ITV

Tag: Banegi Apni Baat

  • “We want to change the profile of the Zee English viewer” : Ashvini Yardi Zee English, Zee MGM business head

    “We want to change the profile of the Zee English viewer” : Ashvini Yardi Zee English, Zee MGM business head

    She personifies the image and spirit of the two spirited channels from the Zee stable that have, in a short span, asserted their identity and are bringing in the niche eyeballs for the network.

    Young, petite and dynamic, Ashvini Yardi nee Pai, business head of Zee English and Zee MGM, is nevertheless a Zee veteran. Having started her career with the network nearly a decade ago after graduating in mass communication, Ashwini has essentially been a programming person, having handled hugely successful shows like the countdown show Top 10, Kya Scene Hai, Sailaab and Banegi Apni Baat. She looked after Music Asia for two years and was one of the key people involved in the conceptualisation of Zee English.

    The mantle of nurturing Zee MGM and Zee English fell on her shoulders recently after Ajay Trigunayat, under whose stewardship Zee MGM underwent a revamp in December 2002, was promoted to head all marketing functions at the network recently.

    A confident Ashvini is now outlining plans for a revamp of Zee English even as the rejuvenated Zee MGM has started reaping rich dividends. In a conversation with Aparna Joshi of indiantelevision.com, Ashvini detailed the plans she has for both channels.

    What are the plans you have chalked up for both Zee English, Zee MGM?
    Zee English is in for a total revamp shortly. Basically, we will be changing the look of Zee English, and make it trendier. The profile of the Zee English viewer thus far has been that of an older, mature person. After conducting research in metros in which we have strong viewership, it was decided that the channel would target the younger set. For this, a stronger programming line up has been put in place, as also a series of ground events, promotions in theatres and outdoors as well as several tie ups with teenage hangouts in the cities. This will help us reach out to the younger crowd and establish the channel as a trendy one.

    Also, we are strengthening our Singapore base, from where the two channels are uplinked. We are hiring more people to make creative ad films for channel promotion. We are also putting into place high end machines, that will help in better transmission.

    As for Zee MGM, Chicago that we acquired recently, will be billed as Zee MGM’s Movie of the Year. George Clooney’s latest Confessions of a dangerous mind, Steve Soderberg’s Full Frontal starring Julia Roberts, Birthday Girl starring Nicole Kidman and Duplex with Drew Barrymore, which is yet to be released are some of the movies we have acquired.

    This year, we will focus on a mix of old classics, interspersed with latest films. The channel has capitalised on the MGM library comprising of more than 4,000 titles including legendary series such as James Bond, Rocky, Pink Panther and Woody Allen movies. Some award winning titles, forming a part of the library, are Thelma and Louise, Moonstruck, Silence of the Lambs, RainMan, Fargo, Get Shorty and Dances with the Wolves.

    What is the programming with which you expect to hook viewers on to Zee English?
    Our existing programmes like Friends, which came onto Zee English earlier than it did on Star World, should continue to bring in the loyal audiences, as also recently launched shows like Will And Grace and The Mind of the Married Man which have been huge successes in their time slots. Since the time band of 8 pm to 10.30 pm is working very well for us, we will continue to pump in our prime shows in this slot.

    In fact, we are now concentrating on building up the 8 pm to 9 pm slot. The ninth season of Friends will launch by June, and new shows like Six Feet Under and She Spies are sure to attract viewers. The Sopranos will return with their new season in June, while a NBC sitcom Hidden Hills will debut in May. The point is, we are now sourcing shows from several production companies rather than rely on a chosen few. The same goes for our sourcing strategy for Zee MGM.

