Suri Gopalan

Thrilled to announce India’s First Mythological OTT platform, 'Hari Om'. "Since the beginning, we've specialized in genre-specific OTT content, pioneering an innovative approach in the entertainment industry. We create targeted content that caters to specific interests, ensuring our audience remains engaged without deviation. Introducing Hari Om, India's first dedicated mythological platform, promising an epic journey through India's rich mythological heritage, exclusively showcasing religious content." In a pioneering move, this app breaks through the clutter, offering a comprehensive repository of Indian mythology and traditional content—a concept never explored before. With an increasing global interest amongst younger audiences, Hari Om emerges as the much-needed bridge, providing a singular platform to delve into the rich tapestry of Indian culture, and spirituality. This platform will be launched in June 2024 with an incredible line-up of more than 20 epic mythological shows, featuring a stellar cast and crew. This unique one-of-a-kind OTT platform will feature long format and short format ‘U’ rated series, created for senior citizens, children and young adults. The OTT platform will also offer bhajans in both video and audio formats. For the first time ever, children will be able to experience curated animated content on mythology. This is the only OTT platform to exclusively host 'U' rated content, making it suitable for people across all age groups. “As Indians, it is essential for us to know our roots, culture, tradition, and heritage to develop a sense of pride and respect for it. This app is one of its kind by any OTT platform in the world to feature only mythological and religious content which can be consumed by the entire family together. Hari Om is designed for family audiences worldwide, with the belief that it will be embraced by viewers and serve as a source of enlightenment to various nationalities across the world." ‘Hari Om’ is poised to become a one-stop destination for mythological content enthusiasts, promising a blend of entertainment, education, and cultural knowledge. https://lnkd.in/dvVJmdRn

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₹22,400 Crore ($2.7 Billion) Lost to Piracy in India’s Entertainment Industry 1. Rising Piracy: A Growing Concern for Content Creators 51% of Indian consumers access content through pirated sources, posing a significant challenge to the entertainment industry’s revenue streams. 2. Streaming Dominates Piracy Landscape 63% of pirated content comes from streaming platforms, with mobile apps following closely behind as a major channel for illicit content distribution. 3. Massive GST Revenue Losses Up to INR 43 billion in GST revenues may have been lost due to piracy in India, underscoring the financial impact of unauthorised content consumption on the economy. 4. Post-Pandemic Surge in Subscription Revenue Subscription revenue has surged by 150% since the pandemic, signalling a strong rebound for OTT services, but piracy continues to hinder further growth. 5. Filmed Entertainment Industry Poised for Growth. India’s filmed entertainment sector is projected to reach INR 146 billion by 2026, signalling significant opportunity—but piracy remains a critical hurdle. 6. Pirates Don’t Want Paid Subscriptions 70% of pirated content consumers report no interest in purchasing OTT subscriptions, highlighting a major gap in monetisation strategies for streaming services. 7. Young Demographics Driving Piracy A significant 6% of pirated content users are aged between 19-34 years, suggesting that younger audiences are more likely to engage with unauthorized content. 8. Language Preferences in Pirated Content 40% of pirated content is consumed in Hindi, with 31% opting for English content, reflecting language preferences and potential areas for localisation. 9. Consumer Willingness to Switch to Legal Platforms 64% of pirated content users would prefer accessing content via authorized channels, even with ads, if offered for free—indicating potential for ad-supported business models. 10. Resistance to Paying for Movie Tickets A strong 84% of pirated content consumers report that they have no intention of purchasing movie tickets, pointing to the need for more affordable or flexible viewing options.

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OTT Self Regulation is not Correct : Bring *OTT Regulation* and *OTT Censorship in india @ The issue is always how bad is bad...if you allow all this Profanity and Half to Almost Full Nudity, what will stop them from going from this to Horrible things...all in the Name of Creativity...Yes OTT has its Advantage, Huge Content Library which can be Accessed Anytime on a Device of Your choice. But OTT has taken off big time bcoz of Nudity and Profanities Allowed to run Sans any control

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@ National Broadcasting Bill Should be Enact &: All the Content On Cable tv / Hits / DTH / Free Dish / IPTV / OTT / mobile TV / Broadband Should be Regulated. "MIB" Should control OTT Platform's Content and" MeitY" Should Take Care Of Social Media and User-Generated Content.Then only Level Playing Field will Exist in Indian Broadcasting Industry

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Brilliant start indeed! “Geet” Avatars from the iconic Jab We Met sold out completely. Marks a new beginning to our Web 3 initiatives in terms of real Monetisation of our digital IP, making India and the world Khush in the process #IndiaKhushHua Strong partnership with The Sandbox /BharatBox .. delivering a transformational inititaive. Keep tuned in for more exciting announcements going forward. #Shemaroo #Web3 #Metaverse Hiren Gada Anuja Trivedi

