The delayed release of Indian feature film The Sabarmati Report has placed new scrutiny on Bollywood’s relationship with the country’s political machine, as elections in the world’s largest democracy enter their second week.
The political movie about the disputed 2002 Gujurat riots was due to be released early next month, right in the midst of the six-week election period, but it has been pushed back to August 2. Local reports have cited fears around inciting communal tensions as voters head to the polls.
The world’s most populous country has an extensive election process, which is running until June 1. By June 5, the world will have discovered whether controversial Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (Bjp) has been given a third term — a result widely expected coming as his tenure at the very top enters its second decade.
Starring Vikrant Massey (12th Fail) and directed by Ranjan Chandel,...
The political movie about the disputed 2002 Gujurat riots was due to be released early next month, right in the midst of the six-week election period, but it has been pushed back to August 2. Local reports have cited fears around inciting communal tensions as voters head to the polls.
The world’s most populous country has an extensive election process, which is running until June 1. By June 5, the world will have discovered whether controversial Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (Bjp) has been given a third term — a result widely expected coming as his tenure at the very top enters its second decade.
Starring Vikrant Massey (12th Fail) and directed by Ranjan Chandel,...
- 4/26/2024
- by Hannah Abraham
- Deadline Film + TV
The BBC’s news operations in India have been effectively divided from Wednesday with the launch of Collective Newsroom.
Collective Newsroom was formed in December 2023 in order to comply with India’s strict foreign direct investment (Fdi) in media rules. The Indian government’s cap on Fdi in digital news outfits is 26%. BBC World Service India is 99% owned by the BBC, a British public service broadcaster.
BBC India staffers Rupa Jha, Mukesh Sharma, Sanjoy Majumder and Sara Hassan quit the corporation to form the new Indian-owned media company, serving as directors, with Jha as the CEO. The BBC will be the first client of Collective Newsroom, which is also available to create content for other news providers across India and globally. The BBC has applied for a 26% stake in Collective Newsroom.
The BBC’s arrangement with Collective Newsroom includes a contract to produce content for BBC News Hindi, the BBC...
Collective Newsroom was formed in December 2023 in order to comply with India’s strict foreign direct investment (Fdi) in media rules. The Indian government’s cap on Fdi in digital news outfits is 26%. BBC World Service India is 99% owned by the BBC, a British public service broadcaster.
BBC India staffers Rupa Jha, Mukesh Sharma, Sanjoy Majumder and Sara Hassan quit the corporation to form the new Indian-owned media company, serving as directors, with Jha as the CEO. The BBC will be the first client of Collective Newsroom, which is also available to create content for other news providers across India and globally. The BBC has applied for a 26% stake in Collective Newsroom.
The BBC’s arrangement with Collective Newsroom includes a contract to produce content for BBC News Hindi, the BBC...
- 4/10/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
ITV Studios Unveils New Netherlands Boss
ITV Studios Netherlands has unveiled a new boss, with Karin de Groot set to exit after five years and be replaced by Laurens Woldberg. Woldberg joins from Dutch pubcaster Kro-ncrv where he has been Creative Director of Fiction and Non-Fiction since 2022, overseeing commissioning editors, third-party produced series, as well as (in-house) format development and sales. He will helm the Love Island and Married at First Sight maker as it seeks to produce original commissions and local versions from the ITV Studios catalog. He will report to Lisa Perrin, Managing Director, International Production, ITV Studios in London, who said that the former SimpelZodiak MD had “proved that not only is he a creative leader, but someone that can translate international formats into the Dutch market.” De Groot took over ITV Studios Netherlands when it launched in 2018 and announced her departure in October.
BBC India Staffers...
ITV Studios Netherlands has unveiled a new boss, with Karin de Groot set to exit after five years and be replaced by Laurens Woldberg. Woldberg joins from Dutch pubcaster Kro-ncrv where he has been Creative Director of Fiction and Non-Fiction since 2022, overseeing commissioning editors, third-party produced series, as well as (in-house) format development and sales. He will helm the Love Island and Married at First Sight maker as it seeks to produce original commissions and local versions from the ITV Studios catalog. He will report to Lisa Perrin, Managing Director, International Production, ITV Studios in London, who said that the former SimpelZodiak MD had “proved that not only is he a creative leader, but someone that can translate international formats into the Dutch market.” De Groot took over ITV Studios Netherlands when it launched in 2018 and announced her departure in October.
BBC India Staffers...
- 12/12/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Four BBC India staff members have quit and formed a new entity, Collective Newsroom, in order to comply with India’s strict foreign direct investment (Fdi) in media rules.
