ITV

Tag: Essel Vision

  • Cinema content producers still discovering audience taste

    Cinema content producers still discovering audience taste

    MUMBAI: The Indian movie industry is one of the richest in the world and its content has been gaining patrons worldwide. But producers still believe that the industry doesn’t have the pulse of audience preference.

    The point was raised at the third edition of Indiantelevision.com’s ‘The Content Hub’ during a panel discussion on how new Hindi film producers are making their mark and what business models they are drawing up. The panel included Essel Vision (Zee Studios) CEO Shariq Patel, Viacom18 Studios chief operating officer Ajit Andhare, Alliance Media and Entertainment owner Sunil Doshi and Fox Star Studios India CEO Vijay Singh. Moderating the panel was film reviewer at Film Companion Suchitra Tyagi.

    Singh said that though we do not have an absolute understanding, we are better informed than we were few years ago. "Let me just give you some facts. Theatrical in India was going single digit till last year, where it actually has its most record breaking year and the business has grown by 14 per cent. Correspondingly, even if you look at Hollywood, last year they have had their biggest theatrical year," he said.

    However, Patel was of the view that the reason behind this is the constantly emerging trends. He shared that it is not possible to foresee or sight the changes in what the audience deems popular.

    Reflecting similar thoughts was Andhare who said, “Trends and cinema are two terms which are not friends with each other, because the moment you try to say this is trend you will falter. You can safely say that yes content has to be taken more seriously, just the package film which used to a success few years ago may not work.”

    He further added, “Also from a purely film business point of view, if you see a movie goer base, it is actually divided in three major markets, Hindi is just one, and the other two big bases are down south. So if you really want to address the entire consumer base for cinema in this country, you have to address all these three and from that stand point regional becomes extremely relevant.”

    There is a great opportunity to be a content producer today. "There is a huge opportunity in OTT and I can tell you that in films there is equally large opportunity. What has happened in Hollywood over the last 10 years, because the contribution from outside America started going up. 10 years back international content contributed 30 per cent and today it contributes 70 per cent. That is the reason why studios are working on franchise films or the few films which have the ability to actually travel across the globe,” Singh concluded.

  • Zee’s new reality show to bring celebs out of comfort zone; Farhan Akhtar to host

    Zee’s new reality show to bring celebs out of comfort zone; Farhan Akhtar to host

    MUMBAI: The popularity and success of reality shows showcasing various skills and talent on Indian television was a harbinger of sorts for Zee TV to bring the international non-fiction format show I Can Do That to India. What’s more, throw in a few celebrities as contestants and the show’s appeal increases manifold. 

     

    Developed by Israel’s Armoza Formats, Zee TV will launch the Indian version of the show on 17 October. What’s more, the channel has also roped in Farhan Akhtar as the host of I Can Do That. The weekend show will be aired on Saturdays and Sundays in the 9 pm primetime slot and has a run time of only six weeks. 

     

    I Can Do That will have 12 celebrities from different walks of life, who will be seen performing jaw dropping acts. The show will challenge them to outdo each other in a wide range of tasks, from intricate dance choreography to magic and illusion, from flair bar tending to daredevil stunts and more.

     

    The 12 celebrities that the channel has roped in for the show are Dino Morea, Gauahar Khan, Gurmeet Choudhary, Rithvik Dhanjani, Madhurima Tuli, Mandira Bedi, VJs Bani and Andy, Shibani Dandekar, Meiyang Chang, Ranveer Brar and Bharti Singh.

     

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com on the reasons for investing in an established worldwide format, Zee TV business head Pradeep Hejmadi says, “It’s a format, which is very close to what Zee TV stands for. Zee has always celebrated formats, which identifies the talent in people. The show at its core matches with what we have done so far with our other shows like Dance India Dance (DID) and Saregamapa, which focus on talent. In this show, we aim to pull out the hidden talent from celebrities and take out them of their comfort zone. I Can Do That is a format, which is very close to our DNA in the non-fiction space.”

     

    Throwing light on the reason for choosing Zee’s platform for the international format, Armoza senior creative director – development department Elwin Vizetelly De Groot says, “We are very excited to work with the biggest entertainment channel in India that is Zee Television. India is such an important market for us. I travelled across India and spent a few days working with the team. The basic format of the show is that it’s a story of your favourite celebrities, who will perform amazing acts on stage. We are working very closely with the team of Zee to launch this show here in India.”

