ITV

Tag: Swati Mohan

  • Nat Geo partners ISRO to showcase Mangalyaan: India’s Mission to Mars

    Nat Geo partners ISRO to showcase Mangalyaan: India’s Mission to Mars

    MUMBAI: With a view to increase its focus original productions in India, National Geographic Channel has partnered with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to celebrate the successful space mission to Mars – Mangalyaan or Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM).

     

    The channel will premiere an exclusive one-hour special documentary on India’s first interplanetary mission – Mangalyaan: India’s Mission to Mars on 5 November at 10 pm, which also happens to the date when the mission was launched two years back. Mangalyaan entered the Martian orbit on 24 September, 2014.

     

    Nat Geo will capture Mangalyaan’s journey of over 650 million km through live action visuals, graphic representations and expert interviews. The documentary will feature all the excitement, last minute preparations, the countdown and the successful launch of the mission.

     

    Commenting on the success of Mangalyaan, ISRO chairman A S Kiran Kumar said, “It was a proud moment for our team, and in fact for the entire country, when Mangalyaan successfully entered the Martian orbit. We are glad that a brand like National Geographic Channel has partnered us in showcasing not only this historic journey, but also the science and technology behind it. This documentary will give viewers an exquisite glimpse into the Mangalyaan journey, the salient features of the mission, and the major milestones accomplished by the team behind it.”

     

    Fox International Channels (India) business head Swati Mohan added, “Nat Geo is pleased to be associated with ISRO in showcasing the success of Mars Orbiter Mission. Nat Geo has been a pioneer in showcasing landmark events and ‘Mangalyaan: India’s Mission to Mars’ is another breakthrough production that underlines our focus on original productions in India. To showcase the scale of this mission, our special episode will feature the subject experts who will not only explain the nuances behind this delicate technology, but also demonstrate the subtle nature of this inter planetary mission.”

  • Fox Life India turns one

    Fox Life India turns one

    MUMBAI: Fox Life India, a channel that offers everything in the lifestyle genre from music, fashion, party, style to reality, has just turned one! And it’s been a year of celebrating food, fashion, music and travel. Owned by Fox International Channels (FIC), Fox Life India was launched on 15 June, 2014.

     

    Back to the roots

     

    The channel has seen multiple name changes. From Fox History and Entertainment, it was renamed Fox History and Traveller in May 2011. In October 2011, it became Fox Traveller and last year, the channel was christened Fox Life.

     

    Going through numerous revamps by logos changes, the channel changed its logo five times from November 2008 to present. Subsequently as the channel dropped history related shows from its programming milieu and only had content related to travel and sight-seeing, it took on the name of Fox Traveller. Finally making a stagnant move, the channel changed its name to Fox Life, thus turning it into a lifestyle channel.

     

    Action over the last 12 months

     

    While it started as a channel that showcased travel and food, Fox Life later expanded the genre by adding lifestyle elements to the programming mix.

     

    Fox International Channels India business head Swati Mohan believes that the journey has always been fun and the one with Fox Life has been truly spectacular. “Fox Life is a huge lifestyle channel in the FIC portfolio worldwide and here in India, we’re trying to keep on that global legacy while maintaining our local flavour. It’s a perfect mix of Indian and global content that showcases various aspects of lifestyle. Our fans and audience have loved the change,” Mohan tells Indiantelevision.com.

     

    Adventure, Experiments, New Journeys

     

    The channel delivers a slate of watch-together content like Soundtrek (second season), a music show, which featured artists from across the country and their take on classic old songs. Another hit show on the channel was Twist of Taste, which went into its fourth season and was hosted by Vikas Khanna.

     

    Style and the City, the perfect fashion show, which goes behind a celebrity’s fashion closet also premiered its third season in May.

     

    In addition to these India made shows, the channel has shows from around the world such as Getaway, which takes you to the best locales on the globe, Into the Unknown with David Beckham, a show which features the star and his bike ride through South America, Eat Street and Street Food Around the World, showcases the most yummy-licious food from the world over.

     

    “We were the leaders in the travel and lifestyle genre with Fox Traveller and we have maintained that stance with Fox Life. The addition has been the new shows and contest genres that we’ve added,” states Mohan.

     

    She further adds, “It really has been a year of change and through the 12 months we’ve been working hard to give our fans the best lifestyle mix. We’ve added so many sub-genres and grown the travel and lifestyle genre at large, which as the leader in the segment was our prerogative to do.”

     

    The Buzzing machine

     

    The channel attracts good eyeballs on social media. On the channel’s official Facebook page, it garners more than three million likes and has been decorated with it’s been #onederfuljourney since the past three days. On YouTube, it has more than 2,000 subscribers. On Twitter it has 25,000 followers. On the channel’s first anniversary, the hashtag #FoxLifeTurnsOne was also promoted.

