Ekta Kapoor Queen of Television Industry, T.V. Serials, Balaji Telefilms
Love, Sex Aur Dhoka will be a hit
Monday, 01 March 2010 09:09
administrator
Dibakar Banerjee’s Lucky Oye! may not have done well at the box office, probably because the film came out the week of the Mumbai attacks.It was critically acclaimed, however. Says Dibakar, “That was the time when we all stood united against terror, so I don’t care about whether my film worked or not. But I felt bad for the producer’s losses. I always make small-budget films and my producers don’t normally lose money. If they make a profit, then good for us.” Dibakar is now onto his next movie, Love,Sex Aur Dhoka. So, how did the director think up such a bold title? “When you make a film like this, you better have an attitude of Jo hoga, dekha jayega. If you dared to make this film, you should face the upcoming obstacles too,” feels Dibakar.He said his film was the sort where “you get to see some sex, some violence, but along with that, you also get entertained with comedy that will make you fall from your chair.” Asked if he thought the Censor would have a problem with that, he said: “ I am sure you must be knowing many people who attempt sex... everyone does it, yaar, it’s a part of life, so why should the Censor have a problem? I don’t understand.” Dibakar’s Khosla Ka Ghosla had just one gaali, over which the censor put a bleep. “They didn’t cut it because it’s a common word in North India. So, the Censor Board has been quite intelligent in that respect,” says Dibakar.Asked about the plot of his film, he said, “The film is about how people misuse sex to earn money. The inspiration to make LSD came from the growing MMS scandals in India. Also, if you remember, a few politicians have been caught with their pants down. Such issues inspired me to make the film. When I told the story to Ekta Kapoor, she just wanted to make the film at any cost.” He adds, “I think such scandals are being read just as a headline today, something we forget in a week`s time. Have we ever wondered that there could actually be stories behind each of the headlines? This is what I am trying to convey through Love Sex Aur Dhokha where a hidden camera plays a character by itself.” Meanwhile the title track of the movie has been creating waves all around. The video which is eccentrically choreographed is grabbing eye balls for its unconventional tune and ‘shocking’ lyrics.Well, it sure seems like we are in for something we have not experienced before.The film releases on March 12.
She reigned supreme for years, with her TV shows occupying all the top slots. The czarina of television, Ekta Kapoor, Kapoor, was responsible for starting the trend of family dramas on the small screen.
But things change. As the television landscape in India got more fragmented, with more channels and shows, Ekta’s undisputed term ended. She went through a lull, but not for long. Ekta’s back! Her Pavitra Rishta has slowly and steadily zoomed up the TRP charts and she also has shows across most general entertainment channels (GECs). Here’s Ekta, in her own words, speaking about the ups and downs of life and how it’s only made her a stronger person...
Ruling the roost and then a lull... Yes, we were the only monopoly in the television industry. From occupying the top 25 slots for 2-3 years and then occupying top 15 slots for eight years to not having a single slot in the top 50... I’ve seen it all. But I never let anything affect me.
God and I: Some people use spirituality as their crutch, I use it as my strength. People thought I used God! They felt I prayed because I was insecure and worried about losing what I had and then when the career low happened, they thought things would change. But nothing changed. I remained the same, I continued my temple visits and all the other rituals I followed. I have a strong sense of belief in my Almighty and myself. A career low is not the end of life. There are other things like one’s family, health, your close people that are more important.
Calm and unfazed: I was not down and depressed when my shows went off air or when no show occupied the top slots. Yes, during that phase I was not as busy as earlier and that was the irritating part! But I had a lot of fun. I got into social networking sites and it was great connecting with so many people.
I learnt a lot in this one year: On the work front, my meetings with my company CEOs helped me see the problem — that we were totally dependant on our seven telly shows. And the fact is that in any industry, be it television or films, no monopoly lasts forever. That’s when we restructured and went through a complete change in attitude. I learnt a lot in this one year. We’ve launched so many people in the TV industry. But now we are looking to nurture people, show them fabulous growth. It’s about growing together. Our functioning has changed. We have CEOs, there’s group CEO Puneet Kinra, who takes the final calls. It’s no longer my decisions alone. My mom continues to handle the production finances... no one can do it like her! Workwise for me it’s been a great journey so far and I have a long way to go. I’ve met some wonderful people over the years. The one person I have utmost respect for in the TV industry is Uday Shankar of Star network. He’s been the same with me from day one. I really admire him.
Future plans: We are looking to branch out. I want our production house to become the one-stop place covering the entire gamut of things in the telly industry. And along with TV, there’s films, new media etc... there’s lots to do.
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Balaji Telefilms Ltd that forayed into the digital space recently, announces the launch of its first ever iPhone application named 'Ganesha Stories' under its New Media initiative. With the launch of this application, Balaji Telefilms Ltd expands its presence in the internet and mobile space to cover the growing iphone and itunes users.
