ITV

Tag: Rahul Mishra

  • Mishra’s Silk Route hits high gear, Janhvi Kapoor revs up the runway

    Mishra’s Silk Route hits high gear, Janhvi Kapoor revs up the runway

    MUMBAI: Lakmé Fashion Week’s grand finale saw AFEW Rahul Mishra unveil his Fall Winter 2025 Silk Route collection, a sartorial odyssey that blended ancient trade routes with modern swagger. And what a ride it was. Janhvi Kapoor, channeling her inner Bond girl, rolled onto the runway in a gleaming Vitara, swathed in a figure-hugging, thigh-high slit willpower gown that could stop traffic – both vehicular and pedestrian.

    Mishra’s collection, a sumptuous tapestry of cultural cross-pollination, drew inspiration from the historic Silk Road, a conduit for goods, ideas, and, crucially, style. Think Indian bandhani flirting with Japanese shibori, and Henri Rousseau’s lush jungles mingling with miniature Indian paintings. It was a visual feast, a global mash-up for the discerning fashionista, whether they’re sipping chai in Mumbai or champagne in Paris.

    The runway itself, a clever nod to Nexa’s e-Vitara, featured blind-spot mirror installations, a wink to the future of automotive design and, perhaps, fashion itself. Mishra, ever the alchemist, transformed traditional Indian textiles into contemporary silhouettes, a fusion of old-world craft and new-wave innovation that felt both timeless and tantalisingly modern.

    Maruti Suzuki senior executive officer of marketing and sales Partho Banerjee chimed in, extolling the “seamless alignment” of the e-Vitara with Mishra’s vision. “We’re not just selling cars, we’re selling experiences,” he declared, hinting at a future where automotive elegance and haute couture are bedfellows.

    Mishra’s collection, with its focus on nowness and sustainable chic, delivered versatile separates that were as practical as they were breathtaking. It was a masterclass in modern couture, a reminder that fashion, like the Silk Road itself, is a journey, not a destination.

  • Varsha Ojha joins Shemaroo Entertainment as marketing head

    Varsha Ojha joins Shemaroo Entertainment as marketing head

    Mumbai: Varsha Ojha has been appointed as the head of marketing and communications at Shemaroo Entertainment.

    Varsha will take the lead in end-to-end marketing initiatives as part of her new position at the company. She will be in charge of brand strategy, digital marketing, and communication across all media channels.

    Varsha comes on board with almost two decades of rich experience across the entire gamut of the media industry. Previously, she was the head of marketing and digital at Radio City and Mid-Day. She has launched several industry-first initiatives and been the recipient of numerous awards for her campaigns. Varsha will be taking up the marketing responsibilities from Rahul Mishra as he has taken up a new role in Shemaroo heading the web3.0 initiatives of the organisation.

    Shemaroo Entertainment CEO Hiren Gada commented, “We are delighted to have Varsha onboard and welcome her to the Shemaroo family. Varsha comes with the same passion for entertainment as we all do at Shemaroo. Her proven expertise and high–performance track record, combined with her belief in the power of creativity will play a key role to take our brand a notch higher.”

    Varsha Ojha said, “Entertainment has been very close to my heart and being part of Shemaroo is going to be an exciting new phase for me. I admire brands that constantly innovate and evolve with time and it’s an honour to work with Shemaroo which has been entertaining India for the past six decades. I am thrilled to take this role and look forward to working with the dynamic team to steer the brand’s growth aligned with its overall ambitions.”

    Varsha has worked across media platforms ranging from print, TV, digital, and radio which includes Sony, Disney, Zoom, Hindustan Times amongst others.

  • Rahul Mishra promoted as head of Shemaroo’s Web 3.0 initiatives

    Rahul Mishra promoted as head of Shemaroo’s Web 3.0 initiatives

    Mumbai: Rahul Mishra, formerly the head of marketing of Shemaroo Entertainment, has been promoted to head the company’s Web 3.0 initiatives. In the third wave of the internet, which is more transparent and employs technologies like blockchain, AI, and IOT to offer a more engaging user experience for the business, he will be working on identifying & building various opportunities.

