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Tag: Content slate

  • Why Abundantia’s Vikram Malhotra is looking to raise Rs 250 crore in 2025

    Why Abundantia’s Vikram Malhotra is looking to raise Rs 250 crore in 2025

    MUMBAI: It’s had an abundant share of hits. Now Abundantia Entertainment is gearing up to ramp up its slate further and is in the market to raise a nice little treasure chest of money to fund its future film and series projects. 

    Speaking to moneycontrol.com, its CEO Vikram Malhotra said that he was looking to raise Rs 200-250 crore in the first half of 2025, only one third of the investment of Rs 750 crore he has lined up for movies and series  for the company going forward.

    Abundantia has been behind some critically acclaimed  and commercially  successful films like Baby, Airlift, Toilet – Ek Prem Katha, Shakuntala Devi, Sherni, Chhorii, Jalsa, Ram Setu, Sukhee and Sarfira. Its series  Breathe which ran into three seasons and  Hush Hush which brought yesteryear super stars Juhi Chawla and Ayesha Jhulka onto streaming have got him hungry to do more. 

    “Out of the 23 titles in development actively at Abundantia right now, the next three years should see an output of 18 of them, starting with six releases in 2025,” he told Moneycontrol. “So far, we’ve had a tremendous five years in terms of creative and financial success and now the plan is to take it to the next level with the infusion of additional capital that allows us to exploit the opportunities that exist in the market.”

    Among the titles which are under developed or are on the production floor include: Amazon Prime Video’s Bhoomi Pednekar-starring Suresh Triveni-directed Daldal, the sequel to  the 2021 released Chhorii, and the Anil Kapoor-starring Suresh Triveni-directed Subedaar.  Many a talent have also been signed up by Abundantia, reveals Malhotra. Among them: Hansal Mehta (the director of the successful Scam series ) who is working on a multi season series, Gullak director Palash Vaswani who’s working on a film, Bhav Dhulia (the director behind Drishyam and Paan Singh Tomar)  who’s got a film project as well as Mayank Sharma (he directed Breathe’s three seasons) for a film. 

    Malhotra has been restructuring Abundantia and has built two verticals within it: psych for horror and paranormal stories and Filters for the young adult segment and is actively developing content under these.  

    A creative studio  called Opening Image has been launched with Suresh Triveni. The idea: focus on creating and developing differentiated content across mediums and aims at being an ecosystem for young writers and directors to flourish under Triveni’s guidance.

    This is not the first fund raise Malhotra’s attempting. He initially secured funding from Dalip Pathak’s Callista Capital and Ashok Wadhwa’s RW Media, who he later bought out. 

    Going by his track record (and despite the mixed response from movie goers that  the film industry has been receiving), Malhotra and his Abundantia should get the fund raise  through and  right – in the first take itself.

  • Sonyliv 2.0 to produce 100+ original series in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam

    Sonyliv 2.0 to produce 100+ original series in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam

    Mumbai: Sonyliv has announced its expanding slate of content for 2022. The over-the-top streaming service is going to offer 50+ Hindi and 50+ other language premium content.

    Relaunched two years ago during the onset of Covid-19, the OTT platform saw its subscriber base grow from 0.8 million to 18.2 million and is expanding its production slate across languages to maintain its growth momentum.

    The streaming platform will soon foray into Tamil originals with its first web-series Meme Boys, Tamil Rockerz followed by originals in Telugu and Malayalam.

    The video-on-demand service recently announced that it will be co-producing the Indian adaptation of Israeli show Fauda with Applause Entertainment and has roped director Sudhir Mishra and co-director Sachin Mamta Krishn for the project titled Taanav.

    It has also partnered with Nikkhil Advani’s Emmay Entertainment to create the show Freedom at Midnight based on the book by Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins. The writers of the web series are Abhinandan Gupta, Adwitiya Kareng Das and Gundeep Kaur.

    Sonyliv also announced the second seasons of its popular web series Avrodh, Maharani, and Rocket Boys. It will also dive deeper into India’s scamverse with Scam 2003: The Telgi Story helmed by directors Hansal Mehta and Tushar Hiranandani and starring Gagan Dev Riar in the lead role.

    Scam 2003 is based on the Hindi-language book “Reporter Ki Diary” by journalist Sanjay Singh on the criminal mastermind Abdul Karim Telgi.

    The OTT has roped in Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari as the showrunner for a poetic love story titled Faadu written by Saumya Joshi and featuring Saiyami Kher and Pavail Gulati.

    Sonyliv has already released the teaser for web series Dr. Arora, a dramedy documenting the interesting life and times of a travelling sex consultant directed by Sajid Ali and Archit Kumar and featuring Kumud Mishra, Gaurav Parajuli, Vivek Mushran, Shekhar Suman and more.

