Tag: Karan Johar

Mukesh Bhatt re-elected as Guild president

NEW DELHI: Eminent filmmaker Mukesh Bhatt has been unanimously re-elected as president of the Film and Television Producers Guild of India., while Dheeraj Kumar, Siddharth Roy Kapur, Manish Goswami and Vijay Singh have been named vice presidents.

At the first meeting of its newly constituted Guild Council of Management, which was held immediately after the 61st Annual General Meeting in Mumbai, the other office bearers re-elected as part of the Guild Management Team are Ashim Samanta and Srishti Arya as treasurers.

Kulmeet Makkar will continue to manage the affairs of the Guild as its CEO.

In his opening speech, Bhatt said, “Throughout the past three years, our management team has embarked on the path of my illustrious predecessors and worked with dedication, determination and intensity on embellishing and brightening the image and reputation of the Guild.”

He said Makkar had reinvigorated and revitalised the approach and modus operandi of the Guild. “We continue to engage with State and Central Governments over several issues concerning the film and television industry. There have been many fresh initiatives undertaken by Guild such as waiver of all the charges pertaining to Publicity clearance and Titles registration to make the system more transparent and provide enhanced value to the members, release of first edition of the Film incentive Guide which provides processes and incentives in detail to benefit Indian producers for shooting in 12 countries apart from other reports such as Make in Maharashtra, Film tourism, GST way forward,” Bhatt added.

The other members of the newly elected Council of Management of Guild are Ramesh Sippy, Manmohan Shetty, Ashutosh Gowariker, Rakesh Roshan, Karan Johar, Farhan Akhtar, Ekta Kapoor, Vishal Bhardwaj, Sushilkumar Agrawal, Ratan Jain, N P Singh, Madhu Mantena, Hiren Gada, Sabbas Joseph, Kiran Shantaram, Randhir Kapoor, Amit Khanna, Kamalkumar Barjatya (member emeritus) and Rajkumar Kohli (co-opted member).

In addition to these, Subhash Ghai, Ritesh Sidhwani and Guneet Monga along with eight more Guild members and representatives namely Prem Sagar, Asitkumarr Modi, Sneha Rajani, Ajit Andhare, Sameer Nair, Apoorva Mehta, Aashish Singh and Vipul D. Shah were nominated as special invitees.

September 16, 2015
Eros joins hand with Excel & Dharma for ‘Baar Baar Dekho’

MUMBAI: Eros International has acquired the worldwide rights of Excel Entertainment and Dharma Production’s upcoming film Baar Baar Dekho. The film stars Katrina Kaif and Siddharth Malhotra and is the directorial debut of Nitya Mehra.

Eros International Media Group CEO Jyoti Deshpande said, ‘We are delighted to join forces with two of the most notable production houses, Excel and Dharma, for this very interesting love story. With such creative forces behind the project, audiences can only expect the very best. Through this partnership, we hope to drive together the strategy for creating, marketing and distributing the film on a global platform.”

Excel Entertainment producer Ritesh Sidhwani added, “We are happy to associate with Eros International once again and look forward to our film getting the best release platform through their unparalleled reach and network.”

Dharma Productions co-producer Karan Johar said, “We at Dharma are happy that we are joining hands with Excel for the first time and with Eros again, who make our old associates.”

The film goes on floor in London on 1 September. It will be shot across several international locations and will be released in 2016.

September 1, 2015
Shah Rukh Khan & Alia Bhatt to star in Gauri Shinde’s next

MUMBAI: The English Vinglish director Gauri Shinde is gearing up for her next film, which will star Shah Rukh Khan and Alia Bhatt.

The film will be produced jointly by Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment, Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions along with Hope Productions.

Johar took to the micro blogging site Twitter to make the announcement.

Shinde also tweeted saying, “Yes I am making my next film:)script done…well almost…going on the floors soon.looking forward to be back in action.”

Bhatt’s tweet read, “Will no longer have any problem with my English Vinglish.. can’t wait to be directed by Gauri Shinde with the man himself Shahrukh Khan!!!”

