ITV

Tag: Swastik Production

  • ‘Porus’ launched as ‘Digvijaya’ in Sri Lanka

    ‘Porus’ launched as ‘Digvijaya’ in Sri Lanka

    MUMBAI: Siddharth Kumar Tewary’s  gambit to own the IP for the historical drama  Porus which is currently airing on Sony appears to be paying dividends. The show has, according to sources, successfully travelled to Sri Lanka. The buyer for the 260-episode series is Maharaja Television (MTV). Swastik Productions, the production house driving the show, also owns the intellectual property (IP) rights for the series.

    A source close to the development said that Porus has been renamed as Digvijaya in the Sinhala-dubbed version and has been launched on channel Sirasa TV in January 2018. The show was launched with a big screen premiere with industry leaders and advertisers, two days prior to its first telecast on the channel. Through the channel’s online platform, Digvijaya would be also reaching out to the Sinhalese diaspora worldwide. According to another source, Maharaja TV has paid USD 5000 to Swastik Productions for an hour-long episode of Porus.

    Swastik Productions founder Rahul Kumar Tewary confirmed the development. “The content has been dubbed in Tamil and Sinhalese for broadcast in Sri Lanka,” he said. 

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, a source revealed that the Tamil version of the show is not yet launched and it will take three to four months for the Tamil dub to go on air. The prime time for Sri Lanka’s market is 7-11 pm. Presently, the channel has only Sinhalese dubbed content telecast during the weekend at 8-9 pm time slots. The broadcaster is combining two episodes thereby giving the show a one-hour slot.

    In its 10-year existence, Swastik has produced over fifteen television shows, which include Mahabharat, Razia Sultan, Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya Hi Kijo, Mata Ki Chowki, Amber Dhara and Begusarai. It recently launched a light-hearted emotional drama on Sony Sab, Shankar Jay Kishan.

    The production house is free to sub-license Porus to a digital or international player, to air the episodes after three hours of original airing on Sony.  Will such deals be viable for Indian producers who have been used to grabbing up front commissioning fees rather than owning the IP in exchange for lower budgets? The jury is out, but observers say it will vary from deal to deal. Broadcasters, sources say are open to discussions about sharing or assigning rights  to producers if they are willing to bear the risk with them, by picking up a part of the production tab. Historically broadcasters have been bearing all the cost.

    The 30-minute show airs  at 8.30 pm from Monday to Friday on Sony, depicts the untold story of the greatest conqueror of the world, Alexander and the most spirited defender of India, Porus. Set in 350 BC, the story traces its roots to a time when India was at its glorious best and Porus resisted the first attack on Indian soil by the Macedonian legend. The chronological narrative will trace the journey from birth to the epic battle between these two warriors born on the same day but raised with completely different upbringings.

    Also Read :

    ‘Porus’ will alter the economics of the ecosystem, says SET’s Danish Khan

    Thai broadcaster Workpoint acquires TV rights for Porus

  • Shani to bless rural & urban audience

    Shani to bless rural & urban audience

    MUMBAI: Colors tends to bring in universally appealing shows that uniquely manage to bridge the gap between urban and rural audience. After Ashoka Samrat’s success, it had been planning to spruce up its fiction line-up with a larger than life concept. Hence, ‘Karmphal Data Shani’ took shape.

    After Naagin season 2 and Devanshi, Viacom 18’s Hindi general entertainment channel is geared up to launch its new offering. The channel which always addressed the entertainment needs of urban audience now seems to be expanding its viewership with its latest offering.

    Colors is now presenting the narrative of one of the most misconstrued Lords from the Hindu Scripture who was born to balance one’s karmas so that one counted his/her blessings and thus be grateful to the universe for one’s existence. He was conceived for righteousness. Born to Surya Dev and blessed by the Trinity of Lords — Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, the nature his deliverance of justice remains unchallenged.

    “We have always maintained that Colors is a premium Hindi general entertainment channel with our content addressing the entertainment needs of the urban audience. Some shows such as Naagin and Shani have a universal appeal. The content’s appeal to rural audience is, in fact, a spillover effect. Our research shows us that our offerings continue to uniquely manage to bridge the gap between urban and rural with some of our shows,” said Colors programming head Manisha Sharma.

    She further added, “At Colors, we are always looking forward to presenting differentiated and disruptive content that will pique viewer interest. After Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat’s success, we had been toying with the idea of sprucing our fiction line-up with a larger than life concept. The new show Karmphal Data Shani is in keeping with our mantra of maintaining cohesive viewing through varied content options.”

    Produced by Siddharth Kumar Tewary’s Swastik Production, the week-day show starts today at 9pm.

