ITV

Tag: Samar Khan

  • TV, OTT coexist and complement each other

    TV, OTT coexist and complement each other

    MUMBAI: A panel discussion at The Content Hub 2020 discussed the topic of generating audiences and building stickiness around the content that has been created. The panel was moderated by ISOBAR India chief growth officer Shekhar Mhaskar with panelists Red Chillies Entertainment head marketing Binda Dey, MX Player head of marketing and business partnerships Abhishek Joshi, Juggernaut Productions chief operating officer (OTT) Samar Khan, Filme founder Abhishek Shukla, EVP Lionsgate India executive vice president Amit Dhanuka and Shemaroo Entertainment digital new media COO Zubin Dubash.

    The panel discussed how content made is of no use unless and until it reaches the right audiences. Getting them to watch your content is important. The panel also discussed how traditional broadcasters would retain their core audiences in view of increasing affinity towards on-demand OTT platforms.  

    Binda Dey said, "I have been working in the broadcast sector for a long time. With OTT coming in, the number of ways in which people can consume content has increased. So, it is not television vs OTT but about how people want to consume content and at what time. In television Live content has been a big boom. There has been a lot of innovation in the way IPL is being promoted by Star. This is a kind of gamification where you are combining television with digital. It leads to consuming the same kind of content across different platforms.”

    Amit Dhanuka added, “The content that you see on broadcast television and OTT platform has a stark difference because the consumer that’s consuming it on television vs the audiences who are consuming it on OTT have a different sensibility. One medium reaches out to a very mass pool of audiences while the other is looking for edgy content that has a certain sense of storytelling. Television is not in any way losing out on OTT. They, in fact, are complimenting in some manner.”

    The panelists believe that OTT has given new audiences. It is giving someone who used to watch television earlier at 9 pm an opportunity to watch the same show at any time. OTT has supplemented television audiences in many ways and also brought in audiences who are not getting that content on television. They are now watching content on streaming services rather than traditional broadcast channels. Originals has opened up a brand new audience that was not getting its content on television. Because in television there is a different number of hours and limited slots available to make that content. On the contrary, OTT does not suffer from that as they do not have a designated slot. The Originals that are created for OTT are bringing in more stickiness which consumers were not getting earlier.

    There are so many different platforms like television, cinema and OTT but the question arises are these platforms geared up to face the changing media consumption pattern.

    Zubin Dubash said, "Shemaroo has been there for the last five decades as an organisation. We have been on every digital platform one can think of. So, when we started our OTT story with Shemaroo Me, we had ten years of solid data and consumption habits around our YouTube story. Today on YouTube Shemaroo’s content generates close to 3 billion views every month and we have got around 120 million MAUs on the YouTube platform consuming the content voluntarily. When looking at the business plan of Shemaroo Me we analysed that there is a lot of unmet demand of content that is cataloged and the content that has its shelf-life which doesn’t end ever. We have launched it a year ago, and during this time we witnessed a lot of traction bringing customers to say that a lot of AVOD content comes from Shemaroo.”

    Sharing their views on the same panellists believe that platforms are challenging each other with better storytelling along with better special effects and technicians working on them. Audiences are now expecting better writing, better performances because now consumers are open to new challenges. It is in fact pushing platforms to create better content.

  • ALTBalaji & ZEE5 announce second season of Code M

    ALTBalaji & ZEE5 announce second season of Code M

    MUMBAI: ZEE5 India and ALTBalaji have announced the second season of Jennifer Winget and Tanuj Virwani-starrer Code M, and Riddhi Dogra and Monica Dogra-starrer new web series ‘A Married Woman’, based on Manju Kapur’s novel. These key announcements were made in the presence of actors including Jennifer Winget, Tanuj Virwani, Riddhi Dogra, along with Aditya Pittie, Managing Director – IN10 Media, Samar Khan, Chief Operating Officer – Juggernaut Productions, and other celebrities.

