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How is Ravi Kapoor now? Have we forgotten him? If you are unable to fathom what we are talking about, Ravi Kapoor is the original name of one of Bollywood's biggest superstars of all time and the ladies' heartthrob of his era -- Jeetendra! The man who earned the sobriquet of 'Jumping Jack' in Bollywood owing to his energetic dancing style, turns 78 today. He has chosen to move away from the limelight, but Jeetu -- as he was known to fans and colleagues -- continues to reside in the hearts of Hindi film buffs across the globe. His genial screen image, gentlemanly attitude off the screen and, most notably, those trademark white dancing shoes he insisted on wearing every time, will never go away from popular psyche. On his birthday, IANS does a throwback on the phenomenon that is Jeetendra.. WHERE IT STARTED Jeetendra was born on April 7, 1942 in Punjab's Amritsar as Ravi Kapoor. He schooled at St. Sebastian's Goan High School and then went to Siddharth College, both in Mumbai. BOLLYWOOD CALLING Jeetendra got his Bollywood break in V. Shantaram's "Navrang". He would go on to deliver hit films like "Geet Gaya Pattharon Ne (1964), "Farz" (1967), "Caravan" (1971), "Parichay" (1972), "Khushboo" (1975), "Kinara" (1977), "<keyword id="99062" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dharam-Veer">Dharam Veer</keyword>", "Judaai" (1980), "<keyword id="7558165" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Meri-Aawaz-Suno">Meri Aawaz Suno</keyword>" (1981), "Himmatwala" (1983), "Khudgarz" (1987) and a lot more, which made him a superstar. HIT MACHINE Jeetendra has acted in over 200 movies as the lead, out of which over 120 were hits! This is a ratio very few actors can dream of. His active years were from the '60s to the '90s but he actually ruled Bollywood in the '70s and '80s. In the seventies, he made a hit pair with top actresses of the era such as Hema Malini, Rekha and <keyword id="133768" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Reena-Roy">Reena Roy</keyword>. In the eighties, he started off as a hit co-star for Jaya Pradha but he really struck gold once he teamed up with Sridevi in the 1983 superhit, "Himmatwala". The film that would go on to spiral Sridevi to the top of the Bollywood heroines' heap, also led to a chain of commercial successes for the Jeetendra-Sridevi pair including "Justice Chaudhary", "Maqsad", "Mawaali" and "Tohfa". JUMPING JACK No discussion of Bollywood dancing can be complete without a thorough acknowledgement of Bollywood's Jumping Jack Jeetendra. Jeetendra's style was best defined in songs like "Naino mein mapna" ("Himmatwala"), "Taki O Taki" ("Himmatwala"), "Mast bahaaron ka main aashiq" ("Farz") and "Dhal gaya din" ("Humjoli"), which remain evergreen till today. STYLE ICON The evergreen heartthrob who made every girl's heart skip a beat, has always been a natty dresser. On screen, he set a fashion trend with his white pants and white shoes. It is said that the actor had randomly picked up the clothes from a shop before shooting for the song "Mast bahaaron ka main aashiq" in "Farz", which went on to become his trademark style. When quizzed about the same on the sets of a television dance reality show a few years ago, Jeetendra confessed with a smile: "Dark clothes make me look short!" THE HEMA MALINI FACTOR The man who GenNow Bollywood buffs know as EKta and <keyword id="3868" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tusshar-Kapoor">Tusshar Kapoor</keyword>'s father has been happily married to his teenage love Shobha Kapoor for decades now, but a Hema Malini biography by Ram Kamal Mukherjee titled "Hema Malini: Beyond The Dream Girl" mentions that the actress's mother Jaya Chakravarthy had allegedly convinced her to tie the knot with Jeetendra as she was not happy with her daughter dating Dharmendra, who was already a married man. <keyword id="9018436" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="pressurizing-hema">Pressurizing Hema</keyword>, her family arranged for a hush-hush wedding with Jeetendra at their Chennai residence. At that time, Jeetendra was dating Shobha Sippy, an airhostess. However, the news of the secret wedding got leaked in a daily. As soon as he read it, Dharmendra contacted Shobha and the two landed in Chennai. An inebriated Dharmendra reportedly broke into the wedding venue with Shobha. Despite the efforts of Hema's parents to carry on with the wedding, she backed out after meeting Dharmendra. Meanwhile, Shobha also spoke to Jeetendra seeking an explanation from him about the entire episode! STEPPING OFF THE SPOTLIGHT Why did the man with numerous hits move away from the spotlight? Jeetendra's son Tusshar revealed in an interview that the superstar of yore began losing interest when he started getting offers to play roles like the hero's elder brother or father in the '90s. Although we don't see him on screen, Jeetendra has not severed ties with his extended Bollywood family. He still attends invitations from friends and colleagues, and also happily obliges fans seeking an autograph or a selfie!

