ITV

Tag: Shariq Patel

  • “I think the international Indian-South Asian diaspora is very fond of Bollywood and starve for it”: Zee Studios’ Shariq Patel

    “I think the international Indian-South Asian diaspora is very fond of Bollywood and starve for it”: Zee Studios’ Shariq Patel

    Mumbai: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd, a powerhouse in India’s media and entertainment, is set to host the ‘Maruti Suzuki Arena Presents 22nd Zee Cine Awards 2024.’ Set against the backdrop of a triumphant 2023 for Indian cinema, the event promises to honor outstanding contributions to the industry.

    Recently, stars like Alia Bhatt, along with Maruti Suzuki and ZEEL representatives, unveiled the chic trophy. The kickoff event featured actors sharing memories from past editions, with an exciting performance lineup announced for the much-anticipated on-ground event on 10 March.

    Delving deeper, Indiantelevision.com caught up with Zee Studios chief business officer Shariq Patel to gain insights on Zee Cine Awards 2024 being special; impact that Zee Cine Awards aims to create in the world of Bollywood celebrations and more…

    Edited Excerpts:

    On Zee Cine Awards’ evolution over the years, and the 2024 edition particularly being special

    What will make the 2024 edition special, is Shah Rukh Khan, as he is coming back to the Zee Cine Awards after nine years, he is the showstopper for us. This year, there is a certain amount of enthusiasm as cinema has bounced back, especially after how well the films like ‘Pathaan’, ‘Gadar 2’, ‘Jawan’, ‘Rocky Aur Raani Kii Prem Kahaani’ did last year. An entire boom happened at the box office; that’s why we are following the mantra of ‘Cinema Zindabaad’ this year for the award show. We took the line from the movie ‘Gadar’ and made it into ‘Cinema Zindabaad Tha, Hai Aur Rahega’. With two key people in the industry associated with the award show- Shah Rukh Khan coming on board and Bobby Deol, along with the Deol family, the main agenda is to put the spotlight on the fine talents of the industry. The excitement is a lot more, with movies like ‘12th Fail’, ‘Sam Bahadur’ and some great performances that were delivered. It’s a natural progression, and I think it’s interesting because the films were so loved in 2023, it has been a landmark year in terms of Box-Office collection. post covid, everyone thought that Box-Office was going to die, but the audience has come back saying ‘We Want Cinema’, especially with OTT emerging and everyone thinking that overall habits have changed, and people just prefer sitting at home. All these theories got de-bunked in 2023 much to the elation to all of us, who actually are involved in this field.

    Are there any new or innovative award categories introduced for Zee Cine Awards 2024 to reflect the changing dynamics of Bollywood

    No, the categories pretty much remain the same because we are not looking at adding anything which isn’t there, it is basically honouring excellence in all departments of Cinema. Everyone knows what those departments are, so we are not creating any new departments or awards. The idea is to honour thousands of people who give their blood, sweat and tears to come up with movies on a week-on-week basis, it’s like holding in high esteem for the best of the lot.

    On some exciting details about the star-studded lineup and collaborations for Zee Cine Awards 2024, and in what ways do brands, sponsors, and celebrities benefit from their involvement in the event

    I guess the brands look at sponsoring any event which gives a positive rub-off, the bigger the event, the greater the recall and obviously if the event is in line with what the brand stands for, there is a positive rub-off that association brings in, which has happened with Zee Cine Awards and other film awards. I believe even in other big events like IPL, or other sports properties, there is always an association benefit that brands get. I think if you talk to the Maruti Suzuki team or any other sponsors, it’s easy for them to hire the same artist and do TVC or get their brand ambassadors to be a part of the event of the same scale. But shooting over one to two days and being posted or premiered later on might not have the same impact as much as an event of this kind and as it offers positive brand allure that rubs off so on the brand. Hence, they might choose this.  However, the on-ground event is on the 10 March, so the excitement will be there from today till its actual on-air date, which will probably be a week or so later. So, that 20-day effect of conversations around it, especially the trade media and consumers as such, will always be a positive benefit.

