ITV

Tag: StudioNEXT

  • Sony LIV to adapt Emmy-nominated series ‘Million Dollar Listing’ for Indian Audience

    Sony LIV to adapt Emmy-nominated series ‘Million Dollar Listing’ for Indian Audience

    Mumbai: Sony LIV, a pioneer in delivering innovative unscripted content with hits like Shark Tank India and MasterChef India, is now venturing into another unique groundbreaking format: the Indian edition of the Emmy-nominated series Million Dollar Listing. As per the press release, this new show will shine a spotlight on India’s most desirable homes and provide an inside look at the creation and acquisition of the country’s dream properties.

    Produced by Banijay Asia, Million Dollar Listing: India marks the second international version of the format and joins the ranks of successful editions of cities such as LA, New York, Miami, San Francisco, and Dubai. In each of its editions, the series follows the lives of cities’ best and most aggressive real estate professionals as they navigate the high-stakes world of selling multi-million-dollar properties in exclusive neighbourhoods. Each episode keeps up with the savvy realtors, as they juggle multiple demands and keep their professional lives afloat trying to secure the next big deal. The first city to get highlighted in the India edition is New Delhi.

    As India rapidly rises to become one of the world’s top consumer markets, luxury living is now a reality for many, driven by the aspirations of the affluent population. The show highlights a previously unseen side of modern India, appealing to all demographics and age groups.

    Million Dollar Listing is licensed globally by NBCUniversal Formats, a division of Universal International Studios, which is part of Universal Studio Group.

     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

    A post shared by Sony LIV (@sonylivindia)

    Comments:

    Sony LIV and StudioNext business head Danish Khan said, “After the runaway success of Shark Tank and Masterchef, we at Sony LIV are delighted to bring Emmy nominee ‘Million Dollar Listing’ to India. This show will offer our audience a unique glimpse into the desire, details, and negotiations involved in buying and selling the country’s most luxurious dream homes. Relevant, aspirational, and never seen before – we are quite confident that our audience will love this show.”

    NBCUniversal Formats SVP formats sales & production Ana Langenberg said, “Bringing Million Dollar Listing to India is a fantastic opportunity to showcase the aspirational world of luxury real estate in a market that appreciates success and ambition. Partnering with Sony LIV and EndemolShine India on the second international version of this format ensures the series will connect with audiences who share a passion for extraordinary properties and bold lifestyles. We can’t wait to see how this series resonates in such a vibrant and diverse country.”

    Banijay Asia & EndemolShine India group chief operating officer Rishi Negi said, “We are thrilled to bring the global success of Million Dollar Listing to India, which marks an exciting new chapter in our long-standing collaboration with Sony LIV. As we bring this award-winning series to India, we are proud to offer a fresh and dynamic portrayal of the country’s booming real estate landscape. This show will not only reflect the aspirations of a rising new India but also introduce a completely new format that resonates with the evolving tastes of our diverse audience. At Banijay Asia, we are committed to expanding our content portfolio by continuously pushing creative boundaries, and Million Dollar Listing: India is another step towards redefining reality television in the country.”

  • TCH 2022: Experts discuss the secret sauce of OTT storytelling to keep the audience engaged

    TCH 2022: Experts discuss the secret sauce of OTT storytelling to keep the audience engaged

    Mumbai: The craft is constantly changing in OTT space. Every few months, the rules keep changing. The business players are still looking for the secret sauce. They are still trying to figure out and grapple with what kind of content works. How are the tastes of the audience changing? It’s highly dynamic, and to decipher this unique situation, on the sixth edition of Indiantelevision.com’s ‘The Content Hub Summit 2022,’ held in Mumbai, the media and entertainment industry experts shared their insights on the topic, “The legion of OTT content creators: Storytelling has never been on such an exciting journey.”

    The session had the presence of Pratilipi Studios business head Ambesh Tiwari, Sony Pictures Entertainment head – StudioNext Indranil Chakraborty, Roy Kapur Films head-originals Jinesh Shah, ZEE5 chief content officer, Hindi Originals Nimisha Pandey, Warner Bros Discovery head of original content – South Asia Sai Abishek and Juggernaut Productions (OTT) chief executive officer Samar Khan.

    The panel was moderated by Bodhitree Multimedia managing director Mautik Tolia.

    The summit was presented by Viacom18, and co-powered by Applause Entertainment & IN10 Media Network. Aaj Tak Connected Stream was the association partner. Industry partners were Fremantle India, Hill+Knowlton Strategies, One Take Media, Pratilipi, Pocket FM and The Viral Fever. The Indian Motion Pictures Producers’ Association (IMPPA) was our community partner.

