has been a delight to work with and we at Sikhya are looking forward to this collaboration. We went through so many amazing experiences together that it feels quite natural to continue this partnership.”

    Speaking about this extended collaboration, filmmaker Umesh Bist shared, “It all started when I first met Guneet in 2018 and there’s no looking back since then. As a filmmaker, all you want is a collaborative ecosystem where the team puts all their might into doing the best for the movie and I am glad I found this in Sikhya and Balaji. The trust they put in a director is rare. As partners, they add on to each other’s strong points, I am excited to take this journey forward with them.”

    The team is soon expected to announce the first project from this deal.

  • ALTBalaji subscription up by 42% y-o-y in FY21

    KOLKATA: ALTBalaji seems to be driving the growth of Balaji Telefilms with a 42 per cent growth in subscriptions for FY21. The platform sold a total of 4.7 million subscriptions for the year, compared to Rs 3.4 million in FY20.

    Despite the speedy growth of ALTBalaji, overall financial performance for the year was impacted by the pandemic-led restrictions on the TV and movie business. Balaji Telefilms’ consolidated revenue stood at Rs 293.7 crore for FY21, compared to Rs 573.6 crore. TV business returned to more normal production in Q4 With 223 hours content produced in the quarter, the company stated in a statement.

    Four shows were on air during the quarter. Hourly realizations remained soft at Rs 30 lakh per hour and it is expected to remain soft as broadcasters continue to assess Covid 19 impact, the company stated.

    “ALTBalaji continues to drive subscription growth and we added 4.7m subscriptions during the year, the highest since our launch four years ago. We have also done strategic content-sharing deals with two large OTT players to drive creative synergies. We will continue to see strong subscriber additions with over 40 shows greenlit,” Balaji Telefilms managing director Shobha Kapoor said.

    “After the initial setback in the first half of FY21 our TV business has shown good recovery in terms of production hours and we hope to maintain this momentum. In the movie business, production for some of the exciting projects are at various stages of completion. We are closely monitoring the availability for theatrical releases as well and direct to digital launches. Overall, the business has performed well in very challenging conditions and I am confident we will build from the base created,” Kapoor added.

    Meanwhile, the Board has considered and approved a dividend of ten per cent (Rs 0.20 per share) subject to shareholder approval. It is going to highly focus on maintaining liquidity and balance sheet strength through the year with the current cash and cash equivalent balance at Rs 144 crore.

  • ALTBalaji sees 100% growth in viewership by tapping the hinterlands

    ALTBalaji sees 100% growth in viewership by tapping the hinterlands

    KOLKATA: OTT platform ALTBalaji has recorded exponential growth in its viewership with a growing popularity in the hinterland markets, said the company on Saturday.

    While cities like Lucknow, Ludhiana, and Guwahati saw a huge increase of 189.84 per cent, 106.50 per cent, and 108.41 per cent, respectively, Srinagar, Shimla, and Ranchi weren’t behind either, with an uptick of 103.81 per cent, 103.05 per cent, and 192.01 per cent, as compared to ALTBalaji’s viewership from these cities in 2020, the company shared.

    The platform also gained popularity among the Metropolitan crowd. Atleast 12.13 per cent of its viewers in 2021 came from Delhi alone. ALTBalaji’s content bouquet has 81+ Hindi originals, spread out over different genres and appeals to different segments of viewers. The affordability of a subscription also adds to its value driving more viewers towards the platform.

    According to ALTBalaji, a steady surge in viewership is likely, especially among the youth [18-40 years] who are constantly on the lookout for relatable content for which there is absolutely no shortage on the platform.

    “A constant stream of new launches makes ALTBalaji one of the most attractive platforms for entertainment. The OTT platform has mastered the art of creating content on a smaller budget enabling viewers to access a wide variety of content at a much lower subscription rate. As per Q3FY21 results, ALTBalaji added almost 22K subscribers per day, taking active subscribers at the end of December 2020 at 2.1m v/s 1.2m at the start of the quarter,” the company said.