    It has partnered with director Onir to make Pulwana Key No 1026 based on award-winning author and journalist Rahul Pandita’s book “The Lover Boy of Bahawalpur”.

    The streaming platform has partnered with marquee creators such as Soumik Sen for Jazz City ’71 – Fight for Language directed by R S Vimal, Sudhir Mishra for Jehanabad – Jail Break and Heart Break, Vikas Bahl for Good Bad Girl directed by Rajeev Barnwal and Satyanshu Singh, Children of Freedom led by Sudhir Mishra, Tigmanshu Dhulia’s Garmi, creator and director Nila Madhav Panda for Jengaburu – A Billion Dollar Curse, Manish Hariprasad for Main Sahir Hoon, Rahul Dholakia for India’s First Election,

    For its Tamil content slate, Sonyliv has partnered with Gokul Krishna for Meme Boys created by Rajiv Rajaram and Drishya Gautam and featuring Guru Somasundaram, Badava Gopi, Aadhitya Bhaskar, Siddharth Babu, Jayanth, Namritha and Nikhil Nair. Production partner Rainshine Studios.

    TamilRockerz is directed by Arivazhagan and written by Manoj Kumar Kalaivanan and features Arun Vijay, Vani Bhojan, Ishwarya Menon, Azhagam Perumal, Vinodhini Vaidyanathan, MS Bhaskar. The production partner is AVM Productions.

    Upcoming line-up of Tamil content includes Karthik Subbaraj led Kaiyum Kalavum created by Rohit Nandakumar and production partner Stonebench. The cast includes Sanchana Natrajan, Rohit Nandakumar, Madonna Sebastian, Senthil, Karu. Pazhaniappan, Ramya Nambeesan, Chaams, Vivek Prasanna and Vijay Adhiraj.

    Victim is an anthology series directed by Venkat Prabhu, Chimbudeven, Pa. Ranjith and Rajesh M and produced by Black Ticket productions and Axess Film Factory. It will star Amala Paul, Priya Bhavani Shankar, Guru Somasundaram, Lizzie Anton, Prasanna, Nataraja Subramanian, Thambi Ramaiah, Kalaiarasan Harikrishnan and Nasser M.

    Journey directed by Cheran Pandian and produced by Compass8 Films will feature Kalaiarasan Harikrishnan, Prasanna, Aari Arjunan, Divya Bharathi, Anju Kurian, Aadukalam Naren and Kashyap Bharbarya.

    There’s also Accidental Farmer & Co. led by showrunner Balaji Mohan and written and directed by Sugan Jay. The producers are Trend Loud & Open window and cast includes Vaibhav Reddy, Ramya Pandian, Vinodhini, Badava Gopi and Chutti Aravind.

    Sonyliv will bring back its web series Iru Dhruvam for a second season produced by Applause Entertainment with director Arun Prakash and cast starring Prasanna, Nanda and Abhirami Venkatachalam.

  • There is a high demand for scripted content on OTT platforms currently: Sameer Gogate

    There is a high demand for scripted content on OTT platforms currently: Sameer Gogate

    Mumbai: BBC Studios, the production arm of BBC group, has emerged as the preferred partner for over-the-top (OTT) platforms to create premium shows. It has partnered with OTT platform Zee5 for its latest release The Broken News directed by Vinay Waikul and starring Sonali Bendre, Jaideep Ahlawat and Shriya Pilgaonkar. “The demand for scripted content on OTT platforms is extremely high right now and we’ve been servicing that demand,” remarks BBC Studios general manager Sameer Gogate.

    BBC Studios has gotten off to a strong start to the year with its Disney+ Hotstar series Rudra: The Edge of Darkness marking Ajay Devgn’s OTT debut. Now, it is backing Sonali Bendre’s OTT debut with The Broken News. The studio first partnered with Zee5 for the Telugu-language thriller Gaalivaana directed by Sharan Koppisetty and starring Sai Kumar and Radhika Sarathkumar. The studio will continue its association with Zee5 by building its slate of Hindi originals across genres.

    In terms of new projects, the studio is working with Amazon Prime Video for an unnamed project and Voot for Kaisi Yeh Yaariaan season four which has begun filming. It is also expecting the release of Hotstar Special Criminal Justice season three in the coming months.

    “We’ve got a fairly busy slate this year and there are a few more projects I can’t announce yet because the OTT platform would like to announce it first,” says Gogate. He reveals that the studio is working on another project with Disney Star.

    After a silent period in the TV production space, the studio is returning to work on a upcoming dance reality show. While the studio is mostly working on OTT projects, Gogate expects this trend could change in the next couple of years.  