This will be the first time that Khan and Bhatt will share screen space together in a movie.

Shinde’s debut movie English Vinglish, which was also the comeback vehicle for actress Sri Devi, received acclaim galore. For the uninitiated, Shinde is also the wife of adman R Balki.

August 19, 2015
Colors Infinity goes for Twitter trends to gain traction

MUMBAI: The social media boom has been a boon to all businesses and the entertainment business too has been no stranger to its advantages. Such is the power of the medium that the newest entrant in the English entertainment genre Viacom 18’s Colors Infinity was trending on Twitter even before it was launched. While some were paid trends, some were also organic in nature.

The channel’s strategy of airing episodes back-to-back has been garnering a lot of appreciation from consumers on Twitter. Colors Infinity relays three back-to-back episodes of every show from 9 pm to 12 pm everyday and all the shows so far have been a trending topic in India.

Recognising the importance of the all-pervasive social media, a designated team was created to draw out digital media marketing strategies for the channel. “The digital media marketing team looks after social media platforms, web and mobile initiatives. The team is completely in house and all initiatives are conceptualized, executed and evaluated by this team,” says a channel spokesperson.

Colors started the social media campaign by promoting the launch of Colors Infinity through a paid trend. Describing the strategy behind it, the spokesperson says, “A paid trend is a very effective way to put out your message to a large base of audience on a crowded platform like Twitter. For a new brand, it allows for all conversations, discussions, queries and concerns to be grouped under one umbrella.”

The paid promotion was followed by organic success galore on the same platform where the channel trended organically for four days in the launch week itself with hashtags like #ColorsInfinity, #BetterCallSaul, #FargoAT9, #TheFLASHAt9.

“We managed to do so by having meaningful conversations, providing information about the show and host a contest specific to the shows on their premiere day. In short, a paid trend ensures visibility with your TG but trending on Twitter ideally is something we would try and achieve organically,” the spokesperson opines.

The channel took a two-pronged approach to the message it wanted to send out. “To the existing viewers of English entertainment, we wanted to convey that we have the best of shows from across the world coming to your TV screen. For the new viewers, we wanted to build relevance and familiarity with this kind of content and our co-curators (Karan Johar and Alia Bhatt) helped us in reaching those audiences. So effectively, our communication objective is being served by two unique campaigns going on at the same time,” says the spokesperson.

However, notwithstanding its merits, the fact is that trending topics trend for a day or so and eventually perishes into oblivion. A new day brings forth new trends thereby questioning the sustainability of social media marketing. Speaking about the same, the spokesperson says, “Social media for us is not a launch initiative. It is the start of building a platform for the content hungry new Indian who is always seeking to know more and be up to date with the world. Our long-term social media strategy is to be known across platforms as a brand that conveys ‘Stories about Stories.’ The storylines of our shows are so strong that they evoke responses, reactions, debates and disappointments. We intend to provide an all-encompassing digital experience to be able to host all these conversations across our social media assets. The digital journey of this channel has just begun and there is a lot more from where this came from.”

As of now, Colors Infinity has over 17,000 followers on Twitter while on Facebook it has 1,90,000 followers.

While Colors Infinity has successfully managed to make its presence felt amongst the English entertainment viewers, it remains to be seen if it manages to sustain it in the long run and achieve its goal of redefining the space.

August 5, 2015
Colors’ ‘Jhalak Reloaded’ gets social with Facebook Van

MUMBAI: Dance reality show Jhalak Dikhla Jaa Reloaded on Colors is making waves not just with the TV audience but with netizens as well. Powered by its star studded ensemble of judges such as Shahid Kapoor, Karan Johar, Ganesh Hegde and Lauren Gottlieb, and an equally strong line-up of celebrity contestants, the show is also upping its social media game with a first of its kind Facebook integration known as the Facebook van.

Staying true to its ‘Reloaded’ concept, the show has already revamped its format by adding exciting and interactive components such as ‘Spotlight’ and ‘Insta-call.’ Adding to the 360 degree marketing campaign across multiple platforms to capitalize on its digital presence, Jhalak Reloaded recently teamed up with Facebook for a special interaction with the contestants.

