content pillars
Docu-Features
We use Talking Heads to infuse expertise with personal narratives, Reference Shoots to provide context through meticulous detail, and Recreational Shoots to interweave education and entertainment, thus creating a format that captivates, informs, and resonates unlike any other.
Docu-Dramas
Using a seamless blend of factual recounting by Talking Heads and inspired recreation of real-life events through Fictionalised Dramatisation, our Docu-Dramas elevate storytelling beyond the ordinary documentary format.
Docu-Fiction
Watch factual narratives carefully curated into series that unfold like captivating fiction. Immerse yourself in the world where reality itself provides the intrigue and drama, thoughtfully reconstructed for an engaging and immersive experience.
Lounge Content
Our Lounge section features a world of lifestyle content that enables brand stories through the power of storytelling. With its seamless blend of entertainment and brand collaborations, the Lounge Content promises a delightful experience for viewers, and an unparalleled return on investment for advertisers.
Who We Are
A democracy is the foundation for a free and fulfilling life. And the diversity of the largest democracy of the world is lived every day through the tribulations, the tragedies, the heritage and the triumphs of 1.4 billion people.
These myriad reflections of life are captured in real-time, round-the-clock, day-in and day-out, by the largest news network of the largest democracy - TV9 Network. Out of the millions of such events emerge some moments that hold a special place, and deserve special treatment.
We aim to capture the essence of these events and tell them as stories in both Hindi and in regional languages. On the other hand, as India ascends to the global head table, there are stories from this land that the world is now more eager to know about. And that will inspire our content for global English-speaking audiences.
A newly formed, first-of-its-kind production house, Studio9 focuses on documentaries, docu-features, docu-dramas, and fiction inspired by real events.
At Studio9, some of the brightest minds in the Indian media industry are creating world-class content, leveraging the endless repertoire of information, research and analysis, and insights of TV9 Network. The first set of productions is in the pipeline, and will soon hit screens across the world. They will make a statement on their own.
As dreamers crafting stories and painting canvases, we believe in the power of scripting stories from life. Because life is stranger than fiction.
Think Tank
Board of Advisors
Barun Das
MD & CEOAn alumnus of IIT Madras, IIM Calcutta & London School of Economics, Barun Das used his 25 years of experience in the media sector to lead TV9 Network, as MD and CEO, to the number 1 position in the country. More than just a name in the field, The Studio9 is the dream project of this industry stalwart and visionary. Formerly the youngest-ever CEO of Zee News, Mr Das is also an entrepreneur who has blazed a trail where few have dared to go before. Under his leadership, TV9 has launched several disruptive projects, including the personal finance platform Money9 and India’s first-ever video OTT magazine, News9 Plus.
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Rakesh Khar
Editor - News9 Mediaverse (English Cluster)Rakesh Khar is a respected news management professional with over 20 years of experience across news media space in India. Given his diverse engagement with the news genre, his experience spans print, television, and digital domain. Rakesh has worked at top positions with India's leading news brands including The Economic Times, CNBC TV 18, CNBC Awaaz, moneycontrol.com, Forbes India, CNN News 18, News 18 India, Zee News, DNA and Deccan Chronicle. He currently serves on the Executive Council of IIMC.
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R Sridharan
Editor - InternationalRamakrishnan “Sri” Sridharan is the Editor-International at TV9 Network and News9, and an alumnus of Delhi University and IIM Bangalore. A media veteran with more than 25 years of experience across print, television and digital formats in India and the US, Sri has served as the Managing Editor of ET NOW as part of the Times of India Group and the Managing Editor of Business Today, in the India Today Group. He has published articles with The Economic Times and The Washington Post, as an Alfred Friendly Fellow of 1999. Currently, Sri serves on the Foundation board of the Alfred Friendly Press Partners, a US-based media training organisation based out of the University of Missouri.
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Deep Upadhyay
Editor, Convergence and Strategy, TV9 DigitalDeep Upadhyay currently serves as the Editor, Convergence and Strategy at TV9 Digital, having joined TV9 Network from News24 where he had a successful stint as Managing Editor for more than seven years. During a long and illustrious career, he has worked with prominent media houses including India TV, Zee News, NDTV and Dainik Bhaskar, and was responsible for establishing the Newsroom of Ariana, the first news channel of Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban.
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Aditya Raj Kaul
Executive Editor- National Security and Strategic AffairsAditya Raj Kaul is the Executive Editor for National Security and Strategic Affairs at TV9 Network, and one of the founding members of News9 Plus, the world’s first news OTT. With over 15 years of media experience in television, digital and print formats, his is among the top names in India covering conflict, national security and foreign affairs. A Global Leadership Fellow from Bucerius Summer School in Hamburg, and the American Council for Young Political Leaders (ACYPL) in Washington DC, he is a recipient of the Ram Jethmalani Award in Service to Humanity.
