Name: Nandini Gupta

Designation: Senior Executive Producer, Sony Entertainment Television

Sun Sign: Capricorn, 27 December

Education
After my higher secondary at HR College of Commerce in Mumbai, I joined Osmania University for undergradute studies. After completing B Com, I pursued Masters in Commerce from Hong Kong University.

Experience
Currently I am working as a senior executive producer with Sony Entertainment Television (SET). Prior to this, I worked with with Television 18 for seven years. At Sony Entertainment Television I am directing a wide variety of shows.

I have been the programme director for the India special series of the Australian show AXN Who Dares Wins, anchored by Mike Whitney. I have also been associated with the studio-based talent-cum-entertainment show on Star Plus Kya Masti Kya Dhoom. Anchored by Sonali Bendre, the show was directed on a eight camera.

I have also directed a film personalities based chat show anchored by Ruby Bhatia called Kinetic Mega Show. During the course of this show, I got an opportunity to interact with celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit, Shah Rukh Khan, Karisma Kapoor and Akshay Kumar.

Among the memorable shows that I was associated with was a one hour special on the homecoming of Miss World and Miss Asia Pacific on Sony Entertainment, We are the World. I directed the show organised by the Times of India for the homecoming of Priyanka Chopra and Diya Mirza. It was shot in Mumbai, Delhi, Bareilly and Hyderabad. Later I also directed the one hour feature on the homecoming of Miss Universe Lara Dutta, which was again organised by the Times of India. It was shot in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore.

During my tenure with Television 18, I was an associate director of a pop music countdown show Popularly Yours aired on Home TV. Besides, I was also associate director for a one hour, on-the-road music countdown show, hosted by Mahima Chowdhary and Roshan Abbas called Public Demand.

Prior to that I had worked on a celebrity chat show hosted by Nikki Bedi on Star Plus called Nikki Tonite and a daily Game show aired on SET, A Double O Slip. Prior to that I was a correspondent on Star Plus' lifestyle-cum-entertainment show Amul India Show.

While I was at Hong Kong, I had filed stories for a picture based entertainment news show on Star Plus, anchored by John Moorhead and Kamal Sidhu. Called India Business Report, it was a weekly business show, anchored by Raghav Bahl BBC.

Job Profile
Currently I am the executive producer of various shows on Sony Entertainment Television. Primarily, I am in charge of Naved Jaffrey and Ravi Behl anchored talent hunt show Boggie Woogie.

Television as career choice
I would have never been satisfied doing a routine nine to five desk job. Which is why the media industry suits me. Here, every day is different, every show is different.

Current Television scenario
Everything is driven by TRPs. Anything that works, is copied. Which is why all programmes look similar. No one wants to risk trying a completely new genre of programming.

Five years from now
I don't know. I take each day as it comes

Hobbies
I love reading and travellingIdea of enjoyment
Watching a really hilarious movie

Name: Vibhav Agarwal

Designation: Senior Executive Strategic Planning, Mirc Electronics, Onida

Sun Sign: Pisces, 3 March, 1976

Educational Experience
I have done my schooling from different places. Medicine and Engineering were the only choices available to me then, so I enrolled for Engineering based on my inclination towards maths and science. I graduated in 1998 from Regional Engineering College Warangal in Electrical & Electronics stream.

I was selected by Kirloskar Electronic in campus placement. My first job exposed me to different aspect of business and I developed a good blend of technology and business acumen in a short span of 2 years. Thanks to my superiors who showed great confidence in me and gave me some challenging assignments. Very soon I realise that I need to further hone my business skills and so I decided to take a break from work and go for management education.

Getting admission in NITIE was a lovely break in my career and I decided to pursue my post graduation.

Professional Experience
Having come from a business family background, my inclination towards numbers was quite natural. It was a well thought move to start my career in brick and mortar industry. My stint at Kirloskar Electric as a Business Development Executive and later as a Marketing Executive at ABB has introduced me to different dimensions of business such as Projects and Marketing.

My second spell has started with ONIDA immediately after my post graduation as Sr Executive - Strategic Planning. I have always been in the developmental role which I find more creative & challenging.

Job Profile
Job profile includes exploring new business opportunity for the organisation. It spans from making a business plan for new products or new business line to actualising an opportunity to address a new geography and new cluster of people with existing line of business. Its very exciting and promising which requires a lot of understanding of market dynamics.

