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Tag: J D Majethia

  • Content Hub 2021: Television – A Twist in the Tale

    Content Hub 2021: Television – A Twist in the Tale

    Mumbai: At the fifth edition of the ‘Content Hub 2021 – TV, Film, Digital Video, and Beyond’ being organised by Indiantelevision.com, veteran producers from the media and entertainment industry delved into the state of television programming in the context of growing competition from OTT platforms.

    Deliberating on the topic ‘Television – A Twist in the Tale’ were FremantleMedia, managing director – Aradhana Bhola, Sol Productions, founder and MD – Fazila Allana, Hats Off Productions, chairman and MD – JD Majethia, Dashami Creations, chairman and MD – Nitin Vaidya and Shashi Sumeet Productions, founder, director and writer – Shashi Mittal. The virtual session was moderated by IN10 Media Network, network vice president – corporate strategy and development, Mansi Darbar.

    Ever since the meteoric rise of OTT platforms, there have been apprehensions regarding the imminent cannibalisation of TV audiences. While industry watchers and experts have been debating it for long, the content creators seem confident about the two formats coexisting with each other. In fact, they are also excited about the possibilities that OTT opens up for them, especially in terms of experimenting with content and also the economics of it.

    Allaying apprehensions around the TV-OTT battle, Fazila Allana stated that even though there seems to be some differentiation of content, at present all the major OTT players are getting major traction from the catch-up TV. Likening their original programming to ‘exotic weekend dinners’, she added, “Most viewers log on to OTT platforms for staples or ‘daal chawal’ i.e. daily soaps. So, even if TV were to become obsolete as a medium of distribution, the content will not change drastically.”

    Agreeing with Fazila, Sol Production’s Aradhana Bhola remarked, “Given the socio- economic and cultural diversity in India, we have so many different consumption patterns that as content creators we are happy to be having a new platform for telling more and different stories. While some stories are better suited for a two or three-hour movie format, others are fit for a short series or a daily soap, but whatever the delivery mechanism, it is content, and ‘great content’ that matters.”

    Dashami Creations’ Nitin Vaidya concurred on the fact that audience choice is determined by economic conditions, and cultural and social values, but unlike Bhola, he cites them as factors that limit the scope of OTT in India. That being said he does agree that, “OTT has brought along with it disruptive subjects, narratives and scale, and this is where the challenge for TV lies. If the television industry doesn’t innovate and keeps on offering the same regressive content, it will lose its audience to other platforms.”

    JD Majethia believes that the familiarity and affordability of television gives it an edge over other mediums, yet “creative content will decide what survives in the long run”. Citing his ongoing show ‘Wagle ki Duniya’ as an example, he said, “We coined the term TWEB Series for it, because it is a particularly challenging format where each episode is a different story.”

    Talking of innovation, while TV programming has often been accused of being regressive and recycling the same content, Majethia contented that “stories and plot have broadly remained unchanged; it’s the storytelling which makes all the difference. The problem is that people think of TV as a perishable commodity. If the content is enjoyable, it’s relevant. We must also not forget the fact that TV is still a growing medium in India. So, when it comes to recycling or adapting content, we have to consider the segment, market, time slot and several other factors to determine relevance.”

    Chiming in, Shashi Mittal said, “The Indian market offers viewers with so many different types of mindsets that there’s room for all. What’s progressive for me could be regressive for my kids. It is these perceptions that we are in effect catering to.” “Ultimately, through every story told, we are addressing emotions and aspirations,” added Fazila Allana.

    Discussing the scope that television offers for creativity and experimentation, the panellists agreed that although the intention to innovate is ubiquitous among broadcasters and producers, ‘Thursday Ratings’ run the show. “…audience evolution is a slow process, and until they evolve, you have to give them what they want,” Allana explained. However, not all is gloomy. Despite the constraints there’s still enough headroom for innovation in television, Majethia’s ‘TWEB series’ being one such example.

    While it’s true that content producers find the OTT proposition to be more attractive, is it lucrative too? Web series or daily soap? Where are the monies? The resounding answer to this question from our panelists was that it’s a ‘volume game’, and despite all the criticism notwithstanding, daily soaps are the biggest drivers of volume.

    “OTT and TV have many lessons to learn from each other. Television channels can, for instance, think about serials with a limited number of episodes. Many TV viewers who don’t opt for OTT due to economic constraints could well be interested in short series format. Such time-bound storytelling will be in the interest of all – the audience, advertisers, channels and content creators,” said Nitin Vaidya.