    The night also brought together many starry names from the tinsel town including ace director Akshay Choubey along with the actors like Chandan Roy Sanyal, Aalekh Kapoor, Kashyap Shangari, Madhurima Roy and Gautam Ahuja.

    ALTBalaji MD Ekta Kapoor said, "Samar, Akshay and the team put in the best efforts, walked the thin line between being commercial and yet credible, and did a fantastic job. Code M has done well for us and congratulations Jennifer, Tanuj and the entire team. ALTBalaji is delighted to extend this partnership with Juggernaut Productions with A Married Woman and Code M second season.”

    “Code M has all the elements of a runaway success and the numbers and the love received from fans across India is a testament to that. The strong protagonist and the story telling are its key success factors. We will continue to satiate India’s appetite for entertainment with interesting subjects like the one explored in Code M,” said ZEE5 India programming head Aparna Acharekar. 

    Juggernaut Productions COO Samar Khan said, “With the influx of digital platforms, content has evolved drastically, especially the stories and formats, leading to a highly competitive and cluttered environment. It’s extremely overwhelming that our first production has hit the right note with the audience.” Further added, “This is our first collaboration with ALT Balaji and ZEE5 but there’s more in the pipeline. Apart from Code M, we are delighted to extend our association with ‘A Married Woman’. The teaser has evoked a lot of curiosity and anticipation, we are all excited and geared up to create yet another exceptional series.”

    Jennifer Winget who made her digital debut with the role of Major Monica Mehra in Code M said, “I am both thrilled and humbled at the same time to see the audience’s appreciation for Code M and all our performances. We gave it our best to reel in a gripping show that would get you hooked. Of course, to receive so much love in my very first web series is very encouraging. Needless to say we’re hooked too and I am excitedly diving into my character the second time around. We will be giving it our all. The intensity will only peak, I can promise you that.”

    Tanuj Virwani, who plays the role of Angad Sandhu in the show, shared, “I think my character in Code M is a prime example of what one can achieve solely based on mutual trust and faith in each other’s creative vision. The team really let me mix things up and add my own nuances to Angad. It’s fun to be break away from our preconceived notions of what we expect an individual to be based on their choice of career. Also the subject matter of the show was very serious in nature for the most Part. I think Angad’s Vibe gave the show some levity. It also helped in humanising an otherwise cut and dry Monica to some extent. The response from critics and the audience alike has been overwhelmingly positive and I am excited to take the series and my character's journey ahead.” 

  • &Privé HD ropes in Fiama and Vaseline, premieres with ‘Moonlight’ on Sunday

    &Privé HD ropes in Fiama and Vaseline, premieres with ‘Moonlight’ on Sunday

    MUMBAI: ZEEL’s new channel &Privé HD, which promises to treat cinema lovers, through collaborations with Hollywood studios — Sony Pictures and Paramount, has roped in partners Fiama and Vaseline.

    Discerning cinema lovers are in for a treat as Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (ZEEL) announced the launch of its premium English movie channel. The channel has been designed for those who venture into the depths of cinema, who crave for the alternative…who feel the other side! &Privé will go live across major DTH HD platforms on 24 September at 1 pm with the premiere of 2017’s Oscar winning movie, Moonlight.

    With an aim to drive conversations around fine cinema and its nuances, &Privé held a launch ceremony at Royal Opera House in Mumbai which saw some of India’s most celebrated non-conformist film personalities – actors Vidya Balan and Konkona Sen-Sharma along with film-maker Vishal Bhardwaj and producer Manish Mundra come together to celebrate ‘The Other Side’ of cinema.

    Moderated by Samar Khan, the panel discussion witnessed these artistes share their cinematic journey as they revealed the movies and artistes who had a deep impact on their craft. It also brought to the fore an interesting perspective on movies like Moonlight, Jackie and Pele, amongst others, as how they have showcased multiple layers of emotions compelling cinema lovers to unravel each layer and feel the soul of the movies.