Balaji Telefilms Ltd - New Media division was set up to expand and capitalize on its creative and production facilities to cover the mobile and internet space. In the mobile space the team has made significant strides in creating original content in audio and video format, deploying and marketing the same across all major mobile networks. The division is poised for a significant play on the 3G platforms in the future.
The Ganesha iPhone application allows consumers to have access to their favourite Elephant God on the move. Aartis and stories revolving around Lord Ganesha are available at the click of a button featuring the best names in Bollywood playback singing.
Commenting on the launch, Ekta Kapoor, Joint Managing director, Balaji Telefilms Ltd said, "Mobile Entertainment is a growth area for us. We are focusing on creating content for Mobile Phones. Delivering top quality mobile entertainment is becoming possible with improved phones like iPhone and better networks."
"Over the last year Balaji Telefilms Ltd has evolved from being a leader in the television and film production to creating a strong footprint in the Online and Mobile VAS space," said Puneet Kinra, Group CEO, Balaji Telefilms Ltd.
"The Mobile entertainment space has assumed great significance today and we plan to focus extensively on the same to address the current consumers as well as the evolving market of 3G content both in India and internationally."
Commenting on the launch, Uday Sodhi, CEO, Balaji Telefilms Ltd – New Media said, "The Mobile VAS industry offers significant opportunity to offer innovative, interactive & original content to the consumers across platforms. Taking our efforts in the mobile space forward we have now begun to roll out a range of applications for the iPhone market, 'Ganesha Stories' being the first. We are confident that our story telling ability combined with creative use of technology will bring a joyful experience to the consumer."
'We plan content for internet, mobile platforms' - Puneet Kinra, CEO, Balaji Telefilms
Thursday, 04 February 2010 16:45
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It’s a little over a year since the dramatic STAR Group and Balaji Telefilms saga came to an end. With this, the Ekta Kapoor-promoted soap factory’s fortunes changed. After posting losses for almost eight months, Balaji finally came out of the red in the latest quarter. In an interview withAminah Sheikh,Balaji Telefilms' Group CEOPuneet Kinratalks about the company’s plans. Edited excerpts:
The last one year has been tough for Balaji, from being the leading TV production house to a struggling outfit... Our old shows under our contract with STAR began going off air from the last quarter of 2008, and it has taken us some time to get new shows on air. Also, new shows by other broadcasters have been commissioned at a far lower value, largely driven by the recession that also hit the entertainment industry. Thus, our realisations per show came down drastically, from Rs 27 lakh per hour in 2008 to Rs 15-16 lakh per hour in 2009. In the last quarter of 2008, we were hit by the TV strike, which affected our bottom line for that quarter.
By what per cent have the realisations per show come down? Over 40 per cent. But after eight months of operating losses for the quarter ended December 31, 2009, we have posted a net profit of Rs 1.81 crore (from Rs 0.56 crore during the corresponding quarter of 2008). However, the company's total revenue came down 23 per cent to Rs 38.97 crore for quarter from Rs 50.56 crore in the corresponding quarter. The number of shows have increased, but the realisations have come down. So, the revenue is not high. But we forecast steady growth in the months to come.
How many hours of programming do you air now? As of now, we produce 216 hours of programming across Hindi general entertainment channels (GECs) and 158 hours (sponsored programming) in the south every quarter. We have seven shows on air across Hindi GECs and four shows on the Sun network. In the next two quarters, we may not launch new shows as our focus now is to strengthen our position and consolidate before increasing the number of shows.
What are Balaji’s plans in the new media domain? Under the new media vertical, we have launched a portal 'Hoonur.Com' — an online talent platform that helps independent professionals showcase their talent and get projects/businesses from the film and television fraternity. We plan to launch exclusive entertainment content for the internet and mobile platforms. We are in the process of launching three shows on the new media platform this year and we will own the intellectual property rights of the shows.
How is the new brand Alt Entertainment different from the existing Balaji brand? Balaji will continue to produce content for the masses across platforms, while Alt Entertainment will create content for television, motion pictures and new media, with the urban youth as the target audience. To begin with, Alt Entertainment will release a film directed by Dibakar Bannerjee, 'Love, Sex aur Dhoka'. Under the Balaji banner, we will release a film starring Ajay Devgan and directed by Milind Lutheria. In addition, there are six-seven movies in the pipeline, including 'Special Chabbis' by Neeraj Pandey and 'Shor' by DK & Raj.
Indian Television queen Ekta Kapoor is all set to create a fast-paced movie, based on a real life jeweler theft incident, with A Wednesday director Neeraj Pandey.
The film is based on an incident that took place on March 19, 1987, when 26 men, pretending to be income tax officials, walked into Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri’s Opera House branch jewellery store and took away wealth worth lakhs of rupees. The film is titled Special Chabbis and will be produced by Ekta Kapoor.
Neeraj is currently busy researching the topic and is very enthusiastic about the film. The film will go on the floors by the end of this year.