Bollywood's jumping jack and yesteryear star Jeetendra turns 78

Mumbai, Filmmaker <keyword id="258367" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rajkumar-Kohli" source="Orion">Rajkumar Kohli</keyword>, known for multi-starrer movies such as "<keyword id="6505145" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nagin" source="Orion">Nagin</keyword>", "<keyword id="452682" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="jaani-dushman" source="Orion">Jaani Dushman</keyword>" and "<keyword id="1547890" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="naukar-biwi-ka" source="Orion">Naukar Biwi Ka</keyword>", died on Friday morning at his residence here, family friend Vijay Grover said. He was 95. Kohli, one of the popular directors of the 1970s and 1980s, frequently collaborated with the top stars of the era such as Sanjeev Kumar, Sunil Dutt, Dharmendra, Jeetendra, Shatrughan Sinha, and Reena Roy among others, on various films. "Kohli ji passed away peacefully at around 8:00 am today. He had gone to take a shower in the morning and when he didn't step out for a while, his son Armaan broke open the door and found him on the floor. A doctor came home and declared him dead," Grover told PTI. His last rites will be held at 5:30 pm at Santacruz Hindu crematorium. Some of Kohli's other notable films are "Badle Ki Aag", "Raaj Tilak" and "Pati Patni Aur Tawaif". The filmmaker is survived by his actor-wife Nishi Kohli and son <keyword id="1210137" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Armaan-Kohli" source="Orion">Armaan Kohli</keyword>.

Nagin, Jaani Dushman, Naukar Biwi Ka filmmaker Rajkumar Kohli dies at 95

Allied Blenders and Distillers Ltd, the maker of Officer's Choice whisky, on Thursday fixed a <keyword id="19911460" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="price-band" source="keywords">price band</keyword> of Rs 267 to Rs 281 per share for its Rs 1,500-crore <keyword id="19913114" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="initial-public-offering" source="keywords">initial public offering</keyword> (IPO). The initial share-sale will open for public during June 25-27 and the bidding for anchor investors will open for a day on June 24, the company announced. Broking firms have pegged the company's <keyword id="20000950" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="market-capitalisation" source="keywords">market capitalisation</keyword> to Rs 7,860 crore post-issue. The initial share-sale comprises fresh issuance of equity shares worth Rs 1,000 crore and an Offer-for-Sale (OFS) of shares to the tune of Rs 500 crore by promoters. As a part of the OFS, Bina Kishore Chhabria, Resham Chhabria Jeetendra Hemdev and Neesha Kishore Chhabria will sell shares. Proceeds from the fresh issue worth Rs 720 crore will be used for the payment of debt. Besides, a portion will be used for general corporate purposes. The total debt on the the company's books was around Rs 808 crore as of December 2023. Half of the issue size has been reserved for qualified institutional investors, 35 per cent for retail investors and the remaining 10 per cent for non-institutional investors. Further, investors can bid for 53 shares and in multiples thereof. With a market share of over 8 per cent in <keyword id="20830317" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Made-Foreign-Liquor" source="keywords">Indian-Made Foreign Liquor</keyword> (IMFL) market by sales volumes in fiscal 2023, Allied Blenders and Distillers is engaged in the manufacturing, marketing and sale of alcoholic beverages in India and abroad. The product portfolio of the firm comprises several brands of IMFL across whisky, brandy, rum and vodka. Some of the major brands of the company include Officer's Choice whisky, Sterling Reserve whisky, Jolly Roger rum and Class 21 vodka. ICICI Securities Ltd, Nuvama Wealth Management Ltd, and ITI Capital Ltd are the book running lead managers to the issue. The equity shares of the company are proposed to be listed on the BSE and NSE. SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/webstories/nvidia-dethrones-microsoft-to-become-the-worlds-most-valuable-company/slidelist/111102218.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/webstories/nvidia-dethrones-microsoft-to-become-the-worlds-most-valuable-company/slidelist/111102218.cms" target="_blank">As Nvidia dethrones Microsoft, check out the world's top 10 most valuable companies</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/hyundai-motor-india-files-draft-papers-with-sebi-for-indias-biggest-ipo/articleshow/111014559.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/hyundai-motor-india-files-draft-papers-with-sebi-for-indias-biggest-ipo/articleshow/111014559.cms" target="_blank">Hyundai Motor India files draft papers with SEBI for India’s biggest IPO</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/tata-group-reportedly-looking-to-acquire-a-majority-stake-in-vivo-india/articleshow/110987274.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/tata-group-reportedly-looking-to-acquire-a-majority-stake-in-vivo-india/articleshow/110987274.cms" target="_blank">Tata Group reportedly looking to acquire a majority stake in Vivo India</a>

