Showing posts with label Amazon Prime. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Amazon Prime. Show all posts
Jio Cinema creating web series with 100-plus episodes targeted at tier-2 cities audience
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Sources say Jio Cinema creating web series with 100-plus episodes targeted at tier-2 cities’ TV-watching audience; more platforms to follow suit
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; September 1, 2023)
With the advent of OTT in India, the content landscape changed in the past few years. Long-format storytelling and quality stories dominated the web. Finite series came as a refreshing change of pace from the unending saas-bahu dramas on television. But it looks like there will be a new shift in the web world. Word is that Jio Cinema is planning to blend elements of TV and web for their new slate, which comprises shows that span over 100 episodes.
Sources say the move is a means to increase engagement on the app. “With this, they will target tier-2 and -3 cities where the language of entertainment differs vastly from the metros. The content will be different from television’s daily soaps, offering genres over and above family dramas. The discussions are still in the early stages,” says a source. Buzz in the industry is that the business model may eventually be replicated by other OTT platforms.
“Since Amazon Prime Video and Netflix are international players, adopting this format will require approvals from their respective US heads. But Sony LIV and Disney+ Hotstar are looking at adopting the business model. The idea is to beat television instead of competing with other OTT players,” adds the source.
Naturally, the content will differ from the current web series that are fast-paced and have quick payoffs. A writer in discussion with a leading platform for a 100-plus episodic show, on condition of anonymity, tells mid-day, “This requires a blend of television writing and OTT writing, where plots are set up for long-term payoffs. The internal brief is to write multiple seasons all at once. Since it has to cater to the taste of a tier-2 town viewer, the gore and sexual elements will be less, and there will be greater insistence on drama. An example would be the TV show, POW: Bandi Yuddh Ke (2016), which had international sensibilities but played out over 110 episodes.”
We ran out of extremely bad movies-Biswa Kalyan Rath
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Leaving people in splits with his latest special Mood Kharaab, Biswa Kalyan Rath on why Pretentious Movie Reviews was discontinued
Letty Mariam Abraham (MID-DAY; May 9, 2023)
Few in India do observational comedy as well as Biswa Kalyan Rath. He believes that his stand-up comedy style is a mix of observations and storytelling. The comedian has blended them together for the Amazon Prime Video special, Mood Kharaab. In a chat with mid-day, the ‘mast aadmi’ talks about his learnings over the years, roping in comedian-friend Kanan Gill to direct his special, and how Pretentious Movie Reviews still has dedicated fans.
Edited excerpts from the interview.
What learnings from your last two specials have you incorporated in Mood Kharaab?
In the first one [Biswa Mast Aadmi], I was telling my childhood stories. Then I ran out of them. I thought [relying] on childhood stories is not a sustainable business [laughs]. In Sushi, I talked about my observations, and realised that my stand-up [style] is a mix of observation and storytelling. There is a story-telling segment in Mood Kharaab, which is my favourite. It is odd and new. Creatively, I have reached a place where I can blend them together.
Why is the special titled so?
I was writing the jokes one after the other, and didn’t have a theme. Eventually, [I realised] these were all first-world problems, they are not real [laughs]. They just spoil my mood. Earlier, I would approach things with the view that they are bad, when in reality, only my mood is kharaab.
What are some of these first-world problems that spoil your mood?
I have a problem with the Metaverse. Can you believe it? It’s a ridiculous thing to hate because it is not even of this world. I have problems with online shopping, and fairytales. The basic problem is that fairytales don’t take care of logistics.
You recently conducted a masterclass on comedy writing. What did you learn?
When you try to teach, you understand what you are instinctively doing much better. I understood that simplicity is beautiful. We tend to get lost in so many complicated things. But at the end of the day, it is about emotion and jokes. You have to have the emotion people relate to, and the joke that releases that emotion. You have to write the joke, understand the emotion behind it and everything falls in place.
How did Kanan Gill come on board as director?
This special was supposed to go out in 2020, but got delayed because of the pandemic. This was a long-running deal with Amazon Prime Video. They have been very supportive of comedy and making me money. I am thankful to them, mostly for the money [laughs]. People often ask, what does a director do in a stand-up comedy? I took a different approach with Kanan. I wanted someone who understands my performance style. I wanted a comedian-director to direct me, because when you are shooting and performing, you don’t get an objective view. We have a great chemistry and understand each other’s joke-writing approach. He has done a great job.
Have you two considered making another round of Pretentious Movie Reviews?
We are so grateful that people are still asking for it after nine years. At that time, we were going with the flow. Then, we ran out of extremely bad movies. Good movies are different, but bad movies are bad in the same way, and then your jokes become the same. We sensed that we were reaching the end point. We are glad it picked up because it made both our careers. Next year, it will be 10 years of Pretentious Movie Reviews. Rarely do shows have a great ending, I am glad we ended with people asking for more.
Health ministry considering tobacco warning on OTT platforms
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Health Ministry Consulting Stakeholders
Durgesh Nandan Jha (THE TIMES OF INDIA; January 10, 2023)
New Delhi: The health ministry is consulting the information & broadcasting ministry and other key stakeholders on issuing a notification to OTT platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney+ Hotstar to carry anti-tobacco warning messages like we see in movies screened in the theatres and TV programmes.
All films and programmes shown in theatres and television channels are supposed to display an anti-tobacco health warning as a prominent static message at the bottom of the screen during the period of display of the tobacco products or their use in the film and television programme. They are also supposed to display an antitobacco health spot, of minimum thirty seconds duration each at the beginning and middle of the films and television programme.
Senior officials told TOI the discussions are currently in advanced stages to issue notification for anti-tobacco warnings on OTT platforms.
Recently, BJD MP Sujeet Singh has raised the issue of anti-tobacco warnings messages on OTT platforms. Tobacco consumption is responsible for 40% of the non-communicable diseases including cancers, cardio-vascular diseases, and lung disorders, Singh said.
Bhavna Mukhopadhyay, chief executive of Voluntary Health Association of India, recently told TOI the lack of a law to regulate anti-tobacco content shown on OTT platforms was a serious lacunae considering their wide reach amongst all the sections and age groups of the society.
A study on tobacco imagery in online series popular among adolescents and young adults that was conducted by experts from the Public Health Foundation of India and the World Health Organization in 2019 showed that US streaming media contains more tobacco incidents than Indian media.
There is an urgent need for better enforcement of the existing Rules on streaming platforms in India, and modernization of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, Article 13 guidelines to account for new streaming platforms to protect youth from tobacco imagery globally,” it said.
In India, OTT companies spend more on original shows despite market challenges
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Javed Farooqui (THE ECONOMIC TIMES; December 8, 2022)
Mumbai: Leading over-the-top (OTT) platforms are continuing to invest heavily in original content production, buoyed by an expansion in audience base and strong growth in content consumption. According to market estimates, top OTT players have spent between $600 million and $700 million on producing original shows in 2022.
This amount excludes movie and sports content which account for a significant chunk of the OTT content expenditure. Amazon Prime Video, Netflix and Disney+ Hotstar are the top spenders on original content productions, followed by platforms like Sony LIV, ZEE5 and Voot.
In 2019 and 2020, Netflix spent $400 million on content, including on movies. In April, Amazon Prime stated that it will double down on content investments in India with plans to launch more than 40 new titles across series and movies in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. The platform's content plans are on track.
According to industry watchers, OTT platforms are expected to increase their content spending to fuel their business growth, notwithstanding the fact that revenues are under pressure due to inflation and a global economic slowdown.
“The content creation cycle for OTTs is very long and most of the projects to be delivered in 2023 are already at different stages of production. The investment in content will continue to increase as the OTT market expands and users increase their consumption because of better connectivity and increasing sales of connected TV,” said Uday Sodhi, partner at Founder's Room Capital.
Sony LIV, which has tasted success with original shows in recent years, is upbeat about the year ahead. “We are very bullish on our original content plans and we have a lot of big launches coming up in 2023. We are also dialling up on the originals space in regional languages,” said Saugata Mukherjee, its head of content.
