Pickle Media guru Amit Khanna Special Issue by Pickle -- Indian M&E Biz

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Special Issue

Amit Khanna poet, lyricist, writer, filmmaker and historian

Excerpts from the book published by Harper Collins India

THE MEDIA FOR FIVE DECADES, AMIT KHANNA HAS BEEN THE TORCHBEARER AND VISIONARY OF INDIAN MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY. HIS NEW BOOK — ‘WORDS, SOUNDS, IMAGES’ — TRACES THE HISTORY OF M&E IN INDIA FROM THE INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION TILL MODERN TIMES. WE DELVE DEEP INTO HIS UNIQUE MIND...

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IFFI SHINES IFFI’S GOLDEN JUBILEE EDITION AT GOA WAS FULL OF ENERGY AND HOPE, AND WILL BE ETCHED IN OUR MEMORY FOR A LONG TIME. FROM HONOURING THE FILM INDUSTRY LEGENDS RAJINIKANTH AND AMITABH BACHCHAN TO DIGITAL INTERACTIVE EXHIBITION, MASTERCLASSES AND FILM BAZAAR, IT WAS A NINE-DAY CINEMATIC FEAST FOR FILM LOVERS AND INDUSTRY DELEGATES FROM ACROSS THE WORLD

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ACHIEVEM

OF AMIT KHANN

Penned his first poem at 14 and continue to write in Hindi, English and Urdu

Prroduced In ndia’s ea arliest Audio books in both Press & Verse

Set up India’s first entertainment conglomerate Plus Channel in 1989 4

Directed India’s first music video Young Tarang for Nazia and Shoeb Hassan

2 4

His Anthology of Poetry Anant Raag/ Infinite Verse was published by Harper Collins in 2013

Became Executive Producer at 21 with Dev Anand’s Navketan Films

Pioneered business news shows on Indian Television

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Amit Khanna poet, lyricist, writer, filmmaker and historian

Book Launched on December 13th 2019 at New Delhi

THE T HE ME M MEDIA DIA FOR FIVE DECADES, AMIT KHANNA HAS BEEN THE TORCHBEARER AND VISIONARY OF INDIAN MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY. HIS NEW BOOK -- ‘WORDS, SOUNDS, IMAGES’ -- TRACES THE HISTORY OF M&E IN INDIA FROM THE INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION TILL MODERN TIMES. WE DIVE DEEP INTO HIS INTELLECTUAL MIND...

MENTS

NNA

Under his leadership at Reliance Entertainment, over 30 films bagged National Film Awards

He championed the cause of industry status for Indian film sector

10 Over 1,000 people mentored by him are working in the M&E industry across verticals 5

TIMELINE

1951 1968

- Born on 1st of March

1971 1980 1982 1985

– Begins career at Navketan, Mumbai

-1971 - B.A. (Honours) in English from St. Stephens College, New Delhi

- Produces his first feature film Man Pasand -1997 – Treasurer Film Producers Guild of India

-2000 - Executive Committee of Film Federation of India

1988

-1990 - Film Import Selection Committee, Government of India

1990

-1994 - Central Board of Film Certification, Western Panel

1999

-2003 - Advisory Group to the Minister of Information & Broadcasting

2000 2001

- 2015, Chairman, Reliance Entertainment

-2002 & 2003-2006 – President Film Producers Guild of India

2005

- Prime Minister’s Committee on Information & Communication

2009

- Advisory Board of the Forum d’Avignon, Paris

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AMIT KHANNA

THE RENAISS

Special Edition on M&E Industry Veteran Amit Khanna

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SSANCE MAN It’s rare to find a successful poet, lyricist, writer, and filmmaker — all combined into one man. Amit Khanna, who has completed five decades in the Indian M&E industry with his career spanning all media verticals, has lived and played all these roles with relative ease. He is the man who coined the word Bollywood and steered the Indian media sector on the path of convergence. His new book —‘Words, Sounds, Images’ — traces the history of M&E in India from the Indus Valley Civilization till modern times. We dive deep into his mind to understand the past, present and future of the Indian Media

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n a career spanning five decades, Amit Khanna overwhelmed the Indian Media and Entertainment industry with the sheer brilliance of his profundity and exceptional creative power as a producer, lyricist, writer, talent promoter and mentor for many preeminent personalities in show biz. As a torch-bearer of modern entertainment, he shares a great rapport owing to his intrepid entrepreneurship and prophetic vision of the future of M&E space. Becoming an executive producer, writer and lyricist with actor-film-maker Dev Anand’s Navketan Films in 1970 at the age of 21, he went on to set up India’s first integrated media and entertainment company Plus Channel in 1989, which served as a platform for many award-winning films. He is also the founder chairman of Reliance Entertainment (from 2000 to 2015), India’s leading studio. Under his leadership, Reliance Entertainment diversified into production, distribution and exhibition of films across formats, radio and TV broad-

casting, direct-to-home TV, gaming and online content creation in India and abroad. Besides serving as an important link between the government and the industry and helping shape the Media and Entertainment policy, he has also been on the governing councils of the Jamia Millia Islamia Media Research Centre, and the Film Institutes in Pune and Kolkata, as well as Whistling Woods. He was the first Indian to serve on the international Emmys Jury. Amit Khanna is a man of many talents, and he has been a vociferous writer and opinion maker serving as an editorial adviser to The Economic Times, Probe, Take 2, Online, Super Cinema and many other

HIS HI S NE N W BO OOK K ‘W WO ORDS RD DS S SO OUN U DS IMAG AG GES’ ES S EN ENCA CA APSUL PS SU UL LAT TES E TH HE E 5,00 5, 000-YE YE EAR-O AR R-OLD OLD HIIS ST TO ORY Y OF TH T HE ME ED DIIA AND AN ND ENTE EN NTE T R RT TAIIN NM ME EN NT IN N IND N IA, W WH HIIC CH IS S SET T TO BE B A TREA TR REAT FO OR SCHO SC CHOL LA ARS R FRO OM AC A CRO R SS S THE WOR RL LD D

Special Edition on M&E Industry Veteran Amit Khanna

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Amit Khanna poet, lyricist, writer, filmmaker and historian

Book Launched on December 13th 2019 at New Delhi

THE T HE ME M MEDIA DIA

REFLECTIONS ON AMIT KHANNA

FOR FIVE DECADES, AMIT KHANNA HAS BEEN THE TORCHBEARER AND VISIONARY OF INDIAN MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY. HIS NEW BOOK -- ‘WORDS, SOUNDS, IMAGES’ -- TRACES THE HISTORY OF M&E IN INDIA FROM THE INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION TILL MODERN TIMES. WE DIVE DEEP INTO HIS INTELLECTUAL MIND...