Whisky maker Allied Blenders IPO to open on June 25 as it looks to raise ₹1,500 crore

<keyword id="143" type="CITY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Bollywood">Bollywood</keyword> horror flicks are not just about creaking doors, swinging chairs and a filthy, grey-haired witch casting spells. As the erotic horror film, Ragini MMS 2, releases on Friday the 21st, let us take a look at some of the most spine-chilling horror movies Bollywood has churned out over the years. Get ready for the edge-of-the-seat experience. 
 
1. Mahal (1949) 
Aayega aanewala... does the song give you goosebumps? That’s the magic of this song, crooned in the movie by the spirit of a woman who is waiting for her dead lover. It effectively adds to the eerie setting of this story of reincarnation, starring <keyword id="6363061" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Ashok-kumar">Ashok Kumar</keyword> and Madhubala. Intriguing and haunting, Mahal is a must-watch, especially for Kamal Amrohi’s direction and the fine performance by the lead pair. 
 
2. Bees Saal Baad (1962) Starring Biswajeet and <keyword id="6442163" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Waheeda-Rehman">Waheeda Rehman</keyword>, Bees Saal Baad is still remembered for the spooky song, Kahin deep jale kahin dil. Loosely based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s novel, The Hound of the Baskervilles, this flick is deliciously spooky in places, with many mind-numbing moments. Here you have a mysterious lady in a flowing white saree, the ghungroos, the haunting voice singing at night and many more incidents to keep you hooked. And the climax is juicy enough to entertain the connoisseurs of suspense thrillers. 
 
3. Gumnaam (1965) 
Gumnaam takes inspiration from <keyword id="162689" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="40" keywordseo="Agatha">Agatha</keyword> Christie’s novel, And Then There Were None (also known as Ten Little Niggers). The basic plot of the film goes like this – 10 strangers stranded on an island get killed one by one. The film has everything that’s synonymous with edge-of-the-seat experience – suspense, thrill, fear, perfect characterisation and of course, a haunting song, Gumnaam hai koi. 
 
4. Jaani Dushman (1979) 
The story of Jaani Dushman is based in a village, which is notorious for the mysterious killings of brides dressed in red. The bidaai song Chalo re doli uthao kahaar is an indication that another bride is going to be attacked by a mysterious monster. The creature can’t be killed as every time someone tries to kill it, it leaves its own body and possesses the body of the person who tries to kill it. The multi-starrer film was a box-office hit. 
 
5. 100 Days (1991) 
More than a horror film, 100 Days is a spine-chilling entertainer starring <keyword id="6355846" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Madhuri-Dixit">Madhuri Dixit</keyword>, <keyword id="297" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Jackie-Shroff">Jackie Shroff</keyword> and <keyword id="675553" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="40" keywordseo="Jaaved-Jaffery">Jaaved Jaffery</keyword>. Madhuri is gifted with extrasensory perception and she gets sudden glimpses of future incidents. One day, she sees her sister being murdered and after a few days, her sister gets killed the way Madhuri has envisioned it. Can she find the killer and unravel the mystery? Watch the movie and find out! By the way, it is a remake of the Tamil film Nooravathu Naal. 
 
6. Raat (1992) Produced by <keyword id="6355246" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Ram-Gopal-Varma">Ram Gopal Varma</keyword>, Raat is an epic horror film. Leading lady <keyword id="36561" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="revathi">Revathi</keyword>’s life becomes a roller-coaster ride after a cat is accidentally killed by her father’s car. From spine-chilling encounters to possessed souls and haunted house – every possible bloodcurdling element is packed here. Raat is, indeed, one of the best horror movies ever made in Bollywood. 
 
7. Vaastu Shastra (2004) 
A family including a couple and their son, as well as the wife’s sister, shifts to a new house. Just when they begin to live happily, the boy starts interacting with kids whom no one else can see. Initially, the parents dismiss it as child’s fancy but as things start to take a gory turn, they begin to take notice. But unfortunately, it’s too late by then. 
 