    JD Majethia had a slightly differing opinion in this regard. According to him, a series on a big OTT platform may be more lucrative for production houses than a daily soap on television that runs for six to eight months. “TV shows are successful only if they are long running”, he remarked adding that with Covid changing the dynamics rapidly, the uncertainty will only grow further. “If you can match the strength of your ideas with that of the platform – movies, OTT or TV – you are home,” surmised a more hopeful Aradhana Bhola.

    Centred on the theme – ‘The New Dynamic’, the three-day event will witness several such insightful sessions with industry stakeholders deliberating on how the new forces are transforming the way content is created and stories are told. It will also delve upon the impact of these changes on the business models for the world of films, TV and OTT.

    The fifth edition of Content Hub 2021 is co-presented by IN10 Media Network and ZEE5, and co-powered by Applause Entertainment and Tipping Point, the digital content unit of Viacom18 Studios. PTC Network is the supporting partner.

    For more details, visit: https://www.thecontenthub.in/

  • Cyclone Tauktae damages TV shooting floors, adds to producers’ woes

    Cyclone Tauktae damages TV shooting floors, adds to producers’ woes

    Mumbai: As cyclone Tauktae wreaked havoc all along the western coast of India, along with it mauled Mumbai’s famed television industry. Gale-like winds and incessant rain battered not only homes and offices all through Sunday night and Monday, they also tore through TV production sets in different locations in Mumbai and its outskirts.

    According to an estimate, at least 20-30 shooting floors were severely damaged when water seeped into them, which could lead to losses running into crores of rupees.

    Said Indian Film & TV Producers Council (IFTPC) chairman JD Majethia: “Almost all sets, whether outdoors or indoors, were impacted and reported some damage at least. On the sets of my production house, a tree fall occurred and a boundary wall was also damaged. Besides this, water is seeping in through sections of the roof. It is really a daunting time for us.”

    Added IFTPC CEO Suresh Amin: “It is akin to rubbing salt upon one’s wounds. Television producers were already reeling under the Coronavirus pandemic. Shooting for several (popular) shows then got stalled due to the restrictions imposed. Now this cyclone has devastated at least 30 shoot-ready sets. It will cost Rs. 20 lakhs per film set for rebuilding the damaged sections. It is really a back-breaking predicament for producers and production houses.”

    Although forewarning cyclone advisories issued a week ago by weather department officials had sounded the alert, TV production units could not gear up sufficiently well during this time with preventive measures in place. The reason: under pressure to deliver daily episodes for the telecast, most of them shifted their shoots to other states after Maharashtra imposed a suspension of both indoor shootings as well as outdoor filming schedules. 

    According to Majethia, “challenges for the TV production community are increasing day by day. Usually around the middle of the month of May is the time, when producers focus on aspects of monsoon preparedness before rains are scheduled to arrive in the month of June. Unfortunately, the cyclone hit Mumbai now.”

    But he says no one from the production trade is willing to get beaten down by the continuous hammering their businesses have been getting over the past year, on account of the pandemic and then by nature’s fury. “We will immediately undertake repair efforts and rebuild our sets so that work may be restarted in right earnest once again. We accord high priority to safety over everything else,” revealed Majethia.

    The IFTPC chief also expressed hope that the Maharashtra government led by Udhav Thackeray would go-ahead green signal film and television shootings in the state given that the peak of the second wave appears to be ebbing and a decline in growing infections is being actively reported.

  • TV producers back on sets with safety protocols

    TV producers back on sets with safety protocols

    MUMBAI: After a long hiatus of three months following the nationwide lockdown, the entertainment industry is finally back on track. After resolving the outstanding issues IFTPC (Indian Film and Television Producers Council), FWICE (Federation of Western India Cine Employees) and CINTAA (Cine and TV Artistes’ Association) have agreed to work in unison.

    Among television shows, Colors’ Shakti-Astitva Ke Ehsaas Ki, Choti Sarrdaarni, Barrister Babu and Dangal TV’s Pyar Ki Luka Chuppi have already begun shoots.

    Hats Off Productions founder and Indian Film & Television Producers’ Council (IFTPC) chairman TV wing JD Majethia is ecstatic to start work. In a special interaction with indiantelevision.com Majethia said that it was a long-fought battle that has been won. He played an active role in bringing together television producers, broadcasters and trade associations to resume shooting.

    “It was a long chase because seeking government permission, coordinating with broadcasters and other trade unions was very challenging. Finally, we have come to common terms,” he says.

    He mentions that IFTPC has agreed to provide two sets of insurance coverage i.e., death cover of Rs 25 lakh due to Covid2019 and also hospitalisation cover of Rs 2 lakh uniformly across all hierarchy of the cast and crew. After a detailed discussion with broadcasters a decision was taken to reduce the period of credit for cast and crew from existing 90 days to 30 days for at least the first three months.