Amit has ridden the lows and the highs of an industry, and that is what makes him the maverick he is. To say he has seen it all would be an understatement as his career and contribution to Media, News & Journalism as well as Entertainment has been deep and long. At all times Amit has been the voice of reason, always looking at the long-term picture and many times has placed the Industry growth higher than his own personal plans. An Encyclopedia is a reservoir of knowledge, history and a Leader is one who walks the talk and Amit exemplifies both Ronnie Screwvala Entrepreneur & Co Founder & Chairman - upGrad

ination of the origins, looking at a wide array of aspects including the state of entertainment during Harappan and Vedic times, details from the Natyashastra, the early drama, music and dance of Kalidasa, the development of ragas, musical instruments and early folk traditions, the genesis of classical dance forms, developments through the ages, including in the Mughal period and in the southern kingdoms, in the northeast, and under the Marathas and the British. Independence onwards, ‘Words Sounds Image’ takes a decade-wise look at the evolution of newspapers, cinema, music, television, dance, theatre and radio. In an interaction with Pickle, he talks about his voluminous yet engaging work and its relevance in today’s India. Here are the excerpts from the interview…

publications of repute. There was a time when he was the sole person who would be quoted on important issues concerning the industry by reputed newspapers and magazines both in India and abroad. Having worked across every segment in the field of media—print, radio, television, films, stage, live entertainment and digital media, he continues to surprise us with his proficiency in Hindi, English and Urdu as a multi-lingual writer and poet. His new book ‘Words Sounds Images’ encapsulates the 5,000 years old history of the media and entertainment in India, which is set to be a treat for scholars from across the world. The book starts with an exam-

You have written a history of Indian media and entertainment and not an autobiography? Personally, I don’t want to write an autobiography because I am a very straight forward and honest person. Speaking honestly, ideals have clay feet in India, and I don’t want to hurt them because they have a certain image which may not be entirely true. These people are famous and very well respected and I don’t want to hurt their feelings. Moreover, I avoid it as I won’t be able to write false things. I don’t want to work for profit any more so I have decided to do some academic work. Why did you decide to write a book on the history of the India media and entertainment industry? I have been associated with various media schools including FTII, SFRTII and the Jamia Media Research Centre,

I WA AS S 22 WH W E EN N DEV AN NA AND N HA AN ND DED E OVE V RN NA AVK KET E A AN N TO M . I WA ME W S INFL IN NFLU UE EN NC CED D BY HI HM FO FOR OR TH HE CO OM MM MIT TME MENT NT T TO LO L O OK K AH A HEA E D AN AND D KE K EP E WOR RKI KN NG G. H HE E GA G AVE V ME TH HIS S ATTIT TT TITUD UD DE

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Amit Khanna poet, lyricist, writer, filmmaker and historian

Book Launched on December 13th 2019 at New Delhi

THE T HE ME M MEDIA DIA

REFLECTIONS ON AMIT KHANNA

Amit Khanna is a living encyclopedia of Indian Cinema. For most part of his career he has been a practising Film Producer and Production Executive with leading film production companies in India. During his nonworking hours he runs International Film Festivals of high repute and freely offers help and support to film appreciation communities. All in all, he is an enormous asset to both the Cinema Industry as well as to cineastes of our country. Best of all, I can count him among my good and reliable friends Shyam Benegal Noted Film Director and Screenwriter

among others. I came to realize that despite several books written on the media industry and lot of information available on Google, what has happened is that lot of wrong data got frozen on the internet. This has resulted in everybody quoting wrong data which is being circulated around. Secondly, there is a lot of interest in the Indian media and entertainment sector because it’s one of the fastest growing in the world. Also, it is a very diverse market and we have a very rich cultural tradition. There are specific books written on each segment, but there is not one comprehensive book which gives you an insight on various subjects over a span of let’s say 5,000 years. My book is more like an encyclopedia. It does not delve into detail in anything but it mentions everything; records everything of significance which happened. That’s how this book’s format is. Initially I considered the option to concentrate on a particular media or a

WE E SHOUL HO OULD PR P O OD DUC U E ON NLY L 50 00 TO O 600 FIL LM MS S IN INDI IN NDIA. A BUT U W AR WE RE E MA AK KIIN NG OV O E ER R 200 0 0 FILM FI LMS. THA HAT’ T’S ST TH HE BI BG GG GEST ES ST PR P ROB O LEM. M. AL A SO S , WE CAN NN NO OT HA H AVE V 900 0 TV CHAN CH HANNE N LS L 12

particular time period within the media, but then decided against it and wrote a comprehensive book. However, having said that I will be writing more books in the future focusing specifically on television or films and other social trends. Why is it relevant for us to go back in time and reflect? When I was writing about Indian music, for example, it occurred to me that even though we are looking at the various developments in music in the last 50 years we still need to understand how did the music originate? Why is it that some forms of folk music still exist after 5,000 years of their origin? We find that some forms of music that find mention in the Sangam literature have survived to date, especially in Tamil Nadu. Folk music in parts of Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Andhra remain relevant even today. So, some of the relevant questions that needed to be answered are: What have been the influences? How did the Raga system emerge? How did Carnatic music diverge from Hindustani music? Though the answers provided by the book may not give you a complete picture, it still explains a lot of things. Whether you are a student of media, a media professional or you have a special interest in the arts, it will give you some touchpoints.

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Amit Khanna poet, lyricist, writer, filmmaker and historian

Book Launched on December 13th 2019 at New Delhi

THE T HE ME M MEDIA DIA

REFLECTIONS ON AMIT KHANNA

He is a treasure trove of experience of the media and entertainment business ....his thoughts have been exceptionally visionary ....grab this as soon as you can! the veteran AMIT KHANNA has a book coming out! Karan Johar Producer and Director

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Which period in the history of media and entertainment in India you find much closer to the present? Fortunately, there is a huge repository of data and knowledge available on the internet today that makes us a more informed society. Also, today there are a large numbers of media students and other professionals who have studied at least theory, making them more aware about the history of media compared to the people 30 years ago. But the pertinent questions to ask are: Have we traded knowledge for information? And are we able to preserve the wisdom which comes out of distilling of knowledge? Everybody talks about our rich cultural traditions but they confuse time

periods. For example, according to me the richest period of our history was the Vedic age but a lot of people confuse Vedic age with Puranas and with the epics, although epics predate the Vedas and the Upanishads. The fact is there is a clear distinction between them. Vedic knowledge or wisdom was distilled over a period of 2,000 years. The two great Indian epics of Mahabharata and Ramayana have become a part of our cultural heritage. But in each region, virtually every 200 kms, the interpretation of these great epics changes because we come from a rich tradition. The transmission of wisdom and knowledge has been oral. Part of transmutation of this is possible, or is likely over a large span of time. We use very simple markers in history that this particular event marks the beginning of this era. But it is not like that. There are no ages and eras and time overlaps. The cultures, which keep on subsisting simultaneously before they get subsumed by one mass culture over spans of time; they are the first signposts of change. How can this book be relevant for people? The book is like an encyclopedia. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a reference book. There is no bibliography, so there are no reference materials. There is no arcane material which is normally written in scholarly books. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a very reader-friendly book. You can actually pick up the book and start reading it from any page. For example, if you want to read about music in the book itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been so divided; if my interest is only music then I need not read the rest of it. I can read about music only. Similarly, if within music my interest is in classical music then I can read about it, or if it is theater or drama, I can read about drama or films. Each subject has been covered separately. It can appeal to anyone depending upon their interest.

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Amit Khanna poet, lyricist, writer, filmmaker and historian

Book Launched on December 13th 2019 at New Delhi

THE T HE ME M MEDIA DIA

REFLECTIONS ON AMIT KHANNA

Amit is a very knowledgeable and generous friend, always willing to share knowledge and advice. His book will become seminal reading. He is rare because his talent spans the creative, the intellectual and the commercial world Bobby Bedi Producer

We have been waiting for this book for a long time, why it took so much time? The book required lot of research, therefore, lot of primary research went into it. Moreover, it was rather a challenging task to decide what to include and what not to in the book. It means total number of pages were much more than the current 953 pages? Originally it was planned in two volumes. But that would have meant devoting more time in rewriting it, and it would have been appealing to scholars and libraries only.