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Always believed that Indian languages/dialects are the greatest assets for our M&E industry. In recent days, movie market has been little dull except few blockbusters but television is going strong on regional channels. Streaming market is now getting consolidated. As I mentioned before, regional/niche streaming platforms can sustain & successful if they could avoid direct competition with giants on various levels like content expenditure. Rising content costs are making platforms difficult to stay profitable. If regional platforms can stay within their content budgets & provide engaging content, they could survive. Most of the viewers now are exposed to all sorts of content across all platforms in all forms. They have so many options at any point of time. But the point is they keep comparing the content from various platforms and finally approve on some creator/platform to make it regular watch. To achieve such viewership, the content on the regional language platforms must be way engaging than the big ones. The regional/niche platforms may not be having solid infrastructure including tech, marketing muscle along with production value. Therefore only way to establish is to connect with the audience with relevant engaging content in their own language. Language culture is different than just the language. Using language with respective culture portraying present time stories is important. Human recommendation is more powerful than recommendation engine. Most of the times, recommendations comes from close circle audience, friends and families. This forms the community for the respective platform. Regional/niche platforms must nurture such communities and localize their activities to penetrate deeper into their target audience. Another point would like to make about long term sustenance is, There is no point in 100 platforms jumping in the same language. There would be very little chances to have success. There is a limited room for each language/dialect considering the audience volume. The audience cannot absorb so many platforms. Social media is omni-present. Regional platforms must build entire eco-system of content creation (Producers, Directors, Writers, Actors, Technicians etc.) on the local level that would supply steady flow of quality content in respective language/dialect without spending exorbitant amount. Finding the right talent and training them with right technique is a mammoth task but worth once you prepare teams called 'Units', not just individuals. The term 'Jugaad' is not new to the world now. Even some of the best directors across the globe apply their brains & minds to restrain the budgets and create the spectacular. India has a rich heritage of so many languages, cultures and literature. All we need is 'Innovation', a vision to look at the content with fresh perspective. #content #regional #India #Indian #languages #dialects #innovation #vision #creation #TV #movie #streaming #OTTplatform #media #entertainment

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The key takeaway for me in this article comes from the following quote by Monika Shergill, vice-president of content, Netflix India - "At the heart and centre of what we do is to back original stories and voices. They are a very important part of our brand and long-term success as a company". This is where the opportunity lies. One must focus on upgrading one's writing craft in terms of intricately structured plot narratives, high-concept marketable, stand-out stories, and layered characters that can sustain multiple seasons. While this craft is getting better each year, we still have a long way to go in terms of scalability. A lot of times, good story ideas are either not crafted well enough or not presented to showcase their full potential. It's clear that we need to challenge ourselves and strive for excellence in our craft, especially when it comes to collaborating within writing teams if we want to sustain the scaling up of good series as an industry and be relevant storytellers in the streaming world. For Mint by Lata Jha

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this could start a trend

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Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma put on a breathtaking, historical six-hitting display during the India vs South Africa 4th T20I on Friday, 15 November 2024. How do you 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒉𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 these days? You’re either at the stadium, glued to your TV or mobile screen, or searching the 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑡 for updates. The internet is now the go-to for everything—whether it’s the latest trends, breaking news, or even simple tasks like boiling water. Surprisingly, people still search for: 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒐𝒊𝒍 𝒘𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓. 𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒐𝒊𝒍 𝒘𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒆𝒂 𝒐𝒓 𝒄𝒐𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒆. 𝑺𝒂𝒇𝒆𝒕𝒚 𝒕𝒊𝒑𝒔 𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒅𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒉𝒊𝒈𝒉 𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒊𝒕𝒖𝒅𝒆𝒔. This curiosity reflects how even simple tasks drive online searches. A website that is able to address the audience’s questions, no matter how basic, has higher chances of driving them to take action. It is a digital storefront of your business, 𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒏 24/7. From showcasing products/services to building trust, a well-crafted website leaves a lasting impression. Consider these examples: 𝐓𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 helps customers explore car models and financing options. 𝐍𝐲𝐤𝐚𝐚 serves beauty enthusiasts with skincare and wellness tips. 𝐅𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐤𝐚𝐫𝐭 offers everyday essentials and exclusive finds. 𝐋𝐈𝐂 simplifies policy management and payments online. 𝐀𝐦𝐮𝐥 engages consumers with recipes and iconic campaigns. 𝐑𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝 excites fans with new launches and customisation options. 𝐍𝐃𝐓𝐕 provides live news, while Zee5 streams entertainment. 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒖𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒅𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒗𝒂𝒍𝒖𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒘𝒆𝒃𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒔—𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒚 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏, 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒕𝒔, 𝒐𝒓 𝒔𝒆𝒂𝒎𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒓 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔. 𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒂 𝒘𝒆𝒃𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒔? 𝑻𝒂𝒍𝒌 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒆 :-) #Sales #SMEs #SME #MSME #MSMEs #SMB #Entrepreneurs #DigitalMarketingAgency #DigitalMarketing #ContentMarketing #BrandStrategy #PerformanceMarketing #LeadGeneration #ContentDevelopment #SocialMediaContent #DigitalMarketingForInstrumentation #EngineeringMarketing #SocialMediaContent #B2CMarketing #B2BMarketing #BrandMarketing #Cricket #Website #WebDesign #WebsiteDevelopment #MarketingTips

