ITV

Tag: Vidyuth Bhandary

  • Atrangii hires veteran producer to spearhead content blitz

    Atrangii hires veteran producer to spearhead content blitz

    MUMBAI: Atrangii and Hari Om OTT have recruited  Vidyuth Bhandary as executive vice-president for content and studios, as the streaming platforms gear up for an aggressive expansion push.

    The appointment brings nearly three decades of media muscle to the homegrown platforms. Bhandary previously ran studios at Dice Media, where he masterminded OTT content development and production. His cv spans heavyweight roles at Times Internet/MX Media, FremantleMedia, Star India and Big FM, with credits including top-rated international format shows and blockbuster Indian streaming content.

    In his new perch, Bhandary will commandeer content teams across both platforms whilst heading up their newly-minted studio division. His brief includes turbo-charging Atrangii’s fiction and non-fiction pipeline and crafting devotional stories for Hari Om. The studio arm will churn out original intellectual property for third-party OTT services, television and films.

    “We’re in a phase of aggressive growth, expanding our footprint and cementing our leadership,” said Vibhu Agarwal, founder of both platforms. “Vidyuth’s appointment is a key step—his experience will help strengthen our in-house content engine and accelerate our plans to build a world-class studio ecosystem.”
    The hire signals Atrangii’s intent to muscle in on India’s crowded streaming battleground. Bhandary pledged to forge fresh content partnerships whilst building “a multi-year roadmap” for both domestic and international markets.

    “My goal is to help build a strong in-house content slate, while also developing a full-fledged studio setup,” he said. “I look forward to expanding into new markets, genres and achieving the vision set by the management.”
    The move underscores how Indian streaming services are doubling down on original content to differentiate themselves in an increasingly saturated market.

  • Amazon miniTV presents the trailer for final season of ‘Crushed’

    Amazon miniTV presents the trailer for final season of ‘Crushed’

    Mumbai : Amazon miniTV – Amazon’s free video streaming service is all set to release the finale season of its most adored teen drama series, Crushed, following the successful journey of the previous three seasons, season 4 will mark the conclusion of this voyage. The streaming service unveiled the alluring trailer for the fourth and final season, offering a glimpse into Aadhya and her friend’s exciting journey, focusing on Sam’s unexpected return. Catapulted into one of the most iconic teen drama series, Crushed is all set to make a grand comeback with a captivating finale that will resonate with fans, imparting emotions and valuable life lessons. Created by Dice Media, Crushed Season 4 will feature Rudhraksh Jaiswal, Aadhya Anand, Naman Jain, Arjun Deshwal, Urvi Singh and Anupriya Caroli amongst others.

    The trailer dives into the lives of the Lucknow Central Convent’s students as they discover, learn, and experience the roller-coaster journey of school life. As our favorite teens step into a new academic year, things turn in Aadhya’s life as Samvidhan returns this season. The two love birds reunite but things don’t seem to be the same as they were before. Reflecting on school days, Aadhya, Jasmine, and Zoya’s friendship is tested over time, while Prateek and Sahil navigate challenges adapting to the new dynamics of school life. It will be interesting to witness if Sam conquers life’s test and regains his love, or if Aadhya moves forward, leaving her mixed emotions behind.

    Amazon miniTV content head Amogh Dusad, said, “Crushed has been one of Amazon miniTV’s most loved and appreciated series on the service, and it brings us great joy to announce the fourth season. The characters, the storyline and the nostalgia the series brings to life is something the audiences relate to and we are certain that this season will receive the same love and adoration as the previous seasons.”

    Dice Media studio head Vidyuth Bhandary, shared, “Embarking on the final chapter of Dice Media’s beloved teen drama, Crushed Season 4 will witness Sam’s return to not only win Aadhya back but also reconcile with his friends promising a roller coaster journey of relatable emotions. With three blockbuster seasons, Crushed has garnered immense love and support from our audience, with characters that have become an integral part of their lives. As we bid adieu to this season, stay tuned for an array of captivating shows that Dice Media is creating in collaboration with miniTV, set to launch imminently.”