As per Media Partners Asia estimates, the online video content investment in India stood at $1.3 billion in 2022 and is projected to increase to $4.2 billion by 2027.
"Since 2019 the contribution of online video to total content investments for the industry, including television and films has almost doubled. For 2022, online video grew 18% Y/Y to reach $1.3 billion, as domestic and global streaming majors invested heavily to bulk up their local content offerings. Over the next five years, these investments will scale further to $4.2 billion, to catch up with pay-TV," said Mihir Shah, Vice President of MPA.
‘India has Over 130 m Paying Subscribers’
Mumbai: The Indian over-the-top (OTT) market has 130.2 million paying (SVOD or subscription voice on demand) audiences compared to 110.5 million in 2021, media consulting firm Ormax Media has said in its latest study titled The Ormax OTT Audience Sizing Report 2022. The total SVOD base has expanded by 18%. The direct SVOD subscriber base stood at 49 million, while the indirect SVOD subscriber base came in at 81.2 million. Over 2021, direct and indirect SVOD subscribers will have grown by 19% and 16%, respectively. The study also reveals that there are 119 million active paid OTT subscriptions in India., which translates to an average of 2.4 subscriptions per paying audience member. — ET Bureau
Still in nascent stage, pay-per-view streaming model has huge potential
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Niharika Lal (BOMBAY TIMES; October 8, 2022)
Did you miss Tom Cruise’s Top Gun: Maverick or Brad Pitt’s Bullet Train in cinemas and now want to watch the film at home? Try TVOD – Transactional Video On Demand – also known as pay-per-view, as these recent releases are available on rent across multiple platforms. When cinemas were shut in the beginning of the pandemic, viewers shifted to video-on-demand services in increasing numbers, but as people return to cinemas, TVOD is still clicking with a section of viewers, who purchase both old and new films.
TVOD IS TAKING BABY STEPS IN INDIA
During Amazon Prime’s TVOD launch, Gaurav Gandhi from the platform said, “The TVOD movie rental service gives customers more choice in how they want to access and watch content. It enables them to pay per movie, instead of a flat monthly fee.”
Zee also experimented with models of pay-per-view releases with their hybridized release of Salman Khan-starrer Radhe on ZeePlex. Commenting on it, a Zee official had said then, “The pay-per-view format is meant to enable the audiences to make the choice as to where and when they want to consume the content that is available to them.”
The TVOD platform BookMyShow Stream was launched last year and Ashish Saksena, COO – Cinemas, BookMyShow, says, “TVOD has been amongst the most exciting spaces to be for content makers and studios alike, as the culture of ‘Pay for what you want to watch’ is fast gaining traction, rather than having multiple subscriptions. We have witnessed high interest and engagement across varied cross-sections of the audience for both rent and buy options.”
However, he adds, “The TVOD model is currently not being utilized fully by Indian-home-grown studios and content owners. As an emerging business model nationally, there is a strong case for the massive potential that the TVOD model holds.”
Other platforms offering pay-per-view are YouTube, ShemarooMe Box Office and Apple TV Plus.
‘CATERING TO NICHE, URBAN AUDIENCE CURRENTLY’
Sharing what works for the TVOD model, Girish Johar, producer and business analyst, says, “It’s a combination of a lot of things. An entire family can watch a movie for the price of one ticket, which is indeed quite reasonable, and plus they can watch it from the comfort of their home and when they want to. It also is somewhat like the VCR era when families would gather and watch a film together. Currently, it is urban-centric but has scope of growth.”
However, he adds, “In the US and European market, TVOD is very mature, but in India it is at a nascent stage. Radhe was TVOD release, but didn’t do well in terms of audience because the market is not that mature and also because Salman’s audience is not your TVOD audience. Our entertainment is still very different and TVOD doesn’t have to be a replacement but it can be one of the avenues. You see more mature content from Hollywood on TVOD because their market is more mature than in India. Over the years it may reach at that stage, but at present it is for a niche audience.”
Talking about the challenges, media and internet research analyst Karan Taurani was recently quoted as saying, “The TVOD market in India is very premature and the Indian audience would pay for a bouquet of services and variety of content, but refrain to pay on a transaction basis. Scalability of TVOD remains a big challenge as there is only a very niche audience. ”
‘WITH TVOD, YOU GET ACCESS TO NEW RELEASES AND CLASSICS’
Saurabh, a 27-year-old government employee, says, “There are many films which are not released in India or have limited shows so you miss those. For instance, I had seen French Dispatch on pay-per-view because it was not released in India. There are some films which have shows during the weekday, when officegoers can’t go, but with TVOD you can just purchase or rent the film online.”
Rashmi Ahuja, 31, who works in an ed-tech company, says, “Pay-per-view definitely gives you more options. Sometimes someone recommends a classic film, but it is not available anywhere. However, with TVOD, you can get access to these by paying just 100-200.”
WHAT IS THE PAY-PER-VIEW MODEL?
In pay-per-view (or Transactional Video On Demand), viewers have the choice to pay for only the content they want to watch. Instead of paying a flat fee for an OTT platform, people can only pay for the film or show they wish to watch. In SVOD (Subscription Video On Demand), the viewer gets access to the complete library of the OTT platform and there is no time limit to watch the content
available, while in TVOD, the audience has access to the film/show for a limited period of time.
Maharashtra govt lifts all COVID restrictions, but masks, rapid antigen tests, staggered breaks to continue on sets
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As Maharashtra govt lifts all COVID restrictions, studios tread with caution; masks, rapid antigen tests, staggered breaks to continue on sets
Mohar Basu, Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; April 2, 2022)
On Thursday, the Maharashtra government announced that all pandemic-related restrictions, including the mandatory wearing of masks, were being lifted from April 2 that marks Gudi Padwa. This comes after over two years of stringent adherence with safety norms as the world underwent several waves of the pandemic. However, with Shanghai witnessing its largest virus outbreak since March 2020, the need to have our guard up cannot be emphasized enough — a school of thought that most Bollywood productions are aligning with. Despite the lifting of curbs, many movie sets are retaining the Coronavirus protocols that were put in place after the second lockdown.
The team of Kiran Rao’s upcoming comedy-drama, backed by Aamir Khan, recently completed a 10-day schedule in Madh Island. Sources from the team inform that no-mask-no-entry will be a non-negotiable rule going forward as well.
A unit hand reveals, “Working with masks has become a norm, and we have been told that masking up will be necessary while on the set. Temperature monitoring too will continue to ensure everyone’s safety.”
The team at the production house is apparently contemplating whether they should do away with rapid antigen testing in light of the dwindling cases in the city.
Streaming giants, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ Hotstar, have taken a tough stand on that front. Rapid antigen testing will be compulsory on the sets of their productions. A prime example is a Netflix non-fiction show that is currently being filmed in north India.
Most Bollywood productions had done away with bio-bubble shoots since late last year. Studios, however, remain steadfast in their efforts to minimise the risk of exposure. The team of Tiger Shroff and Kriti Sanon’s Ganapath, for instance, has prohibited the use of public transport.
A source from the unit reveals, “The unit’s safety is the producer’s top priority. As the team of 80 will shoot in and around Mumbai over the next few weeks, the makers are ensuring that everyone has access to production vehicles.”
Measures such as hair and make-up teams using gloves, and staggered lunch breaks to avoid crowding will remain firmly in place, as seen on the Mira Road set of Siddhant Chaturvedi’s Yudhra. Most producers are also retaining COVID insurances in case of hospitalisation, depending on each case and severity.
The suspense from Amazon is killing the The Family Man team-Manoj Bajpayee
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Manoj Bajpayee on waiting for the third instalment of The Family Man and his future line-up
MID-DAY (March 25, 2022)
National Award winner Manoj Bajpayee says like fans, the team of his web series The Family Man is also waiting for the streaming giant Amazon Prime Video to announce the premiere date of its highly anticipated third season.
“The suspense from Amazon is killing the The Family Man team because for now we don’t have an answer,” said the actor. The second season of The Family Man, which premièred last June, was lapped up by viewers. The first season, which debuted on the OTT platform in late 2019, also received glowing reviews.
