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Tag: OTT

  • Hoichoi aims to double its size and revneue

    Hoichoi aims to double its size and revneue

    KOLKATA: From the beginning of its journey, the Bengali OTT platform Hoichoi has relied on a subscription-based model to run its business. While naysayers used to say Indian audience would not pay for content, the faith on people’s will to pay for good content has paid off the streaming service. With an impressive subscriber base of 13 million, it aims to double its size and revenue for the next few years as every year the addressable market will increase.

    The platform has always talked about leveraging the diaspora audience. It appears to be a perfect strategy for it as 40 per cent of its revenue coming from international markets. Bangladesh has obviously a very big market for it but what is more interesting is it has seen many subscribers coming from Japan, Sweden, as Hoichoi co-founder Vishnu Mohta shared.

    Read more news on Hoichoi

    It is now experimenting with other business models like sachet pricing. The ‘Carrier Billing’ will make it easier to buy a weekly or monthly subscription by paying with mobile balance. While it will be launched soon in the Middle East and Bangladesh, Mohta said it would open up access to blue-collar workers. He also added that the platform is making some free content available soon.

    According to Mohta, Hoichoi’s subscribers come from both urban and rural areas. However, he mentioned that the latter holds the next big opportunity for Hoichoi. A number of new users have come to the internet for the first time during this lockdown who are now consuming free content on platforms like YouTube. He is of the belief that they will convert to premium content at some point of time and the lockdown has made that process faster.

    Read more news on OTT business in India

    Hoichoi entered the market in 2017 with very witty campaign #Hoyejak. As it has unveiled a stellar content line up on its third anniversary, it will again launch a campaign during Durga Puja. From October to March, the platform plans to launch at least three originals every month including one marquee content.

    It is not only taking its content game one step ahead but investing in technology as well. The platform has also revealed today its new UI/UX design. Mohta said they have incorporated user feedback as well as an internal assessment as technology has updated rapidly in the last three years. They are also planning to launch a windows 10 application soon.

    “We are still at a very nascent stage. We have not been able to scratch the surface of how many people we may get to pay. That market will grow organically. I think we will be able to encash that growth,” Mohta stated.

  • Vi to offer free ZEE5 premium subscription

    Vi to offer free ZEE5 premium subscription

    The newest telecom brand Vi has rolled out an exciting proposition for its prepaid customers that will enable them to enjoy one year of ZEE5 premium membership at no additional cost. The offer is applicable to select data plans starting from Rs 405 and will provide Vi customers access to ZEE5’s premium bespoke content in 12 languages across originals, shows and blockbuster movies.  

    Inviting all mobile customers with discerning entertainment choices to avail of this attractive offer,  Vodafone Idea marketing director Avneesh Khosla said, “Content consumption has seen an explosion as consumers today are spending 25 per cent-30 per cent more time (over three hours per day) watching varied content on their devices.. ZEE5 as a leading OTT platform has a rich and diverse content repertoire that appeals to a  wide cross-section of society. Their large library of movies and original shows in Hindi and other regional languages makes them an ideal partner as it helps us appeal to a large cross-section of the smartphone population in this country that is seeking to do more with their mobile devices. With the new Rs. 405 ZEE5 Recharge pack that we are launching – we are providing the consumer the best of both worlds – access to the   best entertainment on ZEE 5 for one year coupled with huge telco benefits – an unbeatable combination that delivers great value to consumers.”

    The annual ZEE5 membership is available with Vi data plans with recharge value of Rs 355, Rs 405, Rs 595, Rs 795 and Rs 2595.

    Speaking on the collaboration, ZEE5 India senior vice president and SVOD head Rahul Maroli said, “ZEE5 and Vi are classic consumer first brands, and this collaboration exemplifies this core DNA that these brands have been built on, by bundling the best of entertainment offering for the ever-evolving digital consumers of India and Bharat. As part of this unique offering, Vi users will get one-year access to the premium bespoke content that ZEE5 has on offer across 12 languages with the 5 Vi prepaid recharge packs. This partnership is of many firsts and it aims to provide a superior content watching experience to the Vi users at their convenience.” 