    Rahul joined Shemaroo in 2018 and has been instrumental in carving an identity for its various consumer facing businesses. He played a pivotal role in the transformation of Shemaroo from a B2B to a B2C new-age digital company, and its new imagery roll out with the company’s foray into OTT and broadcast.

    On the elevation, Shemaroo Entertainment CEO Hiren Gada commented, “We are delighted to elevate Rahul Mishra to his new role. His long and steady contribution has helped the company scale great heights. Rahul’s promotion is aptly timed as we plan to accelerate our brand’s growth using Web 3.0 technologies.”

    Newly appointed Shemaroo Entertainment’s Web 3.0 initiatives head Rahul Mishra added, “I am grateful and thrilled to take up this new role. It’s an honour to be a part of the brand that has been entertaining India for 60 years and to work with the best minds in the industry. The future is exciting and bright with the arrival of newer technologies, and I look forward to navigating Shemaroo’s journey into the next stage of the evolution of the internet.”

  • ShemarooMe taps into OTT boom with movies and regional content

    ShemarooMe taps into OTT boom with movies and regional content

    Mumbai: ‘Warning: Graphic Content’ – because the mind is inclined to do exactly what it’s warned against, and a picture so captioned is sure to attract the viewers’ attention.

    ShemarooMe’s recent social media campaign recreated iconic scenes from the movies and ‘graphically’ used the lens of charts and reports to come up with quirky infographics making people smile. Behind the campaign’s minimalistic execution was a deeper insight that stems from Shemaroo’s over five decades of experience and expertise in dealing with content. It also forms the basis of the Company’s content strategy which has crafted the unique ‘movies-devotional-regional’ proposition for the brand in the Hindi web series-dominated Indian OTT space.

    Shemaroo Entertainment’s head of marketing, Rahul Mishra tells us that close to 60 per cent of the content on ShemarooMe, which is the OTT platform of the content powerhouse- is movies, with the rest being dominated by devotional and regional (Gujarati). In fact, the brand’s foray into Originals began with Gujarati web series in April this year. Coming back to the movies, Mishra reiterates that it will continue to be the mainstay for ShemarooMe.

    “We believe that there is a huge OTT opportunity in India where the audience is seeking different forms of content. However, a large number of them want content that is familiar in terms of the format and presentation. That’s why movies and Bollywood continue to be relevant, and that’s also where our strength lies,” he says.

    The Content Conundrum and Nostalgia Economy

    Mishra shares that dealing with content over decades has given Shemaroo the understanding that while new formats are instantly picked up for consumption, their popularity wanes after a certain time period. On the other hand, the consumption of an established piece of content that is known to the audience not only stays steady but increases consistently. He cites the example of Shemaroo’s YouTube channel, ‘Shemaroo Filmy Gaane’ to support his stance. With a following of 54.8 mn, the retro music station is among the most subscribed channels.

    The ‘Warning: Graphic Content’ campaign is one of the many such efforts by the brand to familiarise the youth with stories and characters that are timeless. Mishra points out that “the familiarity of content and affinity to a particular content piece keeps bringing the viewers back to it again and again, and this has led to the creation of the self-driving/sustaining ‘Nostalgia Economy’.

    Building on its huge library of classics as the foundation, ShemarooMe has been bringing in innovative approaches to further the OTT ecosystem ever since its launch in 2019.  With regard to films, the brand introduced a TVOD service called ‘ShemarooMe Box Office’ during the lockdown wherein it replicated the theatrical model by bringing in movies every Friday. These included small-budget titles such as ‘My Client’s Wife’, The Least of These’ and ‘X Zone’ that were struggling for a release on account of theatres remaining closed. ShemarooMe also collaborated with the online ticket booking website BookMyShow for this initiative. While the model was born out of necessity, nearly ten films were released under it.

    Meanwhile, ShemarooMe came up with a more robust offering, ‘Bollywood Premiere’ which involved world digital premieres of movies coming straight out of the theatres, either after running their due course or prematurely, but not exposed to the audience on any other medium including television. These included the likes of ‘Amma ki Boli’, ‘One Day Justice’, ‘Paharganj’, and ‘Door ke Darshan’. Mishra proudly declares that his team has successfully managed to keep ‘Bollywood Premiere’ running for 100 weeks uninterrupted in these unprecedented times when content production has become a big challenge.