    The discussion began with an awareness of these experts’ attempts to break into the mainstream content market. Is it through design that has been attempted to build a specialisation, or any secret sauce, or is it just an accident?

    Khan noted that it was by design; “There is no secret sauce. The sauce is essentially that you really have to work hard and you have to go out there and find new stories because everybody will agree to the fact that it’s becoming difficult to find new stories because so many shows are being made, so you have to go out there and find people and say, “Give me something that is going to be a little different from what is already there, so it’s just the search for new stories that keeps me going.”

    When asked for the insights and secrets of some interesting products coming out like the Swami Nithyananda Show (My Daughter Joined a Cult) and Secrets Of Sinauli, the experts said that we’re maturing in the non-fiction space. 

    Speaking in this context, Abishek commented that viewers are generally looking at consuming good content but also focusing on the storytelling to make it slightly more cinematic than people are used to generally consuming. “We’re attempting to marry entertainment, which has previously been considered niche, and documentary, which has, unfortunately, not been the most popular genre. Oh, it’s boring or it’s too niche or things like that!”

    Continuing the conversation, Pandey expressed her thoughts when asked if there are any unique elements in a show that she looks for as the secret sauce. What are the essential ingredients required to commission a show?

    She mentioned there is no secret sauce available but the four main recipes that must be followed in order to stand out from the crowd are, first and foremost, a realistic real-world setting. Second, a fascinating story without any shortcuts. Third, a real character with different shades, and finally, a strong passion to create the show.

    Discussing ahead with Shah, Tolia highlighted the different formats of story-telling and its dynamics. He asked Shah, What are the lessons learned and challenges encountered during the transition to the long-form format (web-series) from the movie format?

    The process started from an organic place, so the challenge was different from the television writers & film writers. As an OTT writer, we took some training sessions from experienced writers, show runners, and creators from across the world to help put a process together. It is the alignment of all the cooks (writers, show runners, and creators) that helped us in making this sauce, said Shah.

    Watch the complete session on the link below: 

  • StudioNext, Emmay Entertainment to co-produce web series ‘Freedom at Midnight’ for Sonyliv

    StudioNext, Emmay Entertainment to co-produce web series ‘Freedom at Midnight’ for Sonyliv

    Mumbai: StudioNext and Emmay Entertainment have joined hands to co-produce the web series titled Freedom at Midnight. The show will exclusively stream on Sonyliv.

    The show based on the book by Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins, Freedom at Midnight is an epic political thriller/drama that highlights several incidents from the year of India’s independence and interconnected stories about crucial events and personalities who played a significant role in writing the country’s history as we know today.

    With Nikkhil Advani as the show runner, the story has been penned by Abhinandan Gupta, Adwitiya Kareng Das and Gundeep Kaur.

    “Our goal has been to bring to light untold stories from contemporary history. From 1947 to present day, India experienced many watershed moments that are significant in shaping our futures,” said head of Sonyliv, Sony Entertainment Television and StudioNext Danish Khan. “One such story of the country’s struggle for independence is ‘Freedom at Midnight.’ We are delighted that StudioNext and Emmay Entertainment are collaborating on this intriguing series, cannot wait get started on this one with Nikhil and his talented team.”

    “The year 1947 has been etched in India’s history as the year that shaped its fate. A riveting, emotional tale of an incident that altered the course of the nation, Freedom at Midnight is an attempt to bring to Indians the whole truth about the events that led us to our freedom – the courage, and the hope instilled in people by the personages who gave us the new India,” said producer and showrunner Nikkhil Advani.

    He further said, “This is a story every Indian should know, and I feel honoured to be able to tell it along with my partners, Monisha and Madhu, and the team of writers, along with StudioNext. It is even more special for Emmay Entertainment that we get to bring this story to SonyLIV after our successful stint with Rocket Boys. The platform has been at the forefront of narrating the stories of the homeland, and I look forward to associating with them on this project too.”

  • SonyLIV’s ‘The Whistleblower’ to begin streaming on 16 Dec

    SonyLIV’s ‘The Whistleblower’ to begin streaming on 16 Dec

    Mumbai: SonyLIV has announced its latest fictional offering “The Whistleblower” that begins streaming on 16 December.

    Produced by StudioNEXT, the series features actors Ravi Kishan, Ritwik Bhowmik and Sonali Kulkarni in leading roles. Directed by Manoj Pillai, created and written by Ajay Monga, the series also features actors Ankita Sharma, Ashish Verma, Hemant Kher, Joy Sengupta, Riddhi Khakar, Sachin Khedekar and Zakir Hussain among others in prominent roles.