    On the enduring impact that Zee Cine Awards aims to create in the world of Bollywood celebrations

    I think it’s honouring the talent; we have been putting out a lot of our old winners and if you see some of those clips on our Instagram page, everyone from Hrithik’s debut till this year, it’s a platform which gives opportunities, and make known of the brand Zee actually is. There is an ingrained association that every big actor or artist has with Zee, and this award kind of solidifies it in a slightly different manner. All the big actors, directors, and technicians have at some point or the other won a Zee Cine Award over the last 22 years, which kind of deepens the association. You have heard how everyone talks about it and how there is a specific emotional connection with it, whether they have performed, won, or have been nominated. There is a bit of that family feeling that Zee brings, being the true homegrown brand.

    On Zee Cine Awards catering to an international audience, and the efforts that are being made to showcase Indian cinema on a global platform

    I believe that if you speak to Ashish Sehgal (chief growth officer- ad sales) or Ruchir Tiwari (chief cluster officer- Hindi movies), they will be able to provide you with a better understanding of that. I think the international Indian-South Asian diaspora is very fond of Bollywood and starve for it. Like how Ashish mentioned that we cater to 17 channels that are distributed all over the world, which automatically includes cinema. This creates a complete circle where you can watch a large number of movies on the Zee platform, and then see many artists performing and getting appreciated.

    On Zee Cinema/Zee TV planning to elevate the viewer experience in 2024, navigating creative challenges to make award shows entertaining and engaging, and adapting to the digital transformation and industry trends for Zee Cine Awards

    I believe that in order to keep the audience engaged for the expected three hours, they should get entertained; it is the same thing as watching a series, a film or a TV show. We are asking for the time of the audience, and the moment you are asking for their time, you need to make sure that it is engaging, there is entertainment happening, so either there is a big performance, a gag, some fun moment or felicitation of the award, it’s a mix and match of all. So, creatively delivering that is a challenge for us, for which we have teams. And the rest of it will be giving three to four thousand people who are on-ground, a grand experience to enjoy those particular four or five hours a day in the arena watching these actors perform and being present under the same roof as them.

  • Shariq Patel resigns as CBO of Zee Studios

    Shariq Patel resigns as CBO of Zee Studios

    Mumbai: Zee Studios chief business officer Shariq Patel has stepped down ending his four-year association with the company.  

    A company spokesperson in a statement said, “We wish to confirm that Shariq Patel has resigned from the position of chief business officer, Zee Studios, to pursue his interests and passion outside the organization. Shariq has helmed the movies business successfully over the past few years and contributed immeasurably towards its growth. We wish him the very best for all future endeavours.”

    Patel spearheaded the movie business of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (Zeel) and was responsible for various aspects of the value chain including movie purchase/production as well as monetisation across all markets – domestic and international.

    In a career spanning 26 years, Shariq has worked across industries in diverse sectors including financial services, radio, internet, telecom, sports management and film production.

     

  • Zee Studios partners with NFTically to launch NFT drop

    Zee Studios partners with NFTically to launch NFT drop

    Mumbai: Zee Studios on Friday announced its first non-fungible token (NFT) drop on its own NFT store. The film studio has partnered with software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform NFTically who facilitated the creation and launch of the NFT. The token has been integrated with the blockchain Polygon.

    A non-fungible token is a digital collectible that shows that the holder has ownership of a unique virtual item such as online pictures and videos. Through this NFT, Zee Studios will share a plethora of exclusive assets with their fans across the world, said the statement.

    “It is a defining moment for us to become the first film studio in India to launch NFTs and this initiative ties in with our future-facing plans. Zee Studios will provide NFTs for cinema lovers and collectors through its repository of the strong lineup of film content,” said  Zee Studios, chief business officer, Shariq Patel.  

    “Our mission is to revolutionise the NFT space by making it accessible to everyone – celebrities, influencers, artists, and enterprises,” said NFTically, chief executive officer and founder, Toshendra Sharma. “With a clear focus on NFT awareness and the platform (UX), we aim to connect people with their favourite collectibles, artists, and objects. NFT market-related transactions are soaring to new heights every day and given our relationship with art, culture, and emotion, India can be the epicentre of the NFT uprising.”

    “World is thrilled about digitised art. We see major traction across the globe and India is ripening to this phenomenon,”  said EMC worldwide, chief executive officer and founder, Navin Shah. “We are at the right time to explore multiple opportunities with NFT. We are happy to bring in this first NFT with NFTically and look forward to bringing in many more in coming times.”