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Barun Das
MD & CEOAn alumnus of IIT Madras, IIM Calcutta & London School of Economics, Barun Das used his 25 years of experience in the media sector to lead TV9 Network, as MD and CEO, to the number 1 position in the country. More than just a name in the field, The Studio9 is the dream project of this industry stalwart and visionary. Formerly the youngest-ever CEO of Zee News, Mr Das is also an entrepreneur who has blazed a trail where few have dared to go before. Under his leadership, TV9 has launched several disruptive projects, including the personal finance platform Money9 and India’s first-ever video OTT magazine, News9 Plus.
Rakesh Khar
Editor - News9 Mediaverse (English Cluster)Rakesh Khar is a respected news management professional with over 20 years of experience across news media space in India. Given his diverse engagement with the news genre, his experience spans print, television, and digital domain. Rakesh has worked at top positions with India's leading news brands including The Economic Times, CNBC TV 18, CNBC Awaaz, moneycontrol.com, Forbes India, CNN News 18, News 18 India, Zee News, DNA and Deccan Chronicle. He currently serves on the Executive Council of IIMC.
R Sridharan
Editor - InternationalRamakrishnan “Sri” Sridharan is the Editor-International at TV9 Network and News9, and an alumnus of Delhi University and IIM Bangalore. A media veteran with more than 25 years of experience across print, television and digital formats in India and the US, Sri has served as the Managing Editor of ET NOW as part of the Times of India Group and the Managing Editor of Business Today, in the India Today Group. He has published articles with The Economic Times and The Washington Post, as an Alfred Friendly Fellow of 1999. Currently, Sri serves on the Foundation board of the Alfred Friendly Press Partners, a US-based media training organisation based out of the University of Missouri.
Deep Upadhyay
Editor, Convergence and Strategy, TV9 DigitalDeep Upadhyay currently serves as the Editor, Convergence and Strategy at TV9 Digital, having joined TV9 Network from News24 where he had a successful stint as Managing Editor for more than seven years. During a long and illustrious career, he has worked with prominent media houses including India TV, Zee News, NDTV and Dainik Bhaskar, and was responsible for establishing the Newsroom of Ariana, the first news channel of Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban.
Aditya Raj Kaul
Executive Editor- National Security and Strategic AffairsAditya Raj Kaul is the Executive Editor for National Security and Strategic Affairs at TV9 Network, and one of the founding members of News9 Plus, the world’s first news OTT. With over 15 years of media experience in television, digital and print formats, his is among the top names in India covering conflict, national security and foreign affairs. A Global Leadership Fellow from Bucerius Summer School in Hamburg, and the American Council for Young Political Leaders (ACYPL) in Washington DC, he is a recipient of the Ram Jethmalani Award in Service to Humanity.
Director's Profile
Arpita Chatterjee
A media and entertainment luminary, Arpita Chatterjee is a serial entrepreneur deeply vested in diverse content genres. With an illustrious career spanning over two decades, she has left an indelible mark on the creative landscape, both in front of and behind the camera. Renowned as a veteran of the Bangla entertainment industry, Arpita has produced several award-winning fiction, non-fiction, and feature film formats hosted by esteemed media giants such as Zee, Star, and Colors. Her accolades include the prestigious Filmfare – Best Actress award, a testament to her exceptional talent.
A versatile creative professional, Arpita effortlessly spans various domains, ensuring unparalleled production standards in the backend of her ventures. As the driving force behind Studio9, a creative powerhouse backed by TV9 Network, India’s largest news network, she continues to pioneer world-class content. Embarking on the next phase in her creative journey, Arpita made her directorial debut with ‘This Is Me’, a groundbreaking docu-feature that delves into the nuanced realities of the LGBTQI+ community. With visionary leadership and a commitment to excellence, Arpita Chatterjee continues to have an enduring influence on the world of contemporary Indian entertainment.
Arpita is a multitalented performing artist, possessing the rare distinction of being a celebrated actress, a trained classical dancer, and a trained classical singer. Often called the Tolly Queen by her fans, she first captured the limelight in 1997 when she won ‘Sananda Tilottama,’ the most prestigious beauty pageant in Eastern India. Arpita then quickly rose to become one of the most iconic leading ladies of the mainstream Bangla film industry, and has fronted fifty-odd films in Bangla, Hindi, Bhojpuri, and Odia, winning rich accolades for her work. Never one to be confined to a single format or genre, Arpita has also sung duets with the maestro Rashid Khan, while her solo musical stage performance – ‘My Name Is Jaan’ was lauded by both critics and the media.