Showing posts with label Zee Zindagi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Zee Zindagi. Show all posts
We requested Pakistani artistes to condemn Uri without naming Pakistan but they all refused-Subhash Chandra
8:28 AM
Divya Kaushik (BOMBAY TIMES; September 30, 2016)
After the Uri attack and the
MNS giving Pakistani artistes in India a “48-hour deadline“ to “leave
the country“, Subhash Chandra, Zeel & Essel group chairman, had
tweeted that they would stop showing Pakistani shows on Zindagi. During a
press coference in Delhi on Tuesday, he said that they will not have
Pakistani contestants and judges on reality shows as well. He said,
“Humare singing reality shows mein Pakistani singers aate hain,
finalists bhi bane hain, shows bhi jeete hain, judges bhi bane hain. But
we will not have them on the channel now till the Indo-Pak tension is
over. Humne toh har tarah se prayas kiya, lekin kahin toh aap ko apne
logon ke sentiments ki kadr karni hogi.“While the idea of the press meet was to have a discussion on the channel's new lineup of Indian and Turkish shows and introduce the shows' artistes, the discussion took a different turn with Chandra insisting that Pakistani artistes should have condemned the Uri attack. And as the actors, writers and producers of the new shows, who came from other cities to attend the event, sat silently on stage, the discussion was led by Chandra and Anupam Kher, who is a producer of one of the shows which will now air on the channel.
PAK ACTORS SHOULD CONDEMN THE TERROR ACT: ANUPAM KHER
Anupam Kher
said that he might be friends with some of the Pakistani actors and
appreciate their work, but at this time, he has to speak what he feels.
“I feel that it is very important to reciprocate love and affection,
otherwise it is taken as a sign of weakness. I have an example of my own
self - when there was an attack in a Peshawar school and hundreds of
children were killed in a terrorist attack, I was an Indian actor who
wrote an open letter condemning the attack. I felt that those children
were our children - they were the future of the world. When I was refused
a visa to attend the literary festival, I raised the issue asking why I
was not given the visa. I still believe that art and culture should not
have any boundaries, but I think it is a moral responsibility of actors
from across the border who work with us to condemn the terrorist attack
which killed our soldiers. I am not asking them to condemn their
country because that may not be possible for them, that may not be a
correct move politically. But we welcome them, we give them work, all
those actors became popular in India. It is important to be sensitive
towards the emotions of Indian people, it's important to say, 'I
condemn the unfortunate massacre of Indian soldiers.' It is important to
speak about such things, I am against the fact that they do not do
that, they should because we do that. We have always shown our goodness,
friendship and I must say that there are some people in Pakistan who
are wonderful, they are good hosts. I went to Karachi once and it was
beautiful, but when it comes to my country I cannot be diplomatic, I
cannot be unbiased, I am biased towards my country. What will I tell
the mother or father of that jawan who got killed? That it is alright,
let's give art and culture more importance? No, it is not possible. So,
it is important for them to tell people that they are thankful that they
are
given work in this country, they are obliged and they also condemn the
killing of Indian jawans.
THE DECISION TO NOT HAVE PAKISTANI SHOWS WAS TAKEN A DAY AFTER URI ATTACK: SUBHASH CHANDRA
Claiming that the channel is boycotting Pakistani shows to take a stand against what happened in Uri, Chandra said, “Maine pehle bhi kaha hai ki pyaar ek tarfa nahi ho sakta. Humne prayaas kiye ki Hindustan aur Pakistan ke logon ko mila sakein. The government gave permission, the audience gave appreciation, Pakistan ke artistes humare yahan popular hue, lekin woh baar baar hi ulta-seedha karte ja rahe hain - Pathankot kiya, Uri kiya. Ladai karna hai toh saamne karke maaro, lekin soye hue aadmi ko maaroge toh kaise chalega? So we decided that Pakistan ke shows hum band kar denge.“
He added, “Abhi hamare paas Pakistan ke lagbhag 3000 ghante ke shows hain joh humne khareede hue hain - lagbhag Rs 60 crore ka samaan hai. Par humne decide kiya ki humare liye Rs 60 crore important nahi hai, desh ka pride important hai. People say that Pakistani shows were the USP of our channel, because of the scripts, the acting. We have learnt this from them, aur uske liye main unn logon ki kadr karta hun. Aur badle mein humne unko do saal mein Rs 200-250 crore diye hain, joh seekha hai uska price pay kiya hai.“
'PAKISTANI ARTISTES SHOULD CONDEMN TERRORISM'
Naming artistes like Fawad Khan, Mahira Khan, Ali Zafar and Shafqat Amanat Ali, Chandra said that he had requested them to condemn the act of terror. “Around nine Pakistani artistes are working here, out of those six people are what they are because of our channel. Ali Zafar, Fawad Khan, Mahira Khan, Veena Malika, Imran Abbas, Shafqat Amanat Ali, in sabko humne phone kiya, sabko humne request ki, ki aap kuch mat kariye, bas yeh hi kahiye ki jo terroist attack raat ko sote hue logon par kiya gaya hai, we condemn that, don't even name Pakistan. Even then they don't want to talk about it. Let them entertain their own people. Children of our country are paying a price. Can you ask the mother of a person who died while sleeping, 'Let us keep art out of this'? Take her answer and then look at it. For how long you will keep art away from this?“ said Chandra.
