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Tag: Pooja Kohli

  • India-focused OTT production Golden Karavan launched, two projects approved, 10 under way

    India-focused OTT production Golden Karavan launched, two projects approved, 10 under way

    MUMBAI: Combining their backgrounds and respective strengths into a powerful new digital production company, entertainment executives from the United States and India have announced the launch of Golden Karavan.

    Golden Karavan is a first-of-its-kind, Indian-focused OTT television production company. With two productions greenlit and 10 more in active development, the outfit intends to create a steady supply of compelling, high-quality content from the region, targeting OTT and digital services including Netflix India and Amazon India.

    The new Mumbai-based entity — set to create and finance a slate of original TV content over the next five years — is the vision of Jeff Sagansky and Florence Sloan of Goldenpeak Productions; Aaron Kaplan of Kapital Entertainment; and Apoorva Bakshi, Pooja Kohli and Sanjay Bachani of FilmKaravan Originals.

    Sagansky, former CBS Entertainment and Sony Pictures senior executive, is an active media investor having taken public companies including Videocon d2h, Global Eagle and overseeing the merger of Double Eagle and Williams Scotsman. Kaplan is founder of Kapital Entertainment, a successful TV production Hollywood company. FilmKaravan describes itself as India’s first digital distribution-led production house promoted and run by Cupertino and Bakshi, Kohli and Bachani.

    By creating and packaging this content for exclusive license, Golden Karavan will provide a compelling answer to the emerging revolution in mobile and OTT/broadband delivery in India, servicing local language audiences with original programming.

    “Given the access to broadband that is transforming the Indian media landscape, the timing is ideal to launch Golden Karavan, a studio that will provide provocative and high-end, Indian-themed content,” said Jeff Sagansky upon making the announcement.

    In 2015, Sagansky and his finance partner Harry Sloan invested in and took public on the NASDAQ Videocon d2h, which will merge with DISH TV later in the year to become the largest distribution company in Asia.

    Added Kaplan: “We recognise the opportunity to focus on the underserved Southeast Asian market with amazing storytellers and talent, both in front of and behind the camera, and we couldn’t have stronger partners leading the creative than we do with Apoorva, Pooja and Sanjay.”

    “Given our extensive knowledge and distribution experience of the Indian film business, Film Karavan wanted to use that expertise to expand into the TV sector,” said Bakshi. “We are hitting the ground running with two series projects greenlit and many others in development.”

    Golden Karavan’s initial slate of OTT projects includes the following:

    • The company has formed collaboration with renowned indie filmmaker Hansal Mehta to adapt Ashwin Sanghi’s best-selling book, “The Sialkot Saga.” Mehta’s most recent directorial venture, “Omerta,” garnered rave reviews when it recently premiered during the Toronto International Film Festival.

    • Golden Karavan is also collaborating with award winning Canadian-Indian auteur Richie Mehta on a yet unnamed drama series. His latest, a Google-funded Ridley Scott initiative called “India in a Day,” was critically applauded worldwide.

    Commented Florence Sloan: “One of the real powers behind Golden Karavan is the ability to creatively curate material with an eye to engage and entertain digital audiences in India. We are pleased with the running start we already have and look forward to bringing more exciting projects to fruition.”

  • DreamWorks & Technicolor’s VoD platform to offer Bollywood fare

    DreamWorks & Technicolor’s VoD platform to offer Bollywood fare

    MUMBAI: DreamWorks Animation and Technicolor’s video on demand (VOD) JV company M-GO has launched its Bollywood collection comprising a slate of more than two dozen films.

     

    The library of titles, presented in association with Indian film distributor FilmKaravan, features the 2015 release Ek Paheli Leela, starring Sunny Leone.

     

    The reincarnation-themed Ek Paheli Leela, produced by T-Series and distributed by Saavn in North America, is part of an initial assortment of more than two dozen feature Bollywood titles now offered on M-GO, with some available in 4K.

     

    “I am so excited that my fans will now be able to watch Ek Paheli Leela on their favorite digital platforms. I believe in the power of the digital ecosystem and am thrilled that my film will now be available for my fans to watch when they want,” said Leone.

     

    T-Series president Neeraj Kalyan added, “We are proud to be a part of this digital release for our latest title, Ek Paheli Leela on M-GO. Sunny has done an exceptional job and we are glad that this film is the centerpiece of the Indian film category.”

     

    “This partnership with FilmKaravan represents our first concentrated effort to bring even greater variety to our selection of international, foreign language, and independent content. In the increasingly global film community, Bollywood content is incredibly popular with movie fans all over the world, including here in the US,” said M-GO senior vice president of content Cameron Douglas.

     

    “FilmKaravan’s goal is to bring the best of Indian content produced by big studios like Yash Raj Films, Dharma Productions, Excel Entertainment, T-Series and Rajshri, among others, to platforms committed to presenting eclectic programming to their audiences. It gives us great pleasure in partnering with M-GO, one of the fastest growing VOD services, to reach their audiences through aggressive positioning and passionate marketing plans,” said FilmKaravan managing partner Pooja Kohli.