    A source close to the development informed Indiantelevision.com that the approximate production cost per episode is close to Rs 25 lakh, and the show’s 10-sec ad slot rate is around Rs 3-3.5 lakh.

    Commenting on the launch, Colors CEO Raj Nayak said, “Karmphal Data Shani is our dream project. The rationale behind investing in a show of such magnitude is the fact that it augments the core vision of our channel, i.e., to indulge all kinds of audience through variety content. The other vital reason is that shows such as Ashoka and Shani promote cohesive viewing. It imparts knowledge and spreads awareness. It’s a differentiator from the family dramas dominating primetime.”

    Nayak further added, “With an engaging narrative like Karmphal Data Shani, we believe, our weekday primetime is going to consolidate even further. Naagin has proven to be a game-changer, and is ruling the charts, and the unique love story of a eunuch has found its own fan following with Shakti – Astitva Ke Ehsaas Kii standing tall at the number 2 position. We are hopeful that the new discerning storyline will surely make an impact in 9pm primetime.”

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, Sharma informed, “Shani is unlike anything that has been seen on the Indian television in the past. The biggest selling point, for us, is that the concept is based on misconceptions about Lord Shani, and revealing his true nature to those who have grown up fearing him. Further, Swastik Productions has an impeccable track record when it comes to executing such stories and giving scale to the vision.”

    The show has been made on a gargantuan scale with the set spread over 65,000 square feet compared to other fiction offerings the sets of which usually cover less than one-fourth of this area. “We’ve also taken great pains in terms of set design, costumes, jewellery, cinematography and VFX to ensure that we present a stunning proposition to our audience,” informed Sharma.

    Tewary has also directed the show. The story has been developed by Utkarsh Nathani and the dialogues have been penned by Vinod Sharma. Together they worked with the creative team from Colors. The effects have been put together by Colors’ in-house team One Life and Pixillence.

    The show has commissioned 250 episodes. Speaking about the scale and production value of the show, Tewary said, “We have always strived to present compelling content from the Scripture. With Karmphal Data Shani, we aim to clear the misconception about Shani Dev’s intent and origin. Our teams are working tirelessly to present a larger-than-life canvas living up to the divinity of the era, and present an offering which will appeal to the audience’ sensibilities.”

    Dabur Chyawanprash has come on board as the show’s presenting sponsor.

    To promote the show, Colors is planning an elaborate impact and reach-driven marketing blitzkrieg at multiple touchpoints. The marketing team has devised a detailed plan across multiple platforms including OOH, print, electronic, radio and well-planned on-ground activations across various key priority markets.

    “Shani is yet another attempt by Colors after the successful show Ashoka Samrat to continue to bring alive stories from mythological stories keeping the Indian audience rooted. Bringing these stories to small screens also helps story-tellers to explore and push the boundaries of imagination while also experimenting with finite content. The channel is confident about the product as it is creating a strong buzz while also cross-promoting it across its other shows,” a senior media planner told Indiantelevision.com.

    “Initially, there will be a keen interest to understand how the character is evolving and, after a couple of episodes, the traction will depend on how show makers pull the story. After all, content is the king,” said a media planner on condition of anonymity.

  • Shani to bless rural & urban audience

    Shani to bless rural & urban audience

    MUMBAI: Colors tends to bring in universally appealing shows that uniquely manage to bridge the gap between urban and rural audience. After Ashoka Samrat’s success, it had been planning to spruce up its fiction line-up with a larger than life concept. Hence, ‘Karmphal Data Shani’ took shape.

    After Naagin season 2 and Devanshi, Viacom 18’s Hindi general entertainment channel is geared up to launch its new offering. The channel which always addressed the entertainment needs of urban audience now seems to be expanding its viewership with its latest offering.

    Colors is now presenting the narrative of one of the most misconstrued Lords from the Hindu Scripture who was born to balance one’s karmas so that one counted his/her blessings and thus be grateful to the universe for one’s existence. He was conceived for righteousness. Born to Surya Dev and blessed by the Trinity of Lords — Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, the nature his deliverance of justice remains unchallenged.

    “We have always maintained that Colors is a premium Hindi general entertainment channel with our content addressing the entertainment needs of the urban audience. Some shows such as Naagin and Shani have a universal appeal. The content’s appeal to rural audience is, in fact, a spillover effect. Our research shows us that our offerings continue to uniquely manage to bridge the gap between urban and rural with some of our shows,” said Colors programming head Manisha Sharma.

