Factual
Viacom18 to broadcast ‘Daughters of Mother India’ documentary
MUMBAI: Viacom18 has acquired the telecast rights to the award winning documentary titled Daughters of Mother India.
The docu will be aired across its network on 27 December, 2015, which also marks the death anniversary of Nirbhaya. The 45 minutes long documentary explores the aftermath of the Nirbhaya rape incident in 2012.
The documentary is produced by Maryann Deleo and is directed by Vibha Bakshi. It explores the effect of Nirbhaya’s brutal gang rape on the collective psyche of India. The documentary has been adopted as a training film by the Indian Police Academy and various education institutes in India, to sensitise on treating women with respect.
Viacom18 group CEO Sudhanshu Vats said, “Viacom18 takes pride in building an ecosystem of relevant and impactful content creators, platforms and communities. Media firms are best placed to act as force multipliers in India’s endeavour to bring about women empowerment. It is also important for us to be objective and ensure that all sides of a story are shared. Daughters of Mother India does these in many ways: it is objective, compelling and thought provoking. Hopefully, we’ll see a lot more of this kind of content coming into the mainstream. And hopefully, we as a company and as an industry will continue propagating this message of change.”
Filmmaker Vibha Bakshi added, “Viacom18 is not just a media company. It’s clearly a disrupter. When we approached Viacom18 with the proposition of screening a documentary, they instantly understood. They were sensitive to the immediate need to raise awareness and take responsibility as a carrier of content to bring about social behavioural change. It’s the media that plays an important role in shaping minds and mindsets and can deliver huge on ground impact in bringing mass awareness for the critical issues pertaining to women empowerment, gender violence and actions needed there off. I encourage all of you to join me in saluting Viacom 18 for taking this bold step to adopt a documentary and dedicate air time for such an important issue of awareness. It is truly commendable and indeed a benchmark for the industry to follow.”
MUMBAI: India’s most famous hot seat is about to welcome an unlikely first-timer. For the first time on Hindi general entertainment television, industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla will appear on Kaun Banega Crorepati, the iconic quiz show hosted by Amitabh Bachchan.
The special episode marks a rare meeting point of boardroom heft and prime-time television, bringing one of India’s most influential business leaders face to face with the country’s most enduring screen legend. It is a crossover that blends intellect, leadership and popular culture, all under KBC’s familiar spotlight.
Birla’s appearance dovetails neatly with the show’s current theme, Jahaan Akal Hai, Wahan Akad Hai, which celebrates the confidence that comes from clarity of thought and knowledge. His presence lends weight to the idea that sharp thinking and conviction are as vital in life as they are in the quiz chair.
In a thoughtful conversation with Bachchan, Birla shared an upbeat view of India’s economic journey, pointing to the nation’s rapid growth and the scale of opportunity opening up across industries and communities. He spoke of momentum, ambition and a future shaped by enterprise and ideas.
The episode is not all serious talk. In lighter moments, Birla confessed his long-standing admiration for Bachchan, calling him his favourite actor and admitting to a touch of nervousness at answering questions in front of the Shahenshah himself. The candour adds a human touch to a man more often seen in headlines than on television sets.
The special episode airs on Monday, 29 December at 9.00 pm on Sony Entertainment Television and Sony LIV.
