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Tag: Sukesh Motwani

  • Mindset change: You are not making for a single screen

    Mindset change: You are not making for a single screen

    MUMBAI: The 9th edition of The Content Hub Summit 2025 may as well have been titled “Adapt or Fade,” as India’s media elite gathered to discuss the changing face and format of storytelling. The consensus? You’re no longer making content for a single screen. You’re building cross-platform universes.

    Chaired by Sukesh Motwani, director at Bodhitree Multimedia, the session pulsed with the urgency of a business hurtling through change. It became clear: the future is platform-agnostic, monetisation-hungry, and format-fluid.

    Motwani set the tone early: “Fiction’s no longer just about arcs and actors. It’s about vertical shots for Reels, character intros for Shorts, and scenes that snap into memes.” Even directors are now briefed to film key plot points in portrait mode. The narrative may stretch to 90 minutes, but it better look good in 9 seconds too.

    Samar Khan, CEO at Juggernaut Productions and chief content officer at DocuBay and EPIC ON, summed it up: “We told a true story as a doc. Platforms bought it as fiction. Now we’re cutting Shorts from it too.” His teams are also repurposing old documentaries into audio formats ideal for the podcasting boom.

    Meanwhile, Sunil Chainani, business head of movies at Applause Entertainment, still sees value in a “theatrical first” approach for big releases, but admits the exploitation game has changed. “The music, the score, even classic dialogues, they’re all mini verticals in themselves.”

    Veteran producer Kailash Adhikari pointed out that three-decade-old shows from the family vault are still monetising now as memes, clips, and podcast fodder. “YouTube, Facebook, Shorts… legacy content’s like gold dust if you know how to pan for it,” he said. Even policy podcasts, once considered too niche, are finding new life as snackable content with high-value backers.

    Hemal A Thakkar of Mariegold Studio spoke about the gaming crossovers for shows like OMG2, predicting a future where Shiva might be both screen hero and playable avatar. “It’s not just shows. We’re building IPs—franchises that stretch into games, VR, and who knows, maybe AI-generated spin-offs.”

    Some were sceptical about the vertical video craze. “I’m just doing what everyone’s doing,” Khan admitted. “I don’t know if it’ll last.” But others believe it’s here to stay, especially in genres like horror, where the claustrophobic frame intensifies the scare factor.

    A Russian filmmaker’s war epic shot entirely in vertical format was cited as a radical experiment that could become a norm in bite-sized streaming. And songs? Already stylised like Instagram Stories.

    The phrase of the day was “multi-screen”, but not just in the literal sense. It’s about thinking across devices, genres, formats and audiences. Whether it’s a 3-hour film, a 30-second short, or a 3-minute podcast, content must be conceived from the start to travel.

    As creators wrangle with digital fatigue and the death of appointment viewing, one thing is certain: survival lies in flexibility. From AI-generated music videos to audio-only comedies, every content piece must now be a Swiss army knife.

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  • Bodhitree Multimedia reports strong Q3 growth with Rs 50.47 Crore revenue

    Bodhitree Multimedia reports strong Q3 growth with Rs 50.47 Crore revenue

    MUMBAI: Bodhitree Multimedia Ltd (BSE: BTML; NSE: BTML), a leading Indian content creation and media production company, has announced its unaudited financial results for the third quarter ending 31 December 2024.

    The company posted a consolidated revenue of Rs 50.47 crore, marking a 19.6 per cent increase from Rs 42.17 crore in the corresponding quarter last year. The consolidated profit before tax (PBT) reached Rs 4.31 crore, up 9.9 per cent from Rs 3.92 crore in Q3 2023, whilst the profit after tax (PAT) grew by 22.2 per cent to Rs 3.03 crore, compared to Rs 2.48 crore in the same period.

    On a standalone basis, the company witnessed remarkable growth, with revenue surging 57.7 per cent to Rs 38.50 crore from Rs 24.42 crore in Q3 2023. The standalone PBT nearly doubled to Rs 2.85 crore, showing a 99.3 per cent increase from Rs 1.43 crore. The standalone PAT demonstrated exceptional growth of 139.8 per cent, reaching Rs 1.99 crore compared to Rs 0.83 crore in the previous year’s quarter.

    Bodhitree Multimedia chief executive Mautik Tolia, chief executive of Bodhitree Multimedia, attributed the strong performance to the company’s focus on premium content production and strategic partnerships. “Shows like Gunaah have been instrumental in driving our success,” he said, expressing confidence in the company’s growth trajectory.

