News Broadcasting
Star to launch new weekly comedy in September
MUMBAI: Another weekly serial launches on 10 September in the 8 pm slot on Star Plus.
Khichdi is a concoction of characters and their emotions, idiosyncrasies, likes, dislikes, relationships and dreams, all done to imperfect perfection in a melting pot, which happens to be their home, says an official release from Star. The weekly comedy is about an upper middle class family, which is still way behind modernisation.
Directed by Aatish Kapadia, the story revolves around Mohan Niwas, a bungalow that houses a host of characters, ranging from an adventurous greatgrandmother, (Dina Pathak), an ensemble of devilishly funny women, (Supriya Pathak, as Hansa the eledest daughter-in-law and Vandana Pathak as the widowed Jayshree), and their spouses. Anang Desai and Rajeev Mehta complete the cast of the serial, produced by UTV & Hats off Productions.
The Parekhs, says the release, are the ideal example of a Hindu undivided joint family, as they go about creating a mishmash of situations to spice up their life.
News Broadcasting
Mihir Bhatt appointed as chief content officer at News18 Studios
The media veteran brings two decades of experience across television, digital and radio to one of India’s biggest broadcast networks, Disney+ Hotstar, Discovery+
NEW DELHI: Network18 has a new strategist in the building. Mihir Bhatt, one of Indian media’s more versatile operators, has joined News18 Studios as chief content officer, stepping into a role that will see him shape content strategy, build multi-platform properties and drive brand partnerships across the network.
Bhatt brings more than two decades of experience spanning television, digital and radio, with a track record of doing something rare in Indian media: combining editorial ambition with hard commercial results. At Times Network, where he served as managing editor and chief business officer of Times Influence, he built one of the industry’s more respected content studios, launching marquee properties such as the India Economic Conclave, the Times Now Summit and Leaders of Tomorrow. He also pushed the network into premium OTT territory through tie-ups with Disney+ Hotstar and Discovery+.
His resume stretches well beyond the studio. Bhatt has led Global Investor Summits for multiple state governments, worked alongside the World Economic Forum and played a pivotal role in launching the Indian Pickleball League. Earlier, as editor of Zee Business, he pioneered investor education initiatives that are still cited as industry benchmarks.
At News18 Studios, Bhatt will report to chief executive S Shivakumar and will oversee the studios execution vertical alongside revenue verticals covering emerging markets and campaigns. Sidharth Saini, Hemanth Kumar and Nimar Sarkaria will work under him.
Rahul Joshi, managing director and editor-in-chief of Network18 Group, made the announcement in an internal communication. “Mihir’s ability to build enduring brands, foster strategic partnerships and navigate a rapidly evolving media landscape will be instrumental as we continue to strengthen our position and explore new avenues of growth in the Studios business,” Joshi said.
In a media industry lurching between disruption and reinvention, Network18 has bet on a man who has spent two decades thriving in exactly that chaos. Whether he can do it again, at greater scale, is the question worth watching.