  • Salman Khan’s Radhe takes viewers by storm across all platforms

    Salman Khan’s Radhe takes viewers by storm across all platforms

    KOLKATA: Actor Salman Khan’s much awaited film Radhe has opened to a thunderous response from the audience. The movie proved to be yet another Eid blockbuster garnering over 4.2 million views across various platforms.

    In India, the film was released on Zee5 with Zee’s pay-per-view service ZeePlex, along with leading DTH operators. It was also released theatrically in international markets on 13 May.

    Right from fans cheering for the film in theatres overseas, to massive bookings on streaming platforms, the fans of the superstar watched the film as soon as it released making it the most-watched movie on the opening day itself.

    With theatre capacities running at 50 per cent in UAE, the film has collected $379,000 on its opening day, which is not only higher than Salman Khan’s last film Dabbang 3 (2019) but also a higher opening day collection than Godzilla vs. Kong. The collections are likely to go up given the festive weekend.

    Radhe’s emphatically demonstrates the success of a hybrid release and shows an effective model of releasing a film during these very tough times. This would be important not just to the stakeholders of Radhe but to the entire film industry at a time, when the country is reeling under the most severe wave of Covid-19. The release also reinforces the belief that multi-platform simultaneous release is the future of entertainment and will grow multi-fold in the years to come.

    “The film has won over audiences and through this unique and never-seen-before distribution strategy we could ensure the widest possible ‘opportunity to see’ this high-on-entertainment, quintessential Salman Khan movie at a place and time of audiences’ choice,” said Zee Studios CBO Shariq Patel. “With unprecedented circumstances comes the responsibility to make innovative choices that will pave the way for future business models and Zee is at the forefront of it.”

  • ZEE Entertainment announces strategic restructure of organization

    ZEE Entertainment announces strategic restructure of organization

    MUMBAI: ZEEL has announced a strategic restructuring of the organization in line with its  ‘ZEE 4.0 Strategy’. As part of the restructure, the company has brought in Rahul Johri as president – business, South Asia. He will be responsible for leading the integrated revenue and monetization team.

    In other key shuffles in the top leadership, ZEE has elevated CEO (broadcast) Punit Misra to president – content & international markets, while Amit Goenka will take over as the president – digital businesses & platforms. These changes are effective immediately.

    Tarun Katial, who is leading ZEE5 India business, will continue to report to Amit Goenka. Shariq Patel will be responsible for the integrated movies business and Anurag Bedi will continue to drive the music business. All of them will report to ZEEL MD & CEO Punit Goenka.

    Under ‘ZEE 4.0 Strategy’, the company will integrate all of its digital assets under a single umbrella, which includes ZEE5 (Domestic AVOD+SVOD), ZEE5 Global, SugarBox and Digital Publishing.

    In this new version of the company, its focus will be on reinventing the existing business models, maximizing its core, expanding into adjacent spaces and exploring new areas of business. To this end, it has announced the following strategic steps:

    • Aggregating content creation: Creating extraordinary entertainment content has always
    been the key area of focus for the Company. In order to build viewer stickiness, the company has been sharply focusing on enhancing viewer intimacy, capturing & embedding sociocultural insights and the finer nuances of the local languages & customs in its content creation process. Customer centricity has been the key to the Company’s success in delivering rich, meaningful and engaging content. A ‘content first, cluster centric’ framework, is enabling ZEE to take the content creation process, closer to its viewers. This approach aims at leveraging the company’s strengths in regional clusters, improving content production efficiencies, enhancing consumer insights and most above, delivering better and more cost-effective content across platforms. Hence the company has formed an integrated content team, responsible of creating and serving content to its viewers across linear & digital platforms.

    • Streamlining International Business: The Company has been entertaining viewers in over 190 countries across five clusters viz. APAC; MENA; Africa; Europe and North America. With its rich experience garnered across the globe, the Company has developed a deep level of understanding of each market. The linear (Advt./Distribution) and digital (AVOD/SVOD) teams in the international markets will be integrated into a single team, led by the market revenue leader who will be responsible for maximizing the revenues across all formats (Linear/Digital) and revenue streams. The integration will also enable each international cluster leader to craft a local-market aligned approach. With this integrated approach, the Company aims to maximize revenue and drive content monetization, by optimally capitalizing the opportunities presented in the international markets.

