Batch
4 Speakers
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Dr. Sanjay Nigam
Dr. Sanjay Nigam is currently the CEO of NDTVmi. Introducing a
mentor is a task
in itself. More so, when
the mentor happens to be a postgraduate from
St. Stephens College, a doctorate from the University of London, and a
man associated with esteemed media establishments like Prasar Bharti,
Aaj Tak, and NDTV.
Dr. Nigam’s sessions are beyond the
constraints of a usual lecture, a regular writing session, and daily
discussions. For him, it is more important to provoke the class into
thinking further and out-of-the-box than merely imparting knowledge to
students or deploying assignments to apprentices. From writing
to camera work to editing, his guidance is integral.
Innovation is his
forte.
The idea imparted to the class by Dr. Nigam of spending at
least
10,000 hours practicing one’s art before it can be mastered,
will last the students not merely through the training alone but
perhaps longer, in all their remaining endeavours.
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Dr.
Prannoy Roy
The interactive session with Dr. Prannoy Roy was the most awaited one.
Known to be very particular about red socks, Dr. Roy came across as an
exceptionally soft spoken and humble personality. The founder and
Executive Chairperson of NDTV is also a qualified Chartered Accountant,
economist, and to add to the uniqueness of his personality, a
psephologist as well. The attraction of the session with Dr. Roy lay in
his simplicity and witty, humorous style. He answered all the questions
posed to him by the students, which ranged from media ethics to the
question of democracy. The final message that concluded the hurried
session was about the art of storytelling without compromising on
certain distinct policies - the policies of credibility and integrity.
With his own personal experiences in life, he inculcated within the
students the importance of taking the right decisions in life. |
Ajmal
Jami
Ajmal Jami, Senior Cameraperson of NDTV 24x7, had all of us
totally
captivated with the stories of all his adventures. He told us about his
experiences in Kargil when he covered the war with Barkha Dutt. He
described to us the difficulties they faced: meeting deadlines,
transporting taped material from Kargil to Delhi, and charging the
camera batteries in the midst of a battlefield. Mr. Jami described his
experiences covering the Bhuj earthquake and the Babri Masjid
controversy. He compared the cameras used in the early days against the
modern equipment used today. It was a very interactive session that was
enjoyed by everyone. Mr. Jami truly signifies that passion is the
genesis of a genius. |
Jitendra
Ramprakash
“If you are in the business of language, then you must make
language your business”. These words of our voice and speech
coach, Jitendra Ramprakash, will now always resonate in our minds when
we watch television news. JR, as he likes to be called, has been a
broadcast and radio journalist for many years, and his sessions on
voice, diction, and delivery have been extremely valuable to our
training in broadcast journalism.
Our individual sessions with him gave us specific lessons on how we
could best use our voices on camera. We also discovered numerous
commonly mispronounced words which only reminded us that we had a lot
to unlearn from our previous education and relearn language amongst
other things. JR’s reaffirming words: “most
broadcast
voices are made, not born” helped keep up our spirits and
enthusiasm for journalism as we strived to perfect all aspects of
broadcast journalism. |
Nagma
Sehar
Nagma Sehar from NDTV India spoke to us on everything right from her
experiences as an anchor and reporter to the secret of her gorgeous
hair. She told us about her experiences when she covered the tsunami in
2004. We also discussed her shows ‘Salaam Zindagi’
and
‘Monsoon Express’. Ms. Sehar was very friendly and
approachable. Hers was a very interactive session in which we got a
deep insight into how the media functions.
