ITV

Tag: VICE Studios

  • ‘Going Poly’: The different shades of love

    ‘Going Poly’: The different shades of love

    Mumbai: In a ground-breaking endeavour to shed light on the intricacies of polyamorous relationships, DocuBay, an international streaming platform from IN10 Media Network, presents Going Poly, a documentary that delves into the lives of individuals from Mumbai and Kolkata, exploring the nuances of love, loyalty, and societal acceptance.

    With Going Poly, DocuBay is taking on a topic rarely touched upon by mainstream media in India. The platform aims to provide viewers with a deeper understanding of polyamory, a topic often vetoed in a predominantly monogamous society.

    “Polyamorous relationships are a phenomenon in India, but surprisingly we found hardly any movie or documentary made on the topic. The taboo surrounding this topic intrigued us, prompting us to explore it further, for our viewers,” highlighted Girish Dwibhashyam, COO of DocuBay.

    The film, produced by VICE Studios, offers viewers a glimpse into the lives of polyamorous individuals from diverse backgrounds and age groups. Through intimate interviews and candid moments, the documentary navigates through the complexities of polyamory, addressing issues such as jealousy, morality, and inheritance.

    “We conducted extensive research to understand the nuances of polyamorous relationships and their significance,” explained VICE India director Anil Chaudhary. “Our goal was to present a balanced portrayal of polyamory, free from bias or judgment.”

    The documentary also examines the role of consent in polyamorous relationships. With numerous challenges faced while researching and filming, the platform hopes that the film contributes to the ongoing conversation about love, relationships, and societal acceptance of non-traditional partnerships.

    Going Poly streams on DocuBay starting 14 February 2024.

  • Prime Video’s Rainbow Rishta, bags a nomination for outstanding documentary at the Prestigious 35th Annual GLAAD Media Awards

    Prime Video’s Rainbow Rishta, bags a nomination for outstanding documentary at the Prestigious 35th Annual GLAAD Media Awards

    Mumbai: Prime Video, India’s most loved entertainment destination, has earned a nomination in the ‘Outstanding Documentary’ category at the prestigious GLAAD Media Awards for Rainbow Rishta, its unscripted Original series that explores the theme of queer love. This historic nomination marks the first time an Indian unscripted series on queer-love is being acknowledged at this prestigious award. The GLAAD Media Awards, founded in 1990, are recognized as the most prominent annual LGBTQ awards show in the world, sending powerful messages of acceptance to audiences worldwide. The ceremonies for the 35th Annual GLAAD Media Awards will be held in Los Angeles on March 14, 2024, and in New York City on May 11, 2024.

    Rainbow Rishta, which premiered on Prime Video in November 2023, is a first-of-its-kind series for any Indian streaming service that beautifully encapsulates six real-life love stories and experiences of members from the LGBTQIA+ community from India who move mountains to make their seemingly impossible dreams come true. The six narratives weave a vibrant tapestry, encompassing a range of stories such as vow exchanging ceremony between a doting couple, the dilemma of a 30 year old drag queen navigating their first date, the challenges faced by a young lesbian couple in Assam in search of a home, the story of a solitary man hoping to find love again, a doctor/ actor’s tryst of evading the world of casual dating, and a couple embarking on an adventurous road trip to Hampi to test the waters. Amusing, endearing, motivational, and innovative, these narratives are intricately linked through a common theme – the profound expression of love. They delve into the realms of seeking companionship, taking bold risks, nurturing families, grappling with loneliness, and collaboratively building homes.

    Showcasing myriad facets of love, the series is a VICE Studios Production, written by Monisha Thyagarajan, Navin Noronha, and Sneha Nair, and is directed by Jaydeep Sarkar, along with story directors – Hridaye A. Nagpal and Shubhra Chatterji.

    “Rainbow Rishta is a celebration of love in its myriad forms, presenting a compelling and diverse exploration of human connections and resilience. It’s a moment of true pride and honor for us to be nominated at the 35th edition of the prestigious GLAAD Media Awards and we express our gratitude to our creators for delivering this authentic representation, and a heartfelt appreciation to our cast for graciously allowing us into their lives,” said Prime Video Originals head India & Southeast Asia Aparna Purohit. “At Prime Video, we firmly believe that diversity, equity and inclusion, is not just needed, it is essential at every stage and in every sphere of our lives. Rainbow Rishta fearlessly shines a light on the lows, highs, and the challenges encountered by the members of the LGBTQIA+ community and serves as an evidence that inclusive storytelling can transcend all geographical and linguistic borders, and contribute towards demystifying and dismantling the biases that persist globally against the queer community. The nomination at GLAAD Media Awards reinforces our commitment to fostering narratives that not only entertain but also challenge perceptions and contribute towards a more inclusive and an accepting world.”