PEOP PEOP PL LE E OF MY Y GE EN NERAT ER RAT A IO I N OR ON NE GE EN NE ER RA AT TIION O AFT TE ER R TH HA AT ARE TH AR HE LA AST T ONE ES W WH HO AR A E ST STIL TILL OB OBSE SE ESSED SS SED WITH IT TH T TH HE SA S ANC N TI T TY Y OF THE TH HE CE ELLUL LL LUL U OI OD F LMS FI LM MS 16

Are you happy with your five decades devoted to the Indian M&E industry? I am happy because I think we as a country have shown tremendous resilience to overcome various challenges, and have made tremendous progress in terms of technological advancement and realignment with the global geopolitics to come out stronger, and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the case with our media and entertainment sector also. The case in point is when films moved from silent to talkie, the people said that live entertainment would disrupt the older forms of media because people are so infatuated by the moving image in the darkened auditorium. So they said: Who is going to watch Nautanki? Or who will watch Yakshagana? But the fact is that these have survived in some form or the other till today. Then colour pictures came, and the people said that cinema would change. Later, other technologies like Dolby, iMax, Atmos and Virtual Reality were introduced in cinema. In the last five decades, the tools and the craft have definitely changed. Today, there is no analogue material or analogue link in the entire film value chain right from the conception stage. When you plan or write your film there is software to write it. You use it as the breakdown for your story boarding; you do your budgeting and everything online, and then you shoot on digital equipment. You do your post on digital equipment. Distribute it digitally, exhibit it digitally, and store it digitally. People of my generation or one generation after that are the last ones who are still obsessed with the sanctity of the celluloid films. You are among the very few people in India, even in the world, to have seen closely all the mediums, what was it like back then? When I first entered the film industry, very little tape was used back then. Songs were recorded on optical sound and if anyone in the orchestra, or the

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Amit Khanna poet, lyricist, writer, filmmaker and historian

Book Launched on December 13th 2019 at New Delhi

THE T HE ME M MEDIA DIA

REFLECTIONS ON AMIT KHANNA

I have known Amit Khanna for over 35 years as a leading figure in the entertainment industry traversing all its forms like Film or Music and all its aspects whether it is Direction, Production or Writing. Whilst, he has retired from active working life, he continues to promote the cause of the Industry and has become a vociferous commentator on what the future lies for the Entertainment Industry Sam Balsara Founder, Chairman and MD of Madison World

singer made a mistake then the film got wasted because you had to then put a new film. At any point in time did you feel the frustration of accepting change? No, there is always resistance to change. I became producer in 1976. Initially the Producers Guild had only 30 members and the membership was restricted. They did not admit new people. There were originally 20-25 people,

who were giants of their time including people like V Shantaram, Meboob, Bimal Roy, Sohrab Modi, AL Srinivsan, AVM, LV Prasad, Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand, BR Chopra, and Subodh Mukherjee. However, in the early 70s they admitted some 4-5 of usâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Mushir Riaz, Yash Chopra, Raj Tilak, Yash Johar and I. I was only 24-25 year of age when I became a producer. I came from a different background. I used to write in magazines.

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Amit Khanna poet, lyricist, writer, filmmaker and historian

Book Launched on December 13th 2019 at New Delhi

THE T HE ME M MEDIA DIA

REFLECTIONS ON AMIT KHANNA

Amit Khanna has always been ahead of the time - a pioneer in the true sense of the word. He was the first person who told me that the computer (which was then as big as a small room) will become tiny enough to hold in the hand, and that the Gaming Industry will take over all forms of entertainments. His Television Company - Plus Channel - gave the Industry at least 80 percent of the talent that rules the roost today. As the head of Reliance Entertainment, he cracked a partnership with Steven Spielberg’s DreamWorks and made Hollywood realise that India is a big player. A voracious reader with an enviable memory, he is bilingual in a way few are. All of this holds him in good stead when he puts pen to paper. His song written for Basu Chatterjee’s Swami, “Pal bhar mein yeh kya ho gaya...” continues to have one of the highest recall values of songs picturised on me. He is my goto person when I want an Urdu poem translated into English or when I need information about the business side of Media and Entertainment industry. I am looking forward to reading his new book at the earliest Shabana Azmi Noted Indian Actress 19

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WITH LOVE FROM SISTER AMIT IS A TREASURE TROVE OF ANECDOTES Interview with Namita Pradhan

aving led a successful professional life in the Indian media and entertainment industry for five decades, we know Amit Khanna as an industry veteran, an avid songwriter and an opinionmaker, who wore many hats to chart the course of several important organizations in the country. But few know about his close relationship with his family or what he likes to do when heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not making films or writing. Namita Pradhan, sister of Amit Khanna spoke to Poornima Bajwa Sharma.

From starting his career as an executive producer to making award-making films, setting up media channels, chairing various organizations and now penning down a book, Amit Khanna has had a remarkable five-decadelong run in the industry. How will you describe his journey? Amit has always followed his passion. Right from the beginning of

Amit loves to tell a story, or recite a couplet at family gatherings and is a treasure trove of anecdotes 20

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Amit Khanna poet, lyricist, writer, filmmaker and historian

Book Launched on December 13th 2019 at New Delhi

Amit has varied interests in just about everything. But besides movies and writing, he also loves to cook

his career, he was ahead of his times and generation. He would feel comfortable in the company of people much older than him and still held his own amongst them. While his professional journey has been meteoric, he has always had close connections with the family and would always make himself available to us in all times of need. We know the enigmatic man who has had a successful professional life. Tell us more about Amit Khanna’s lesser-known side. Amit is super sensitive about his family relationships and takes his responsibilities very seriously. We used to live in a joint family in a big home in Lutyens Delhi at Hailey Road. We were, and still are, a closeknit family of uncles, aunts, cousins, nieces, and nephews though now spread out much beyond Delhi. And he still brings the entire family together a couple of times in a year, which we all look forward to. He loves to tell a story, or recite a couplet at family gatherings and is a treasure trove of anecdotes. Can you share some special anecdotes from your childhood that are still fresh in your memory? There are so many of them. He was always super protective towards not just me but all our cousin sisters. Our grandparents and parents had

a great influence on us as we were growing up. He was close to them. Tell us three things that no one knows about Amit Khanna. Amit is a great dog lover. He also donates regularly to charity and is a stickler for rules which makes him extremely law-abiding. Apart from movies and books, what are his hobbies? He has varied interests in just about everything. But besides movies and writing, he also loves to cook. Amit Khanna was the first person in your family who decided to join the media and entertainment sector in the 1970s when everyone aspired to become an IAS officer. How do you feel about his decision? We are all extremely proud. We were then, and are more so, now. Amit Khanna is a foodie. Any special dish that you love to cook for him which he likes? He’s a better cook than me (laughs). He loves our traditional ‘Khatri food.’ But of late he has also started enjoying a slice of my sourdough bread. Namita Pradhan, Ex. IAS officer, Ex Asst. Dir-Gen. WHO-35 years of international and national civil service

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FANTASTIC FRIEND By Dr Narotham Puri

e is someone whom people consider my best friend, but to me he is like a younger brother for over 60 plus years now. We were next-door neighbours at Hailey Road in Delhi. He was four years younger than me, but does age matter in friendship? He was always a brilliant mind, who was able to grasp myriad subjects that you would not expect a nontechnical mind to grasp. He would read Gray’s Anatomy and Samson Wright’s Physiology books of mine when he was in school and I was a young medical student. He was wellschooled (St. Columbas) and did his English Honours from St. Stephens. It was there that his love for theatre took root. For a young guy who used to mimic and deride one of my class fellows who was an ardent Dev Anand fan, it was ironical that Amit ended up with Dev Sahib after meeting g him in relation to a charity y show for his college society. His unconventional career choice was to prove a boon to the film, TV and entertainment industry, although I dare say it would not have pleased many of his family members given that his maternal grandfather was a reputed doctor who set up the Bhowali Sanitorium and his paternal grandfather was a reputed Engineer in Indian Railways. His wide array of knowledge; his inquisitive mind which always hungered for knowledge; and his achievements (including many firsts in the industry) have not surprised me at all. His mind retains

its cutting edge; his focus on the iits future and his ability to express himself on print and paper remain undiluted. We go through phases when we do not meet, sometimes couple for a co coup ple of years, but for me, comfortable our silences silenc nces es are comfortab ble l - a true true test of friendship. “A tru ue friend is someone who knows your past, believes in your future and accepts you just the way you are”. This feeling is mutual - when we meet, it is never to crib why we did not meet for so long nor when are we meeting again. That is because we never left each other. His tome on films, media and entertainment industry is timely and I feel confident will become a source material for generations to come. I have been blessed that in Amit I have a childhood friend who understands me and knows how proud he makes me feel about his achievements. He is a rare g gem. God bless him.

