KOLKATA: ‘SonyLIV 2.0’ has significantly upped its game in original premium content space. After releasing successful shows like Avroadh, Undekhi, it has now released a teaser of its upcoming show Scam 1992. Directed by Hansal Mehta, Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story is about the real-life 1992 stock market scam involving the eponymous stockbroker, which led to major reforms, including the formation of Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Mehta has adapted a book on the 1992 stock market scam. The teaser of ‘Scam 1992’ has been unveiled featuring Pratik Gandhi, Shreya Dhanwanthary, and Sharib Hashmi. The story is set in the 1980’s and 90’s Bomba. At the beginning of the teaser, Sharib tells Shreya, about a Rs 500-crore fraud which has taken place. “We wrapped a mammoth 85 days shoot spanning 6 months, 550 pages, 170+ characters, and 200+ locations. It was tough but eventually satisfying. A great team saw this (and is still seeing it) through all the limitations and adversities. #Scam1992 is THEIR show. Thank you team!,” Mehta tweeted.
Tag: OTT
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Wanted to create prototype for digital media with ‘Bandish Bandits’: Anand Tiwari
Anand Tiwari, the man behind Love Per Square Foot is back with yet another directorial venture Bandish Bandits. Tiwari is a stage actor and director known for his roles in films like Kites, Udaan, Aisha, and Go Goa Gone. As a stage actor, he is best known for his role of a 'lamp post' in Rage Productions' One on One. For the uninitiated, Tiwari is the co-founder of the theatre company FAT Productions in Mumbai.
Set in the backdrop of Jodhpur, the Amazon Prime Video is a 10-part series. The series introduces newcomers Ritwik Bhowmik and Shreya Chaudhary as Radhe and Tamanna respectively. Romantic drama Bandish Bandits is a love story of Radhe and Tamanna who hail from diverse musical backgrounds.
In conversation with indiantelevision.com, Bandish Bandits director Anand Tiwari talks about the importance of music in storytelling, the idea behind creating the series, roping in the trio of Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and much more.
Radhe's face when Tamanna enters
Same Radhe same…,,, pic.twitter.com/nRgNnOtL7a
— amazon prime video IN (@PrimeVideoIN) August 12, 2020
Edited Excerpts:
Please tell us about your journey from being an assistant director in Barfi to now directing your own show.
It has been fantastic, every day you spend on the set or with actors and technical team teaches you something. However, sometimes you have to learn and unlearn so many things. The circumstances are always different and not like an office job. I like to keep exploring new things. Even when I am shooting a romantic scene or any other scene, I pretend like I do not know this. I do feel that my storytelling has matured as I grew but it is a long journey, I have just started learning.
What was the concept behind making Bandish Bandits?
We have been making movies on music since time immemorial because that is how we have weaved our stories since theatre times. Music is an integral part of storytelling in India. Amrit (Amritpal Singh Bindra, producer) and I love music. From the time of Band Baja Baarat we have always told stories that get conveyed by music. When we looked at the content that is being created in today’s time, there wasn’t something similar to Bandish Bandits. It’s high time we create a prototype for digital media and we were convinced that audiences would also like to watch it. I believe music is the most transcending of art forms. And what better way to summarise India’s culture than mixing two forms of popular music – traditional and pop.
How long did it take to do the research and create the whole series?
Amrit and I have been making different kinds of content for the past five to six years. For a long time, we wanted to do a project together. It took us almost one and a half years of pure research. We spent good three to four years to make the entire series right from ideation to creation.
Also, did you approach Amazon Prime or did they contact you?
We took Aparna Purohit (Amazon Prime head of India originals) through our story idea and that is how it happened. Amazon Prime has always given us good originals; that is known internationally. We were hopeful that they will also like the content that we are giving to them.
Speaking about direction, do you think you have grown as a director? Also, you are an actor too so does it help you while directing?
Yes, it absolutely helps to be an actor because I understand that most of the time actors are struggling. It has very little to do with their fear or talent, sometimes it is so much to do with their understanding. There are so many things such as one might agree or disagree with the scenes or sometimes they are dealing with something which has nothing to do with the shoot itself. As an actor, I know the psyche of the other actors and I have a special relationship with every actor on the set. We all share a very special bond, so it doesn’t sound like an instruction which always helps.