    Is there any plan in place to improve viewership in other dayparts as well?
    We are now strengthening our Sunday mornings with a focus on children’s programming. There will be action animated series and sitcoms on Fridays for teenagers. Also planned are some shows that will appeal to housewives during weekday afternoons, but the shows are yet to be finalised.
    “For Zee MGM, we have acquired almost 100 movies, at least 25 of which are blockbuster hits abroad“

    What is the advertising that you plan to spin around the two channels to increase awareness?
    We are majorly stepping up presence in outdoor advertising and in print. We have an existing tie up with Magna and indiatimes that we plan to exploit to the hilt to improve coverage. We will also venture into radio for advertising our new shows. (Ashwini pegs the proposed ad spend around the two channels at around Rs 30 million).

    What about Zee MGM? In its recently revamped avatar, has it fetched in the viewers? Is there anything more on the cards?
    The revamped Zee MGM has delivered what it set out to achieve. So, while things are proceeding smoothly on that front, we are now focusing on acquiring movies from studios other than MGM. The widened net has yielded almost 100 movie acquisitions, at least 25 of which are blockbuster hits abroad. After the minimum lock in period, we will begin telecasting these movies in the latter half of the year, mostly in the Movie of the Month slot or in the Sunday primetime slot.

    You have been involved with Zee English right from the time the channel started? How has it evolved over the last two years?
    Zee English started in March 2000. We started off with shows like ABC’s All My Children, Friends, Three’s Company and Here’s Lucy. I believe the Zee English audience has matured over these three years. They are now ready to experiment with genres and ready to sample new fare.

    Where is the Zee MGM and Zee English viewership currently concentrated?
    Basically, the metros. Though one can never be sure. Last year, for example, the Miss Universe telecast on Zee English drew in a huge viewership from Ludhiana. So, there are pockets which are attracted to the channels no matter their location. A show like She Spies could in fact appeal to viewers in the north, for example.
  • TV is not a medium for fiction, it’s more conditioned for news and current affairs programming. : Partho Mitra

    TV is not a medium for fiction, it’s more conditioned for news and current affairs programming. : Partho Mitra

    If popularity is the index of a director’s success, Partho Mitra should surely rank as one of the best directors on TV today.

    Partho, who started his career on television with Shanti, Indian TV’s first daily soap, went on to direct Banegi Apni Baat, Ghar Ek Mandir and is now directing Sansaar. For someone whose passion was still photography, Partho has come a long way as director. Partho’s work is marked by his absolute commitment towards all aspects of filmmaking. He takes a personal interest in casting, oversees the development of the storyline and is particular about maintaining a high level of production values.

    He comes across as a very frank person, at ease in speaking his heart out. We present excerpts of a no-holds-barred interview he gave to indiantelevision.com’s correspondent, Amar.

    What brought you to direction?
    In my college days, I was very passionate about still photography. After college, I assisted Deepak Roy, a documentary filmmaker for some time, before getting an opportunity to learn filmmaking at the Columbia School of Cinema, Los Angeles, in 1988. Two years later, I was on internship with the Jewish TV Network and covered the Gulf War. All this led to my coming home in 1991 and doing a couple of small budget films in Delhi. A couple of years later I moved to Mumbai and my first major project was the daily soap Shanti.

    What factors do you keep in mind before starting a new project?
    TV is essentially a writer’s medium, so I consider the script most important. Even in the script, I essentially look for powerful characterisations that can leave an impact. I took up Patang, mainly for the character of Niki Aneja who plays a woman shattered by marriage.

    A daily is more of a production exercise than a direction exercise. It’s more about how many scenes you can squeeze in a day, rather than the quality of the content.
    __________

    As a director, how involved are you with the storyline?
    Tremendously. I won’t do a project if I don’t have a tab on the storyline. Even when I am shooting extensively, I insist that one-liners of the screenplay of future episodes are sent to me first, only after I have read and approved them does the writer go ahead and write the entire script.

    Do you have any favourites among writers?
    My favourite writer is Sutapa Sikdar. She does most of my writing.

    Who are your favourite producers?
    I have an excellent personal equation with Adib Contractor and enjoy working with him. I have also enjoyed working with Raman Kumar and Vinta Nanda. What I find best working with them is their level of faith in me and the freedom I get to execute my ideas.

