Kovid Gupta

Kovid Gupta
Born Kovid Gupta
1988
Occupation Author, screenwriter, filmmaker, social activist
Nationality United States
Alma mater Cornell University
The University of Texas at Austin
Genre Fiction, Non-fiction
Notable works Kingdom of The Soap Queen: The Story of Balaji Telefilms
Redrawing India: The Teach For India Story

Kovid Gupta (born 1988) is an American author, screenwriter, filmmaker, and social activist.[1] He is best known for his non-fiction books Kingdom of The Soap Queen: The Story of Balaji Telefilms and Redrawing India: The Teach For India Story.[2]

Early life

Gupta comes from Houston, Texas.[3]" Born in an immigrant family, he grew up with a strong fascination for Bollywood films.[4]

He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at Austin,[5] followed by an MBA from Cornell University.[6]

Career

Gupta receiving the Glorious India Award - Rich and Famous NRIs of America in 2017

Kovid began his career by screenwriting mainstream Hindi television soap operas.[7]". He went on to work for Ekta Kapoor and Balaji Telefilms, where he authored Kingdom of The Soap Queen: The Story of Balaji Telefilms.[8] He later joined Rajshri Productions to assist Sooraj Barjatya on Prem Ratan Dhan Payo.[9] More recently, he has served as the head of business development at Vinod Chopra Films and Film Companion.[10]

Gupta with Anu Aga and Rahul Bose at the launch of Redrawing India: The Teach For India Story

Joginder Tuteja of Bollywood Hungama wrote that "young first time author Kovid Gupta attempts something new by telling the tale of Ekta Kapoor" in his book Kingdom of The Soap Queen: The Story of Balaji Telefilms and that " this book turns out to be good affair indeed that aims at inspiring a reader to dream big and work hard towards accomplishing all of that despite the odds".[11]

Vanita Kohli-Khandekar of Business Standard wrote that "Unlike most book writers who tackle Indian television", Kovid "doesn't come with the air of someone who thinks it is beneath him to comment on this (television). His strengths are "his honest, non-judgmental look at the world of television soaps."[12]

Gupta is the founder and CEO of India Kids, a non-profit organization that seeks to enable orphan children in India to reach their full potential by empowering college students.[13]

Forbes included Gupta on one of their 2017 Forbes 30 Under 30 lists.[14]

Bibliography

Non-fiction

Television

Screenwriter

Filmography

Assistant Director

Awards and recognition

Quotes

"You have to believe in your ability to conquer whatsoever dream you have. You must dream asleep, you must dream awake. If you are entirely focused on that one big dream you have for yourself, there is no way any person or any force can stop you from achieving it." [17]"

“I disagree that we’re just here to entertain — if we’re not driving social change, we’re not (as screenwriters) doing our job!” [18]"

"We are on the cusp of an industry-wide renaissance!" [19]"

"Social messaging on TV has to be done under the umbrella of mass television; you have to have the fancy costumes, the melodrama and the tears in order to get people to watch the show. Once they're watching,you subliminally slip in your social messages If we can match mass appeal with the correct amount of social messaging we can actually create magic." [20]"

See also

References

  1. ↑ Can India News Service. "Dipa, Sakshi, Alia on Fobes' 'super achievers' list". Can India.
  2. ↑ "Dipa Karmakar, Sakshi Malik Among 53 Indians On Forbes' 'Under 30' Achievers List". NDTV.com. Retrieved 2017-04-20.
  3. ↑ "Book Review: Kingdom of The Soap Queen". Mid-Day. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
  4. ↑ "He's a Fly Guy: Meet Kovid Gupta, Bollywood Director in the Making". Kama. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
  5. ↑ "'30 under 30' Asia List: Olympians Sakshi Malik, gymnast Dipa Karmakar and actress Alia Bhatt among 53 Indians to make the cut". www.connectedtoindia.com. Retrieved 2017-04-20.
  6. ↑ "Kovid Gupta". HarperCollins Publishers India. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  7. ↑ "Prem Ratan Dhan Payo Assistant Director Kovid Gupta on Carving a Path into Bollywood". Business Standard. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
  8. ↑ IANS. "Indian Olympians Sakshi Malik, Dipa Karmakar Make Forbes' '30 Under 30' Asia List". India West. Retrieved 2017-04-20.
  9. ↑ "Over 50 Indians in Forbes' under 30 list of super achievers - The Economic Times". The Economic Times. Retrieved 2017-04-20.
  10. ↑ "Forbes अंडर 30 सुपर अचीवर्स लिस्ट में 53 भारतीय; आलिया, दीपा, साक्षी शामिल". dainikbhaskar. 2017-04-17. Retrieved 2017-04-20.
  11. ↑ "Book Review: Kingdom of The Soap Queen". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
  12. ↑ "Kyunkii Writer Bhi Kabhi Fan Tha". Business Standard. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  13. ↑ Glorious India Expo - The Mega Indian Trade Expo in the US Concluded on a High Note http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/glorious-india-expo---the-mega-indian-trade-expo-in-the-us-concluded-on-a-high-note-626486891.html. Retrieved 2017-04-20. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  14. ↑ "30 Under 30 Asia 2017: Media, Marketing & Advertising". Forbes. Retrieved 2017-04-20.
  15. ↑ Rinku. "Over 50 Indians under 30 yrs named in Forbes' for 'pushing boundaries of innovation' | INDIA TRIBUNE". indiatribune.com. Retrieved 2017-04-20.
  16. ↑ "NRI achievers honored with Glorious India Award". NRI Samaj. Retrieved 2017-04-20.
  17. ↑ "Indian-American Kovid Gupta Marks his Big Screen Debut as Assistant Director of 'Prem Ratan Dhan Payo'". Brown Girl Magazine. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
  18. ↑ "After the Delhi Gang Rape, Indian TV Dramas Go Feminist". Global Post. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  19. ↑ "Kingdom of The Soap Queen". Metrognome. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
  20. ↑ "Pen Pals: Rashmi Sharma Interviews Kovid Gupta". Bloody Good Book. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
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