Which is your favourite part of the role, actor or director?
I like being a storyteller, sometimes I can be a writer, director, actor, producer, anything. However, during a specific time, it is more exciting being a director. It also depends on the story that comes because accordingly, you will focus on that specific part. But as a director, you have a far greater perspective to the story. I really enjoy every role that comes my way.
Bandish Bandits also marks the digital debut of Music geniuses Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. How challenging was it to bring them on onboard?
When we were planning this series, Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy were on top of our list. Apart from giving music in movies, they have also done many albums. They have done classical, hip hop and every kind of music. They were the first people we approached. Here, storytelling was challenged through music that they took up with us. A lot of scenes which had music in them were planned after our discussion with Shankar Mahadevan. He was able to give us the insights into what happens in a studio when a song is created. It was a brilliant experience; all the songs that one can see in the show have been created in front of us.
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Hoichoi collaborates with JioFiber
KOLKATA: The Bengali OTT platform hoichoi is now available for JioFiber customers. JioFiber customers on Silver and above plans will have access to over 2000+ hours of Bengali movies, Original Series and a wide array of content through the hoichoi Platform on their Jio Set- Top Box. Additionally, Bengali and Hindi Original Series of hoichoi will also be available through the JioTV+ app.
The subscribers of JioFiber can watch some of the most iconic Bengali Movies of all time including latest blockbusters and World Digital Premiere Dwitiyo Purush, Love Aaj Kal Porshu, Nagarkirtan, Konttho, Vinci Da, Shah Jahan Regency, Kedara and others along with evergreen Classics by Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak, Uttam Kumar among others and even 60+ Original Series – Hello, Byomkesh, Shobdo Jobdo, Charitraheen, Eken Babu, Montu Pilot – to name some of the cult ones. Being a customer-centric platform, hoichoi continues to add World Digital Premiers, Movies and Original shows in its repertoire, every month.
hoichoi also announced a new property this month – hoichoi Presents “First Day First Show”, under which several Bengali Films will get a direct release through Direct-to-Digital skipping the traditional theatrical release. The first venture is a film produced by the Biggest Entertainment House of Eastern India, SVF, titled Detective, based on a story by Rabindranath Tagore of the same name; the film will be releasing on 14 August.
The entire content library of hoichoi is available with English subtitles; additionally, hoichoi features Hindi dubbed versions of its originals that allows a wider National audience to enjoy the best of Bengali content and takes the platform to a national audience.
As the world adjusts to the new realities of work and entertainment from home, Jiofiber, with its high-speed broadband and set-top box service is best suited to meet both the needs. Users can watch premium content from hoichoi on a large screen from the comfort of their homes.
To add onto this further benefit of our subscribers, hoichoi co-founder Vishnu Mohta said, “JioFiber users can now access the hoichoi platform and also some hoichoi content from JioTV+ app from their Jio set-top box. Combining efforts with another distribution platform will build a wider audience base and a powerful partnership as our content options are unlimited when it comes to entertaining audiences globally. This vast array of exclusive content will be accessible to a large base of users through this association.”
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“We are expanding our genres & focussing on chiselled storytelling”: Juggernaut Productions’ Samar Khan
MUMBAI: Director and producer Samar Khan, who is known for his critically acclaimed war drama film Shaurya, is now weaving stories for digital platforms. Khan has now donned the hat of a creative producer for Avrodh on SonyLiv.
Avrodh revolves around a surgical strike based on the 2016 Uri attack, depicting historical events as they occurred in real. The series was launched on 31 July. The former journalist has a keen interest in creating stories for armed forces. Most of his recent or past work like Regiment Diaries on Epic channel, The Test Case or the AltBalaji-ZEE5 series Code M is around the same subject.
Juggernaut Productions chief operating officer OTT business Samar Khan says that for a show like Avrodh, it’s important to find likeminded people. According to him, the producer is not someone who just funds the project; he is also the creative producer who is involved in every step of story production. The job of the creative producer is to pick the right talent, cast, director, storytellers and look after the story development.
Avrodh is based on a chapter in a book written by Shiv and Rahul. It is also inspired by the quotes of Major Mike Tango. The word is a pseudonym for the paramilitary officer who helmed the overall operation. The team at Juggernaut Productions also spoke to people who are aware of military procedures. As the show is on a very sensitive topic and to avoid any misrepresentations the makers, directly and indirectly, reached out to people who were involved in the event. It took eight months of research.