    She further added, “At Colors, we are always looking forward to presenting differentiated and disruptive content that will pique viewer interest. After Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat’s success, we had been toying with the idea of sprucing our fiction line-up with a larger than life concept. The new show Karmphal Data Shani is in keeping with our mantra of maintaining cohesive viewing through varied content options.”

    Produced by Siddharth Kumar Tewary’s Swastik Production, the week-day show starts today at 9pm.

    A source close to the development informed Indiantelevision.com that the approximate production cost per episode is close to Rs 25 lakh, and the show’s 10-sec ad slot rate is around Rs 3-3.5 lakh.

    Commenting on the launch, Colors CEO Raj Nayak said, “Karmphal Data Shani is our dream project. The rationale behind investing in a show of such magnitude is the fact that it augments the core vision of our channel, i.e., to indulge all kinds of audience through variety content. The other vital reason is that shows such as Ashoka and Shani promote cohesive viewing. It imparts knowledge and spreads awareness. It’s a differentiator from the family dramas dominating primetime.”

    Nayak further added, “With an engaging narrative like Karmphal Data Shani, we believe, our weekday primetime is going to consolidate even further. Naagin has proven to be a game-changer, and is ruling the charts, and the unique love story of a eunuch has found its own fan following with Shakti – Astitva Ke Ehsaas Kii standing tall at the number 2 position. We are hopeful that the new discerning storyline will surely make an impact in 9pm primetime.”

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, Sharma informed, “Shani is unlike anything that has been seen on the Indian television in the past. The biggest selling point, for us, is that the concept is based on misconceptions about Lord Shani, and revealing his true nature to those who have grown up fearing him. Further, Swastik Productions has an impeccable track record when it comes to executing such stories and giving scale to the vision.”

    The show has been made on a gargantuan scale with the set spread over 65,000 square feet compared to other fiction offerings the sets of which usually cover less than one-fourth of this area. “We’ve also taken great pains in terms of set design, costumes, jewellery, cinematography and VFX to ensure that we present a stunning proposition to our audience,” informed Sharma.

    Tewary has also directed the show. The story has been developed by Utkarsh Nathani and the dialogues have been penned by Vinod Sharma. Together they worked with the creative team from Colors. The effects have been put together by Colors’ in-house team One Life and Pixillence.

    The show has commissioned 250 episodes. Speaking about the scale and production value of the show, Tewary said, “We have always strived to present compelling content from the Scripture. With Karmphal Data Shani, we aim to clear the misconception about Shani Dev’s intent and origin. Our teams are working tirelessly to present a larger-than-life canvas living up to the divinity of the era, and present an offering which will appeal to the audience’ sensibilities.”

    Dabur Chyawanprash has come on board as the show’s presenting sponsor.

    To promote the show, Colors is planning an elaborate impact and reach-driven marketing blitzkrieg at multiple touchpoints. The marketing team has devised a detailed plan across multiple platforms including OOH, print, electronic, radio and well-planned on-ground activations across various key priority markets.

    “Shani is yet another attempt by Colors after the successful show Ashoka Samrat to continue to bring alive stories from mythological stories keeping the Indian audience rooted. Bringing these stories to small screens also helps story-tellers to explore and push the boundaries of imagination while also experimenting with finite content. The channel is confident about the product as it is creating a strong buzz while also cross-promoting it across its other shows,” a senior media planner told Indiantelevision.com.

    “Initially, there will be a keen interest to understand how the character is evolving and, after a couple of episodes, the traction will depend on how show makers pull the story. After all, content is the king,” said a media planner on condition of anonymity.

  • ‘Television has great competition coming from digital:’ Siddharth Kumar Tewary

    ‘Television has great competition coming from digital:’ Siddharth Kumar Tewary

    The man who has taken the mythological and historical concepts on television a notch higher with his creative innovation, Siddharth Kumar Tewary is known for shows like Mahabharat, Razia Sultan and Suryaputra Karn. With exquisite images and content creation Tewary has given a new dimension to shows catering to these popular genres on Hindi general entertainment channels (GECs). Tewary’s production house Swastik Production launched its first show Amber Dhara in 2007 and since then there has been no looking back. 

     

    The production house’s founder and creative director Tewary believes that in the coming times, digital is going to give tough competition to the television broadcast industry.

     

    In conversation with Indiantelevision’s Sonam Saini, Tewary talks about how 2015 has been for Swastik Production, the mythological genre, OTT platforms and more.

     

    Read on… 

     

    How has the year 2015 been for you and your production house?

    It’s been a decent year for us if not a great one. We have done a variety of shows from historical shows like Razia Sultan to dramas like Manmarziyaan. We stretched ourselves to keep us out of the comfort zone. So it’s been a good year for Swastik Production. 

