Enter the Davids

Several new TV programme production companies hope to challenge the big boys

What do a Gujarati playwright, three ad film makers and an MBA from Harvard University have in common? Nothing, at first sight, But each of them is behind the success of serials such as "Khichdi" (Star Plus), "Tumhari Disha" (Zee) and "Yeh Meri Life Hai" (Sony Entertainment ).

The Gujrati playwright is Jamnadas Majethia (JD as he is popularly known), founder of Hats Off Productions. The three ad film makers are Pintoo Guha and Harsh Dave, who own Film Farm Production, and Sanjeev Sharma, partner at Optimystix Entertainment. The MBA from Harvard is Sharma's partner, Rajiv Vyas.

Three years ago, the television content business was dominated by Balaji Telefilms, Cinevistas and UTV, and BAG Films. Today, small production houses like Hats Off Productions, Rose Audio Visuals, Optimystix Entertainment and Film Farm are making waves on the television screen.

None of them discloses their revenues as all are too new to boast of big bottomlines. Estimates of the number of TV film production houses vary from 40 to as much as 100, excluding regional ones. But the new boys in town are launching television serial after serial.

Hats Off's "Khichdi" is a sitcom that portrays the Parekh family whose chief characters are dim witted but lovable women. Optimystix Entertainment's "Yeh Meri Life Hai" is the story of a 17-year-old girl who dreams of being a film director. Film Farm's "Tumhari Disha" looks at the trials faced by an adopted girl.

Says Pintoo Guha and Harsh Dave, founders of Film Farm Productions: "Without getting into grandiose sets and unbelievable story lines, we have managed to incorporate drama in our serial "Tumhari Disha". K Sera Sera Productions' "Kuch Love Kuch Masti", aired on Sahara One, is the story of three women's love lives.

Why have these people leaped into the television film business? The answer lies in the sheer size of the business.

A 2003 report by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry reckoned that the television content industry would be valued at Rs 2,811 crore in 2004, and this would grow by 76 per cent to Rs 4,964 crore by 2007.

Secondly, the television industry is growing "� at least 20 new channels are expected to be aired next year; which is why even K Sera Sera, a film production house, has forayed into the small screen.

Says Kacon Sethi, CEO of K Sera Sera and of 20-20 Television, the company's television arm: "It was a logical movie that conforms to the mission of our company to provide content for every screen."

The recently launched Star One, for example, has new production houses on board such as Humming Bird, Hats Off Productions and Rose Audio Visuals.

The initial going was tough. For example, when Film Farm Productions gave its first pilot to Zee for a serial "Dil Na Jaane Kyon" it waited for months before Zee okayed 54 episodes of the serial.

Hats Off Productions had to co-produce its first serial "Khichdi" for Star Plus with UTV because it needed 1 crore investment.

Notes Nikil Alva, CEO, Miditech Productions, who has produced television programmes for several channels: " The waiting period in television is very long and unless a production house can sustain itself without payments for three or four months and continue to give a quality product will it survive."

Television channels tend to look at whether the programme producer has financial staying power and the infrastructure required. Confirms Tarun Katiyal, head of creative programming at Sony Entertainment: " When we take on a new production, we look at the novelty of the concept, the financial stability and the infrastructure."

How do the new boys compete with venerable television production houses like Balaji or a UTV? Rajesh Jain, executive director at KPMG Consultants, who tracks the television industry, thinks that while new production houses cannot match the scale and size of their older rivals, they bank primarily on creativity . So all the new production houses have separate creative and production heads.

The future for such production houses looks promising. Says Rajiv Dave, CEO, Optimystix: "The onset of multiple distribution modes such as direct-to-home, set top boxes and video on demand, will only demand more content."

But Alva cautions that while the number of television channels is increasing, the budgets allotted by them are pretty much the same. He also points out that competition for prime time (three hours at the most on most channels) is fierce.

The new production houses are aware of all this. Says one of the founders of Film Farm Productions: " One is as good as the last episode which can become the last show. And we want to be here for a long time."