    • Integrating digital assets: The company has been substantively investing in building its digital ecosystem, given its strategic importance for future growth. While TV continues to grow in the country, digital viewership is growing at a frenetic pace, with large number of viewers adding digital to their existing formats of content consumption. In order to drive greater synergies across technology, data and talent, which are the three critical determinants of success in the digital ecosystem, the company will be bringing together all of its digital assets under a single umbrella, which includes ZEE5 (Domestic AVOD+SVOD), ZEE5 Global, SugarBox and Digital Publishing.

    • Movies Business: The Company will be combining the different parts of its movies business which are currently embedded in multiple domains, into a single integrated platform. This team will be responsible for both aspects of the value chain – movie purchase/production as well as monetization, across all markets (Domestic & International). Driving better line of sight through an integrated approach, this revised framework will substantially enhance the effectiveness of the company’s movies business.

    • Music Business: The company’s music business has gained substantial traction and it will continue to invest and grow this business to achieve market leadership.

    • Integrated revenue & monetization team: The company will be creating an integrated revenue and monetization team, combining all the existing B2B revenue generating teams (linear advertisement, sales, digital advertisement sales, distribution and B2B SVOD Partnerships) into a unified ecosystem. With this revised framework, the Company aims to drive a more synergized monetization engine that will deliver enhanced solutions to its clients, improve wallet monetization, extend coverage to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and increase subscriber penetration across linear and digital formats.

    “ZEE 4.0 will be an integrated and synergise organization, with a sharp focus on delivering world class entertainment content to our consumers across the world and enhanced value to our partners across the ecosystem,” said ZEEL MD & CEO Punit Goenka in a press release.

    “I am most certain that the collective experience and expertise of the leadership team will help us immensely in achieving our set goals for the future and realize the vision chalked out for the all new version of ZEE,” he added.

  • We see engaging stories and narrate it in the most entertaining way: Zee Studios CEO Shariq Patel

    We see engaging stories and narrate it in the most entertaining way: Zee Studios CEO Shariq Patel

    Even as the digital medium is emerging as the most preferred way to consume content, the big box at home or the movie theatres are also finding ways to retain viewers. Hence, striking the right balance between all the verticals is one of the basic premises on which Zee Studios is building itself. An old hand at the content-driven film-making is now also looking at providing content for the streaming services. ZEEL’s content creation arm is also not overlooking producing shows for TV under the head of Essel Vision Productions.

    In a recent interview with Indiantelevision.com, Zee Studios CEO Shariq Patel shared the guiding principle of the studio’s overall mandate. He did not play with words but simply said – the philosophy is to see engaging stories in the most entertaining manner. Sitting at his sunny cabin full of books on storytelling, Patel speaks about Zee Studios’ overall content strategy for the year, its partnership within ZEEL, outside the network, regional blueprint.

    Edited excerpts:

    What is the philosophy of content creation of ZEE Studios?

    So I think the philosophy is to see engaging stories, that really is the heart of anything that we are looking at doing, and then saying it in the most entertaining manner possible, that really should be at the heart of any production house.  There'll be certain people who will look at more. So as a film studio or as a content creator, you have to cater to everyone, we are not a specialised content creator in terms of that we will only do a particular kind of movie or a digital original show or TV show, or non-fiction show.  We do everything at different budgets and different skills, for the entire audience, the mass or class. So, it really is making sure that any story that we pick up, especially when we are talking about films, who is the primary audience for it. The smartness comes in is that how do you make sure that it reaches out to the audience that you've made it for in the most cost-effective and efficient way. That really is I would say winning philosophy.

    How do you strike the balance between films, TV shows, digital content?

    When it comes to films, we choose the ones we want to do. In the case of digital and television, it's all commissioned and so there has to be a broadcaster or a platform which, which has to buy into the idea. It's fairly distinct the different arms that are there. Zee Studios is the flagship brand for the films and Zee Studios Originals, which makes content for ZEE5 and as well as other platforms, which are there so we've got about three shows with ZEE5 which are in the process of pre-production and  going on the floor and then there's, of course, the TV broadcasting which so far predominantly has been with the ZEE network, so whether it's Dance India Dance or Sa Re Ga Ma Pa.

    Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Little Champ is going on the floor now. We are doing Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Punjabi and a couple of fiction shows in the newly launched Zee Punjabi channel there are about three fiction shows that we're doing between Zee and &tv. In the TV space, we have done so far, hundred percent work with Zee. There are the broadcasters we started the conversation with but it's all commissioned. So whatever the story idea, there someone has to gratify it as a client and may bring some changes. The channel people also kind of help guide the storyline and things like that wherein films it's all ours so for that there's a separate team. The creative team is more of  collaborative here.

    How are you synergising Zee Studio with other segments of the network?

    The legal entity is Essel Vision which is 100 per cent subsidy of ZEEL. On the film side, we pretty much are independent. However, having said that the films that we produce, our music most of the time is with the ZEE music and so the synergies are very strong, across different and each of the verticals. Our films go to our network channels, we'll get on to ZEE5 so that is pretty much the basic. In the off chance that the commercial value it derives from an outside platform is of higher value, we go for that. We have in the past done that, for example, Manikarnika has gone to Amazon so because of a higher value realisation. Having said that,  the business is standalone, I mean, the individual project has to recover money. More often the buyer is ZEE for our product that's there, but it does not preclude us, from doing deals that allow us to maximise revenue from an outside. Synergistically, there is an understanding, and we are mandated to, to try and make sure that we are feeding the pipeline for the TV channel and ZEE5 and the music.  So it's actually a fairly arm's length transaction with, of course, synergies and certain understanding which is there but the idea is that on a standalone basis, ZEE studios and whatever we do has to be, as profitable it is, is making sense for the business to run on its own.

    Are you looking at working with other OTT platforms than ZEE5?

    We are in conversation with all of the other platforms for various shows from the biggest international name to the newest entrant. We are in conversations with everyone, and at different stages of pitching is there are certain cases we've actually agreed on everything and then failed through budget expectations and things like that. So we are engaging with everyone and we are also looking at.  A lot of them are actually asking us for like regional content right both either as a movie or as show as regional is the next big frontier that everyone's looking at.

    What are the regional markets you are looking at?

    Marathi for sure, we will make shows in Bengali, Punjabi. Lot of the shows we are doing is going to be in partnership with other. As a studio, as a production house, we spread our net wide and we're talking to the talents of different regions. So, we are engaging with the South but not so much in the south languages. Having said that, there are some Telugu shows that we pitched but I think we are a little bit more confident in these other markets that we mentioned now- Punjabi, Bengali, Marathi for sure.

    Can you talk about your overall content strategy of 2020?

    We will release about almost 20 movies between Hindi, Marathi, Punjabi. Out of these 20 films, our in house productions will be about four or five, which would be like fully produced by us. Now, the six-seven will be co productions with other partners. And then the balance will be, pure distribution just to ensure that, we are distributing to other production houses just on the commission base. On the TV part of it, I think for the ZEE part of itself, we get the big four or five non-fiction shows including DID, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa. We've already got three fiction shows which are on air. In the Hindi GEC, there are two more shows. There's a fairly set calendar. We are trying to break through to other broadcasters and conversations are happening with other broadcasters to for us to produce and similarly in the OTT space, apart from whatever we're doing with the ZEE5, we are in conversation with other odd platforms are at different stages and we're hoping that in 2020, we will do original for one of the outside broadcaster or OTT platform. So that's the strategy.

    What are the challenges in the ecosystem you are facing currently as a content creator?

    Not specifically as such challenges but I think there are opportunities in the overall ecosystem. It's just that anyone with the right scripts and the right set up can make a film. Selling of concepts now has better possibilities because there are so many different avenues. I think it's an extremely exciting time for content creation, we as a studio are partnering with many and are open to multiple different opportunities. We have got a very strong development pipeline as well. So currently the challenge is everyone chasing the same writers, right? So finding the right talent to write the shows, write the films, because everyone's got it after a long time, especially writing talent has got the opportunity. So that's the only real constraint on the supply side. However, I wouldn't call it a challenge, I think these are opportunities. It's just an exciting time for anyone in the content creation space, if you get your development pipeline, if you get your scripts right, there is a market for it, and I think everyone's depending on what stage of evolution your company, your studio or production houses that some of them hit the jackpot earlier, some of them are hitting it later, but it all depends on us getting your raw material has to be in place, right. So I think really the constant self-constraint in terms of how do you make sure that the content that you are curating or creating is amongst the best, so that when you are putting it out there in the market, especially for OTT, it's picked up by the platform, and that really is the immediate challenge.

