GECs
Cinema workshop & appreciation course begins in Pune
MUMBAI: ‘Understanding Cinema’ — a workshop and film appreciation programme jointly orgainsed by the Indira School of Communication (ISC) and Aashay Film Club, began in Pune today.
The workshop and film appreciation programme was jointly inaugurated by music director and film critic Bhaskar Chandavarkar, Indiantelevision.com founder, CEO and editor-in-chief Anil Wanvari and Indira School of Communication director Shashidhar Nanjundaiah.
The programme includes seven days of conceptual learning and three days of hands-on training in making a short film.
‘Understanding Cinema’ will showcase a bouquet of Indian and international films in various genres and ranging from the first film ever made to the latest ones, informs a press release.
The speakers over the 10 days include filmmakers writer-director Vinta Nanda, director-producer Sumitra Bhave, film academician, script writer and director Anil Zankar, actor and former dircetor of Film and Television Insititue of India (FTII) Dr Mohan Agashe and film academician Samar Nakhate to name a few.
Chandavarkar said, “Cinema is a cultural experience, and that culture and cinema are mutually interdependent in shaping each other. He said workshops like this would help general publics broaden their horizons in understanding the medium of film.”
Nanjundaiah said that the programme will provide an effective alternative to other film appreciation courses, and add value in that participants would have hands-on experience in making a short film. Understanding Cinema would recognize milestone films in traditional and non-traditional, art and commercial cinema.
He added that the distinction between so-called art and commercial cinema was diminishing, but that critics and scholars need to pay more attention to that changing nuance.
On the other hand, Wanvari elaborated on the changing scenario in television industry and pointed at the enormous possibilities of fusion between television and cinema. He expressed confidence that workshops such as this would ensure such possibilities.
The official release states that the participants will also have the opportunity to watch landmark films each day, such as Singin in the Rain, Pather Panchali, Mr. and Mrs. Iyer, White Noise, Vastupurush, Sadgati, No Mans Land, and Osama.
GECs
ZEEL overhauls sales structure to chase growth across TV and digital platforms
New structure sharpens digital push as viewing habits fragment fast
MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. is reshuffling its sales playbook as it looks to keep pace with a fast-changing media landscape, where audiences are scattered, screens are multiplying and advertisers are following the data.
According to media reports, the rejig is anchored in the company’s push to build a more integrated, data-led monetisation engine, one that can straddle both traditional television and fast-growing digital platforms with equal ease.
At the heart of the move is a reworked sales architecture designed to deliver cross-platform solutions. With connected TV gaining ground and digital consumption surging, ZEEL is aligning its teams to move quicker, think broader and sell smarter.
The restructuring is being led by chief operating officer, advertisement revenue, Sandeep Mehrotra, at a time when the company says it is seeing tremendous growth. The idea is simple: match the right talent to the right opportunity in a market that is anything but static.
As part of the overhaul, several long-serving executives have been elevated to chief sales officer roles across regions and content clusters. Sanjoy Chatterjee will head the east market, while Gunjarav Nayak takes charge of the west along with high-margin verticals such as hmg, brand works, intellectual properties and digital sales. Rajnish Gupta will oversee bengaluru and chennai markets alongside the kannada and tamil clusters.
In other key moves, Divjyot Dhanda will lead hyderabad and kochi markets and manage zee tv, zee keralam and the telugu cluster. Roshan Vasu Kotian will supervise a diverse portfolio including Zee Marathi, &tv, Zee Punjabi, Zee Anmol, Big Magic and Zee Biskope.
The company is also strengthening its bench, appointing national sales heads across retail, regional clusters, digital and brand solutions. Ankur Kapila’s appointment to lead digital sales signals a sharper push into a segment that continues to outpace traditional formats.
Behind the scenes, dedicated strategy and operations roles have been carved out for both linear and digital businesses. Nitin Shetty, Rajkiran Shrivastav and Priya Nambiar will take on key responsibilities to ensure the new structure runs with precision.
The broader aim is clear. ZEEL wants a bigger slice of advertising budgets that are steadily drifting towards digital and connected TV ecosystems. By integrating its offerings, the company hopes to deepen client relationships while unlocking new revenue streams.
The new structure takes effect immediately, with Mehrotra continuing to report to chief executive officer Punit Goenka and steer the company’s advertising revenue strategy. Senior executive Laxmi Shetty will support the transition, with her revised role expected to be announced soon.
In a market where content is everywhere but attention is scarce, ZEEL’s latest move is less about rearranging the org chart and more about staying in the game.