    Derived from the French word Privé which means a personal or private place, &Privé will showcase premieres of award winning films such as Jackie, Arrival, Lion, The Founder and Pele, to name a few. The channel will celebrate fine cinema with two properties, ‘True Side’ and ‘100 Sides at 9’. ‘100 Sides at 9’ will present viewers with 100 days of unmissable cinema, highlighting the 100 different sides of films at 9 pm every day.

    The ‘True Side’ property will bring to life the captivating real-life stories and biographies of some of the most inspiring individuals every Saturday at 11:00pm. &Privé HD will be premiering 40 critically acclaimed films and have 350 celebrated titles in their line-up.

    ZEEL CEO – domestic broadcast Punit Misra said, “For the audience who chart their own path and take the road less travelled, we present &Privé HD. It’s a premium destination especially created for these non-conformists who aren’t happy with just scratching the surface of movies, but love to dive deeper into their souls those who go beyond the obvious and feel the other side.”

    Balan shared, “There were two things which appealed greatly to me when I heard about &Prive – First, the concept and ideology on which the channel was based and second being, the challenge they were addressing by targeting the mindset of the audience. Movies like Moonlight, which is a personal favourite, pushes viewers to be more accepting of people’s upbringing and sexual preferences.”

    Sharma said, “Films like Moonlight and Lion do that, they open doors to new possibilities, new cinema.” Bhardwaj shared, “I can assure you that the movies which will be showcased are not just films, they are works of art. They cater both to your rational and emotional side.”

    So, be prepared to indulge the non-conformist in you.

  • TLC returns with ‘Living With A Superstar: Saif Ali Khan’

    TLC returns with ‘Living With A Superstar: Saif Ali Khan’

    MUMBAI: TLC is back with the second season Living With A Superstar. The channel has commissioned the second edition of this franchise.

    The series will present an uninhibited access into the personal and professional life of the Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan. To be directed by acclaimed filmmaker Samar Khan, the series will be shot in India and overseas, and is expected to premiere in 2017 on TLC.

    “Living With A Superstar created a new benchmark for television content and entertainment when it provided an unrestricted access to millions of viewers into the private life of India’s superstar – Shah Rukh Khan. We are equally thrilled with the opportunity to work with Saif Ali Khan and to present his life as an actor, father, husband, son, friend and much moreto millions of his fans in India and abroad,” said Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific vice president – female and family entertainment products – south Asia Rajiv Bakshi.

    The TLC cameras will follow the enigmatic Khan in India and abroad to present the all-inclusive glimpse of his world including his relationships with his family, superstar wife Kareena Kapoor Khan, friends, staff and other filmmakers.

    TLC had launched this franchise in 2010 with the first edition on the megastar Shah Rukh Khan.

    Khan added, “I think a good lifestyle show needs to be honest and in depth, truly exposing what has been personal. I want this show to be so true that I can review it as a chronicle of my life. I’d like to invite all the viewers of this show to share the thoughts and experiences that have made me who I am. I hope you enjoy the show.”

  • TLC returns with ‘Living With A Superstar: Saif Ali Khan’

    TLC returns with ‘Living With A Superstar: Saif Ali Khan’

    MUMBAI: TLC is back with the second season Living With A Superstar. The channel has commissioned the second edition of this franchise.

    The series will present an uninhibited access into the personal and professional life of the Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan. To be directed by acclaimed filmmaker Samar Khan, the series will be shot in India and overseas, and is expected to premiere in 2017 on TLC.

    “Living With A Superstar created a new benchmark for television content and entertainment when it provided an unrestricted access to millions of viewers into the private life of India’s superstar – Shah Rukh Khan. We are equally thrilled with the opportunity to work with Saif Ali Khan and to present his life as an actor, father, husband, son, friend and much moreto millions of his fans in India and abroad,” said Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific vice president – female and family entertainment products – south Asia Rajiv Bakshi.