    The platform has many new shows in the pipeline such as Apharan 2, Broken But Beautiful 3, The Test Case 2, PuncchBeat Season 2, Cartel. 

  • Zulfiqar Khan appointed as Group COO, Balaji TeleFilms

    Zulfiqar Khan appointed as Group COO, Balaji TeleFilms

    Mumbai: Television production company Balaji TeleFilms which also owns SVOD platform ALTBalaji has appointed industry veteran Zulfiqar Khan as their new group chief operating officer (COO).

    The media conglomerate announced this news through an internal mail to its employees. Khan will be responsible for the overall success of the company’s profit and loss of operations, content, marketing, and distribution deals, it said on Thursday. 

    He will replace Nachiket Pantvaidya who recently joined Asianet New Media and Entertainment Pvt Ltd as the managing director. In this new role, Zulfiqar Khan will directly report to Balaji TeleFilms MD Shobha Kapoor.  

    Zulfiqar comes with nearly two decades of experience in broadcast & digital media companies. He began his career in 1999 with Star India and spent over sixteen years serving in distinct roles. In 2015, he moved to Eros Now as business Head and CRO for Eros Now. His last stint with HOOQ as managing director saw him leading strategy for the premium video-on-demand service.  

    Commenting on the development, Balaji Telefilms joint managing director, Ekta Kapoor, said, “We are ecstatic to welcome Zulfiqar aboard. His rich experience is sure to take Balaji Telefilms Ltd. to newer heights. Zulfiqar will be a driving factor for Balaji’s vision of shaping and defining its leadership in the ever evolving Entertainment sector”. 

    Balaji Telefilms managing director Shobha Kapoor said, “We have great expectations from Zulfiqar. I am sure his robust experience coupled with Balaji Telefilms Ltd. proven business excellence across production and distribution capabilities will create significant value for us”. 

    Talking about his new role, Khan said, “I am excited to be working with Ekta and to take on this challenging journey at Balaji Telefilms Ltd. which is a pioneer in content creation across platforms as well as one of the top digital entertainment platforms in the country. I am looking forward to a remarkable journey with the organization as we chart a successful growth story for the brand across verticals, in the coming years.”

  • Asianet News Media & Entertainment hires Nachiket Pantvaidya as MD

    Asianet News Media & Entertainment hires Nachiket Pantvaidya as MD

    KOLKATA: Asianet News Media & Entertainment Pvt Ltd (AMEL) has roped in media veteran Nachiket Pantvaidya as managing director. AMEL has multiple digital brands in its portfolio including asianetnews.com, indigomusic.com etc and serves consumers in multiple languages

    Pantvaidya was the group chief operating officer of Balaji Telefilms and CEO of ALTBalaji. After joining the SVoD platform in December 2015, he scaled it to be amongst the leading players in the country. Under his leadership, the company grew to be recognised as one of India’s Top 100 most-admired brands of 2020 by White Page International.

    Pantvaidya oversaw the P&L department of the company and also its content, marketing, distribution and revenues.

    AMEL executive chairman Rajesh Kalra said: “I am delighted to welcome a leader like Nachiket to the AMEL family. With his background and significant achievements to boot, he adds significantly to the capability of this wonderful team that is poised to take a leadership position in all its areas of functioning.”

    During his career spanning 15+ years, Pantvaidya has been a part of some of the most renowned companies in the entertainment industry and has held prime leadership positions at Sony Entertainment Television, Star Plus, Star Pravahand Fox Television Studios. His career includes working with industry leaders like Disney and BBC as well.

  • ALTBalaji woos subscribers with #MarchingToALT campaign

    ALTBalaji woos subscribers with #MarchingToALT campaign

    KOLKATA: ALTBalaji has rolled out a new initiative to keep their audience engaged and convert them into yearly subscribers. While March 2020 changed people's lives most unexpectedly, the OTT platform is making sure that March 2021 isn't the same for the audience, and is filled with surprises and unlimited entertainment.