  • Pradeep Dwivedi gives further insights into Eros-STX flagoff

    Pradeep Dwivedi gives further insights into Eros-STX flagoff

    The pragmatic and cheerful boss of Eros International’s (Eros STX Global corporation) Indian operation had come on board at a very crucial time. Within a few months after his joining in January 2020, the big merger of Eros International and US-based STX Entertainment was announced. While a corporate merger comes with its own challenges, the SARS COV2 induced crisis has just multiplied it. Despite the obstacles, the efforts are underway for smooth integration. Eros International Media Ltd India CEO Pradeep Dwivedi gleams with the hope of making an Indian studio that will be recognised globally.

    Other than typical profit and loss benefits, Dwivedi believes the merged entity should be able to build the first compelling Indian studio that will capture worldwide attention both in terms of theatrical and streaming business. Starting 23 September Eros International will be known by its new corporate name Eros STX Global Corporation. The brand is launching a new website along with it. Against this backdrop, the media veteran spoke elaborately on the ongoing integration efforts, possible outcomes of the merger, digital business during a virtual fireside chat with Indiantelevision.com founder, CEO and editor-in-chief Anil Wanvari.

    Edited excerpts follow:

    Read more news on Eros International

    Have the companies started working together?

    We are working very closely ever since we started the merger. There is a segmented approach to our business. We have streaming, theatrical, cable and satellite distribution business. We are trying to harmonise these areas to figure out a significant cost synergy to ensure that the combined entity is operating far more efficiently than the two companies were working individually. The logical assumption would be that many companies go for massive headcount reduction. However, the beauty of our merger is that we have very lean and organized teams on both sides. The combined company is of little over 500 people which is not a big number. Moreover, the kind of market focus and talents Eros has is very distinct from the ones that STX brings to the table. The companies are complementing each other. We are working very closely and integration efforts are going on.

    You said you are streamlining your businesses. How are you finding synergies in distribution and syndication in the Chinese market?

    We have been working more on the distribution of Bollywood movies to the Chinese market, STX has been leveraging financing, ideas to create content out of China. I know the tension against China is extremely high currently. There are nationalistic sentiments on accounts of border disputes. In the US, there are nationalistic sentiments around trade disputes. My sense is both are genuinely well-placed concerns. But I think the human spirit will overcome some of these geopolitical issues and we will find a way forward to recommence the business.

    Watch more fireside chats with industry veterans

    How the merger is changing your thought process overall?

    The idea is really that when you combine both there’s a global play that is coming out. The kind of storylines that are emerging and amalgamating across the world can be universally played out. With the rise of OTT, the audience has also become global in a way. Indians are very happily following Turkish, Korean, and Mexican content. In terms of technology, we are making sure the audience who does not understand Hindi slate is able to get subtitles, language conversion which is where our partnership with Microsoft Azure comes into play. We are investing in AI technologies to be able to create consumer access at the most basic level.

    We have 125 million dollars of capital commitment as part of equity capitalization. We are also very choosy about what kind of money we are taking in. As our CEO often says it is not about money, it is about the quality of the money.

    Recently you had to face impairment charges which have led to a negative sentiment overall. Your share price is also going down…

    The movie production side is a long lead side. You invest in talents, directors, stories, and stars. If everything is well, you will have a movie production after nine months. You also have scenarios where producers and directors have gone to such a state that content is not coming out even after three years. Obviously, you have made those advances, there is no way you can monetise half of the content. If you get delayed in content coming out, you take impairment but that does not mean you have taken a cash loss on that. At some point of time, when the content gets produced, when you get the movie out, you can drive back the money as well. The reason for the impairment was taken not due to any losses.

    Over the last year or so, we were very unfairly targeted by short-sellers. They don’t pick a large share but target short-mid cap companies. India does not have this problem as much as the US has. They will also typically target a foreign private issuer because promoters are not based in the US but only listed there for market access. When you start hammering them with all kinds of innuendo, stockholders get distressed and they would possibly try to sell or exit the stock to recover the money they have invested in. Hence, the short sellers would be able to buy it out cheap and would be able to recover huge amounts of money on that. While it is not illegal, it is an orchestrated strategy in the marketplace. We have taken the bulls by the horn. We have filed litigations against all of these short sellers.  Hearings are going on in multiple courts. I can’t share more as it is subjudice now. But I can say, we have been proven right on every single front. When they have challenged our finances, operations, we have been proven correct. Governance is the cornerstone of what we do.

    Read more coverage on Pradeep Dwivedi

    How has the work progressed in the last six months?