Bajpayee has a packed slate ahead with projects like Gulmohar, Kanu Behl’s Despatch, Joram with his Bhosle director Devashish Makhija, and Pahaadon Mein, and Soup, a Netflix series, his third collaboration with director Abhishek Chaubey after Ray and Sonchiriya.
“I’m currently shooting for Gulmohar and I finished Dispatch recently. I’ll start shooting in May for Joram. Then there is a film Pahaadon Mein by Raam Reddy that I have completed. There’s also the series, Soup for Netflix with Abhishek Chaubey. I think next year is going to be busy. People will either be entertained or get tired of me,” the actor, 52, added.
On Wednesday, Bajpayee turned showstopper for designer Samant Chauhan, a fellow Bihari and “a friend whom I have known for so many years”. “I have done theatre for so many years, but wearing something designed by Samant Chauhan is a big thing. Also, when I face the crowds, I not only feel uncomfortable but also a little embarrassed,” he said.
Describing his style as “casual and comfortable”, Bajpayee said he prefers jeans and T-shirt for his day-to-day use.
#TrendingNow: Indian movies and web series across the globe
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Badhaai Do is among Netflix’s most-watched films globally this year, and the latest example of how desi OTT movies and series are striking a chord with audiences from Europe and Southeast Asia to Latin America
Niharika Lal (BOMBAY TIMES; March 24, 2022)
Since its release last week on Netflix, Badhaai Do was trending in the No 1 spot in India till March 20, and was in the Top Ten list globally in the non-English films category. In fact, Badhaai Do is the sixth Indian film this year to make it to the global top 10 rankings of the platform, as Indian content increasingly finds a vast audience overseas.
DESI FILMS AND SHOWS TAKE OVER GLOBAL OTT RANKINGS
In the last two-and-a-half months alone, six Indian language films and two series made it to the Netflix Top 10 list, which is published weekly. These include Minnal Murali (Malayalam), Sooryavanshi (Hindi) and Badhaai Do (Hindi) among other films; and Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein: Season 1 and Fame Game: Season 1 in the TV series category.
Similarly, Gaurav Gandhi, Prime Video Director & Country Manager, Amazon India stated last year, “Our Indian Amazon Originals enjoy incredible popularity both in the country and outside India. In fact, one out of every five viewers for these shows is from outside the country.”
As per the CII Big Picture Summit 2020 report by the BCG (Boston Consulting Group) and CII (Confederation of Indian Industry), the increasing acceptance of Indian content among global audiences includes, but is not limited to, the Indian diaspora of over 32 million spread across multiple countries. Countries with significant Indian language speaking population — such as Bangladesh (Bengali), Mauritius (Bhojpuri), Nepal (Maithli and Bhojpuri), Singapore (Tamil), etc — also consume Indian content, states the report.
Karan Bedi, co-chair, CII sub committee on OTT and Digital content and CEO MX Player, says, “MX Player’s shows are popular in countries such as Bangladesh, US, UK, UAE, Canada, and Australia. We focus on the Indian diaspora in these countries and the content is also curated for a global audience.”
‘LOCAL, AUTHENTIC STORIES ARE IN DEMAND EVERYWHERE’
With platforms like Amazon boasting of viewership in 240+ countries and territories worldwide, Girish Johar, producer and cinema business analyst, says that streaming platforms have helped Indian content reach not just the conventional top markets, but even countries which were out of bounds for traditional distributors.
He explains, “Traditionally, the top markets were the US, UK, New Zealand, and Australia. Some films did release in selected Southeast Asian countries, but now we are able to tap European countries, West Indies, Brazil, and so on. ”
He adds, “Through users on social media, too, we get this picture that Indian content is being consumed and liked in foreign countries. Be it south films such as Minnal Murali or Hindi films such as Gulabo Sitabo, Indian cinema has received a lot of praise from global audiences.”
Agrees Karan Bedi, “Some global OTT platforms are present in 150+ countries. For Indian content — films and shows, releasing the same day across these countries, now you have got (viewers in) countries in Eastern Europe and Latin America.”
Bela Bajaria, Netflix head of global TV, had said at a conference last year that the shows that have been the most successful globally have been “the most authentic and the most specific”.
Monika Shergill, VP-Content, Netflix India, adds, “Last year, Netflix’s 28 Indian original titles were across 7 languages, 8 formats and 11 genres across films, series, comedy, reality and documentaries. From blockbuster hits like Dhamaka, Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein to differentiated stories like Cinema Bandi, The Disciple and Axone, our aim is to have authentic stories and it is this authenticity that audiences love. Malayalam cinema’s first superhero film, Minnal Murali which trended in the Top 10 in 30 countries from Argentina to Nigeria, or Red Notice, which India enjoyed with dubs in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu — are examples of how great stories are universal.”
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SUBBING AND DUBBING OF FILMS BIG REASON FOR THEIR INCREASING POPULARITY
Due to subbing and dubbing in various languages, Netflix reached out to a wide audience. The Tamil anthology film Navarasa has been in the Top 10 in 10 countries, including India, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka. More than 40% of the film’s viewers came from outside India in its first week on Netflix. Likewise, in its first week alone, the Dhanush-starrer Jagame Thandhiram drew an equal share of audience from outside India as it did within the country, and was in the Top 10 in 12 countries outside India. It was also No 1 in 7 countries, including India, Malaysia, and the UAE.
Badhaai Do (Hindi), Minnal Murali (Malayalam) and Sooryavanshi (Hindi) were among the Indian films that made it to the global top 10 on Netflix. A Thursday, Atrangi Re and Maaran were among the Indian films that topped the global list on Disney+ Hotstar in the last month
*Lists not in order of ranking.
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INDIAN SHOWS THAT ARE POPULAR ACROSS THE GLOBE
MX PLAYER ORIGINALS:
Aashram, Indori Ishq, Bhaukaal, Cartel, Campus Diaries, Raktanchal, Ek Thi Begum (Hindi), Matsya Kaand, High, Samantar (Hindi) were among the global Top Ten
ON ALT BALAJI:
Lock Upp, Broken But Beautiful Season 3, Bekaaboo Season 2, Cartel, The Married Woman, Puncch Beat Season 2, Crimes And Confessions, Pavitra Rishta, His Storyy, and Girgit were among the most popular shows last year
ON DISNEY+ HOTSTAR:
Rudra, Human, The Great Indian Murder, Aarya Season 2, and Special Ops 1. 5 were most popular globally in Feb-March
ON NETFLIX:
The Fame Game, Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein, Aranyak and Mighty Little Bheem
INDIAN CONTENT SHINES @ INTERNATIONAL EMMYS
The 48th International Emmy Awards were a historic event for India as, for the first time ever, an Indian series, Delhi Crime ,won an Emmy for Best Drama Series. Series such as Sacred Games, Aarya 2, Made In Heaven, Inside Edge, Four More Shots Please!, the Netflix special Vir Das: For India and the anthology Lust Stories have also been nominated for Emmys.
Last year, Nawazuddin Siddiqui was nominated for the International Best Actor Emmy for his role in Serious Men. Siddiqui also became a household name all around the world for his stint as gangster Ganesh Gaitonde in his Netflix debut series titled Sacred Games. In an interview he mentioned that the locals of Italy recognized him as Gaitonde and appreciated his performance.
First look of Vidya Balan & Shefali Shah-starrer Jalsa unveiled
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BOMBAY TIMES (February 28, 2022)
Amazon Prime Video today announced the release date of its upcoming Amazon Original Movie Jalsa. The streaming service also unveiled the intense first look of the lead actors — Vidya Balan and Shefali Shah. The movie is directed by Suresh Triveni and is jointly produced by Bhushan Kumar and Krishan Kumar of T-Series, Vikram Malhotra and Shikhaa Sharma of Abundantia Entertainment and Suresh Triveni. The film will have a global premiere on the streaming service on March 18.