    Will there be any significant change in your capex for next financial year?

    We don't really have a CAPEX, our CAPEX is basically investment into acquisition of movies or signing off talent and producing and things like that. So won’t really call it CAPEX. In terms of cash-flow, of-course, as we are going more aggressive this year, we are looking at higher investment this year than what we did last year.
     

  • Cinema content producers still discovering audience taste

    Cinema content producers still discovering audience taste

    MUMBAI: The Indian movie industry is one of the richest in the world and its content has been gaining patrons worldwide. But producers still believe that the industry doesn’t have the pulse of audience preference.

    The point was raised at the third edition of Indiantelevision.com’s ‘The Content Hub’ during a panel discussion on how new Hindi film producers are making their mark and what business models they are drawing up. The panel included Essel Vision (Zee Studios) CEO Shariq Patel, Viacom18 Studios chief operating officer Ajit Andhare, Alliance Media and Entertainment owner Sunil Doshi and Fox Star Studios India CEO Vijay Singh. Moderating the panel was film reviewer at Film Companion Suchitra Tyagi.

    Singh said that though we do not have an absolute understanding, we are better informed than we were few years ago. "Let me just give you some facts. Theatrical in India was going single digit till last year, where it actually has its most record breaking year and the business has grown by 14 per cent. Correspondingly, even if you look at Hollywood, last year they have had their biggest theatrical year," he said.

    However, Patel was of the view that the reason behind this is the constantly emerging trends. He shared that it is not possible to foresee or sight the changes in what the audience deems popular.

    Reflecting similar thoughts was Andhare who said, “Trends and cinema are two terms which are not friends with each other, because the moment you try to say this is trend you will falter. You can safely say that yes content has to be taken more seriously, just the package film which used to a success few years ago may not work.”

    He further added, “Also from a purely film business point of view, if you see a movie goer base, it is actually divided in three major markets, Hindi is just one, and the other two big bases are down south. So if you really want to address the entire consumer base for cinema in this country, you have to address all these three and from that stand point regional becomes extremely relevant.”

    There is a great opportunity to be a content producer today. "There is a huge opportunity in OTT and I can tell you that in films there is equally large opportunity. What has happened in Hollywood over the last 10 years, because the contribution from outside America started going up. 10 years back international content contributed 30 per cent and today it contributes 70 per cent. That is the reason why studios are working on franchise films or the few films which have the ability to actually travel across the globe,” Singh concluded.

  • Zee Studios launches digital content studio Zee Studios Originals

    Zee Studios launches digital content studio Zee Studios Originals

    MUMBAI: Zee Studios, a leading film studio in the Indian entertainment industry, today announced the launch of an independent digital content studio, Zee Studios Originals, that will produce a robust bouquet of premium, original content and create new IPs for all digital platforms globally.

    Zee Studios has appointed Ashima Avasthi, from BBC Studios, to head the digital content studio. With over 20 years of experience in the media and entertainment industry, Avasthi has worked across diverse genres and regions with some of the most respected brands like MTV and Turner International. Prior to joining Zee Studios, she was with BBC Studios as a Senior Creative Director and Head of branded content for 6 years where she developed and a vast repertoire of award-winning content.

    Speaking on the launch of the new business unit, Shariq Patel, CEO, Zee Studios, commented, “Zee Studio Originals furthers our vision of becoming a holistic content studio with its offering across platforms and screens to meet the insatiable hunger of today’s consumers for premium content. We are working with leading directors and writers to develop and show run our digital slate and will announce the same very soon. I welcome Ashima on board and I’m sure with her varied experience, she and her team will make great content and set newer benchmarks”.

    Ashima Avasthi, VP & Head, Zee Studios Originals added, “The game has only just begun. Zee has been a pioneer in producing compelling content for decades in broadcast and films, and it is absolutely the correct time for Zee Studios to move into digital production. I am looking forward to creating content that is distinct, unexpected, relevant, cutting-edge and truly world class. Zee Studio Originals will ride on the legacy and experience of Zee but will strategically move ahead in the new age direction that the studio has been set up for, independently.”