     

    In order to keep viewers engaged throughout the year, Fox Life has used the on-air medium to create engagement and visibility. Moreover, it has also offered audiences a lot of live tweeting options, watch and win and real time engagement with the channel.

     

    For the show Twist of Taste, it got a famous food blogger in Mumbai to take 25 people on a dessert food walk around the city. Participants got to see a side of Mumbai they hadn’t and FB – Twitter fans followed the winners on their walk.

     

    Another way in which the channel connects with its fans is by letting them interact with show hosts like Vikas Khanna, Rochelle Rao, Kiran Jethwa, David Rocoo and others.

     

    For Soundtrek this year, Fox Life created a campaign for which it won silver for the ‘Outstanding Programme Image Campaign’ category at Promax.

     

    “The journey so far has been great and we’re looking at going places in the future too. To grow the channel and give our fans all of that they need in the lifestyle space is the way to go and that’s what we’re going to do,” concludes Mohan.

     

    For the record, the channel, which caters to the lifestyle segment was originally launched in Italy and now reaches to 73 countries in 19 different languages. Fox Life India reaches to more than 52 million households across the country.

  • Fox International Channels elevates Swati Mohan as business head

    Fox International Channels elevates Swati Mohan as business head

    MUMBAI: Fox International Channels India has elevated Swati Mohan as its business head. She was previously vice president – content and programming.

     

    In her new role, Mohan will take over the India operations from NGC Network India & Fox International Channels managing director Keertan Adyanthaya, effective 30 March, 2015.

     

    Mohan will be reporting into the Hong Kong office and will be heading the network portfolio of all existing Fox International Channels in India including National Geographic Channel and Fox Life as well as the other network channel properties like Baby TV, Nat Geo Wild, Nat Geo Adventure, Nat Geo Music and National Geographic Channel HD.

     

    Prior to this, since January 2012, Mohan has been spearheading the programming and content portfolio for the bouquet of channels including National Geographic Channel and Fox Life. She has over 16 years of experience in the industry, with a wide spectrum of work across companies including Group M, O&M, FBC Media and Endemol previously.

     

    Adyanthaya said, “Swati has been leading the content team at Fox for the past three years and has done a stellar job. When it was time to choose a new leader for our business, we didn’t have to look beyond Swati. She has a keen understanding of the content and having been a key part of the hard working & dedicated team here, she will lose no time in propelling our company to even greater heights.”

     

    Mohan added, “It’s been an enriching experience to have worked under the leadership of Keertan, and I thank the organisation for the opportunity to be able to take forward what he has built here at FIC India in the last five years. We have a great and diverse bouquet of offerings and I am excited about building the business further with the support of the capable team here.”

  • FOX Life is back with an all new season of ‘Life Mein Ek Baar’

    FOX Life is back with an all new season of ‘Life Mein Ek Baar’

    MUMBAI: After the first two successful seasons of ‘Life Mein Ek Baar’, FOX Life, India’s leading travel and lifestyle channel, is back with an all new power packed season of unique experiences. This season will showcase 4 friends explore their friendship- Evelyn Sharma, Rochelle Rao, Pia Trivedi and Mahek Chahal as they take on an exciting and emotional journey in Thailand. Life Men Ek Baar premieres on FOX Life on 26 November 2014 and will air every Wednesday and Thursday at 10 pm.

    The show will capture the exciting journey of four friends- the romantic Evelyn Sharma, the spirited Rochelle Rao, the impulsive Pia Trivedi and the mysterious Mehak Chahal, as they discover the adventurous side of life. The girls do it all and that too with much élan! Whether they are giving free hugs to passers-by or experiencing life inches away from deadly snakes – every day is a surprise for the girls. From an emotional tour of Wat Pho temple to an adrenaline pumping cliff and sky diving; from flying in a Gyrocopter to getting an Elephant Massage; from kite surfing and ocean walking to club hopping and trying their hands at Muay Thai- the combat sport of Thailand. Every episode holds a promise of something fresh and exhilarating.

    Talking about the new season, Swati Mohan, Vice President – Content & Programming, FOX International Channels said, “True to the philosophy of the channel, Life Mein Ek Baar is a show where viewers get a chance to see, feel and taste just how amazing life could be if you learn to live it to the fullest and truly – Go Places. Two successful seasons later, the show returns for a 3rd with the same adrenalin rush, real emotions & superior production quality that it has come to be known for. A brand new cast takes the plunge to exotic Thailand and are seen pushing each other out of their comfort zones, tackling their fears head on and taking a big bite out of life”

    Talking about her small screen debut, Evelyn Sharma said, “Life Mein Ek Baar is all about adventure and friendship. It helped me live my biggest dream that too with three amazing girls. I would have never thought I’d get to experience all the things in my bucket list at once!  What appealed me about this show was the positivity along with travelling, adventure and the adrenaline thrill.”