The Facebook Van, a mobile vehicle introduced to the show on Friday was customized with elements from this season of Jhalak Reloaded. This innovative Facebook Van gave fans a chance to interact with their favorite celebrity contestants through giant TV screen. The interaction included Rapid Fire questions, live Q&A, interviews and fun interactive videos.

Colors Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa marketing head Sapangeet Rajwant said, “With Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa’s reloaded look, we wanted a fresher digital presence. The Facebook Van has been a great tool to garner the attention of the fans online. The van will play an active role in bridging the gap between the audiences and the contestants. This initiative will surely make the contestants more accessible to the audience.”

With the Facebook Van, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa Reloaded has paved a new way to build a strong footing in the digital world with the use of a unique on-ground medium.

August 1, 2015
TTND partners #fame for Lakmé digital marketing campaign

MUMBAI: TO THE NEW Digital (TTND) has partnered with #fame to power its client’s social media campaign. The digital agency, as part of the partnership has helped craft interactive campaigns for the Karan Johar led Lakmé School of Style (LSOS).

The campaign helped Lakmé School of Style increase customer engagement through various contests and interactive activities. The new campaigns on Twitter and Facebook trended and reached more than six million audiences, giving LSOS more than one lakh fan following on social media channels.

TO THE NEW Digital CEO Deepak Mittal said, “We are thankful to #fame for trusting us with this crucial responsibility of executing such a large scale project. Lakmé is their premium client and we are glad to have partnered with #fame in executing a campaign that’s a ‘first-ever’ in its category itself. We have managed all social media marketing efforts to support Lakmé School of Style’s long-term strategy of strengthening its brand by enhancing customer interaction and experience.”

The project was implemented through various social media campaigns and contests, including #MeraSummerSong, #LoveandLipstick and #The70sLook, which succeeded in engaging followers and created buzz around the brand across social media channels in India.

July 30, 2015
Colors Infinity to go on air from 31 July in SD & HD

MUMBAI: The new channel from the Viacom18 stable – Colors Infinity is all set to hit the television screens on 31 July, 2015.

Opening up the doors to international content, the channel’s content is co-curated by Karan Johar and Alia Bhatt.

The channel will showcase a gamut of genres, ranging from drama, superheroes, comedy, fantasy, crime and thrillers to reality television with some of the world’s biggest shows across dancing, cooking, magic, singing and other lifestyle interests.

Colors Infinity will be available across all the major direct-to-home (DTH) and digital cable platforms in standard definition (SD) as well as 1080p high-definition (HD) format with Dolby S5.1 surround sound.

The launch line-up of the channel has international television series like My Kitchen Rules at 8 pm from Monday to Sunday, and back-to-back episodes of a new show like The Flash (season one), The Musketeers (Seasons 1 and 2) Forever (Season 1), The Big C (Seasons 1 to 4), Orange Is The New Black (Seasons 1 to3), Better Call Saul (Season 1) and Fargo (Season 1) everyday at 9 pm.

July 21, 2015
Colors Infinity to launch amidst 25 city marketing blitzkrieg

MUMBAI: Moving towards a new horizon in the English entertainment space in the country, the soon to be launched Colors Infinity from Viacom18 stable is all set to break new ground by ushering in the growing trend of ‘Essential Viewing’ – An immersive experience of watching three continuous episodes of globally applauded narratives back to back. The channel is expected to launch by July end.

The experience will be further augmented by the ‘First Indian Premiere’ of a new show every day of the week that includes critically acclaimed and multi-award winning series like Fargo, Orange Is The New Black, Better Call Saul, The Flash, amongst others. The channel has been co-curated by Karan Johar and Alia Bhatt, bringing in a great blend of finesse and insight to the channel through curating world class content.