8. 1920 (2008) 
Haunted houses are hot favourites of those who love the horror genre and 1920 is a period film that portrays a haunted haveli (castle). A married couple comes to live in the haveli and experiences mysterious happenings, which are out of human control. If you believe in God and His power to save one from evil spirits, you will enjoy this film. 
 
9. 13 B Although this movie is marred by poor direction, the plot makes it a must-watch. The protagonist, R. <keyword id="4759" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Madhavan">Madhavan</keyword>, shifts to a new house 13-B but under a mysterious scheme of things, his life gets connected to a TV serial. Whatever happens in the TV serial, also happens with his family in real life. What’s more, that serial only comes on their TV. The film hooks you from the first frame till the last. 
 
10. Ragini MMS (2011) 
The movie has been partially inspired by the 2007 Hollywood horror flick, Paranormal Activity. It also takes cues from the real life incident of a Delhi-based girl called Deepika. She reportedly fell prey to a spirit’s wrath at a haunted house where her boyfriend took her and tried to make an MMS without her knowledge. The film was produced by <keyword id="378" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Jeetendra">Jeetendra</keyword> and <keyword id="154993" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Shobha-Kapoor">Shobha Kapoor</keyword> of Balaji Telefilms. 
 
Image: Indiatimes

10
Horror Flicks From Bollywood That You Must Not Miss

<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Bappi+Lahiri+">Bappi Lahiri </a>was at <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Barbeque+Nation">Barbeque Nation</a> recently to visit its <keyword id="184796" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Bollywood-Disco">Bollywood Disco</keyword> Carnival. Amidst the feisty lights and groovy music, the maestro looked at peace. 
 
BI India caught up with the ‘<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Disco+King">Disco King</a>’ for a slice of his retro pie. If anything came in the way later, it was the god-awful spell check. Damn you Bill Gates! 
 
Disclaimer: The following content contains uncensored Bappispeak. Proceed at your own risk. 
 
1. You’ve completed nearly 45 years in the film industry. How did you stay relevant so long? 
People love me. My music is always good. I’m a singer-cum-composer. 
 
I work with Dilip Kumar Saab to Jeetendra, Dharmendra, Mithun and Govinda. I sang for him, Amitabh ji. Aana Jana Laga Rahega, Greftar. Wo bhi superhit hai (That too is a super-hit). 
 
What you are today, I have 120 Platinum disks if you come to my home. 
 
2. How different is today’s Bollywood music from the 80s? 
Us time pe picture bohot bante the (A lot of fims were produced back then). Me and Laxmikant practically had the full industry in our hands. 
 
Today the Khans release one film a year. People watch a song, and not just listen to it anymore. 
 
Also, we used to have live orchestra. I miss <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Kishore+Kumar">Kishore </a><a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Kishore+Kumar">Kumar</a>-<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Lata+Mangeshkar">Lata</a><a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Lata+Mangeshkar"> Mangeshkar</a> singing with a 100 piece orchestra. First computerized song in Bollywood, write it down, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Bappi+Lahiri+">Bappi Lahiri </a>has written, Tamma Tamma Loge. 
 
3. How different are today’s party anthems from the 80s? 
Now-a-days I’m in <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Hollywood">Hollywood</a>. I’m shuttling a lot between <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Los+Angeles">Los Angeles</a> and home. <keyword id="6356630" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="EDM">EDM</keyword> and Pop have a different beat, but melody is less. 
 
Punjabi Folk with disco beats are a hit today, like the one <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Kanika+Kapoor">Kanika Kapoor</a> sang. I love Punjabi Folk. I once popularized Bengali Folk – Yaar Bina Chain Kaha Re and De De Pyar De. 
 
4. Your fans complain you don’t sing enough in Bollywood as they would like you to. 
Two very big films coming next year. I composed two songs there. I don’t have enough time. I leave for America. Because of Slum Stars I’ve got very good contacts in Hollywood. 
 
The film got Best Film Award from Sydney. I have directed the film, and now it’s going for the National Awards. I’m also looking to submit for <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Grammys">Grammys</a>. 
 
Everybody has dreams. I want to do international more. I want to project India, India’s classical fusion. I have done enough films. 
 
Watch <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Dilwale">Dilwale</a>, I have a shot there. Gold is my God. You can see the film. 
 
5. Rishi Kapoor tweeted 2015’s Dhanteras would be yours. 
See son, any Hip-hop star today needs to have a locket. Any rapper, Snoop or Akon. 
 