    The pandemic has allowed us to do two things very distinctively. Firstly, the mundane stuff including IT system, mail system, technology, digital assets management, reporting standards, IFRS versus US GAAP, all of those are being addressed.  At the content level, where productions have been stopped, there are two subsets of works that are happening. One is of course post-production. The other interesting part is the whole creative part of the work. Just cut to six months before the pandemic did not start. There was a mad rush to put out content. This bit of a pause has given time to writers to think through innovative content. Some of the ideas we are getting now are very interesting, the kind of stories are very compelling. My sense is that once we are moving out of the pandemic, you will see some amazing stories coming out.

    Have your shoots started?

    Our shootings have started but in a very small way. I won’t say it is full-fledged. There are two projects on the floor, and both are outdoors. We are not doing anything in Bombay right now. There is work happening in Himachal, Uttaranchal, and north Karnataka.

    You were supposed to launch Eros Now Prime in June. Have you changed the plan?

    It is still in work for launch. We have readiness because we took Comcast NBC content and there will be content from STX library also. It will have British, American, and southeast Asian content. Eros Now Prime is essentially a premium English service at phase I. There will be some old popular TV shows along with brand new shows. As we move forward, we will put English translation, subtitles.

    You have a fabulous catalogue of music. Has that moved?

    It comes on two levels. One is Eros Music as a label. We are looking at investing more in that label, getting new talents both in film and non-film music. The other is the whole YouTube partnership which is largely to drive the traffic and traction around Eros Now as well. It is a bundled package. We are a strong believer in b2b2c which essentially means we will do partnerships with large players who deal with large consumer ecosystems. We will provide value for them to build stickiness for their own consumption. In return, they will allow us a large consumer base access.

    Where do you see Eros STX in three years?

    As a company, I believe we should be able to build the first compelling Indian studio that has captured worldwide attention both in terms of theatrical outcome and streaming. It's about doing more than business and creating great content & good stories.

  • Hoichoi achieves a subscriber base of 13 million

    Hoichoi achieves a subscriber base of 13 million

    KOLKATA: The leading Bengali OTT platform, Hoichoi, has completed three years in the industry with its grand launch in 2017. It has achieved a subscriber base of 13 million with 40 per cent of its revenue coming from international customers. It has also doubled its revenue in the past year.

    With the vision of "entertaining people in their local language” and having over 60 Originals and 50 World Digital Premieres, Hoichoi has unveiled a fresh slate of 25 new Originals, two first day first show films and multiple world digital premieres for the upcoming year.

    As a Hoichoi subscriber spends 50 minutes a day on the platform, the OTT player is always keen on bringing the best of technology for its customers. It has revealed a sneak peek into its new UI/UX (user interface/user experience) built which is seamless and easy to use for the customers.

    Read more news on Hoichoi

    A parental control feature will soon be added, which comes with Hoichoi being among the top 15 OTT platforms of India who have signed up for a unified self-regulation process with IAMAI for classification and demarcation of content available on all video-on-demand apps and websites in India. 

    Having customers over 100 countries including places like Japan, Sweden, Argentina, Iceland and more, Hoichoi has also announced Carrier Billing. It is an affordable way to consume content in the form of sache pricing and to buy a weekly or monthly subscription by paying with their mobile balance. This will be soon available for users in Bangladesh and Middle East. There’s also, subscription bundling, specifically for customers in India with JioFibre and Bangladesh with its top telecommunication network. 

  • TRAI says nyet to regulating communication OTTs

    TRAI says nyet to regulating communication OTTs

    MUMBAI: The Indian communication OTT ecosystem can breathe easier now. After slapping oodles of regulation on the TV sector, as voiced regularly by the television broadcasting community, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)  has recommended that no controls need to be imposed on  OTT services such as voice over internet telephony, SMS, video calling, and instant messaging services.

    On three counts, the TRAI has agreed to wait for it to evolve and consensus on regulations at the ITU level to emerge before imposing any further controls on OTTs:

    . Market forces may be allowed to respond to the situation without prescribing any regulatory intervention. However, developments shall be monitored and intervention as felt necessary shall be done at appropriate time.

    The TRAI further said in a report released today that the increase in usage of OTT, traffic of telecom service providers has also grown. “Various studies on appropriate business models are already under consideration in various jurisdictions and it is emerging. Therefore, any regulatory prescription in haste may leave adverse impact on industry as a whole.”