    Founded by Tolia and Sukesh Motwani, Bodhitree Multimedia has produced over 3,000 hours of content across more than 50 shows for major broadcasters and OTT platforms. The company specialises in various genres including drama, thriller, horror, comedy and lifestyle programming, operating primarily on a business-to-business model.

    The company’s services span production, direction, writing, dubbing, mixing, subtitling, content editing and localisation for television, films and digital platforms.
     

  • Bodhitree Multimedia to launch new drama series Beintehaan Chahatein on Zee TV

    Bodhitree Multimedia to launch new drama series Beintehaan Chahatein on Zee TV

    MUMBAI: The Sukesh Motwani-Mautik Tolia promoted production house Bodhitree Multimedia is pushing the envelope on TV dramas. Come 27 January, and its latest series Beintehaan Chahatein  will premiere on Zee TV. The series delves into the intricacies of relationships, ambition, and love, exploring the tension between personal desires and family values.

    The storyline follows Mugdha, a woman caught between her aspirations for a luxurious lifestyle and her mundane middle-class existence with her honest husband, Siddharth, and their son, Vansh. When Siddharth meets Devika, the emotionally fragile daughter of his wealthy boss, a complex web of desires and moral dilemmas emerges, leading to heightened emotional stakes.

    Beintehaan Chahatein promises an engaging journey of self-discovery, greed, and the challenges that define marital bonds.

    Bodhitree Multimedia  co-founder & chief creative officer Sukesh Motwani remarked, “With Beintehaan Chahatein, we present a narrative rich in layers of love, morality, and ambition, forcing characters to make choices that could irrevocably alter their lives. The series aims to provoke thought about the cost of ambition and the sacrifices we make for love.”

    Zee TV chief channel officer Mangesh Kulkarni noted, “As audience preferences evolve, storytelling must adapt. This mini-series format addresses the demand for engaging, snackable content across diverse genres, presenting stories that explore new themes not yet seen on Hindi general entertainment channels.”

    Kulkarni is just following the mandate of Zee Entertainment Enterprises CEO Punit Goenka to create standout content which appeals to viewers. 

    Beintehaan Chahatein promises a captivating blend of drama and emotional depth, drawing viewers in from the outset. 

  • Production house Bodhi Tree Multimedia seeks to raise funds

    Production house Bodhi Tree Multimedia seeks to raise funds

    MUMBAI: The Mautik Tolia-Sukesh Motwani-promoted Bodhi Tree Multimedia has a fund raise on its horizon. On 2 January 2025, the rights issue committee of the company approved the draft letter of offer to raise funds through the issue of equity shares of Rs 1 each. The shares are to be issued to eligible shareholders on a rights basis and the total raise will be within Rs 49 crore. The premium on the Rs 1 share will be decided at a later date. 

    Bodhi Tree informed the Bombay stock exchange about its intentions on 2 January. 

    The film and TV production house also said that it would submit the draft letter of offer to the National stock exchange as well as the Bombay stock exchange  seeking their in-principle approval for the rights issue. 

    Bodhi Tree’s production portfolio includes: Class, the Gone Game, Gunaah, Main Hoon Aparjita, Poornima, and The Interns.  The company has produced more than 40 shows for 10 broadcasters and platforms in five languages totaling almost 3,000 hours of content. 

  • Sukesh Motwani on creating ‘The Gone Game’ during the pandemic

    Sukesh Motwani on creating ‘The Gone Game’ during the pandemic

    MUMBAI: Voot’s upcoming series The Gone Game explores how the spread of Covid2019, besides its health ramifications, has taken an emotional toll on people’s lives. The series is produced by Bodhi Tree Multimedia co-founder Sukesh Motwani, Mautik Tolia and creative producer Persis Siganporia. The series is directed by Nikhil Nagesh. The Gone Game is a thriller based on a family whose morale gets shaken when the main protagonist tests positive for Covid2019. This, in turn, sets the wheel churning for some dramatic and thrilling turn of events for the family.

    The thought of a potential crime with the backdrop of the pandemic in a large dysfunctional family is what got Motwani’s imagination running. His biggest priority was to maintain the quality of the show. He adds that the production house was deeply involved in almost all aspects of production and spent hours brainstorming on how to ensure that the audience does not feel that the actors were shooting in their respective homes virtually. He points out that there is not even a single frame when two actors met.