Manish Menghani, Head, Content Licensing, Amazon Prime Video, said, “When selecting stories, we look for authenticity and freshness. Stories that are nuanced and beyond conventional storytelling are finding viewership worldwide. In a fine blend of drama and thrill, Jalsa offers a truly differentiated story, made better by performances from a brilliant cast. The film marks another milestone in our long-running, successful collaboration with Abundantia Entertainment after titles like Shakuntala Devi, Sherni, Chhorii and more. We are delighted to play home to another one of Vidya’s stellar performances, that audiences are sure to love.”
Vikram Malhotra, Founder and CEO of Abundantia Entertainment said, “Impactful storytelling blended with engaging entertainment is at the core of what we do. Featuring two of the finest actors of our times, Vidya Balan and Shefali Shah, Suresh has woven Jalsa into a brilliant narrative of complex emotions, well-etched characters and a gripping pace. I am also excited to extend our successful partnership with Prime Video after Shakuntala Devi, Sherni and Chhorii and look forward to the global premiere of Jalsa across 240 countries and territories across the world.”
The film is touted to be an engaging and captivating tale of conflict, as shown through the life of a top-line journalist and her cook. The movie promises spellbinding performances and a nerve-wracking storyline that will keep you on the edge of your seat and leave you intrigued.
The OTT business is really the IPL of content-Sameer Nair
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(Clockwise from top) Sameer Nair, CEO, Applause Entertainment; Nimisha Pandey, Chief Content Officer, Hindi Originals — Zee5; Madhu Bhojwani, partner, Emmay Entertainment; Pratiksha Rao, Director — films and licensing, India, Netflix; Aparna Purohit, Head, India originals, Amazon Prime Video; Arunabh Kumar, Founder TVF; Mayank Shekhar, Entertainment Editor, mid-day; Apoorva Mehta, CEO, Dharma Productions and Dharmatic
In the OTT head honchos’ huddle, ahead of Hitlist Awards, India’s top content bosses delve on the changing scene
Mayank Shekhar (MID-DAY; February 25, 2022)
Not that you can time this—a day before the Hitlist Awards’ OTT head honchos’ huddle took place over a zoom call, with India’s top content bosses, Netflix founder Reed Hastings dropped a truth bomb elsewhere.
Of all major markets, Reeds reckoned, Netflix was yet to convincingly crack India. Social media handles took off thereafter, throwing up suggestions on what Netflix must do, where it had gone wrong — a swarm of SWOT analyses, if you may.
Sameer Nair (Applause Entertainment) feels this is like offering boxing lessons to Mike Tyson, going through a purple patch: “Netflix are the leaders of how streaming business is done. And India has always been a complicated, hungry, but value-conscious market, that’s also tasted blood during the pandemic. Even cable TV is pathetically cheap at $3 a month here. Everywhere else, it’s $20-30. Satellite TV has 200 million viewers, OTT platforms are at 30-40 million. We talk of ‘cutting the (cable) cord’ — why bother; it’s just there!”
Pratiksha Rao (Netflix India), on the other hand, takes this barrage of unsolicited, social-media advice rather sportingly, terming it a “huge privilege that people think of brand Netflix as passionately. We see ourselves as creative enablers, partners for as diverse stories as we can, to also make them travel globally,” besides offering global (original) content on the platform itself.
To be fair, as per estimates, Netflix holds about 5 per cent of the Indian OTT market; its revenue-share stands close to 30 per cent. There are, currently, about 75 OTT platforms in India. And of the 225 fresh shows streamed in 2021, 170 of them were in Hindi alone. A certain level of segmentation has obviously taken place in an industry that’s at best about five years old.
Nimisha Pandey (Zee5) reveals her platform delivered 40 pieces of original content (series/films) in 2021: “We plan to focus more on quality.”
Aparna Purohit (Amazon Prime Video) agrees her mandate isn’t quantity either. Given that the streaming service is part of an overall shopping mall. “The pressure is to put out something that constantly raises the bar—becomes part of cultural zeitgeist, water-cooler conversations; whether that’s Paatal Lok or Mirzapur. That’s not easy pressure; even as we placed 18 shows and 50 films across languages (in 2021).”
With its own captive subscriber/audience base, the OTT can be deemed as the new star-system for Indian entertainment. They unilaterally green-light scripts—for films, and shows that are shot like cinema. And, in return, receive both immense love and instant criticism for the choices they make.
Speaking of the star-system, which is directly related to theatrical entertainment—whatever happened to Bollywood, as it were, that took a beating from both Hollywood (Spider-Man), and down South (Pushpa, which collected Rs 80 crore among Hindi audiences alone)?
A contention behind this threat to Bollywood being that most of Mumbai’s top, traditional producers have turned into vendors for OTT platforms in the process.
Apoorva Mehta (Dharma Productions, which pretty much equals Bollywood) reasons, “Theatrical is the cornerstone, that’s where the heart lies. The South is filling a gap. Very few Hindi filmmakers, like Rohit Shetty, are great with delivering scale plus entertainment.”
The other unsung aspect of the nascent, theatrical dominance of the South in Hindi markets, as Arunabh Kumar (TVF) points out, is serious upgrade in the quality of Hindi dubbing, subtitling and translation—something that wasn’t adequately appreciated for Allu Arjun’s Pushpa.
Of course television, more so OTT platforms, and Internet access in general, have had a role to play with audiences sampling cinema/content/stardom from all over, other Indian languages included.
As for his own Hindi films, Mehta says he had to make do with the war-tentpole Shershaah (2021) on Amazon Prime Video (APV), because they had held on to it for over a year since the pandemic: “We couldn’t miss out on August 15.” Also, one’s not sure anymore what the response to a mid-range production like Gehraiyaan (also on APV) would be in a theatre: “There’s a skew towards larger than life, experiential entertainment.”
What’s the unlearning, when film studios enter the streaming fray? How are the OTT and film industries different? Bollywood producer Madhu Bhojwani (Emmay Entertainment), who delivered 10 OTT titles in 2021 (including Empire and Mumbai Diaries 26/11) likens the two financial worlds to farming and hunting. Wherein the OTT industry promises a predictable return on an input cost: “There is a cap on how much you can make.”
“The up-side, even once you dilute stakes on the intellectual property of a film,” depends on performance in theatres: “Films are like the races.”
The other changing dynamic between the two industries is again, of course, the star-system itself. Lead actors in Bollywood are notorious for cornering as paycheck a bulk of the film’s budget. Do they matter on OTTs anymore?
TVF’s Kumar says streaming platforms are democratic, in the sense that they don’t grade content on your device, based on who’s in it. The library is near infinite (for a lifetime anyway). Unlike network television, where you can only watch a show at a time; and theatres, that can only play a certain number of films.
Can’t deny the initial buzz, though, that a show/film on an OTT is likely to generate, given a legacy star in it. Rao from Netflix is clear, “The script and the creator’s vision are most important in assessing a project, yes. There is still a commercial value attached to the power of big talents, who have built a filmography and fan base, over years. While they have to deliver that value, they also have to be used the right way, as we’ve done in the US. [Conversely], you can have a [Malayalam super-hero film] Minnal Murali that generates its own fandom. The film didn’t have a big star. But [Tavino Thomas] became a national heartthrob after.”
The equivalent of the box-office, the barometer for cinema stardom, isn’t clicks on OTT platforms, as Pandey from Zee5 points out: “The click is just a vanity metric. Sampling does no good. Once you have clicked—how long you have stuck with the content matters more in the long run.”
And this is why, according to APV’s Purohit, “There is no rush. You don’t have to prove a success of a film or series over a weekend [unlike box-office]. The audience surprises us eventually.”
The reason OTT platforms are seen as parallel to the film industry, rather than television—despite the disproportionate size of screen—is clearly for the budgets involved. And indeed the cross-pollination of talents that have taken place over the past half a decade.
Unlike the US, that moved towards limited edition, quality series back in the late 1990s, Indian network TV continued to appeal to mass markets, chiefly with long-running soap operas, with little incentive to do much else. “This is India’s HBO moment,” Nair from Applause, reckons.