    With more than 74 Hindi originals on offer at a pricing of Rs 300/year for a subscription, ALTBalaji is the most affordable OTT platform in the country. To make March interesting, the platform has also planned robust gratification ideas for their new subscribers in weekly contests and exquisite gifts.

    The token of appreciation starts with subscribers getting an opportunity to meet their favourite star, television hunk Sidharth Shukla. Winners also get a chance to send personalised bytes for their loved ones via Tring, a platform for connecting fans to their favourite celebrities. Five lucky subscribers also get beautiful personalised hampers from ALTBalaji. The bonus gratification goes up to the extent of an all-expense-paid trip to a chosen destination.

    ALTBalaji marketing, direct revenue & analytics SVP Divya Dixit shared, "The past one year has been challenging and daunting. Hence, we made sure we make this March special for our subscribers as a special gesture using these unique gratifications. We have seen a tremendous subscriber growth in this past quarter and want to express our gratitude as well as welcome new subscribers to the ALTBalaji family via #MarchingToALT".

    ALTBalaji has launched many fantastic shows like Coldd Lassi Aur Chicken Masala, Dev DD, Verdict, Code M, Dil Hi Toh Hai, Mentalhood, Who's Your Daddy?, Baarish Season 2, Kehne Ko Humsafar Hain Season 3, Bebaakee, MumBhai, Bicchoo Ka Khel, Dark7White, Paurashpur, Crashh, and LSD – Love, Scandal & Doctors, to name a few.

    For the upcoming year, ALTBalaji has an exciting pipeline consisting of multiple shows such as The Married Woman, Apharan 2, Broken But Beautiful 3, The Test Case 2, Puncch Beat Season 2, His Storyy, Cartel, Main Hero Boll Raha Hu, Class of 2020 Season 2, Code M 2 and many more. Each of these new shows is a high-octane drama which the audience can binge-watch.

  • Balaji Telefilms approves stock options for employees

    Balaji Telefilms approves stock options for employees

    NEW DELHI: Balaji Telefilms has granted 14 lakh stock options under ESOP to its eligible employees. Each stock option is convertible into an equivalent number of shares of face value of Rs 2 each with an exercise price of Rs 52.01 per option per share.

    Employees will be able to exercise this option within three years from the vesting date.

    Amid such uncertain times, Balaji Telefilms has taken a step forward to reward its employees.

    Ekta Kapoor-led Balaji Telefilms is one of the largest content production houses across India, South Asia, southeast Asia and the Middle East, delivering Hindi and regional content. It has created several iconic serials such as Mano Ya Na Mano, Hum Paanch, Itihaas, Koshish… Ek Aasha, Koi AaneKoHai , Kkusum … EkAamLadki Ki Kahani, Kyunkii… SaasBhiKabhiBahuThi, KahaaniGharGharKii and KasautiiZindagii Kay, to name a few.

    It has produced over 17,000 hours of television content and has state of the art infrastructure including production sets, resources, manpower and editing machines, allowing it to continuously produce high quality shows.

    Promoted by Jeetendra Kapoor, Shobha Kapoor, Ekta Kapoor and Tusshar Kapoor, the company has further diversified into Balaji Motion Pictures, Alt Entertainment, Alt Digital Media, Chhayabani Balaji Entertainment, Marinating Films, Brand Ek.

  • Balaji Telefilms to acquire Ding Infinity

    Balaji Telefilms to acquire Ding Infinity

    MUMBAI: Balalji Telefilms is all set to take over content studio Ding Infinity. Over the weekend, the company informed the Bombay stock exchange of its intentions. Ding is a production house promoted by long time Balali Telelfilms creative professional Tanveer Bookwala, who was once CCO at Balaji Motion Pictures.