    The series is inspired by a series of true events across India. The show traces the journey of Dr Sanket played by Ritwik, a final year medical student who gets himself entangled in a chain of events that trigger chaos within a system. The repercussions of Sanket’s actions take a toll on his personal life and his world starts to crumble.

    Directed by Manoj Pillai, created and written by Ajay Monga, the series also features actors Ankita Sharma, Ashish Verma, Hemant Kher, Joy Sengupta, Riddhi Khakar, Sachin Khedekar and Zakir Hussain among others in prominent roles. “This is my first directorial-debut and I couldn’t have asked for a story better than this,” said Manoj Pillai. “The script is new-age, pathbreaking and bold. I am elated to be backed by SonyLIV and StudioNEXT who are known to push the bar and create authentic and gripping content.”

    “‘The Whistleblower’ is a fictional story but is absolutely relevant to India. We are happy to bring a power-packed narrative that has been put together by StudioNEXT, Manoj Pillai and Ajay Monga,” said Sony Pictures Networks India head – content SonyLIV and Sony Entertainment Television Ashish Golwalkar.

    “At StudioNEXT, it’s our endeavour to present to our viewers ‘entertainment shows with a purpose,” said StudioNEXT head Indranil Chakraborty. “In line with this thought, we are excited to present an impactful and compelling story with ‘The Whistleblower’. With a brilliant set of actors, the series has been spearheaded by a strong team led by the creative vision of Ritesh Modi. Ajay Monga’s writing and Manoj Pillai’s direction brilliantly work together bringing alive the story with utmost authenticity.”

    “‘The Whistleblower’ is a fictional story with shades of real incidents that have frequently occurred around us,” said StudioNEXT creative director Ritesh Modi. “Hence it was our priority to keep the story authentic and engaging in its narration. I am very delighted that the show stands high on parameters that makes it a compelling watch.”

    “‘The Whistleblower’ is a story of a privileged medical student who takes his lifestyle and opportunities for granted,” said writer and creator Ajay Monga. “His casual approach and reckless actions result in his own moral compass of right and wrong being compromised. Later, his conscience ultimately leaves him with no option but to turn into a Whistle-blower.

    “Playing a character like Sanket in ‘The Whistleblower’ has been challenging yet fulfilling,” said actor Ritwik Bhowmik. “The script and director’s vision helped me shape the character of Sanket and bring depth to it. I am grateful to SonyLIV and StudioNEXT for this career-defining opportunity.”

    “Jayraj’s character has been one of the most interesting one in my career,” said actor Ravi Kishan. “The character has many layers and needed to be played with utmost conviction. I hope the viewers find it interesting and enjoy watching it as much as I enjoyed playing it.”

  • StudioNEXT collaborates with Venture Catalysts for ‘Shark Tank India’

    StudioNEXT collaborates with Venture Catalysts for ‘Shark Tank India’

    Mumbai: The popular American business reality show Shark Tank is making headway into India. StudioNEXT, an independent business unit of Sony Pictures Network (SPN), has announced its collaboration with Venture Catalysts as the startup ecosystem advisor for the very first edition of Shark Tank India.  

    The StudioNEXT-produced show is all set to provide an opportunity and a platform to entrepreneurs with interesting business ideas, business prototypes, or active businesses that will be evaluated by experienced investors & business experts, the production company said in a statement. Registrations for the very first edition of Shark Tank India have commenced in June and are currently underway on SonyLIV.

    SPN head – StudioNEXT, Indranil Chakraborty, said, “The format of Shark Tank is revolutionary, and we are excited to be producing the very first edition of Shark Tank India. The show will certainly give a boost to the dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem in the country and we are looking forward to showcasing some interesting ‘pitches’. Will the ‘Sharks’ bite the bait? That remains to be seen. Given the nature of the show, we are glad to have collaborated with Venture Catalysts as the Startup Ecosystem Advisor for Shark Tank India.”

    Venture Catalysts co-founder, Anuj Golecha, said, “In the last 12 years, Shark Tank has helped create multi-million-dollar companies across geographies. Venture Catalysts is excited to partner with Sony Entertainment Television for Shark Tank India as it aligns our Ideology of spreading entrepreneurship bug across the smaller towns and cities in India. Together we hope to see some really interesting ideas coming from far-flung Indian towns too or the entrepreneurs from the ‘Bharat’. For entrepreneurs, Shark Tank is not just about monetary gains but the exposure, mentoring, and support that they receive. It also provides founders with a direct go-to-market strategy and that is very valuable. We are extremely delighted to have partnered for the show as Startup Ecosystem Advisor to provide our deep expertise in entrepreneurship and building business to make the show a great success.”

