PODCAST · news
The Media Room
by The Core
Join Vanita Kohli-Khandekar as she takes you through a unique behind the scenes look at the inner workings and machinations of the media and entertainment business. She will speak to experts, film makers, media barons, broadcasters, publishers, platforms, media analysts, and more, to give you insights on the intersection of storytelling, money, technology and communication in this rapidly evolving space.
Episodes
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Vivek Couto And Mihir Shah On India’s $3.1 Billion Retail Media Boom, CTV & AI | The Media Room | The Core
In this episode of The Media Room, Vanita Kohli-Khandekar speaks with Vivek Couto, Co-founder and CEO of Media Partners Asia, and Mihir Shah, Vice President at Media Partners Asia, about the biggest shifts reshaping advertising across India and the Asia-Pacific region. India’s advertising market...
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Coldplay to Lollapalooza Inside India’s Big Concert Bet I Naman Pugalia On The Media Room | The Core
From Coldplay to Lollapalooza, can India’s concert boom become a lasting business? In this episode of The Media Room from The Core, Vanita Kohli-Khandekar speaks with Naman Pugalia, Chief Business Officer for Live Events at BookMyShow, about India’s concert economy, the growth of live…
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Can AI Save The News Business? Earl J. Wilkinson Explains | The Media Room | The Core
Can AI save the news business? INMA CEO Earl J. Wilkinson joins Vanita Kohli-Khandekar on The Media Room to discuss AI in journalism, digital subscriptions and why getting readers to pay remains a challenge for Indian news publishers. When news is available everywhere, what makes journalism worth...
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Viraf Patell On Why New Writers Struggle To Break Into Bollywood | The Media Room | The Core
Why do new writers struggle to break into Bollywood despite the industry’s constant search for original stories? Viraf Patell joins Vanita Kohli-Khandekar to examine the barriers separating aspiring screenwriters from Bollywood producers and decision-makers. In this episode of The Media Room…
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Gaurav Banerjee On How Sony Is Reinventing TV, SonyLIV And KBC For India | The Media Room | The Core
Sony India is betting on television, SonyLIV, KBC, streaming and sports to drive its next phase of growth. Gaurav Banerjee, Managing Director and CEO of Sony Pictures Networks India, explains why he believes Indian TV is far from dead and how Sony plans to compete for audiences across screens. In...
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Victoria Oakley On AI Copyright And Streaming Fraud | The Media Room | The Core
Victoria Oakley explains how technology, AI copyright and streaming fraud are reshaping the business of music and changing how artists create, distribute and earn.Streaming has transformed the global music industry. Listeners can discover songs from almost anywhere, artists can reach fans across...
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Are Indian Films the Next Big Alternative Investment? | The Media Room | The Core
Are Indian films the next big alternative investment? In this episode of The Media Room, Vanita Kohli-Khandekar speaks with Sidharth Jain, founder of Film Money Global, and Rohit Dalmia, founder of CineNow, about how new film funds are trying to turn Indian films into a structured investment...
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Imtiaz Ali on Cinema’s Comeback And Bollywood’s Future | The Media Room | The Core
Imtiaz Ali on Cinema’s Comeback and Bollywood’s Future, in this episode of The Media Room by The Core, is a conversation about why audiences are returning to theatres, why storytelling still wins, and what Bollywood’s next chapter could look like.Speaking with Vanita Kohli-Khandekar, filmmaker...
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Roshan Abbas On Live Events, AI And The Creator Economy
Roshan Abbas on live events, AI and the creator economy is a sharp conversation on how India’s media business, entertainment industry and creative economy are changing as artificial intelligence, digital creators and live experiences reshape what audiences value. In this episode of The Media Room...
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Ajay Bijli On India’s Cinema Boom And PVR INOX Growth | The Media Room | The Core
Ajay Bijli on India’s cinema boom and PVR INOX growth takes us inside the turnaround of India’s largest multiplex chain, as PVR INOX bets on movie theatres, small-town India, affordable cinema, and the future of the big screen experience. In this episode of The Media Room by The Core, Vanita...
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#Rewind From KBC to Scam 1992 How Sameer Nair Built Indian Entertainment | The Media Room | The Core
Sameer Nair’s journey from KBC to Scam 1992 is the story of how Indian entertainment, Indian TV and India’s OTT streaming business changed forever.In this #Rewind episode of The Media Room by The Core, Vanita Kohli-Khandekar revisits a powerful conversation with the media leader who helped shape...