Khan, who is ecstatic to work as a creative producer, gives a lot of credit to Applause Entertainment for bringing out this story. He also hints at creating similar stories soon. The idea behind collaborating with Applause Entertainment is to co-develop shows. Both the studios are currently developing and producing two shows. Khan is looking forward to creating original IPs and premium original content with Applause Entertainment.
He says that audiences in today’s time are aware of what they are watching. He says, “Audiences don’t need to be served a buffet anymore. I think the popular commercial cinema always tried to serve a buffet where there was a little bit of humour, romance and drama. But what OTT platforms have done is to focus on one. This chiselled storytelling is truer to what we really want to say and this is the true learning experience for me. For the past four to five shows and even going forward, we are trying to stay true to the promise of the show and not deviate.”
He is also aware that the company has an image of creating only legal dramas but that’s going to change. “We want to be known as a company that does broad-based content development. We are looking at developing stories across genres,” he shares.
Due to the pandemic, there is a boost in the viewership on OTT platforms and with normalcy returning, Khan’s immediate focus is to start shooting. He says, “We utilised the past four months of lockdown to develop a slate of shows that we will be collaborating or pitching to platforms. We have a huge bank of stories that we have developed in this time period. The plan is to make and tell as many stories as possible.”
Juggernaut Productions recently acquired the screen adaptation rights to Jay Alani and Neil D’Silva’s book “Haunted” but is stuck at the initial stage due to Covid2019. The company is open to any international collaboration too in difference genres, formats and stories that can be adapted to the needs of Indian audiences. For now, the focus is on Hindi content but Juggernaut is planning on acquiring regional content too.
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HONOR collaborates with ZEE5 to reach Indian consumers for its latest smartphones
KOLKATA: The leading OTT platform ZEE5 continues to be a brand favourite, when it comes to reaching out to a diverse set of audiences across the country in the most targeted and effective manner. The newest one to join the bandwagon and choose ZEE5 as one of its preferred OTT advertising platforms is HONOR, a global leading tech brand for the youth.
HONOR India, with the collaboration with ZEE5, aims at educating Indian consumes about its latest smartphones – HONOR 9A and HONOR 9S and at the same time, reach out to people looking for an enhanced smartphone experience, at a pocket-friendly price.
As part of its stated 1+8+N strategy, HONOR introduced its affordable smartphone range – HONOR 9A and HONOR 9S in under Rs 10K segment, along with the brand’s first laptop for the market – HONOR MagicBook 15, featuring India’s first laptop with three breakthrough innovations – Pop-up Webcam, 2-in-1 Fingerprint Power Button and 65W Type-C Compact multi-device fast charging, at a price of under Rs 50K range, and powered with Microsoft Windows 10 Home, AMD Ryzen™ 5 3500U and RadeonTM Vega 8 Graphics processor. The latest offerings are a testimony to HONOR’s commitment of bringing innovative and progressive products for Indian consumers, while meeting the varied requirements of the users.
With a surge in viewership post lockdown, ZEE5 has fast tracked its vision of democratising access to bespoke content and enhanced user experience through various initiatives to keep India entertained 24×7. HONOR’s latest launches align with this vision as it aims to offer the latest offerings to a larger base of consumers without them having to compromise on technology and quality.
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OTT platforms may see scarcity in long-format premium content in H1- FY22
KOLKATA: It may be the heyday of over-the-top (OTT) platforms but it’s not like the pandemic will not have any impact on their operations. While everything appears great on the surface, the constraints of shooting large-scale projects are going to affect the pipeline of long-format premium originals in the first half of FY22, according to executives who spoke at ‘Future of OTT content and its evolution in India’, hosted by Indiantelevision.com. Being cautious of the situation, the platforms are going to evolve content formats which can be shot amid all the constraints.
MX Player chief content officer Gautam Talwar accepted that it would run out of shows which were shot before lockdown by the end of the year. The platform is trying to see if it can change the narrative and also trying to explore if there are shows which can be produced within the given constraints. He added that it would look at smaller shows which can be put together in fewer locations with fewer artists, but with interesting stories. Talwar emphasised that OTT platforms have to adapt to the environment. Hence, MX Player will get into the shoot with smaller shows.