    Echoing the excitement, Pia Trivedi said, “Life Mein Ek Baar gave me the perfect opportunity to get away from my hectic schedules and live my life in an exciting way. The show helped me to embrace each moment in life and live it to the fullest.”

    Talking about her experience, Rochelle Rao said, “Being a part of the show was the ultimate Life Mein Ek Baar moment for me. It was great fun to be out there with your friends and doing a bunch of crazy activities. I always wanted to do bungee jumping and I finally did it and enjoyed it thoroughly.”

    Talking about being on the show, Mahek Chahal said, “I have always loved trying different things and experiences in life and Life Mein Ek Baar just sounded that. I really enjoyed Kite surfing despite a few challenges and Jet packing was also a lot of fun.”

    Watch the high profile girl’s gang live life to the fullest in Life Mein Ek Baar starting 26thNovember 2014 every Wednesday & Thursday at 10 pm only on FOX Life.

    Annexure:  Episodic synopsis

    Episode 1: All the girls meet and share their wish lists of what they want to do in Thailand. Pia has already planned a surprise for the girls- cliff diving. Evelyn and Mehak refuse to do the activity and get upset. So, Rochelle makes a plan for the night to cheers up the girls and she takes them to a famous sundowner party where they raise the toast for the start of their journey.

    Episode 2: Mehak and Rochelle enjoy the day scuba diving whereas Pia and Evelyn rent bikes and explore the Phi Phi Island.

    Episode 3: Pia plans a gyrocopter ride for her and Evelyn, who is scared of height, at the Phuket Airpark. Mehak surprises Rochelle with a paddle surfing experience. Rochelle is extremely grateful to Mahek for surprising her with this amazing experience.

    Episode 4: Girls meet up with John gray, an environmentalist and start on a boat journey to explore the caves. After the cave exploration, John surprises the girls with the camping plan at the no-man’s beach, where they all enjoy and bond over a bonfire.

    Episode 5: Mehak has planned the day for all girls with an exciting visit to the Khao Lak National Park. Rochelle shares her secret fear of white water rafting and all girls decide to try that out and help Rochelle get over her fear. Unfortunately Evelyn hurt her foot while rafting. Girls decide to have some fun and also do zip lining.

    Episode 6: Mehak and Rochelle chill at the Kata beach try their hand at surfing. They enjoy it thoroughly with various successful and unsuccessful attempts. Whereas, Pia and Evelyn explores a unique place called Muslim village, which is made on stilts. They spend their day Fishing, playing football with the locals and also shake a leg with the elderly females of the village.

    Episode 7: Rochelle conquers her fear of heights by doing bungee jumping all alone. On her accomplishment, Pia surprises her with a trip to Tiger kingdom, where they play with the tigers and spread the message of Save Tigers. Evelyn and Mehak enjoy a drive around the city and explore a unique upside down house, where everything from decor to furniture a placed upside down.
     
    Episode 8: Rochelle, Mehak and Evelyn decide to spread love by giving free hugs with the public as previously done by Barbara & Yana in season 2. Pia being the adventurous freak, takes on Para motoring all alone and enjoys her air ride.
     
    Episode 9: Mehak surprises Pia with a kite surfing training session. With many funny falls, they enjoy it to the fullest. As this was their last day in Phuket, Rochelle plans a yacht ride with wine for the girls. They experience the crazy nightlife of the city by taking a tour to the naughtiest street of Phuket – Patong road. Unfortunately Evelyn misses out the fun as she was unwell and was resting.
     
    Episode 10: Evelyn surprises Rochelle and Mehak with a private plane ride with wine and cheese. Evelyn and Pia then enjoy an early morning breakfast at a boathouse restaurant where they meet Chef Ryan and decide to take some cooking tips from him. While taking their cooking classes, they decide to serve some free food to people at beach area and enjoyed the feeling of feeding someone.

  • Get ready for a mega kitchen tour with National Geographic Channel

    Get ready for a mega kitchen tour with National Geographic Channel

    MUMBAI: National Geographic Channel (NGC) is all set to add another feather to its hat as it launches a brand new India based ‘mega’ series- ‘Mega Kitchens’.

     

    In keeping with the ‘Mega’ brand (Megafactories and Megastructures), that prides in never-seen-before access delivered to the viewer, the Megakitchen series will be a unique look into what goes into the functioning of these mammoth kitchens – with a focus on scale, volume, technology and process. The show also promises to take viewers on journeys that will give them a firsthand account of the emotion, stress and fun of the people behind it all – the pressure, precision and purpose of feeding the many thousands of people on a daily basis. 