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How Advertising Is Reshaping Subscription Video and OTT Growth | The Media Room | The Core
Streaming Meets Advertising Netflix ad tiers OTT bundling and SVOD monetisation are reshaping the global streaming industry and redefining how platforms like Netflix, Disney, Amazon Prime Video and HBO Max grow in a slowing subscription market. In this episode of The Media Room by The Core, host...
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Nikkhil Advani on Stardom, OTT & the Future of Films | The Media Room
In this episode of The Media Room, Vanita Kohli-Khandekar speaks with Nikkhil Advani, filmmaker and founder of Emmay Entertainment, for a wide-ranging conversation on storytelling, stardom, and the shifting economics of the Indian film industry. Nikkhil reflects on his journey from films like Kal...
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Vinit Karnik on India’s Sports Economy, IPL Growth & Media Money | The Media Room
In this episode of The Media Room, Vanita Kohli-Khandekar speaks with Vinit Karnik, Head of Entertainment & Sports at WPP Media, for a deep dive into the economics of India’s fast-growing sports ecosystem. Vinit unpacks key insights from WPP’s Sporting Nation report, including India’s sports...
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Ashish Pherwani On The Big Trends Driving India’s ₹2.7 Trillion Media And Entertainment Industry
In this episode of The Media Room, Vanita Kohli-Khandekar speaks with Ashish Pherwani, Head of Media & Entertainment at EY, for a deep dive into the latest FICCI-EY report and what it reveals about the state of India’s media and entertainment industry. Ashish breaks down the key trends shaping…
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Toshit Panigrahi on AI, Publishers & the Future of Content Monetisation | The Media Room | The Core
In this episode of The Media Room, Vanita Kohli-Khandekar speaks with Toshit Panigrahi, CEO - Co-Founder of Tollbit, for a deep dive into how AI is reshaping the economics of digital publishing and content monetisation.Toshit explains how large language models and AI platforms are changing the…
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Monika Shergill On Netflix’s Content Strategy And Streaming in India | The Media Room | The Core
In this episode of The Media Room, Vanita Kohli-Khandekar speaks with Monika Shergill, VP - Content at Netflix India, for a deep dive into the strategy, data, and creative thinking behind one of the world’s biggest streaming platforms. Monika discusses key insights unveiled at Netflix’s Next on...
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Nasreen Munni Kabir On Classic Hindi Films, Bimal Roy, SRK, Raj Kapoor & All Things Cinema
In this episode of The Media Room, host Vanita Kohli-Khandekar speaks with film historian, author and documentary filmmaker Nasreen Munni Kabir about her lifelong journey documenting, curating and championing Hindi cinema for global audiences. From introducing British viewers to Indian films...
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How Hoichoi Built a Profitable Regional OTT | Vishnu Mohta on Bengali Streaming & Scale | The Media Room
In this episode of The Media Room, host Vanita Kohli-Khandekar speaks with Vishnu Mohta, Co-founder of Hoichoi and Executive Director at SVF Entertainment, about building one of India’s most successful regional OTT platforms. The conversation traces Hoichoi’s journey as a Bengali-only streaming...
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₹13,000 Crore and Counting: Why 2025 has been the best post-pandemic year for Indian films
In this episode of The Media Room, host Vanita Kohli-Kandekar sits down with Shailesh Kapoor, Founder and CEO of Ormax Media, to decode what the numbers really say about Indian cinema in 2025. Drawing from the Ormax Box Office Report, the conversation unpacks a landmark year that saw the domestic...
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Inside IMDb India: What the Data Reveals About Stardom, Streaming & Indian Cinema | Yaminie Patodia with Vanita Kohli-Khandekar
In this episode of The Media Room, host Vanita Kohli-Khandekar sits down with Yaminie Patodia, Head of IMDb India, to unpack how one of the world’s most influential entertainment databases sees Indian cinema, fandom and stardom. From IMDb’s journey as a 1990s passion project to a platform with…
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Will AI Liberate or Colonise Storytelling? | Ram Madhvani & Vikram Malhotra with Vanita Kohli-Khandekar
In this episode of The Media Room, host Vanita Kohli-Khandekar sits down with filmmaker Ram Madhvani (Neerja, Aarya, Equinox Virtual) and producer Vikram Malhotra (Abundantia Entertainment – Airlift, Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, Shakuntala Devi; aiON AI studio) to explore how artificial intelligence…
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AI, Apps, and Addictive Stories: How Two-Minute Shows Became a $8 Billion Industry
In this episode of The Media Room, Vanita Kohli-Khandekar speaks with Vivek Couto, Executive Director of Media Partners Asia, about the rise of microdramas — the two-minute serials that have become a $8 billion global phenomenon. Couto breaks down how China built the world’s largest microdrama...
