ITV

Tag: Gurjeev Kapoor

  • Star India gets aggressive with global programme syndication sales

    Star India gets aggressive with global programme syndication sales

    MUMBAI: Leading Indian media and entertainment major Star India is quite confident that its new catalogue of historical dramas and contemporary soaps and series will gain traction as it continues with its international syndication drive. In an interaction with World Screen, Star India president international business and domestic distribution Gurjeev Kapoor said: “Our new line-up of shows like Love Ka Hai Intezar (The Wait For Love), Dhhai Kilo Prem (Imperfect Love), Tu Suraj Mein Saanj Piyaji (Soulmates season two) and Nimki Mukhiya (The Accidental Mayor) are generating a lot of interest. These shows have already captured the attention of audiences in India and are now on their way to winning [over] audiences worldwide.”

    According to Kapoor, Star India’s shows have begun to get traction in almost every territory globally–right from the US to the UK to Europe and the CIS, Latin America and Southeast Asia. In some of these markets, partners or sales agents have been helping the broadcaster to find buyers; in some of them, Star India’s programme syndication team in Mumbai and other regions is driving the sales. In Latin America, the company has partnered Latin Media Corp, for Europe and CIS it has been working with Intellecta Srl while in Southeast Asia it has been selling directly.

    The efforts have yielded results. For instance, Saras & Kumud (Saraswatichandra) has done well in seven Latin American nations, including Chile and Peru. Then Yours Truly, Paakhi (Tumhari Paakhi) has got a favourable response in Peru. Kapoor told the magazine that this has enthused the company to invest in dubbing a few more of its top shows. 

    Kapoor pointed to out that Is Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon has been its most successful breakthrough and it made history by becoming the first-ever Indian drama series to air in Turkey. “It broke many viewership records by quadrupling the channel ratings in that slot for our partner Kanal 7. This paved the way for many more Indian series on local Turkish television and Turkey continues to be a big market for us.”

    Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand are some of the Southeast nations that have been lapping up a lot of the content Star India has been dishing out. Among the shows that have done well in the region, Kapoor said, are Mahabharat, Diya Aur Baati Hum, Veera and Chandra Nandini.

    Kapoor is also looking at adding to its partnerships for selling its programme formats. Star India has a partnership with Eccho Rights for three or four of its shows and is in conversation with other partners in local markets.

    He believes that good storytelling can traverse borders and cultures and forms the core of Star India’s international business. “Programme sales have been a driver in expanding Star India’s content footprint across the world. This is an area where we were good but we want to grow exponentially,” Kapoor concluded.

    Amen to that!

  • Star India shows now travel to West Asia, tripling ratings

    MUMBAI: Indian television shows and serials are becoming popular in several parts of the globe. Other than the Indian sub-continent, the US and the UK, West Asia too is gradually wanting to watch engaging and entertaining Indian content.

    One of the serials debuting in Armenia is — Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon. This “What Do You Call This Love” is Star India’s original drama which has debuted on television in Armenia.

    The intense love-hate relationship and the romantic drama between Arnav and Khushi, who have separate and independent ideologies that do not match. The ratings for the television slot of this show on Armenia TV has tripled, and gone beyond as well.

    Star India will be heading to MIPTV with a few chosen titles that includes Dil Bole Oberoi (translated as — My heart goes out to Oberoi ) and Ishqbaaz (which could be called as ‘The love pundit’) produced by the creators of Iss Pyaar.

    Star India’s president of international business Gurjeev Kapoor has said that irrespective of geographies and culture, powerful stories would make a lasting impression on the audience. It had been crucial idea in making Star India’s content a winner which traveled to over 100 countries in the world. He said they were elated with the success of Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon in Armenia.

    Intellecta CEO Christina Vlahova and Star India’s long-standing partner in Russia, the CIS and Europe said that television slot ratings tripled or quadrupled wherever the series went. She said she worked on the introduction of the Indian drama series in the last six years and witnessed a number of successful territory launches. She said they could say for sure that “Iss Pyaar…” was one of the most successful series to start with in a new international territory.