    Majethia has resumed the shooting of his show Bhakarwadi in Mira Road almost after 100 days. As per the government directives Majethia had called only 40 people on the set including original cast of Bhojani, Akshay Kelkar, Akshita Mudgal, Paresh Ganatra and few technicians. However, the strength of 100 crew members has now been reduced to 40.  

    As a safety measure, separate lockers have been installed at the entrance. Before the cast and crew members enter the set, they have to remove their footwear and wear the pair of slippers provided by the production house. Majethia has a unique solution to maintain social distancing, he has provided umbrellas that everybody walks around with in the premise. He highlights that there is a designated marked position for everyone, and the actors and crew members will have to sit only in the allocated areas. There is a nurse available on the set who checks everyone’s temperature before letting them in. It is mandatory for actors to wear masks and gloves when not filming a scene. But other crew members have to sport them all day long.

    He explains, “Earlier, people would share gutkha, other nicotine products and smoke on sets. We have introduced a concept called share a sanitiser. Now, exchange of any nicotine products or chewing gum is strictly banned; they are only allowed to share sanitisers. At lunch, the unit was served packed food thus avoiding crowding.”

    As far as travelling is concerned, actors are using their private vehicles to travel and crew who are travelling from far have been asked to stay on the set. Also a separate make-up kit has been allotted to each actor. Sanitation and fumigation are done twice a day.

    Sphere Origins founder Sunjoy Waddhwa has resumed shooting for his show Singhalagna in Kolkata. As per the West Bengal government guidelines, all safety measures and protocols are strictly followed. However, he will start shooting in Mumbai only after September.

    Creative Eye Limited MD Dheeraj Kumar explains that the production house is in the planning mode and shooting will be started in the next ten days. He is currently working on a show for Dangal. Preparations involving sanitisation, other SOP measures gathering technicians has been done.

    Rashmi Sharma Telefilms founder Rashmi Sharma shared a glimpse of the shooting for her show Pyaar Ki Luka Chuppi on Instagram. She was among the first few producers to start shooting in Mumbai. The show is filmed at Naigaon.

    Shashi Sumeet Productions’ shows Barrister Babu and Shubharambh have also started shooting.

  • TV producers on restarting offices with safety measures

    TV producers on restarting offices with safety measures

    MUMBAI: On 8 June the Maharashtra government allowed all private offices to operate with up to 10 per cent of full staff strength or ten people (whichever is higher). Production houses are still waiting for permission from Film City and district collectors to start production in Mumbai and Thane. In the meantime, certain producers have restarted their offices, while others are waiting for things to get normal.

    Famous Studio MD Anant Roongta who resumed office on 8 June thanked his team for their constant effort. The company is currently working with less than ten people. However, it has introduced a shift system to manage the workflow. There are no more than five people per floor. The studio has five facilities and across the entire facility, 35 to 40 people are working.

    Apart from that, the office space is sanitised on a regular basis. It is mandatory to wear surgical gloves while working on any equipment to stop the mitigating virus. Social distancing is followed by providing separate rooms to each employee. As far as visual reality is concerned people are working in the extreme ends of the room. Most employees are also given separate stations to maintain the social distancing norm. For travelling, employees are using private vehicles or sharing a car with no more than two people.

    Creative Eye has also re-started its office. Its managing director Dheeraj Kumar says, “We are functioning as per the permission granted by the government. We have already started working on a project that was supposed to happen before the lockdown. We have booked the set, paid advances and realigned 15 scripts.”

    In the last few days Kumar has shifted his focus to operational issues. As a service provider Kumar highlights that the company works on a project basis. If needed, it has close to 100 people on the set. For now, the permanent staff consists of 50 employees and only those who are close by are coming to the office in their private vehicles. People who live far off are still working from home.

    The teams required in the office are the ideation and creation teams. They include CEOs, CFOs, head of departments, general managers, operational team, studio manager, executive secretary, administrative manager, housekeeping staff and kitchen staff. Apart from that, editors are permanently also living in the office.

    Endemol Shine India CEO Abhishek Rege makes it clear that it will not be starting its office any time soon. Employees will be working from home for the next six months at least and even after that work will resume in a shift system.  

    He adds, “The key change will be the number of people coming on the set and how they behave. What can be done to maintain social distancing, and other necessary guidelines.”

    On a similar note, Hats Off Productions founder J D Majethia is also not planning to restart his office. Firstly, he wants to ensure that everything is in place in terms of SOPs and safety and then he will think of restarting. Until then all the employees will continue working from home.

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  • Production houses plan for return after lockdown

    Production houses plan for return after lockdown

    MUMBAI: As lockdown restrictions ease across the country and state governments start handing out approvals to resume shooting, production houses are gearing up to get back on track with requisite precautions and safety measures. Tasks like an SOP plan will be on top of the priority list and this means added costs for production houses.