    Sarkar said, “Being recognized and appreciated for their efforts and work is truly fulfilling for any filmmaker, but being nominated at a coveted and prestigious award, such as the GLAAD Media Awards, is a matter of great pride for me and the entire team that worked tirelessly to bring Rainbow Rishta to life. Through an unbiased lens we tried to give authentic queer stories about love, freedom, triumphs, and choices a place in the mainstream. Rainbow Rishta aims to put personhood and humanity before labels, as it navigates the path of self-acceptance, extending from within to friends, family, and society. Everyone who worked on this docuseries was deeply empathetic towards the theme and I believe this incredible synergy of love and acceptance has been felt and appreciated by the audiences the world over, and now being recognized by the GLAAD Media Awards.”

    VICE Studios, Samira Kanwar, sharing her thoughts on the nomination said, “Rainbow Rishta is a show made with love, about the universality of love. While building out the series, we knew we wanted the series to spark conversations, build empathy and break preconceived notions, all whilst staying authentic to the experiences of the LGBTQAI+ community. We are so grateful to our incredible cast who allowed us into their lives in honest and moving ways, and to the fantastic crew who recognised the importance of what we were making – together we have genuinely created something incredibly important and real. The docuseries being nominated for Outstanding Documentary at the 35th GLAAD Media Awards, is truly a testament to the heart and soul that everyone who worked on it brought to this show and something we are truly proud of at VICE Studios.”

  • VICE Studios shines beyond Filmfare Win; Spotlight on groundbreaking series “Rainbow Rishta”

    VICE Studios shines beyond Filmfare Win; Spotlight on groundbreaking series “Rainbow Rishta”

    Mumbai: Trailblazing production house Vice Studios, is making headlines not only for its recent Filmfare win for Best Non-fiction Original of 2023 ‘Cinema Marte Dum Tak’ but also for its groundbreaking show ‘Rainbow Rishta’, which has been receiving widespread acclaim for its bold exploration of the LGBTQI community. ‘Cinema Marte Dum Tak’ is Vice Studio’s first series created for Amazon Prime Video, the second of which, ‘Rainbow Rishta’, creatively led by filmmaker Jaydeep Sarkar, was released just last month to widespread critical acclaim.

    While the Filmfare win has solidified Vice Studio’s position as a force to be reckoned with in the film industry, the studio aims to captivate audiences worldwide with a diverse range of compelling narratives. The expansion of the content library reinforces VICE Studios commitment to delivering high-quality, thought-provoking, and culturally relevant content across various platforms.

    Vice Studios head Samira Kanwar said, “At VICE, our commitment to create unique and inclusive stories is resonating with the audience around the globe. This is great validation for the hard work that we as a team have been doing for the last five years and breaking ground in non-fiction storytelling and proving that it is not only important but there is also an audience for it in India. Winning a Filmfare award is a tremendous achievement, and we’re thrilled about it, we hope our success goes beyond that.”

    Adding to this, Vice Media APAC managing director Nilesh Zaveri, said, “In five years, Vice Studios has become the frontrunner for documentary content in the Indian OTT space, with over 30 hours of content across major streamers like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Discovery+, with more in the pipeline, as it settles into the ever-changing Indian media landscape as the go-to studio for fact-based content. From hard-hitting true crime documentaries to character-focused, heartfelt docuseries about art, culture, and real stories about real people.”

    As Vice Studios continues to make waves in the entertainment industry, it remains dedicated to its mission of creating content that reflects the richness and diversity of the human experience.

  • discovery+ to premier new original ‘My Daughter Joined a Cult’

    discovery+ to premier new original ‘My Daughter Joined a Cult’

    Mumbai: discovery+ has announced the premiere of the new original My Daughter Joined a Cult, a docu-series produced by VICE Studios – the global production division of VICE Media Group about self-proclaimed godman, Swami Nithyananda in India exclusively from 2 June 2022.

    The 3×45 series will be available to stream in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, English, Kannada, and Malayalam, and is directed by Naman Saraiya.

    A mother wailing outside an ashram to see her daughters who have been barred from meeting her. A distraught father running from pillar to post to find answers pertaining to his missing children. A disillusioned devotee grappling with demands for nude pictures from the man she held in the highest esteem. A young man questioning the prevalence of sexual abuse and violence in a place meant for worship and reflection. These are but a few claims made by real devotees which make one wonder, who is lying and who is telling the truth? Or is there more than one version of the truth? Are these just allegations or is there something more than that? What really goes on inside a cult? Can someone claiming to be a Godman, actually turn out to be a Conman? Documenting claims made by ex-devotees and much more, My Daughter Joined a Cult follows the life of the controversial Swami Nithyananda, whilst giving a voice to individuals who were at the epicenter of it all.

