Content Hub
“You should never underestimate the power of good writing”: Namit Sharma
MUMBAI: Utilising his 15 years of experience across genres, he has created great programming for Zee TV. From broadcasting to content generation, it’s an amalgamation of several aspects.
Here we are talking about Zee TV’s programming head Namit Sharma who with his creative thoughts has bought some best ideas to the table. For ‘The Content Hub’, indiantelevision.com had a quick chat to get his views on today’s story-telling and the power of story writers.
According to Sharma, our stories are universal and emotion driven. “Of course”, comes a prompt reply from Sharma when asked whether Indian content has the ability to travel international. “It all depends on who’s selling it and who’s buying it.”
He cites the example of MIPCOM, the global market for entertainment content across all platforms. “At MIPCOM, there are Latin American companies selling Telenovelas which get bought by Indian companies. The difference between what we do here and what they do there is, they market them better,” he says.
According to him, the channel’s current offering Jamai Raja can easily travel internationally. On the contrary, he feels that a concept like Satrangai Sasural won’t be accepted abroad because it is culturally very sensitive.
Finding good script writers is difficult in every genre and one needs to keep building talent pool that they want to work with.
“We will never arrive at a time when we say ‘Oh! We are happy with the amount of good writing talent we have’. We will always be hungry for more. We will always keep on looking and creating,” he emphasises.
He believes that one should never underestimate the power of good writing. “A lot of people look down upon GEC shows and the quality of writing on it, but what they don’t realise is that it takes equal effort to write these shows as it takes to write intelligent shows.” The GEC shows talk to the masses, more than the biggest Bollywood blockbuster.
He believes that Indian content shifting its paradigm can mean different things to different people. “It depends on which viewer is asking the question. For some it might be ‘when they will only do crime thrillers’ or ‘stop doing saas-bahu soaps’ or ‘produce only love stories’. For us as broadcasters, the only relevant questions come from the audience. So we are happy to listen to their questions and answer them and that’s the crux of what we do,” says he.
Zee TV was a pioneer in creating seasonal shows when it launched two seasons of Choti Bahu and Punar Vivaah. He feels that there must be seasonal shows, but nobody should be forced to do it because it is a fad or a trend. “One should do seasonal shows because they want to do it. Every story has its own destiny and fate and nobody should really judge somebody else’s work in the field of writing specifically with one uni-dimensional filter,” signs off Sharma.
Mumbai: Exploring the shift from regional to national content, this synopsis delves into the trends and challenges. It navigates the transformation, analyzing industry dynamics, emerging trends, and the hurdles faced. From preserving regional variation to adapting to a broader audience, it examines the multifaceted journey of regional content evolving into a national narrative. In what ways do the emerging trends and challenges influence the dynamics of the entertainment industry during this transition? How can creators navigate these changes effectively? What strategic approaches can content creators adopt to strike a balance between maintaining regional identity and fostering a cohesive national narrative in their work? How can the transition from ‘regional’ to ‘national content’ impact cultural diversity within the entertainment industry, and what measures can be taken to ensure the preservation of regional variation?
In a rapidly evolving media landscape, seasoned industry professionals have offered valuable insights into the transformation of content consumption and production. The session was chaired by Ernst and Young partner Raghav Anand, MMTV chief executive officer P.R. Satheesh, Sony Marathi business head Ajay Bhalwankar, PTC Network chairman & MD Rabindra Narayan, Shemaroo Entertainment COO, Digital, Saurabh Srivastava esteemed voices in the field, have articulated their perspectives on the burgeoning shift towards globalised content.
Rabindra Narayan emphasised the dissolution of regional boundaries in content consumption, attributing it to the accessibility facilitated by global platforms and connectivity options. He predicts a future where language barriers will fade, citing the potential of technology to clone and adapt voices, thus enabling seamless localization across languages.
Saurabh highlighted the democratisation of content creation in the digital era, underscoring its empowerment and revenue potential, particularly in linguistically diverse markets like India. He emphasizes the value of culturally rooted storytelling in filling gaps in content supply, with technology enabling effective monetization, especially through OTT platforms.
Ajay Bhalwan sheds light on the evolving landscape of Hindi and regional language content, noting a significant shift where a substantial portion of content on Hindi film channels originates from regional languages. He accentuates the importance of language in enhancing authenticity and audience engagement, exemplified by the strong resonance of Marathi content in Maharashtra.
PR Satheesh underscored the paramount importance of content quality in driving viewership and transcending language barriers. Drawing parallels with the global popularity of Korean dramas, he advocates for leveraging technology, including AI and real-time translations, to enhance content creation and distribution.
These insightful perspectives collectively echoed the industry’s adaptation to a globalised content landscape, where technology catalyzes innovation and accessibility. As content continues to evolve, these experts offered valuable guidance on navigating the dynamic media landscape and maximizing the impact of storytelling in diverse markets worldwide.
