Kovid Gupta's guest appearances

Kovid Gupta

South Asian Stories

LeBron James

Priya Krishna

Lilly Singh

Azeem Azhar

Kiran Gandhi

Madame Gandhi

Kal Penn

Gotham Chopra

Aman Advani

Swati Teerdhala

Vikram Vij

Asha Rangappa

Raj Jana

Hasini Jayatilaka

Vivek Murthy

OwlTail

Kovid Gupta (@kovidgupta) is  an author, screenwriter, filmmaker, and social activist. At the age of 22, he moved from Texas to Mumbai to pursue his dream of breaking into Bollywood. Spoiler alert: He did it. He has worked on some of South Asia’s biggest TV brands as a content developer, creative consultant, and screenwriter.   In 2017 he was named on Forbes 30 Under 30. He has headed business development at Vinod Chopra Films, he has served as Assistant Director of Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, the 4th highest grossing Bollywood film of all time, and has written two non-fiction books Kingdom of The Soap Queen: The Story of Balaji Telefilms and Redrawing India: The Teach For India Story. He has also founded India Kids – a nonprofit that works to empower orphan children.  I thoroughly enjoyed this conversation – Kovid is absolute rockstar and his stories are truly inspiring. Please enjoy my conversation with Kovid Gupta! Listen to the podcast! (And please leave a review if you enjoyed it!)  Stream by clicking here. Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save link as.” Listen on one of the podcast players below:       Show Notes  Kovid’s early life in Indiana and his limited exposure to film through cassettes (02:25) The impact of Indian television playing in house for 24 hrs in a day (03:29) The two directors Kovid looks up to the most and has influenced him  (04:00) What was the one film that made Kovid want to become a filmmaker? (04:15) The utopia of Bollywood and the escapism from reality (05:50) The incredible story of how Kovid sent 400 messages on a day on Facebook to break into the industry (07:23) How one man gave Kovid his big break on India’s biggest TV serial at the time (09:24) The importance of being a dreamer and not letting fear keep you from doing something you love (10:10) A fascinating behind the scenes look at the life-cycle of Indian TV serials and how they are created (11:40) Living and dying by the Friday ratings and how plot lines are adjusted accordingly (14:27) The 4am Skype call from the director of Prem Ratan Dhan Payo that changed his life (20:00) Working on set on the 4th biggest Bollywood film of all-time (not as glamorous as it sounds!) (23:20) Kovid’s hilarious story on how he had to keep the flowers fresh on set of Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (26:53) Working with the stunt coordinator of the Harry Potter films to choreograph action scenes (28:45) The entire timeline from pre-script to shoot for Bollywood movies (30:00) Kovid’s foray into book-writing that built on his passion for Indian television (33:14) The amazing stat on how Balaji Telefilms was making 18 daily soaps at one time (36:13) How Teach for India and its mission inspired Kovid’s second book (38:00) The touching story behind India Kids – Kovid’s non-profit that works to empower orphan children (45:25) Kovid’s most worthwhile time investment and his two most gifted books (50:00) The cool ways Kovid uses timers, focusmate, and writing on pen and paper to break through his habit of procrastination (52:15) Kovid’s amazing advice on how to break into the industry – “Work until your idols become your rivals”(1:00:08) Kovid’s parting thoughts on his belief in goodness and bringing people along (1:00:53)  Selected Links + People  Yash Chopra Sooraj Barjatya Chandni  Hum Aapke Hain Koun Hum Saath Saath Hain Balika Vadhu Rajesh Dubey Prem Ratan Dhan Payo Aaj Unse Milna Nai Song Greg Powell Kingdom of The Soap Queen: The Story of Balaji Telefilms  Ekta Kapoor Bade Achhe Lagte Hain Teach for India Redrawing India: The Teach For India Story Wendy Kopp Teach for America India Kids Kamathipura The Five People You Meet in Heaven How to Be Like Walt: Capturing the Disney Magic Every Day of Your Life Focus Mate  Connect with Kovid  Email Facebook Twitter Instagram LinkedIn  Affiliate Disclosure South Asian Stories is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. The post Episode 2: Kovid Gupta – How to break into Bollywood with zero connections appeared first on South Asian Stories.