The Indian government’s cap on Fdi in digital news outfits is 26%. BBC World Service India is 99% owned by the BBC. To keep with Fdi rules, Collective Newsroom has been established as an Indian company, wholly owned by Indian citizens. The four BBC staffers – Rupa Jha, Mukesh Sharma, Sanjoy Majumder and Sara Hassan – will lead Collective Newsroom, which will be commissioned by the BBC to produce its six Indian language services as well as Indian digital output and Indian YouTube channel in English for audiences globally.
“The establishment of Collective Newsroom Private Limited ensures the BBC and Collective Newsroom can meet their shared commitment to Indian audiences and cover stories on India that matter to global audiences. It is in compliance...
The Indian government’s cap on Fdi in digital news outfits is 26%. BBC World Service India is 99% owned by the BBC. To keep with Fdi rules, Collective Newsroom has been established as an Indian company, wholly owned by Indian citizens. The four BBC staffers – Rupa Jha, Mukesh Sharma, Sanjoy Majumder and Sara Hassan – will lead Collective Newsroom, which will be commissioned by the BBC to produce its six Indian language services as well as Indian digital output and Indian YouTube channel in English for audiences globally.
“The establishment of Collective Newsroom Private Limited ensures the BBC and Collective Newsroom can meet their shared commitment to Indian audiences and cover stories on India that matter to global audiences. It is in compliance...
- 12/12/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
FilmsDespite the many limitations, documentary filmmakers continue the work of speaking the truth about what is going on in the country, through the voices of people.Still from Anand Patwardhan's 'Reason'Four years ago, just before the screening of veteran documentary filmmaker Anand Patwardhan’s Reason at a film festival in Kerala, the Union government tried to stop it. Within hours, the state’s Chalachithra Academy, which organised the festival, went to the High Court and won the order that allowed them to screen it on the last day. The 4-hour-long film, which chronicles the killing of rationalists and incidents of mob lynching in India of the time, ran to a full house. This is a struggle that some documentary makers in the country go through over and over again. By the mid-70s, a few documentarians began to speak the truth about what was going on in the country,...
- 8/31/2023
- by Cris
- The News Minute
The BBC has been issued an Indian high court summons over its documentary, India: The Modi Question, according to local reports.
The Delhi High Court has issued the notice in a defamation suit launched over the doc, which explores Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision making during the 2002 Gujarat riots and is banned in India.
The suit claims the doc slurs India’s reputation and that of its judiciary and Modi, who has been Prime Minister for nine years.
According to local media, Justice Sachin Datta has issued the summons and the case will be further considered in September. A Gujarat-based non-profit organization is reported to have brought the suit.
“It is contended that the said documentary makes defamatory imputations and caste slurs on the reputation of the country and the judiciary, and against the Prime Minister of India. Issue notice to the respondents through all permissible modes,” said Justice Datta.
The Delhi High Court has issued the notice in a defamation suit launched over the doc, which explores Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision making during the 2002 Gujarat riots and is banned in India.
The suit claims the doc slurs India’s reputation and that of its judiciary and Modi, who has been Prime Minister for nine years.
According to local media, Justice Sachin Datta has issued the summons and the case will be further considered in September. A Gujarat-based non-profit organization is reported to have brought the suit.
“It is contended that the said documentary makes defamatory imputations and caste slurs on the reputation of the country and the judiciary, and against the Prime Minister of India. Issue notice to the respondents through all permissible modes,” said Justice Datta.
- 5/22/2023
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
New Delhi, April 12 (Ians) Twitter CEO Elon Musk on Wednesday told the BBC that he would comply with the law of the land in India rather than send his people to jail as the country has “strict social media laws”.
In a Twitter Spaces interview with the BBC, he was asked about the micro-blogging platform taking down links related to the BBC’s controversial documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“India has very strict social media laws. If it’s a choice between complying with the laws or going to jail, I’d rather comply with laws than have any of my people go to jail,” he said.
“We cannot go beyond the law of the country,” the Twitter CEO stressed.
The first part of the two-part BBC documentary series, ‘India: The Modi Question’ raised a storm not just in India but also among the diaspora across the world.
Looking...
In a Twitter Spaces interview with the BBC, he was asked about the micro-blogging platform taking down links related to the BBC’s controversial documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“India has very strict social media laws. If it’s a choice between complying with the laws or going to jail, I’d rather comply with laws than have any of my people go to jail,” he said.