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From KBC to Gandhi: Sameer Nair on Three Decades of Reinventing Indian Entertainment
In this episode of The Media Room, Vanita Kohli-Khandekar sits down with Sameer Nair, CEO of Applause Entertainment and one of India’s most influential media executives. From shaping Indian television in the 2000s with Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi and Kaun Banega Crorepati, to leading India’s...
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Inside Vikatan’s 100-Year Journey: Storytelling across Print/TV/Streaming/Books and a Deeply Tamil Identity
In this episode of The Media Room, media journalist and author Vanita Kohli-Khandekar speaks with B. Srinivasan, Managing Director of Vikatan Group, about how one of India’s oldest and most beloved media brands continues to reinvent itself after more than a century. Srinivasan reflects on…
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OML CEO Tusharr Kumar on Managing 100+ Creators, Making Shows, and Shaping Culture
In this episode of The Media Room, media journalist and author Vanita Kohli-Khandekar speaks to Tusharr Kumar, CEO and Director of Only Much Louder (OML), one of India’s most influential media and entertainment companies. Once known as an indie music promoter, OML has shapeshifted into a...
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Why Dish TV Is Betting on Gadgets, OTT, and Shopping
In this episode of The Media Room, media journalist and author Vanita Kohli-Khandekar speaks to Manoj Dobhal, Group CEO of Dish TV India, about how the country’s oldest DTH brand is reinventing itself for the digital age. From the launch of a smart TV with built-in DTH and OTT, to the rapid…
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SonyLIV’s Danish Khan on Building a Profitable Streaming Platform
In this episode of The Media Room, media journalist and author Vanita Kohli-Khandekar speaks to Danish Khan, Business Head for Digital Business StudioNEXT & Network Channels Licensing, about how SonyLIV has built a distinctive, profitable niche in India’s crowded OTT landscape. From the breakout...
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Aamir Khan’s Bold Move On OTT: The Sitare Zameen Par Story
Aamir Khan takes a bold step in defying OTT platforms for his film Sitare Zameen Par, sharing his vision for the future of cinema. In this insightful conversation, Aamir talks about the changing landscape of film distribution, why he’s championing the pay-per-view model, and how digital shifts…
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Vikram Mehra on the Business of Music in the Age of Algorithms
In Episode 15 of The Media Room, media journalist and author Vanita Kohli-Khandekar talks to Vikram Mehra, Managing Director of Saregama, one of India’s oldest and most iconic music labels, about how the business of music is evolving in the digital age. From reviving nostalgia with the Carvaan to...
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What’s Holding Back Indian Cinema
In Episode 14 of The Media Room, media journalist and author Vanita Kohli-Khandekar talks to Jyoti Deshpande, President of Media & Content Business at Reliance Industries Ltd (which includes Jio Studios) and an influential figure in India’s media and entertainment sector, about the evolving...
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Cars, Phones & Cinemas: Dolby’s India Play
In Episode 13 of The Media Room, media journalist and author Vanita Kohli-Khandekar talks to John Couling, Senior Vice President at Dolby Laboratories, about the future of cinema, the rise of immersive storytelling, and why India is central to Dolby’s global growth plans. From the opening of the...
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A Legacy Publisher’s Digital Playbook
In Episode 12 of The Media Room, media journalist and author Vanita Kohli-Khandekar talks to Anant Goenka, Executive Director of The Indian Express Group about the future of legacy media in a digital-first world. From competing with influencers for attention to holding ground in an…
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How Marketers Leverage Alternate Media Ecosystems
In Episode 11 of The Media Room, media expert and author Vanita Kohli-Khandekar is joined by Shubha Pai (Head of Sales & Solutions in India at YouTube), Anand Bhaskaran (Head of Marketing at BigBasket) and Aakash Chopra (Commentator and YouTube Content Creator) to unpack the evolving world of...