Graduated in 1968, Spent 5 decades in healthcare as a teacher, clinical practitioner and healthcare administrator. Sports Broadcaster and Telecaster, Over 45 years of experience in Print, Radio & TV sports journalism & was once dubbed “Encyclopedia of sports”.

Amit Khanna poet, lyricist, writer, filmmaker and historian

Book Launched on December 13th 2019 at New Delhi

His mind retains its cutting edge, his focus on the future, his ability to express himself on print and paper remain undiluted

Amit Khanna poet, lyricist, writer, filmmaker and historian

Book Launched on December 13th 2019 at New Delhi

THE DEFINING DECADE THE 1990S Excerpts from Words, Sounds, Images - The History of Media and Entertainment in India by Amit Khanna he 1990s, in more ways than one, was a defining decade for the entire world. The longdrawn-out Cold War came to an end as Mikhail Gorbachev brought perestroika and glasnost to the Soviet Union. Once the Berlin Wall crumbled in 1989, a wave of change swept across the Eastern Bloc and a new order began to emerge in Europe. Nelson Mandela, the South African leader and champion of the anti-apartheid movement, was freed after twenty-seven years in jail. A fierce war broke out in the Gulf when Iraq invaded Kuwait, becoming the first televised war in history. In Britain, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was replaced by John Major after years and Bill Clinton became the president of the USA. There were regime changes in many other countries as well and a move towards détente and democracy.

The 1990s was not only the last decade of the century but of the millennium. These years faced both a digital storm and a global economic crisis. There was political turmoil in South America (Nicaragua, Chile and Haiti), Europe (Poland, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia) and the Middle East (Gaza, Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan). The digital era arrived towards the end of the millennium as analogue minds grappled with economic challenges. The first cloned mammal, a sheep named Dolly, was born. Viagra, a sexual stimulant, was introduced. The race to outer space quickened and the Hubble telescope was launched into space. The World Wide Web was created. Email became popular and the first email services such as Yahoo!, Hotmail and Google, as well as websites like Amazon and eBay were launched. Microsoft-Windows and a new, rejuvenated Apple started a fresh bout of war to gain dominance in the space of computers. Mobile telephony was now available throughout the world. For the first time, handheld devices connected hundreds of millions of people across geographies 24x7. Cable TV was the new global force in media. Round-the-clock news altered forever the way people consumed current affairs. Time magazine— and its associates—and Warner Brothers combined to create the largest media company in the world, Time Warner. Rupert Murdoch extended his media empire all over the world, as did Japanese media and electronics giant Sony. Disney became a diversified media and entertainment company. Popular American TV shows of the 1990s beamed in dozens of countries. They included soaps such as The Bold and the Beautiful, Beverly Hills, Mr. Bean, Larry King Live, The X Files, Friends, The Simpsons, Seinfeld, Frasier and ER. Hollywood expanded its global footprint. Titanic (1997) turned

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Words Images Sounds - by Amit Khanna, published by Harper Collins India

out to be the biggest blockbuster movie of all time, collecting over US$2 billion worldwide. Other Hollywood hits included Home Alone (1990), Star Wars Episode 1—The Phantom Menace (1999), Forrest Gump (1994), Jurassic Park (1993) and animation films The Lion King (1994) and Toy Story (1995). Among the critically acclaimed films were Hoop Dreams (1994), Pulp Fiction (1994), Goodfellas (1990), Fargo (1996), Three Colors Trilogy (Blue [1993], White [1994], Red [1994]), Schindler’s List (1993), Breaking the Waves (1996), Leaving Las Vegas (1995), Malcolm X (1992) and JFK (1991). In pop music, MC Hammer, Sinead O’Connor, Britney Spears, Jon Bon Jovi and Spice Girls topped the charts. Fast-food chains

such as McDonalds, Pizza Hut and Starbucks expanded to many countries. In fashion, denim was once again the fabric of the decade. 1990s styles included black leggings paired with oversized sweaters, low heels, flannel shirts, T-shirts, sweatpants, flowing skirts, turtlenecks, sports shoes and flip-flops. India faced ten years of political ups and downs. Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in 1991 in Sriperumbudur near Chennai by supporters of the Sri Lankan Tamil rebel organization, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Terrorism raised its ugly head in Kashmir once again and the Babri Masjid demolition in December 1992 created a sharp communal divide. Communalriots—like in Bombay in 1992-93 - erupted

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ABOUT THE BOOK Ambitious and encyclopaedic in scope, this is a firstof-its-kind book that presents the history of media and entertainment in India – from the times of the Indus Valley Civilization right up to the twenty-first century. The book starts with an examination of the origins, looking at a wide array of aspects such as: the state of entertainment during Harappan and Vedic times, including details from the Natyashastra; the early drama, music and dance of Kalidasa; the development of ragas; musical instruments and early folk traditions; the genesis of classical dance forms; developments through the ages, including in the Mughal period, in the southern kingdoms, in the north-east, and under the Marathas and the British. Independence onwards, the book takes a decadewise look at the evolution of newspapers, cinema, music, television, dance, theatre and radio. The author, himself a film producer, director and lyricist who has worked in the entertainment industry all his life, brings his unique perspective to bear on the subject. This pioneering work is a must-read not just for the students and practitioners of the arts and media but also for their lay consumers.

Publisher: Harper Collins India Pages: 952 pages Price: `1449

at regular intervals all over India. Riding a rightist wave, Atal Bihari Vajpayee led the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to power at the Centre in 1996, only to bow out in less than two weeks. The BJP, however, returned in 1998 and remained in power for a full term. Under P. V. Narasimha Rao’s premiership, Finance Minister Manmohan Singh unleashed India’s most substantive economic reforms since Independence, again in 1991. The old Nehruvian socialism was discarded, leading to a pragmatic opening-up of the economy. It was the beginning of the dismantling of the Licence Raj. From a land of scarcity, India took the first steps towards becoming a nation of abundance. Fast food, colas, chocolates, ice creams and instant noodles were the favourite of the youth. In sports, cricketer Sachin Tendulkar was the new icon and Viswanathan Anand the first Indian world chess champion, while Leander Paes made his Davis Cup debut. The advent of satellite TV brought with it multiple channels. Zee TV became the first homegrown private channel. Faced with competition, Doordarshan opened its doors to private productions as time slots were auctioned. It also launched the DD Metro channel. By the mid-’90s, India had two dozen satellite channels. Zee TV, Star Plus, ATN, Sun TV, Gemini TV, Udaya TV, Sony, MTV, ESPN, BBC, CNN and Doordarshan and its Metro channel were all keenly watched by millions of Indians. Almost every town in India had miles of cables strung across streets as cable TV made its unorganized entry. Local cable operators began delivering pirated films to cabled homes. The media boom had begun and ad spends zoomed up. News television produced its own stars and journalists like Rajat Sharma, Rajdeep Sardesai and Barkha Dutt became household names. The coalition government led by the BJP went on to further liberalize

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Amit Khanna poet, lyricist, writer, filmmaker and historian