|
Nidhi
Kulpati
A known and popular face to the many viewers of NDTV India, Nidhi
Kulpati was one of our visiting guests during the training period. But
this is not where she began. She started her career in journalism way
back in 1991 with Newstrack and went on to work with Zee TV for a
period of six years. Eventually she joined NDTV and currently serves as
a newsreader as well as an anchor. The two shows that she is seen
hosting on television are ‘Mera Bulletin’ and
‘India
9 Baje’.
Her interaction with us has been at a very personal level. She not only
spoke to us about her own experiences but also gauged our anchoring
skills during her second visit. Even though she may occasionally seem
to be slightly assertive on screen, in person she is as suave as suave
can be. |
Nitin
Gokhale
From the Kashmir conflict, the Pakistan militancy, and the Telegana
crisis to Naxalism, the Maoist insurgency, and the Kargil war, the
senior Defense and Strategic Affairs Editor, Nitin Gokhale has
everything in his pocket. In addition to an expert understanding of the
issues of war and conflict obtained from first hand experience, there
is an added spark to his nature. What makes his persona and delivery
appealing to budding journalists who are just stepping onto the field
is that he makes it appear comprehensible. It appears as a subject that
is extremely simple and devoid of complicated concepts. There lies his
hand of expertise over the subject. |
Sanjay
Ahirwal
Sanjay Ahirwal is the executive editor at NDTV India. He has covered
Afghanistan , the Iraq War, and many prominent stories. His passion and
conviction for journalism was evident in his interaction with the
class. His entry into the classroom was characteristic of a reporter
with his notepad and pen firmly held in his hands. He shared the
purpose & essence of journalism. He answered questions about
Naxalism, the Northeast, TRPs, and many such issues. His words
“keep the fire alive within you” never left
the
students. From challenging perceptions to insights into existing
standards of journalism, the class’s interaction with this
journalist left them yearning for more. The gratitude for him was
reflected in a thunderous applause, unique to his session alone.
|
Vikram
Chandra
If ever there was a man who was a whiz at multitasking, it has to be
Vikramaditya Chandra. With one foot in journalism and the other one in
management, he is a busy man who does justice to both these roles. He
is the Senior Editor of NDTV who anchors the news as well as the TV
series ‘The Big Fight’ and ‘Gadget
Guru’. He is
also involved in the ‘Save the Tiger’ campaign and
the
Greenathon.
In addition to serving as the CEO of NDTV Networks, Mr. Chandra is also
the Managing Director of NDTV Networks PLC and the head of NDTV
Convergence. In the class’s interaction with him, his passion
for
technology came to the fore. His insight into the way the internet will
change the future media scene had everyone logged in. |
Vivek
Mansukhani
“Thank God it’s Friday” is
passé. For the
students, Saturdays are the new in-thing, because with Saturday comes
the ‘fun element’ in the form of Vivek
Mansukhani’s
theatre workshop. A practicing Buddhist, actor, director, and producer,
Vivek Mansukhani has created a niche for himself with plays like
‘An Absolute Turkey’,
‘Identities’,
‘Art’, ‘The Complete Works of Shakespeare
(abridged)’, ‘Funny Money’, and
‘Bhangra on the
Moon’, to name a few.
Life as an intern in NDTV can be stressful. This is where these theatre
workshops come into play and help the class de-stress by dancing,
acting, role playing, anchoring, and meditating. These sessions not
only help in confidence-building but also get the batch closer by
sharing their ambitions, likes, dislikes, and passions. A piece of
advice – make sure your socks don't have holes in
them. |
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Sumit Singhal
Sumit Singhal is the Associate Vice-President of Planning &
Strategy at NDTV. He has a rich experience in the media training
industry. NDTVmi is his 7th successful launch, with the TV Today Media
Institute and the Voice of India news channel being the other two in
his recent past. His focus is towards creating a generation of
journalists who can bring sustainable change through the weapon of
awareness. Mr. Singhal’s inherent interest in politics and
crime is visible and influential.
As a faculty member with NDTVmi, he spearheads the newspaper sessions.
He challenges the aspiring journalists to ensure sound knowledge for
themselves. Current affairs and general knowledge are his forte. He
inspires the trainees to grow beyond the benchmarks. He firmly believes
in questioning the obvious to understand the underlying. |
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