Viacom 18 Group CEO Sudhanshu Vats said, “In 2008 Viacom18 scripted the first few pages of its journey to establish its first milestone in Hindi general entertainment channel (GEC) Colors, thereafter disrupting the genre landscape. In 2015, we once again embark on a journey to recreate history, this time in the English entertainment space with Colors Infinity. Our first home grown English entertainment channel for India, through its many firsts, is all set to subvert convention in the genre through providing a consummate viewing experience.”

In unprecedented acquisition for the Indian market, the network has entered into major multi-year deals with Warner Bros. International Television Distribution, NBC Universal, Sony Pictures Television, Twentieth Century Fox, Lionsgate, MGM, BBC and Endemol Shine amongst others.

Viacom18 EVP and head English entertainment Ferzad Palia said, “Colors Infinity is ready to be the absolute for the best in English language entertainment with its handpicked international content and extensive multi genre offering. Adding to the immersive experience, the innovation of facilitating essential viewing is set to be a definitive game changer through inviting newer audience and growing the viewership pie.”

Palia added, “Till September, we will telecast seasons already aired in the US and update Indian viewers, and then eventually when the new series starts in the US we will have simultaneous screenings. This is something which will stop people from illegal streaming. Fresh content was unavailable to them as channels were telecasting repeats even in the primetime so they were forced to take the pirated route. No one indulges piracy for fun, it’s just that they lack options.”

Launched after a thorough research spanning over 24 months, the network has roped in four brands as launch partners viz. L’Oreal, Renault, Grey Goose and Intigriti. All these four brands will have presence on the channel post launch too.

The launch will be backed by high decibel marketing campaign in over 25 cities across the country. Karan Johar and Alia Bhatt will play the anchor role and every promotional strategy will be orchestrated around them. The promo featuring the Kjo and Alia Bhatt will reverberate both on digital and television. “Most of the creative, promos, packaging, graphics have been created by our in-house creative team and I am delighted that we have such an innovative team who has won many global accolades,” informed Palia.

Programming

1) My Kitchen Rules: Every day, at 8 pm.

2) The Flash Season 1: Three back to back episodes, every Monday at 9 pm.

3)The Musketeers: Three back to back episodes, every Tuesday at 9 pm.

4) Forever season 1: Three back to back episodes, every Wednesday at 9pm.

5) The Big C: Three back to back episodes, every Thursday 9pm.

6)The Orange Is The New Black: Three back to back episodes, every Friday at 9pm.

7)Better Call Saul: Three back to back episodes, every Saturday at 9 pm.

8) Fargo: Three back to back episodes, every Sunday at 9 pm.

The channel will have seven day programming instead of five. Not just this, the 8pm to 12 pm slot will be the primetime slot where original content will be premiered. “Colors Infinity will strictly avoid showing repeats in primetime and will offer viewers exquisite content,” concluded Palia.

July 7, 2015
Colors reignites your passion for dance through ‘Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa Reloaded’

MUMBAI: Crank up the music; show off those dance moves; sway those hips right, straighten that posture, and don’t forget to bring your attitude along…after all, it’s time for Jhalak Reloaded! COLORS announces the latest edition of its most-awaited celebrity dance reality show, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa featuring the never-seen-before combination of the new-genuber cool judge Shahid Kapoor and ultimate visionary Karan Johar. They are joined by dance gurus – technical master Ganesh Hegde and sizzling connoisseur of dance Lauren Gottleib who will oversee the technical aspects of dance.

Bringing together awe-inspiring talent, a cool quotient and technically spectacular dance moves, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa Reloaded will witness 12 celebrities barrel through gruelling rehearsals to champion challenging choreography and delivering entertaining performances. Produced by BBC Worldwide and hosted by maestro MC Manish Paul, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa Reloaded dance gala promises to blow your mind with its epic-ness and will take over your television screens starting 11 July, 2015, every Saturday and Sunday at 9 pm on Colors.