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media and communication in the country in the late 1990s. Mobile phones came to India in the mid-1990s and, in less than ten years, completely altered the state of communications in the country. Maruti, in collaboration with Suzuki, changed the way Indians commuted. Suddenly there was a choice of cars you could drive. Ready-to-wear clothes became popular as several home-grown brands sprang up. The Indian IT industry began its roller-coaster ride to global prominence as Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Infosys, Wipro and HCL became the new leaders in providing outsourced workforce to the world. Stock markets were the preferred investment option for the new middle-class Indians as more and more companies listed on the bourses, Harshad Mehta, Ketan Parekh and other securities scams notwithstanding. Credit cards and home and auto loans transformed the lives of the middle class. Foreign travel was no longer the preserve of the rich. There was a substantial growth in print media as many newspapers, especially regional ones, started new editions. The film industry, too, started its metamorphosis. Sooraj Barjatya, Aditya Chopra and Karan Johar brought new-age romance to the big screen. The first multiplex, PVR, appeared in Delhi and satellite TV rights of movies fetched exorbitant amounts. FM radio expanded as licences to run local stations were auctioned. Private FM stations finally went on air in the 1990s, immediately catching listener attention with their snappy jock talk and latest music. Amitabh Bachchan started the high-profile ABCL entertainment company. Others too started similar enterprises—Ronnie Screwvala’s UTV, Raghav Bahl’s TV18, Harish Thawani’s Nimbus, Subhash Ghai’s Mukta Arts, Sri Adhikari Brothers and Manmohan Shetty’s Adlabs. Corporatization en-

FOR ME FOR E, IIT T WAS A THE E BEG E IN INNI NING OF F TWE EN NT TYY F FIIVE E YEA E R RS S OF A HE ECT TIC AND EVE EN NT TFU F L PR P ROF O ES ESSI S ON SI O AL LIIF FE AC A R RO OSS S TH HE E EN E NT TIIRE R GA AM MUT U OF M ME EDI DAA AN ND EN E NTE T RT R AI A NM NMEN ENT T AS I LAUNC AU UN NC CH HE ED PL P LUS U CHA H NNEL EL, IIN ND DIIA A’’S FI FIRS RS R ST M DI ME DIA A AN A D EN E TE TERT RTAI AINM NMEN ENT NT CONG CO NGLO LOME OMERA R TE T ,W WIIT TH H FRI R EN ND DS S

tered showbiz as industry bodies such as FICCI and CII began to take interest in this high-potential sector. The three Khans—Salman, Shah Rukh and Aamir—ruled the silver screen. Aishwarya Rai not only became Miss World but a huge Bollywood star, too. Madhuri Dixit and Kajol were the other female heartthrobs. A. R. Rahman brought a fresh sound to Hindi film music. Filmmakers like Mira Nair, Deepa Mehta, Ashok Amritraj, Shekhar Kapur and Manoj Night Shyamalan made waves in Hollywood. Big stage events and concerts finally came to India as event managers Wizcraft, Showtime and DNA brought international acts to perform here. Relaxation in foreign investment policy led the way for several large global giants like Sony, Disney, Fox, CNN, MTV and CNBC opening subsidiaries in India. In 1999, India decisively defeated Pakistan in what is known as the Kargil war on the northwestern border. A brave, new and confident India presented itself at Davos and other international forums. For me, it was the beginning of twenty-five years of a hectic and eventful professional life across the entire gamut of media and entertainment as I launched Plus Channel, India’s first media and entertainment conglomerate, with friends. (Courtesy: Harper Collins India)

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STRAIGHT ANSWERS

FROM AMIT KHANNA What is your idea of real happiness? For me, happiness is bliss which comes with fleeting moments of life from various things... from your deeds, the feel that comes from your tasks, the happiness when you watch something pretty, when you feel ‘oh, life is worth’, or when you have a simple, well-cooked meal. Of course, I love flowers, I love nature... What is your greatest fear? My greatest fear is that as humans, we are lagging behind science and technology and the progress which science and technology offers. The gap between what is possible and what actually is, is wide. That’s a fear. If that gap becomes huge, it will become difficult. One trait that you don’t like in yourself... Impatience and temper. Which living person you admire the most? I have learnt from many people. Let’s say... one has to keep learning from anything which is interesting... it is a new experience, new knowledge, new insight. I will observe from a farmer in a village to a well-known global figure.

Do you lie? Sometimes, when a simple lie can save somebody from getting hurt, when it can avoid unpleasantness. Otherwise no. Which living person you despise the most? No one as such. I don’t like certain people, and I just avoid them and that has taken me time. I don’t hate anyone, though I am vocal about my disagreement. Your greatest love of life... I had no such one...

What is your greatest extravagance? I have done lot of extravagant things, like walking into complete luxury, sometimes I spend thousand of dollars on clothes.

When was the best happiest moment in your life? Several points. Happiness is a feeling of fleeting joy or bliss at different points in your life. If it is one highpoint, life would be over.

Your current state of mind... It is what it was 50 years ago...always thinking of new things and moving ahead

Which talent you wanted to have today? Two things I miss, which I admire a lot, but i don’t do. I know lot about music.

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Am Khanna Amit po lyricist, poet, writer, filmmaker write an historian and

Book Launched on December 13th 2019 Decem a New Delhi at

A FOR FIVE FIV DECADES, AMIT KHANNA HAS BEEN THE TORCHBEARER AND D VISIONARY OF IND INDIAN MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY. HIS NEW BOOK -- ‘WORDS, ORDS, SOUNDS, IMAGES’ -- TRACES THE HISTORY OF M&E IN INDIA FROM THE INDUS US VALLEY CIVILIZ CIVILIZATION TILL MODERN TIMES. WE DIVE DEEP INTO HIS INTELLECTUAL CTUAL MIND...

but i can’t sing. And I can’t paint. These are the things which i wanted to do. I have a good sense of both art and music. I would even suggest Lataji and Kishoreda to ‘please sing in this way....’

Again, will be many, different people have fascinated me. Historical figure you identify yourself with... Not one figure, but myriad people.

If you can change one thing in your life... It is my impatience, which made me take some very rash decisions.

Your greatest regret... I still think I have not done what I could have done.

What are your great achievements? Number of people who are working in the industry, whose lives I have been able to touch.

How would you like to die? Without passing discomfort to others. I would not like to die in a situation I would disturb others who care for me.

Your treasured possession... Nothing..why should I treasure my possession? Greats in any field have been forgotten in twenty years. So, I just don’t have false notions. you can’t buy immortality by doing anything.

You said you would like to write more books, what are they? One is on food, about different foods of India including street foods and traditional foods. Another book is about change which technology will bring about in society.

Your favorite writers... Whole range of them. I read all kinds of stuff, so... Your favorite hero in fiction...

How important is privacy to you? To me it’s not important. Because, power of internet is worth more to me than my privacy.

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EARLY YEARS THE RISE OF A STAR chance meeting with Star-Filmmaker Dev Anand in 1969 got Amit Khanna involved in films while he was still in college. “Dev Saab must have seen some spark in me. He asked me to manage Nav Ketan’s work in Delhi, which incidentally involved liaison with Government and as well as getting involved with distribution gett ge ttin ing g in invo volv lved ed wit ith h hi hiss di dist striribu butition on iin n Delhi,” he recalls. His interests in college included theatre, journalism, advertising, radio and TV, which stood him in good stead. He even wrote the dialogues for a couple of scenes in Dev Anand’s Hare Rama Hare Krishna. So when Amit Khanna passed out of the college in 1971, Dev Saab asked him to come to Mumbai and work with him. However, it wasn’t easy for him to take the decision, as “my parents were against my joining films,” he admits. “We had no background. Mostly in my family there were professionals, engineers, doctors and even civil servants. Nobody was in films. They were scared that I have no contacts. Moreover, nobody from St Stephens College

preferred to join films at that time,” he adds. But given his fascination for films, the family allowed him to join Dev Saab. It was a big break for him. “Nobody gets a chance where the top production house or top a star asks some boy from college that you please come and work with me and I am sending your ticket. I flew flew down dow own n to Bombay Bom omb b and on day one went straight to the studio from the airport. There was a car waiting for me there,” Amit Khanna says. Eventually, he got involved in every aspect of filmmaking. “Since I had been writing poetry (in Hindi and English), I ventured into lyrics writing and script writing.” Talking about his schedule, he says that he was working 18 hours a day seven days a week doing different things. “My age and my educational background aroused a lot of curiosity among film industry and media at the time. Even singers like Lata Ji, Kishore Da, Rafi Saab, Asha Ji and others and other film stalwarts found me a strange mix of a creative person and a business head.”