    Since its first launch in 2001, as Tigers of Money in Japan, created by Nippon TV, the format was later adapted as Dragon’s Den in 2005 in the UK and the show premiered in the US as Shark Tank in the year 2009. The format is distributed internationally by Sony Pictures Television.

  • Ten brands partner with season 12 of Kaun Banega Crorepati

    Ten brands partner with season 12 of Kaun Banega Crorepati

    MUMBAI: Celebrating two decades of unparalleled success and popularity, Kaun Banega Crorepati not only emerged as a game-changer for the Indian television industry but also instilled a larger focus on the power of knowledge being a great leveler. In its twelfth season, the show makes a comeback with a two-fold messaging which conveys not just the bigger and better return of the show amidst a pandemic, but also a motivational nudge for participants and viewers to consider setbacks as a stepping stone for a greater comeback. Produced by StudioNEXT, and hosted by the superstar, Amitabh Bachchan, the game show will premiere on 28 September and will air every Monday to Friday at 9:00 pm only on Sony Entertainment Television.

    A thunderous response during the first-ever digital audition for KBC season 12, underlined the raging fire of hope, dreams and aspirations within people from all nooks and corners of the country. As a platform, KBC has gone beyond its capacity as a show year after year, putting the common man at the forefront and celebrating human virtues of self-belief, patience, perseverance, courage, confidence, optimism and intelligence. 

    The season 12 of KBC is co-powered by Vedantu and Tata Salt. The associate sponsors are IDFC FIRST Bank, LIC, Asian Paints, Ultratech Cement, QuickHeal, Sensodyne and Nissan. Reserve Bank Of India is the special partner on the show. 

    Read more news on KBC 

    While the core of the show remains the same, KBC season 12 comes with a few changes relevant to the current times. For starters, for the very first time in 20 years, KBC will not host in-studio audience keeping in line with the government-mandated safety guidelines and protocols in response to Covid2019. The in-studio audience played a huge role as a lifeline – audience poll in helping the contestants on the hotseat move ahead in the game. This year, the audience poll will be replaced by the lifeline video-a-Friend. The other three lifelines remain the same – 50:50, ask the expert, and flip the question. The number of fastest finger first contestants who will compete to be on the hot seat per week has been reduced from the usual ten to eight.

    With KBC Play Along on Sony LIV, viewers can enjoy the thrill of the gameshow by participating and matching their power of knowledge with the contestants on the hot seat simultaneously, starting 28 September.

     

     

    Sony Entertainment Television and digital business content head Ashish Golwalkar said, "Reinvention, they say, is the key to success. And thus, we began the preparation of the season 12 of Kaun Banega Crorepati, a show that has been nurtured as a brand over its 20-year history in India. Considering the current times, the interest in participation through digital registrations has been very encouraging this year. And the numbers showcase that people are readily embracing the 'new normal' brought on by the pandemic. This year's theme, 'Jo Bhi Ho Setback Ka Jawab Comeback Se Do', reflects in the real-life stories and experiences that contestants will be seen sharing on the show, thereby serving as inspiring examples for the millions of viewers."

    StudioNEXT head Indranil Chakraborty said, "For season 12 of KBC we have consciously looked at re-engineering the set so that the distancing norms are met while the impact of this property is retained. Due to no studio audience, we have changed the lifeline audience poll to a video-a-friend. Having said that, we are certain that Amitabh Bachchan's charisma and the interesting on-screen and off-screen journeys of contestants, will keep the audiences engrossed. The show continues to be iconic in many ways and is sure to raise the bar this season as well."

    Read more news on Sony TV

    KBC – season 12 consultant Siddhartha Basu said, "KBC turns 20 in 2020, and with all the challenges of this tough year, looks to come back as strong as ever, reviving the much-loved magic of the khaas khel with the aam aadmi and the adwitiya host. While adapting to the realities of today, the show still packs a punch, reaching out to both the mind and the heart, touching lives in a very real way.  Viewers can also look forward to playing along with the contestants, as they watch, with richer pickings than ever before."

  • Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) recognised among India’s Best Companies To Work 2020

    Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) recognised among India’s Best Companies To Work 2020

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN), has been honoured among India's Best Companies To Work For 2020 by the Great Place to Work® Institute, India. This data has been gathered from an overall ranking of the 100 Best Companies to Work for in India, by surveying over 2.1 million people in 800+ organizations across 21+ industries. The Great Place to Work® Institute is a firm that assists organisations to identify, create and sustain great workplaces through the development of high-trust cultures. This study was done with the most rigorous, credible and comprehensive methodologies to identify such organizations.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CBpY_Adp6kG/?igshid=1ddfvlrzkrpu7

    Staying true to its Go-Beyond corporate philosophy, India’s leading entertainment and sports broadcast network, SPN, has always been an employee-first organisation. The network truly believes in providing a nurturing environment for its employees with an empowering culture built on its foundational values that encourages differences in perspectives, fosters collaboration and rewards excellence. Building on its employee value proposition, ‘Tell Stories Beyond the Ordinary’ – manifested through its three pillars: Think, Rise and Live, employees are empowered to craft their own experiences and go the extra mile, pushing the envelope by generating pathbreaking, premium and progressive content.

    The following are some of initiatives that earned SPN the recognition as one of India's Best Companies To Work For 2020:
    • Through its signature enterprise series – ‘Propellers’, employees receive opportunities to co-create the company’s vision, lead and deliver organisational development projects with recognition, visibility and mentorship from the CEO.
     
    • To fuel a robust content culture SPN offers an ideation platform – ‘SPN Pitchers’, where employees across the network can pitch their next big idea/program hosted under the patronage of the network’s flagship channels and content studio – StudioNEXT.

    • SPN offers multiple learning avenues through the SPN Learning Academy. It provides tailored experiences across levels, peer learning platforms and best-in-class content initiatives like ‘Dastangoi’, to help build a future-ready, high-performance content culture. This helps align people, purpose, passion and profits to create meaning at work.

    • To enable employees upskill and encourage them to stay ahead of the game, a fluid and flexible learning environment is furthered through e-learning opportunities and custom webinars to drive learning across the board.

    •Taking a holistic approach to the wellbeing of its employees, SPN provides the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) – an emotional and mental wellness counselling support service, along with comprehensive sponsored annual health check-ups and medical insurance for employees and their families covering congenital diseases as well as providing for infertility treatment.

    • SPN supports new parents in their transition through extended parental leave which includes leave for adoption and enhanced parental benefits like preferential parking for pregnant women, a mother’s room on the premises, amongst other initiatives.

    Furthermore, as a strong advocate of inclusion, SPN revised its policies, benefits and infrastructure, such as gender-neutral language, gender-neutral washrooms, and universal parental and medical benefits to include members of the LGBTQ+ community. Employees are also given in-depth information on prevention of sexual harassment (POSH) along with the deployment of a host of safety measures. Through recurring sensitisation programs such as ‘Unconscious Bias’ trainings, focus group discussions and forums as well as incentivising through 2X rewards on LGBTQ+, women and PWD referrals, SPN fosters inclusion in both its culture and content.
    Comments:

    N.P. Singh, Managing Director and CEO, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN):
    “It is indeed an honour to be recognised among India’s Best Companies to Work for 2020 by Great Place to Work®, India. This recognition is an acknowledgement of our commitment towards building a culture of trust, pride and care. We hold ourselves to the highest standards in everything that we set out to do. I dedicate this achievement to the entire team at SPN.”

    Manu Wadhwa, Chief Human Resource Officer, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN):
    “Our progressive policies and initiatives have evolved from proactively listening to people over the course of time and creating a conducive environment for their professional and personal growth. We are delighted and honored to have been bestowed with this recognition. Winning this award is a testament of our consistent drive towards challenging stereotypes and breaking boundaries.”

  • SPN appoints Indranil Chakravorty to head StudioNEXT

    SPN appoints Indranil Chakravorty to head StudioNEXT

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) has roped in Indranil Chakravorty as the head of StudioNEXT, its independent production venture, who will be reporting to Danish Khan.

    Chakravorty is an engineer from IIT Kharagpur and has completed his Post Graduate Diploma in Management from IIM, Lucknow. He has rich and wide experience of around 30 years, working with organisations across sectors, handling varied job functions across business verticals such as marketing and sales. His most recent stint was as the CEO of Big Synergy where over a period of eight years he spearheaded its expansion in different geographies while creating high impact properties.

    StudioNEXT has been mandated to create original content and IPs for TV and digital media. An independent business unit of SPN, StudioNEXT will function as a content creator for SPN media business as well as for other channels, networks and OTT players within India and globally. This newly formed venture began its journey with co-producing Season 10 of KBC in partnership with Big Synergy. Going forward, StudioNEXT will produce new IPs whilst leveraging the existing ones under SPN media.

    Sony Entertainment Television (SET) business head Danish Khan said, “I am excited to have Indranil spearhead StudioNEXT. I am confident that Indranil, with his excellent understanding of the entertainment ecosystem, along with his abilities to nurture creative talent and build a creative culture, will make StudioNEXT a cutting-edge content creator.”