  • ZEEL appoints Shariq Patel as CEO of Essel Vision Productions

    ZEEL appoints Shariq Patel as CEO of Essel Vision Productions

    MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL), one of India’s leading media and entertainment companies, has appointed Shariq Patel as the chief executive officer of Essel Vision Productions Ltd. Patel will report to ZEEL MD & CEO  Punit Goenka.

    Along with its other leading businesses, film and television content production have been fundamental business verticals for the media conglomerate, both having immense growth potential.

    Essel Vision Productions produces soap operas, reality TV, comedy, game shows, entertainment and factual programming in several Indian languages. 

    Patel has more than 20 years of experience across various industries spanning financial services, radio, internet, telecom, sports management and films. He has earlier worked with Radio One 94.3 FM as Vice President, Marketing & Station Head, post which he had a short stint with Essel Sports as Senior Vice President, Marketing & Operations – Indian Cricket League. He then moved to Viacom 18 Media as Executive Vice President, (STUDIO18) Production before starting out with his own venture Trigno Media Pvt Ltd. His appointment further enhances ZEEL’s approach in strengthening its films and television content production arms.

    Also Read:

    Zeel numbers up on higher ad revenue in third quarter

    ZEEL CEO Punit Misra says: “We intend to compete fairly”

    ZEEL elevates Atul Das as president – affiliate rev & dist

  • Radio One now finds listeners a ‘Valentine’

    MUMBAI: Put on your best perfume, think of interesting opening lines and leave the rest to Radio One FM 94.3. Mentos presents Radio One Speed Dating, a totally fun event where single, interesting and eligible guys and girls get together for a fun evening.

    Speed Dating is an exciting concept and is based on the psychological evidence that most people make up their mind of whether they like someone in the first 60 seconds of interacting with them.

    Perfetti India and Radio One have signed up a deal to conduct Speed Dating sessions at leading nightclubs at 4 locations across the country i.e. Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai.

    Speaking on the concept and success of Speed dating over the years, Radio One FM 94.3 vice president Shariq Patel says, “This is the third speed dating event we are organizing and the registrations have increased with each event. This is also the second time in a row that Mentos has partnered with us. Given the previous years experience this year Mentos has signed up for the event across all 4 of our stations i.e. Delhi, Chennai and Bangalore apart from Mumbai.”

    Perfetti marketing head Samir Sunjea adds “Speed dating is a perfect fit for Mentos since it caters to our target age group. It is a ‘fresh’ concept in India and therefore echoes our brand’s core intrinsic values.

    Moreover, the Speed Dating concept adheres to the ‘Mentos Life’ philosophy – a way in which to avoid the dull and usual and to adopt a fun and innovative approach to ordinary life.”

    Event Details
    – 20 men and 20 women invited for the exclusive event
    – All have to register at the venue
    – When registering all the participants are given a badge and a memo card with interested/uninterested marked against every name.
    – Each participant will get around 5 mins for 20 one-on-one dates.
    – The men will keep moving while the women remain seated.
    – The participants will move to the next table at the sound of the bell
    – If two participants are interested in meeting again, they are to mark their memo card accordingly.
    – Only if both concerned people are interested in each other, as marked in their memo card are they matched
    – Radio One will provide the female participant with the male’s contact details. Only if she wants to pursue the friendship further will she call. Hence a completely safe way of interacting with people.

     

    To register for speed dating all you have to do is log on to www.radioone.in and register yourself. If you are a working professional above the age of 21, you have a chance to be invited for this exclusive event at your city.

    Mumbai-The speed dating event will happen at Squeeze in Mumbai on 8th February, 2007. The cast of the new film Just Married is also expected to attend the event. Esha Deol, Perizaad Zorabian and Bikram saluja .

    Bangalore- followed by Mumbai, the action will shift to Bangalore on Feb 11th at Athena. IT people, its all about working and networking!

    Chennai- Feb 12th, Chennai will rock like never before at Sparks, Hotel savera.

    Delhi- A day prior to the Valentines day, Delhi will conduct speed dating at Lizard lounge on Feb 13th. A day prior to the V day!