    The regional-first approach to Originals

    ShemarooMe’s Originals journey began in April this year, with its first regional expansion happening in Gujarat. Being in the Gujarati content acquisition business for over a decade, the Company has established itself among the leaders in the space. Although, it hasn’t dabbled in Hindi originals yet.

    According to Mishra, “the two significant features of the Gujarat market are its major overlap with Hindi and the underdeveloped content ecosystem. This translates into a huge opportunity for us. Our mission in this market is a fairly large one; we want to grow the industry by making Gujaratis fall in love with Gujarati entertainment once again.”

    ShemarooMe has been aggressively pushing the brand in the state, with one of its brand ambassadors in the market being Gujarati film and theatre artist Malhar Thakar. The app was launched with a direct-to-digital release ‘Swagatam’ which featured Thakar. Ever since ShemarooMe has kept up with the promise of bringing a fresh piece of content every week across formats and genres. The three pillars of the platform’s content strategy for Gujarat include movies (direct-to-digital or digital premieres), original web series, and ‘nataks’ (plays).

    Commenting on the significance of ‘nataks’ in the market, Mishra informs that plays have traditionally been part of the family viewing experience for a Gujarati household on weekends. “In the big cities like Ahmedabad, Surat, and Vadodara, and also in Mumbai which has a fairly large Gujarati population, there are auditoriums dedicated to running ticketed Gujarati plays. This is an inherent part of Gujarati culture. While some of these plays are based on authored content, most are slice-of-life with a strong element of humour which resonates with the Gujaratis who are known for their funny side,” he remarks.

    Shemaroo has been in the business of filming Gujarati plays and making them accessible for people to watch on their preferred medium – TV, YouTube, and now OTT. Currently, there are over 250 plays on ShemarooMe, and more shoots are being commissioned constantly.

    On the business side of things, ShemarooMe has largely been a subscription-driven service so far. Even as the relevance of branded content grows, it has no plans of exploring the advertising model yet. “Given the affluence of Gujarat, many national and regional brands want to associate with us for branded solutions,” asserts Mishra. He is confident that even with the foray into original productions the strategy will work for them in the near-to-mid-term future.  

  • Condé Nast India, Myntra, TLC, Discovery Plus join hands for a cause

    Condé Nast India, Myntra, TLC, Discovery Plus join hands for a cause

    NEW DELHI: Condé Nast India announces the launch of ‘Behind the Mask’, a mammoth, multilayered social awareness campaign with Myntra, helmed by a five-episode video series, to be showcased on TLC, TLC HD and Discovery Plus with a call-to-action that benefits Indian karigars (craftspeople). These videos ‘unmask’ five of India’s leading fashion designers – Manish Malhotra, Anita Dongre, Tarun Tahiliani, Gaurav Gupta and Rahul Mishra on film, giving us an intimate peek into their lives during the pandemic. In these episodes, each designer also creates a prototype of a mask using elements from Indian art and culture, based on the current times. These designs then serve as inspiration for five unique mask collections, each an ode to a craft or a community. Myntra will be offering an assortment of 34 styles and 20 designs that will be available in packs of one, four, five and 20.

    Condé Nast India managing director Alex Kuruvilla elaborates, “Behind the Mask’ is one of the most ambitious projects we’ve ever undertaken. From video concept and production to packaging and product design to bringing on board multiple partners, this activity was entirely orchestrated by Condé Nast India during the lockdown, managed remotely by multiple stakeholders. Our objective is twofold: to promote the wearing of masks, and to raise funds for the karigars (artisans) who tirelessly work behind the scenes of the Indian textile industry and are among those worst hit by the pandemic. This initiative achieves the first objective by mass-producing masks inspired by the designers’ prototypes. And it raises funds by donating all profits from the sales of these masks to GiveIndia—all this while creating great content that is at the core of Condé Nast India’s legacy.”

    This is also the first time two Condé Nast India titles, Vogue and GQ, have joined forces for a campaign of this scale. What makes this project interesting is the extent of collaboration required to pull it off, especially since it was entirely produced in the era of lockdown and self-isolation where nothing but the “essential” was permitted. The making of the video series is a case study in itself, with everything from conceptualising to scripting and shooting done remotely, with help from the designers’ loved ones who happily agreed to play co-filmmakers. Using mobile phones and digital cameras, with extensive notes from the director and DOP and briefings over video calls, the team managed to pull off these videos, that too in broadcast specifications.