    Motwani gives a lot of the credit to director of photography Piyush Puty who was constantly guiding the actors on all technical aspects of the shoot. He also mentions that Puty identified the perfect spots within the house and went on to teach actors on how to create a block, light it and then perform. Puty aesthetically created spaces where the actors could shoot on their phones with minimal lighting.

    The team spent a lot of time getting the groundwork done over virtual meetings. Each and every aspect was discussed in detail to avoid unnecessary delays while shooting. Each team member was always connected via video or audio calls.

    View this post on Instagram

    Locked at home, play a game, right? But #TheGoneGame leaves no winners. Coming soon, exclusively on #VootSelect. @vootselect A big thank you to the entire cast and crew Director: @nix_bhat Dop: @piyushputy Written by: @nix_bhat @mautiktolia #radhikaanand #ayeshasayed Edited By: #manishmistry #amitkumar Background Music: @adityan28 @nayantaramusic Sound Designer: @paralightsmusic Creative Director: @bhummika93 Producers: #sukeshmotwani @mautiktolia @djspersis Produced by: @bodhitreemultimedia Voot Select Team: @aparnaram @anupnvkadam @aakanshabisht Cast: @sanjaykapoor2500 @arjun__mathur @battatawada @shriya.pilgaonkar @rukhsarrehman @indraneilsengupta @dibyenduofficial @lubnamsalim @milindadhikari Associate Director: @eyeviewer Associate Creative: #nupurvashisht Casting Director: @the_ashutoshrai HOP: #arundubey Production Team: @joybanerjeekolkata #ashishreikhi #rohitghodke Accounts Head: #ravibhatt Admin Team: #rahulsingh #amilchavan Post Head: #viinodnanda Office Boys: #sanghpalsevale #sudhirminj

    A post shared by Bodhitree Multimedia Pvt. Ltd. (@bodhitreemultimedia) on

    Motwani says, “Conceptualising and creating The Gone Game is a fine example of a blend of creativity and innovation. A story which propagates humanistic values, engagement and unpredictability will by itself draw audiences’ to itself. We have stayed true to our core of creating a perfect whodunit set against the backdrop of the pandemic.”

    He shares that the intrinsic rules of shoot remained the same. The team had invested a lot of time and effort in rehearsals and workshops before finally shooting. However, they were realistically prepared that this time shooting will take longer.

    “We knew we were up for a challenge when we set our minds to shooting the entire show remotely. While we equipped ourselves through numerous prep sessions with the actors, this shoot required us to be on our toes constantly. Our efforts were to make all the actors create their own blocks, shoot and yet maintain a sense of continuity and authenticity,” he adds.

    Motwani believes storytelling in the times of pandemic is extremely important. He thinks it is essential to entertain and inspire viewers with great content along with the thrilling experience that intrigues with darker aspects of the human psyche. “There is always a perfect story waiting to unfold, we just have to look at it creatively,” he concludes.

  • Industry must scale down together to ensure one party does not cannibalise another: Bodhi Tree CEO Mautik Tolia

    Industry must scale down together to ensure one party does not cannibalise another: Bodhi Tree CEO Mautik Tolia

    MUMBAI: The TV production industry had to hurriedly drop everything and wrap up shoots in order to comply with government directives to stop shooting and avoid large gatherings. With shoots re-opening in the near future, production houses will have to implement several changes in the way they function.

    Bodhi Tree Multimedia CEO Mautik Tolia says that production processes will see drastic changes. “Crews will have to be made smaller. Sanitization stations will need to be put up on sets. The temperature of the crew will need to be monitored. Set areas will have to be kept under very strict controls to make sure all areas from the food getting served, props, equipment used are disinfected on a recurring basis.”

    He feels that the decision to halt production to curb the spread of the COVID-19 had to be taken immediately, but it has left almost everyone grappling for solutions as the media and entertainment fraternity has never witnessed a standstill like this. A strong ecosystem consisting of clients, vendors, technicians and talent relationships will help them get through this testing phase.

    “This lockdown is bound to have a ripple effect across the entire chain from broadcasters to the very last worker on sets. We are anticipating the industry to lose close to a few thousand crores in the wake of this lockdown because of the COVID-19 outbreak,” he says.