Commenting on the newest edition of Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, Colors CEO Raj Nayak said, “This year, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa Reloaded is going to pump up the degree of oomph and entertainment to make for an engaging watch. A fresh panel of judges including Shahid Kapoor, Ganesh Hegde and Lauren Gottleib and the veteran Karan Johar, a wide range of interactive elements, and an all-new level of funk and attitude will create an unparalleled viewing proposition for the viewers. With a treasure trove of surprises accosting viewers at every juncture, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa Reloaded, with its opulence, will be a dance bonanza unlike any other.”

Adding further, he said, “As we launch Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa Reloaded, we are proud to associate with Cadbury Bournvita as Presenting Sponsors for the fourth year in a row. It is their continued confidence in brand Colors that has fortified our relationship with them enabling us to create unique integration opportunities connecting with our audiences year-after-year.”

For the first time ever, the show will feature a never-seen-before combination of showmanship and technical acumen will raise the freshness quotient and appeal of the show. Known for his uber-cool style, Shahid Kapoor will exude his signature confidence and spunk on the show, donning multiple hats setting him apart from the conventional reality show judge. Joining Shahid, will be tough-to-please judge Karan Johar whose incomparable experience of the Jhalak format will make him the one-to-impress. Dance master par excellence, Ganesh Hedge will showcase his technical expertise, helping contestants to fine tune their performance and reload them to an all-new level. Exuding oomph and style, perfectionist to the tee, Lauren Gottleib will highlight the importance of being artistic expression in every performance.

Commenting on the new elements that promise to make this season of Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa truly Reloaded, Colors programming head Manisha Sharma said, “Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa has been a pioneer in the dance-based reality show genre and has set exceptional standards for dance, entertainment and engagement. This year we have tweaked the show at different levels in order to Reload it with entertainment. With an innovative thought and approach, we are putting together an offering which is going to be high on attitude. With Shahid Kapoor, Karan Johar, Lauren Gottleib and Ganesh Hegde approaching dance in a more holistic manner, it’s our endeavour to create a unique brand of entertainment that will set the show apart from its contemporaries.”

Besides the new line-up of judges will elevate competition levels on the show, a stream of twists of turns with newer elements will consistently change the game for the contestants with every passing week. This year, viewer interactivity will be at an all-time high on Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa Reloaded; a first-of-its kind spotlight will take the show beyond its celebrity contestants as the common man showcases his closeted passion and enthusiasm for dance. Adding to the fun charts, will be judges Shahid Kapoor and Karan Johar whose friendly banter and playful camaraderie will lighten the environment even during the toughest situations.

Commenting on the show, BBC Worldwide, India and Content Head Asia SVP and GM Myleeta Aga stated, “We have been overwhelmed by the ever-growing popularity of Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, in India, and around the world. The Hindi adaptation of the BBC format of Dancing with the Stars has been seen in more than 50 countries around the world, and Jhalak is one of the most popular versions. This year, we have pushed ourselves further to deliver an even glitzier, exciting, nail-biting show with new elements and fresh faces. We are confident that Jhalak Reloaded will again emerge as the most popular dance entertainment programme this year.”

A high decibel marketing and digital campaign has been devised to elevate the stature of Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa Reloaded. The 360-degree integrated marketing campaign will extend across mediums such as print, over 6 genres of channels, DTH and Outdoor. As a part of the digital promotion strategy, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa Reloaded will be promoted across social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. All in all, it will be the dance masti that will prevail keeping viewers entertained.

July 6, 2015
Viacom18 bullish on English entertainment; launches Colors Infinity

MUMBAI: The English general entertainment channel (GEC) bouquet is set to get bigger with the launch of Viacom18’s Colors Infinity. The channel is in keeping with the network’s philosophy of growing and deepening its presence in the genres it is present in.

The to be launched channel will have both standard definition (SD) and high definition (HD) feeds. With the addition of the new channel, Viacom18’s English entertainment channel bouquet will now have four offerings namely VH1, Comedy Central, Colors Infinity and Colors Infinity HD.

Even before its launch Colors Infinity has acquired 2000 hours of original content from across studios, including the likes of NBC Universal, Sony Pictures Television, Twentieth Century Fox, Lionsgate, MGM, BBC, Endemol Shine and a host of other independent and small studios. “These are all multiyear deals,” said Viacom18 EVP head – English Entertainment Ferzad Palia.

