GECs
Another TV executive bites the TV producer bullet
MUMBAI: With the general entertainment genre getting hyper-competitive, the demand for out of the box content is exploding. And nobody understands the needs of a channel’s creative and executive producers than somebody who has worked there before.
Hence, it is no surprise that executives from channels are leaving their relatively comfortable jobs to turn entrepreneurs or partnering with producers as creative producers. Saurabh Tewari (Nautanki Films, Colors), Ranjeet Thakur, Hemant Ruparel (Frames, formerly with Zee TV), Bimal Unnikrishnan (India Dancing Superstar), Siddhartha Tewari and Vikas Seth (formerly with Sony). The latest to do so is Vaibhav Modi, formerly with Endemol and later Star Plus as non-fiction programming head.
He put in his papers in September 2012, and set up his own production house calling it Bolt Media. His initiative is being funded by Ekta Kapoor’s Balaji Telefilms and hence it is being talked about as its subsidiary. Modi has taken along with him an old Star hand Rajkamal Patra as commercial head and has hired a team of creatives, production professionals and writers on a project basis.
The production house has already wrapped up eight ad films for Kissan which were aired in March 2013 and featured Punar Vivah’s Kratika Sengar. Now it is working on two fiction shows one of which is in the mythological genre and the other in the historical documentary drama space
Modi is loath to reveal any further details on the shows. All he was willing to say was that “Bolt Media was incorporated to independently create and produce cutting edge TV concepts across mainstream and regional television. We will be covering genres like youth, humour, neomythology, reality, scripted reality, factual entertainment besides exploring branded content like digital brand solutions and short form programming. We are also looking at creating intellectual property like TV formats, events and digital content. “
Going by how other TV-broadcast-executives-turned-entrepreneurs have fared in the past, expect Modi to notch up success.
MUMBAI: Lights, camera… connection because this time, the game isn’t just about winning, it’s about who’s with you. Sony Pictures Networks India is gearing up to launch a new reality game show, Tum Ho Naa, expanding its unscripted slate with a format that promises both emotion and engagement.
The show will premiere soon on Sony Entertainment Television and stream on Sony LIV, with Rajeev Khandelwal stepping in as host. Known for his measured screen presence and selective choices, Khandelwal’s return to television adds a layer of familiarity and credibility to the upcoming format.
While specific details of the gameplay remain under wraps, the positioning suggests a reality format that leans as much on emotional resonance as it does on competition, an increasingly popular blend in Indian television, where audiences are gravitating towards content that offers both stakes and storytelling.
Khandelwal, reflecting on his return, noted that his choices have often been guided by instinct rather than convention, describing Tum Ho Naa as a project that feels “close to the heart”. His association also signals Sony’s continued focus on anchoring new formats with recognisable faces who bring both relatability and depth.
The launch comes at a time when broadcasters are doubling down on original non-fiction formats to drive appointment viewing, even as digital platforms expand parallel reach. By placing the show across both linear television and OTT, Sony appears to be aiming for a dual-audience strategy capturing traditional viewers while engaging digital-first consumers.
As the countdown to premiere begins, Tum Ho Naa positions itself not just as another game show, but as a reminder that sometimes, the biggest prize on screen isn’t the jackpot, it’s the journey shared along the way.