    To execute this project, Condé Nast India brought onboard Myntra to produce and sell the masks, TLC, TLC HD to broadcast and Discovery Plus to stream the episodes, and GiveIndia to ensure the profits from the sales reach the right NGOs.

    Myntra CEO Amar Nagaram added, “Behind the Mask’ is an extraordinary initiative, a coming together of enthusiastic and dedicated folks for a common, but the profound cause. We wholeheartedly appreciate the efforts of Condé Nast and are proud to be a part of this ‘one-of-a-kind’ association. Our wide shopper base and reach will enable these masks, inspired by the concepts of India’s leading fashions designers, to reach millions of consumers across the country, thereby supporting this fundraiser campaign in a big way.”

    Discovery Managing Director south Asia- Megha Tata said, “Given the pandemic, there is a need for various stakeholders to come together for the larger good of society. This cause led initiative has the potential to engage audiences in a very endearing way and leave an indelible mark on the audiences. We are proud to have played our part in supporting Kaarigars and remain committed to support such meaningful initiatives in the future as well.”

    GiveIndia President Ashok Kumar ER says: "Our crafts artisans represent the backbone of India's rich heritage and these have been extremely challenging times for them. So we are very grateful that through this partnership Condé Nast India will not only support the karigars but also highlight the crucial role they play in the textile industry. For those of us continuing to stay safe at home, 'Behind The Mask' also acts as a reminder not to take the lives of those less fortunate for granted. Since mid-March GiveIndia has been supporting communities worst-hit by the COVID2019 crisis through our India COVID Response Fund, having disbursed Rs 114+ crore so far. And we welcome Condé Nast India's contribution."

    The episodes will be streamed on the Myntra app on 12 August 2020 and aired on TLC and TLC HD and streamed on Discovery + on 17 August/18 August 2020. The masks will be available for sale on Myntra from 12 August onwards.

    To buy the masks go to www.myntra.com

  • Shemaroo TV adjusts break even parameters to account for Covid2019 crisis

    Shemaroo TV adjusts break even parameters to account for Covid2019 crisis

    MUMBAI: Shemaroo Entertainment Ltd's (Shemaroo) entry into the Hindi GEC space comes at a time when the TV industry is fraught with unprecedented challenges. Content consumption is up but GECs haven't seen fresh content in over a month even as advertising revenue has dipped due to the Covid2019 crisis. 

    The 57-year-old legacy brand’s new venture, Shemaroo TV, which will go live on 1 May, has entered the space with 6.5 hours of programming each day with shows like Devon Ke Dev…Mahadev, Dil Se Di Dua Saubhagyawati Bhava, Great Indian Laughter Challenge, etc. As the current crisis has halted all production, the channel will look at original content once this phase is over.

    A channel launch is generally accompanied by a 360-degree marketing plan, but in this peculiar situation, Shemaroo will optimise TV and digital media as much as possible to make consumers aware of its presence, explains Shemaroo Entertainment broadcast business COO Sandeep Gupta. 

    It is also looking at a number of partnerships with like-minded brands inside and outside the media industry to ensure the message reaches to the target audiences. Shemaroo Entertainment marketing and communication head Rahul Mishra added that a lot of its marketing campaigning will be scheduled along with original programming roll out.

    Shemaroo Entertainment CEO Hiren Gada also explained the rationale behind making the new channel FTA. According to him, post the new tariff order, there has been a great opportunity for FTA channels. Moreover, the Hindi GEC segment is not well served in the space. He also added that they chose a low-cost entry strategy to lower the risk while the market has seen a few GEC channels failing lately.

    While there are some logistical issues in terms of distribution, the company is confident to make its new channel available to 80 per cent of Indian diaspora and the HSM. It is eying to be present on all DTH platforms except Sun DTH and on all leading MSOs. 