    Regarding the fourth season, Rudhraksh Jaiswal shared, “I’m extremely grateful for all the love everyone has showered on me, my character and the show. We’ve all probably been a Sam, at least once in their lives, where we’ve been madly in love with someone, and that’s what makes this character so endearing to everyone. All that I can take back from this series, is that, if you love someone, say it, confess, make the effort, and continue to put in the effort and make sure you never run out of it. Can’t wait for everyone to watch, Sam, the guy in every neighborhood!”

    Sharing her thoughts on the final season, Aadhya Anand said, “Crushed has been embraced by the audience with great love and support ever since its inception. They have followed the character’s journey over time and have been completely engrossed in their adventure as they navigate through the challenges and new complexities. As we come together in the final season for one last time, it brings an array of emotions and nostalgia with an incredible experience.”

    The final season of Crushed will be available exclusively for streaming from 9 February only on Amazon miniTV. You can download the Amazon miniTV on Playstore or watch it within the Amazon Shopping App or Fire TV.

  • Tipping Point partners with Dice Media

    Tipping Point partners with Dice Media

    Mumbai: Tipping Point has been successfully winning the hearts of audiences by delivering distinctive and innovative shows like Jamtara and She, both of which have had successful second seasons, as well as critically acclaimed series like Taj Mahal 1989 and the anthology of Satyajit Ray’s short stories, Ray. Tipping Point channels the diverse, disruptive, and dynamic stories of the digital age with a focus on nuanced and edgy storytelling.

    Tipping Point has expanded its slate with a variety of exciting new series like Parallax, a crime thriller; Kaalkut, an investigative drama; Transition, a groundbreaking reality show; Mahim, a murder mystery; and Boots, Belts & Berets, a show about the life of army cadets. All of these series have finished production and will soon be available on major OTT platforms.

    In keeping with those initiatives, leading digital entertainment business Pocket Aces’ premium long-form production studio, Dice Media, and the digital content creators are now prepared to amuse the audience with a brand-new slate of content. The announcement of Cheeku, a coming-of-age story, as the first of many more powerful series in the pipeline, marks the beginning of the long-term creative partnership between the two content moguls. The slice-of-life comedy centres on a 24-year-old boy who struggles to reconcile his life’s cultural disparity. The series, directed by Rajesh Mapuskar and run by Ashwin Suresh, will feature seasoned performer Prakash Raj in a crucial part.

    Commenting on the collaboration, Viacom18 Studios COO Ajit Andhare said, “Tipping Point stands for unconventional yet relatable and rooted storytelling. We are dialling up our slate of digital content with a whole new array of heartwarming stories. The first of many more to come is Cheeku. Distinctive content comes from the concoction of creative minds, and I’m looking forward to this long-term partnership of Tipping Point with Pocket Aces to brew more interesting stories along the way.”

    Commenting on the collaboration, Dice Media studio head Vidyuth Bhandary said, “At Dice Media, relatable narratives have been the backbone of storytelling and we create these stories with a lot of love & passion ensuring it strikes the right chord with our audiences. We are extremely thrilled to partner with a creative powerhouse like Tipping Point which always backs the creative vision of their partners & together we are confident we will deliver a slate of high-quality engaging content that will be loved by the audience.”

    The collaboration will be an ongoing creative collaboration, with more titles to be announced soon in the coming year.

  • Vidyuth Bhandary named studio head of Dice Media

    Vidyuth Bhandary named studio head of Dice Media

    Mumbai: Strengthening its key leadership team further, Pocket Aces, a homegrown digital media entertainment company has announced the elevation of Vidyuth Bhandary to the studio head, Dice Media.

    Bhandary joined Pocket Aces in 2020 as vice president, content production and design, where he spearheaded and scaled up the company’s in-house production and post-production capabilities. In his new capacity, he will lead the expansion of Dice Media, drive strategy, P&L and OTT relationships, said the company in a statement.

    The natural progression to this larger role is a credit to his strategic leadership, successfully scaling up Pocket Aces’ content production and post-production capabilities, it added.

    “We are scaling up Dice Media to become one of the most highly acclaimed long-form studios in the country. We are working on shows across OTT platforms, genres, languages and formats – you will see Hindi dramas, regional language shows, audio shows, and very soon – movies coming from us,” said Pocket Aces co-founder and CEO Aditi Srivastav. “I am excited to see Vidyuth take up the Studio Head role and work with our excellent team to spearhead Dice Media into this next phase of growth.”