     

    Groot further adds, “People will see celebrities doing something different.  They will watch them dancing, singing, sometimes cooking and other things. Our aim was to combine all that we wanted in a show. I Can Do That is a platform where we can showcase amazing talent and something that Indian audiences has never seen before. Zee and Armoza are very excited with the prospects of the show and we believe that it can do really well. It has done very well in other territories and we believe that India is next.”

     

    While there are multiple reality shows on television today, which showcase, celebrate as well as hone various talents, I Can Do That will be different. Talking about the USP of the show, Hejmadi says, “The difference comes in the show from the contestants because automatically the players are people, who come with certain talent. On this platform, people will be seen performing certain kind of things that they have never before done in their lives. It is not just a show, which has celebrities. Usually other shows focus on the strengths of celebrities but in this show, the audience will see them performing unbelievable tasks. And therein lies the difference.”

     

    With the multi-talented Akhtar as the show’s host, Zee TV is banking on his popularity to take the show a notch higher than the rest. “Farhan is a great embodiment of the format. He is multi-talented and has always pushed boundaries to do multiple things. He is great guy, who can stand up with the format and can say I Can Do That,” Hejmadi says.

     

    To push the show at multiple levels, Zee TV will be adopting a 360 degree marketing approach. Hejmadi informs, “There is always an on-air television based campaign and along with that we will go with off-air marketing as well. There is huge digital campaign that we are mounting. The format is such that everyone from kids to very elderly people can enjoy the show, so the campaign is designed to appeal to the masses.”

     

    With Vaseline as the presenting sponsor for I Can Do That, Hejmadi says that advertisers’ response to the new show has been encouraging so far. “We have received an excellent response from them. While we have almost closed all the positions of sponsorship, we are still in discussion with a few advertisers,” he adds.

     

    Speaking on the research carried out for the show, Hejmadi says,  said, “Even as we met the contestants, we were parallelly evaluating the stunts done in the international format. We also looked at different kinds of talent that we should evaluate for each of the players, who were coming on board. So a series of evaluations were done in terms of the kind of acts that people would like to see.”

     

    The reality show format I Can Do That has been popular in countries like the US, Italy and Israel amongst others.

  • Essel to back Jazbaa’s robust release with aggressive promotions

    Essel to back Jazbaa’s robust release with aggressive promotions

    MUMBAI: Gone are the days when an all India release of a movie used to make headlines for robust distribution. Gradually Bollywood has emerged as a global affair not only for the Indian diaspora but also for the vernacular audience. 

     

    Essel Vision is leaving no stone unturned to ensure an enhanced reach for its upcoming Hindi movie Jazbaa. With multilingual audio and simulcast release across the globe, Essel has plans of garnishing the movie in an exquisite manner.  

     

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, Essel Vision Productions business head Akash Chawla says, “This is the first time an Indian movie will have a simulcast release in the Middle East with an Arabic dub. We are also looking to have a dubbed release for Spanish and English market alongside Hindi release for the Indian diaspora.”

     

    Digital will spearhead the promotional and marketing strategy for the movie. “The promotional strategies will be backed by Zee all through. Zee has a huge bouquet of channels and we will be promoting the movie across all of them in both international and Indian markets,” he adds.

     

    There will be a mega trailer launch on the sets of Dance India Dance, which will reach out to mass. In the US, the producers plan to launch a promotional tour on 17 September, 2015. A series of activities are also on the cards for the premiere of the movie, which is scheduled on 9 October, 2015.

     

    MSM Motion Pictures’ recently produced Piku showed how brand integration can be a substantial source of revenue for producers. When queried if Jazbaa will also have brands integrated in the movie, Chawla says, “There are a few brands that are subtly placed in the movie but we kept the number as low as possible because we did not want interrupt viewers. I don’t think brand integration is yet a substantial source of revenue when it comes to movies.”

     

    Essel Group took the decision of fully entering into film production with Jazbaa after tasting success with Lunchbox and D-Day as co-producers. The movie, which stars Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Irrfan Khan, is directed by Sanjay Gupta. The movie tells the story of an advocate who is stuck between professional life and motherhood.

     

    Chawla is optimistic about the movie’s success globally. “We will have as robust release as possible and rest will depend on audience,” he says.

  • Essel Vision bags distribution rights of Lionsgate’s ‘The Last Witch Hunter’

    Essel Vision bags distribution rights of Lionsgate’s ‘The Last Witch Hunter’

    MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited’s (Zeel) content studio, Essel Vision Productions has acquired the distribution and marketing rights of Lionsgate’s supernatural thriller The Last Witch Hunter starring Vin Diesel.

     

    Essel Vision recently revealed the first look of the movie to moviegoers in India.

