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Tag: Shiva trilogy

  • International Art Machine’s content lens

    International Art Machine’s content lens

    Soon after moving on as president of Amazon Prime Video and Amazon Studios, Los Angeles-based media executive Roy Price booked a flight to Hong Kong to incorporate the name ‘International Art Machine.’ A journalistic outfit reported that Price was resuscitating his career as an art dealer but the simpler truth is that he was planning his comeback in the content business.

    Price is the executive behind many of Prime Video’s Emmy and Golden Globe-winning shows like “Fleabag,” “Marvellous Mrs Maisel,” “The Boys,” “Maid In Heaven,” and “Patriot” during his over 13-year association with the global streamer. Prior to Amazon, he was a consultant at global management consultancy McKinsey and Co. He also ran content development for Walt Disney Content Animation.

    With International Art Machine, Price has hit the ground running by announcing three projects in association with known names from the Indian media and entertainment industry. This includes projects like Amish Tripathi’s “The Shiva Trilogy” helmed by Shekhar Kapur and Suparn S Varma, “The Kitty Party” with Preity G Zinta and “Gods” with Dibakar Banerjee.

    Roy’s vision is to create originals that will move the needle in their local markets while at the same time whetting the appetite of an international audience. Just the kind of shows that global streamers are desperately trying to make. Netflix has had some success with shows like “Squid Game,” “Money Heist,” and “Dark” and Prime Video showcased the Bong Joon-ho’s acclaimed film “Parasite” but Price believes the best is yet to come.

    In a freewheeling conversation with IndianTelevision.com International Art Machine founder and CEO Roy Price speaks about shuttling between Mumbai and Tokyo, assembling his team, the potential of the ‘Shiva trilogy’ and more.

    Edited Excerpts:

    On being mistaken for an art gallery

    There was an article at one point that I was starting an art gallery and that tells you something about the importance of careful journalism because I’ve never been in the fine art business in my life. I guess someone just looked at the name of the company and decided that was the news story. People perceived it as a sophisticated name, so I never corrected it with anyone.

    On setting up International Art Machine

    When I left Amazon, the major theme I felt in international TV was the growth of Asian originals coming from Mumbai to Tokyo. Almost immediately I booked a ticket and was in Hong Kong and Mumbai within a week. I set up International Art Machine with a vision for a studio that could work locally and serve the growing multinational streamers. I called the studio International Art Machine because I think of TV and film as art. Not because we deal in paintings…although we could extend it to NFTs.  

    Primarily, we’re looking at Asian originals as we’ve seen content like “Parasite,” “Squid Game,” “Drive My Car” mostly from Korea come from Asia since 2017. This trend is going to continue Asia-wide and I knew this was the place to be.

    First, I set up in Hong Kong as it was a convenient mid-point between Tokyo, Seoul, and Mumbai but then switched corporate headquarters to Singapore. Karishma (Naina Sharma) is based in Mumbai and I’m based in LA going back and forth to Mumbai and Tokyo, though mostly on Zoom now.

    Focus on Asian markets

    India, South Korea and Japan are the primary markets followed by Indonesia. There’s China but it is more complicated than it used to be. There’s a robust market in Asia for the kind of international series that we tend to focus on.

    The studio’s content lens

    We want to create a series that could work for the global streamers. Not to say that they primarily cater to international audiences but they have the scope that global streamers are looking for. They would move the needle in a given country and be led by fantastic talent.  It should also have the chance to travel and be appreciated elsewhere just for its terrific quality.

    At the end of the day, streamers want the kind of ambitious shows that are going to stand out in the market. Those shows don’t always have massive special effects or tremendous budgets but are usually creatively ambitious, and have a great team and spellbinding storytelling. It could be like a “Game of Thrones” or something much more personal. For a streaming service, the shows that really make a difference are the top few shows of the year. These top shows will drive 80 percent growth of the platform and bring people through the door. Those are valuable shows.