    “Being a GEC content channel, you have to get eyeballs quickly. If you don’t board your bus soon, the audience will not want to see our content midway. We are aiming to be at par or slightly lower-than-top competition in FTA channels in the next 45 days in terms of viewership,” Gupta said.

    While brands are now tightening their purse strings amid the Covid2019 crisis, ad rates have also fallen down. Shemaroo has not on-boarded any advertisers yet. Gada is optimistic that by the time they will be out in the market pitching ad-rates, the industry may go back closer to normalcy with ad rates bouncing back from pressure.

    The company is aware of the fact that the revenue might be affected for one-two years but also confident that it will be normalised later since it is a long-term product. “ While the pandemic has changed many things including revenue outlook in the ultra short term, we have also adjusted our investment, cost structure for a faster break-even or a better ROI,” he added.

    Follow Tellychakkar for the consumer facing news & entertainment

  • Data and creativity go hand-in-hand to create brand success

    Data and creativity go hand-in-hand to create brand success

    MUMBAI: Even though artificial intelligence and machine learning are driving the course of content, much still relies on quality of content despite the world’s best technologies backing it. Nothing can beat good, relatable, and entertaining content, which rides on the back of data, to reach out to the masses, creating a data-inspired environment of work.

    This was the crux of the “Understanding the audience: Data & tech in content creation (Brandfilm breakthrough)” session at the recently concluded Indiantelevision.com BrandVid 2019. The session, moderated by Qyuki Digital Media co-founder and managing director Samir Bangara, had Prime Focus Technologies vice president creative services Bhaskar Sitholey, Shemaroo head of marketing Rahul Mishra, BYJUS App marketing head Atit Mehta Logicserve Digital co-founder and CEO Prasad Shejale, JioGenNext VP group alliances and mentor Mohit Kapoor, and VDO.ai co-founder Arijit Sachdeva discussing the role of data in branded content creation and if the process is data-inspired or data-driven.

    The panelists agreed that a whole of lot of data inspection comes into play in the creation of content today, but what matters the most is the impact the final piece of craft has on the audience. The only dissenting voice was of Sachdeva who quipped that VDO.ai being a young company doesn’t have the leverage to be data-inspired and is instead data-driven.

    Sachdeva said, “We are serving approximately 5 billion ads in a month and we have achieved this scale within a time span of just approximately one and a half year. I do not have the experience of 25 years to say that we are data-inspired.”

    Sitholey shared, “Data can definitely give you a better understanding of what your audience is doing or what they want. But what you craft out, depending on the interpretation of that audience needs, is what is really going to move the needle or not.” He also added that the world is heading to two-way content driven by interactivity.

    Kapoor vouched for a combination of the both as he said, “We will take it a level ahead. We call it ‘data everything’. The magic we have been seeing at Jio is when all the ‘C’ start working together, i.e., commerce, community, content, and connect.”

    He further shared an example of Snickers, “In China, Alibaba team shared an insight with Snickers that people who are buying Snickers are also purchasing a lot of spicy stuff and bingo! Snickers went on to launch a spicy bar, which is the first one in the world and is a resounding success. That is what data delivers.”

    Shejale shared similar thoughts as he said, “I think there are types of role like creative technologist, wherein it is a combination of both (data and creativity). Imagine if a creative person is fed with the right data, it could be really doing wonders.”

    Speaking about the metrics that creators use to inspire their content, Mishra noted that currently the industry relies on broader level metrics that are not capturing emotions. Citing the example of his organisation he mentioned that it is trying and tracking tactical opportunities of content creation in terms of what is trending.

    Sachdeva added that advertisers of today are looking for two fundamental metrics. “One is the number of completed views and the other thing that matters is the view-ability of ad placements.”

    The panel focused on the need to strike a balance between the right amount of data and creativity to meet these metrics and create content that can strike an emotional chord with the consumers.

    Mehta quipped, “Content has to be entertaining. I don’t know whether creativity will lead to entertainment or whether data will lead to entertainment. You can do whatever you want as long as it is entertaining content it will work. Now whether data has given you that understanding or it is happening because of your creative mind is inconsequential.”