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THE T HE ME M MEDIA DIA

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Amit Khanna is one of a kind. No one has had such a variety of involvements with the world of Indian media as he: lyricist, poet, producer, critic, industry advocate, media industry leader. What is most remarkable is that Amit is also a scholar and thinker who knows the history of Indian media better than most and is also the sharpest student of its future. He is a renaissance man, whom I am proud to celebrate and to have as a friend Arjun Appadurai Goddard Professor in Media, Culture and Communication, New York University

A SPOKESPERSON OF THE INDUSTRY n 1976, Amit Khanna turned Producer, and this got him involved in the Film Producers Guild which at that time had only 35 members including veterans like V Shantaram, BR Chopra, and Raj Kapoor, among others. “They told me that you argue a lot but we still need you,” says Amit Khanna. He was the youngest member of the Guild and became its treasurer in 1976 and later its VP and then President. “Since I was articulate, I was a natural choice to be part of all film delegations meeting the Government,” he adds. Over the period, he also developed a strong network with bureaucrats, new parallel cinema directors, and the film festival circuit. He also developed friendships in advertising and corporate circles with almost all the leaders in these fields, and

began writing on Industry affairs in various national publications. “During the emergency and post emergency I became the spokesperson of the industry on everything. Officially they would ask me to speak on almost every issue,” he says. He single-handedly pioneered the fight for industry status for films. “I was the first person who arranged the meeting between industry and FICCI.” He also chaired FICCI’s Entertainment and Convergence Committee and was Chairman of CII’s National Committee on M&E. “I was the first person to take the Indian delegation to Cannes. I had to persuade people like Yash Chopra, Subhash Ghai. This is when Devdas was released in 2001. We took a big delegation to Cannes,” Amit Khanna recalls.

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He is one of the most visionary persons I have ever met. All that is happening in the media space today - the private channels, niche audience demanding their own content, the rise of internet and the social media - Amit had predicted it in the 80s and the 90s. He is a brilliant man. An accomplished lyricist, he is also a screenplay writer, dialogue writer, director, and producer. Nobody was making a film with me after Dharavi when Shiv Sena, but Amit helped me and re-established my career. So, I owe it to him for what I am today. I cherish that there is somebody who is watching my back. In his book, I am looking forward to what he is going to say about the future. I think it will be very useful for the younger generation to read it. I think it should be a compulsory reading in all film schools. I think it should be there in every library, along with the digital edition. He is a rare man. I am privileged to have him as an elder brother almost Sudhir Mishra Director

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INDIAN M&E’S SOFT POWER – ‘GET THE FOCUS RIGHT’ mit Khanna does not mince his words when he speaks about harnessing India’s soft power through the M&E sector. “Let’s not forget, the global Media & Entertainment is a USD 2 trillion Industry while in India we are struggling to reach even USD 30 billion! The G20 countries have a Media & Entertainment sector averaging 3-5 % of GDP while India is at 1%. So much for the soft power and knowledge economy,” he says. For him it’s time for the government and the industry to get the focus right. “Why are you obsessed with getting foreign guys to come and shoot in India. For that you don’t need a film festival. You need to go to individual countries and market your films. He wants Indian film stars to do more

when it comes to showcasing Indian M&E sectors’ soft power. “All the Indian stars with one exception of Amir Khan, who decided that China was a big market and he has nursed that market, other Indian big stars are happy going and getting mobbed by South Asian audience. If you see the audience profiles when Shah Rukh did the David Lettermen show, there were all south Asians sitting there. I would have been happy if he had smattering of 100 people. Indian stars have been honoured in various universities. There are books being written about them. People have done PhDs on Indian cinema, Indian television and Indian stars, but they are all catering to the minority South Asian segment,” he observes.

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Amit Khanna poet, lyricist, writer, filmmaker and historian

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Amit is a rare genius. Having known him from school, I am aware of his vast talents that he has repeatedly displayed over the 40 years in the Bombay film industry. His association with Dev Anand and Navketan Films is a stuff of legend. His film producing abilities, talent in writing high quality poetry and film songs, his grasp and understanding of the mechanics of the film industry exhibit his brilliance. I am a proud recipient of his affection and friendship Najeeb Jung Former Lieutenant Governor of Delhi

DIGITAL IS THE FUTURE OF INDIA’S M&E SECTOR he future of India’s Media and Entertainment sector lies in digital space, says Media and Entertainment industry veteran Amit Khanna. For him, internet is the ubiquitous currency of our world and connectivity is our lifeline. In this ecosystem these two enablers are leading to monetization of our leisure and increasingly work, he believes. “Today’s it’s about personalization, privacy and performance. As institutive web (3.0) is replaced by thinking web (Web 4.0), m2m and IoT, it is estimated that Digital Media & Entertainment (inclusive streaming audio, video, broadcast, gaming, Out of Home will account for about 40% of the entire leisure Industry in 2026 totalling to more than USD 1.5 trillion empowering nearly 6 billion people. A similar scene will be repeated in India where out of a total

size of 70 billion E&M Industry the digital part will be more than 40 %. This year the digital M& E in India is worth more than the film Industry and will exceed the Print Industry in 3 years and the TV industry later in the next decade,” he says in a recent article. He also believes that the changing media landscape calls for the craft to evolve afresh. “We can already see more news being accessed through social media sites and apps like twitter and What’s App. Fake news is a temporary blip as AI assisted filters will soon spot manipulated reports and doctored news. In the next few years news breaks will be accompanied by short blurbs on known political and other biases of the source or reporter. Even newspapers and magazines will have to value add to their print versions to survive. A pay per use model has to provide premium service,” he says.

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Amit Khanna poet, lyricist, writer, filmmaker and historian

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Amit is one of my earliest friends in the industry. He is a remarkable person. He is a man of many talents. He is a multifaceted person and very low profile. I have known Amit for a long time and he is a very sincere friend. He is always there when you need him. I just wish his book does phenomenally well. He has been a guiding force of the industry. When he started Plus Channel, he started it overnight. He sold everything he had. He is that kind of a person. He is a risk taker. He is a man of great vision Suresh Jindal Producer and Filmmaker

‘FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION IS NOT IN PERIL’ he industry veteran counts himself amongst those who do not believe that our freedom of expression is in peril. He says that “fear is overstated”. “It is in every generation. In 70s I have seen censorship during Mrs Gandhi’s time. Even in my book I have mentioned, particularly during Nehru’s time, lot of films were censored and banned; books were also banned. But there was no platform where a person or artist could agitate. There was no social media. National press was not bothered to write about films being banned. No newspaper wrote about cinema except the review. That has now become magnified,” he adds. Amit Khanna is of the opinion that

artists and citizens have to find a voice, and social media and electronic media is helping them find that voice. “But that voice has to be somewhat reasoned. It is not that for the first time things in recent Indian history or independent India have become so bad. During Emergency years anybody could be arrested and threatened and you had to be quiet.” Regarding censorship in film industry, he says that the government made a rule that liquor bottles could not be shown in films. “They also said that you can’t show blood in films and that’s why the words ‘dishoom dishoom’ came into the films of that era. Then they passed this rule that you can have only 6 action sequences of 90 seconds each in a film.”