    The Broken News is based on a UK series called Press, created and written by Mike Bartlett. While the original show was written for print media, BBC Studios India adapted the format for the broadcast news industry. “The show (The Broken News) highlights the role of the news producer who is the earpiece of the news editor. There’s a lot of work that went into the writing in terms of visiting news studios, meeting with anchors and catching up with news reports. The story is a reflection of what’s happening in society and thankfully when we pitched it to Zee5, they took it up right away,” recalls Gogate.

    In the past, BBC has created the shows What The Love Netflix and Sons of the Soil for Prime Video. It has also worked on Out of Love seasons one and two for Disney+ Hotstar. As subscription driven streamers increase investments in original content in India, they’re on the lookout for production partners who can deliver premium shows that can help them differentiate from the clutter.

    “By virtue of being a studio with a strong lineage and brand, we’ve been able to put up big productions that have been successful,” says Gogate. “I’m fortunate to have an experienced team that can mount big shows and handle that pressure which helps me sell more content to OTT platforms.”

    Gogate is keen to work with all the subscription OTT platforms in the country including players like SonyLIV, Netflix, HBO Max and Lionsgate Play.

  • Indian content market is maturing with every story: Tanya Bami

    Indian content market is maturing with every story: Tanya Bami

    Mumbai: Netflix is ramping up its original series slate for 2022. Its upcoming original shows include Scoop helmed by Hansal Mehta about the Jyotirmay Dey (J Dey) murder case, Guns and Gulaabs led by the duo Raj and Dk, CAT starring Randeep Hooda and directed by Balwinder Singh Janjua and Heeramandi led by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. “The Indian content market is maturing with every story,” Netflix India series head Tanya Bami tells Indiantelevision.com. “Creators, writers and directors are bringing forward their best work on OTT.”

    The OTT platform has ordered the second seasons of Jamtara, Masaba Masaba, The Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives. It has recently released shows such as The Fame Game starring Madhuri Dixit, Mai: A Mother’s Rage featuring Sakshi Tanwar, Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein and Kapil Sharma’s comedy special I’m Not Done Yet. “We’ve built out a really dynamic content slate title by title over the last four months, says Bami. “The last four months have seen eight shows launched by Netflix. The intensity at which we’re putting out content is fairly unmatched in the Indian landscape. Netflix is going to double the excitement over the next two years.”  

    Cursoring through Netflix India originals on Wikipedia, the company has put out an impressive range of content. It has intriguing docu-series such as Bad Boy Billionaires: India and House of Secrets: The Burari Deaths, it offers riveting drama series like Delhi Crime and Call My Agent: Bollywood, it has fun unscripted series such as Indian Matchmaking and The Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives and ambitious original films such as Minnal Murali and Jagame Thandhiram. It has yet to build any lasting franchises yet the OTT giant continues its bold approach to creating content.

    “What’s unique about us is that we tell very distinct stories with a lot of passion,” says Bami. “The ideas and concepts stick with us members. When you remember a story after watching it, I think that’s the true victory of the storyteller. There’s also a cinematic quality that we bring that is akin to the big screen experience in your living room. We offer a variety of genres, moods, creators and there’s a different creative experience with every title.”

    Netflix launched 28 India originals in 2021 including 15 films, eight series, five non-fiction titles, 11 genres, seven languages and eight formats. Moreover, it has worked with more than 70 different production houses till date with 70 per cent of them working on more than two projects for Netflix. Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos recently at the Economic Times Global Business Summit said that “India is a land of a billion stories. The opportunity is so large and the storytelling appetite is so big. As we get the storytelling right, the rest will fall into place.”

    Global streamers have been criticised for playing the volume game in local markets and missing out on the essential ingredient that is quality, especially, compared to western shows. Many believe this is why Indian original shows have not traversed the world much like a Money Heist, Squid Game or Dark.

    “To not recognise the contribution made by our creators at a global level and at an India level would be a little bit unfair as there are such amazing stories coming out whether it is one Netflix or any competing platform,” says Bami. “The world is recognising India’s content. Delhi Crime has won an International Emmy award. Our series like The Fame Game and Sacred Games are watched across 15-20 countries outside India. It’s time to be proud of Indian content,” she added.

    Elaborating on Netflix India’s content strategy, Bami states, “The idea is to capture a diverse audience segment because we feel everybody wants to watch something different. Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein is about the gender dynamic being subverted in the hinterlands (where we assume men have the power), Aranyak delves into Indian folklore, the moment when Kapil Sharma speaks about his father in his stand-up special, I’m Not Done Yet was memorable for audiences.

    Adding further, she says, “Like Ted (Sarandos) said recently, ‘India is a land of a billion stories’, a billion stories that are untold. We want to be a part of the zeitgeist and capture the imagination of audiences and that comes by working very closely with dynamic minds who’ve had varied experiences of this culture. They have experienced this country which they put into their stories that they create for us.”