    Read our coverage on TRAI

    No regulatory interventions are required in respect of issues related with privacy and security of OTT services at the moment.

    The TRAI noted that:  ”After studying the issues, it has been observed that architecture of OTT communication services is evolving to protect the end users and encryption technology deployed in a manner which prevents intermediaries from getting the communication in a clear text or in an intelligible form. Imposition of any requirements to cater to get the details of communication in an intelligible form or clear text would either lead to change in the entire architecture of such OTT services which might not provide same level of protection as offered today or would require to introduce provisions which may make the agents involved in the communication vulnerable to unlawful actors.”

    It is not an opportune moment to recommend a comprehensive regulatory framework for various aspects of services referred to as OTT services, beyond the extant laws and regulations prescribed presently. The matter may be looked into afresh when more clarity emerges in international jurisdictions particularly the study undertaken by ITU.

    Regulation of OTT services is a widely debated topic in many jurisdictions as well as in ITU. While few jurisdictions have started exploring possibilities to regulate some aspects of a few OTT services through legal and technical measures but these efforts are yet in nascent stage and the overwhelming majority of jurisdictions and the ITU are still studying various aspects of OTTs. Since, ITU deliberations are also at study level, therefore conclusions may not be drawn regarding the regulatory framework of OTT services. However, in future, a framework may emerge regarding cooperation between OTT providers and telecom operators. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) are also actively participating in the ongoing deliberations in ITU on this issue. Based on the outcome of ITU deliberations DoT and TRAI may take appropriate consultations in future.

    Market forces may be allowed to respond to the situation without prescribing any regulatory intervention. However, developments shall be monitored and intervention as felt necessary shall be done at appropriate time.

    Industry has anywhere for some time been stating that the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 and the Information Technology Act, 2000 are robust enough to regulate the OTT sector. 

  • Chingari’s explosive short format video journey

    Chingari’s explosive short format video journey

    KOLKATA: Chingari is a Hindi word which means spark.  But Chingari is also a homegrown short format video and user-generated content app which Is firing ahead on all cylinders, attracting millions of users. That too in a short period of time ever since the Indian government placed a ban on TikTok, which had 200 million users in India. Of course, other Indian apps – like Mitron and Roposo – have also stepped into the vacuum created by the Chinese platform’s banishment. However, Chingari has been getting some plaudits as well as funding from investors which have been more than pleased with its performance. It recently raised 1.4 million dollars in funding, even as it was rated as the Best App in the social category in the recently-held #Atmanirbhar Bharat Challenge.

    “India is a land of myriad cultures and colours. Each has its own flavour. We have seen many through films and other media. Yet, there’s so much more to explore – The raw talent hidden in the remotest of alleys and quietest of villages,” says Chingari co-founder and COO Deepak Salvi.  “The sheer potential of the masses. This makes ours a land of possibilities. All we needed was the right platform. One that was proudly ours.”

    Media reports say that within 24 hours of TikTok’s ban, Chingari recorded 26 million video views, with three million videos swiped per hour and 10,000 users per minute. The app pays its users based on the virality of the video. For each video a user shares on the app, the content creator gets points per view, and these points can be redeemed for money.

    Salvi says Chingari has attracted over 28 million users on the platform majorly in the 14 to 38 age bracket. The users span across tier-1, 2 and  3 cities. The app has also lured some major social media influencers and content creators, and more and more of them are hopping onto it by the hour.

    Chingari is available in English, Hindi, Bangla, Gujarati, Marathi, Kannada, Punjabi, Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu. The homegrown app recently partnered with Alt Balaji to further aid both the platforms in strengthening their reach and increase their audience base across ‘Bharat.’ The short format video platform will introduce a verified account/page of ALTBalaji through which Chingari users will be able to follow and receive the latest updates from the streaming platform.

    Read more news on short video format category

    “We are getting calls for brand integrations as Chingari gets more acknowledged over time. While it recently entered a partnership with ALTBalaji, the coming months will see many such strong partnerships with brands,” reveals Salvi.

    Chingari is not just limited to video-sharing but allows users to read local and international news, check the city-specific weather forecast, play games, participate in quizzes, and win prizes. Media reports say that it has plans to foray into social commerce in the next six to nine months but with the core focus being, making it the best short-form video app platform.