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Amit Khanna poet, lyricist, writer, filmmaker and historian

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Amit Khanna is a man who keeps on surprising. When the adventure of the Forum d’Avignon (international think-tank and meetings on the links between culture, economy and innovation) was in its infancy, he agreed to become its part. We hardly knew about each other but his curiosity, interest for other cultures and sharing helped forge links that have lasted over 10 years. The values of constancy, fidelity and transmission of knowledge and friendships are beautiful lessons to share throughout the world. This energy will never end Laure Kaltenbach Chairman and co-founder of CreativeTech

FILM FACILITATION OFFICE – A STEP WORTH PRAISING mit Khanna credits the current Government led by Narendra Modi to have actually opened the film facilitation offices after nearly 40 long years of only talks and no action. “They have only talked but execution has happened now. I hope it is streamlined,” he says. “The Prime Minister has reformed many sectors of our economy and industry then why not Media & Entertainment? A nation of 1.3 billion people wants options to be informed and entertained in Digital India,” says Amit Khanna, who wishes that “before we celebrate our 75th anniversary of Independence we had a National Media & Entertainment policy framework, which takes into account the rapidly

changing world. This is too important a sector to be neglected.” He also put his views strongly on the “inherent conflict in the role of Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and Ministry of Telecommunications & Information Technology”. “Besides the HRD Ministry handles IPR (Copyright) and Culture Ministry does its sideshow. It’s time we have one omnibus Ministry handling all subjects relating to Media & Entertainment,” he demands. “We must have a group of experts and not Ministers and bureaucrats working on the future of our web-based content and delivery. Unfortunately, we have half-baked self-styled IT cells headed by vague people.”

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Amit Khanna poet, lyricist, writer, filmmaker and historian

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Amit Khanna is a man of action for the Indian M&E industry. He visualized the convergence of media, telecom, IT and venture capitalists way back in late 90s. His yeoman service and leadership to the M&E sector has created thousands of jobs and made subsequent generations take up media as a career. No doubt, his new book “Words, Sounds, Images” will guide us to prepare for a bright M&E future Dilip Chenoy Secretary General, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry

REFLECTIONS ON AMIT KHANNA

Mr Amit Khanna is undoubtedly not just a guru to me but to the industry... He was the only person who understood numbers of M&E and its importance. The first and many reports of the industry was brought out due to the deep insights and understanding that he shared so generouslyâ&#x20AC;Ś as the first co-chair of the media and entertainment committee he was a guiding light for all the work we accomplished. To me personally, he is a true mentor and guide. He is a standalone university of media and entertainment Leena Jaisani Assistant Secretary General, FICCI

Amit Khanna poet, lyricist, writer, filmmaker and historian

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I first met Amitji in IMPPA office in 1975-76. I was IMPPA’s Secretary and some dispute was on with regard to titles Despardesh applied by Navketan and Des Videsh booked by another producer. The title registration committee headed by late Shri P N Arora rejected Despardesh on the ground of similarity with Des Videsh. Amitji very softly explained to me that there was no similarity between the titles as Pardesh could be within the country but Videsh meant a foreign country. Ultimately Despardesh was registered in favour of Navketan. My actual journey commenced with him when I joined All India Film Producers Council, Film Federation of India and later Film Producers Guild of India. He was a very dynamic person and believed in prompt actions. He was a hard task master but erudite and hence I enjoyed his bossing. At his insistence, Film Federation of India joined FIAPF. He always forced me to ensure that the organisation took active part in film festivals and major film events. During his tenure as President of Guild, we were part of many delegations in India and abroad, including London, Cannes, Tokyo, Los Angeles et al.. I have been visiting Cannes for the last 27 years but as part of Guild delegation under him in Cannes was the most enjoyable. The dinner hosted by Guild still remains unparalleled. Once, I had to be hospitalised, Amit Khanna helped, and now I got my second life to live. I have been eagerly awaiting to read his book as I have to learn many more things from him Supran Sen Secretary General, Film Federation of India

REFLECTIONS ON AMIT KHANNA

I have known Mr Amit Khanna for over two decades, during which I had the privilege of working closely with him--first at Reliance Entertainment for three years--and subsequently at Producers Guild of India for over nine years now. Amitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s enormous wealth of knowledge is well known as also his ability to look ahead as a true visionary. I, however, believe that there are two other qualities which earn him tremendous respect: his selfless approach in sharing his knowledge with others and his dedication to constantly learn and upgrade his knowledge and skills Kulmeet Makkar Chief Executive Officer, Producers Guild of India

Amit Khanna poet, lyricist, writer, filmmaker and historian

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Amit Khanna has always been ahead of his time. He has spoken not only about where the media and entertainment industry is but where it should be. He made me realize from the earliest times when I met him that he was at an altitude in his thinking that talked of future states. Many people in the industry - in film and television - have seen him as a great mentor. In a fragmented industry that had resisted change for years, he was constantly a part of several forums that tried to make others see the potential in themselves, in the economy and the power of content as consumerism spread across India and its global diaspora. I met Amit in several platforms and saw that his value lay in his ability to visualize what others could not see - to think beyond the self imposed boundaries and risk averseness of many of our industry’s individual content creators, producers and distributors and to continuously evangelize the opportunity in media’s convergence between technology and creativity. He was always trying to suggest that the industry navigates a new course by embracing the digital and used every occasion to spread that mantra. Players like Disney-Star, Sony-Viacom, Zee & Reliance have now shown how his prognosis about scale and value is being realized The lag between his prophesies and what we see unfolding in the market today underscores his visionary ability. The greatest good one can do for another is not just to share your rich ideas but to help others curate their own. Through this book Amit will no doubt continue to inspire and provoke thinking about the Indian entertainment industry as he has done in person across so many instances and platforms Biren Ghose Country Head, Technicolor India

REFLECTIONS ON AMIT KHANNA

Amit Ji has been a great source of information and inspiration for many in the M&E industry. He’s a great lyricist and a man of vision. Always driven by his own style, he brought all of us together under the “E - Entertainment Alliance” umbrella. His ability to delve deep into a subject and enlighten the industry with possible future trends was simply amazing. He was one of the few Indian industry researchers who could clearly see the mobile growth and content play through hand-held devices early on. I wish him all the best for the launch of his much awaited book Ashish SK Chairman-Founder, Punnaryug Artvision Pvt Ltd & Founder-CEO, Screenyug Creations Pvt Ltd

Amit Khanna poet, lyricist, writer, filmmaker and historian

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Amit Khanna is a legendary figure in India’s media and entertainment industry, someone who can provide a historical perspective on its growth and evolution. As a widely-read and much travelled person, he can also offer astute comparisons drawn from across the world to understand what has been happening in the Indian scene Arvind Rajagopal Author and Professor of Media Studies, New York University

REFLECTIONS ON AMIT KHANNA

Amit Khanna ji is one of those media and entertainment industry icons whose significance exceeds popular familiarity with his work. His insights and language ensure his contributions are still appreciated for their contemporary outlook and observations. If you look long enough with sufficient determination through his prodigious output, you will find valuable commentary on the current trends in the M&E industry Dr S Raghunath Professor of Strategy, IIM Bangalore

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Amit Khanna poet, lyricist, writer, filmmaker and historian

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THE T HE ME M MEDIA DIA

REFLECTIONS ON AMIT KHANNA

There are three most remarkable aspects to Amit Khanna. One, his ability to gather talented people around him and mentor them. The professionals at Plus Channel were some of the best in their fields at the time, whether it was in writing or directing or broadcasting. Two, he’s always been ahead of the curve. Plus Channel was one of the first corporate production houses in the country which started the idea of producing a series of movies in a year, and though it eventually folded up, it set the stage for an organised future. And last, he saw the opportunity in globalised filmmaking and as chairman of Reliance Entertainment inked a far reaching agreement with Steven Spielberg’s DreamWorks. Through it all he has remained a poet, a lyricist, a raconteur and a storyteller who carries the core of the film industry deep within his heart Kaveree Bamzai Author and Journalist