Having been part of all three worlds, how does Nair perceive these industries separately? He says, “There are various ways to describe it. One that I find useful is to take the movie business as playing for the national cricket team—11 players from a billion plus. Fiction on TV is domestic cricket. Those in it hope to make it from thereon. The OTT business is really the IPL of content—involves both domestic and international players, with quality on display; everybody gets their moment under the sun.”
In the food-chain on the Internet, there is in fact another competitive level, below the IPL of content. Which is where TVF’s Kumar progressed from, on a free-for-all YouTube, making spoofs and branded content—starting out with a sketch called Rowdies in 2012, peaking with Kota Factory, the second season of which made it to Netflix.
In 2022, Kumar asserts, “The lot on YouTube from a decade ago are presently subscribers of OTT platforms. That’s the cascading effect. Likewise, there’s a whole new world of 18-year-olds consuming short videos on YouTube now, that we also make content for—being the only collective from the old lot that continues to.”
This content economy is also a creator economy. Everyone is an aspirant, with an idea for a feature, short, or series; displaying talents all-day, online. Many of whom, we figure, might be interested in a conversation with these OTT bosses.
All of whom suggest their inboxes are open for new ideas. Kumar however warns the idea alone is hardly as important as the rigour and effort behind detailing a plan that ought to be 5,000 pages, minimum: “An idea means nothing. I’d value discipline over talent, any day.”
There’s also the ‘bible’, which Zee5’s Pandey defines as an elaborate presentation of sorts that captures the treatment of an idea/story, sometimes visuals included.
Whether it’s a bible or story synopsis, what’s essential, says Rao for Netflix, is “if you’re able get out, what’s in your head. Focus on explaining the story, and its emotions. Instead of saying, this is the ‘best’, or it’s India’s version of xyz!” In case you were searching for a favoured genre to sell, APV’s Purohit makes it public: she is actively on the lookout for young adult fiction.
A safe area, no doubt. Given OTT is no more quite the brave new world it used to be, only until a year back—what with the government putting in place an indisputably draconian censorship law, skewed towards accepting complaints from any viewer of an OTT platform, to be acted upon by a three-tier crime and punishment system.
Bhojwani is part of the government’s second-tier committee, that comprises industry folk and members of civil society—the first is the OTT platform itself; the third tier involves multiple Union ministries.
Bhojwani says, “Since this grievance-redress council was put in place, a lot of complaints have come in. But it’s been okay, working, so far.” So far, being the essential rider. Mehta at Dharma is taking no chances, getting scripts vetted by legal teams, desisting from anything that spells potential trouble.
Although Nair—who recently got away with Danish Sait’s smart political satire, Humble Politician Nograj—reasons, you gotta do, what you gotta do: “Creators both reflect and hold mirror to society—telling stories you’re not meant to; finding ways to. All great art progresses on these fundamentals. A danger bigger than censorship, is self censorship.”
There is a moment of silence at this point from the OTT platform bosses in this huddle. Well. Understandably so.
One pick of 2021
Sameer Nair: Jerry Seinfeld’s stand-up special, 23 Hours To Kill (Netflix)
Madhu Bhojwani: Mini-series, Dopesick (Disney+ Hotstar)
Apoorva Mehta: German multi-part series, Dark (Netflix)
Nimisha Pandey: TVF series Aspirants (YouTube)
Arunabh Kumar: English-Japanese thriller film, Kate (Netflix)
Aparna Purohit: Cop investigative series, Mare of Easttown (Disney+ Hotstar)
Pratiksha Rao: The Morning Show, Season 2 (Apple TV)
Cast your vote for the Hitlist OTT Awards
Log on to www.radiocity.in/hitlistawards to cast your vote.
You can also vote via SMS. Send HITLIST <space> category name <space> your choice (a/b/c as on the website) to 57575.
Voting lines close on March 18.
Disney+ Hotstar, with 4.75 crore subscribers, is the top streaming platform in India by a distance
8:15 AM
Box Office India Trade Network
Disney+ Hotstar is the top streaming platform in India in terms of paid subscribers and that too by a distance. The main reason for this is live IPL coverage. The surprise is Sony LIV which is third best but that is also due to live sporting events.
The difference in subscribers between a Disney+ Hotstar and a Netflix means the number of views when it comes to films in India has to be taken with a pinch of salt. It is being seen that films on Disney+ Hotstar gets far more views than other platforms and that is the case with a film like HUNGAMA 2 which in no way can be called popular but the views are higher than many other bigger films.
It is basically like you are getting a 5000 screen release on Disney+ Hotstar but 500 screens on Netflix if we translate into cinema. The difference being that in cinema you get it on merit and the demand of the film but in streaming its about which platform and not about the film.
LAXMII (2020) probably remains the biggest film in terms of a streaming premiere though the numbers of this film have been surpassed by a film or two but it has to be looked in terms of the numbers of subcribers when the film was released. LAXMII (2020) also is the biggest blockbuster on satellite of all the films that premiered on OTT.
Also looking at the box office results of SOORYAVANSHI and PUSHPA: THE RISE - PART 01, it can be now said with certainty that this would have been the only film to become a HIT which did not release in cinemas in the last two years. LAXMII again would have been driven by Maharashtra, Gujarat and the Central belts.
The status quo of all these platforms can change as the IPL rights are up for renewal this year and another player Jio is expected to come into the foray.
The top streaming platforms and apprx paid subscribers in india at the beginning of 2022 were as follows.
1. Disney+ Hotstar - 4.75 crore
2. Amazon Prime - 2 crore
3. Sony LIV - 1.2 crore
4. Zee5 - 75 lakh
5. Netflix - 55 lakh
I hope people tell stories that are in their hearts without fear-Deepika Padukone
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Madhureeta Mukherjee (BOMBAY TIMES; February 9, 2022)
We have witnessed many shades of Deepika Padukone unfold on screen — glamourous, romantic, brave, real and royal. And every time, she comes shining through, revealing yet another facet of her talent and her willingness to wade through unvisited territories as an actor. Even if that means going into the deep end, Deepika takes the plunge. With Gehraiyaan, releasing on Amazon Prime Video on February 11, she is taking one of her deepest outings ever. In a conversation with us, she talks about her fascination for relatable stories, what prompts actors to make brave choices, and how we are constantly finding ourselves in everything that we do. Deep, huh? Read on...
You have featured in films like Cocktail and Tamasha, where relationships and love have been explored, but not entirely in the conventional way. Now,we will see you in Gehraiyaan, about which you have said, ‘This is my first of its kind.’ Would you say that you get drawn to subjects that delve into this space with a certain honesty and realism, while breaking barriers on various levels?
I think with Gehraiyaan, I really wanted to work with Shakun Batra and that was the starting point for me. Beyond that, even while growing up, I was drawn to stories that were more relatable and realistic. I think it comes from my fascination with everything that is as close to real life as possible. Even if I am sitting at home and watching a film on OTT, I am more likely to watch something like this versus maybe a fantastical sort of film. In my 15-year-long career, I have done all sorts of films — from a Chennai Express and Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani to Piku and now Gehraiyaan, and of course, I enjoy all of them, but this genre, specifically, where characters are true to life has a special place in my heart.
You have also played characters that are set in a certain period, which are intense — with the heavy costumes, dance sequences and extensive scenes. While a part like that has its own challenges, would you agree that a role like this one is more internal and intimate, and is set in a space where you can draw from your own life experiences?
That’s the process of an actor. I think you live life and when you are given certain characters, you draw from various experiences. I think that is the natural process of acting. Sure, there are times you don’t relate to certain situations and characters, but that’s your job as an actor — to make it believable, authentic, real and humanise a character.
There will be times when you will get roles and characters that you can relate to, and there will be times you won’t. It certainly comes from a place of different experiences, and not just relationships. It’s not that just because I am doing a relationship drama, I am drawing from my relationships, or necessarily past romantic relationships. You draw from life. Hence, I feel it is important for actors to lead a life that is full of different kinds of experiences, and eventually, from some of that experience, engagement or interaction with someone, you can draw bits and pieces and put them into the work you do.