    This pandemic has also robbed the daily wage workers of their livelihood. Unfortunately, layoffs and pay cuts will be the grim reality that cannot be denied. Tolia says: “We have 40-50 daily wage workers. Some of them have returned to their hometown and are waiting for the lockdown to end. Some of them are in Mumbai. We are in touch with them and make sure of their well-being, ensuring that relief reaches them. We will not lay off people. Instead, we are finding ways for everyone to come together collectively as a company and finding a balance to ensure that everyone is taken care of in the interim with feasible measures.”

    Even though budget cuts are on the anvil, it will be mindful about not compromising on the quality of the content.

    Tolia suggests that the entire ecosystem will have to find a way to scale down together in terms of current market rates.  He says that it is not a matter of an individual company but the entire industry which will have to make corrections across the system from actors, technicians, vendors, set rentals, etc. to come out of the crisis.

    “It will have to be done in a manner where all stakeholders have to come together in the spirit of co-cooperation and solidarity keeping in view the long term and making sure that one party does not cannibalise the other. That is the only way the industry will be able to tide this over,” he adds.

    Due to the lockdown, the company had to halt the shoot of two projects which are on the floor. But the teams are utilising this time to focus on pre-production, research and development.

    The creative team at the production house is keeping busy with ideating, developing new content, continuing with the scripting of existing shows so script banks can be put in place. Casting is also going on with actors sending self-tests from home.

    “We are constantly ideating and brainstorming to understand the changes occurring, both at a practical and philosophical level. While nothing has changed for us with these processes, we will continue to create storylines for our future shows with an understanding of the fact that content value can never go down. In addition, we are also building our bank in terms of scripts for our current on-air shows,” says Bodhi Tree Multimedia founder-director and CCO Sukesh.  

    As creative professionals and writers, Tolia and Motwani feel it is a good time to create a development slate of content that can be pitched to platforms over the next year. It is a time to think and reflect on what kind of content will work in the coming years.

    According to Motwani, COVID-19 is a part of reality and the organisation will have to embrace the new normal. The idea is not to exploit the pain of this time but rather get inspired and inspire and create hope for society with the kind of stories that are created. 

    Tolia adds, “The entire media and broadcast fraternity will be compelled to integrate this reality in some way and it will definitely reflect in our ideas and in our current stories. While some shows may use the impact more subtly in the background, some shows could entirely be centred on the new reality of our pursuits to counter COVID-19. Constant brainstorming sessions on how we as storytellers can capture these times are being implemented.”

    Elaborating more on their OTT venture with Voot’s Marzi and The Raikar Case, Tolia and Motwani say it has helped them immensely with the learning curve on original shows. While Marzi is an adaptation of an international format, The Raikar Case is an original creation that took 1.5 years to write.

    Motwani adds, “It is one of those shows which has a combination of interesting characters, dialogues and twists in each episode. It is probably one of the first ‘whodunit’ in the Indian digital space.”        

    Marzi revolves around the importance of consent with a psychological touch to the storyline. While it has been adapted from a British show called The Liar, Motwani says that it has helped them find the art of science in adapting an international format.

  • Colors to premiere ‘Naati Pinky Ki Lambi Love Story’ on 27 Jan

    Colors to premiere ‘Naati Pinky Ki Lambi Love Story’ on 27 Jan

    MUMBAI: Colors will bring heart-warming love story Naati Pinky Ki Lambi Love Story from 27 January. The show will trace the journey of Pinky who is short but feisty, a fighter but also a dreamer, perceived as flawed but hope to find her true love.  Produced by Bodhi Tree Multimedia, Co-powered by Pravin Masalewale, the show will air every Mon-Fri at 9:30 pm.

    Viacom18 Hindi Mass Entertainment and Kids TV network head Nina Jaipuria said,“We started the year on a high note with Bigg Boss and Naagin ruling the charts. Keeping up the momentum, we bring to viewers a love story, a genre that is revered by the audience. As storytellers, we always attempt to make our stories relatable and heard and Pinky’s journey resonates the same. Questioning society’s definition of perfection, we present the love story of a free-spirited Pinky who is of short height but stands tall to inspire people to live life wholeheartedly. This saga of love, emotions and insecurities will strike an emotional chord with the viewers and at the same time entertain them.”

