ITV

Tag: Shalini Sethi

  • MTV to launch ‘MTV Big F with Gautam Gulati’ – a show about Forbidden Fantasies

    MTV to launch ‘MTV Big F with Gautam Gulati’ – a show about Forbidden Fantasies

    MUMBAI: MTV, the iconic youth brand that has time and again defied norms, pushed boundaries and created shows that understand the psyche of the Indian youth, is all set to launch a brand new show ‘MTV Big F’ which is bound to shatter taboos in a creative way. Giving voice to ‘forbidden fantasies’ the show is all set to showcase real life stories about secret fantasies and forbidden encounters, which the society is often keen on hiding. Launching on 11th October at 7PM, the channel has roped in popular youth icon, the extremely hot and dashing actor Gautam Gulati as the host for this one-of-a-kind ten episode series.

     

    Gautam Gulati, who won hearts with his exuberance and charisma through several stints as an actor and on reality shows in the past, will be, for the first time ever, be seen hosting a TV show. Upping the hotness quotient of the show by presenting the audience with enactment of exciting real life stories from the heartland of the country, Gautam will bring his naughty charm to the show. Adding oodles of oomph and glamour, the actor will be bringing to life the first fantasies of young people. Targeted at youngsters, the show will be a sensual depiction of some of the hole-and-corner tales of the youth that have long been kept under wraps.

     

    Speaking about the unique concept of the show, Shalini Sethi, Programming Head – MTV, said, “MTV understands the youth of today – their interests, their aspirations, their sorrows and their desires. One key aspect of being young is the whole journey of discovering yourself and expressing your desires in different ways. Most people shy away from even talking about this in polite society, but for us at MTV, its essential that we address these desires and fantasies that young people have. MTV Big F is a show that sheds light on a very basic human urge in a non-judgmental yet bold manner – just the way the youth want us to look at them – without any prejudice.”

    She further adds, “Secret desires are not something that are openly discussed in society but the reality is that the youth of today is not afraid to speak their minds and talk about their feelings. They have the courage to stand for what they believe in and MTV Big F is going to portray exactly that by breaking stereotypes. I’m sure that our discerning young viewers will feel a sort of kinship with the characters they will see unfolding on the screen.”

     

    Talking about becoming the host for the first time ever with MTV Big F, Gautam Gulati said, “After having done fiction and reality shows, the prospect of becoming a host was an exciting one. And when MTV came to me with this interesting concept, I didn’t have to think to long about it. I knew I wanted to do it. Viewers will also get to see me in a slightly naughty avatar as MTV Big F is a show that talks about the desires of young India and gives voice to those hidden fantasies and secret encounters that make life so exciting. The show’s concept of bringing the untold tales of the youth to life is very unique and is sure to become a rage among youngsters.”

     

    MTV Big F draws attention to the dreams and fantasies that young people have and gives a voice to these fantasies. The show recreates real-life situations where youngsters have been shown breaking stereotypes and standing up for their beliefs. Like always, treading the untrodden path, MTV brings a sensitive issue and showcases it on Indian television through tasteful representation. MTV Big F will give the audience a glimpse of their own experiences through some of the most exciting and adrenaline- filled anecdotes. The show which is all set to go on air on 11th October 2015 at 7 PM is sure to get the nation talking about secret encounters!

  • MTV India strengthens team

    MTV India strengthens team

    MUMBAI: 2014 has been a year of wins for the universe of the young, MTV. To further establish itself in the space, the channel has roped in Shalini Sethi and Keegan Pinto as programming and creative heads respectively. 

     

    Sethi will be responsible for further building original content based on her understanding of media consumption habits of young people. Working closely with young producers and talent, she will strengthen existing franchises while parallelly building new properties. 

     

    Keegan, who has worked on the biggest brands in the country, will bring his edgy creative sense to drive the bite across all communication elements including brand messaging, show promotions and short format content for multi-screen consumption.

     

    Both will be reporting to MTV India EVP and business head Aditya Swamy. 

     

    Talking about the new additions to the team Swamy said that people are the biggest asset of his business and the channel continuously looks for talent that believe in the power of MTV and are also hungry to push the envelope and challenge the status quos. 

     

    “Shalini and Keegan have an infectious energy and are key drivers in taking MTV into its next phase in the India journey.  I am thrilled to have them as part of the part and I am excited about the madness that we will unleash together,” Swamy said. 

     

    Speaking on her new role, Sethi added, “Looking in from the outside, MTV is the benchmark for everything ‘cool’ when it comes to the youth. And now that I’m here, I can already feel the excitement that drives this brand. It is indeed a pleasure to be here at a time when the channel is adding some very interesting shows and also delving deeper into fiction. I’m looking forward to working with the great set of people that I’ve met here and hoping that I’ll be able to create some great content for an iconic brand like MTV.”

     

    Pinto said, “MTV is the first and last word on youth and the young at heart. It is a monument, a legacy, a bastion of pop-culture and music so much so that people tend to forget it’s an acronym and quote it as if it were a word. It is synonymous with innovation, passion and is known for reflecting the way the youth like to be and express themselves.”

     

    He further added, “To be working with people who have been instrumental in defining generations of young people and head the creative team is an extremely exciting idea for me. To add to a brand of this stature, a brand that I grew up with, a brand that enriched my imagination as a creative person, is a humbling honor. I love edgy content and MTV is all about bite and bigness. I look forward to being part of this fascinating culture which encourages creativity and being unabashed in every aspect of work.”