Strategic Planning as a career choice
When we speak about strategy, we envision generals and armies preparing to wage battle against one another. The more common (and less harmful to human life) reality of the application of strategy is in relation to the process of modern organisations. The term "strategy" derives from the Greek "strategos", which literally means "general of the army". Strategists can be traced back to the battle of Marathon (490 BC), where strategoi advised the political rulers on strategic alternatives for winning wars as opposed to just concentrating on battles. From these military roots, the application and theory of strategy has evolved but the focus as always remained on the "big picture". In the early 1920?s, Harvard Business School developed the Harvard Policy model, one of the first organisational strategy methodologies for private business. This model defined "strategy" as a pattern of purpose and policies defining the organisation and its business. A strategy can therefore be viewed as the underlying logic, which holds the organisation together. The strategies adopted by an organisation will determine its future structure and its scope for improved economic performance. What can be more exciting than this ?

Current Marketing and Advertising scenario
There are no predefined rules in marketing. As long as logic works everything is right. Every successful move becomes a benchmark but repetition of the same does not guarantee the same fruits.

With the advent of foreign players into India and their quest for spanning their aura with aggressive marketing has awakened up many Indian giants. New definitions of marketing are evolving. Competition is certainly sending one message across; that "either become world class or you will not find the trace of your footsteps".

There is still a lot of scope to create win-win situation for both organisations and consumers by competition among the players. But fierce competition on just pricing a product aggressively does not ensure the sustainability of bigger pie of market share in long run. Which results in a life time award of Fly-By-Night operator.

Right and wrong about current marketing scenario
Thanks to the cable TV boom of early 90s, which has opened up a plethora of avenues for advertising industry to address more than 80 million TV homes. But we certainly need some discipline to do so in a more professional way.

I keenly follow the development on CAS implementation as I foresee a big opportunity for my organisation to introduce one more product in it's existing portfolio.

Instead of bringing in more transparency and discipline, so far CAS has brought more confusion in the television domain. There are no concrete plans to implement CAS except a plain announcement by the government. The issue will continue to be in a state of flux unless we provide a regulatory mechanism in the lines of TRAI.

About the current Television scenario
I usually watch news or infotainment channels. I like the current mix of entertainment, business and current news. Though I don't watch the soaps, I find them a turn off, but I am not complaining. I have the remote.

Five years from now
I am looking forward to enrich myself by exploring newer horizons in my present job profile and discover a path breaking business plan for my organisation.

Hobbies
I like listening to music, debating, reading & cooking. I am very fond of cooking, especially food of my choice.

Idea of enjoyment
Spending few moments with nature.

Name: Shruti Seth

Profession: VJ, Actress and Model

Sun Sign: Sagittarius, 18 December 1977

Educational Experience
I was born and brought up in the city of dreams Mumbai. I did my schooling at Ashok Academy and I graduated from St. Xavier's College Mumbai in Economics and Commerce.

Professional Experience
I never really believed in planning, what has to happen will happen. Right after my graduation I started working at the Taj Mahal Hotel on the Executive floors as the guest relations executive. Later I stepped into TV and did a bit of modeling.

My television career kicked off with a couple of anchoring shows and a few modeling assignments. I did ads for Brooke Bond, Tata Home Finance, Frooti and Kinetic Honda. I anchored a film based show Lehrein.

Eventually, I moved onto acting and I got my first break with Star Plus in Des Mein Nikla Hoga Chaand. Soon after that I was offered a role in the action series Josh. From there I moved on to Neena Gupta's Kyun Hota Hai Pyaar, to play the character of Ramya. I also did have a good role in Maan that aired on DD metro.

Presently, I am playing Jeeya- a cute witch with a golden heart, in Shararat Thodi Jaadu Thoda Nazaakat on Star Plus. The show has earned me an immense amount of recognition and adoration.

Basically I am a social, fun loving person. I share a good rapport with Channel and I guess they were quite happy with my attitude and yen for talking. So I was offered a chance to become a VJ on Channel [V]. Being a VJ on Channel [V] is like a dream come true. Currently I am anchoring First day first show and Junglee Jukebox.