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After Adar Poonawala invested 1000/-+ Cr in Dharma Productions & Dharmatic Entertainments, other prominent production companies are also in que looking for investment to scale up their productions. This includes Farhan Akhtar's Excel Entertainment, Siddharth Roy Kapur's RKF, Vikram Malhotra's Abundantia Entertainment... The list could go on. If we look at these investments from standard funding perspective, the investor would see the product-market fit first, profitability comes at later stage. In the creative field like film-making, film is the product whose profitability cannot be predicted before release. Yes, there are many research & analysis firms that could help you to shape up the project but it has limitations. Every time you produce the film, it will be a totally new product. Therefore for investors, only way to gauge the feasibility is the people behind the project. It may include Writer, Director, Producer, Composer, Singer, DoP, Editor, Production designer, Sound designer, Costume designer, there are so many involved. Another biggest factor is actors or so called Stars. In recent times we have seen star value crashing at the BO many a times. No one can deny that star value eats up substantial part of the budget hence increasing the production cost. Audio-Visual appeal of a movie does not depend entirely on the amount that you have spent. The cinematic experience for which we expect public to come to the theatres is independent of production value. Certainly we assume standards are being fulfilled but after that only thing remains is the quality of story-telling. About reaching to the masses, it may not be possible for quality, economy budget films to release the film in number of theatres so OTT platforms has become integral part of recovery along with broadcast and music rights. Hence platforms must be nimble enough to identify good quality content irrespective of its BO performance. #investment #investor #film #production #media #entertainment #corporate #theatre #boxoffice #movie #storytelling #ott #India #broadcast #music #actor #cast #crew

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Chroma based Virtual production at its best…

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An Indian MP has called for inputs to support an “independent music ecosystem”. For the first time, the conversation about independent music in India will be entering the halls of Parliament. India’s independent music space has a lot of talent and untapped potential. Yet, the ecosystem needs structure and support.  This conversation is very important for us to address issues like lack of funding, infrastructure and irregulation in rights and royalties. It is an opportunity to work on bringing a change and will be incredible to see independent music be acknowledged and policies under discussion that could help creators for generations. If you are building in this space as a manager or even organizer, make the most of this opportunity to share your thoughts.  What topic do you think should be a part of the discussion without fail? #independentmusic #musicindustry

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Cinema numbers are almost always about box office, footfalls, ticket prices, etc. But the reach of the medium is rarely spoken about. The third edition of Ormax Media's Sizing The Cinema report focuses entirely on that.

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The highly anticipated release of "Indian 2" is just a day away, and the excitement among fans is palpable. The film marks the return of the iconic duo, director Shankar and actor Kamal Haasan, two titans of the Indian film industry. Their collaboration is a dream come true for audiences, promising a cinematic experience that blends visionary storytelling with stellar performances. As fans eagerly await the release, there is both hope and curiosity about how Shankar will weave his magic this time. Shankar's past successes, including blockbusters like "Boys," "Mudhalvan," "Indian," and "Robo," were significantly shaped by the late Sujatha Rangarajan, the legendary writer who collaborated closely with him. Sujatha's contributions were instrumental in creating the compelling narratives that underpinned Shankar's visual spectacles. With Sujatha's untimely demise, a question lingers: Can Shankar recreate his signature impact without his trusted storyteller? Movie entertainment thrives on visual storytelling, and while Shankar's visionary direction is expected to deliver stunning visuals, the absence of Sujatha's narrative brilliance could be a challenge. The void left by Sujatha in the industry is felt more acutely in Shankar's endeavors. However, Shankar has the option to collaborate with other talented writers who can bring fresh perspectives and creativity to the table. The key lies in recognizing the importance of strong storytelling and not letting self-assurance overshadow the need for collaboration. As the countdown to the release of "Indian 2" continues, fans hope that Shankar has made the right choices to ensure a well-rounded cinematic experience. The combination of Shankar's directorial prowess and Kamal Haasan's powerhouse performance holds immense promise. If the team has successfully filled the storytelling gap, "Indian 2" could very well be another grand success for Indian cinema and if not this could turn out to be the biggest disaster ever!

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Immersive Audio has immense potential specially for games where user experience matters the most. Immersive audio surely takes the experience to another level!

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USD 40,000 in revenue from the sale of 3,333 Geet Avatars from the iconic Bollywood movie 'Jab We Met' on The Sandbox / BharatBox marks a strong start for Web3-powered entertainment. This milestone proves that the Web3 business is real and growing. Enterprises still on the fence should take note: this is about reimagining IPs and connecting with global audiences in immersive, impactful ways. At Shemaroo Entertainment Ltd. , we’re proud to lead this shift. With Geet Avatars selling out in just 45 days on The SandBox metaverse , the upcoming launch of the ShemarooVerse app on the PWR Labs , and a host of new initiatives, we’re set to make 2025 even more exciting and transformative for a digital-first world. The future is here, and it’s immersive #Shemaroo #Bollywood #immersive #ShemarooVerse #Web3 #Metaverse #Innovation #FutureOfEntertainment https://lnkd.in/gkx6nCgf

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