The other players also agreed that there will be a lag in long-format premium content at least for the first half of next financial year.
Arre co-founder and CEO Ajay Chacko said that the impact of the pandemic will actually be felt in the next financial year from a release perspective. He stated that six months of not being able to shoot would definitely reflect on the content line up of FY 22. While asked if shooting in international locations is a viable idea, he clearly stated that would not be an economic model.
Hungama Originals executive producer Sanjeev Lamba agreed to his peers’ views but also highlighted that it also depends on what kind of business the platform is in. According to him, the way people are getting affected is going to be different.
“We believe in mixing up shows. We don’t believe in mega, large scale forever. For us, a small set of shows have worked really well. It’s actually the mass India that is growing for us constantly and mass India loves that. For us, the shoots have already started. We will start launching two-three originals month-on-month from November itself. The idea is to reverse the track of feeling the financial pinch in the Q1 of next FY,” said ALTBalaji marketing, analytics & direct revenue SVP Divya Dixit.
Eros Now content head Puja Rajadhyaksha said that the industry and the format will evolve with the situation. She added that Eros Now will also look at doing shorter format which can be shot in the next four-five months. Talwar added that the lag in long-format content would not impact users as there is a demand for all types of content with good stories.
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OTT platforms proposing ombudsman model to the govt: Arre’s Ajay Chacko
KOLKATA: To regulate or not to regulate online content, that's the question. If yes then what should be the way forward? There has been no industry consensus on it yet. While in the earlier part of this year, Hotstar, Jio, SonyLiv and Eros formed an adjudicatory body Digital Content Complaint Council (DCCC), other platforms like Netflix, Amazon, MX Player, ZEE5, AltBalaji and Arre opposed it. Arre co-founder and CEO Ajay Chacko is strongly against DCCC model of regulation and said that they are now proposing an ombudsman model to the government.
“We have not agreed to the DCCC model and are now proposing an ombudsman model to the government which is actually a midway path. I am hoping that works,” Chacko said in a webinar called ‘Future of OTT content and its evolution in India’ hosted by Indiantelevision.com.
He again strongly advocated that the internet is a medium of choice and people should be allowed to decide what they want to watch or don’t. He also added that if the authority wants to get parity in regulations of all mediums then it should not bring the newest medium to the lowest common denominator of the oldest medium. According to him, the problem is not with OTT platforms not being regualted but with the way cinema and TV have been over-regulated.
Recently during FICCI e-Frames, ministry of information and broadcasting secretary Amit Khare said the ministry is proposing to bring content being streamed on over-the-top (OTT) platforms under its purview. Prior to that, I&B minister Prakash Javadekar gave streaming services 100 days to finalise a code of conduct.
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Are OTT players finding a sweet spot for pricing?
KOLKATA: A recent report from Kantar spoke about the massive surge in SVoD growth in urban India. Hence, it is clear that Indians have started loosening the purse strings for premium online content. As there is no single right pricing for a diverse audience, OTT players are adopting innovative pricing strategies. Experimentation in subscription packages seems to be the latest trend among both international and homegrown streaming services. However, they might have found a sweet spot below Rs 500 to woo the users, at least for now.
Streaming giant Netflix has become more aggressive about international markets since its growth in the home market started saturating. Realising the nature of the local market, it ignited the experimentation with pricing last year while announcing the Rs 199 per month mobile-only package. The platform recently started testing a low-cost HD plan at Rs 349 per month which allows accessing the service on a mobile, tablet, laptop and desktop but not on TV. If Netflix rolls out the subscription plan, the platform will have plans ranging from Rs 199 to Rs 799. Nevertheless, it remains most expensive among all players.
On the other hand, ZEE5 has also taken a creative stance to lure in and hold on to subscribers. It has launched ZEE5 Club at Rs 365/year. It offers exclusive access to most popular shows before telecast on TV, ZEE5 originals apart from select ZEE5 and ALTBalaji shows, blockbuster movies, ZEE Zindagi shows and several live TV channels. Significantly, it comes at almost one-third price of its premium pack.