    The three-part series, captures the exposure of the self-styled Godman, who allegedly deceived his believers by luring them into joining his ashram and gurukul trust Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam, and then later allegedly abused them. With a range of testimonies from devotees, lawyers, journalists and activists, the docu-series presents a narrative of the highs and lows of Nithyananda’s life in the pursuit of the reason behind his strong following despite being termed a fugitive by his ex-followers. Having lived the story themselves, the followers and ex-devotees provide an intimate perspective whilst revealing crucial details that help us better understand the entire narrative.

    Warner Bros. Discovery original content head- south Asia Sai Abishek said, “Discovery has always been synonymous with content that is raw and real. Keeping authenticity at the core of our offerings, My Daughter Joined a Cult is yet another step towards bringing alive a story that has multiple layers. This series chronicles the journey of followers of Nithyanand, and examines the vulnerabilities of humans that make them susceptible to joining cults to seek answers, sometimes leading to devastating effects. We are certain that viewers will be intrigued by this series, built on the back of hard-hitting firsthand accounts from ex-devotees, along with commentary from observers of his rise and subsequent allegations of abuse and fraud.”

    VICE Studios VP of content, APAC Samira Kanwar said, “My Daughter Joined A Cult is an uncompromising and unflinching docu-series about the internationally infamous figure of Swami Nithyananda. As is synonymous with VICE Studios, the series offers an authentic and compelling insight into a complex and controversial figure, using raw first-person testimonies and original production techniques. We are proud to be working with discovery+ to bring this series to a wide, global audience.”

    Director Naman Saraiya said, “Such a comprehensive and complex investigation into Nithyananda and his religious movement would not have been possible without the trust and cooperation of each person we crossed paths with… be it former devotees, survivors, journalists, lawyers and police officers. I hope the series resonates with audiences around the world and generates greater awareness of the events that led to his fall from grace and the indelible impact on those left in its wake.”

    He added, “My Daughter Joined A Cult has been one of the most challenging and rewarding projects of my career yet and I am incredibly proud of what the team and I have created with VICE Studios and Samira Kanwar.”

  • Insight TV Announces Co-Production with VICE Studios for Streetkings in Jail

    Insight TV Announces Co-Production with VICE Studios for Streetkings in Jail

    Amsterdam: Insight TV, the world’s leading 4K UHD HDR broadcaster and producer of native UHD content, is announcing details of its gritty new series Streetkings in Jail, a co-production with VICE Studios, the production company from VICE. Featuring 4 x 44 minute episodes, Streetkings in Jail will launch on Insight TV on September 10th.

    Football stars from all over the world hone their skills in playgrounds, parks and on the streets from an early age. As well as building world-class players, these environments are a backdrop for those whose lives travel in a very different direction. In Streetkings in Jail, Insight TV puts the spotlight on those that ended up in prison, spending the majority of their life in a concrete cell.

    In each episode Edward Van Gils, the Godfather of street football, will join forces with a football legend and visit a jail in the country they’re from, looking for talented players who took a wrong turn and ended up in the very worst position. Featuring Ruud Gullit (Netherlands), Gilberto Silva (Brazil), Juan Pablo Angel (Colombia) and Kevin Kuranyi (Germany), van Gils explores what puts some street kings on the world stage and others behind bars They will show the benefits street football can bring to the lives of inmates and how they can draw on the positive experiences that sport delivers to stay out of trouble in the future. As well as training them for a match, Edward and the legends will find out about the inmates backgrounds, what led to the moment that changed their lives forever and what they will do if and when they are released from prison.

    Frank le Mair, Executive Producer, Insight TV, says, “What triggered me to commission this series is the micro cosmos a little square around the corner of your house can be. You might find kids playing football that end up making it on a national team and you might find kids that will make bad choices in life, sometimes even more talented, but still end up making mistake after mistake and never get the life they could have had. This new series not only shows how difficult life can become by making one wrong choice, but how football can create positivity and unite people no matter what their background or circumstance. It’s the perfect fit for Insight TV; combining strong personal stories with powerful visuals in high quality.”

    Stefan Tieleman, General Manager, VICE Studios Benelux, adds, “Streetkings in Jail isn’t just a series about sports – it shows the impact sports can make on someone’s life at whatever stage that might be. Leveraging on the insights, talent and deep connection  with culture coming from VICE, we’re thrilled to bring a fresh, new take on football to the Insight TV viewers across the globe.”