Zee gets a new creative director

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?
Well, it is always good to be back. But this time, it is for the film business. It was in 1993 that I took the first initiative when I made Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aaai. Aisi Bhi Kya Jaldi Hai in 1994 and Fareb in 1996 followed.

The passion for making films has always been there, but may be with this appointment, it has become more formalized.

It would be interesting to know who made the first attempt to re-join hands. Was it Zee or was it you? 
It's not about who makes the first move. It is all about mutual decisions. As it is, my association with Zee was uninterrupted. Even after I quit Zee Cinema in 1996, I made our (Zee's and his) first mainstream blockbuster Gadar.

When was this sort of an arrangement first discussed between Zee and you?
This was discussed in September 2003 and I took exactly three months to make up my mind. And on 14 November 2003, I have (re)joined as the CEO of the film business.

What is your agenda for the film division? How would you forward the division's work? 
Film business is a new division for Zee Network. I will be preparing and presenting a blueprint for this division (to CMD Subhash Chandra). As this is a specialized field, in a bid to go forward, we will also hire people for our division. Post the hiring process, we will have roles and responsibilities defined and than look into the functioning of the division.

Do you think it's a financially prudent move for a broadcasting company like Zee Telefilms to get aggressively into filmmaking and distribution?
Absolutely! Zee is India's largest vertically integrated media and entertainment company and so, the synergistic possibilities are immense. It has already acquired Padmalaya Telefilms Ltd and is in the multiplex business too. Filmmaking and distribution are logical extensions. We have already proved our competence in this area with movies like Gadar Ek Prem Katha.

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'?
Be it a typical Bollywood film or a cross-over film, a movie's success is determined by content and the script. Content will continue to drive this foray of ours. We will look at making both types of films.

Considering that Bollywood produces about 300 films per year, how many movies are being chalked out by Zee on an annual basis ? 
At present, Zee has a couple of films on the floors and my company has already a contract to produce two films. That takes the total count to four. On an average, about 200-250 Hindi films are produced every year and Zee will look at quality projects. But I can't quote any specific number. We do not plan to make films with a particular count.

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?
It has been mutually agreed that I will continue. As I have been associated with filmmaking, we thought of exploiting this opportunity too. Since making movies for Zee was always on the cards, it has been incorporated in the composite agreement.

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?
As you know that I have recently joined and am still to get acclimatised to the finer points of the business. We will discuss these figures at an appropriate time.

What are the revenue targets for the films division, considering it's in expansion mode?
We are in the process of working out a business plan and I can only answer such questions once the plan is ready.

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?
As I said earlier, we are in the process of working out a business plan and I can only answer these questions once the plan is ready.

Would Zee produce, distribute and market films and music under a different brand name other than Zee? 
Presently, we are looking at using Zee and Padmalaya.

Is there a possibility that Zee's films division being spun off as a separate company and what is the time-frame, if any?
At present, the films division is a business unit of the Zee Network. As you know, a business can throw up a number of opportunities. Those possibilities would be evaluated as and when they come up.