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Exclusive
interview with Girish Malik
As President and
CEO for Clapstem Productions, Girish Malik admits that throwing
himself into the format market has been an excellent choice. Which is
his strategy? To combine, in a successful way, creation and adaptation.
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Girish Malik knows the different sides of the TV business. He started as an actor in
India and then chose to be behind the cameras. In 1996 he became
a businessman after creating his own company, Clapstem
Productions, which specializes in format creation and
adaptation. Eloquent, creative and good-humored, Girish Malik
shares his experience with us in this interview with our
Executive Director, Amanda Ospina.
What is the meaning of your company's
name?
Clapstem is made up of two words: clap (what we do when we
like something) and stem, meaning the basis of everything. (Amid
laughs…) But be careful because each letter also means
something relevant: cameras, lights, action, production, stars,
technicians, editors and music. We have eleven years of
experience and we've done more than one thousand hours of production for different Indian channels. |
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At present, our key
segments are telenovelas, dramas and comedy series. However, we've
also done two reality shows, one game show and a couple of documentaries.
Where is the greatest series or the best telenovela?
The
company aims at the format market and is trying to make a great international name for it self, both as a production company and a
distributing platform.
"In India, all producers and broadcasters are constantly
looking for content, and we are the perfect solution. We create our
own ideas, but since around two years ago, we've created a full team
to look for the best drama series and telenovelas of the world. Our
goal is not just to produce but to co-produce, distribute and offer
the best story in the best Indianized and customized way in the market,"
he explains.
Where are the formats you are interested in from?
We
aim at Brazil and other Latin American or Hispanic countries. Because
of the kind of content we look for, I think that companies such as
Telemundo, Azteca TV, Televisa Studios, Caracol and Globo are welcome
to the Indian market. We've created a platform that enables us to
look into the content, telenovelas and drama series that suit our
idiosyncrasy.
How do you adapt stories from cultures which are similar but have,
at the same time, some differences?
You need to be on complete control of the subject and content. Some of
the ideas which have already been made in Colombia, Mexico, Brazil
or other countries are family stories with themes and traditions
similar to ours. India is a funloving country that loves
entertainment. We want to laugh and cry as well, and I think that's
the objective of today's telenovelas and series.
Supplying a product
in great demand
Malik highlights the tremendous and positive pressure generated by the almost 90 Indian channels that need to fill their
daily programming. "All creatives and producers are welcome,"
remarks Clapstem`s director. "Our creative team works on the
available formats, and also on new ideas."
The businessman
reveals that in this market "you have to provide good content,
regardless of the entertainment platform you offer."
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