GECs
Malhotra’s Alchemy to launch five shows in ’17
MUMBAI: One show old in the television industry, the name Alchemy Productions might sound new to the world but the person leading the production house is definitely not new. His production house plans to launch five show in 2017.
Director-producer Siddharth P Malhotra has been in the industry for over a decade now.
Apart from the shows, Malhotra, who also directed “We Are Family,” is working on his second film now, with a leading production house. Malhotra is also planning to launch a new division in his company, which will produce plays for theatres.
Known for shows such as ‘Dil Mil Gaye,’ ‘EK Hazaaro Me Meri Behna Hai,’ ‘Ek Hasina Thi’ and many more, the producer has also been known for his family business Cinevistaas Productions. He is well-versed with the art and craft of creating shows, which were produced under the banner of Cinevistaas.
Talking about the split, Malhotra said, “Cinevistaas was getting into the development of land, studio and aimed at other things in life. I was more keen in the production aspect of it. My job was only to be a creative and not get into production. There comes a point when everybody needs to grow. And, if you are not ready to willingly give me those responsibilities, then bless me and free me. We are family, and I am not splitting away but i need to start of my own.”
2016 is the year when Malhotra decided to move out from Cinevistaas, and start his own production house Alchemy along with his wife Sapna. The production house launched its first show Ichhapyaari Naagin for Sab TV in September.
“I pretty much started from scratch, literally with almost nil bank balance. I have been lucky as the people I have been associated with for so long stood by me, including the channels. I went to Anooj (Kapoor) sir with the concept in Sab TV and I told him this is my concept, and I want to do it on my own. He knew me from the time Sab TV launched. He liked my concept and said, “Let’s do it.”
“Before that, we worked on ‘Lo Ho Gai Pooja Iss Ghar Ki.’ Raghuvir Shekhawat is writing all my shows, but I am unsure about his pay packet. From this, you would know the mutual trust among us,” he said. “I have with me Santram Sharma too; at present he is not doing any show but he stood by me like a rock. I am very fortunate to be working with such interesting people,” he added.
The four-month-old company, which started with a single show for Sony Pictures Network’s comedy channel Sab TV, is now working on five shows for all the leading Hindi GECs in India. “The struggle has been on how to put things together and getting the right people,” Malhotra said.
Alchemy is fully owned by Malhotra and his wife Sapna.
Talking about his upcoming shows, he said Alchemy was producing a family drama for Zee TV which was slated to be launched in January 2017. He is also producing shows for Sony which is a pure love story, which he is known for.
The next show in the offing is considered to be television’s biggest show ever on Star Plus, tentatively titled ‘Kya tu meri laage’ bringing on the small screen for the first time the Bollywood actor Minisha Lamba and a bunch of big television stars in the show. The show, written by Nina Arora, is already being talked about and published on various platforms.
GECs
Samsung TV Plus launches Kings of Comedy channel
New free FAST channel brings iconic Hindi comedy shows to millions of Samsung Smart TV owners.
MUMBAI: Samsung TV Plus has just turned up the laughter volume and it’s completely free. The leading free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) service in India has launched Kings of Comedy, a premium comedy channel featuring some of the country’s most beloved primetime shows. Available exclusively on Samsung TV Plus, the channel delivers back-to-back hits including Comedy Nights with Kapil, Khatra Khatra Khatra, and Comedy Nights Bachao, with no login or subscription required.
The launch marks a milestone for free streaming in India, offering audiences a dedicated comedy destination directly from their Samsung TV home screen. It arrives as Samsung TV Plus India celebrates its 5th anniversary, during which the service has grown its monthly active users by 42 per cent and more than doubled its total viewing hours. The platform now offers over 180 free channels across 14 languages.
Samsung TV Plus India general manager and head of business development Kunal Mehta said, “Comedy is the heartbeat of Hindi entertainment, and Kings of Comedy brings together the shows Indians already love, completely free on their Samsung TV. Our focus remains the same take the content people know and make it effortless to access.”
Globally, Samsung TV Plus has surpassed 100 million monthly active users across more than 4,500 channels, solidifying its position as one of the world’s leading free streaming services.
Kings of Comedy is now available on all compatible Samsung Smart TVs. For viewers seeking non-stop laughter without any cost, this new channel delivers a royal treat proving that sometimes the best entertainment really does come with no strings (or subscriptions) attached.