    Pan Armenian group – international relations officer Liana Muradyan said that Armenia TV left no stone unturned to offer the best content to its viewers, be it in-house production or a foreign one — “Iss Pyaar…” was one of them. Being one of the topmost Indian TV series showing gratitude and revenge, love and hate, respect and disrespect, Muradyan added, that the Armenian viewers loved it from the first episode.

    The show focused on morals and high values of the characters along with love-hate relationship, also depicting traditions and rich culture of India, she said.

  • Vivek Bhutyani quits Star; to start own OTT biz

    Vivek Bhutyani quits Star; to start own OTT biz

    MUMBAI: Close on the heels of Star India business head Nikhil Madhok’s exit, another high-profile resignation has taken place at the channel. Star India vice-president and head – content sales and syndication Vivek Bhutyani has put in his papers.

    Sources confirmed that Bhutyani, also an alumnus of IIMB like Madhok, who was with the channel since April 2014, has called it a day. Bhutyani plans to start his new venture in the over-the-top (OTT) space, sources revealed.

    The person who will stand in for Bhutyani is the AVP Leena Salins, who was earlier with Star Gold programming. Gurjeev Kapoor has taken over global syndication from Sandeep Jain. However, Star is yet to find a replacement for Madhok.

    During his tenure at Star, Bhutyai was instrumental in taking the channel’s international syndication business to new heights. With the success of ‘Saraswati Chandra’, he opened the doors of Turkey and Latin America for Indian content. And, with the successful run of “Is pyar ko kya naam do” in Turkey, all Indian broadcasters are now eyeing a share of the Turkish content market.

    Bhutyani was also responsible for moving Star’s focus from domestic to international syndication and has taken its reach to more than 75 countries and entry into premium markets such as Latin America. He also grew the topline business more than 100 per cent in two years and international business by three times as stated on his Linkedin public profile.

    Under Bhutyani’s leadership, Star signed a fiction formats deal with Eccho Rights, the first time that Indian content will be pitched alongside international content from Hollywood studios and other majors which might mark a new major revenue stream for Star India. No other Indian broadcaster has been successful in selling fiction formats and remakes globally, sources claimed.

    Before joining Star India, Vivek was the B2B head (west) at Nokia from December 2011 to April 2014. Earlier, he was managing global accounts for India and APAC as the senior account director at BT Global Sales.

  • Vivek Bhutyani quits Star; to start own OTT biz

    Vivek Bhutyani quits Star; to start own OTT biz

    MUMBAI: Close on the heels of Star India business head Nikhil Madhok’s exit, another high-profile resignation has taken place at the channel. Star India vice-president and head – content sales and syndication Vivek Bhutyani has put in his papers.

    Sources confirmed that Bhutyani, also an alumnus of IIMB like Madhok, who was with the channel since April 2014, has called it a day. Bhutyani plans to start his new venture in the over-the-top (OTT) space, sources revealed.

    The person who will stand in for Bhutyani is the AVP Leena Salins, who was earlier with Star Gold programming. Gurjeev Kapoor has taken over global syndication from Sandeep Jain. However, Star is yet to find a replacement for Madhok.

    During his tenure at Star, Bhutyai was instrumental in taking the channel’s international syndication business to new heights. With the success of ‘Saraswati Chandra’, he opened the doors of Turkey and Latin America for Indian content. And, with the successful run of “Is pyar ko kya naam do” in Turkey, all Indian broadcasters are now eyeing a share of the Turkish content market.

    Bhutyani was also responsible for moving Star’s focus from domestic to international syndication and has taken its reach to more than 75 countries and entry into premium markets such as Latin America. He also grew the topline business more than 100 per cent in two years and international business by three times as stated on his Linkedin public profile.

    Under Bhutyani’s leadership, Star signed a fiction formats deal with Eccho Rights, the first time that Indian content will be pitched alongside international content from Hollywood studios and other majors which might mark a new major revenue stream for Star India. No other Indian broadcaster has been successful in selling fiction formats and remakes globally, sources claimed.

    Before joining Star India, Vivek was the B2B head (west) at Nokia from December 2011 to April 2014. Earlier, he was managing global accounts for India and APAC as the senior account director at BT Global Sales.