'THIS BOYCOTT COULD JUST BE TEMPORARY'
Chandra said that the channel may change its stand in the future, depending on future developments. “I am not against any individual. Un nau Pakistani artistes mein se do log abhi Mumbai mein hain, as we speak now, I have invited them on October 2 to my house for dinner. Please don't misunderstand what we say about boycotting; we are boycotting terrorism. That doesn't mean that Nawaz Sharif will not remain my friend. I have been friends with him for 20 years,“ he said, and added that he had had a word with Karan Johar, who has been reportedly receiving threats from MNS for working with Fawad Khan.“Karan Johar ji se jab maine baat ki toh maine unhe aashvasan diya ki chinta mat kariye, aapki film jo complete ho chuki hai, usko release hone denge log, aur agar koi rokega toh main saamne khada hoke aapki film release karaunga, par aage kaam mat kariye aur kya pata humare sambandh theek ho jayen,“ he added.
Zee Zindagi channel gets notice for 'pro-Pak' TV serial Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam
10:24 AM
Himanshi Dhawan (THE TIMES OF INDIA; May 10, 2015)
A Hindi serial titled 'Waqt
Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam' on Zee's Zindagi channel has attracted the
attention of the I&B ministry and broadcast redressal authority,
Broadcast Content Complaints Council (BCCC), following complaints from
viewers who claimed the content was inflammatory in nature and promoted
Pakistan's narrative of the Partition.
The BCCC, headed by Justice Mukul Mudgal, has issued a notice to Zindagi and summoned its executives for a hearing on May 22. A Zee official said they had not received the notice so far. According to sources, the I&B ministry has not taken any action so far but has forwarded the complaints it received to the BCCC. Keeping in view the “sensitivity'' of the matter, the BCCC has asked the channel to respond to the complaints. The channel could be asked to modify the content or desist from re-telecast.
The soap is a love story in the backdrop of Partition based on author Razia Butt's book 'Bano'. The serial stars Pakistani actors Fawad Khan (already famous in India after co-starring with Sonam Kapoor in a Bollywood film) and Sanam Baloch as Bano.
The main criticism from viewers has been that the serial shows Partition only from Pakistan's point of view and paints Indians as villains. While some viewers have also complained that Sikhs and Hindus have been portrayed as perpetrators of atrocities on Muslims in the serial, some others with whom TOI spoke didn't seem offended by what was shown in it. The soap narrates the story of a Muslim girl who is abducted by a Sikh. The Sikh man repeatedly rapes the girl, forces her to convert and bear a child out of wedlock.
One complaint claimed that a few episodes highlighted Indian Muslim League and M A Jinnah as heroes fighting the Congress against discrimination of Muslims in the country.
The soap finished its 23 episode run in April. Describing it as a “beautiful, timeless'' love story, a Zindagi channel executive said the response to the serial was encouraging. “The show was telecast as 'Dastan' in Pakistan and we have made necessary changes to telecast it in India.We have followed all broadcast guidelines,'' he said. Sources said the serial had been edited heavily keeping Indian sentiments in mind but the theme itself was provocative.
The BCCC, headed by Justice Mukul Mudgal, has issued a notice to Zindagi and summoned its executives for a hearing on May 22. A Zee official said they had not received the notice so far. According to sources, the I&B ministry has not taken any action so far but has forwarded the complaints it received to the BCCC. Keeping in view the “sensitivity'' of the matter, the BCCC has asked the channel to respond to the complaints. The channel could be asked to modify the content or desist from re-telecast.
The soap is a love story in the backdrop of Partition based on author Razia Butt's book 'Bano'. The serial stars Pakistani actors Fawad Khan (already famous in India after co-starring with Sonam Kapoor in a Bollywood film) and Sanam Baloch as Bano.
The main criticism from viewers has been that the serial shows Partition only from Pakistan's point of view and paints Indians as villains. While some viewers have also complained that Sikhs and Hindus have been portrayed as perpetrators of atrocities on Muslims in the serial, some others with whom TOI spoke didn't seem offended by what was shown in it. The soap narrates the story of a Muslim girl who is abducted by a Sikh. The Sikh man repeatedly rapes the girl, forces her to convert and bear a child out of wedlock.