     

    The company will release the film in theatres across India a day prior to its worldwide release on Thursday, 22 October, 2015. The Last Witch Hunter features an ensemble cast led by Diesel, Academy Award-winning Michael Caine and Rose Leslie, widely acclaimed for her role as Ygritte in the blockbuster series Game of Thrones. The film is directed by Breck Eisner.

     

    Essel Vision Studio business head Akash Chawla said, “We’re always looking to collaborate with the most successful content companies in the world as well as to give new filmmakers an opportunity to showcase their work. Following our successful ventures into television, short form content, Bollywood, regional cinema and music, our exclusive deal with global content leader Lionsgate to handle all the marketing and distribution of The Last Witch Hunter in India cements our leadership in handling Hollywood blockbusters as well.”

     

    “Vin Diesel is one of the biggest action heroes on the planet. Following the record-breaking success of Furious 7, his next film is breathlessly anticipated by his fans here in India and around the world. Today’s sneak peek marks the first step in our innovative and aggressive marketing campaign to ensure that the film receives the mammoth reception it deserves,” added Chawla. 

     

    “The Last Witch Hunter showcases action superstar Vin Diesel at his exciting best, and we’re delighted to partner with our friends at Zee Entertainment to bring his latest thriller to Indian moviegoers,” said Lionsgate Motion Picture Group co-chairs Patrick Wachsberger and Rob Friedman.

     

    “The large and fast-growing Indian marketplace offers tremendous opportunities. With their marketing prowess and distribution expertise, Zee Entertainment is the right partner, The Last Witch Hunter is the right film and Vin Diesel is the right superstar to help us conquer the box office there,” they said.

     

    Essel Vision will also make its foray into Hindi motion pictures in October with the release of Jazbaa, starring Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Irrfan Khan, which is being directed by Sanjay Gupta.

  • Zee Entertainment strengthens its digital team

    Zee Entertainment strengthens its digital team

    MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) in order to strengthen its digital presence has appointed Anjana Kshetry.

    As Zee Digital brand solutions head, Kshetry will report to Essel Group chief knowledge officer Debashish Ghosh.

    Kshetry will be working in close coordination with the India Web Portal, Ditto TV and Zee Digital teams. She will also be responsible for leveraging the Zee sales team for integration of digital propositions with TV sales propositions in the most optimum manner. Furthermore, she will be looking at brand integration opportunities in the digital arenas being explored with Essel Vision.

    Kshetry was previously the senior vice president – sales and brand solutions, heading the national sales portfolio for brand solutions and Zee Khana Khazana. She has been associated with Zee for about 14 years, and has worked with the organisation in multiple capacities.

     

  • Partha Thakur appointed as Essel Vision non-fiction head

    Partha Thakur appointed as Essel Vision non-fiction head

    MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (Zeel) has announced the appointment of Partha Thakur as non-fiction programming head for Essel Vision Productions. He will take charge from 3 November.

    Zeel is looking at strengthening its content and develop different genres of production. Thakur will report to Essel Vision Productions business head Akash Chawla. With over 15 years of experience in media and entertainment, he has produced content for broadcasters such as Zee TV, Star plus, Star World, Sony Entertainment Television, Colors, MTV, Sun TV, Vijay TV, NDTV, Pogo, Disney Network, UTV and Fox Traveler.

    He has worked with Wizcraft Television, Miditech Productions, Optimystix Entertainment, Searchlight Productions and MTV India. He has worked on multiple seasons of shows such as Entertainment Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega, Indian Idol, Fame Gurukul, IIFA Awards, GIMA Awards, Apsara Awards, Zee Rishtey Awards, Dare to Dance, amongst others.

    Thakur has also worked on shows in South Africa, Dubai, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Sri Lanka. His last assignment was at Sol Productions as the non-fiction head and creative director.

    Essel Vision’s objective is to be a one-stop shop for all film, television, digital, events and IP creation related services where it will produce, co-produce, market and distribute.

     

  • “It’s all about Happy Dancing!”, says Shah Rukh Khan

    “It’s all about Happy Dancing!”, says Shah Rukh Khan

    MUMBAI: Having scaled the pinnacle of dancing with Dance India Dance (DID), Zee TV has now launched another talent show ‘Maruti Suzuki Alto K 10 Dil Se Naache Indiawale co-powered by Askmebazaar.com & L’Oreal Paris Fall Repair 3X’, in partnership with Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment & ZEEL’s production arm Essel Vision.

     

    To be hosted by the King of Bollywood Shah Rukh Khan, the show is positioned as India’s first ever multi-city dance tour in search of the ‘happiest dancer’. Conducted through a joyride on a special ‘Happy Dancing’ bus, the tour will reach Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad and Indore in the coming days.

