"The most difficult thing is to resurrect a brand that has been written off": Rajeeta Hemwani, VP - Channel Content Engine Fiction, Star TV Network

Prior to her current position at Star TV Network, Ms. Hemwani has also held leadership roles at Universal Music Group, Reliance Entertainment and Times Music. This has given her unique insights into the making of a music sensation. Ms. Hemwani gave two examples to the class – that of DJ Suketu, a “likeable, PR-savvy guy” who went on to become the country’s hottest DJ and Mohit Chauhan of erstwhile band Silk Route who was relaunched in the public eye as an independent artist. Differentiating between the two, Ms. Hemwani said, “It’s easy to work off a clean slate. But the most difficult thing is to resurrect a brand that has been written off.”

Taking students through the rebranding of Mohit Chauhan from washed out pop star to a trendy musician with a trademark earthy voice, Ms. Hemwani stated: “First you decide the brand you want and then you fashion the person accordingly. With Mohit Chauhan, we wanted to position him as India’s Mark Knopfler. And with some very clever positioning, we were able to accomplish that.”

But things get more complicated when it comes to television, noted Ms. Hemwani. If you want to know what Indian viewers wish to see on TV, some harsh realities have to be faced. “Research shows that people only want to see beautiful, fair-skinned faces, so we get limited by what we can choose,” she said, giving students a small glimpse of the vast universe of model coordinators, acting schools and college campuses from where future TV stars are handpicked. She talked about the case of Mohit Raina of ‘Mahadev’ fame who was initially rejected by the production house and then brought back 6 months later, where he finally wowed everyone in a look test.

However, not all casting and show decisions are subjective. “What you see on TV is not based on some TV executive’s whims. There is a business behind what’s on air. There are reasons which include a blend of surveys, research, science and money calculations,” said Ms. Hemwani.

Ms. Hemwani also clearly defined her primary target audience – housewives who turn on their televisions in the afternoon – and what they want to see. “The current trend is of wanting to see stories where husbands and families support women as they set out to achieve. There has been this major shift in B-towns and you will see a lot many new TV shows in the near future that will address this subject.”

On queries from students about whether some emotionally wrought moments in popular reality shows are staged, Ms. Hemwani conceded that while they are not completely false, producers will not hesitate to milk a potentially dramatic situation. Referring to the resounding success of Dance India Dance Super Moms, Ms. Hemwani pointed out, “We as a country are very emotional and always want to root for the underdog. Such shows will always do phenomenally well since they appeal to our emotions.”