Factual
Nat Geo to feature Akshaya Patra Foundation on ‘Mega Kitchen’ series
MUMBAI: National Geographic Channel (NGC) is going back to school with The Akshaya Patra Foundation to showcase how the world’s largest school lunch program is cooking up millions of meals and offering India’s children a hopeful tomorrow, one plate at a time.
NGC will premiere Akshaya Patra – Shiksha ka Mahabhog on the Mega Kitchen series on 27 April, 2015 at 9 pm.
The one-hour special gives a unique look into what goes into the functioning of this mammoth kitchen – with a focus on scale, volume, technology and process. Committed to serving the cause of providing nutrition to children, The Akshaya Patra Foundation serves wholesome food to over 1.4 million school children from 10,770 schools in 24 locations across 10 States in India.
NGC’s exclusive documentary on Akshaya Patra promotes the thought of food for education and gives interesting insights like how a whopping 175,000 meals are cooked in just about five hours with an ‘inexhaustible vessel’ and how gravity is used to do all the load-bearing work. To further the cause of mid-day meal programme, NGC has also launched #FoodForEducation initiative on digital media to raise awareness and donations for the Akshaya Patra Foundation.
The Akshaya Patra Foundation CEO Shridhar Venkat said, “Akshaya Patra featuring in a special telecast premiere by National Geographic Channel is indeed a remarkable opportunity for the foundation to gain added momentum to bring awareness to the programme of providing food for education to millions of children in India. We are grateful to NGC for dedicating a full hour episode on Akshaya Patra on their iconic infotainment channel, admired the world over.”
NGC Networks and Fox International Channels business head Swati Mohan added, “Being the leader in the space of infotainment production in India, we at Nat Geo pride ourselves in creating content that exemplifies exclusive access, well researched facts, a local flavour and international quality. ‘Akshaya Patra’ is an example of our continued commitment to do just that and extend the much loved franchise of ‘Megafactories’ in a very relevant and Indian way.”
DUBLIN: Ireland is betting big on reality television. In a move that has Hollywood scouts scrambling for their passports, Dublin has unveiled Europe’s first tax credit dedicated solely to unscripted programming—think The Traitors rather than Game of Thrones.
The scheme offers producers a juicy 20 per cent rebate on qualifying expenditure, capped at €15 million ($17.5 million) per project. It’s a cultural credit with strings attached: programmes must pass a test proving they genuinely promote Irish and European culture. No word yet on whether Love Island derivatives need apply.
Ireland tánaiste and minister for finance Simon Harris says the incentive will cement Ireland’s reputation as a “centre of excellence” for audiovisual production. His colleague, minister for culture, communications and sport Patrick O’Donovan, insists Ireland has “the talent, creativity and production expertise to lead” in unscripted television. Bold claims for a nation that has spent decades exporting scripted drama.
The timing is canny. Unscripted production costs have soared globally, making Ireland’s existing infrastructure—and now its tax breaks—increasingly attractive. Fox Entertainment Studios already churns out shows like Beat Shazam and The Floor from Irish studios. Whether these American productions will pass the cultural test remains to be seen.
Producers must secure an interim cultural certificate before filming begins, allowing them to claim credits during production rather than waiting until wrap. A final certificate follows completion. The European Commission has blessed the scheme through December 2028.
Minimum thresholds apply: productions must cost at least €250,000, with eligible expenditure above €125,000. Only one season per project can claim relief in any 12-month period, though producers can juggle multiple projects.
Britain, take note. The UK industry has clamoured for similar support for 18 months, but Westminster has dithered. India’s ministry of information and broadcasting pay heed. Its incentive scheme for co-productions excludes unscripted television. To what end, no one knows! Ireland, meanwhile, is already rolling out the red carpet—or should that be green?
The message from Dublin is clear: when it comes to backing reality TV, Ireland isn’t messing about. Lights, camera, tax action.