    With over two decades of deep experience in media & entertainment, Bhandary has held key leadership roles with some of the largest media conglomerates like Star India, The Times Group, Fremantlemedia Asia, Turner International India, Reliance Entertainment, and MX Player.

    “Having successfully established ourselves in the young adult segment with differentiated & unique offerings, we at Dice Media are now focused on developing larger shows with leading OTT platforms, across genres, languages, formats and borders,” stated Vidyuth Bhandary. “In parallel, we will work closely with international content companies to deliver on our promise of solving boredom by bringing the most-watched content across the world to our viewers.

  • FremantleMedia’s Confessions: It’s Complicated was exclusive on Facebook

    FremantleMedia’s Confessions: It’s Complicated was exclusive on Facebook

    MUMBAI: FremantleMedia’s first web series Confessions: It’s Complicated, launched exclusively on Facebook, has garnered 40 million hits by the finale of the show. The media house claims that they witnessed 70,000 live interactions with the cast of Confessions. The show based on constant audience interaction received 11.5 million views on Facebook.

    Confessions is a story of three girls Nupur Murthy, Sameera Saxena and Raka Ghosh who has moved to Mumbai to pursue their dreams to make it big. The girls set out to explore various aspects of their lives and the show is a coming-of-age tale of these girls.

    The Branded Entertainment and Digital Partnership head Ron Crasto commented, “ 86% of Confessions was watched on the mobile phone. The interactions of the fans with the stars not just came from the top 6 cities but also cities like Lucknow , Surat , Jaipur, Indore, Bhopal . The integrations of all the sponsor brands was seamless in the show and was followed through Facebook brand post and was engaging with the audience.”

    FremantleMedia India business head Vidyuth Bhandary commented, “As a company, we are constantly looking to create innovative content for our clients, audience and at times the platform itself. Confessions was the first drama web-series on Facebook & was also the first web-series to use the Facebook Live application. Being the first web series to have crossed 11.5 million views on Facebook, Confessions was able to achieve this success due to newer innovations and seamless sponsor integrations. We aim to bring more content to entertain our audiences.”

    FremantleMedia has also tied up with brands like Myntra,Gillette Venus,Nano Gen X /Saavn and Miss Malini. It not only gave a lot of traction to the show but also got a lot of brand value for the associated brands. The show saw a huge success across the country and for the first time ever, tied up with Saavn to release the first ever audio series for the show. FremantleMedia also invited fans from top 6 metro cities for Facebook live fan interactions.

  • FremantleMedia’s Confessions: It’s Complicated was exclusive on Facebook

    FremantleMedia’s Confessions: It’s Complicated was exclusive on Facebook

    MUMBAI: FremantleMedia’s first web series Confessions: It’s Complicated, launched exclusively on Facebook, has garnered 40 million hits by the finale of the show. The media house claims that they witnessed 70,000 live interactions with the cast of Confessions. The show based on constant audience interaction received 11.5 million views on Facebook.

    Confessions is a story of three girls Nupur Murthy, Sameera Saxena and Raka Ghosh who has moved to Mumbai to pursue their dreams to make it big. The girls set out to explore various aspects of their lives and the show is a coming-of-age tale of these girls.

    The Branded Entertainment and Digital Partnership head Ron Crasto commented, “ 86% of Confessions was watched on the mobile phone. The interactions of the fans with the stars not just came from the top 6 cities but also cities like Lucknow , Surat , Jaipur, Indore, Bhopal . The integrations of all the sponsor brands was seamless in the show and was followed through Facebook brand post and was engaging with the audience.”

    FremantleMedia India business head Vidyuth Bhandary commented, “As a company, we are constantly looking to create innovative content for our clients, audience and at times the platform itself. Confessions was the first drama web-series on Facebook & was also the first web-series to use the Facebook Live application. Being the first web series to have crossed 11.5 million views on Facebook, Confessions was able to achieve this success due to newer innovations and seamless sponsor integrations. We aim to bring more content to entertain our audiences.”