“We cannot go beyond the law of the country,” the Twitter CEO stressed.
The first part of the two-part BBC documentary series, ‘India: The Modi Question’ raised a storm not just in India but also among the diaspora across the world.
Looking...
- 4/12/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
Update: The BBC has issued a fresh statement about the ongoing Indian income tax department searches of their offices in India.
A BBC spokesperson said: “The Income Tax Authorities remain at the BBC offices in New Delhi and Mumbai. Many staff have now left the building but some have been asked to remain and are continuing to cooperate with the ongoing enquiries. We are supporting our staff during this time and continue to hope to have this situation resolved as soon as possible. Our output and journalism continues as normal and we are committed to serving our audiences in India.”
Previously: India’s income tax department is conducting searches of the BBC’s offices in the country’s capital New Delhi and in Mumbai. The raids may be connected to the BBC’s unfavorable reporting and have quickly raised issues of press freedom in the country.
Three BBC staffers informed Associated Press about the searches,...
A BBC spokesperson said: “The Income Tax Authorities remain at the BBC offices in New Delhi and Mumbai. Many staff have now left the building but some have been asked to remain and are continuing to cooperate with the ongoing enquiries. We are supporting our staff during this time and continue to hope to have this situation resolved as soon as possible. Our output and journalism continues as normal and we are committed to serving our audiences in India.”
Previously: India’s income tax department is conducting searches of the BBC’s offices in the country’s capital New Delhi and in Mumbai. The raids may be connected to the BBC’s unfavorable reporting and have quickly raised issues of press freedom in the country.
Three BBC staffers informed Associated Press about the searches,...
- 2/14/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
The BBC’s offices in Mumbai and New Delhi have been raided by income tax authorities.
The searches come after the launch of BBC documentary India: The Modi Question, which was critical of the country’s president Narendra Modi.
While the doc only aired in the UK, the Indian government called it “anti-India garbage” and protests were held outside the BBC’s headquarters in central London.
“The Income Tax Authorities are currently at the BBC offices in New Delhi and Mumbai and we are fully cooperating. We hope to have this situation resolved as soon as possible,” said a BBC Studios spokesman this morning.
India: The Modi Question charts Modi’s political rise and specifically looked at his actions during religious rioting in Gujarat in 2002, when he was Chief Minister of the State. According to the BBC, more than 1,000 mostly Muslim people died during the chaos, which began after a...
The searches come after the launch of BBC documentary India: The Modi Question, which was critical of the country’s president Narendra Modi.
While the doc only aired in the UK, the Indian government called it “anti-India garbage” and protests were held outside the BBC’s headquarters in central London.
“The Income Tax Authorities are currently at the BBC offices in New Delhi and Mumbai and we are fully cooperating. We hope to have this situation resolved as soon as possible,” said a BBC Studios spokesman this morning.
India: The Modi Question charts Modi’s political rise and specifically looked at his actions during religious rioting in Gujarat in 2002, when he was Chief Minister of the State. According to the BBC, more than 1,000 mostly Muslim people died during the chaos, which began after a...
- 2/14/2023
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Protests took place outside the BBC’s New Broadcasting House yesterday over controversial Narendra Modi documentary India: The Modi Question.
Dozens of protesters from Britain’s Indian diaspora gathered outside the BBC HQ in London on Sunday, angered by the portrayal of the Indian leader and his relationship with the nation’s Muslim minority.
Meanwhile, Indian free speech activists are trying to have the film reinstated on social media after it was removed.
India’s Supreme Court will next week consider petitions against a government order to have clips of the show removed from Twitter and YouTube, Reuters reports. Two lawyers have taken out petitions against the move and they will be heard in the next few days.
The doc, which the BBC has defended as being “rigorously researched,” investigates persistent allegations that Modi’s government is unfavourable towards the country’s minority Muslim population.
The Indian government has taken...
Dozens of protesters from Britain’s Indian diaspora gathered outside the BBC HQ in London on Sunday, angered by the portrayal of the Indian leader and his relationship with the nation’s Muslim minority.
Meanwhile, Indian free speech activists are trying to have the film reinstated on social media after it was removed.
India’s Supreme Court will next week consider petitions against a government order to have clips of the show removed from Twitter and YouTube, Reuters reports. Two lawyers have taken out petitions against the move and they will be heard in the next few days.
The doc, which the BBC has defended as being “rigorously researched,” investigates persistent allegations that Modi’s government is unfavourable towards the country’s minority Muslim population.
The Indian government has taken...
- 1/30/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
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