Shakun Batra roped in intimacy director Dar Gai, who was present on the shoot. Elaborating on that process, during my chat with him, he explained that it is literally about creating a space where people can openly talk about it, as opposed to being shy. How much of that effort, which is a first of its kind for our cinema, helped you pull off this character?
Yes, it is the first time an Indian film is doing something like this, but at the same time, at least in my head, it’s not such a big deal that we have an intimacy coordinator. If we were shooting a song sequence, we would have a choreographer, likewise, if we were shooting an action sequence, we would have an action director on set. So, if we are doing a film that has intimacy, you are going to have an intimacy director on board. So, for me, it’s not any different from any other sort of specialization that you need to bring on to make the characters and story as relatable as possible. But of course, you feel safer. Once you know what you are comfortable with, it’s easier during execution.
Given that this is a zone you have never stepped into before, and given how intimate the story is in the way it is narrated, what was your first reaction when you read the script?
When Shakun narrated the script to me in London (where we were shooting for 83), I remember allowing it to sink in. It’s not that I haven’t played similar characters before, like Veronica in Cocktail, and Piku, which was even closer to real life. However, this was far more nuanced and layered. So, it took me a while to commit to, as I knew that this would take a lot of my mental and emotional energy. But I remember being fascinated by the story. Well, the story has also evolved from there. When you make stories like this, it’s not like a biopic where you don’t have much room to play. In films like this, where the characters are real, you can always tweak, add and refine it. The script that I had heard two years ago was slightly different, we added a lot more layers to it and worked on it during the lockdown when we had time on our hands. I remember falling in love with my character.
The film has an interesting mix of actors — Siddhant Chaturvedi, Ananya Panday and Dhairya Karwa — a fairly new bunch of talent who are in awe of you. Something that they even spoke about in their interviews. How did the equation warm-up on set, as it is evident that the characters needed to share a certain kind of chemistry and warmth?
It was certainly something that I was cognisant of, as at any point, I didn’t want to make any of them feel intimidated or threatened. In fact, I gave Shakun the idea that we all go to Goa earlier and hang out, get to know each other and keep reading the script, as it is the kind of film where the relationships feel extremely real and organic. I would like to believe that I made them feel as comfortable as possible and not think of me with any preconceived idea of who I am. And to sort of connect with me the person, instead of the idea of me that they might have.
Did you do anything specific to help them open up, ease their pressure, or just be able to connect with you?
No, not really. Also, I am not the kind of person who walks into a movie set with the feeling that you have to take me seriously or that I am this actor with 15 years’ experience. I would like to believe that I don’t carry that kind of energy, whether it is on set, or while hanging out before or after shoot, or even during prep. I wanted them to embrace the person that I was. A large part of me is also like that, as I like being very normal. In my routine and the way I am, there are no frills. So, I didn’t have to do anything different. I was just being who I am.
In recent times, we are gradually seeing a shift where various such shades of relationships — complex, confusing, deep, fragile, dark — are being depicted in our cinema and our filmmakers are not as fearful of digging deeper into the human psyche and reflecting the same in their stories. Do you think this change has come about with the evolution in the audience’s choices or that new-age filmmakers now have the courage to venture into these spaces?
I think it is the audience that is giving us cues and telling us that we are ready for content that we haven’t seen before. I am certainly taking my cues from the audience. In fact, I feel they often shun the predictable and the obvious, and they are constantly searching for something new and different. I think that is where actors, directors and writers today are getting the confidence to go ahead with their ideas and being brave in making those decisions and choices.
The pandemic has changed so much for so many people around the world. How much has life and the kind of choices you make for yourself changed — professionally and personally?
The choices I make as an actor haven’t really changed. I was doing this film even pre-pandemic. The difference is that today we can release a film like this on OTT because there has been a boom in the last two years. So, was India headed there anyway like the West was? Certainly, but I think the pandemic only accelerated the growth of the OTT space in India. We didn’t set out thinking this film would be an OTT release, it was meant to be a theatrical release. When we started out two-and-half years ago, no one was thinking of OTT in that sense. I remember doing a meeting with Karan Johar (producer of Gehraiyaan) as he thought that I would resist it. I know he wanted to meet me to convince me, and he was pleasantly surprised when the meeting got done in 30 seconds. He said that he believed that this film was best for an OTT release. I told him, ‘Karan, even I have come here to tell you that this film is best for OTT.’ I would have done this film anyway, so I don’t think the choices have changed. On a personal level, of course, a lot has changed for a lot of people, like the fragility of life and the uncertainty of it all. Now we are more about living in the moment, gratitude and work-life balance. It has opened up people’s minds to a lot more. It’s been extremely rough on people around the world, but hopefully, there is only something to learn from this.
Gehraiyaan also speaks about how we are in many ways continuously finding ourselves. Do you see that process, that kind of evolution happening in your life and relationships continuously?
Of course, we are constantly finding ourselves in everything that we do. In different experiences, relationships, and sometimes, even in crisis situations, you learn so much about yourself and the people around you. So yes, the journey ought to be like that, otherwise, you are going to stagnate, if you are not going to look inwards, learn, grow and evolve.
Do you think this film will pave the way for more mature stories that can be told with sophistication and realism?
Hopefully, people will continue to tell the stories that they want to. Firstly, the audience is ready for it, secondly, you have umpteen number of platforms to tell these stories. I hope people tell the stories that are in their hearts without fear.
Modern Love to be adapted for India by Amazon Prime
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Vishal Bhardwaj, Hansal Mehta, Alankrita Shrivastava, Anjali Menon, Dhruv Sehgal and Shonali Bose
Popular American anthology Modern Love to be adapted for India; Amazon Prime ropes in noted directors Vishal, Hansal, Alankrita and more to helm the love stories
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; January 19, 2022)
Developer John Carney hit the right notes as he explored love in all its shades with Modern Love, the popular romantic comedy anthology adapted from The New York Times’ weekly column. Now, Amazon Prime Video is ready to tell newer love stories, only this time, the streets and coffee shops of New York will be replaced by the gullies and beating heart of India.
mid-day has learnt that the OTT giant has been working on the Indian adaptation of Modern Love over the past two years. The content team, headed by Aparna Purohit, has roped in noteworthy directors — Vishal Bhardwaj, Hansal Mehta, Alankrita Shrivastava, Anjali Menon, Shonali Bose and Dhruv Sehgal — to bring the stories to life. So far, actors Pratik Gandhi, Fatima Sana Shaikh and Wamiqa Gabbi have shot for their segments.
A source reveals, “The anthology series, over its two seasons, has explored love in all its complicated and beautiful forms. The Indian adaptation will be in a similar vein, telling everyday stories about relationships, tugging at your heartstrings with their honesty and simplicity. The stories have been developed by the six directors with their team of writers, and then vetted by Amazon’s writers’ room. Much like the original format, each of the actors will be fronting a segment in the anthology. Pratik and Wamiqa are known faces in OTT entertainment, thanks to their strong performances in Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story and Grahan. Similarly, Fatima is no stranger to anthologies, having been part of Ajeeb Daastaans [2021].”
The series was shot in different parts of Mumbai in late 2021. The source adds, “The filmmakers began shooting their segments in November. The show will move into post-production by next month as the platform hopes to release it sometime later in the year.”
(From left) Gabbi, Gandhi and Shaikh are among the actors on board
It is amazing to play a complex character in my web series debut-Shruti Haasan
8:10 AM
Starring in her first “full-fledged” web series, Haasan on playing a complex character
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; December 26, 2021)
Shruti Haasan has dabbled in digital entertainment twice. There was a “small guest role” in her cousin, Suhasini Mani Ratnam’s directorial venture, Putham Pudhu Kaalai, and another venture, Xlife, which was part of the Telugu anthology, Pitta Kathalu. However, it is the series adaptation of Ravi Subramanian’s novel, The Bestseller She Wrote, that Haasan believes is her “true” web debut. “I am a huge fan of the web series format and found [the show] interesting. The adaptation is the first full-fledged web series I have taken up. It is amazing to [play a] complex character,” says the actor.