I think I was born to entertain I need a job that is challenging enough to hold my interest. Being a VJ with Channel [V], and working as a television actress has kept me on my toes. Both aspects of the media are challenging and offer much professional contentment. Just recently, I started hosting a talent show on Star Plus Kucch Kar Dikhana Hai.

Television as career choice
Rather that me choosing television, I think the television chose me. I never imagined I'd be here, but I think I was destined to entertain. Monotony, is one thing that I hate. With TV, I get to do something new everyday. I could not have ask for anything better than this. As they say there is no business like show business and I am here to stay.

Current Television scenario
Well, at this point TV is huge. We are flocked with so many channels with so many shows. For consumers, there is a variety to chose from, and as for the artists and technician, there is also lots of opportunities for to exhibit their talent.

Right and wrong about current Television scenario
I think TV has a tendency to go through phases. We see the same kind of shows not only on different channels but also on the same channel.

I think that is due to audience preferences. What needs to be done is give variety of shows, so that one gets to see everything without getting bored of the same type of shows.

Five years from now
I see myself settled with a family of my own, still a part of the television industry hopefully rich and famous.

Hobbies
Needless to say, I love music... particularly pop, rock and old Hindi numbers. I also like talking, watching movies, reading, shopping and traveling.

Idea of enjoyment
Doing anything that puts my nerves at ease could be hanging out with friends and family, traveling, exercising, shopping, watching a movie, reading, working and even eating.

Name: Vijay Barse

Profession: Photographer

Sun Sign: Libra, 1 October 1968

Educational Experience
I was never really academically inclined. After HSC, I joined commercial arts course at Raheja. Ever since my childhood, I have been fascinated by camera. My father has an TLR camera, whenever I did get the time I would take it and start clicking. Later, I also did a photography course from JJ School of Arts.

Professional Experience
After completing my commercial arts course, I started freelancing for advertising firms and also doing some live photography. But I soon realised that my interest wasn't in the photography, I just loved shooting live pictures and I was pretty good at it too. So I joined Zee in the year 1995 and started doing their press pictures. But my first, so to speak, big break came when I was hired to do the photography for teleserial Shanti. Ever since then started my association with Mandira Bedi. At that time, I did not have an idea that Mandira Bedi would be such a hit. Neither did I think that I would be able survive in the industry. What I knew for sure that I did love working for television, I liked the people.

While was working with Zee, I started getting lots of offers to freelance. I thought it was great opportunity, so I left Zee after almost working for a year and half. In 1996, I started freelancing for In house productions. I used to do the live shots for their programmes for Sony, Star Yaar Kalakar and Harmony.

I still remember, Sony officials really liked the pictures that I did for Sudesh Bhosle's unplugged. They approached me to do their pictures and frankly it has been going great ever since. They give me a call whenever they need me. I work on hourly basis. Rest of the time I am free to take up any other assignments. I have also been working for production housed like UTV, In house and Polygraph, plus some studio and live shots for Agencies.

I have also been doing some portfolio for wannabes and established Television acts. Amongst my celebrity list includes Mandira Bedi. We often bump into each other. In fact, I have been doing her pictures till date. Even now, while I am at Sony, she is MAX's mascot.

Television as career choice
I have been also freelancing for film production houses as well, but I not usually very keen working with them. Be it a starlet or an established actor, they have an attitude problem. Where as television people generally avoid the filmi act.

Plus, I think my specialty is live photography. It is the kind of photography that has greater scope in Television.

Present and future of Photography
Broadly speaking, there are three types of photographers: industrial, commercial and glamour. Glamour photographers like Jagdish Mali, Gautam Rajadhyaksha, Subi Samuel are well known and often in the limelight. But despite of being talented lot, the industrial photography has few takers.

With advent of digital photography, the art part of the photography is slowly dying. You can easily mix and match few stuff with just a click. Photography needs to be treated like art, but I guess we have a long way to go.

Current Television scenario
I don't watch television, so I can't help you there. But one thing is for sure, my family does watch a lot of television. Besides the saas-bahu dramas' on the Hindi entertainment channels, which are a must watch, they also catch a lot of regional television. Both at home and my village in Ahemadnagar, Alpha Marathi, DD Sahyadri are regularly watch.