One complaint claimed that a few episodes highlighted Indian Muslim League and M A Jinnah as heroes fighting the Congress against discrimination of Muslims in the country.
The soap finished its 23 episode run in April. Describing it as a “beautiful, timeless'' love story, a Zindagi channel executive said the response to the serial was encouraging. “The show was telecast as 'Dastan' in Pakistan and we have made necessary changes to telecast it in India.We have followed all broadcast guidelines,'' he said. Sources said the serial had been edited heavily keeping Indian sentiments in mind but the theme itself was provocative.
6 Indian & Pakistani directors to connect hearts of people through short stories on TV
8:42 AM
Priya Gupta (BOMBAY TIMES; June 8, 2014)
The Times of India has always believed that
the people of India and Pakistan have a lot in common and there is a
deep bond that binds them emotionally , which is why we launched Aman
Ki Asha several years back. Recently, it was heartening to see Prime
Minister Narendra Modi's tweet, touched by the white sari Nawaz Sharif
(Prime Minister of Pakistan) had sent for his mother and
we, as a people, feel positive that we can now dream of peace with our
neighbouring country, if all goes well.
Recently, we
learnt how a new channel Zindagi is being launched that will largely
show content from Pakistan and we have now learnt that they have
commissioned six directors from India and six from Pakistan to make
one hour episodes on the idea of joining the hearts of people, from
across the border. The list of directors from India has five of the
most sought after directors that includes Anurag Kashyap, Nikhil Advani, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Ritesh Batra and Aparna Sen. We have no
doubt that these emotional men and women will make a difference in
joining hearts for sure.
The Times of India has always believed that
the people of India and Pakistan have a lot in common and there is a
deep bond that binds them emotionally , which is why we launched Aman
Ki Asha several years back. Recently, it was heartening to see Prime
Minister Narendra Modi's tweet, touched by the white sari Nawaz Sharif
(Prime Minister of Pakistan) had sent for his mother and
we, as a people, feel positive that we can now dream of peace with our
neighbouring country, if all goes well.
Recently, we
learnt how a new channel Zindagi is being launched that will largely
show content from Pakistan and we have now learnt that they have
commissioned six directors from India and six from Pakistan to make
one hour episodes on the idea of joining the hearts of people, from
across the border. The list of directors from India has five of the
most sought after directors that includes Anurag Kashyap, Nikhil Advani, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Ritesh Batra and Aparna Sen. We have no
doubt that these emotional men and women will make a difference in
joining hearts for sure. Starting Zee Music was a sound business decision & not ego-driven - Punit Goenka
10:12 AM
Priya Gupta (BOMBAY TIMES; May 31, 2014)
Punit Goenka, 39, may have started off as a rebel, but has made his father Subhash Chandra proud today by being the successful MD and CEO of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd, the flagship brand of the Zee group. He takes his professional decisions through consensus and looks up to his father for his principles and vision. He is a complete family man for whom his father's principle of standing by the word you have given is sacrosanct. Ahead of his upcoming new channel Zindagi (a first-of-its-kind Hindi channel which will carry content from across the border) on June 23, he opens up to Bombay Times about not just his channel, but also his own zindagi. Excerpts:
Why do you write your surname as Goenka even though your father writes Subhash Chandra?The joke is that it is to confuse the world. But the reality of it is that my great grandfather, who was very close to my father, during my naming ceremony just happened to call me 'Punit Kumar Goenka' and it remained that thereafter. My father, when he started Zee, did not want to be associated with any particular caste or religion, so had initially chosen to call himself Subhash Chander. But the international community could not pronounce it, so he renamed himself Subhash Chandra.
Talk about your father?He is very reserved. While he was born in a trader Marwari baniya family in Adhampur, Rajasthan, he moved to Hissar, where I was born. At a young age of 17, he was pulled out of his education and put in business, as the business was going through a bad phase. And from that time, he had the responsibility of taking care of his entire family and had a tough life. He is a strict father and a man of principles and that is what I admire about him. My younger brother Amit and I have some childhood memories of going on holidays with him, but mostly our memories are only about him working. Now, I see him far more relaxed as a businessman. The way we see him with his grandchildren is completely different from the man we grew up with. Our mother was more our support system while growing up.