  • UltraFlix inks licensing deal for Bollywood movies in 4K

    UltraFlix inks licensing deal for Bollywood movies in 4K

    MUMBAI: NanoTech Entertainment has inked a licensing deal with distributor of Indian movies Film Karavan. With the agreement, NanoTech’s 4K Ultra HD network UltraFlix will have the distribution rights to the Film Karavan library of full-length feature movies as well as ongoing new releases from their film partners. 

     

    4K Studios, a NanoTech subsidiary with facilities in San Francisco and Hollywood, is currently in the process of digitally re-mastering the films for immersive crystal clear 4K Ultra HD viewing.

     

    The Bollywood hits being added to the UltraFlix network’s library of 4K content include, Jab Tak Hai Jaan, One By Two, Fanaa, Ishaqzaade, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Mohabbatein, Ek Tha Tiger, Agneepath, Gunday, Darr @ The Mall, Dhoom:3, Kahaani, OMG: Oh My God, Hum Tum and Andaz Apna Apna.

     

    “Film Karavan has been one of the most recognized and successful distributors of top selling Indian films for years. With a vast catalog of top quality films and well established film studio partnerships, we are adding a large quantity of quality films to the UltraFlix Network. We’re excited about partnering with Film Karavan so our viewers can enjoy a wide variety of movies from the rapidly growing Indian genre. All of the films will be digitally re-mastered by 4K Studios providing the most incredible detail and amazing depth of 4K,” said NanoTech executive vice president of sales and marketing Aaron Taylor.

     

    “UltraFlix is an exciting new all 4K network that allows studios like ours to deliver the best quality customer experience with the digitally enhanced renditions of their films. The 4K TV market is poised for tremendous growth this year, now forecasted to reach over seven million sets just in the US, and double that worldwide. Thanks to UltraFlix, many award winning Indian films will for the first time ever have the ability to stream in 4K to any and all of these 4K TVs,” added Film Karavan director of content acquisition and distribution  Pooja Kohli.

  • Digital: A complement or challenge for existing platforms?

    Digital: A complement or challenge for existing platforms?

    MUMBAI: FICCI Frames 2015 laid the stage for a open discussion on the 360 degree disruption, which the digital ecosystem has effected upon the entertainment sector. The session also had panelists analysing future and current trends in the digital business in order for these platforms to become growth drivers in truest sense. The emergence of the digital platform can become a threat to the other established platforms as all the platforms share the same source of revenue.

     

    The session was moderated by Filmkaravan founder Pooja Kohli and the panel comprised producer and actor Abhay Deol, Tata Sky chief content and business developing officer Paolo Matteo Agosstinelli, Facebook Wallla president Eric St. Anthony Pence and LA digital media advisor James Veraldi.

     

    Supporting the theory that content is king, Agostinelli said, “The emergence of the digital platform is not a threat but an opportunity for the enterprises willing to serve creative content. We are here to deliver content and sensible content in any platform will find relevance and generate revenue. We have to put efforts in understanding the change in behaviour and nature of our target audience and adapt as per need. The millennium youth in India is an encouragement for content makers and we have to utilise that by providing captivating content.”

     

    Technology is evolving with time and the existing platforms are challenged by the new ones. The battle for the old ones is to still be relevant. Commenting on the evolution, Veraldi said, “DVD came into existence in 1999 and saw huge success till 2005. Now the digital platform is growing and is poised to grow even bigger. There are various platforms that enable creators to deliver content and the challenge is in finding a way to monetise those platforms. If we keep earning money and devote it on quality content and the demand of consumer is taken care of, the new revolutions won’t make a difference. The biggest challenge is not how you adapt with the emerging challenge but is to keep meeting the demand of audience.”

     

    Digital has given unconventional content makers a platform to exhibit their excellence and offer new options to the audience. Traditional content finds producers easily, while the out of the box or breaking stereotype concepts are portrayed as risky. Hence financiers more often avoid such risks. Moreover global distribution of content is another tough challenge, which finds digital as a big solution.

     

    Deol produced movie One By Two was released on the internet for global audience the same day as it was released in Indian theatres. “I was sure of the fact that I won’t manage to get screens abroad but at the same time I also wanted the audience to have the option of watching the content and that’s when I took the decision of launching it online. The other reason was that whenever I have been to United States, I saw the willingness in people to see the unconventional but the option was not available for them. They used to ask me why we can’t make more unconventional content. When a theatre is three hours away and the pirated DVD seller is nearby, people opt for the pirated version but when we gave the same person option of watching it online by paying certain premium, they opted for it. That’s the beauty of the digital platform,” said Deol.

     

    While Pence was of the opinion that change complements other existing platforms. “The digital platform will complement the existing ones and the biggest beneficiary of that will be consumers. Every platform will try to provide as high quality content as possible and that’s the best part. With development of bandwidth and online payment infrastructure digital will grow but the traditional platforms will co-exist.”

     

    While the number of smartphone user is an encouragement for the digital platforms, low bandwidth and high tariffs are the major challenges that the venture has to tackle.