    Netflix is largely perceived as a metro brand due to its high concept shows and anthology series. It is ready to shed that brand image and dive deeper into the Indian market. “Our show Mai: A Mother’s Rage is set in Lucknow and features actor Saakshi Tanwar who is popular with the broader TV audience. That is our way to open up a backdrop and milieu and unlock that audience segment for Netflix,” explains Bami.

    “We’re also excited to work with South creators and content which is actively under development as we look to penetrate the south market,” notes Bami. “We’ve had early successes with shows like Navrasa, Paava Kadhaigal, Minnal Murali and have so much more lined-up.”

    “Nothing is more important to us than to succeed in India and we realise that we have to go deeper within. We must reach out to a more diverse audience set,” concludes Bami.

  • Viacom18’s YME cluster launches new business division ‘KaanPhod’

    Viacom18’s YME cluster launches new business division ‘KaanPhod’

    Mumbai: Viacom18 youth, music and English entertainment cluster has created a brand-new business division called KaanPhod to provide emerging musical artists an opportunity to showcase their talent. The cluster comprises brands such as MTV, MTV Beats, Comedy Central, Colors Infinity, and Vh1.

    KaanPhod will co-create original music IPs with emerging artists and distribute them across platforms. The division is set to launch a show “Mic Test” that will introduce ten promising new artists and their original tracks which will also be made available for viewers on television (MTV, MTV Beats, Vh1), social and streaming platforms.

    The brand has also launched its maiden short-form video offering called Fully Faltoo, with over a dozen web shows and snackable content. This year the cluster is returning with the new season of MTV Roadies which is shot in South Africa with new host Sonu Sood. It is also returning with the second season of the rap reality show “MTV Hustle.” English entertainment channel Colors Infinity has announced a new show called “The Inventor’s Challenge” which highlights the journey of an idea from paper to a working prototype of the product created by amateur inventors.

    The clusters brands garnered 9.8 billion impressions on content across TV, social media and the networks streaming/OTT platform Voot in the past year. The business unit was also able to draw viewers during non-prime time through its sports content.

    The YME unit recently launched the Fully Faltoo NFT platform that saw more than 3000 digital collectibles sold out within a couple of hours. The marketplace offers a range of diverse digital collectibles from its iconic brands like MTV, Vh1 and Comedy Central.

    “Viacom18 YME is the only brand in its category that brings to the youth uniquely entertaining ‘escape clusters’. With fiction, non-fiction, sports, short-format and snackable content, and a foray in the metaverse, the brand has its finger on the pulse. The YME division will reinvent, reimagine and risk as it pivots across platforms in a way that is daring and contemporary, just like the audience it caters to,” said the statement.

    “The last two years have been unprecedented for young South Asians,” said Viacom18 head – youth, music and English entertainment Anshul Ailawadi. “They’ve emerged stronger after grappling with a once-in-a-generation black swan event. This is the right time for the youth, music and English entertainment (YME) cluster to pivot. In the coming fiscal we will scale up and revamp each and every legacy property from Roadies to Hustle to Splitsvilla and launch newer formats. We will double down on our growing digital presence and launch a multiplatform short video offering ‘Fully Faltoo’ along with ‘KaanPhod’ – a platform to discover and mount emerging musical talent and original songs. The success of our maiden NFT offering will be followed up with more Web 3.0-focused initiatives. We’ve also worked on a new slate of international English content for Colors Infinity and Comedy Central. The team is geared up for an action-packed year like never before.”

  • Zee5 unveils its Bengali content slate for Durga Puja

    Zee5 unveils its Bengali content slate for Durga Puja

    Mumbai: Zee5 has launched #AamarPujoSobarPujo, a digital campaign for Durga Puja 2021 encouraging viewers to celebrate togetherness through the platform. As part of the campaign, a fresh slate of Bengali festive content comprising featured shows, web series, and direct-to-digital releases have been announced.

    During Durgotsav the platform will stream pujo special programming and new films every Friday in October along with popular TV shows like “Mithai,” “Amader Ei Poth Jodi na Sesh Hoy,” “Aparajita Apu,” “Dadagiri” (season 9), and “Uma,” and originals such as “Lalbazaar and Kaali” (season 1 and 2).

    The campaign video featuring people immersed in festivities on one side, and several workers such as a police officer, cab driver, sanitisation lady, and waiter selflessly going about their jobs on the other, celebrates the spirit of togetherness that marks Durga Pujo in Bengal.

    “With inclusivity at the heart of the brand, this campaign brings forth the recognition of those who have selflessly contributed to the community through the good and the tough times,” stated Zee5 India chief business officer Manish Kalra. “With #AamarPujoSobarPujo we want to bring entertainment home to everyone and have an inclusive occasion by delivering our durgotsav specials hailing from the heartland of Bengal, extending the celebration across geographies and borders.”