We should copyright the dark glasses, bracelets and chains. 
 
Today, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Bappi+Lahiri+">Bappi Lahiri</a> without gold nobody likes. That’s the image people have of me. 
 
Any time I put the chain inside my shirt people say, “Bappi da, show your chain.” 
 
6. Seriously, how much Gold have you bought this Dhanteras? 
I don’t buy any more. I’ve had these for 25 years. (Points) This Ganpati is for 20 years, this Tirupati Balaji for 20 years. This ‘B’ Mrs. Lahiri, my wife gifted. It suits me. 
 
Everything in Gold is old. 
 
7. What other projects are you working on in 2016? 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=SnoopDogg">SnoopDogg</a>-<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Bappi+Lahiri+">Bappi</a><a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Bappi+Lahiri+"> Lahiri</a> is coming soon. I know, super hit song. Super hit song. 
 
I also did an EDM. I am mixing it currently. 
 
If you’re still undone, here’s some more Pure Bappi Magic. Enjoy! 
 
 
Image credit: Indiatimes

Exclusive: Having a bad day? Fret not, let Bappi Da crack you up!

<ul><li>As <keyword id="4241922" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="ALTBalaji">ALTBalaji</keyword> completes three years of its existence, we look back at its journey, talk about some key highlights that helped it become the first OTT player in India on its way to profitability. </li><li><keyword id="158783" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nachiket-Pantvaidya">Nachiket Pantvaidya</keyword>, CEO, ALTBalaji and Group COO, Balaji Telefilms further shares his growth plan and says the focus now will be to help ALTBalaji dominate the Hindi-speaking markets. </li></ul>While the lockdown has brought video production to a standstill, that hasn’t deterred ALTBalaji’s spirit. It had announced to launch 30 originals earlier this year and is still on track to achieve its goal. Apart from that, Nachiket Pantvaidya, CEO, ALTBalaji and Group COO, Balaji Telefilms is also confident that the demand for content will continue to rise even after we resume normalcy and on the back of that, he is hoping to break even in FY21. ALTBalaji currently has 1.7 million active direct subscribers and as we all continue to be house arrested and binge-watching content on <keyword id="5293670" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="OTT-platforms">OTT platforms</keyword>, it is also witnessing a 60% growth in subscriptions with an average of 17,000 subscriptions added per day post lockdown vs an average of 10,600 in March 2020 pre-lockdown. After completing three years on building a strong content library with 60 originals, Pantvaidya’s focus now will be to help ALTBalaji dominate the Hindi speaking markets. He further shared with us some key highlights the platform has seen in the past three years, what sets it apart from other players and his vision to take ALTBalaji to the next level. Nachiket Pantvaidya, CEO, ALTBalaji and Group COO, Balaji Telefilms: Q) Can you walk me through some of the key highlights that ALTBalaji has seen in its three-year-journey? Having set milestones and breaking new grounds for over three years, our journey has been fairly business-positive and will continue to do so. Since its inception, ALTBalaji has been on top of the consumer mind for its unique narratives and clutter-breaking original Hindi content and we have aggressively grown on the back of innovative business strategies. Moving from strength to strength, we’ve today become a major player in the Indian OTT industry and gained further encouragement by the massive increase in subscriber base. With a substantial bouquet of original content across genres that keeps viewers engaged, our app has consistently ranked amongst the top 3 Grossing Video Streaming Apps in the country across the app store (Source: App Annie). With content being ALTBalaji’s biggest differentiator, the platform has reached out to all kinds of audiences across the length and breadth of the country through a healthy mix of thriller, drama, romance, teenage drama, horror, comedy among others. ALTBalaji has also been a pioneer in starting the trend of original soundtracks in the web-series space. Laying impetus towards growing its regional subscriber base, we have a host of our Hindi offerings dubbed in Indian and International languages like Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Bahasa, Arabic, etc. amongst others. In their endeavour to engage the audience and offer them an immersive viewing experience, ALTBalaji is also working towards strengthening its UI/UX by focusing on aspects like language interface, voice search, targeted retention strategies, tailored recommendations, quick onboarding, and convenient payment gateways. Q) What does your current content library look like? How many originals have you launched thus far? Owing to our resounding mass appeal, we have emerged as the fastest-growing homegrown platform with more than 60 originals and we intend to leave no stone unturned in curating more in the coming future. With a plethora of diverse content spanning across multiple genres, our programming has something for everyone. While our recently-launched popular shows like ‘Mentalhood’, ‘Code M’, Mission Over Mars, ‘Class of 2020’, ‘Ragini MMS 2’, ‘Broken 2’, ‘Hum Tum and Them’ etc. have been loved by the