     

    A few things were appreciated by the masses, some have been appreciated by critics, while some others have been liked by the people from the industry as well. As a company, we have always believed in doing something different.

     

    What’s your take on the mythological and historical fare on TV this year?

    I genuinely believe that the mythological and historical genre is really cool. It’s time that such legendary stories with today’s technology and superior presentation take off on television. This is premium content, which is being made on a large scale.

     

    We are making these shows relevant for today’s viewers and it’s really interesting to do mythology. In period dramas, so much needs to be created and you need to transport viewers into that era. And that’s the reason why I am more than happy to do these kinds of shows. 

     

    In the last two years you have taken mythological and historical concepts on TV to a different level with exquisite images and creative innovations. What drives you to experiment in these genres?

    Thanks to Mahabharat, my belief has always been that I need to better myself with everything I do. From whatever work I have done so far, luckily with mythology I got a chance to recreate a world that has not been seen on Indian television. 

     

    I also did the same kind of thing with Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya Hi Kijo. People have not seen the village that we created with the story line in the show, which was a different concept altogether. The same goes with Bandhan, which  again had a different concept. So something, which is really interesting and comes with a lot of challenges to recreate is what excites me. 

     

    I don’t do things for the sake of being different. I do it differently with all my creative efforts. The shows we do should appeal to the masses. 

     

    Mythological and historical shows almost cost double of a normal fiction show. Is it a profitable proposition for you?

    Of course, it is. I don’t think we can survive without profit in the industry but yes the cost of making these is much higher than normal fiction shows because we spend so much on everything from set decoration to costume to jewellery to locations. So since the production costs are much higher, it takes longer time to recover unlike regular daily soaps.

     

    Also with such shows the revenue is already fixed in a way, so one needs to keep an eye on expenses, which doesn’t happen initially. Expenses tend to go higher than anticipated and hence it takes time to recover costs.

     

    With your success in this genre, a firm perception is building that Swastik is for mytho and historical content? Do you see that as a challenge because the fact is that you do create content, which does not belong to this genre?

    As a company we do all kinds of shows. If we have done mythological shows, then we have also done shows likeBegusarai and Manmarziyaan. Though we don’t do typical saas bahu dramas but yes we do differentiated content. So our company is perceived for doing different content. I don’t see that as a problem. We believe in doing creative things and right now people are thinking that we do more of mythological shows but the moment we do something different, this perception will change. 

     

    OTT is making a lot of noise. What’s your take on the platform.

    I think it’s good and it is a great time for production houses and people who create content. As a production house, we are conceptualisers and we started this company to create content. We will stick to doing that for every platform.

     

    Netflix is about to set foot in India soon and they have already started talking to production houses. Have you been approached? 

    I don’t want to comment on that. There certain things that makes the digital space very exciting and from a creative point of view, it gives us a platform where we can tell different kind of stories. Initially, the medium will remain niche and by niche I mean it will only cater to the audience, who are online.

     

    In TV, the IP belongs to channel commissioning the content. If you start creating content for OTT, will you follow the same formula or will you keep the IP with you? 

    We have already started working in that direction. So whether it’s television or digital, we need to create value for the company and I think that is the space content creators should move into. And for creating that value, we need to lessen the number of projects we take on. We have to focus more on the limited content that we create, so the industry needs to change to create that value.

     

    If bandwidth issues get sorted and digital advertising takes off in a big way, do you think digital can be a good medium or is 20 minutes of content on mobile devices a little too much?

    Mobile devices are the platform to consume content through internet only. The ecosystem is constantly evolving. Earlier we used to have three-hour movies, now they’ve been cut down to two hours. 

     

    As storytellers and creators, we need to know who we’re talking to. The most important thing is that we are talking to the younger generation today, who want instant gratification. Hence your content cannot be 20 minutes long. Sometimes if your content is that strong and it can hold your viewers’ attention, then it’s absolutely up to the creators.

     

    Recently the TV industry has seen some negativity and the editors strike was one such example. Do you think it’s getting more and more difficult in Mumbai? Shouldn’t there be more collaboration?

    I will be diplomatic if I say that there is no problem. We are facing some issues. We are currently shooting one of our shows in Gujarat. What’s more, during Mahabharat we were shooting half our shows there because of good infrastructure. So we don’t face any issues on the shows that we are shooting out of Bombay. 

     

    In Bombay, the issues that are raised by others are not always one sided. From cable and satellite point of view the Indian television industry is 25 years old now. I think very soon things will fall into place. 

     

    Do you see the quality of content on television getting better?