Additionally, the new English GEC, which has spent close to a year and a half in curating content, will have shows from across genres like drama, comedy, super heroes, talent, lifestyle, action, mini-series and live events.

The channel, which aims to target approximately 30 million consumers countrywide, at the time of launch, is using a phase wise marketing strategy. The first of this is informing consumers about the channel by using the well entrenched ‘Colors’ brand name.

“Colors by far is perceived as a successful media brand. It is also known for its disruptive and progressive programming and that is what Colors Infinity is about. The idea behind using the name Colors Infinity is to build a broader base of people,” informed Palia.

For Viacom18 group CEO Sudhanshu Vats, using the brand Colors is part of the network’s GEC approach. “If you look at our Hindi or regional channels, it is under the ‘Colors’ brand. So from a strategic perspective it fits well. Also Colors is a very urban and inspirational brand. It will have a lot of resonance and appeal with the right set of people that we want to reach out to,” said Vats.

The channel has roped in director-producer Karan Johar and actor Alia Bhatt as co-curators. The duo has worked closely with the channel on picking shows and giving insights on the programming. “Together the two of them have over 10 million Twitter followers and through them we plan to build relevance with a greater audience. They will be integrally involved with the marketing campaign as well,” said Palia.

Colors Infinity will not charge premium subscription for the channel and will work on the advertisement and subscription model. “The Indian market has so far not grown enough for channels to make money with just subscription. In the future, may be after cable starts billing and there is addressability, it may start generating revenue,” opined Vats.

Targeting viewers in the age group of 15 – 50 years, Colors Infinity is looking at a distinctive scheduling strategy. “It will be disruptive and something which has never been done in India before. We are mapping it the way a consumer would want to watch it,” informed Palia, adding that the content will comprise Indian television premieres.

While the network already has highly targeted channels in VH1, which is a pure music and lifestyle channel and Comedy Central, a comedy channel, both Vats and Palia feel that the viewership will not get cannibalized. “We are not here to eat from a small pie, we are here to grow the pie. In fact with time, we will have more switchers from competition channels than our own cluster,” asserted Palia.

According to Vats, all the channels will co-exist. “Colors Infinity is a GEC, while the others are sharply targeted channels. This is how it is worldwide,” added Vats.

The growing English entertainment genre

According to Palia, this is the ‘Golden age of television.’ “The production of TV series in the US and UK was up 400 per cent in the past five years. This can be attributed to the growth of cable, over the top services and the aggressive nature of networks in the US and UK,” he opined.

Talking from an Indian market perspective, Palia said that English entertainment in India was now becoming main stream. “Close to 250 million Indians now are English literates, whereas 10 years ago, it was close to 25-30 million. It is the second language to most now,” he pointed out.

English entertainment genre currently reaches to 200 million consumers. “We have added 20 per cent viewers in the genre post DAS and our advertising revenue over the past five years has grown by 60 per cent. Not just this, close to 60 per cent of English entertainment consumption is coming from non-metros,” informed Palia.

Palia is of the opinion that from an advertiser’s perspective, the genre is lucrative as English entertainment consumers have 35 per cent higher disposable income.

Addressing the issue of ‘torent’ing, Palia said that the habit has been inculcated by broadcasters themselves. “We have forced consumers to go and download. Research shows that people do not download just because they want to watch content immediately after the US launch. The real reason is that they aren’t getting enough content that they should be. There is plethora of content that is not even brought to the country,” he said.

While the shows are first aired in the US in September and go on till May, Palia points out that in India viewers have to wait for the first episode till May. “There is a huge time gap and through our new offering, we will be taking care of this aspect,” he informed.

According to Palia, the English entertainment genre has never really invited a much larger base of people who understand the language and are watching the content in their personal space and not on TV. “We want to be that channel, which takes the category to a larger audience. We are not going mass, but since English is now main stream, we are reaching out to a wider base,” concluded Palia.

July 1, 2015