audience, there is still a demand for the shows like ‘Haq Se’, ‘Apharan’, ‘Bose Dead/Alive’, ‘The Test Case’, ‘The Great Indian Dysfunctional Family’, ‘Home’ which were launched more than a year back. Q) What kind of growth have you seen in your subscriber base after the lockdown? Since audience retention is a challenge, how will you make sure that you continue seeing this growth after we resume normalcy? ALTBalaji is witnessing a strong uptake of digital subscriptions with an average of 17,000 subscriptions added per day post lockdown vs an average of 10,600 in March 2020 pre lockdown, a growth of 60%. As of date, the platform has over 1.7m active direct subscribers. OTT content consumption has witnessed steady growth throughout, and it will continue to do so, on its own. This situation, though an anomaly, will introduce a wider set of audiences to OTT, who we believe will continue the consumption, however, our focus remains on our long-term plan of creating unique narratives. It’s an obvious expression that once the pandemic is over, people will be juggling between work, social and personal commitments. Having said that, we are confident that having sampled our portfolio of exciting, original web series, to a wider audience that has a higher propensity and capacity to subscribe, we will continue as one of the top OTT platforms. Q) Your plan was to launch 30 originals this year. Do you still see that happening? So far, we are on track in terms of the show launches. We recently launched the highly-awaited web-series ‘Mentalhood’ that featured a stellar cast in the form of Karisma Kapoor, Dino Morea, Sandhya Mridul and Sanjay Suri, among others. The web-series has not only won accolades from critics but is also being consumed extensively by the audience. Apart from that, we also launched a very Delhi style comedy-drama ‘Who’s Your Daddy?’ featuring Rahul Dev and YouTuber Harsh Beniwal. Other big shows in the pipeline include ‘Baarish Season 2’, which features Sharman Joshi and Asha Negi in lead roles along with a cameo by legendary actor Jeetendra. Additionally, after two successful seasons, our show ‘Kehne Ko Humsafar Hain has Season 3’ on the cards along with ‘Beebaakee’ featuring Kushal Tandon, Karan Jotwani, Suchitra Pillai among others. Q) Where do you see your next set of subscribers coming from? How many do you aim to add to your kitty by the end of this year? India has become more digital-savvy with more and more people coming on the internet. According to a market research firm techARC, India had 502.2 million smartphone users as of December 2019. The time spent on phones has substantially increased especially during this phase. According to KPMG’s recent report titled ‘COVID-19: The many shades of a crisis’, the penetration of subscription-based digital models is set to accelerate. From a content segmentation and a subscription acquisition point of view, one needs to start looking at these newer people to acquire. What works for us is to concentrate on consumer segmentation behaviour, understanding how to retain the customers better and working on onboarding the new segment who have just been acquainted with the internet. Q) What are your revenue goals for this fiscal? Given the national lockdown, all content production has come to a standstill, we continue to monitor the situation closely. We are very confident that the demand for content will increase once the situation returns to normal and are well prepared to resume business and ramp up content sales once the lockdown is over. ALTBalaji has been working towards its goals and is the first OTT platform already on the road to profitability. With our costs getting controlled in the first half of fiscal 2020 and the loss margin further reducing at the end of the current fiscal, we are aiming to break even in 2020-2021. Q) What do you believe is ALTBalaji’s strength in the market? Our mindset towards reading the market early on and taking action at the earliest has helped us stay ahead of the industry curve. This can probably only happen when the organization is tight, sharp and quick to react. With content being our biggest differentiator, we have been catering to all kinds of audiences through our diverse content offerings spanning multiple languages. Additionally, with Indian originals picking up the pace as audiences are on the lookout for local relatable content, we have the biggest Hindi content library of originals and are creating desi shows across genres. Q) What will be your focus this year? Where do you see ALTBalaji growing from here? We, at ALTBalaji, are currently focusing on ensuring that we dominate the Hindi speaking markets and then move ahead. If you look at the geography and demography of the country, 70% of the content consumed is Hindi. As a platform, it makes sense to focus your efforts in one direction and win over the Hindi-speaking population. Hence, this year we are first going to focus on ensuring that we dominate the Hindi space. We will gradually move towards other regional markets as well in the coming years. A host of our Hindi offerings have also been dubbed in Indian and International languages like Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Bhasa, Arabic, etc. amongst others. We shall continue to focus on expanding our language content library in the coming years.

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