Balaji creates new brand, ALT; takes on new identity

Balaji Telefilms and Balaji Motion Pictures will come under the umbrella of Balaji, which will continue to make content for television, movies and new media. ALT is the brand created specifically to cater to an edgy audience

Balaji Telefilms and Balaji Motion Pictures will now be under a new identity called Balaji. Balaji, the parent company, will produce both television content and motion pictures. The group has been in the entertainment business for 15 years and started as a family run business. With the inclusion of other professionals and catering to much more than television serials and programming, Balaji began to feel the need to create a singular identity that was modern and contemporary, while at the same time retaining the vision and values of the company.

Along with content for television and movies, Balaji also creates content for new media, which includes the Internet and mobile content.

The vision of the company remains 'To consistently provide delightful and innovative entertainment experience by engaging audiences and nurturing talent'. While the values are to be good storytellers, the company also emphasises passion in whatever is being carried out, integrity, compassion and excellence.

In a conversation with afaqs!, Puneet Kinra, group chief executive officer, Balaji Telefilms, says, "There was certainly a need to refresh the brand and the fact that Balaji was more than just the Telefilms part of it prompted the change."

With the new identity, Balaji also unveils a new entity called ALT. ALT is the new brand under the Balaji banner, which will cater mainly to a younger audience base with slightly different sensibilities. All the content creation and development - be it for television, large screen or even new media - that has an edgy twist to it, will be produced under the ALT banner.

ALT is directed at a young and urban target audience, roughly in the age group of 15-40 years. This is a segment that Balaji has not targeted in the past and the shows and movies that will be released will be consciously made for these audiences. The movie LSD (Love Sex Dhoka) is the first movie to be released under the ALT banner.

With the introduction of the new entities, the mass oriented programmes and shows will be from Balaji, while the edgier and bolder themes will come from ALT.

Recently, Balaji also launched an online forum where young and talented individuals can upload their work or pictures. This venture, called Hoonur, is currently in the beta version.

The new identities for Balaji, ALT and Hoonur have been created by the design house, Ray+Keshavan.

The new logo for Balaji retains the Indian idiom and the relativity to the deity, Lord Balaji. The older logo was the statuette of the deity in its full form and the lettering was in a free flowing style.

Sujata Keshavan, co-founder, Ray+Keshavan says that when working towards creating the new logo and identity, the team had to make it more corporate and contemporary, while not letting go of the brand values. The earlier logo is reminiscent of the history of Balaji Telefilms being a family business and one that identifies with the deity.

Hence the new logo is the mark on the forehead, which is very intrinsic to the deity and continues to create a direct association with the deity. The colours (purple and orange), too, are chosen from the Indian palette.

The logo and lettering of ALT is a throw back on the art-deco period, which is making a sort of comeback. The colours chosen for Hoonur and ALT are bright and colourful, in keeping with the audience that it will address.