     

    Present on the road-shows with the contestants will be the cast of the Happy New Year called the ‘Agents of Happiness’ including Shah Rukh Khan, DeepikaPadukone, Abhishek Bachchan, Farah Khan, Sonu Sood, Boman Irani and Vivaan Shah.

     

    The tour will kick off in Mumbai on October 7 and the show will go on air from the first week of the month. Spanning across five weeks, the show selected contestants from each city will compete in a finale to win the title.

     

    Coming up with yet another creative technique for marketing and promotion of his latest flick, King Khan said, “For our film, Happy New Year, we wanted to move away from the conventional format of city tours. This time we wanted to go out there and thank them by entertaining them and giving back the love they always give us. When Zee approached us with the concept of a show that celebrates the sheer happiness of dancing as against selecting the most trained and technically sound dancers, it instantly appealed.”

     

    “The concept also holds well with our film. This will be our unique way of promoting our film in different cities. All of us will be performing and judging in this show. The idea is to spread cheer and happiness wherever we all go!” he added.

     

    The participants on the show will be shortlisted from the ‘Happy Dancing’ videos that dance enthusiasts send in from across the country.

     

    These dancers will then get the opportunity to showcase their acts in front of the star-studded panel. The show will serve the dual purpose of promotion for Happy New Year and festive entertainment for viewers.

     

    Talking about the exclusive show, Zee TV programming head Namit Sharma said, “With Dance India Dance, we celebrated dance as an art form. With ‘Dil Se Naachein Indiawaale’, we celebrate it as a ‘heart’ form. We’re extremely pleased to partner with Shah Rukh in bringing this proposition alive.”

     

    “The core idea behind the show is to look at dance as a means and an outlet to express all the joy, life, spunk and happiness you have within you. We are not looking for trained dancers who’re perfect with their technique, we’re looking for that contestant who can bring a smile on to people’s faces with their happy dancing,” he added.

     

    With the hottest celebrity panel ever on Indian television, an all-new genre of dancing and the first-of-its-kind dance tour with a mission to spread joy and happiness across the country, the show promises to be the biggest entertainment extravaganza this Diwali.

     

    Red Chilies will be returning to television production after almost three years. It has in the past produced shows like ‘Tere Mere Beach Mein’ (on Star Plus), the talk show hosted by director-choreographer Farah Khan, ‘Ye Parindey’ on Channel V, a chat show hosted by the designer duo of Abu Jaani and Sandeep Khosla on NDTV Good Times and ‘Ghar ki Baat’ on NDTV Imagine.

  • Essel Vision releasing its musical love story

    Essel Vision releasing its musical love story

    MUMBAI: After an epic and record-breaking release – Duniyadaari, Essel Vision is all geared up for its upcoming release – Time Pass (TP). The film is directed by Ravi Jadhav – who has given three continuous block buster films in a row – Natarang, Balgandharva and Balak Palak (BP).

     

    Along with Essel Vision, Ravi Jadhav’s Time Pass (TP) has been produced with Athansh Communications productions and Zee Talkies. It is a that will be a special treat for the viewers.

     

    “We have created various benchmarks in Marathi industry. In fact the last film Duniyadari broke all the records at the box office collection of last 80 years in Marathi Cinema. Now, the film is entering in its the 25th week on 3 Jan, 2014when even our new venture Time Pass will hit the screens in Maharashtra. With Time Pass, we take this trend to another level as we are releasing TP in 200 plus theatres across Maharashtra, Goa, Belgaum etc. And this becomes our 5th film set to release on the eve of New Year which in itself is another unique trend for Marathi cinema,” says Essel Vision Productions Business Head Nikhil Sane.

     

    TP is a love story of Dagadu and Prajakta set in the 1980s. It is a light hearted, innocent story of teen age love, sacrifice, passion and values.

  • ‘DID 4’ invites you to ‘Dance It Out’

    ‘DID 4’ invites you to ‘Dance It Out’

    MUMBAI: In the last three seasons, it has tapped the audience’s heart with jaw dropping performances by the contestants. From introducing the Indian audience to dance forms like locking and popping, hip hop moves to “slo-mo” style, to making dance popular among all age-groups, dance reality show Dance India Dance has done it all. Now, the show is back with its season 4 with a bang. Come 26 October, it will celebrate the passion of dancing every Saturday-Sunday at 9:00 pm only on Zee TV.

    While Maruti continues to be its title sponsor, the channel has also signed a deal with WeChat and eight other associate sponsors have been roped in.