“This is a fabulous time for consumer acquisition both from getting people on OTT platforms as well as to convert from free to subscription. Typically, water is being tested around different pricing. If you ask Hollywood or western content, you are being priced at a certain level. The OTT platforms are offering premium Indian content at Rs 300-400 range. Most players are staying in that range because that range seems suitable for acquisition,” Deloitte India media and entertainment partner and leader Jehil Thakkar said. He also added that it creates a psychological barrier beyond Rs 500 while below the range of Rs 300-400 it would be possibly considered too low.
The leader in the pack had slightly altered its pricing during the rebranding of the service. While Disney+ started its journey in India, it also launched Disney+ Hotstar VIP plan at Rs 399 per month which does not give the user access to the platform’s entire library but to movies like The Lion King, Frozen II, Aladdin, Toy Story 4, and several others along with Bollywood movies and Indian content. Initially, Hotstar VIP was priced at Rs 365 annually.
However, SonyLIV has significantly increased its pricing. The platform which refined its service recently with a new logo and premium originals took up its monthly plan to Rs 299 from Rs 99. It also increased the value of its other packs.
PwC India Entertainment partner media and sports advisory leader Raman Kalra says that some OTT players had packages below the bracket of Rs 300-400 and some with a much higher package, but now the middle range is becoming the sweet spot. He also mentions that it is the beginning of a series of price experimentation. Thakkar also says that as the major players are now in customer acquisition spree, competitive pricing will continue.
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Defence ministry says armed forces-themed movies, shows need its NoC
MUMBAI: Censorship by any external regulatory body is something streamers and viewers in India are averse to. But there is at least in one area where they might have to yield to clipping scissors: how they depict the defence and armed forces in their shows and films. The Indian ministry of defence (MoD) has written to the Central Board of Film Certification directing production houses to get the former’s clearance for any show the story line of which features the armed forces or is themed around them before putting it out for viewing to the public.
The letter – signed by the MoD’s undersecretary of state Sudershan Kumar additionally to the MeiTV and the I&B ministry – states that some “shows and films are distorting the image of the Indian army….they may also be advised to ensure that any incident which distorts the image of defence forces or hurts their sentiments may be prevented.”
The MoD letter makes special reference to the depiction of “Indian army personnel and military uniform in a distorted manner in “XXX – Uncensored Season 2” and urges producers to acquire a no objection certificate from it before releasing shows on the defence on their platforms.
XXX Uncensored Season 2 is available on ALT Balaji and has been facing protests from certain groups for the manner in which a woman character forces “a man to wear the Indian Army uniform, which has the national emblem on its flaps, and then tearing it.”
The MoD says it too has received several complaints.
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“Looking at creating multinational co-funded and co-financed content”: Applause Entertainment’s Sameer Nair
Many believe this is the golden age for content creators. Applause Entertainment is one of those at the forefront of creating digital content today. However, the company’s ambition isn’t just restricted to India but rather a global audience. Some of the recent names that can be credited to the Sameer Nair-run company are Hostages, Criminal Justice, Rasbhari, Hasmukh, The Office, etc. Under development are an Israeli thriller adaptation for India – Fauda, as well as Luther.
In the second part of this interview, Applause Entertainment CEO Sameer Nair, in a virtual fireside chat with indiantelevision.com founder, CEO and editor in chief Anil Wanvari spoke at length about content creation for global audience, co-production in different countries, short-form content, TikTok, the role of streamers in today’s digital world and much more.
Edited Excerpts:
The pandemic has been longer than what we have suspected, do you think it will change the way viewers live. Due to lack of fresh content at their disposal audiences are moving from GECs to OTT now.
I think what the pandemic has done, in India especially, is that it has exposed a new giant audience to the OTT platform. It is a forced thing that has become a habit now. I think it’s a good thing; the distribution of content via the internet is a golden age of content consumption and content creation. Television, theatre and OTT are very important parts of our business. I don’t think any one part of the business can or should replace the others. From a content creator point of view what you want to have is multiple revenue channels. If it gets monopolised then it will create distortion in the market.
Do you think that Indian content has not travelled the world? Also the broadcast industry is heavily dependent on advertising and subscription is not coming to the level it was expected.