Kovid Gupta (<a href="https://twitter.com/kovidgupta" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">@kovidgupta</a>) is an author, screenwriter, filmmaker, and social activist. At the age of 22, he moved from Texas to Mumbai to pursue his dream of breaking into Bollywood. Spoiler alert: He did it. He has worked on some of South Asia’s biggest TV brands as a content developer, creative consultant, and screenwriter.   In 2017 he was named on <a href="https://www.forbes.com/pictures/glhi45lij/kovid-gupta-28/#622659112325" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Forbes 30 Under 30</a>. He has headed business development at <a href="https://www.forbes.com/pictures/glhi45lij/kovid-gupta-28/#622659112325" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Vinod Chopra Films</a>, he has served as Assistant Director of <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3595298/" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Prem Ratan Dhan Payo</a>, the 4th highest grossing Bollywood film of all time, and has written two non-fiction books <a href="https://amzn.to/2rtI2us" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Kingdom of The Soap Queen: The Story of Balaji Telefilms</a> and<a href="https://amzn.to/2I4GA84" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank"> Redrawing India: The Teach For India Story</a>. He has also founded <a href="https://www.facebook.com/India-Kids-188064261223051/" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">India Kids </a>– a nonprofit that works to empower orphan children. I thoroughly enjoyed this conversation – Kovid is absolute rockstar and his stories are truly inspiring. Please enjoy my conversation with Kovid Gupta! Listen to the podcast! (And please leave a review if you enjoyed it!) <ul> <li>Stream by <a href="https://content.blubrry.com/southasianstories/Episode_2-Kovid_Gupta-South_Asian_Stories-FINAL.mp3" rel="noopener external noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">clicking here</a>.</li> <li>Download as an MP3 by <a href="https://content.blubrry.com/southasianstories/Episode_2-Kovid_Gupta-South_Asian_Stories-FINAL.mp3" rel="noopener external noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">right-clicking here</a> and choosing “save link as.”</li> <li>Listen on one of the podcast players below:</li> </ul> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/south-asian-stories/id1391377372" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes1391377372/south-asian-stories" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/south-asian-stories?refid=stpr" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://playmusic.app.goo.gl/?ibi=com.google.PlayMusic&amp;isi=691797987&amp;ius=googleplaymusic&amp;apn=com.google.android.music&amp;link=https://play.google.com/music/m/Iiwqt6ltwhnerhcqw5julhxfrpm?" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://tunein.com/podcasts/Culture/South-Asian-Stories-p1127607/" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank"></a> Show Notes <ul> <li>Kovid’s early life in Indiana and his limited exposure to film through cassettes (02:25)</li> <li>The impact of Indian television playing in house for 24 hrs in a day (03:29)</li> <li>The two directors Kovid looks up to the most and has influenced him  (04:00)</li> <li>What was the one film that made Kovid want to become a filmmaker? (04:15)</li> <li>The utopia of Bollywood and the escapism from reality (05:50)</li> <li>The incredible story of how Kovid sent 400 messages on a day on Facebook to break into the industry (07:23)</li> <li>How one man gave Kovid his big break on India’s biggest TV serial at the time (09:24)</li> <li>The importance of being a dreamer and not letting fear keep you from doing something you love (10:10)</li> <li>A fascinating behind the scenes look at the life-cycle of Indian TV serials and how they are created (11:40)</li> <li>Living and dying by the Friday ratings and how plot lines are adjusted accordingly (14:27)</li> <li>The 4am Skype call from the director of Prem Ratan Dhan Payo that changed his life (20:00)</li> <li>Working on set on the 4th biggest Bollywood film of all-time (not as glamorous as it sounds!) (23:20)</li> <li>Kovid’s hilarious story on how he had to keep the flowers fresh on set of Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (26:53)</li> <li>Working with the stunt coordinator of the Harry Potter films to choreograph action scenes (28:45)</li> <li>The entire timeline from pre-script to shoot for Bollywood movies (30:00)</li> <li>Kovid’s foray into book-writing that built on his passion for Indian television (33:14)</li> <li>The amazing stat on how Balaji Telefilms was making 18 daily soaps at one time (36:13)</li> <li>How Teach for India and its mission inspired Kovid’s second book (38:00)</li> <li>The touching story behind India Kids – Kovid’s non-profit that works to empower orphan children (45:25)</li> <li>Kovid’s most worthwhile time investment and his two most gifted books (50:00)</li> <li>The cool ways Kovid uses timers, focusmate, and writing on pen and paper to break through his habit of procrastination (52:15)</li> <li>Kovid’s amazing advice on how to break into the industry – “Work until your idols become your rivals”(1:00:08)</li> <li>Kovid’s parting thoughts on his belief in goodness and bringing people along (1:00:53)</li> </ul> Selected Links + People <ul> <li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yash_Chopra" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Yash Chopra</a></li> <li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sooraj_Barjatya" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Sooraj Barjatya</a></li> <li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chandni" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Chandni </a></li> <li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hum_Aapke_Hain_Koun..!" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Hum Aapke Hain Koun</a></li> <li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hum_Saath-Saath_Hain" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Hum Saath Saath Hain</a></li> <li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balika_Vadhu" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Balika Vadhu</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3476984/" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Rajesh Dubey</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3595298/" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Prem Ratan Dhan Payo</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlA-vdbx6dY" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Aaj Unse Milna Nai Song</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0694128/" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Greg Powell</a></li> <li><a href="https://amzn.to/2rtI2us" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Kingdom of The Soap Queen: The Story of Balaji Telefilms</a> </li> <li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ekta_Kapoor" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Ekta Kapoor</a></li> <li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bade_Achhe_Lagte_Hain" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Bade Achhe Lagte Hain</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.teachforindia.org/" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Teach for India</a></li> <li><a href="https://amzn.to/2I4GA84" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Redrawing India: The Teach For India Story</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.teachforamerica.org/person/wendy-kopp" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Wendy Kopp</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.teachforamerica.org/" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Teach for America</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/India-Kids-188064261223051/" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">India Kids</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.in/ruchira-shukla/caged-within-the-women-of_b_7549848.html" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Kamathipura</a></li> <li><a href="https://amzn.to/2rHKw8F" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">The Five People You Meet in Heaven</a></li> <li><a href="https://amzn.to/2L31oia" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">How to Be Like Walt: Capturing the Disney Magic Every Day of Your Life</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.focusmate.com/" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Focus Mate</a></li> </ul> Connect with Kovid <ul> <li><a href="mailto:kogupta@gmail.com">Email</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=7957211" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/kovidgupta" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/kovidgupta/" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kovid-gupta-84033b12/" rel="external noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a></li> </ul> Affiliate Disclosure South Asian Stories is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to <a href="http://Amazon.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a> and affiliated sites. The post <a href="https://southasianstoriespodcast.com/2018/04/21/episode-2-kovid-gupta-how-to-break-into-bollywood-with-zero-connections/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 2: Kovid Gupta – How to break into Bollywood with zero connections</a> appeared first on <a href="https://southasianstoriespodcast.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">South Asian Stories</a>.

Episode 2: Kovid Gupta – How to break into Bollywood with zero connections