    Bangara culminated the session by pointing out that data is important because it is predictable and dependable while creativity is not. It thus helps in ensuring that the money is being put in the right places. He said, “You have to do a CYA to clear 100 per cent of your spends but at the same time you go to the best director, best scriptwriter to write a really amazing story. Data is dependable and creativity, unfortunately, is not. It is hard to draw the distinction between the two. They will always be hand in hand.”

  • Universal Music & Mohit Suri promote young talent

    MUMBAI: Ever since Universal Music Group associated with Mohit Suri to launch EMI Records India, the label has relentlessly promoted new and young talent in India.

    Rahul Mishra, the latest artiste under the tutelage of EMI records, is a music composer and has composed & sung for many feature films in multiple languages. Hailing from the small town of Allahabad, Rahul’s interest in music began when he first joined piano classes and from there on, he discovered a musical side of himself.

    Rahul is known as a talented music composer and has expanded his repertoire by working on films like the Marathi film Mantalya Unhaat & the recently released Bollywood movie Half Girlfriend. The song ‘Tu Hi Hai’ from the Bollywood movie has been composed & sung by Rahul. The music video of the track Tu Hi Hai had a staggering 2 million views on the day of its release itself. It’s hard to believe that an MBA Graduate with such keen interest and passion for music chose to pursue his dreams than a corporate life.

    Along with other interesting projects, Rahul Mishra is currently working on an upcoming Mohit Suri venture.

    Talking about his work, leading director Mohit Suri said,”I love working with new composers and singers. I’m so glad Rahul could be a part of Half Girlfriend. His voice has done full justice to the beautifully written song. I think Rahul has a very promising career ahead of him in this industry”

    Rahul Mishra shared his excitement saying, “I’m thankful for EMI Records India for giving all my ideas & compositions a stellar platform. I’ve been lucky to receive so much love after Tu Hi Hai & I’m already working on some great compositions for my future projects”

    Speaking about the EMI artiste, Vinit Thakkar, Senior Vice President, Universal Music India, said, “Rahul is a great singer songwriter. Rahul’s compositions are absolutely fresh and his ability to write beautiful lyrics does full justice to his compositions and his great voice. His song ‘Tu Hi Hai’ from Half Girlfriend is one of my favorite tracks from 2017.”

  • IndiaCast’s associate marketing director Rahul Mishra quits; joins Cineplay

    IndiaCast’s associate marketing director Rahul Mishra quits; joins Cineplay

    MUMBAI: Jointly owned by TV 18 and Viacom 18, IndiaCast Media’s associate marketing director Rahul Mishra has put down his papers and will be serving his last day on 1 July.

    A source close to the development confirmed the news to Indiantelevision.com, “ Rahul Mishra will serve his last day on 1 July and will be joining movie production company Cineplay as a chief revenue officer.”

    Mishra will report to Cineplay CEO and founder Subodh Maskara.

    Mishra joined Indiacast in November 2014, where he was handling trade marketing for domestic channels and consumers as well as trade marketing for its international channels such as Colors, Rishtey and News18.

    Prior to joining IndiaCast, he worked with BBC World News where he had a successful stint of nearly eight years as Asia Pacific marketing manager. Mishra was also worked with WorldSpace India as manager for north and has worked for the sales and marketing teams of Hyatt and Le Meridien Hotels and Resorts.

  • IndiaCast’s associate marketing director Rahul Mishra quits; joins Cineplay

    IndiaCast’s associate marketing director Rahul Mishra quits; joins Cineplay

    MUMBAI: Jointly owned by TV 18 and Viacom 18, IndiaCast Media’s associate marketing director Rahul Mishra has put down his papers and will be serving his last day on 1 July.

    A source close to the development confirmed the news to Indiantelevision.com, “ Rahul Mishra will serve his last day on 1 July and will be joining movie production company Cineplay as a chief revenue officer.”

    Mishra will report to Cineplay CEO and founder Subodh Maskara.

    Mishra joined Indiacast in November 2014, where he was handling trade marketing for domestic channels and consumers as well as trade marketing for its international channels such as Colors, Rishtey and News18.

    Prior to joining IndiaCast, he worked with BBC World News where he had a successful stint of nearly eight years as Asia Pacific marketing manager. Mishra was also worked with WorldSpace India as manager for north and has worked for the sales and marketing teams of Hyatt and Le Meridien Hotels and Resorts.