Nivedita Basu: You’re Mistaken If You Think Television Is Going To Die And OTT Is Going To Take Over

Storyteller and producer Nivedita Basu has been a part of the entertainment industry for a long time. Enjoying telling stories catering to different likes and dislikes of the viewers, the Head Of Content and Business Strategy of Atrangii, feels fulfilled. Her organisation House Of Originals has already become a signature brand.

Talking about her journey, Nivedita Basu says, “House Of Originals is probably a branch of Balaji House. I was told why I didn't produce so I thought that I should start my own production, which is when this happened. My first original was ‘Meri Awaaz Hi Sirf Pehchaan Hai’, which was a very different kind of a show.”

For the unversed, Nivedita Basu has worked on iconic shows such as ‘Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi’ and ‘Kasautii Zindagi Kay’ with Balaji Telefilms.

“I am a part of a channel called Atrangii and it has just started doing television and OTT. My job there was to strategise what was going to be on air being as the head of content. I used to discuss with Vibhu [Agarwal] ji about what should go, and what would look nice keeping in mind that the future is digital. So Atrangii was carved in less than a year and has been doing well as an OTT platform as well. Vibhu Agarwal is a master and the credit of the channels' massive success majorly goes to him,” she adds speaking of her journey with Atrangii.

Talking more about the kind of work she does in Atrangii, Nivedita Basu says, “I, not only get the charge of not just thinking content but also keep business part of it in mind as to how profitable it would be for the company. This is a very exciting portfolio and I can’t thank Vibhu ji enough for giving me this opportunity. When I am commissioning shows, my production knowledge also helps me a lot. My efforts are driven towards the growth of the company.”

The good thing about Hindi television is that it is going to stay for a longer time, according to Nivedita. “Anybody who thinks that television is going to die and OTT is going to take over it, they are probably mistaken. India has a huge population and there are still some places where television has penetrated but they don’t have OTT or big screen, so the good part is the reach and relatability of TV is unfathomable,” she says.

Adding to the same, she says, “It changes very slowly and you can’t be thinking of doing something overnight. Earlier when I was a part of something called ‘24’ and it was a very huge massive success and people said that it should be released as a web series now.”

Showbiz is a very unpredictable space. “Everything changes overnight. We have to be prepared for everything in this industry,” she continues, “In the next five years, 20% of the television audience will increase. Reality shows, fiction shows, and game shows took a long time to come and see how well they are doing. Maybe we are going to see some premium television shows which will be more like OTT, but not exactly the same. I will definitely see television scaling new heights.”

In recent years, Korean dramas, Turkish dramas and Pakistani dramas are making it big. On whether she thinks Indian dramas stand internationally, Nivedita Basu adds, “We knew that Hindi shows are popular among Pakistani audiences. Now with other language shows gaining momentum, I think space has opened up for all. Much like us watching different language content, many people in other parts of the world are doing the same. So, we have to keep making quality content. As far as Atrangii is concerned, we are also bringing different language shows for our viewers.”