    The TLC cameras will follow the enigmatic Khan in India and abroad to present the all-inclusive glimpse of his world including his relationships with his family, superstar wife Kareena Kapoor Khan, friends, staff and other filmmakers.

    TLC had launched this franchise in 2010 with the first edition on the megastar Shah Rukh Khan.

    Khan added, “I think a good lifestyle show needs to be honest and in depth, truly exposing what has been personal. I want this show to be so true that I can review it as a chronicle of my life. I’d like to invite all the viewers of this show to share the thoughts and experiences that have made me who I am. I hope you enjoy the show.”

  • Nagesh Kukunoor to direct Alt Balaji’s first original show

    Nagesh Kukunoor to direct Alt Balaji’s first original show

    MUMBAI: Ekta Kapoor’s Alt Balaji has announced its first digital series. Not yet titled, the platform has roped in actor Nimrat Kaur to essay the central character and Nagesh Kukunoor to direct the series.

    The fiction series has been jointly conceptualized by Balaji Telefilms joint managing director Ekta Kapoor and Samar Khan, and is produced by Endemol Shine India.

    “Set in the backdrop of the Indian Army, we are presenting a riveting story that is bound to resonate with the youth of the country. Having Nimrat and Nagesh aboard, definitely takes the show to a new level. When we announced the launch of ALT Balaji, we promised to break stereotypes in storytelling; this series is a strong reinforcement of that commitment,” said Kapoor.

    Kaur will be seen portraying the role of the first woman preparing to be inducted in a combat role in the Indian Army.

    “Disruption, innovation and scale is the core of what we want to do. From our strategy to our content, everything on ALT Balaji will reflect this ethos. Through ALT Balaji, we are targeting urban audiences who are always on the lookout for differentiated content, one that is not available on television or even on silver screen for that matter. ALT Balaji aims to satisfy the need of this very consumer. We have just announced our first exclusive show and will be making many such exciting announcements in the weeks to come,” added Alt Balaji CEO Nachiket Pantvaidya.

    Alt Balaji is aimed at disrupting the market with avantgarde and exclusive content catering to urban masses.

    “Nimrat was our first choice for this and producing content for ALT Balaji at this scale will set new standards in the digital landscape,” stated Endemol Shine India managing director and CEO Deepak Dhar.

    To this, Khan added,“The army and the armed forces have always fascinated me and stories with an army background draw me towards them naturally. I am excited about this opportunity to work with ALT and Endemol and am looking forward to telling a lot such stories in the future”

  • Nagesh Kukunoor to direct Alt Balaji’s first original show

    Nagesh Kukunoor to direct Alt Balaji’s first original show

    MUMBAI: Ekta Kapoor’s Alt Balaji has announced its first digital series. Not yet titled, the platform has roped in actor Nimrat Kaur to essay the central character and Nagesh Kukunoor to direct the series.

    The fiction series has been jointly conceptualized by Balaji Telefilms joint managing director Ekta Kapoor and Samar Khan, and is produced by Endemol Shine India.

    “Set in the backdrop of the Indian Army, we are presenting a riveting story that is bound to resonate with the youth of the country. Having Nimrat and Nagesh aboard, definitely takes the show to a new level. When we announced the launch of ALT Balaji, we promised to break stereotypes in storytelling; this series is a strong reinforcement of that commitment,” said Kapoor.

    Kaur will be seen portraying the role of the first woman preparing to be inducted in a combat role in the Indian Army.

    “Disruption, innovation and scale is the core of what we want to do. From our strategy to our content, everything on ALT Balaji will reflect this ethos. Through ALT Balaji, we are targeting urban audiences who are always on the lookout for differentiated content, one that is not available on television or even on silver screen for that matter. ALT Balaji aims to satisfy the need of this very consumer. We have just announced our first exclusive show and will be making many such exciting announcements in the weeks to come,” added Alt Balaji CEO Nachiket Pantvaidya.