     

    Prior to joining MTV India, Sethi led programming at bindass. She began her career as a production assistant with Picture This Co and soon moved to AIM Television, a production house where she worked on TV shows such as Khubsurat and Indian Holiday. Moving from Delhi to Mumbai she worked on many projects such as Breakfast with Zee and Deepa Mehta’s movie Earth 1947. Post which she joined the Moving Picture Company.

     

    With more than a decade of experience, Pinto’s previous stints were with Lowe Lintas, Bates 141, Rediffusion Young & Rubicam, O&M and Colenso BBDO Auckland, New Zealand. His work has won him accolades in both the international and national circuits including the prestigious D&AD, One Show, Adfest, Cannes Lions, Abbys and Effies.

  • bindass launches ‘Halla Bol’ to inspire youth to fight back

    bindass launches ‘Halla Bol’ to inspire youth to fight back

    MUMBAI: Early this month, youth channel, bindass, came up with a brand campaign ‘B for Change’. This came in after almost three years after its ‘What I am’ campaign.

     

    And taking its promise of “Enabler of Purposive Action” a step further, the channel has launched a latest show Halla Bol. The first show under the binadaas’ new brand campaign, Halla Bol, will showcase stories inspired by various real life instances and celebrates the victories of women who stood their ground to emerge as heroes.

     

     “Halla Bol is a show with a significant change in narrative in the way women can fight real life crimes which are a part of any young woman’s everyday life. bindass’ shows such as Emotional Atyachaar and Yeh Hai Aashiqui have already established a bench mark when it comes to representing young change-makers from our every-day life. Today’s youth are the do generation, they are restless to act and that’s exactly what you will see in the show. We plan to extend the flavor of the ‘b for change’ campaign with ‘Halla Bol’. These are stories of women who’ve fought back for themselves and that’s what every young Indian should do”, says bindass director content Shalini Sethi.

     

    The show will be hosted by popular television actor Karan Tacker, who will take the viewers through the hard-hitting stories and also provide a man’s perspective. “I am delighted to be a part of this show. ‘Halla Bol’ is an eye-opener for all the young people of our country, especially for men whose value system allows them to be unjust and for women who tolerate injustice in silence. This show, illustrates how a little strength and self-confidence goes a long way in bringing about meaningful change”, says the actor.

     

    In its first episode bindass Halla Bol will showcase a blazing issue prevalent in the society – that of eve teasing. Every episode will have the female youth icon who will tell her tale, thus encouraging viewers to take purposive action. The episodes would conclude with the debunking of inane myths that surround women’s issues.

     

    The show will go on air from today (28 February) at 7pm.

  • Now, Shaadi Mein Atyachaar on Bindaas

    Now, Shaadi Mein Atyachaar on Bindaas

    MUMBAI: With season four of Bindaas’ cult show, ‘Emotional Atyachaar’ completing 50 well-received episodes, the channel is all set to telecast a mini-series titled ‘Shaadi Mein Atyachaar – Dekho, Seekho, Bacho’ in the same time slot, starting tomorrow.  

    To be aired at 7pm every Saturday, the one-hour series will run across four episodes; taking viewers through the heart-wrenching stories of real women who’ve braved all forms of betrayal in marriage, and lived to tell the tale.

    We don_t do anything without research, says Shalini Sethi

    Bindass director programming Shalini Sethi feels that betrayal in an institution like marriage is not restricted to sexual infidelity alone but goes on to include fraud, dowry-related harassment and domestic violence among other issues. The series celebrates women who’ve fought these odds while serving as inspiration to others who might find themselves in a similar situation.

    Asked about the choice of subject, Sethi says: “We got a lot of feedback saying that in many marriages, women in particular are extremely unhappy and have been tortured. These women wanted a platform to tell their stories and inspire other women. These brave hearts in the end have stood up against society and family and spoken about it.”

    The core format of the series is the same as that of season four of Emotional Atyachaar, where the victims came and narrated their stories. It caters to the youth, especially in the 15-24 year age group, and is in sync with Bindaas’ motto of inspiring the youth to take positive action.

    Regarding the timing of the series, Sethi says: “Like the first three seasons, the fourth season of Emotional Atyachaar was a huge success. It has been our constant endeavour to candidly represent the realities of our society with sensitivity. We thought the time was right to showcase to our viewers another facet of infidelity by featuring episodes dealing with such unimaginable situations in marriages.” 

    What about research? “We don’t do anything without research. As the programming team of Bindaas, we strongly believe in research. Emotional Atyachaar absolutely does a lot of research because over the years, we have shown the viewers how real people come and talk about their experiences. Even for this special series, we had to go through different stages and research women who’ve been suppressed big time in marriage,” explains Sethi.

    Hosting the series will be Pravesh Rana, who is also the face of Emotional Atyachaar. He will be seen interacting with women who’ve successfully battled troublesome marriages.

    Will the series work for the channel? “Relationships always get wider audiences. If the shows have been done right, they will always get you much larger audiences. Bindaas as a brand always had a purpose, a message. We have always told audiences to take action and find solutions. At least, we will inspire a couple of people to think and families to wake up,” concludes Sethi.