    The new slogan, “Dance It Out” is refreshing and sends out a strong message to its viewers that nothing is impossible to learn, dancing definitely not!

    Talking at the launch, Zeel content head Ajay Bhalwankar says: “DID brings in raw talent from every nook and corner of the country. You don’t need to be a star, your talent and passion for dance will say it all.”

    Produced by Essel Vision, the show will follow the format similar to the original season where 18 contestants are divided into three teams led by three masters. The masters will groom and mentor their respective teams in every episode to face the “Dance ka Tashan”.

    The show will be hosted by Jay Bhanushali and actor Mithun Chakraborty will continue as the grandmaster.

     

    You don’t need to be a star, your talent and passion for dance will say it all, says Ajay Bhalwankar

    However, what’s new this season is that besides the original three judges – Geeta Kapoor, Remo D’souza and Terence Lewis, who are an inseparable part of the DID family – the show has roped in three young choreographers in its panel of judges – Mudassar Khan, who has choreographed films like Bodyguard, Dabangg 2 and Ready; Shruti Merchant, comes from a family of choreographers and began her career as an assistant choreographer in films like Dhoom, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi among others; and Feroz Khan, started his career assisting Farah Khan and has made a name for himself with hit dance moves in songs like Maa da ladla.. and Johnny Gaddaar.

    The judges think that this time it’s not just going to be a challenge for the contestants but even them, who will have to prove their worth.

    alking about the change in format of the show, Zeel chief sales officer Ashish Sehgal says: “Change is the sign of growth. We are proud of our choices for the fresh panel of mentors this season. At Zee, we always believe in making celebrities out of deserving talent. New judges will bring new fans, making the show better and different.”

    Essel Vision Productions, producer Nitin Keni agrees and says: “Each of them come with an impressive body of work in the field of dance. Moreover, it is their passion for dance that has landed them on our panel of judges.”

    The channel is confident that the new trio will drive millions of dance enthusiasts across the country.

    The dancing fever has already gripped the enthusiasts, as the auditions that are being conducted on a large scale in 16 major cities, have received an overwhelming response from the dance lovers.  And it is not just going to be a television show this time. Zeel marketing head Akash Chawla says: “We are bringing the show parallel online. Just saying, Dance it Out won’t make sense till the time you actually bring it out in a complete manner.”

    The entire marketing strategy behind this is that ‘Dance it Out’ should not just be a slogan but a movement, says Akash Chawla

    Throughout the series, every week, the masters will give out a theme and the audience can make a video with that particular theme and submit it online. After being selected by the judges, the best videos will go on air. Adds Chawla: “The main objective is to give a platform to as many people possible in the most convenient manner. Everybody cannot qualify the auditions, but you have to do something for the people who are talented and are passionate about dancing.”

    On its marketing side, to expand its foothold, the channel is also concentrating on on-ground activities. The channel is expanding its presence majorly in ten cities, giving them a particular theme which is relevant to that city at that particular time. It will encourage people to come out and dance. “The entire marketing strategy behind this is that ‘Dance it Out’ should not just be a slogan but a movement. Since it is no longer only a television show, we need to exemplify it in a manner that people connect with it.”

    At Zee, we always believe in making celebrities out of deserving talent, says Ashish Sehgal

    So has it attracted the advertisers?  Sehgal confidently says: “DID has been the darling of all advertisers. They were very excited when we told them about our plans, as it would give them an opportunity to reach out to more people. With this new platform, advertisers have another way to reach the consumers. At the end of the day, advertisers are looking to reach out to the consumers’ doors.”

    We are aware of the numerous shows on all the channels, will DID occupying the 9:00 pm slot, affect the ratings of other famous shows on other GECs? Answers Chawla: “It is not for the first time that we have battling with the biggest shows. GEC is all about different channels launching different shows. It’s a competitive world. People who don’t like competition should retire very soon.”
    He further adds: “We love competition. We respect our competitors and if the show is good and if the communication is clear, viewers will find time to watch all the good shows. And they chose to watch the show which at that time they love the most.”

    We are confident that the new trio will drive millions of dance enthusiasts across the country, says Nitin Keni

    Since the channel is already following the ad cap rule, have the reality shows been affected? “In most of the reality shows, you always kind of adhere to ad cap, we have never over run inventory because they are high priced shows. Moreover, there are high stake sponsors involved, you cannot dilute inventory on these shows. So ad cap is not going to affect us in any manner as far as reality shows are concerned,” signs off Sehgal.

    So, what are you waiting for! Pull up your socks and be ready for the spectacular dancing talent with a renewed vigor in the latest season.