    FremantleMedia has also tied up with brands like Myntra,Gillette Venus,Nano Gen X /Saavn and Miss Malini. It not only gave a lot of traction to the show but also got a lot of brand value for the associated brands. The show saw a huge success across the country and for the first time ever, tied up with Saavn to release the first ever audio series for the show. FremantleMedia also invited fans from top 6 metro cities for Facebook live fan interactions.

  • Fremantle Media India forays into digital; launches web series ‘Confessions-It’s Complicated’

    Fremantle Media India forays into digital; launches web series ‘Confessions-It’s Complicated’

    MUMBAI: Fremantle Media India is known for its successful Indian Idol franchise, which has been running for several seasons. The content creator is now pushing the envelope on digital  and has launched its first web series titled Confessions –It’s Complicated. The launch was done at the hands of film actress Richa Chadda on 29 March.

    Based on three spirited, vivacious girls Sameera Saxena, Raka Ghosh and Nupur Murthy from different parts of the country who live under one roof and office in Mumbai, Confessions, sheds light on their struggles, fears, dreams and adventures. Peppered with a mix of drama, love, romance and wit, the show bridges the gap between the reel and real lives of the characters.

    The title track has been crooned by Anushka Manchanda, while the upbeat soundtrack has been composed by the renowned musician Leslie Lewis.

    The 40 episode show has been conceptualised for the ‘on-the-go’ audience with each episode being of eight minute duration. Confessions – It’s Complicated begins airing on 4 April 2016 with fresh episodes being launched online every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. A total of 10 episodes will have a confession that will be made every Saturday.

    Each installment will first be released on Facebook before moving on to Youtube. And that’s what makes Fremantle’s effort a standout. Its association with Facebook India and Facebook Live will allow viewers and fans to share their perspectives and experiences in real time. Additionally, the three leads will also reach out to audiences across key social media platforms and share with them their journey in the city of dreams.

    Estimates are that each episode is costing the production house anywhere from Rs six to eight lakh.

    Fremantle has roped in four sponsors  to help defray its costs. This includes Myntra, and Gillette Venus, as the title and powered by sponsors respectively with Miss Malini and Saavn coming in as other sponsors.

    Fremantle  Media India business head Vidyuth Bhandary highlights that every attempt has been made to integrate the sponsors into each episode so that the content and storyline looks seamless and unforced.

    It’s something that is echoed by Myntra VP marketing and head of monetisation Manish Aggawal. Says he: “Confessions does that (brand integration) beautifully. We are a fashion brand and fashion is all about choice. It is interesting to see how the three protagonists leverage fashion and their freedom in Mumbai according to their choice. They will be seen wearing Myntra clothes. Our consumers will get to see the products that we have through this.”

    Adds Myntra CMO and head of international brands Gunjan Soni: “We see digital and storytelling as a powerful way to engage with young people. The Confessions web series celebrates independent young women and hence is  close to our beliefs. We hope the viewers will also enjoy the shoppable styles the protagonists will be wearing.”

    The Myntra partnership has been extended in other ways: the show will air on the fashion outlet’s app giving it a reach of 7 million viewers even as the three faces will be seen on the application and its properties. Push notifications and pop ups will be sent to Myntra users.

    Part of the marketing plan drawn up by Fremantle includes the sponsors promoting the series on their digital platforms. Additionally, an agency to moderate social media to create buzz around the show has been signed on.

    “We are striving to develop new formats and explore innovative ways to integrate non-traditional platforms,” says Bhandary.

    The web-series has been produced in HD with the hope that it will find a telecast window in traditional TV channels, depending on its success.

    “You need a combination of high production values and good content for a show to stand tall, “ explains Bhandary. “Once we are done with the digital run, we will definitely syndicate it as it’s been made without any compromises. It’s produced equally or even better than how a TV show is produced. The amount I am paying to produce this web series, I would have to pay the same amount to produce a TV show.”

    A professional who is confident that the digital initiative will pay off is Fremantle Media India senior VP of branded entertainment and digital partnerships Ron Crasto. It was he who forged the relationship between the creatives at the content creator,  Facebook and Myntra. Says he: “We want to be at the forefront of digital content production and storytelling. This innovative series will delight audiences and deliver great results for all stakeholders.”