    What are the changes in temperament one has to make between shooting a daily and a weekly?
    From a director’s point of view, I have found a daily to be more of a production exercise than a direction exercise. It’s more about how many scenes you can squeeze in a day, rather than the quality of the content. Dailies are more verbose – the thrust is more on the dialogues rather than on the screenplay. I would, in fact, equate the nature and feel of a daily with a radio programme.

    But you’ve done well directing dailies too- Shanti and Ghar Ek Mandir?
    Shanti was India’s first daily soap. It was truly a challenge to make the concept a success. Even with Ghar Ek Mandir and Bandhan, I was the director of the early episodes only. I was entrusted the responsibility of establishing these serials successfully, which I believe I did. Another reason I did these dailies was because all of them were shot with a multi-camera set-up which made work smoother. But beyond a point, a daily did not give me the freedom and initiative I look for, so I quit.

    How much of an actor does a director have to be?
    I don’t feel a director needs to be an actor himself. It is important that he understands the nuances of acting and the chemistry of the actor he is dealing with. Personally, I don’t believe in enacting scenes as a method of instructing the actors. What happens with this is that actors who are new and lacking in confidence become very conscious and start aping you without applying their minds.

    Most directors feel that TV is a very limiting medium. Do you agree?
    I believe TV is not quite a medium for fiction, it’s more conditioned for news and current affairs programming. I say this because, invariably it makes for passive viewing. Even the best made programs are not received so well because unlike in the cinema halls where your sole concentration is on the screen, at home you tend to do other things simultaneously- receive calls, prepare meals etc. This is one of the reasons that bring about disillusionment. Besides, budgetary constraints and the pressure of meeting deadlines also create some unpleasantness about the medium.

    So are you also planning to join the movies bandwagon?
    I am certainly working on the script of a movie. Hopefully in the next six months, the complete script will be ready.

    A director needs to be an avid reader- one who has a wide point of view and one who is not bogged down by fixed notions.
    _____________

    What are the natural instincts required of a successful director?
    A director essentially needs to have the sensibility to understand varied emotions and situations. A director needs to be an avid reader- one who has a wide point of view and not one who is not bogged down by fixed notions. Being the captain of the ship, he has to be stern and authoritative, yet effective man-management also requires him to be a diplomat.

    What are the qualities you would look for in a person before taking him under your wing?
    Essentially it would be his keenness to learn in a very humble way. I would look for a basic level of technical expertise also. But that would be secondary. It’s the attitude that is more important.

    Today, would you recommend a specialized course or training under somebody for a person who wants to be a director?
    I would believe training hands-on is the best form of learning direction. A specialized course does endow you with better skills of film appreciation and helps you understand cinema better, but personally I feel there can be no substitute to training under somebody.

    What are the factors you never compromise on as director?
    I’ve already told you about the importance of the storyline in my scheme of things. That apart, I am also very particular about the technicality, maintaining high production values and the casting.

    Who are your favourite actors?
    Irfan Khan, Surekha Sikri and Niki Aneja.

    Have you modelled yourself on any particular director?
    Not consciously, though I have been inspired by the stylistic elements of a few renowned directors. I have been inspired by the script sense of Hrishikesh Mukherjee, the visual finesse of Guru Dutt and overall by the impeccable genius of Satyajit Ray.

    What makes Partho Mitra different from the crowd? What is it about his work that makes him stand apart?
    I believe I have evolved a style of working of my own wherein I can take important decisions very fast, without compromising on the quality and where I am at utmost ease with my actors. All this does lead to a certain feel about my creations, which is distinctive and essentially mine.

    How do you unwind?
    With music. When I am not shooting, I spend as much time as possible with my family. In fact, that is the reason we have shifted to Pune. When I am not shooting, I am in Pune.

    Which has been the happiest moment of your career?
    That’s difficult to answer. I would say it’s been all those occasions when I have started work on a project. I have felt extremely charged up, optimistic and full of energy on these occasions.