    “Believe it or not, but we haven’t spent a single penny on marketing or promotions yet. ‘word of mouth’ publicity has been our best way forward so far. However, as we expand, we have a lot of research-backed innovations and strategies in place which we are ready to roll out, in case the market dynamics require us to,” he added.

    Interestingly, the app has investments from some of the biggest names such as Tinder CPO Brian Norgard and OLX founder Fabrice Grinda.

    “Within a short span, we were able to raise $1.4  million, which only speaks of our head-strong growth plans and the investors’ faith in us. This list too is certain to see some big names in the months to come,” explains Salvi.

    He accepts that the user-generated content platform space is getting red hot competitive as each day passes with Roposo and Moj scaling up steadily and many more pawing on the sidelines to launch.  But his belief is that Chingari certainly holds an upper edge from a first and fast-mover perspective.

    Read more news on Chingari

    “Constant up-gradation of content and influencer data and maximum activities to keep them engaged on our platform will always hold top priority to us. Like mentioned earlier, this is just the beginning of a big revolution in entertainment. Soon you will see, not just the nation, but the entire world adopting short video formats of entertainment, at large,” he contends.

    Media observers however, aver that it’s early days in the homegrown UGC short format space. “TikTok had finetuned its service over years and with hundreds of millions of dollars being invested in technology, research, and innovation,” says an industry veteran. “The platform was also managing scale operations with hundreds of millions of concurrent users and generating revenue worldwide. Indian short-form video platforms have to climb that learning curve, they have to make mistakes and learn. It’s not an easy space to be in, if one is not careful, cash can burn up pretty fast. Investors will have to have tough as nails stomachs until the platforms scale up and prove their business models and start generating cash. Chingari will have to keep its spark burning bright for some time to come.”

  • Epic On partners with Amazon Pay

    Epic On partners with Amazon Pay

    KOLKATA: IN10 Media Network’s OTT platform, Epic On– recently launched in an all-new and reimagined avatar – has partnered with Amazon Pay. Through this collaboration, Amazon Pay users can avail 20 per cent discount of up to Rs 100 on the annual membership of Epic On.  

    To avail this exclusive offer, users can select Amazon Pay as their mode of payment on EPIC ON’s payment page or directly access it from the Amazon Pay app. The offer is valid till 30 September.

    In sync with its new brand proposition Dekho| Suno |Khelo (Watch | Listen | Play), EPIC ON brings a wide range and magnitude of content, enabling users to Watch, Listen, Play, Read & Engage with multiform content on a single app!      

    Read more coverage on IN10 Media

    “With the new Epic On, we enter an exciting phase, bringing a diverse mix of multiform content across formats on one online platform,” Epic On COO Sourjya Mohanty said.

     “We are happy to partner with Amazon Pay to offer an exclusive proposition that’s designed keeping the user at the epicentre. With our dense content library, we are certain all those who consume content digitally and want convenience will find content of choice on Epic On,” Mohanty added.

    Read more coverage on Amazon Pay

    Commenting on the partnership, Amazon Pay India director Manesh Mahatme said “We are glad to partner with Epic On to allow Amazon customers to seamlessly pay for their subscriptions. This is one more step toward ubiquitous acceptance of Amazon Pay across online merchants.”

  • SonyLIV and Lionsgate sign IAMAI’s self regulation code

    SonyLIV and Lionsgate sign IAMAI’s self regulation code

    KOLKATA: The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) today announced SonyLIV and Lionsgate as the latest leading online curated content providers in India to sign the Universal Self-Regulation Code.

    The code has already garnered wide support from the industry and has onboarded 15 of the leading Online Curated Content Providers in India like ZEE5, Viacom 18, Disney Hotstar, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, MX Player, Jio Cinema, Eros Now, Alt Balaji, Arre, HoiChoi, Hungama, Shemaroo, Discovery Plus, Flickstree.

    Read more coverage on self-regulation code 

    IAMAI digital entertainment committee chairman Tarun Katial said, “I am overwhelmed with the support received on the code and delighted to welcome SonyLIV and Lionsgate as the 16 and 17 leading OCC providers in India to sign the ‘Universal Self-Regulation Code’. We already have India’s leading OTT providers as the signatories and expect more players to join the initiative in the coming weeks.”

    Sony Pictures Networks India general counsel Ashok Nambissan said, “We are delighted to join the league of signatories of the Universal Self-Regulation Code. We look to working closely with the IAMAI and other OTT players to get broader acceptance for the Code as well as the Government’s support for the industry’s efforts at self-regulation.”

