, 47, has certainly come a long way from anchoring shows on Doordarshan for Rs 75 an episode to founding UTV and see it grow by leaps and bounds in the space of 14 years. UTV was recently in the news for its plans to enter the capital markets with a public issue of 5,999,950 equity shares of Rs 10 each through a 100 per cent book-built process.
Screwvala says the listing would put the company in a different growth trajectory. He is also upbeat about UTV's forthcoming product launches. The company will launch Hungama TV - targeted at kids of the age group between four and 14 years - in the last week of September.
Screwvala points out that this age group makes up one third of the total viewing population in India. The big budget Shahrukh Khan starrer Swades, slated to be released later this year, will be another feather in UTV's cap.
UTV has interests in various segments of the entertainment sector, including production of movies and television content, film distribution, air-time sales, dubbing and ad films.
Screwvala is gung-ho about the company's movie production and distribution business which has come up with box-office hits including Lagaan and Mission Kashmir. He says UTV's distribution model is positioned to redefine the territorial break-up for optimal returns.
A commerce graduate from Sydneham College in Mumbai, Screwvala started his career as a copywriter with Interpub before the lure of the camera saw him host shows like 'Young World', 'Mathemagic' and 'Contact', which gave him the impetus to start UTV.
He is a family man who dotes on his wife and daughter. He does not believe that hard work means spending long hours at the office. What is more important for him is the ability to switch on and off work, no matter where he is. On rare off-days, he takes time off for swimming, reading and playing squash.