    IFTPC chairman TV wing and Hats Off Production founder J D Majethia is optimistic that Maharashtra will start shooting in June itself. Anticipating that the pandemic will run longer he has bought a temperature check kiosk, sanitisation stand and other necessary equipment rather than rent them. He also mentioned that insurance policies will become a necessity that will cover workers, technicians and artists for the SarsCov2 virus. 

    “On ground, our focus is crew safety and thereafter following the right protocols. We are preparing to implement SOPs on ground. We want to ensure that the number of people is less. Our focus is not just on what the government has advised but we also want to keep things under control from a safety perspective,” says Endemol Shine India CEO Abhishek Rege. However, he says that their shows will commence production only by August.

    Even though Endemol is waiting for shoots to resume here, other regional areas have commenced where permissions have been granted such as Tamil Nadu. Going forward, the company will work in a shift system, so that at any given time required crew members are present. Maintaining distance and required people on the set will be the big change. He, too, added that employee health insurance will be imperative.

    Currently, Rege is working on only new shows. “We are trying to figure out ways where we don’t compromise on our script and yet deliver good content,” he says.

    Famous Studio MD Anant Roongta, who is ecstatic about re-starting his work, thanked his team members for their constant support. Famous Studio re-started studio work from 8 June. During lockdown, his 50 employees were able to work on pending projects remotely because of its previous efforts in upgrading technology. Even artists came up with techniques to work from home.

    While mentioning hygiene and sanitisation measures Roongta says, “We have seven action areas, for all the employees and clients who are coming in our studio. We have a self-declaration form that is mandatory to fill before entering the studios. It is a list of 20 to 30 questions which includes their travel history, any possible symptoms, if they live in a containment area and much more.”

    Once people fill the form, they go to the sanitisation stand outside the office. Post that, their temperature is checked and it is mandatory to wear a mask. The studio is sanitised and disinfected every morning. Surgical gloves are provided to people who are working on equipment. As people are working on separate wings and rooms, social distancing is also taken care of. Everyone has to enter and exit from one point to avoid overlapping.

    The staff follows a dedicated SOP which included appointing housekeeping for deep cleaning before opening up the office. On the insurance front, he says “Most of the people we work with are consultants and not employees, so they are individually responsible for their own insurance policies.”

    Creative Eye Limited MD Dheeraj Kumar says that they too resumed work from 8 June. He adds, “I am waiting for broadcasters to give us the green signal to start fresh projects as well as pending ones. But even if we want to shoot, we will need a minimum of 25 days time in our hand to do all the preparation which was lost in three months.”

    Their precautionary measures include thermal infra-red guns at the entrance to check the temperature and will be written in a physical register. Whoever enters the premises will have to provide their contact details and home address. After entering the building, people must sanitise their hands with a stand that’s operated by the feet. He is also providing tailor-made in-house masks and gloves. In the past ten days, the entire Creative Eye building and office has been sanitised thrice. About 100 Creative Eye employees have also been covered under an insurance policy.

  • Producers in Maharashtra gearing up to resume shooting

    Producers in Maharashtra gearing up to resume shooting

    MUMBAI: Producers are gearing up to resume production after Maharashtra government on Sunday gave the official sanction in this regard.

    The government gave green signal for the resumption of film and television shootings in non-containment zones.

    Indian Film & TV Producers Council chairman (TV division) and Hats Off Productions founder J D Majethia told Indiantelevision.com that producers have started the process to resume shooting of films and television/OTT serials.  

    He said, “Every producer will have to fill up an application form. If someone wants to shoot outside Mumbai, he/she will need to take permission from the district collector. Currently, we are in the process of filling up an application form with all the details that will be uploaded in the course of next two to three days.”

    After filing the application form, the concerned authority will scrutinise the details based on numerous factors like studio space, SOPs, etc. After evaluating the application and depending on the situation, they might be granted permission within seven days, he explained.

    Regarding the exact shooting date, Majethia said it will be finalised after discussing with other producers in two to three days.

    He added that every broadcaster, film producer and OTT platform will have to apply for permission separately. Shooting outside Maharashtra, however, is not allowed. The cultural affairs ministry said that producers will have to conduct pre-production and post-production works by adhering to the rules and regulation laid down by the government.

    Producers will have to apply to the managing director of the Maharashtra Film City in Goregaon, Mumbai, and to district collectors outside Mumbai for resuming shootings.

    Majethia clearly stated that they are filling up the application form after taking into consideration the well-being of everyone involved. He concluded: “Our topmost priority is to safeguard the lives of our people; we are thinking of all possible measures to resume the shoot without risking anybody’s life.”