ITV

Tag: Sanjay Bhattacharjee

  • Management restructure of core portfolios at UTV

    MUMBAI:There has been a major management restructuring of core sectors – content creation and allied content services at United Television.
    While three top management officers have left UTV in the near past, five top corporate people are stepping in, the Bombay Times has reported.
    The three who have moved out include – UTV’s movies section COO Sanjay Bhattacharjee (first reported by indiantelevision.com on 28 April), chief financial officer of operations Sanjay Dosi, and head of USL (United Studios Limited) Parab Sundar.
    While UTV states that the parting with outgoing officers is “mutual and amicable” the fact is that have had to make way for the business house’s restructuring policy.
    Citing reasons for the changes, Screwvala is quoted in the report as saying, “Sanjay Bhattacharjee is a good guy but he was not the right person to go upward for what we wanted to do in the movies section. Parting with Sanjay Dosi too, was amicable. However Sundar was asked to go primarily ‘on integrity grounds’.”
    The four new entrants will join from 10 June 2003 – one will join later as he is busy finishing an international assignment in his present company. Sandeep Bhargava , a senior advertising professional will head the Allied Content Services.
    Sanjay Bhattcharjee will be replaced by two corporate heads – Ram Mirchandani who was with Modi Entertainment Group for six years will join as general manager of the Motion Pictures Division and another COO who will soon join in the movies section. 
    Therefore instead of Bhattacharjee, it will now be Mirchandani who will lead the release of UTV’s three Indian co-production in movies – Chalte Chalte ( with Dreamz Unlimited) , Lakshya ( with Farhan Akhtar) and Swadesh with Ashutosh Gowariker.
    Interestingly, UTV is also taking back Ronald D’mello who had left the company to join Star Television about 18 months back. He returns as director of operations and finance.

    Also Read:
    UTV confirms departure of motion pictures head

    UTV Motion Pictures COO Bhattacharjee resigns

  • UTV confirms departure of motion pictures head

    MUMBAI: Media company UTV has confirmed 
    the report carried by indiantelevision.com (UTV) that Sanjay Bhattacharjee, the chief operating officer of its motion picture division, is indeed parting with the firm. An official release issued by UTV says “the departure was mutual and on cordial terms.”
    The earlier indiantelevision.com report had quoted Bhattacharjee as saying “that UTV Motion Pictures – an independent company – will account for 30 to 50 per cent of the organisation’s revenues in the forthcoming year.”
    UTV however disputes that and has issued a clarification saying that UTV’s motion pictures division forms “less than three per cent” of the company’s revenue.
    “However, UTV plans to take that up to 15-20 per cent of the total company revenue mix in the next two to three years,” states the release.
    It adds that while UTV has primarily concentrated on TV, animation, post production and its allied content, it now plans to shift focus to the motion picture business and multiple revenues ranging from production of domestic movies to international co-productions, distribution and formation of a film fund. 
    (updated at 4:45 pm, 2 May 2003)
    Bhattacharjee has stood by his original statement stating that UTV Motion Pictures has two major films in 2003-04 – Shah Rukh Khan’s Chalte Chalte and JP Dutta’s multi-starrer LOC (Line of Control). 
    In 2004-05, he says that there is Ashutosh Gowariker’s Swadesh (with Shah Rukh Khan and music director AR Rahman) and Dil Chahta Hai fame Farhan Akhtar’s Lakshya (with Amitabh Bachchan and Preity Zinta). 
    Revenues from these four mega-budget films would definitely add to the topline and bottomline of UTV Motion Pictures, says Bhattacharjee. He refers to an article in prominent business daily dated 21 March 2003 in order to substantiate his claims. 
    Bhattacharjee, however, makes the point that revenues from these movies should not be confused with net realisations to the company.
    See related story:
    UTV Motion Pictures COO Bhattacharjee resigns