I think from our scheme of things the world is an open playground. For now, we are an Indian studio but thankfully due to streamers content is travelling globally. The US market exists all over the world but in the next 15 or 20 years, the Indian market will have the same influence. Initially, Chinese had a lot of power with their technology and the Koreans have done that but as India seems to have a large market one can be happy because it is such a huge market. But now what global streamers have automatically created is a system where content can be viewed in any part of the world.
Certain animation studios have set outposts in Hollywood and they are starting co-production and are hiring locals from there. So are you looking at penetrating American market with American style shows rather than doing Indian shows alone?
It is definitely a possibility and different people in different ways have done that. The story of Hollywood is like when they run out of money they find a new investor. Originally, it was run by Jews then Germans and Russians came and the Indians went for some time. If you talk about co-production in America, I believe they are already more qualified than Asians. It is more about growing together, partnerships, collaborations because they are already doing great stuff and maybe we can contribute to it.
Is there a chance to do a co-production between India, France and the UK?
Yes, in fact, we have been approached by a documentary company to figure out if we can co-produce some documentaries which would be partly financed by the French and partly financed by Applause Entertainment. We were looking at monetising it in a way where France would take care of Europe and we could take care of the rest of the world and India. Actually streamers while arriving are shaking up the global content. Originally what used to happen in the West is that anyone in the US or Europe is completely aware of how these whole syndication licencing models work, how multiple financing models work or how to create content in one market and sell in different countries. Streamers have put a planner in place and they are doing this very effectively.
We are looking at these partners and seeing how to create a multinational content which is co-funded and co-financed. Finally, what has to work is the economy, the business of it, who pays and the ways to recover money.
What is your opinion on 15-second 30-second and 90-second short-form story format? Are they lending good storytelling?
I think the whole TikTok revolution and before that what YouTube did and a lot of short-form content has democratised storytelling. Before the internet and social media came along, only a few could create that content. Either you have to be a filmmaker or a media and TV producer. Then YouTube came and TikTok took it even further. I think storytelling is a form of expressing creativity. I don’t believe it is right to judge anybody. With millions of pieces of content on YouTube some things rise up some things catch our attention and that is how a YouTube star or TikTok star is created just like any other platform. Story of content and its quality remains fundamental. People should be allowed to express their story.
What do you think about the TikTok ban, now a lot of indigenous brands that have come up or do you think Indians will create a better version then TikTok?
TikTok is more than a brand and replacement; it is an ecosystem that has been built over so many years. It has been built on very clever insight and how audiences and market works. It is not something that is replaceable; it was also an economic model that needs financial backing. In the end, a lot of social media platforms have huge financial resources that look at building customer acquisition. Personally, I think the TikTok ban will be revoked and it will be sorted out
Do you think it is important to entertain and impact society at the same time with content?
I think in a way we are already doing this. What we are today is the outcome we have created for ourselves. Different creators, filmmakers are trying to influence society. One can influence society in a good or a bad way. There are many movies that make you sit and think and there are also some dumb comedies. I don’t think one size fits all or there is a right way. That goes into a dictatorial regime which is against creativity. If I want to laugh about something, then I should be allowed to do so. I don’t have to be meaningful all the time. Television has been the biggest influencer in India but to what extent it has influenced, that we don’t know.
How do you choose a story or a subject of a story and what is the process of greenlighting the project? Also, which are the genres you are looking at developing further?
One filter for our selection process is to do something which we are already not doing or have just done. If I have three to four thriller series in development then maybe I won’t do the fifth one right now. There are some broad genres we want to focus on: thriller, crime, homeland security, military biopic, inspirational stories, romance, family drama and historical.
For us, the process is very simple. The idea of a story comes to us, sometimes it comes through a producer or a writer, then we get into development. We are always involved in the process. We are responsible for every product that comes out of Applause Entertainment. Sometimes the idea comes attached with the producer who then comes with his own director then actors come on board. This is the overall process but it starts with writing.
Tell us more about your joint production with Gurinder Chadha and Sunder Aaron for Seeker?
Locomotive Global’s Sunder Aaron was already in talks with Bend it Films & TV’s Gurinder Chadha. They have developed an idea after which they approached Applause Entertainment. I have met Sunder a couple of times where I explained to him about our work. It took some time to complete the paperwork and now we are creating a multi-country writers room. There is a writer in New York then there is a writer’s room in India and all of us at Applause Entertainment are putting this together. I am very excited about this project.