GECs
Sabido TV scriptwriting workshop in Mumbai on 23 November
MUMBAI: A unique scriptwriting workshop is being organized by the Hong Kong based One Talk Production group in partnership with the indiantelevision.com group from 23-27 November and 29-2 December 2017 in Mumbai.
The former is an Asian content TV producer, which has developed a specialized and unique methodology in TV drama content and storytelling, and is run by Hanno Hornbanger.
The workshop is to be conducted by entertainment education serial drama writing expert Kriss Barker. Vice-president for international programs at the US-based Population Media Center (PMC -an international organization that works with broadcast media to produce entertainment-education programs), Barker has trained numerous media and health communication professionals in the Sabido methodology for behavior change communication using mass media. This apart she has assisted production teams worldwide to develop limited episode dramas which have been used to create awareness of social evils and also gradually rid society of them.
The Sabido method was instituted by Televisa producer Miguel Sabido in the eighties and has been used in the production of telenovellas in Mexico and several other countries over the years.
Says Indiantelevision.com group founder & CEO Anil Wanvari: “We are delighted to be working with One Talk and Kriss in bringing this unique methodology to Indian TV dramas and scriptwriters. While commerce (read ratings and advertising dollars) is at the heart of any TV channel or OTT platform’s existence, it is important that the mediums are consciously used to bring about societal changes. Writing is at the core of any television show and we hope that exposure to the Sabido method will help sensitise both young and experienced TV writers to this need whenever they are writing.”
“We are a production company which seeks to produce socially relevant TV series across Asia using the Sabido method. We are already in production in Vietnam and the Phillippines with shows and films which were a result of the workshops we conducted there. And we are working towards a similar objective in India too,” says Hornbanger. “What’s unique about the Sabido workshop methodology, is that it ends with stories, concepts, scripts which are then further developed to get into production for telecast following a channel mandate. The writers whose scripts will be selected will go on to write the complete show until its completion. “
Adds Wanvari: “We are happy to say that three leading Indian Hindi GECs have evinced interest in partnering with us to telecast the shows that will emerge from the workshop and this unique methodology.”
The One Talk group has conducted extensive research over India which has uncovered Indian society’s pain points. The research will be presented to participants, following which Barker will run them through the Sabido method to develop a character values grid, story settings, character profiles, story arcs (and triggers and consequences), storylines, and plotting for a TV show.
The workshop has limited seats which are filling fast. “ We are handpicking writers to be a part of this scriptwriting programme,” say Hornbanger and Wanvari. “But we have some seats left for scriptwriters who are willing to commit themselves to learn the Sabido methodology. They can approach indiantelevision.com offices in Mumbai and send across their candidature. The best part about this workshop is that they can attend it for free.”
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.
