GECs
TV actors on resuming work and challenges faced while shooting
MUMBAI: Now that most shows have resumed on TV, the entertainment is back on. However, the new experience of shooting is something that even actors are getting used to. While Kumkum Bhagya’s Mugdha Chaphekar is excited to meet her unit and the cast after three months, Guddan Tumse Na Ho Payega actor Nishant Singh Malkani is most concerned about performing the same as before.
Malkani further adds that currently the biggest challenge before every producer, actor or technician is to ensure safety. He says, “We need to wear masks and gloves after each shot. We use a sanitiser before removing or wearing the mask and gloves. There are very intricate details which we have to follow to avoid any mishap. It is easy to take precautions while you are at home but it is difficult when you are in a group of 50 to 60 people. And seeing everyone in PPE kits makes me feel like I’m entering a laboratory.”
Maddam Sir actress Bhavika Sharma finds it difficult to shoot with less number of crew members. She mentions that earlier a lot of work was done by other people, but it is not possible now considering the Covid2019 situation. It’s also necessary to sit far away from each other on the set and so the fun element is reduced.
According to Chaphekar people are alert about what they touch all the time. She also thinks that maintaining distance while shooting with everyone is also tough, but till now everything has been going smooth on the set.
Most of the crew members are staying on the set, and actors are preferably using their own vehicle to travel to ensure the least number of people come from outside. “I take the care myself, so I don't have to worry about it. In fact, I clean my car every day and sanitise everything and take all the necessary precautions to ensure safe travel to and fro from the set,” Chaphekar further adds.
Actors highlight that they prefer to do their own makeup. Malkani shares that earlier, each actor used to have a separate hair and makeup artist but now there are only two makeup artists available on set. They just supervise the actors and if there is any mistake, they sanitise their hand and follow all the guidelines before fixing it.
While most of the actors are getting scripts digitally to avoid any contact through papers Chaphekar points out that she gets her script on the set itself. She adds, “We get our scripts in our rooms when we arrive. So straight away, I spray my script with a sanitizer and keep it aside for a bit. After that, I read it out and prepare all my lines. Furthermore, I do not carry it to the set, so it is always safe to touch.” However, the actors are not allowed to share their mobile phones.
Despite all the changes, the only thing that has remained constant is the shift timings which stays from 7 am to 7 pm.
GECs
ZEEL overhauls sales structure to chase growth across TV and digital platforms
New structure sharpens digital push as viewing habits fragment fast
MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. is reshuffling its sales playbook as it looks to keep pace with a fast-changing media landscape, where audiences are scattered, screens are multiplying and advertisers are following the data.
According to media reports, the rejig is anchored in the company’s push to build a more integrated, data-led monetisation engine, one that can straddle both traditional television and fast-growing digital platforms with equal ease.
At the heart of the move is a reworked sales architecture designed to deliver cross-platform solutions. With connected TV gaining ground and digital consumption surging, ZEEL is aligning its teams to move quicker, think broader and sell smarter.
The restructuring is being led by chief operating officer, advertisement revenue, Sandeep Mehrotra, at a time when the company says it is seeing tremendous growth. The idea is simple: match the right talent to the right opportunity in a market that is anything but static.
As part of the overhaul, several long-serving executives have been elevated to chief sales officer roles across regions and content clusters. Sanjoy Chatterjee will head the east market, while Gunjarav Nayak takes charge of the west along with high-margin verticals such as hmg, brand works, intellectual properties and digital sales. Rajnish Gupta will oversee bengaluru and chennai markets alongside the kannada and tamil clusters.
In other key moves, Divjyot Dhanda will lead hyderabad and kochi markets and manage zee tv, zee keralam and the telugu cluster. Roshan Vasu Kotian will supervise a diverse portfolio including Zee Marathi, &tv, Zee Punjabi, Zee Anmol, Big Magic and Zee Biskope.
The company is also strengthening its bench, appointing national sales heads across retail, regional clusters, digital and brand solutions. Ankur Kapila’s appointment to lead digital sales signals a sharper push into a segment that continues to outpace traditional formats.
Behind the scenes, dedicated strategy and operations roles have been carved out for both linear and digital businesses. Nitin Shetty, Rajkiran Shrivastav and Priya Nambiar will take on key responsibilities to ensure the new structure runs with precision.
The broader aim is clear. ZEEL wants a bigger slice of advertising budgets that are steadily drifting towards digital and connected TV ecosystems. By integrating its offerings, the company hopes to deepen client relationships while unlocking new revenue streams.
The new structure takes effect immediately, with Mehrotra continuing to report to chief executive officer Punit Goenka and steer the company’s advertising revenue strategy. Senior executive Laxmi Shetty will support the transition, with her revised role expected to be announced soon.
In a market where content is everywhere but attention is scarce, ZEEL’s latest move is less about rearranging the org chart and more about staying in the game.