She admits that it was nostalgic to reunite with Mithun Chakraborty after Luck (2009), which marked her film debut “I [was surprised to realise that] I have lasted in the industry for more than a decade. It is inspiring to see legends like Mithin sir, my dad [Kamal Haasan], [Amitabh] Bachchan sir, Naseer [Shah] sir, and Dimple [Kapadia] ma’am work with the same passion and energy [even today].”
Haasan’s untitled Amazon Prime Video series revolves around a banker and best-selling author, Aditya Kapoor (Arjan Bajwa). He falls in love with an aspiring and ambitious novelist, Shreya (Haasan’s character). The project follows what transpires after he has an extra-marital affair.
Vicky Kaushal-Katrina Kaif have sold wedding telecast rights to Amazon Prime for Rs. 80 crore?
8:46 AM
Sources say taking a cue from Priyanka-Nick, Vicky-Katrina have sold wedding telecast rights to Amazon Prime for whopping Rs. 80 crore; guests apparently sign NDA to maintain confidentiality
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; December 9, 2021)
We’ve got a piece of good news for all those enthusiastic fans who have been surfing social media relentlessly, eager to know every update about Vicky Kaushal and Katrina Kaif’s upcoming wedding in Rajasthan. You’re likely to have a ringside view to the shaadi of the year, albeit a few weeks later. mid-day has exclusively learnt that Kaif and Kaushal have apparently sold the telecast rights of their wedding celebration to Amazon Prime Video for a whopping Rs 80 crore. It is said to be one of the reasons why the couple has been hush-hush about the wedding, even requesting their guests to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) to the effect.
It may be recalled that Kaif’s actor-friend Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Nick Jonas, besides selling their wedding pictures to an international publication, teamed up with the OTT giant in 2019 to produce and star in an in-the-works documentary-style series that revolved around glorious weddings in the US. The series has an episode dedicated to the Chopra-Jonas wedding.
When Amazon Prime was looking to bring the concept to India, the Kaif-Kaushal wedding — that kicked off with a sangeet night at the royalty-themed Six Senses Fort Barwara Resort yesterday — seemed to be the perfect start.
A trade source reveals, “The OTT platform has been looking at starting a grand wedding series focusing on big Bollywood nuptials. Vicky and Katrina’s wedding will be designed as an expansive feature, tracing their love story with bytes from the two stars, their friends and family, and a glimpse of the roka that happened last month. It will give an all-access view to the four-day celebration — from the sangeet to the reception. The platform is said to be taking care of the expenses of the sangeet and mehndi events. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, and other artistes performing at the sangeet, are apparently sponsored by the OTT channel. A team of videographers has been sent by them to film the band-baaja-baaraat.”
The guest list has been decidedly kept small at 120, with only their close friends from Bollywood making the cut. “Every invitee has not only been given a special QR code to gain access, but has also been asked to sign an NDA contract. Barricades have been put up around the resort so that paparazzi can’t take a sneak peek into the events.” The source adds that if all goes well, the big, fat Bollywood wedding will drop online early next year.
Amazon Prime Video officials refused to comment on record for this report.
Swwapnil Joshi-starrer Bali to skip theatrical release; will premiere on Amazon Prime on December 9
11:27 PM
Amazon Prime Video today, that is December 1, 2021, announced the global release of the Marathi horror thriller Bali, starring one of Marathi cinema’s most revered actors Swwapnil Joshi, along with Pooja Sawant and Samarth Jadhav. Helmed by acclaimed filmmaker Vishal Furia, (director of Lapachhapi and its recent Hindi remake, Chhorii), and produced by Arjun Singgh Baran and Kartk D Nishandar’s Global Sports Entertainment and Media Solutions Private Limited (GSEAMS), Bali is set to premiere on Prime Video on December 9 in India and in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.
Bali is about a widowed, middle-class father, Shrikant (Swwapnil Joshi), whose life takes an unexpected turn when his 7-year-old son Mandar (Samarth Jadhav) collapses and is referred to a Jan Sanjeevani hospital for a detailed diagnosis. Things change when Mandar starts talking to a mysterious nurse, who he claims is staying in the abandoned part of the hospital.
“Amazon Prime Video has always strived to bring its viewers content that stand out in terms of storytelling, layered narratives, and compelling performances,” said Manish Menghani, head of acquisition, India content, Amazon Prime Video. “Following the love that consumers have showered on Chhorii, we are thrilled to continue our association with Vishal Furia, who is attempting to redefine the horror genre in India. With a stellar cast, including Swwapnil Joshi, Bali adds further value to our ever-expanding language content portfolio.”
Director Vishal Furia added, “As a genre, I have been drawn to horror and it’s been my constant effort to break new ground with every film in this space. The best kind of horror films are psychological, which create empathy for characters despite their basic premise being far from reality. The more we believe what we are watching, the more immersive the experience becomes. This is exactly what Bali is about, dealing with a gamut of emotions, fear being the biggest among them all. I would like to thank producers Arjun and Kartk for believing in the work I do. After the overwhelming response to Chhorii, I am looking forward to audiences’ reaction to this film upon its release on Amazon Prime Video.”
Producers Arjun Singgh Baran and Kartk D Nishandar of GSEAMS stated, “There is no denying that horror as a genre appeals to a vast expanse of audience. However, it calls for a lot of authenticity and precision in the narrative to become a success. With Bali, our attempt has always been to present new-age content that is immersive and appealing to the audiences. We are extremely thrilled that we will be able to take this story, steered by director Vishal Furia, who specializes in this genre, and woven with brilliant performances by versatile actors like Swwapnil Joshi and Pooja Sawant, to a global audience through Amazon Prime Video.”
Bali will join the thousands of TV shows and movies from Hollywood and Bollywood in the Amazon Prime Video catalogue. These include Indian-produced Amazon Original series Mumbai Diaries 26/11, The Family Man, Comicstaan, Breathe: Into The Shadows, Bandish Bandits, Paatal Lok, Mirzapur, The Forgotten Army – Azaadi Ke Liye, Sons Of The Soil: Jaipur Pink Panthers, Four More Shots Please, Made In Heaven, and Inside Edge; Indian films such as Shershaah, Toofaan, Sherni, Coolie No 1, Unpaused, Gulabo Sitabo, Durgamati, Chhalaang, Shakuntala Devi, Sarpatta Parambarai, Putham Pudhu Kaalai, Soorari Potru, Ponmagal Vandhal, French Biriyani, Law, Sufiyum Sujatayum, Penguin, Nishabdham, Maara, V, C U Soon, Bheema Sena Nala Maharaja, Drishyam 2, Halal Love Story, Middle Class Melodies, Hello Charlie, Malik, and Narappa, among others, and award-winning and critically acclaimed global Amazon Originals like Cinderella, Without Remorse, The Tomorrow War, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, The Wheel Of Time, Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan, The Boys, Hunters, Cruel Summer, Fleabag, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. All this is available at no extra cost for Amazon Prime members. The service includes titles in Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Punjabi, and Bengali.
Prime members will be able to watch Bali anywhere and anytime on the Prime Video app for smart TVs, mobile devices, Fire TV, Fire TV stick, Fire tablets, Apple TV, etc. In the Prime Video app, Prime members can download episodes on their mobile devices and tablets and watch anywhere offline at no additional cost. Prime Video is available in India at no extra cost with Prime membership for just ₹999 annually or ₹129 monthly, new customers can find out more at www.amazon.in/prime and subscribe to a free 30-day trial.
World premiere of Chhorii to be held at the International Film Festival of India
7:48 AM
Amazon Prime Video lines up the world premiere of Chhorii, a slew of panel discussions and masterclasses with industry stalwarts at IFFI
BOMBAY TIMES (November 19, 2021)
The 52nd edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), one of India’s most prestigious film festivals, is slated to start on November 20 in Goa. And for the first time, video streaming services have been invited to be a part of the festival. Amazon Prime Video, which is closing in on half a decade of entertaining India, is participating to bring an exciting line-up for festival goers.