    Those kinds of shows tend to be non-intuitive game-changers. The thing they have in common is that they’re trying to be different, trying to be new, and tend to have ambitious teams. That’s our mindset and we’re trying to internalise that perspective and find exactly that kind of show.

    ALSO READ | International Art Machine forays into India, unveils content lineup

    On the potential of the “Shiva trilogy”

    The “Shiva trilogy” just seemed like the ultimate web series that had to be made. To bring Shekhar (Kapur), Suparn (S Varma) and Amish (Tripathi) together to tell the story of the novels would make for a compelling watch. To be honest, ‘Shiva’ is a multi-dimensional and complicated character that lends to an interesting story. That’s why the novels have done so well. The Shiva trilogy is a story that delves deep into the complexities of mankind. It is layered with philosophy that’s not only relatable but as relevant then as it is now. We’re really excited about this series and it fits with what we want to do. It is going to be done in the best possible way and will move the needle in India and even outside of India could be interested in the show.

    On creating a show that has legs to travel outside of India

    It is a matter of time before we see a show coming from India that is a global success. There wasn’t a Korean show that really travelled before “Squid Game.” There really hasn’t been a Japanese one either that has been a global hit. We’ve only been making web series and higher budget series for a few years and the number of shows is still small.  As there are more shows and ideas, I’m sure we’ll see a global hit from India. There are so many stories and storytellers that one of them is certainly going to catch on more broadly.

    It is a mistake to overthink it and try to create a show that appeals to a global audience but misses the mark with the local market. We’re going to do it the right way for the local market and it’s going to catch on elsewhere because it is a great show.

    On the timeline to bring projects to screen

    I would like to sit down in Mumbai and watch some of these projects on TV by next year. We’re looking at finishing some of them by the end of this year or at the beginning of the following year. The safer bet would be to actually premiere at the beginning of 2024 but it really depends on what happens in the next four to five months.

    Web series or film?

    At the moment, we’re doing a web series. We’re inventing the web series process as we go along. Since India has only produced so many web shows to date, there are only so many writers who’ve worked on it. As more writers get experience working on web series in the next decade it’ll be easier to create TV shows. We’re working on the scripts for our current projects and are excited to move forward with them.

    There’s such an exciting market in India for film that it is easier to do. The process of filmmaking is well oiled in Mumbai because that’s what the industry has been working on for a long time. It is definitely tempting to work with some of the great filmmakers and move into the film side later on.

  • Discovery+ to launch ‘Legends of Ramayana’ docu-series with Amish Tripathi

    Discovery+ to launch ‘Legends of Ramayana’ docu-series with Amish Tripathi

    Mumbai: Discovery Inc-owned streaming platform Discovery+ has announced a new docu-series “Legends of the Ramayana” featuring author Amish Tripathi as the host. The show will begin streaming on the platform on 7 April. 

    Tripathi is a celebrated Indian author renowned for the “Shiva Trilogy” and “Ram Chandra” novel series. As the host, he will traverse across geographies in the footsteps of ‘Lord Ram’ to retrace his journey and unravel the under-explored mysteries around the text, said the platform in a statement. 

    “It has been said that no Indian hears the Ramayan for the first time. We are all born with it. It’s a part of our genes, a part of our bones. It is our collective eternal heritage. And to be able host a documentary on this subject, would, I thought, be a bit like coming home,” said Amish Tripathi. “And yet, even though we were covering the familiar, one still had experiences that one would not expect! For example, we actually shot in small caves where an underground river flows! Or discovered a tribe that tattoos the holy name of Ram all over their bodies! Or actually found floating stones at Rameshwaram; stones that despite being so light were still strong enough to be used in the modern era in the construction of a church! All of us Indians think we know Lord Ram’s journey. But there is still so much more to discover.”

    “I couldn’t have dreamt of a better programme where I could make my debut as a host. It was enlightening, it was fun, it was surreal,” he further said.