As for the television as the work place, the scenario is far from good. What has kept me going in this industry is my speed. I can deliver thousand prints, in few hours. You can never afford to relax, even after a decade in the industry I never rely on anybody. I personally supervise the wash and check the pictures as soon as they are done. The industry is so fickle that the moment you lax, you are out. You have to be punctual as well as patient.

Right and wrong about current television scenario
In the current television scenario, where daily soaps are the flavour of the season, the production values have become dismal. In the previous set up, just prior to the channel boom, there was a system in place. You had a set of veteran professionals and their understudies who made sure that the work is done well.

In the soap land, where the priority is on fast and cheap production, they were soon replaced the middle men, who with their production houses and channels contacts, got the work done cheaply. In came the gullible souls, the newcomers who were willing to work for lower wages, the middle men got work done for say Rs 5000 that would have otherwise cost 10000. Undoubtedly, the work was shoddy and the newcomers were paid as low as 1000, sometimes not even that.

Five years from now
While I am good at live photography, I would like to experiment with the art aspect of photography. I would love to open up my own advertising firm in another five years.

Hobbies
Though I did love to travel, I rarely get the time to do so. If I can manage, I take off with my friends for weekend. In last eight years, I have just managed to take my family out once for a ten day trip at our native place. I like taking my parents and family to Nasik or Lonavala.

Idea of enjoyment
Drive out of the city or catching a good movie with my friends

Name: Shweta Pandit

Profession: Singer

Sun Sign: 7 July 1986, Cancer

Educational Experience
I did my schooling from Utpal Shanghvi School at Juhu. I just cleared my standard 12 exams from Mithibai college in Mumbai, and am contemplating on which course to take up.

Professional Experience
I started singing when I was four years old. My first recording was for the Hindi dubbed version of a Mani Rathnam film Anjali. Soon after that, I got loads of offers to sing for films as a child singer. I have a faint memory of those songs. Amongst the ones that I do remember are for Nishana, Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat, Saaz, Dil Kya Kare and the recent Devgan Productions' Raju Chacha.

My defining moment as a singer came when I was selected by the Yash Chopra banner to sing for one of the leading ladies in their movie Mohabbatein. I was the playback for Shamita Shetty's character 'Ishika' in the movie. It was an exhilarating experience working under the Chopra Banner and I was barely 13. Working with Yashji and Adityaji [Chopra] was a great learning process. The entire unit of Mohabbatein, both the music and film units, was very helpful.

My first debut devotional album was with Pandit Jasraj called Mahalakshmi, that was launched by Times Music. After Mahalakshmi, I also sang for an album called Dashavatar under the same music banner. Recently, I recorded yet another devotional album for them. It should be out this year as well.

Besides, I have also sung for films like the Hrithik- Amisha starrer Aap Mujhe Achche Lagne Lage, the Raveena Tandon starrer Soch, the teen flick Yeh Kya Ho Raha Hai (YKHRH). With the talented music trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy being the music directors for YKHRH, the assignment gave me an opportunity to work with musicians totally a league apart.

Recently, I did the title track of Nayee Padosan, which topped the music charts. Currently, I have two projects in my kitty, Rudraksh and Kal Ho Na Ho. I have also sung for the Jimmy Shergill- Harshita Bhatt starrer Haasil.

There is lots more comming up, but I guess I'll just keep my fingers crossed.

Why music?
My family is into music for four generations now. I am the grand daughter of classical vocalist Pandit Pratap Narayan and Pandit Jasraj happens to be my grand uncle, so you can say that music is in my genes.

I have been trained in the Mewati gharana of classical vocal tradition plus the onus of obtaining training from my grandfather Pandit Pratap Narain and father Vishwaraj Pandit was something I could not afford to lose. Even my sister Shraddha Pandit is a playback singer.

Current music scenario
It's definitely a phase and audiences are very fickle. Actually for no particular reason, there are certain songs that climb the popularity charts. Sometimes, even good songs get stifled in the process. I think people are tired of the same old tunes and therefore lap up anything that is different. So for us musicians, we have to keep trying something new.

But even if the so called popular songs are shown 1000 times on television, people will get tired after the intial hype and reject them. Conversely, even if a song is great but is hammered several times on television, people get bored. Over exposure is definitely bad.