    A typical Delhi girl, Pinky Kashyap (played by Riya Shukla) is born and brought up in an orthodox Brahmin family. Standing tall at 4 feet 8 inches, she wants nothing beyond a conventional, married life. While her life comes with its own share of drama but Pinky tactfully uses her strength to counterweight what society defines as her physical drawback. Raised in a tightly knit family with a strict and reserved father, a loving and supportive dadi, a melodramatic mother, Pinky believes in living life to the fullest.  Just like every other girl, even Pinky’s parents want her to get married, her height always poses as a hurdle. But while Pinky is determined, she soon finds out that going the conventional way is not always easy. Will she find the Amitabh to her Jaya? Will she get married to her true love?

    Viacom18 Hindi Mass Entertainment chief content officer Manisha Sharma said,“While most people fight their flaws every day, we present the story of Pinky who has turned them into her strength.Naati Pinky Ki Lambi Love Story is a heart-warming amalgamation of her endeavours to find true love and her exceptional way of living a life that is beyond society’s judgement. Pinky’s compelling personality will stand out and viewers will relate to various stages of her life, the challenges she faces and the hysterical ways in which she conquers them. With diverse characters and an engaging storyline, we hope to create magic with Pinky’s Lambi Love story.”  

    Bodhi Tree Multimedia producer Sukesh Motwani said, “Pinky and her varied moods will not just entertain, inspire but will also compel viewers to be a part of her journey. Right from her unapologetic ways of dealing with emotional complications to her pursuit of finding a life partner. It’s the first-time the audience will witness the love story of a girl with short stature and will also touch upon sensitively the battles she fights every time she is needled. Every character in the show is distinctive and in the most fascinating way will contribute to her life. We hope Pinky finds a way to win the audience's heart.” 

    Riya Shukla, who plays the titular character on the show said, “Having explored the world of Bollywood, I am thrilled to make my television debut with COLORS. Naati Pinky Ki Lambi love storywill take viewers through a beautiful and warm narrative of Pinky’s journey of finding her one true love. While she lives her life wholeheartedly, she does come across a stumbling block, but her quintessential personality promises to touch lives. I hope the viewers fall in love with Pinky’s unusual ways of dealing with uncertainties.”

    Naati Pinky’s incredible love story is going to make you smile, laugh and make you moist eyed as the cast of Riya Shukla, Puneet Choksey in the lead roles and Vishwajeet Pradhan (playing Pinky’s father as Ram Kashyap), Dheeraj Rai (playing Pinky’s love interest as Gagan) and Bharti Achrekar (playing Pinky’s Dadi) will take the viewer on a joyride. 

    Focussing on her ‘short’comings and how she tactfully fights them, COLORS has designed a 360-degree campaign to engage with the viewers. Right from installing handle extensions in metros, Pinky helping the listeners on radio with their short girl problems to introducing Naati Pinky Ki Naati Chai glasses, the entire campaign will highlight many quirks of Pinky’s personality. The entire campaign is backed by strong print, digital, radio, on-ground and television plans to create a major impact. Additionally, the channel will also introduce a digital property #NaatiTales which will embody the essence of the show's lead character Pinky through various content pieces and digital mediums. The short series of stand-up acts will be enacted by two of television's renowned names Kavita Kaushik and Supriya Shukla. Along with these videos, a short story formed creative will also help establish the property #NaatiTales. 

  • Bodhi Tree focusing on three verticals to scale up business

    Bodhi Tree focusing on three verticals to scale up business

    MUMBAI: Over the top (OTT) services have given a big boost to production houses in the country  Bodhi Tree Multimedia, started by Mautik Tolia and Sukesh Motwani five years ago, only concentrated on general entertainment programs on TV initially. Following the change in the overall entertainment industry, they have also expanded their work arena. Currently standing with a team of around 50 people, the production house is aspiring to scale up its business by focusing on three verticals – GEC, regional and the freshly included web content.

    The three verticals operate with completely separate teams. Show type dictates team structure because sensibility for each genre and vertical is different. Bodhitree Multimedia’s three shows with two leading broadcasters are currently on air including Aap ke Aa Jane se, Fearfiles and Hrudayaat Vaaje Something. After already having established its position in the TV production space, it has also entered the booming digital space. Its two web series Banned and 13 Mussourie are also streaming on Viu, while one with Voot is yet to be released.

    In the content pipeline, it has five-six web properties for different OTT platforms while for GEC two-three shows with leading broadcasters are under development. The next content slate also include biopics and period pieces. Both the founders spoke to Indiantelevision.com and reaffirmed that they will pay equal attention to all the segments.

