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 Super
Pitch is a yearly event organized by Banff Television Foundation,
Canada, to promote the best television work all over the world.
Super Pitch 2001, organized by Banff Television Foundation and TV
Asia in Singapore in December 2001 received 244 entries from all
over the world in various genres of programming. There were 29 entries
from India. Among the six finalists, In-House Production Pvt. Ltd’s
Hira Mandi ranked third. Conceived by Moin Beg, produced by Anirudhya
Mitra for In-House Productions, India, and directed by Shivam Nair.
Hira Mandi is a period piece set in Western India between 1940 to
‘60 and tells the stories of four beautiful courtesans in the
age and days when courtesans wielded extraordinary power in high
social circles. The series follows the trials and tribulations of
the four courtesans and their efforts to find life outside one of
the most famous kothas called Hira Mandi in Western India.
“It’s
a big honour” exults Anirudhya Mitra, “because to stand
third in a prestigious competition like the Super Pitch when the
best of television work from all over the world competes for recognition
and where more than 200 international buyers come to shop for best
quality television programming, is definitely a very big achievement.
Super Pitch 2001 has opened a window for In-House Production in
the world television market as quite a few international broadcasters
are negotiating with us for Hira Mandi as well as other quality
programming for international market.” Hira Mandi which ranked
third in the Super Pitch 2001 competition on the basis of its concept
and three-and-half-minute audio-visual presentation is to be shot
on beautiful and picturesque locales in Gujarat and Rajasthan and
is presently at the pre-production stage. “It’s a big
show, grand and gripping,” says Mitra.
Best known
for studio-based celeb shows like Movers & Shakers and Jeeto
Chappad Phaad Ke, Sameera Kohli head of marketing at In-House, says,
“Studio-based celeb shows has always been their strength but
In-House broke away from that genre with Commando and Nazdikiyan,
both soaps, and also experimented with thrillers and comedy in the
form of X Zone and Gubbare. Currently In-House is working on several
genres, formatted shows, action/thrillers, comedies and reality
shows.”
“There
are very few teams in this country developing high-quality, high-calibre
thrillers,” says In-House’s CEO Uday Sinh Wala, whose
team is approaching an action soap (unlike hardcore thrillers) in
a unique way. At the same time, a reality game show, which is under
tight wraps, is in the pipeline. To stretch the width of In-House,
Sinh Wala is actively looking at partnerships. “No production
house has a complete grip on an idea”, he explains.
“There
is a lot of good talent out there and we are looking for people
who can work with us as producers. We are looking for group of talents.”
This is in contrast to a complete in-house dependence on talent
earlier. He also hints at what he calls ‘In House Studio Concept’
- partnering with channels in specific genres. More formal tie-ups
are not ruled out either. In-House is actively looking at mergers
acquisitions or tie-ups with different companies, whether in the
form of co-productions or other business arrangements.
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