“Over the last five years, we have actively worked towards taking local stories, from different corners of India to viewers across the country and the world,” said Gaurav Gandhi, Country Head, Amazon Prime Video, India, adding, “Besides bringing cultures and people together through the power of entertainment, this has also allowed us to discover new, prolific storytellers and talent, and contribute meaningfully to India’s vibrant creative economy. We are honoured to be a part of IFFI, an event that celebrates the diversity and rich cinematic heritage of India, and brings the entertainment community, content creators and talent together.”
The premiere of Chhorii at IFFI will be attended by Nushrratt Bharuccha, director Vishal Furia and producers Vikram Malhotra (Abundantia Entertainment), Jack Davis (Crypt TV) and Manish Menghani, Head Content Licensing, Prime Video India. The Family Man Masterclass will be conducted by its creators and cast, including Raj & D.K. (Raj Nidimoru, Krishna DK), Aparna Purohit, Head India Originals at Amazon Prime Video, Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Manoj Bajpayee (joining virtually), while Shoojit Sircar and Ronnie Lahiri will conduct the master class on Sardar Udham.
The collaboration is a testament to IFFI and Prime Video’s common goal of promoting excellence in cinematic art. With world premieres in 240 countries and territories, the streaming service has exported local stories from the best Indian talent to the global stage.
Aditya Chopra is set to launch an OTT platform, YRF Entertainment
8:05 AM
As Aditya Chopra readies to plough Rs. 500 crore in digital content, question is: will he ally with, or take on, digital giants?
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; November 12, 2021)
All through the 2020-21 pandemic, Aditya Chopra was one of the few Indian producers to support cinemas, by not pursuing digital release of his films. Which is not to suggest the boss of Bollywood’s top studio, Yash Raj Films (YRF), didn’t repose faith in OTT platforms as an entertainment medium. mid-day has learnt that Chopra is set to launch the studio’s OTT vertical, YRF Entertainment. While he has already begun planning and screening content that will be rolled out by the digital arm, sources say Chopra is also contemplating the possibility of launching his own platform that could rival streaming giants, Netflix India, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, and the like.
What’s the likely allocation of funds into this new economy of films? At the moment, a cool Rs 500 crore, sources say, aimed as a prestige addition to the premier studio that has been at the forefront of Bollywood over the past 50 years.
While spokespersons at YRF neither officially denied nor confirmed the development, a trade source reveals, “Aditya Chopra is in two minds about whether the content produced should be released on an existing OTT app. He hasn’t ruled out the possibility of floating his own platform.”
Currently, the library of YRF is leased out to Amazon Prime Video. Should Chopra launch his own platform, there is the obvious possibility the films will be added to the in-house roster.
The next few months are therefore crucial for YRF, as it rolls out back-to-back big-ticket releases — including Bunty Aur Babli 2, Jayeshbhai Jordaar, Pathan, Prithviraj and Tiger 3 — while building the digital arm from the ground up.
The source adds, “Aditya has invested close to Rs 1200 crore in the theatrical slate of 2021-22. Now, he has earmarked Rs 500 crore to venture into the OTT market. His central idea is to develop stories rooted in India and its ethos, and showcase them to the world.”
The filmmaker, over the years, has recognised and honed raw talent — from filmmakers Maneesh Sharma and Ali Abbas Zafar, to actors Ranveer Singh and Parineeti Chopra. Will the projects be helmed by the in-house storytellers alone? “As far as directors and actors are concerned, the projects will have a mix of both — YRF talent pool and from outside. Several projects have been lined up, and YRF is expected to announce them soon.”
This isn’t the first time that the studio, founded by the late Yash Chopra in 1970, is venturing beyond movies. In 2009, when television dominated Indian home entertainment, and the OTT revolution was years away, it had produced five exclusive fiction and non-fiction shows for Sony Entertainment Television. It included director Nupur Asthana’s Mahi Way and the Pankaj Tripathi-led Powder.
Jayeshbhai Jordaar and Tiger 3 are YRF’s upcoming theatrical releases
Amazon Prime Video to host Ranbir Kapoor, Shoojit Sircar in a celebrity football match as a tribute to Diego Maradona
8:22 AM
Days after launching biographical series on Diego Maradona, Amazon Prime Video to host Ranbir, Shoojit in a celebrity football match as a tribute to the legend
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; November 2, 2021)
Football enthusiasts Ranbir Kapoor and Shoojit Sircar are among the many in Bollywood who have a weekly ritual — on Sunday evenings, they put on their jerseys and head to Bandra’s St Andrews ground for a match or two. Tomorrow, they will strap on their football boots again, this time for a tribute to the God of Football, Diego Maradona. Days after Amazon Prime Video dropped the 10-part series, Maradona: Blessed Dream to coincide with the birth anniversary of the Argentine legend, the All Stars Football Club and digital influencers will come together at Jamnabai Grounds in Vile Parle for a special match.
A source reveals that the friendly match has been in the works for the past few weeks. While it was initially difficult to coordinate the dates due to the stars’ busy schedules, they were more than eager to be part of a tribute to Maradona and altered their plans for the same. “Though Ranbir is currently shooting for an exhaustive schedule of Brahmastra, he was one of the first to jump on board. Shoojit was in Kolkata over the past month and returned to Mumbai on October 30, in time for the match,” says the source.
Ahan Shetty, producer Bunty Walia, television actor Vivian Dsena and tennis star Leander Paes will join the actor-director duo to play against influencers Awez Darbar, RJ Abhinav, Zaid Darbar, Viraj Ghelani and Karan Sonawane, among others.
Confirming the celebrity match, Walia remembers watching the magic of the late Argentine player, in his growing-up years. “Maradona is one of the most celebrated footballers across the world. He has left a huge legacy behind that can never be matched. This match is a celebration of his legacy and his contribution to the game. We’re beyond excited to do this.”
As cinemas reopen, OTT platforms amp up promotional plans
8:26 AM
With a string of theatrical releases lined up, OTT platforms amp up promotional plans to ensure direct-to-web films Sardar Udham, Rashmi Rocket aren’t lost in the noise
Mohar Basu, Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; September 29, 2021)
As soon as the Maharashtra government announced the reopening of theatres from October 22, countless Hindi films lined up for their turn on the big screen. Simultaneously, Amazon Prime Video and ZEE5 are gearing up for the digital premiere of two promising films — Sardar Udham featuring Vicky Kaushal and Rashmi Rocket with Taapsee Pannu in the lead, respectively. At a time when all eyes are on the big-ticket theatrical outings, the two web platforms may have to launch an aggressive promotional campaign to ensure that their offerings are not lost in the noise.
Manish Kalra, chief business officer, ZEE5, says the streamer has a strong audience base, thanks to its diverse library. “For our latest title Helmet, we planned the #HelmetOn [campaign], [a series of] above- and below-the-line promotional activities covering social media, television, and out-of-home space,” he says.
It is not lost on the team at Amazon Prime India that the theatre-versus-OTT competition will, in the true sense, play out in the coming months. An insider says, “To generate buzz around Sardar Udham, the team is planning a massive event in the city, where they will recreate London. Going ahead, more films will resort to on-ground activities, besides chasing digital tie-ups and creating social media trends to ensure that their movies are a talking point.”
Shailesh Kapoor, CEO of media research firm Ormax, predicts that the small direct-to-web films will probably lose out in this race for eyeballs. “Shershaah broke out [online] in a big way in its second and third week. The upcoming theatrical releases won’t enjoy this luxury since there will be a new release every week. [Despite the disadvantage], films like Sooryavanshi and '83 will fare well because of their all-star cast. The pressure will be more on smaller films, lacking in star power, that are taking the OTT route.”
However, Varun Gupta of Max Marketing — that recently handled the promotions for Bhoot Police — states that theatrical outings have a tougher road ahead. “Every Friday has a big offering, right up till mid-2022. A cinema-going family can afford one major film [per month], so each movie has to fight for attention. [In contrast], an OTT outing targets more subscriptions. [With each film], they are luring people to the platform, not to the product.”
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