     

    The series will be covering a variety of kitchens across India. Be it a kitchen serving up to one lakh meals a day or a kitchen catering to a fleet of airlines, the series guarantees to take the viewer right to the middle of the action. From the Golden Temple where 40,000 – 1,00,000 free meals are served on a daily basis to Khadakwasla’s National Defence Academy which houses the largest military kitchen and the Brahma Kumaris in Mt. Abu – India’s largest solar kitchen, the series promises to be a thrilling experience for info and food junkies.

     

    Commenting on the show, Swati Mohan, Vice President, Content and Programming, NGC Networks and FOX International Channel said “Being the front runner in the space of infotainment production in India, we at Nat Geo pride ourselves in creating content that exemplifies exclusive access, well researched facts, a local flavour and international quality. Megakitchens is an example of our continued commitment to do just that within the confines of the much loved franchise of ‘Mega’. The portrayal of food, the Nat Geo way is a novel concept and we’re pretty sure that our viewers will enjoy this new mega adventure!”

     

    The show is scheduled to go on air early next year.

  • National Geographic Channel presents the mega port of Mundra

    National Geographic Channel presents the mega port of Mundra

    MUMBAI: Megastructures, continuing with its legacy of showcasing the biggest of the structures from around the world, is back with a brand new episode this July. Get set to discover India’s biggest private port- in this special episode. The show captures the enormity and magnificence of the Mundra Port along and seamless work done by the employees, day in and day out. The show will air on National Geographic Channel on Saturday, 19th July at 7 PM.

     

    Mundra port caters to the large northern hinterland of the country and boasts of the largest SEZ in the country. The port is faced with unthinkable engineering challenges everyday that are overcome through state-of-the art, high speed and safe mechanized material handling and storage. The Mundra Port is a modern marvel and through this special episode viewers will witness how mega-dreams became Megastructures.

     

    NGC Networks and FOX International Channels vice president programming and content Swati Mohan said, “Over the past many years, through our global franchise of “Megastructures”, we have showcased inner workings of some of the most celebrated man-made structures across the world. India currently hosts quite a few Megastructures and the Adani Port is a great example of a functional Megastructure in the country. This one hour special documentary will bring to light the scale of operations, the challenges and the attention to detail that goes into successfully managing this port that never sleeps. Set on one of the most critical days for any international port, the film will take viewers through how the entire team carefully navigates to overcome the impossible to make all ends meet.”

     

    Commenting on the show, a spokesperson from the Adani group said, “It is a pleasure to be associated with National Geographic Channel for this special episode. We are proud of the work that our teams do on a daily basis to ensure smooth functioning of India’s biggest private port at Mundra and no other channel could have showcased it better. Megastructures is a renowned series and has featured great structures from around the world and we are happy to be part of it. We are sure the Indian viewers will be thrilled and proud to see the sheer scale of the port.”

     

    Megastructures: Mundra Port premiers on Saturday, 19 July, at 7 pm on National Geographic Channel.

  • National Geographic finds hope in Kedarnath

    National Geographic finds hope in Kedarnath

    MUMBAI: Marking a year of the tragic event of the flash floods of Kedarnath, National Geographic Channel is set to showcase the current realities of the region in its new documentary Kedarnath: Restoring the Faith. Bringing forward the efforts of restoration and stories of the survivors, the documentary will track everything that has happened after the calamity struck the region of Uttarakhand in June last year. The documentary will premiere on Friday, June 27th, 2014 at 10 pm.

     

    The documentary is set to provide a comprehensive view on the tragedy with a brief recap on the disaster, survivor stories through extensive interviews, restoration efforts in the valley and rescue operations by the armed forces. Kedarnath: Restoring the Faith focuses on the miraculous stories of the survivors and the herculean efforts of the rescue teams. The horrors of the survivors and the triumphs of rescue missions are brought to life through first-hand accounts, survivors own cell phone videos, graphics and recreations as the viewer is  taken back to ground zero to witness the wrath of nature as it came crashing down on mankind.

     

    Swati Mohan, Vice President, Programming & Content, NGC Networks and FOX International Channels, said, “Exactly a year back, the disaster at Kedarnath shook all of us. While the tragedy brought with it much horror and grief, there were many stories of inspiration, selflessness and bravery that the world needs to hear about. It is these very stories that we have attempted to capture in this new documentary. With exclusive coverage of the disaster site one year hence, this special also talks about efforts of rebuilding the area to restore Kedarnath to the place that it used to be.”

     

    Kedarnath: Restoring the Faith premiers on Friday, June 27th, at 10 pm on National Geographic Channel.