The name Nittin Keni reminds one of the chart-busting and revenue-raking Hindi film Gadar - Ek Prem Katha, featuring Sunny Deol and Amisha Patel a few years ago. Few would remember that the film's producer was the first executive president of the Subhash Chandra-promoted Zee Telefilms and the first CEO of Zee Cinema when it launched in 1995.
He left the organisation a few years later to pursue his own dreams. It's another matter that Gadar... too had the blessings of Chandra. Although the biggest grosser of the year when released, the film failed to pick up any awards.
But Zee and Keni’s path crossed again when, earlier this month, Zee Telefilms appointed him as the chief executive of its films division. Keni will head the entire film business, including production of motion pictures, co-ventures, as well as setting up of domestic and overseas distribution network.
In addition, his company, Nittin Keni Creations Pvt Ltd, has been contracted to produce two feature films per year for the Zee group. He would also be responsible for synergising film production and distribution initiatives with Padmalaya Telefilms Ltd, in which the Chandra company bought controlling stakes a couple of few years ago.
An engineer and post-graduate in management from the Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata, Keni was with the National Film & Development Corporation (NFDC), an Indian government-controlled organisation, before joining Zee at its inception in the early 1990s.
His return to Zee is at a significant time when the network is ready to take up larger challenges, new initiatives and respond to opportunities with unique synergy and strength at India’s largest vertically integrated media and entertainment company.
Never given to flamboyance, in his first interview to the media after re-joining Zee, Keni is characteristically cautious in answering posers from indiantelevision.com’s Anjan Mitra.
Excerpts:
Q: How is the homecoming, if one can say that about your appointment as the head of Zee’s films division? The passion for making films has always been there, but may be with this appointment, it has become more formalized. |
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It would be interesting to know who made the first attempt to re-join hands. Was it Zee or was it you? |
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When was this sort of an arrangement first discussed between Zee and you? |
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What is your agenda for the film division? How would you forward the division’s work? |
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Do you think it’s a financially prudent move for a broadcasting company like Zee Telefilms to get aggressively into filmmaking and distribution? |
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What sort of films is Zee looking forward to produce? Would they be typical Bollywood fare? Are you also planing to produce crossover and off-beat movies like 'Jhankar Beats'and 'Joggers' Park'? |
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Considering that Bollywood produces about 300 films per year, how many movies are being chalked out by Zee on an annual basis ? |
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Are there any films from Zee lined up for release during the remaining part of the current financial year? |
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An official statement from Zee said that your company has also been contracted to produce at least a couple of movies. With you taking on new responsibilities as the CEO of Zee’s films division, does the original agreement still stand? |
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Is there some sort of equity holding that Zee or any of its promoters, in his/her individual capacity, has in your company? This question is relevant considering Zee and Subhash Chandra had experimented with a similar structure involving former CEO Vijay Jindal’s Karma Media Pvt Ltd. |
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Is there a cap on the number of films that your company can produce for Zee annually and what would be the revenue sharing model in such cases? |
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How much is Zee Telefilms planning to invest in film production and related activities during the remaining part of this fiscal year and what is the investment planned for 2004-05? |
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How much revenue does Zee Telefilms mop up from producing and distributing films and related activities like marketing the music of the films? What would be the percentage this revenue in the overall kitty of Zee Tele? |
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What are the revenue targets for the films division, considering it’s in expansion mode? |
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Would you be able to give us a break-up of the revenue that can accrue to Zee from distributing films in the domestic and the overseas markets? |
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Would Zee produce, distribute and market films and music under a different brand name other than Zee? |
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Would Zee’s films division also undertake third-party distribution assignment like simply distributing a film from, say, Subhash Ghai’s Mukta Arts for a commission or on some other prevalent revenue sharing model? |
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Is there a possibility that Zee's films division being spun off as a separate company and what is the time-frame, if any? |
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Lastly, what made you come back to Zee? |