    Alt Balaji is aimed at disrupting the market with avantgarde and exclusive content catering to urban masses.

    “Nimrat was our first choice for this and producing content for ALT Balaji at this scale will set new standards in the digital landscape,” stated Endemol Shine India managing director and CEO Deepak Dhar.

    To this, Khan added,“The army and the armed forces have always fascinated me and stories with an army background draw me towards them naturally. I am excited about this opportunity to work with ALT and Endemol and am looking forward to telling a lot such stories in the future”

  • Discovery’s ‘HRX Heroes’ hosted by Hrithik Roshan to launch on 2 November

    Discovery’s ‘HRX Heroes’ hosted by Hrithik Roshan to launch on 2 November

    MUMBAI: Hrithik Roshan is all set to host a new show for Discovery channel called HRX Heroes, which will launch on 2 November.

     

    The show is based on real stories about people who have come over their physical limitations and challenges and come out as heroes in real life. Incidentally, HRX is also a fitness and sportswear lifestyle brand launched by Roshan with the tagline – Push Your Extreme.

     

    HRX Heroes will consist of nine episodes, which will be aired on Discovery Channel twice a week on Monday and Tuesday at 9 pm with a repeat over the weekend. The show, which is an original concept created by the Discovery creative team, will be filmed across India and it will be directed by Samar Khan. 

     

    The promotions for the show will be done across platforms on digital, print and television. Speaking on choosing Roshan as a host and the brand HRX, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific EVP and GM-South Asia Rahul Johri said, “Discovery is known for real and compelling stories. These are great stories about courage and endorsement, which we are bringing to the audience. Hrithik Roshan and the brand HRX are examples of the same. He has overcome physical disabilities when he suffered from stuttering. It will give a personal touch as he will be playing the host.”

     

    Commenting on the show’s content Johri asserted, “We went through many proposals and ideas, which keep coming to us and found this script. Each story line is very strong and inspiring. It is amazing how they have come such a long way, the amount of success they have achieved despite obstacles. Moreover, the way in which Hrithik has presented the show is fantastic. The format of the show is engaging and will appeal to masses. That is the reason why we thought it would be the right thing to do it. Apart from that, the show will showcase different stories and diversities in India with the help of the nine stories.”

     

    Impressed with the script and the theme of the series, Roshan added, “I wish to share with the world and spread the belief that it is possible to look adversity in the face and emerge victorious by overcoming it. HRX Heroes will bring to focus these incredible real life stories, which the entire nation needs to admire. I believe Discovery Channel is the ideal platform to spread the message of courage and determination, which in turn will inspire thousands of more such heroes.”

     

    The actor further added that he relates to the series as it is about overcoming obstacles to become real life heroes. While Roshan has previously been seen on the small screen as a judge for a dance reality show, with HRX Heroes he will make his debut as a host.

     

    The nine-part series will present real life stories of men and women from across India, who had very little going for them but they did not give up on their dreams and emerged as heroes. The channel will kick start the series by featuring wrestler Sangram Singh, who was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at a very young age. After fighting for several years, trying to overcome his illness, Singh became Commonwealth Heavy Weight champion in 2015.

     

    Other real life heroes, who will be featured on the show are Harshini Kanhekar – India’s first female fire engineer, overcoming gender discrimination; Kalpana Saroj, who was born in poverty, married at very young age but later went on to become a celebrated entrepreneur and Navin Gulia, an accident survivor who is now a recognised adventurer, philanthropist and a motivational speaker.

     

    The show will also feature Sajo Thomas, who built his own aircraft even after being congenitally deaf and mute; Sudha Chandran who became an accomplished actor and dancer even after losing her one leg in an accident when she was 17 year old; Shekar Naik, under whose his captaincy, The Blind Cricket Team of India won the Blind Cricket World Cup in 2014 and Shibhareet Kaur Ghumman, who followed her dreams to become a dancer even after losing her one leg.

     

    Discovery has roped in as many as six sponsors for the show.