Right and wrong about current music scenario
The videos are getting vulgar. Well, at least some of them. I cannot watch them. They make me uncomfortable and eventually I change the channel. It is a bad influence on the kids. I can tell you for sure because I have seen my young cousins getting affected by some videos. Personally, I think they should be banned. As for the songs, they are remixes of great evergreen songs, so they can't be bad. But sadly, the original people associated do not even get the credit for the songs.

Five years from now
I should still be singing and entertaining audiences. My music should be better.

Hobbies
I love reading, watching films, catching up with good friends and listening to songs on the radio.

Idea of enjoyment
My idea of enjoyment is getting up in the morning, spending some time with myself. I love relaxing with my family, listening to great songs and learning something out of it. Catching a good 9-12 film with my family.

I am happy when I go for recording, play badminton with my sister in the evenings, and sing along with her.

Name: Zubin Driver

Designation: Creative Director, Cell Communications

Sun Sign: 19 February 1970 half Pisces, full Aquarius

Educational Experience
I did my Bachelor of Arts in Economics from St. Xavier's College, Mumbai. Then I pursued post graduation in Literature from Mumbai University.

Professional Experience
I have been in a number of MNC agencies in India. Each of them were great learning experiences. Lowe, TBWA, O&M and Madison are a few of the agencies I have worked with.

My last Advertising agency assignment was with TBWA Mumbai as a creative director. I left TBWA to form Cell Communications in September 2002.

As a creative director at the Cell, the task that I was assigned to involved handling all of CNBC TV18's communication needs: advertising, DM, branding and internal communication. The aim was to achieve focused, hard-working and clutter-breaking advertising that would actively move a brand.

In the last few months, Cell Communications has evolved into an independent brand and design consultancy that now handles large brands outside the CNBC -TV 18 family. Our list of clients include CNBC TV18, a New York based magazine Mantram, business & financial services portal based in India - Moneycontrol.com, all the products in the IL&FS portfolio, IL&FS Mutual Funds and Beauty Without Cruelty - BWC.

The field record

In May 2003, Cell Communications decided to pitch in the open market as an independent brand and design consultancy. We pitched for IL&FS Mutual Fund and bagged the account after a two week long process. We have launched the IL&FS Growth and Value Fund campaign in June 2003. It is a multi-city and multi-media campaign including Press, Hoardings, TVC and Email.

Meanwhile, in May 2003, Cell Communications was also approached by the Reliance Corporate office to do a re-design project for their corporate communication brochures. We delivered in record time and the brochures are in print.

In keeping with our unique approach to work, we decided to offer our services to an NGO. We now handle BWC, Beauty Without Cruelty, a well-respected NGO working in the area of prevention of cruelty to animals and the promotion of vegetarianism.

Television as career choice
Television has exciting possibilities. It is an evolving category in India. The idea of starting an in-house creative and brand consultancy was very challenging.

Current Television scenario
It is very fascinating. Increased segmentation, fierce competition... the most interesting phenomena being the emergence of so many news channels. It will be great fun tracking their progress.

On the television software front, specially soaps etc, we've seen not too much progess on original ideas and great scripts but the industry is picking up...of course and how CAS will change everyone's lives...another big question is how will the mass entertainment channels build differentiators over time, will individual programmes compete on conflicting time bands, where will the brand war be played out, how is the consumer going to react to proliferation and over selling from channels....will inherent brand values of a channel make any difference or will increased commodification make the whole game even more ruthless and fickle.

Right and wrong about current marketing scenario
Simply put, what is right is the freedom that channels have been given and what's wanting is quality, delivery and responsible reporting. We still have some work to do.

Some news channels are still in the 'sensationalist' phase, they need to evolve into deeper analysis and quality perspective, while others are just mirroring the lowest common denominator for mass viewership. Such channels generally compromise on the holistic perspective. Training of personnel in the industry is a huge issue. Channels need to invest in their intellectual capital, rather than physical capital. That's where we lack as compared to some of the older foreign channels. On the other hand, a lot of India based channels have found their own unique voice and are bonding strongly with their viewers. It's a dynamic and fascinating scenario.

Five years from now
On a six month cruise somewhere in the middle of the Pacific....

Hobbies
Writing, theatre, reading, walking and watching people.

Idea of enjoyment
Chilling with a lovely book on a rainy day.