The chairman of the Essel Group says he has settled 91.2 per cent of the estimated Rs 11,000 crore debt on the group's books.
Puneet Goenka's ability to stay calm is probably what helped Zee rise from a down-in-the-dumps broadcaster into one of the largest, steadiest and most profitable media companies in India, reports Vanita Kohli-Khandekar.
'If after 3-9 weeks we don't have fresh content, then there is a problem.'
Whether it is non-Hindi films dubbed in Hindi or Hindi dubbed in other Indian languages or English dubbed in Indian languages, the whole multilingual film is bringing more ticket sales.
'Where are the funny writers on Indian television and OTT platforms?' 'Where are the sitcoms?' asks Vanita Kohli Khandekar.
The Rs 19,100 crore 'Indian film industry' is more than its monikers for three simple reasons, feels Vanita Kohli-Khandekar.
Even if it wants to censor what you read, watch, or consume, the amount of content online is so huge that it is physically impossible for any government to do it, notes Vanita Kohli-Khandekar.
It is the most potent symbol of India's soft power -- more perhaps than the IT industry and our managerial skill, notes Vanita Kohli-Khandekar
Dangal's and Shemaroo's entry shows there is ad-supported gold at the bottom of the Indian consumer pyramid if you can keep the costs low.
India's news broadcasters are a national shame that have polarised Indians, observes Vanita Kohli-Khandekar.
For years it has been evident that fibre and DTH would give tough competition to cable in India where regulatory overload has mutilated an already warped industry structure. OTT added fuel to the fire. From Rs 27,000 crore in 2010, cable's share of subscription revenues is now estimated at Rs 13,000 crore.
'Why was PKL scheduled bang in the middle of festivals and big film releases?' asks Vanita Kohli-Khandekar.
Cinema screens bring in over 60% of the Rs 19,100 crore that Indian films earned in 2019. The reception a film gets in theatres impacts the price of every other revenue stream -- TV, OTT, overseas. Vanita Kohli-Khandekar explains why the theatre business is not doomed and why OTT won't become the first window of release.
'Of the 202 debates, 79 were around attacking Pakistan and 66 attacking the Opposition and Nehru.' 'The PMC Bank scam where thousands of depositors lost their savings got just one,' points out Vanita Kohli-Khandekar.
'I was born a lower middle-class person, am one today and will die as one,' Billboard's International Power Player Devraj Sanyal tells Vanita Kohli-Khandekar.
It could reach more than 530 million viewers on TV and a few hundred million more online. But can it make money for Disney Star?
Monetising online readership, a deeper focus on content and getting revenue from the reader are ways to make the business future-proof, observes Vanita Kohli-Khandekar.
'This is not like a one quarter hit; it will take time.'
Zee News, Zee Media's flagship brand, was at the centre of a controversy over its media practices that pushed Subhash Chandra towards BJP.
From convincing film-makers to do shows for online, to having a slate with some of the best films and shows, Amazon Prime Video has come a long way since it came to India four years ago.
The problem is not that more people are not watching more TV, but that they are not finding anything of interest on Hindi television, says Vanita Kohli-Khandekar.
There is talk about 'cultural connect' and the 'warmth of storytelling' in Indian films vis-a-vis the spectacle and scale that Hollywood specialises in.
About 18 months after its entry in India, a Spotify listener spent an average of 97 minutes on the app, almost ten times more than any other streaming music brand.
Since its entry in 2016, Netflix has announced over 60 titles to be sourced from India.
Till the lockdown was imposed in March, more than 200 Zee staffers had spent over 2,500 hours across 28 regions in Punjab, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal to understand the audiences. The effort paid off, again and again.
'In the lockdown, family viewing became even more important.' 'Kids saw adult content and adults saw a lot of kids content.' 'The audience is no longer just the housewife, but the whole family.'
Zee and Star, the two largest media companies in India, are undergoing some radical ownership changes. What could it mean? Vanita Kohli Khandekar attempts an answer.
'We commission more from here than anywhere else.'
From Rs 191 billion in 2019, the world's largest film producing industry now stands at Rs 72 billion thanks to the pandemic.
Both Raazi and Veere Di Wedding are interesting films that worked. There is no point reading a trend in them, says Vanita Kohli-Khandekar.
If everybody is 'working' from home, then how has TV consumption gone up? Who is making all that gourmet food being posted on social media?
Why do Hindi cinema superstars flounder in their fifties, asks Vanita Kohli-Khandekar.
The ability to make out fake news from real could save the coming generations a huge amount of conflict and heartburn, says Vanita Kohli-Khandekar.
'We have to believe that in the long run, stable and secure societies thrive on a reputable news culture and people will recognise this.'
The hit parade of well-made movies continues, ticket sales are creeping up and OTTs are upping the game in one of the best years for the film industry.
'Demonetisation is just a trigger; the Indian print industry had this coming for years.'
The argument that the pandemic has given a boost to streaming video is fallacious. Only three OTTs saw a rise in viewership; the others fell.
Sony's estimated profit on IPL over 10 years is 2,500 crore. Why didn't it fight tooth & nail to keep the rights?
Over the last decade the Indian film industry has reinvented itself. Do film critics need to do that too?
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