    “We are very clear right now in terms of being able to find a way to give equal importance to each vertical. We still believe TV is big and it will grow and we need to have a very strong presence there. We also believe web is here to stay and gives us more experimentation for new content. We also feel regional content is going to be lot more relevant now both on TV and web. We are also focusing on synergies that can be worked on between OTT, television and regional content,” Bodhi Tree Multimedia director Tolia commented.

    “We are very much focused on different business activities. Only thing we are doing is being clear about the slate we are developing and the product we are developing. So, there we are particular about what we do but not in terms of a single line of business,” he added.

    Talking about digital content, Tolia said that since it’s an evolving medium right now, content creators are trying to figure out the type of viewers and their preference for content.

    However, along with the rapid growth of OTT in the country, the question of regulation has also been raised. A certain section of the industry has feared if a regulatory framework comes in, it may curb the creative freedom of producers and the platforms.

    “I feel that as long as there are some very basic standards and practices, it’s about how to have some ethics for content. Those ethics need not be very restricted. The whole idea is that content has to understand and mature. So, there will be certain discussions that will happen, certain kind of code that should come but how restricted that’s code going to be that’s the debate,” Bodhi Tree Multimedia director Motwani commented on the issue.

    Over the five years going through changes, working with leading platforms, the road was definitely not all flowery. Motwani said they took up interesting challenges in terms of content they made which were slightly different. As the content they create is more complex, realistic with more layered characters, they end up spending a little more time than other producers. Due to the run-of-the-mill content, they don’t follow the usual economy of scale model. Hence it has led to the question if they can make the amount of money that another producer makes.

    “We are passionate and that keeps our hunger growing. So that has been one fascinating challenge for us and also the idea that while we are taking on a different type, can it still deliver a hit. How do we mix popular elements with different ideas, how do we mix the grammar of telling a story which can reach to a mass viewer while the theme itself is slightly unconventional?” Motwani added.

    In a stark contrast to many other production houses who concentrate on only one genre, Bodhi Tree Multimedia keeps working in different segments across TV and digital. In addition to that, as demand for OTT content increases, it is optimistic that new opportunities will open up. While it acknowledges the learning curve has to be very steep and high for developing expertise in all segments, there is confidence that they are strategically placed at the right position.

  • Zee TV’s ‘Aap Ke Aa Jaane Se’ gets late night slot

    Zee TV’s ‘Aap Ke Aa Jaane Se’ gets late night slot

    MUMBAI: Zee TV is proving that it meant business when it spoke of its progressive new tagline ‘Aaj Likhenge Kal’ by introducing a new show wherein the girl is half the age of the man she is with. This time, it’s not the wife who’s younger.

    Premiering on 15 January 2018 is its latest offering Aap Ke Aa Jaane Se, slotted in for Monday to Friday at 10:30 pm, an unconventional romance that transcends the barriers of age, life stages and background.

    Produced by Bodhi Tree Productions’ Sukesh Motwani and Mautik Tolia, who are currently churning out Fear Files season two on Zee TV, the show’s edginess caused it to be given a late prime time slot. “It has a slightly adult appeal with a bold progressive concept. So, it makes sense to pick the 10.30 pm slot,” says Motwani.

    Each episode takes an investment of approximately Rs 7-8 lakh. Tolia says that reverse economics works in television. “Rather than us deciding the show budget and making a decision, we work on what the channel allocates. The budget varies as per different components such as time slot, star cast, etc.”

    The intellectual property (IP) right of the show is with Zee TV. Motwani says that owning IP rights is relevant only when you are creating something uniquely Indian or extremely universal, and which travel all over the world and adapted in other languages. A regular family drama doesn’t have the quality.

    Zee TV deputy business head Deepak Rajadhyaksha says that the show is meant to question the point that do people really need social sanction to fall in love. “The show asks us to pause and reassess our understanding of what makes a couple ‘suitable’ or ‘appropriate’. Many of us often go through life, forming opinions about who other people ought to form romantic relationships with. This is based largely on social conditioning dictats that are governed by traditional compatibility factors like age, gender, class, caste, financial background, lifestyles and culture. If they choose to get involved with someone who doesn’t fit any of these pre-conceived parameters, we are quick to judge them,” he says.