    It’s already getting better but it needs to raise the bar yet again. I am happy in the way that other channels and producers are investing in content these days. As a team, we need to push the quality of content more. We have great competition coming from digital. Therefore, we need to push more before someone else asks us to improve.

     

    Indian television content is getting somewhat bold. Don’t you think it can kill the family viewing factor, which has been its strength?

    Television is self regulated currently. It depends on the time in which the bold content is being aired. If makers feel that their audience need that kind of content, they put it because the objective is to keep the audience hooked and not let them go away. People are sensible enough to choose what that want to see and what they don’t want. The choice is always in the hands of viewers.

     

    Has BARC rural data impacted the dynamics of content creation?

    My understanding is still limited because everybody is still figuring out the trend. It will need a couple of more months to find out the actual trends. At least now we know that what the whole country is watching. The best part is that in rural India, Zee Anmol is doing well. Till now we didn’t know what was happening. Our show Bandhan is the number three show on an all India basis!

     

    I believe it will have a great impact on content because now we clearly know who we are talking to. So we need sharper content now.

     

    Where is Swastik going from here? And where would you like to see it by the end of 2016?

    I wish I knew but I can say that Swastik will always be around. If there’s one thing that we always knew, it’s that we have to deliver the best quality of work. Our aim is not to always play safe but to try and do something different. Taking on challenges and not being in our comfort zone is what we do.

     

    In 2016, we would like to mix two famous television series together, which will be loved by all.

  • Sony LIV premieres ‘Suryaputra Karn’

    Sony LIV premieres ‘Suryaputra Karn’

    MUMBAI: Sony LIV, Multi Screen Media (MSM’s) digital video entertainment brand, as part of strengthening the platform premiered the mythological show, Suryaputra Karn on its web and app platforms.

     

    Fulfilling its promise of a digital-first approach, MSM screened the pilot episode of this big-ticket primetime show exclusively on its digital entertainment brand on 29 June, 2015 at 4 pm while the on-air premiere will follow at 8:30 pm.  
     

    Catering to the demand of its viewers for entertainment on their preferred digital devices anytime anywhere, Sony LIV has launched a series of digital premieres of extremely popular entertainment properties from around the world.

     

    From the highest grossing Indian film of all time, PK to the world premiere of television’s most engaging thriller, Hannibal, Sony LIV continues bringing the best of content to its viewers before it is seen on any other platform.  
     

    Fearless, witty, steadfast and charitable are just a few qualities which best describe Karn. The show will take viewers through his less-discovered journey, from ‘being called the ‘soot-putra’ to becoming a warrior’ in the most captivating way.

     

    Moreover, the show will highlight different facets of his life, like his relationship with his birth-mother Kunti and his foster mother Radha, his animosity for the Pandavas and his unconditional loyalty towards his friends. With breath-taking locales, stellar performances, never-seen-before action and advanced VFX effects, Suryaputra Karn promises to be a visual delight seldom seen on television!

     

    While Aditya Redij will be seen playing the elder Karn, the fearless and talented Vishesh Bansal will play the younger one and Mouli Ganguly will mesmerize the audience as Radha. And the stunts have been orchestrated by ace Bollywood action director, Tinu Verma.

     

    Speaking on the digital premiere of the show, Sony Entertainment EVP and digital head Uday Sodhi commented, “After the success of Sankat Mochan Mahabali Hanumaan, we realized the kind of enthusiasm that exists amongst netizens for period dramas with elaborate visuals, mythical narratives and state-of-the-art special effects. To cater to the viewers’ preferences, we decided to offer them a digital-first premiere of a show that offers this entire package and also turns the spotlight on one of the most revered Indian mythological characters in a whole new way.”

      

    Sony Entertainment Television senior EVP and business head Nachiket Pantvaidya added, “Karn has always been one of the most intriguing characters of Mahabharata and his story deserves to be told in the most magnificent manner. The powerhouse performances coupled with the mind blowing visuals and interesting storyline will set the show apart from other mythological shows that we have seen till date. The show also helps us in further strengthening our programming line-up. We are thrilled to collaborate with Swastik Production for the launch of Suryaputra Karn.”

     

    Swastik Production producer Siddharth Kumar Tiwary opined, “Taking ahead our legacy of creating biggest of mythologies on TV, this show will depict every aspect of Karn’s life – the journey of the making of a legend. This is a premium series and will have gone all out in presenting the series in a grand scale. It’s great to partner with Sony Entertainment Television as we share a common vision of giving high quality content for the viewers.”

     

    Besides the first episode, Sony LIV will also offer exclusive behind-the-scenes content and moments to fans. They can also get a sneak peek into the making of the highly immersive and technologically astounding show.