    Read more coverage on IAMAI

    The Code is effective from 15 August 2020 and allows OCCPs to comply with all the guidelines in a timebound manner. Each signatory to the code has agreed to appoint an external advisor as part of the grievance redressal mechanism within 60 days from the launch of the code i.e. 4 September 2020.

  • Netflix celebrates storytelling with its new campaign

    Netflix celebrates storytelling with its new campaign

    KOLKATA: The streaming giant Netflix has launched a new global campaign One Story Away. that focuses on the power of stories. The campaign running in 27 markets, which includes the Indian market also. The campaign is titled as Just a Story Away in the Indian market.

    Netflix in a statement, which appears to be the message of the campaign, says, “People have very different tastes and moods. But no matter who you are or where you are,  we’re all only just a story away from seeing, feeling and connecting more,”  

    While it is running across TV, radio, print, digital and out-of-home in some markets, the media mix is different in India. However, the Indian version of the campaign is running on digital platforms. 

    “Marketing, in general, would be about flat this year, which is still about $2 billion of spend, which is a tremendous amount of spend across our marketing channels. But it does look like it will be lower because of some of those things we're seeing in this kind of new world in terms of more virtual junkets and PR and actually not doing as much awards, marketing and those sorts of things. Now some of that is temporary in nature. Some of that is permanent learnings as to how we can be more effective going forward,” Netflix CFO Spencer Adam Neumann said in an earnings call earlier. 

    The Crown reminded us that all families are the same. Guilty told us about the good that can happen when you stop caring about what the world thinks of you and instead focus on what you believe in. 

    Sacred Games was a window into a world we knew so little of, and brought us closer to understanding some people’s need for power. We wanted to be a little bit more like Chris Hemsworth in Extraction and that probably motivated some of us to workout. The list is endless.

    This is the premise behind the new campaign.

    The streaming giant has been strategically spending its marketing dollars in India. They have always spent heavily to promote big launches such as Sacred Games, Ghoul, Selection Day and its subscription plans, especially the mobile only plan priced at Rs 199. The brand has extensively use outdoor media such as metro trains, hoardings and others to create a high recall for its lineup.

  • Screenwriters Association announces nominees for lyrics category of SWA Awards 2020

    Screenwriters Association announces nominees for lyrics category of SWA Awards 2020

    MUMBAI: Screenwriters Association (SWA), the Indian guild of screenwriters and lyricists, announced today the 10 nominees for the Lyrics category of SWA Awards 2020. Winners of the best lyricist for feature film and best lyricist for tv serial/original series will be announced in an online awards ceremony on 27 September 2020.

    Nominees for Best Lyricist for Feature Film are:

    1.            Ankur Tewari and Divine for Apna Time Ayega in Gully Boy

    2.            Amitabh Bhattacharya for Kalank title track in Kalank

    3.            Divine and Naezy for Meri Gully Mein in Gully Boy

    4.            Varun Grover for Ruan Ruan in Sonchiriya

    5.            Manoj Muntashir for Teri Mitti in Kesari

    Nominees for Best Lyricist for TV Serial/Original series are:

    1.            Shekhar Astitva for Title track in Radhakrishn

    2.            Zama Habib for Ek tum chup, ek chup main in Isharo Isharo Mein

    3.            Shashank Kunwar for Pet bechara in Kulfi Kumar Bajewala

    4.            Majaal  for Rooh in Lakhon Mein Ek Season 2

    5.            Majaal  for Nishaniya in Laakhon Mein Ek Season 2

    Congratulating the nominees, SWA general secretary Sunil Salgia said, “Ask anyone abroad about Indian films, the response will be, ‘Oh, Bollywood! Great songs and dances!’ Songs give a unique identity to our movies and surely there are no songs without lyrics. Talent that can say a thousand words in a few, in spite of their struggle to write poetry beyond the hook phrase and which can be heard and remembered in the noisy world, deserves applause.”

    The 10 nominees were selected from 146 entries received by the SWA Awards committee from Hindi language films and TV serials/original series released in 2019. A jury comprising of eminent lyricists such as Amit Khanna, Ila Arun, Kausar Munir, Mayur Puri and Panchhi Jalonvi selected the nominees after a thorough individual and joint evaluation process.