    It is an infinite series and 10 episodes are ready. The story is set in Kanpur while the shooting is in Mira Road, Mumbai. Some scenes will be shot in Bhopal for its scenic beauty.

    The show boasts of a stellar star-cast that comprises Suhasi Dhami and Karan Jotwani. Set against the backdrop of Kanpur, Aap Ke Aa Jaane Se chronicles the unique journey of Vedika and Sahil, two strikingly different individuals, hailing from diverse backgrounds, who fall in love irrespective of their substantial age difference. Vedika Mathur is a 42-year-old strong, independent single mother whose world revolves around tending to her own mother and her 15-year-old daughter. Sahil Agarwal, on the other hand, is a 24-year-old fun-loving, free-spirited young man whose thirst for living it up often compromises any semblance of a focus in life or any serious career aspirations.

    Bodhi Tree Productions has a big line up for the new year. While discussing their plans, Tolia says, “We are doing a lot of digital web series and have seven to eight digital properties in the pipeline for 2018 for various platforms. We are in advanced talks with Star, Sony, Discovery Jeet and others for daily soaps. For digital, we are in advanced talks with Vu Clip, Voot and Times. So, for this new year, we have 10 shows in the pipeline.”

    Motwani was doing fiction shows with Zee from 2009 to 2012 after which he quit and launched Bodhi Tree and the production house has initiated 22 shows in the last four years. It was of the producers of Fear Files season one on Zee, and also shows like Nisha and Uske Cousins for Star Plus, Bade Bhaiya Ki Dulhaniya for Sony, Tedhi Medhi Family for Big Magic, Big F two seasons for MTV and Channel V’s episodic shows. It has just completed the web show for Bindass Disney called Dil Buffering.

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  • How to get your story on screen?

    How to get your story on screen?

    MUMBAI: The key to survival in the cut-throat world of television programming is creativity and conviction. At a time when writers and good ones at that, are available nineteen to a dozen, television channels are picky-choosy about the scripts and scriptwriting talent that they hire. In such a scenario, many a scriptwriters with fire in their belly and the desire to be successful are left with no choice but to taken the route of becoming a producer by roping in investors.

    With a focus on how new age writers also have to don the hat of a producer not out of choice but out of compulsion, The Content Hub 2016’s session ‘The Age of Creative Producers’ set the ball rolling by focussing on issues of show-runners, C driving creativity as well as writers and directors turning producers.

    The session was attended by writers, producers, directors and broadcasters alike from the television industry. The session was chaired by Bodhi Tree Multimedia co-owner Sukesh Motwani and the panellists included Neela Telefilms owner Asit Modi, The House of Originals director Nivedita Basu, Sony SAB programming head Saeed Akhtar and Swastik Pictures founder Siddharth Tewary.

    Shedding light on the issue of writers and directors becoming producers, Tewary said, “Writers have no other option than to become producers because many a times, production houses don’t agree to produce their stories. So writers are left with no choice but to manage their funds and produce it on their own.”

    Basu opined, “The concept of writers and directors collaborating with production houses is nothing new. It already existed in the industry. Moreover, the collaboration between writer and production house as well as between the production house and channel has become a key factor.”

    For the smooth shooting for any television show, a ‘show-runner’ is a must. The show-runner is responsible for the show’s creative and financial aspects and also looks after the overall creative authority and management responsibility for television programs. Emphasising the importance of having an able ‘show-runner’ to helm the television show, Basu added, “Nowadays having a good concept is nothing. It’s all about how you build the characters. It is good to have a very experienced person as a show-runner by a channel.”

    Elaborating on the concept of show-runner, Modi opined, “It is important to have somebody who has knowledge about all aspects of creation rather than writing. Thus it is important to have a show-runner who has a better idea, vision and understanding about what the audience wants.”

    Broadcasters play a pivotal role in getting the content out on television and highlighting the criteria that broadcasters look for while choosing a show, Sony SAB programming head Saeed Akhtar opined, “An individual should have a vision on what they are creating. Today, a lot of shows on television are infinite, and thus it is very important to have a vision about the show as for broadcasters, the show is a product, which they need to sell to advertisers as well as the viewers. One should choose the right person internally to drive a particular kind of brand and maintain brand hygiene. If the channel identifies a person who has the capability to drive a particular idea into a good show and everyone’s conviction is on that show, then broadcasters helps in creating an ecosystem so that the essence of the core idea always stays.”