    ​​​​​​

  • International Art Machine forays into India, unveils content lineup

    International Art Machine forays into India, unveils content lineup

    Mumbai: International Art Machine helmed by Roy Price has entered the Indian market and acquired the rights for the adaptation of the book series ‘The Shiva Trilogy’ penned by author Amish Tripathi.

    The first installment of the book “The Immortals of Meluha” will be translating into a digital series for audiences across the globe. The studio has brought in Oscar-winning filmmaker Shekhar Kapur to direct and Suparn S Varma as the showrunner and director of the series.

    Moreover, the studio plans to work on a political thriller with Dibakar Banerjee and a dramedy helmed by Preity G Zinta.

    “The premise of International Art Machine is that we are entering a new peak era for Asian original cinema and television,” said International Art Machine CEO Roy Price. “Everything we do supports that vision. India in particular, with its many people and stories, is poised to be a leader in a new multi-polar entertainment world. I could not imagine a better project to start IAM’s life than Shiva, and there is no better dream team to fully realize the potential of Amish’s novels than Shekhar Kapur and Suparn S. Verma. It was meant to be! At International Art Machine our goal is to partner with creators across Asia to produce series that will be game-changers at home and successfully carry the banner of Asian originals abroad. We are very excited about ‘Shiva,’ ‘The Kitty Party’ with Preity G Zinta and ‘Gods’ with Dibakar Banerjee as our first slate in India.”

    “Amish’s Shiva trilogy has been India’s great publishing sensation, crossing every age and class. It’s not just mythology, it’s modern storytelling at its best. Lending itself to a beautiful international series,” said director-producer Shekhar Kapur.

    Translated across 20 languages to cater to its colossal demand, Amish Tripathi’s Shiva trilogy is the fastest-selling book series in Indian history.

    “One couldn’t have asked for a better team than this to take my books into the audio-visual world,” said Amish Tripathi. “Shekhar is an Oscar-winning filmmaker who is among the best living Indian directors. Roy is among the most successful Hollywood executives, having created Emmy and BAFTA-winning series. Suparn is one of the finest young writer-directors in modern India, having helmed the critically acclaimed and hugely successful Family Man 2. I am sure that with a team like this, we will create a web series that is worthy of Lord Shiva.”

    “The Meluha trilogy by Amish Tripathi is a genre-defining book and has become part of the pop culture of the country,” commented Suparn S Varma. “I loved the reimagining and the world-building involving two of my favorite gods! The scale of vision and the ambition of our show visually and emotionally is as huge a task but we want to bring to audiences a vision that has never been seen before on screens.”  

  • Amish Tripathi turns five kids into storytellers for Airtel

    Amish Tripathi turns five kids into storytellers for Airtel

    MUMBAI: The newly released video from Airtel titled Udaan is sure to take one down memory lane to childhood days which were full of ideas, however fantastic they were.

    Created by J. Walter Thompson the three minute video featuring bestselling author Amish Tripathi plays on the ‘dreams come true’ theme, where these children bring their stories to the people through an unexpected platform.

    Through the five kids — Nisha, Arya, Anshu, Anjali and Eklvaya — one is reminded how easy it is to be honest with our ideas without any fear of judgement. The viewers are won over by their innocent yet powerful imagination, which creates ample impact when we realise that these stories would have remained untold and the kids have would grow up eventually, shunning their unbashful creativity.

    That is when Amish Tripathi came into the picture and urged the kids to finish a story with him, a story that was eventually showcased at the Jaipur Literature Festival, where the kids took to stage in front of a hall full of audience. The effectiveness of the ad comes to light as we find out that the kids never really met Amish Tripathi in person, and their presence at the literature festival was through 3D imaging and hologram, possible through Airtel’s strong connection. While the association with Jaipur Lit Fest came from Airtel, it was JWT Delhi team’s vice president and executive planning director Shujoy Dutta who conceptualised the ‘entire scheme of getting a writer to inspire the kids to write.’