Was it is an obvious choice for you to join your father?I was brought up in Delhi and most of my life was spent in boarding schools. I went first to Sanawar in Class V after which I did my high school in Switzerland. I then had to come back to Mumbai as my father said, 'I have wasted enough money on you. You don't deserve it. Come back, take admission, do B.Com and start working.' All my friends were moving to London or the US to study, whereas I had to come back and do B.Com. I didn't like returning home leaving my free life there. But I came back, started working at 18 and completed my B.Com by correspondence. I was more the rebel of the family. I was the first one in the family to have a love marriage. My wife Shreyasi used to live in the same building, Jolly Maker 1. We were friends, but our romance started later, due to common friends in Sydenham College. Friendship led to infatuation, led to several fights, before we decided three-and-a-half years later with two break-ups in between that we wanted to get married. It was a difficult thing for my family to accept, as in the eyes of my father, I was not capable of taking care of my family, even though he was doing very well. That's the man he is and his principles are such that if you are single-handedly not capable of taking care of a family, then you don't deserve to have a family. At that time, I thought I used to fear him, but now I realise that it was more out of respect. And today, I have become more friends with him. He never hit us. I have always worked with him and trained in several companies before being given a position. I started as the executive assistant to executive director Rajeev Santwan. I failed terribly in my first venture, which was to look after Zee Records that I ran into the ground in a year. I then became the CEO of Dish TV and was headquartered in Delhi for a year. Even though I was very passionate about it, living in Delhi just didn't work for me. I just didn't like the business environment and the people and culture of Delhi. I came to my father and said, 'This is not working out.' I then came back to Mumbai and worked my way up to become the MD and CEO of Zee Entertainment that today is our flagship company.
Who are you emotionally most attached to? My younger brother Amit. From early days, we have been more friends than brothers. I have never been uncomfortable sharing anything with him and he is a great anchor in my life. I didn't even realise when from being a protective elder brother we came to becoming buddies, sharing everything. And I know that this is a bond that will last forever. It's pretty obvious to my wife also. She knows that if I get a call from him even in the middle of the night, I will just get up and leave. I got married at a very young age while Amit was still a bachelor then, so he continues to live with my father while I live with my wife and kids. Eventually, we will all stay together and are building our family home in Churchgate. My father is more attached to him too and they are both alike. They are both always thinking of new stuff to do, whereas I like to focus on one thing at a time. They can multitask, I can't, which is why Amit runs close to five businesses while I run only one. I am a consensus kind of person, but my father finds me very soft. My father is more practical and a visionary and is a faster decision-maker than me. Visions don't come to me so easily. It comes to my brother.
In what way were you a rebel?I realise now what my father used to tell me and how right he was and it echoes in my head. By the time you realise that your father was right, you will have a son who thinks that you are wrong. When I was called back from Switzerland, I used to feel, we are not poor, then why am I being subjected to this? I may not be an 'A' student but at least I was not failing. I was getting 50% and would rather have time with friends and have beer as against studying. I started smoking at 15 and would flirt with girls. Even during my affair with my wife, I had two breakups and that time I would be flirting. Fathers always know everything about their sons. He hated it that I started smoking early as he used to smoke. And now he hates it more as both he and my brother have given it up. He didn't like the fact that just because it is easy for you, you don't care a shit about life. He would tell me, 'You have not seen the true meaning of what is true life.' I used to feel I have not seen hardships so how do you want us to know. But failures in life teach you many things. While it took me time to get my head on straight, I know that today he is proud of me.
Your new channel Zindagi launches June 23. Talk about it?To start with, it will have the best content from Pakistan. The way we currently tell our stories in India on TV is very different from the way in which some of the evolved audiences want to consume it. For instance, the differentiating factor will be that these are real life stories. The heroines in these shows don't get up decked up as if they are going for a wedding. They are not shot on some mega set but are based on real locations. We also have a lot of content from Turkey and Latin America that we will be remaking for the Indian market as the kind of things they show there are not what we can show in India on TV.
Have you been to Pakistan?My first visit was with the Zee delegation with my father as his executive assistant. We were state guests but my motivation to go there was that I had a few friends there from my school in Switzerland. So I managed to convince my father to get my visa extended by four days. Pakistanis are not any different from the way it is here. They may not go out clubbing, but they are just like us in India.What was your motivation to launch the Zee music label?The industry was suffering from a monopoly situation and while we were trading in the music business, we saw an opportunity to build an IP. Javed Akhtar sahab representing the industry reached out to my father and me, we met him and saw the opportunity and realised that to build our digital strategy, this was a great asset to have. One of the things my father has always been very passionate about has been owning the IP of content. So, while you can sell music for other people you are only traders. The industry's motivation of course was different.
Did the industry's fight against T-Series make it easier for you?Had the business been easy my father would not get into it. He has never treaded the weaker path anyways. And that is what gives us the kick to deliver what he sees. For me, it's never about ego, my decisions are always driven by the business perspective. And well, we are happy as we have signed on over 30 films and have the entire Fox and Viacom slate already.
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