    Bhandary is hopeful of Confessions getting a second season. Says he:  “The idea behind a finite series is that people want a beginning and an end. If this gets successful, we might do a sequel also.”

    Amen to that!

  • Fremantle Media India forays into digital; launches web series ‘Confessions-It’s Complicated’

    Fremantle Media India forays into digital; launches web series ‘Confessions-It’s Complicated’

    MUMBAI: Fremantle Media India is known for its successful Indian Idol franchise, which has been running for several seasons. The content creator is now pushing the envelope on digital  and has launched its first web series titled Confessions –It’s Complicated. The launch was done at the hands of film actress Richa Chadda on 29 March.

    Based on three spirited, vivacious girls Sameera Saxena, Raka Ghosh and Nupur Murthy from different parts of the country who live under one roof and office in Mumbai, Confessions, sheds light on their struggles, fears, dreams and adventures. Peppered with a mix of drama, love, romance and wit, the show bridges the gap between the reel and real lives of the characters.

    The title track has been crooned by Anushka Manchanda, while the upbeat soundtrack has been composed by the renowned musician Leslie Lewis.

    The 40 episode show has been conceptualised for the ‘on-the-go’ audience with each episode being of eight minute duration. Confessions – It’s Complicated begins airing on 4 April 2016 with fresh episodes being launched online every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. A total of 10 episodes will have a confession that will be made every Saturday.

    Each installment will first be released on Facebook before moving on to Youtube. And that’s what makes Fremantle’s effort a standout. Its association with Facebook India and Facebook Live will allow viewers and fans to share their perspectives and experiences in real time. Additionally, the three leads will also reach out to audiences across key social media platforms and share with them their journey in the city of dreams.

    Estimates are that each episode is costing the production house anywhere from Rs six to eight lakh.

    Fremantle has roped in four sponsors  to help defray its costs. This includes Myntra, and Gillette Venus, as the title and powered by sponsors respectively with Miss Malini and Saavn coming in as other sponsors.

    Fremantle  Media India business head Vidyuth Bhandary highlights that every attempt has been made to integrate the sponsors into each episode so that the content and storyline looks seamless and unforced.

    It’s something that is echoed by Myntra VP marketing and head of monetisation Manish Aggawal. Says he: “Confessions does that (brand integration) beautifully. We are a fashion brand and fashion is all about choice. It is interesting to see how the three protagonists leverage fashion and their freedom in Mumbai according to their choice. They will be seen wearing Myntra clothes. Our consumers will get to see the products that we have through this.”

    Adds Myntra CMO and head of international brands Gunjan Soni: “We see digital and storytelling as a powerful way to engage with young people. The Confessions web series celebrates independent young women and hence is  close to our beliefs. We hope the viewers will also enjoy the shoppable styles the protagonists will be wearing.”

    The Myntra partnership has been extended in other ways: the show will air on the fashion outlet’s app giving it a reach of 7 million viewers even as the three faces will be seen on the application and its properties. Push notifications and pop ups will be sent to Myntra users.

    Part of the marketing plan drawn up by Fremantle includes the sponsors promoting the series on their digital platforms. Additionally, an agency to moderate social media to create buzz around the show has been signed on.

    “We are striving to develop new formats and explore innovative ways to integrate non-traditional platforms,” says Bhandary.

    The web-series has been produced in HD with the hope that it will find a telecast window in traditional TV channels, depending on its success.

    “You need a combination of high production values and good content for a show to stand tall, “ explains Bhandary. “Once we are done with the digital run, we will definitely syndicate it as it’s been made without any compromises. It’s produced equally or even better than how a TV show is produced. The amount I am paying to produce this web series, I would have to pay the same amount to produce a TV show.”

    A professional who is confident that the digital initiative will pay off is Fremantle Media India senior VP of branded entertainment and digital partnerships Ron Crasto. It was he who forged the relationship between the creatives at the content creator,  Facebook and Myntra. Says he: “We want to be at the forefront of digital content production and storytelling. This innovative series will delight audiences and deliver great results for all stakeholders.”

    Bhandary is hopeful of Confessions getting a second season. Says he:  “The idea behind a finite series is that people want a beginning and an end. If this gets successful, we might do a sequel also.”

    Amen to that!