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REFLECTIONS ON AMIT KHANNA

Amit Khanna came to limelight in the Hindi film industry as someone related to Dev Anand. But it was as a lyrics writer that he made his reputation. This love for poetry and curiosity about the developments in the film industry made him a prophet of his time and a man ahead of the trends. We used to attend the FICCI and Producers Guild meetings with policymakers in Delhi to discuss the setting up of an independent body, a sort of OFCOM or FCC, to regulate the electronic and TV industry. Amitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s was always a disruptive voice. He was convinced it was only a matter of years before digital media would take over and content would be delivered through the internet. His argument, therefore, was that the government policies or censorship would never be able to keep pace with the changes taking place in technology. When you see the speed with which social media has grown in India, the digital streaming platforms that is making both TV and cinema halls obsolete, you realise how much of a true media prophet he is. A remarkably prescient mind who understands entertainment media like few do in India Ramesh Sharma Filmmaker

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GALLERY

VALUABLE Lights On: (From L to R) Singer Lata Mangeshkar, the then Union Minister Sushma Swaraj, actor Dilip Kumar, filmmaker Yash Chopra and Amit Khanna at FICCI FRAMES

Amit Khanna poet, lyricist, writer, filmmaker and historian

Book Launched on December 13th 2019 at New Delhi

MOMENTS

GALLERY

Three in One: Actor Mehmood, Amit Khanna and music director Rajesh Roshan sharing a happy moment

Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s it: Amit Khanna, actor Dev Anand and Atmaran

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Amit Khanna poet, lyricist, writer, filmmaker and historian

Book Launched on December 13th 2019 at New Delhi

Leaders’ Line-Up: CII DG Chandrajit Banerjee, the then Union Minister Arun Jaitely, India Today’s Aroon Purie and Amit Khanna in a conversation

On a Song: Lyricist Javed Akhtar, filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt and Amit Khanna

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GALLERY

Top League: Actor Amitabh Bachchan, Amit Khanna and actress Poonam Dhillon in a rare picture

Friends at Work: Amit Khanna, writer Suraj Sanim and filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt sharing their thoughts

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Amit Khanna poet, lyricist, writer, filmmaker and historian

Book Launched on December 13th 2019 at New Delhi

Making a Point: Amit Khanna speaking to former Minister Sushma Swaraj and actress Shabana Azmi looks on

Points to Ponder: Director Shyam Benegal, Filmmaker Yash Chopra and Amit Khanna in serious talk

Four Decades of Friendship: With filmmakers Ketan Mehta, Saeed Mirza, Pankuj Parashar, Sudhir Mishra, Vinay Shukla, Manmohan Shetty and Govind Nihalani

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GALLERY

Think Tank: Director Basu Chatterjee and Amit Khanna

Musical Mood: Music composer Rajesh Roshan, Amit Khanna and singer Amit Kumar

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Amit Khanna poet, lyricist, writer, filmmaker and historian

First CII Big Picture Summit 2012: CII DG Chandrajit Banerjee, Andy Bird and Amit Khanna. Amit Khanna considers the First CII Big Picture Summit 2012 as the best industry gathering in this decade. He was then the Chairman of the CII’s National Committee on Media and Entertainment

Book Launched on December 13th 2019 at New Delhi

Industry Veterans in One Table: Zee Entertainment’s Puneet Goenka, Sidharth Roy Kapur (Current president of Producers Guild of India), Aroon Purie, Amit Khanna, Jawahar Sircar and Uday Shankar (chairman of Star India and The Walt Disney Company India)

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GALLERY

Beyond Borders: Amit Khanna and Frank G Wisner, former US Ambassador to India

Friends Together: Shatrughan Sinha, Smita Patil and Amit Khanna

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Amit Khanna poet, lyricist, writer, filmmaker and historian

Book Launched on December 13th 2019 at New Delhi

Production Peers: Film producers Ganesh Jain and Yash Johar and Amit Khanna

Tall Leaders: Amit Khanna, Uday Shankar and Ronnie Screwvala in jovial mood at CII Big Picture Summit

Top Guns: Zee Entertainment’s Subhash Chandra, Yash Chopra and Amit Khanna with the Team FICCI FRAMES For the first time Amit Khanna as president of Guild brought Film industry members with FICCI to work towards industry status to film sector and organised first edition of FRAMES in 1999

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GALLERY

On a High: Amit Khanna in jubiliant mood He became an Executive Producer at 21 with Dev Anandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Navketan Films

Party Time: Many directors - Mahesh Bhatt, Ketan Anand, Johnny Bakshi and Vikas Desai - acted in Sheeshay ka Ghar. In this picture from the sets of the film, they are seen with award winning cinematographer Manmohan Singh and acclaimed recordist Arun Sharma . The person who is on the left is Anupam Kher

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Amit Khanna poet, lyricist, writer, filmmaker and historian

Future Frame Amit Khanna brought Mukesh Ambani to FICCI FRAMES 2004 to do a keynote on converged future of media and entertainment What was visualised at that time is now a reality with Reliance Jio in convergence play now

Book Launched on December 13th 2019 at New Delhi

Veterans of All Times: Amit Khanna, Javed Akhtar, Shyam Benegal and Ramesh Sippy

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GALLERY

Lights On: Mahesh Bhatt, Gautam Sarin (both acted) in Amit Khannaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sheeshay Ka Ghar

Celebration Time: Actor Kumar Gaurav, Actress Padmini Kholapure, Amit Khanna

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Amit Khanna poet, lyricist, writer, filmmaker and historian

Book Launched on December 13th 2019 at New Delhi

Green in Memory: Actor Rishi Kapoor and Amit Khanna

Three to Tango: Amit Khanna, TV Producer Manish Goswami and filmmaker Subhash Ghai at a discussion

Bengal Bulletin Amit Khanna with West Bengal Finance Minister Dr Amit Mitra and film industry representatives at Vision Bengal Entertainment Conference

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FROM T H E E DI TO R

e are happy to present the Pickle special edition on media and entertainment industry veteran Amit Khanna to mark the five decades of his contribution to spearhead the India M&E industry. The occasion is also to celebrate the launch of his new book “Words, Sounds, Images” – A History of Media and Entertainment in India. Amit Khanna’s selfless dedication as a torchbearer of the Indian M&E industry has been unparalleled. From Cannes to Cancun and Los Angeles to London, media scholars and showbiz executives look for his insights on understanding the Indian media industry. We refer to our notes taken on October 29, 2012, from a keynote address by Amit Khanna. “As people become more aspirational; connected with various devices, through the development of viewer access technologies, and with all content ultimately resting in the cloud, consumption will go up in geometric progression... The most significant thing is content will be curated. These huge databases will talk to each other and figure from our digital footprints what our interests and lead us on to entertainment, news, information, music...” We are experiencing it today. This is just one of his many visionary talks. It’s rare to find a person whose mind seamlessly traverses from Urdu Poetry to augmented reality and from Sangam literature to Steven Spielberg. Amit could have easily become another media czar. But he preferred to take a different path. “God has been kind to me. I do not chase money. I am happy to write poetry and write about autonomous mobility.”

In conversation with Amit Khanna

In a world where fear means lizards and cockroaches, and sometimes death, Amit’s unique mind thinks differently. “My greatest fear is that as humans, we are lagging behind the progress which science and technology offers. The gap is wide between what is possible and what actually is.” We sincerely thank everyone for sparring time to share their reflections and association with Amit Khanna. We also thank our dear friend SMM Ausaja for digging out and share some vintage photographs. Beginning 2020, we will continue to do more special editions to bring spotlights on creative and business heroes of the Indian M&E industry. We wish a happy and prosperous New Year to all our readers, advertisers and wellwishers.Feel free to email your thoughts and suggestions.

n vidyasagar pickle media nat@pickle.co.in, www.pickle.co.in

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