Fiction
“Not international but Indian production houses get sentiments right”
MUMBAI: The recent video of Alia Bhatt uploaded by comedy collective All India Bakchod (AIB) ‘Genius of the Year’ once again brought out the power of digital to the forefront.
Today, brands are increasing their marketing spends on the medium as they create interesting videos to connect with the audiences. And thanks to this, a number of independent production houses have mushroomed which specialise in telling a story.
One such production house is the The Square Peg Films (TSPF), started by Pooja Mishra and Praveen Sharma in late 2013. Like a picture says a thousand words, the videos say a lot more, with this thought on their minds the two began freelancing as a form of preparation and a diploma course and made a few other films as well. They did all this for around 3-4 years before taking the plunge.
Mishra and Sharma were working with digital agencies before they came together to explore their skills as they became part of various projects to give them the much needed push and confidence. Beyond the personal ambitions and interest of venturing into videos, they also noticed a gap in the market, which was created owing to lack of smart and a little more involved production houses that make process of video production easier and not otherwise.
So what separates them from the others? “We are not just a production house that helps brands or agencies execute their ideas in terms of videos, but also a video production agency that has the capability to pick up briefs, understand the marketing objectives behind them, conceptualise ideas and then bring them to life. This is the reason why our clientele has a good mix of both brands and agencies,” both say unanimously while stating that a few of their work like the TVC for Rediff.com or a corporate video with Thomas Cook, has been with brands directly.
Another thing that sets them apart is their range of work, so they claim. “Mostly, there are two categories of production houses, ones that do TVCs, and the others that are into corporate films and animation. We do it all,” says Sharma. In the past 11 months of their operation they have done a TVC, plenty of animation videos and international assignments as well.
At present, there are 12 people working with the production house on a full-time basis, while there are a few others that work with it on project basis primarily on pre and post production stages.
“Though we serve as end-to-end video solution providers, in our opinion, our strength is in pre-production, which includes conceptualisation and scripting. Further, our background and instincts give us an edge over others when it comes to shoot based content,” says Mishra.
The clientele includes Puma, MTS India, Oakley India, Aegis Global, Thomas Cook, Lipton Ice Tea, Sab, Kokuyo Camlin, Rediff.com, and many more. The production house reaches out to brands and their past work talks for itself. “A couple of good projects to show got us more work in return,” highlights Mishra.
When asked if international production houses form any threat to Indian houses, Sharma says, “There are different kind of videos, a few of them are high on technicality others on sentiment. International production houses might be becoming a preferred option when it comes to videos high on visual effects and other technical details, but when it comes to getting the sentiments right, there is no replacement for the Indian counterparts.”
Fiction
Banijay merges with All3Media in $6.65 billion deal
Marco Bassetti will lead the combined company as CEO
PARIS: Six years after acquiring Endemol Shine at the height of the pandemic, Banijay has struck again. The European production heavyweight is merging with All3Media in a deal that will create a television titan with $6.65 billion in revenue and redraw the contours of a fast-consolidating market.
The combined company will trade under the Banijay name and be owned 50 per cent each by Banijay Group and RedBird IMI, which acquired All3Media in 2024. The transaction is expected to close by autumn, subject to regulatory approvals.
Banijay Entertainment CEO Marco Bassetti, will take the top job at the enlarged group. All3Media CEO Jane Turton becomes deputy CEO. RedBird IMI CEO Jeff Zucker will serve as chairman.
The logic is scale. Broadcasters are commissioning less, streamers are tightening budgets and global buyers are fewer but bigger. Against that backdrop, heft matters. The merged entity will generate roughly $6.65 billion in revenues based on 2024 figures, giving it sharper elbows in rights negotiations and deeper pockets for franchise-building.
“Entrepreneurialism, ambition and creativity” remain core to Banijay’s DNA, Bassetti said, flagging plans to invest more heavily in new intellectual property, live events and emerging platforms. Turton struck a similarly bullish note, pointing to All3Media’s journey from a 2003 start-up to a global supplier of hit formats and high-end drama.
Between them, the two groups control a formidable slate. Banijay’s catalogue spans MasterChef, Big Brother, Survivor, Black Mirror, Peaky Blinders and Deal or No Deal. All3Media’s labels include Studio Lambert, producer of The Traitors and Squid Game: The Challenge; Two Brothers, behind The Tourist; and Neal Street, currently producing the forthcoming Beatles biopics directed by Sam Mendes for Sony.
The back catalogue is equally muscular. Banijay Rights holds some 220,000 hours, while All3Media International adds around 35,000 hours, forming one of the industry’s largest libraries.
Banijay, controlled by French entrepreneur Stéphane Courbit and listed in Amsterdam, counts more than 130 production companies across 25 territories. All3Media operates over 40 labels, with strong positions in the UK, US and Germany. The enlarged group will also lean into live entertainment, building on Banijay’s Balich Wonder Studio, which produced the opening ceremony of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, and the Independents.
The deal marks a shift in tone. As recently as October, Bassetti suggested that mergers and acquisitions were not a priority. But the drumbeat of consolidation has grown louder. Mediawan has moved for Peter Chernin’s North Road. David Ellison’s Paramount has agreed to a $110 billion takeover of Warner Bros, with plans to combine HBO Max and Paramount plus. ITV has explored selling its media and entertainment arm to Comcast-owned Sky, though talks have reportedly slowed.
