MAM
Renowned cinematographer Ravi K. Chandran joins Canon India as Cinema EOS ambassador
Mumbai: Building on its legacy of fuelling creativity and innovation, Canon India has announced the onboarding of acclaimed cinematographer and director, Ravi K. Chandran as a Canon Cinema EOS Ambassador. This initiative is part of Canon’s commitment to spread the culture of videography and nurture talent in the realm of filmmaking through its ambassador program. Chandran, a celebrated figure with an illustrious three-decade career spanning Hindi, Malayalam, and Tamil cinema, is known for his pivotal role in redefining Indian cinematography.
A beloved figure in Indian cinema, Chandran’s journey began in 1984 and quickly ascended after his breakthrough with the Malayalam film “Kilukkampetti.” His masterful work in “Virasat” earned him widespread acclaim, setting a high standard early in his career. Over the years, Chandran has garnered multiple reputed awards, including two Filmfare Awards and a Southern Filmfare Award. His international recognition peaked with a nomination for the prestigious Camerimage Golden Frog Award, marking him as the only Indian cinematographer to achieve this honour.
Canon India, assistant director, imaging communication business centre, Vishesh Magoo expressed his enthusiasm about Chandran’s inclusion, “We are thrilled to welcome Ravi K. Chandran to the Canon family! His exceptional talent and innovative spirit align perfectly with Canon’s mission to empower visual storytellers. At Canon India, we are not only committed to pioneering new technology but also forging new partnerships, so that together, we can spread the culture of filmmaking further and nurture a culture of creativity in India. With Chandran’s expertise coupled with our cutting-edge cinematography solutions, I am confident that India’s visual storytelling landscape will reach unprecedented heights, inspiring generations to come.”
Ravi K. Chandran expressed his excitement about the collaboration, stating, “Joining the Canon EOS Ambassador Program is an exciting moment for me. Canon’s continuous innovation has always intrigued me, pushing me to explore new possibilities in cinematography. With this collaboration, I not only look forward to infusing new energies amidst bright young minds of the world of cinema but I’m also all geared up to unlock new horizons that I have envisioned throughout my career. Together with Canon, I am eager to push the boundaries of filmmaking and pave the way for exciting advancements in the field.”
Chandran’s innovative approach is exemplified in iconic Bollywood films such as “Dil Chahta Hai,” “Yuva,” “Koi Mil Gaya,” “Paheli,” “Fanaa,” “Saawariya,” “Ghajini,” “Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi,” “My Name is Khan,” and “Agneepath” amongst others. In the South, he has significantly influenced visual storytelling with masterpieces such as “Minsaara Kanavu,” “Kandukondain Kandukondain,” “Citizen,” “Boys,” “Aayitha Ezhuthu,” and “Kannathil Muthamittal.”
The Canon EOS Ambassador Program brings together creative professionals and industry experts who are influential leaders in the photo and video community, both offline and online. They help the community by providing trusted product validation, assurance, and consultation, reaching a diverse audience across different genres, demographics, and languages. The program nurtures a community dedicated to advancing the art of visual storytelling.
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Abhay Duggal joins JioStar as director of Hindi GEC ad sales
The streaming giant brings in a seasoned revenue hand as the battle for Hindi television advertising heats up
MUMBAI: Abhay Duggal has a new desk, and JioStar has a new weapon. The media and entertainment veteran has joined JioStar as director of entertainment ad sales for Hindi general entertainment channels, adding 17 years of hard-won revenue experience to one of India’s most powerful broadcasting operations.
Duggal is no stranger to big portfolios or bruising markets. Before joining JioStar, he spent a brief stint at Republic World as deputy general manager and north regional head for ad sales. Before that, he put in three years at Enterr10 Television, where he ran the north region for Dangal TV and Dangal 2, two of India’s leading free-to-air Hindi channels. The north alone accounted for more than 50 per cent of total channel revenue on his watch, a number that tends to get attention in any sales meeting.
His longest stint was at Zee Entertainment Enterprises, where he spent over six years rising to associate director of sales. There he commanded the Hindi movies cluster across seven channels, owned more than half of north India’s revenue across flagship properties including Zee TV and &TV, and closed marquee sponsorships across the Indian Premier League, Zee Rishtey Awards and Dance India Dance. He also handled monetisation for the English movies and entertainment cluster and the global news channel WION, a portfolio that would stretch most sales teams twice his size.
Earlier in his career Duggal closed what was then a Rs 3 crore single deal at Reliance Broadcast Network, one of the largest in Indian radio at the time, before that he helped launch and monetise JAINHITS, India’s first HITS-based cable and satellite platform.
His edge, by his own account, lies in marrying data and instinct: translating audience trends, inventory signals and client demands into long-term partnerships built on cost-per-rating-point discipline rather than short-term deal chasing. In a media landscape being reshaped by streaming, fragmented attention and AI-driven advertising, that kind of rigour is increasingly rare and increasingly valuable.
JioStar, which blends the scale of Reliance’s Jio platform with the content firepower of Star, is doubling down on its advertising business at precisely the moment the Hindi GEC market is getting more competitive. Bringing in someone who has spent nearly two decades doing exactly this, across some of India’s most watched channels, is a pointed statement of intent. Duggal has spent his career turning audiences into revenue. JioStar is clearly betting he can do it again, and bigger.
