How Ravi Deshpande got his Zee big break

In a warm rendezvous with exchange4media.com, ad-film maker Ravi Deshpande shares the success story of creating spoof ads for Zee’s campaign – ‘Are you ready for your big break?’ The multi-faceted genius is never shy to claim the due applaud for a creative success.

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Jun 16, 2004 8:05 AM  | 4 min read
How Ravi Deshpande got his Zee big break

Filmmaking is a fine art. More so in the case of an ad film where the story needs to be summed up with a few quick takes.

For Ravi Deshpande (script writer and ad-film maker) who runs his own production house in John Baptist Road, it’s all been a case of ‘been there, done that.’ He’s the creative genius behind British Petroleum’s ‘Mera naam Harisingh Mediratta Hai Ji’ testimonials, the Mother Diary ‘Khud Khushi Kar Le’ TVC, the Glycodin ‘Khasi Ki Chuttti’ commercial and the LICHF ‘Chutkara Pinjaronse’ campaign. A more recent venture has been the immensely popular Zee’s ‘Are you ready for your big break’ campaign (with spoofs on films such as Bhoot and Darr) which has managed to draw overwhelming reactions from aspiring youngsters. A man of many talents, Deshpande has written the feature film, ‘Terrorist’ starring Ayesha Dharkar, in addition to the film ‘Malli’ and has researched on the life and times of Asoka for the film starring Shah Rukh Khan in title role.

When asked about the Zee success venture, Deshpande states, “To cut a long story short, a friend suggested my name to Gajendra Singh of Zee and I was approached for the task. So, there was my dear friend Chetan Shashital (voice over artiste)…we sat up in the office all night and came up with thirty-six concepts. Zee guys loved all our concepts and picked six from the bunch. The contract was signed and, well…what can I say…we were well on our way towards addressing the small town youth.”

Deshpande adds, “Initially, Zee was intending the commercials to be at best, 15-second spots. But it was our opinion that a 15-seconder would only result in clichés. The idea was not to spring polite smiles, but to tickle the fancy of the viewer. Zee quite saw our point, and they shifted their media priorities accordingly. What resulted, thereon as the tremendously successful Bachchan act, the ‘Bhoot’ spoof and the flawless Shah Rukh imitation! The duration varied from 45 seconds till around one minute.”

In order to spice up things, Deshpande decided to go through with a massive manhunt and around 300 people from Pune, Nashik and Mumbai were auditioned for the task. Says Deshpande, “The very idea of devising those promos, was to address the SEC B, C and D which are so often sidelined by mainstream talent hunts. My point was, if we are trying to engage them in the process of story telling, why not let them enjoy the entire affair? So, as a prelude to the actual hunt, we auditioned fresh young faces for the various commercials and it added life and excitement to the entire process. Here, it must be said that people like Sunil Khanna (President, Zee) and Ajay Trigunayak backed our efforts in every possible way and made it all worthwhile.”

Wouldn’t it be a lot simpler to employ a few models instead? Deshpande says, “That’s the whole point. We wanted to target the small town guy, who has his head full of celluloid dreams, a guy who has done a full round of Amitabh imitations in front of his mirror. We would never have managed the same, with filmi look alikes or established faces.”

Muralidharan (cinematographer) from the Ram Gopal Verma make ‘Ek Haseena Thi’ was used for the commercials in order to get the ‘filmi’ touch.

On another tangent, what role does a filmmaker play in the success of the entire TVC? Can a really drab or worn-out concept stand out on account of the efforts of a good filmmaker? Deshpande states, “Absolutely so. A filmmaker makes a big difference to a mediocre idea, assuming that he is talented enough. But I am choosy about any initiative that I take on…the concept has to excite me and set my creative juices flowing.

In terms of volumes, my work may not speak much…but quality wise, it definitely makes a statement.”

Like, they say, a picture does speak a thousand words. And perhaps, there could not be greater tribute to the filmmaker, as he is the man who lends his soul and life to the picture.

Deshpande, trained at FTII Pune, has made several documentaries for different NGOs, which include the much talked-about ‘Manav’ (a film on the life of eunuchs), which is archived at Pompidou Centre, Paris. Up next is Aditya Bhattacharya’s film ‘Dubai Returned’ which is a spoof on Mumbai gangsters (written by Deshpande) and ‘Invaders’, directed by Roland Jaffe.

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E4M Our strategy is to target younger audiences through Sports: Rajiv Dubey, Dabur

The Head of Media at Dabur India spoke exclusively to exchange4media on the World Cup, associating with Indian Idol, the company’s digital spending and much more

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 27, 2023 6:15 PM  | 1 min read
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With quirky campaigns, memes and moment marketing, timed with the ongoing World Cup and particularly the India-Pakistan matches, Dabur India has got considerable consumer attention for its popular brands – Red Paste, Cool King Hair Oil, Chyawanprash, Dabur Vita and the recently launched Bae Fresh Gel toothpaste.

The 140-year-old company is going big on key sporting events, World Television Premiere (WTP) movies and reality shows. It is now gearing up to become the title sponsor of popular talent show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV for the first time, shared Rajiv Dubey, who leads the media strategy at Dabur.

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Swapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out

The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 27, 2023 6:07 PM  | 1 min read
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Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."

The book is a reflection of the author's "eclectic taste across categories: from boltholes to exotic hideaways."

COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.

Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.

He writes for publications such as The Economic Times, Hindustan Times and India Today. This is his second book and he has previously published THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.

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Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK

Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 11:48 AM  | 1 min read
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e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.

Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.

According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.

As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.

A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.

Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.

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Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall

The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 10:54 AM  | 1 min read
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Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.

“Sorted 360 is set to enhance Reliance Malls' market presence with their unparalleled creative prowess and strategic thinking,” read a press release.

“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.

"We are thrilled to welcome Sorted 360 as our trusted partner in advancing our brand presence across the nation," said the Head of Marketing at Relaice Malls. "Their proven expertise in retail, shopping center management, and innovative creative strategies make them the perfect fit for our vision."

"Partnering with Reliance Malls is a testament to our commitment to shaping extraordinary brand experiences," remarked Prerana Anatharam, Co-founder of Sorted 360. "We are excited to leverage our strategic and creative acumen to further elevate Reliance Malls as the epitome of convenience, choice, and excellence."

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e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 25, 2023 4:39 PM  | 1 min read

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e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 25, 2023 4:38 PM  | 1 min read

KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias

Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 24, 2023 3:35 PM  | 1 min read
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KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.

Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy

Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.

Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."

Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."

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