    Lyricist and spokesperson for the SWA lyrics category Shellee said, “It is difficult to imagine films such as Awara, Mera Naam Joker, Guide, Pakeeza, Mughal-e-Azam, Teesri Kasam without their songs. Songs are the ornaments that adorn our cinema. Their fragrance lends beauty to our ordinary lives. I congratulate the nominees of SWA Awards 2020 and wish them the best of luck.”

    The Screenwriters Association (SWA),was formerly known as Film Writers' Association (FWA). It is a Trade Union of screenwriters and lyricists who work for Films, TV and digital media in India. Authors, novelists, playwrights, journalists who aspire for to diversify or join fulltime the mediums of films, TV or digital entertainment, are also members of the SWA. It has been working for the last 60 years to get the Indian film and TV industries to acknowledge the central role of writers through collective bargaining, legal assistance, mediation and settlement of disputes and education.

    SWA is holding the first ever SWA Awards on the occasion of its diamond jubilee year in 2020. The members aspire to continue this award function for many more years. Since they are judged by knowledgeable screenwriters and lyricists, these awards promise to become the most coveted validation for writers in India, much like the awards of other prestigious international writers’ guilds and literary organisations.

    The nominees spoke to SWA, reacting to the announcement:

    Nominees – Best Lyricist for Feature Film

    Song: Apna time ayega | Film: Gully Boy

    Ankur Tewari: It is an honour to be nominated in the Best Lyrics category and I am thrilled to be in such esteemed company with Divine and the other nominees. I would like to thank SWA for this opportunity.

    Song: Meri gully mein | Film: Gully Boy

    Divine: Of all the tracks I have written till date, Apna time aayega and Meri gully mein have arguably had the biggest impact not just for me or Gully Boy, but for the Hip-Hop movement as a whole in India. Meri gully mein is close to my heart as the original release truly put the sound of Mumbai on the map. We have never looked back since.

    Song: Meri gully mein | Film: Gully Boy

    Naezy: I am delighted to have been nominated for "Meri Gully mein" by SWA Awards 2020.  This song is very special to me and I feel honoured that it has been nominated in the Best Lyrics for Films category.  My best wishes to SWA for their first ever Awards and also to all the fellow nominees.

    Song: Kalank title track | Film: Kalank

    Amitabh Bhattacharya: I am honoured and humbled to receive nomination in the Best Lyricist category of the first SWA Awards, the only award of the writers, by the writers and for the writers. My gratitude and best wishes to Screenwriters Association. I am really excited and I look forward to the ceremony.

    Song: Ruan ruan | Film: Sonchiriya

    Varun Grover: It's an award for the community by the peers and that makes it extra special. I had decided not to attend any regular film awards because of the way they treat writers and technicians and it's a great step forward that SWA decided to start awards where writers are in the front and centre. Now the stage is ours. So are the microphone, chairs, victories and defeats and joys and sorrows.

    Nominees – Best Lyricist for TV Serial/Web Series

    Song: Ek tum chup, ek chup main | TV Serial: Isharo Isharo Mein

    Zama Habib: I am thrilled to know that my song has been nominated in the Best Lyrics category by SWA Awards. It feels great and special because the award is from the writing fraternity for the first time. Writers choosing the best of writing is always a great and satisfying idea.

    Song: Pet bechara | TV Serial: Kulfi Kumar Bajewala

    Shashank Kunwar: An artist’s biggest motivation is appreciation, and it is really special when it comes from the people who understand the finer nuances of the art form. I want to congratulate SWA for giving shape to this award. In the times of lockdown and pandemic, it is comforting to feel that one is not working in isolation. Thank you, SWA!

    Song: Title track | TV Serial: Radhakrishn

    Shekhar Astitwa: I am happy to hear that SWA will hold the first ever SWA Awards 2020. I congratulate SWA for organising these prestigious awards and extend my best wishes to my fellow nominees.

    Songs: Rooh and Nishaniya | original series: Lakhon Mein Ek Season 2

    Majaal: Writers are travellers and SWA is the wisdom tree which stands tall and steady. It bears fruit for the hungry and provides shelter when the weather is testing. And now a ‘never-seen-before’ flower has blossomed on this benevolent tree – SWA Awards – to bless the ones destined to travel further. I feel fortunate for being nominated for the first ever SWA Awards. It has inspired me to keep travelling on.