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Why the Future of Cinema Needs Writers First with Sidharth Jain
In Episode 10 of The Media Room, media expert and author Vanita Kohli-Khandekar is joined by Sidharth Jain, Founder and Chief Storyteller at THE STORY INK. They talk about the urgent need to nurture original voices, the pitfalls of data-driven decision-making, and why India needs more patrons and...
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Mission Impossible? What does the global cinema business need to feel good again?
In Episode 9 of The Media Room, media expert and author Vanita Kohli-Khandekar speaks to David Hancock, Chief Analyst, Media and Entertainment at Omdia and a leading expert on the global film and cinema market. They talk about the supply and demand dynamics of the film market, why theatres are...
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Media Tech Start Ups - Made In India, For The World
In Episode 8 of The Media Room, media expert and author Vanita Kohli-Khandekar speaks to Frammer's co-founder and CEO, Suparna Singh. Frammer is an AI-based video tool that ingests hours of video, and then edits and packages it into bite sized videos and snippets for social media. She also talks…
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The Cloud Backbone for Global Media Giants with Baskar Subramanian
In Episode 7 of The Media Room, media expert and author Vanita Kohli-Khandekar speaks to Amagi's co-founder and CEO, Baskar Subramanian. Amagi is a company that deals with cloud-based content management providing the backend to 60% of the top 100 media brands in the world such as NBC, Comcast,...
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The Shifting Landscape of The Indian Media and Entertainment Business
In Episode 6 of The Media Room, media expert and author Vanita Kohli-Khandekar speaks to Ashish Pherwani, EY India’s Media & Entertainment Leader. With the recent release of the FICCI-EY Media & Industry Report, they discuss some of the changes happening in film, TV, print, animation, music and...
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The Shape of the Influencer Economy
In Episode 5 of The Media Room, media expert and author Vanita Kohli-Khandekar speaks to 2 experts, Harikrishnan Pillai co-founder and chief executive officer of digital marketing agency The Small Big Idea as well as Kalyan Kumar, co-founder and CEO of influencer marketing platform KlugKlug. They...
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Radio's Battle For Relevance
In Episode 4 of The Media Room, media expert and author Vanita Kohli-Khandekar speaks to 2 experts, Yatish Mehrishi, Chief Executive Officer for Entertainment Network India Limited (which owns Mirchi, India’s largest radio brand) as well as Shrikant Shenoy, Associate Vice President at the...
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Why Streaming is Becoming More like TV
In Episode 3 of The Media Room, media expert and author Vanita Kohli-Khandekar speaks to 3 experts, Tony Gunnarsson, Principal Analyst, TV, Video & Advertising at Omdia, Vivek Couto, Managing & Executive Director at Media Partners Asia and Sameer Nair, Managing Director at Applause entertainment…
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The Resilience of the Newspaper Industry with Girish Agarwal
In Episode 2 of The Media Room, media expert and author Vanita Kohli-Khandekar sits down with Girish Agarwal, non-executive director of the Dainik Bhaskar Corp, to discuss the current state of the newspaper industry. They talk about the impact of the pandemic on newspapers, why newspapers are…
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Content Testing - Bringing Science to the Business of Creativity with Shailesh Kapoor
In our first episode of The Media Room, media expert and author Vanita Kohli-Khandekar sits down with Shailesh Kapoor, CEO of Ormax Media, to explore the interplay between data and creativity in the entertainment industry. Kapoor discusses in detail how Ormax Media uses its data models (which...
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The Media Room - Trailer
Join Vanita Kohli Khandekar as she takes you through a unique behind the scenes look at the inner workings and machinations of the media and entertainment business. She'll speak to experts, film makers, media barons, broadcasters, publishers, platforms, media analysts, and more, to give you...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Join Vanita Kohli-Khandekar as she takes you through a unique behind the scenes look at the inner workings and machinations of the media and entertainment business. She will speak to experts, film makers, media barons, broadcasters, publishers, platforms, media analysts, and more, to give you insights on the intersection of storytelling, money, technology and communication in this rapidly evolving space.
HOSTED BY
The Core
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Media Room have?
The Media Room currently has 45 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Media Room about?
Join Vanita Kohli-Khandekar as she takes you through a unique behind the scenes look at the inner workings and machinations of the media and entertainment business. She will speak to experts, film makers, media barons, broadcasters, publishers, platforms, media analysts, and more, to give you...
How often does The Media Room release new episodes?
The Media Room has 45 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to The Media Room?
You can listen to The Media Room on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Media Room?
The Media Room is created and hosted by The Core.
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