    When asked what the mandate from the client was, J. Walter Thompson Delhi managing partner and head Sanjeev Bharagava said, “The mandate really was what kind of presence that the brand should have at the Jaipur Literature Festival, so we had to devise something that could be associated with it and also create a positive awareness for the brand.”

    Carried out through phases spanning across six weeks, JWT’s rural team scouted around gramin (rural) areas at several less privileged schools to identify these five bright minds.

    “It was difficult because we required a different expertise to put everything together as wonderfully. There was an outreach team that worked rurally, there was a strategic team that thought of the idea, there was a digital team that carried out the campaign online — four different disciplines that were really involved to bring this idea live. That we carry it out seamlessly was the real challenge,” Bhargava shared.

    Justifying why Amish Tripathi was the best person to connect with the kids as well as be the spokesperson for the brand Bhargava said, “I feel Amish is a kind of author who has depth in his writing. We didn’t want to go the populist way and chose just any bestselling author, we wanted someone who would resonate with the core thought of the campaign.”

    With six weeks’ worth of content that culminated in the ultimate showcase of experiential marketing when the kids came alive through holographs that were powered by Airtel, the tough nut to crack was the content code for the video. The crux of the effort is the digital proliferation which the campaign brings to the fore cleverly and masterfully.

  • Amish Tripathi turns five kids into storytellers for Airtel

    Amish Tripathi turns five kids into storytellers for Airtel

    MUMBAI: The newly released video from Airtel titled Udaan is sure to take one down memory lane to childhood days which were full of ideas, however fantastic they were.

    Created by J. Walter Thompson the three minute video featuring bestselling author Amish Tripathi plays on the ‘dreams come true’ theme, where these children bring their stories to the people through an unexpected platform.

    Through the five kids — Nisha, Arya, Anshu, Anjali and Eklvaya — one is reminded how easy it is to be honest with our ideas without any fear of judgement. The viewers are won over by their innocent yet powerful imagination, which creates ample impact when we realise that these stories would have remained untold and the kids have would grow up eventually, shunning their unbashful creativity.

    That is when Amish Tripathi came into the picture and urged the kids to finish a story with him, a story that was eventually showcased at the Jaipur Literature Festival, where the kids took to stage in front of a hall full of audience. The effectiveness of the ad comes to light as we find out that the kids never really met Amish Tripathi in person, and their presence at the literature festival was through 3D imaging and hologram, possible through Airtel’s strong connection. While the association with Jaipur Lit Fest came from Airtel, it was JWT Delhi team’s vice president and executive planning director Shujoy Dutta who conceptualised the ‘entire scheme of getting a writer to inspire the kids to write.’

    When asked what the mandate from the client was, J. Walter Thompson Delhi managing partner and head Sanjeev Bharagava said, “The mandate really was what kind of presence that the brand should have at the Jaipur Literature Festival, so we had to devise something that could be associated with it and also create a positive awareness for the brand.”

    Carried out through phases spanning across six weeks, JWT’s rural team scouted around gramin (rural) areas at several less privileged schools to identify these five bright minds.

    “It was difficult because we required a different expertise to put everything together as wonderfully. There was an outreach team that worked rurally, there was a strategic team that thought of the idea, there was a digital team that carried out the campaign online — four different disciplines that were really involved to bring this idea live. That we carry it out seamlessly was the real challenge,” Bhargava shared.

    Justifying why Amish Tripathi was the best person to connect with the kids as well as be the spokesperson for the brand Bhargava said, “I feel Amish is a kind of author who has depth in his writing. We didn’t want to go the populist way and chose just any bestselling author, we wanted someone who would resonate with the core thought of the campaign.”

    With six weeks’ worth of content that culminated in the ultimate showcase of experiential marketing when the kids came alive through holographs that were powered by Airtel, the tough nut to crack was the content code for the video. The crux of the effort is the digital proliferation which the campaign brings to the fore cleverly and masterfully.