    The Ekta Kapoor spearheaded firm will be picking up a minimum of 55 per cent equity in Ding, which was promoted in November 2020, at a price less than Rs 5 crore. The deal is planned to be a cash for shares deal, with Balaji acquiring a controlling majority stake.

    The purpose of the acquisition:   to produce 100 per cent premium original cut through the clutter content. Ding was set up by Tanveer to produce premium shows and films at competitive budgets giving directors and creators a free hand to produce a variety of genres keeping its founder’s vision for the company in mind.

    The twitterverse was buzzing when Ekta Kapoor announced she would reveal all very soon, posing with Tanveer for a selfie. Twitterati presumed the duo was getting married; when it actually related to her  acquiring Tanveer’s firm.

    Said Kapoor: “Tanveer is a true storyteller at heart and has for a decade worked tirelessly and passionately at Balaji Telefilms for multiple projects to deliver for his audiences.”

    Said Tanveer: Balaji Telefilms and Ekta’s faith in my abilities, allows me the opportunity to enable my creativity backed with logistical and strategic support.”

  • After dip in revenue, ALTBalaji offers cashbacks on subscription

    After dip in revenue, ALTBalaji offers cashbacks on subscription

    KOLKATA: ALTBalaji has teamed up with payment gateways Paytm and Amazon Pay to offer consumers up to Rs 300 cashback on the first Paytm wallet or Paytm UPI transaction on subscribing to the OTT platform. On the other hand, consumers can opt for Amazon Pay and get a cashback between Rs 10 to 250. Both the offers will be valid for Android, and web only from 1 December to 31 December 2020.

    The offer comes on the back of the streaming service registering marginal degrowth in subscriber revenue in Q2, down to Rs 12.2 crore from Rs 12.9 crore in the preceding quarter. The company attributed this to downtrend to the Unlock phase, as customers returned “back to work and social commitments." In the same period, however, the platform clocked four million subscribers and an ARPU of around Rs 140–150.  

    To avail the offer through Paytm and Amazon Pay, the audience needs to buy an ALTBalaji subscription for Rs 100 or more. These offers can be availed only once, during the campaign validity. Once the whole amount is paid from Paytm wallet or UPI, cashback will be credited to the user's bank account linked to their Paytm UPI ID. For Amazon Pay users, it will be credited as Amazon Pay balance within three working days.

    ALTBalaji CEO and Balaji Telefilms group COO Nachiket Pantvaidya said, “Since the launch, our main focus has been on offering quality content which is also affordable. Available to stream at 0.80 paise per day today, we are one of the most affordable OTT platforms in the country. Our association with key payment gateways like Paytm and Amazon Pay is in sync with our objective of keeping our consumers at the very core and going deeper into the Hindi heartlands.”

    For the upcoming festive season, ALTBalaji has an exciting pipeline consisting of multiple shows. The festive month of November started with Mum Bhai, followed by Bicchoo Ka Khel and Dark7White. Coming up next are Paurashpur, LSD, Class of 2020 Season 2, Who’s Your Daddy Season 2, and Crashh, to name a few. Each of these new shows is high-octane dramas, which the audience can binge-watch through the festive season.

    With an extensive library of 68 Indian originals across genres that cater to all kinds of audiences, the shows at ALTBalaji are a mix of thriller, drama, romance, youth drama, horror, comedy, amongst others. Romantic dramas like Kehne Ko Humsafar Hain, Karrle Tu Bhi Mohabbat, It Happened in Calcutta, Baarish, Dil Hi To hai etc enjoy a growing fandom amongst women in the 25-45 years TG. While on the other hand, thrillers like Apharan, Fixxer, Boss, Ragini MMS, Code M are consumed by men in the 22- 45 age bracket. In addition to the above, shows such as Mentalhood, The Test Case, MOM: Mission Over Mars, Bose: Dead/ Alive, The Verdict – State v/s Nanavati are being consumed extensively by the urban audience across all age groups.