The Media Room

Join Vanita Kohli-Khandekar as she takes you through a unique behind the scenes look at the inner workings and machinations of the media and entertainment business. She will speak to experts, film makers, media barons, broadcasters, publishers, platforms, media analysts, and more, to give you insights on the intersection of storytelling, money, technology and communication in this rapidly evolving space.

The Media Room is a news podcast hosted by The Core, with 41 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

The Core hosts The Media Room, a news show with 41 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #37

  Are Indian Films the Next Big Alternative Investment? | The Media Room | The Core

  Jul 15, 202647 minS1

  Are Indian films the next big alternative investment? In this episode of The Media Room, Vanita Kohli-Khandekar speaks with Sidharth Jain, founder of Film Money Global, and Rohit Dalmia, founder of CineNow, about how new film funds are trying to turn Indian films into a structured investment opportunity for institutional investors, hedge funds, HNIs, and global capital. The conversation explores the rise of film financing in India, the economics of the Indian film industry, and whether films can become a credible alternative investment asset. Film Money Global plans to finance genre films through international SPVs, while CineNow is building a ₹1,300 crore fund focused on capital, technology, IP monetisation, tokenisation, and structured exits. Can Indian films deliver predictable returns despite uncertain box office outcomes? Can tokenisation solve the problem of investor exits? And can film IP, theatrical revenues, streaming rights, and franchise potential be packaged like other financial assets? The discussion also covers film budgets, genre cinema, regional films, theatrical-first release strategies, investor confidence, intellectual property rights, portfolio diversification, data-led decision-making, and the challenge of deploying large pools of capital into the Indian movie business. For business leaders, investors, consultants, media professionals, filmmakers, and anyone tracking India’s media and entertainment economy, this episode offers a rare look at how finance and technology could reshape Indian film financing. Watch the full conversation to understand whether Indian films can truly emerge as the next big alternative investment. #IndianFilms #AlternativeInvestment #FilmFinancing #IndianFilmIndustry #TheCore Chapters (00:00) – Introduction (03:12) – Why films are emerging as an investment asset class (08:46) – How film funds manage risk through portfolios and slates (14:55) – Choosing projects: instinct vs structured investing (21:20) – Can independent filmmakers benefit from film funds? (27:37) – The biggest challenge isn't raising capital—it's deploying it (30:29) – Do good stories always make successful films? (32:22) – Why institutional investors have stayed away from films (35:24) – Tokenization, exits and the future of film financing (43:18) – Can intellectual property become a true investment asset?

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  Episode #36

  Imtiaz Ali on Cinema’s Comeback And Bollywood’s Future | The Media Room | The Core

  Jul 1, 202630 minS1

  Imtiaz Ali on Cinema’s Comeback and Bollywood’s Future, in this episode of The Media Room by The Core, is a conversation about why audiences are returning to theatres, why storytelling still wins, and what Bollywood’s next chapter could look like.Speaking with Vanita Kohli-Khandekar, filmmaker Imtiaz Ali reflects on the unexpected success of Main Wapas Aunga, the film’s box office turnaround, and how audiences took charge of its publicity when traditional film marketing fell short.From Jab We Met, Rockstar and Tamasha to Amar Singh Chamkila and Main Wapas Aunga, Imtiaz Ali has built a filmography around love, longing, memory, music and emotional storytelling. In this conversation, he explains why cinema is not dying, why audiences still want the big screen experience, and why long-form storytelling may matter even more in an age of short-form content.The discussion also explores Bollywood’s future, India’s untapped global soft power, the business of film marketing, the emotional role of cinema halls, and why Indian cinema should not lose its originality while trying to reach global audiences.Watch this episode for a deep, thoughtful and timely conversation on cinema, culture, business, audience behaviour, Bollywood, film marketing and the future of Indian storytelling.#ImtiazAli #Bollywood #IndianCinema #TheMediaRoom #FilmMarketing #TheCore

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  Episode #35

  Roshan Abbas On Live Events, AI And The Creator Economy

  Jun 17, 202646 minS1

  Roshan Abbas on live events, AI and the creator economy is a sharp conversation on how India’s media business, entertainment industry and creative economy are changing as artificial intelligence, digital creators and live experiences reshape what audiences value. In this episode of The Media Room by The Core, Vanita Kohli-Khandekar speaks with Roshan Abbas about India’s live events industry, the future of AI in media, and the changing creator economy. From radio and theatre to television, events, films, digital platforms and Commune, Roshan reflects on a career built around storytelling, audience connection and creative entrepreneurship. The conversation explores why live events in India are growing again, why collective experiences still matter, and why creators must balance short form content, long form storytelling and audience trust. Roshan also speaks about AI generated content, artificial intelligence in the creative industry, digital creators, influencer marketing, content curation, creator burnout and the ethical questions around using AI as a creative tool. He also shares lessons from investing in creative startups, building networks, spotting opportunities in media and entertainment, and why the future may belong not just to creators, but to curators with taste, judgement and human insight. For professionals interested in business, media, marketing, consulting, technology, entertainment and India’s creative economy, this is a conversation about why creativity still needs people, why live experiences are becoming more precious, and why human intelligence may matter even more in the age of AI. Subscribe to The Core for sharp conversations on business, media, economy, technology and culture. #RoshanAbbas #CreatorEconomy #ArtificialIntelligence #LiveEvents #MediaBusiness #TheMediaRoom #TheCore Chapters 00:00 – Roshan Abbas and the journey of Indradhanush 07:40 – Updating nostalgia for new audiences 11:13 – The art of connecting with people and building platforms 12:54 – Investing in creators, startups and ideas 17:22 – India’s live events boom and the arena economy opportunity 19:45 – Why creators should invest in people, not just businesses 25:34 – The paradox of plenty: creation, curation and creator burnout 30:50 – Why we are entering the era of curation 33:25 – Roshan Abbas on AI, authenticity and ‘art intelligence’ 39:05 – Staying relevant, mentoring creators and finding joy 41:48 – Upcoming projects, films and the future of storytelling 44:13 – Why collective experiences are making a comeback

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  Episode #34

  Ajay Bijli On India’s Cinema Boom And PVR INOX Growth | The Media Room | The Core

  Jun 3, 202623 minS1

  <p>Ajay Bijli on India’s cinema boom and PVR INOX growth takes us inside the turnaround of India’s largest multiplex chain, as PVR INOX bets on movie theatres, small-town India, affordable cinema, and the future of the big screen experience.</p><p><br></p><p>In this episode of The Media Room by The Core, Vanita Kohli-Khandekar speaks with Ajay Bijli, Managing Director of PVR INOX, about how the company moved from losses to profit, why 150 million people walked into its cinemas, and what the numbers reveal about India’s changing entertainment economy.</p><p><br></p><p>Ajay B...

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  The Media Room

  #Rewind From KBC to Scam 1992 How Sameer Nair Built Indian Entertainment | The Media Room | The Core

  May 20, 202650 minS0

  <p>Sameer Nair’s journey from KBC to Scam 1992 is the story of how Indian entertainment, Indian TV and India’s OTT streaming business changed forever.In this #Rewind episode of The Media Room by The Core, Vanita Kohli-Khandekar revisits a powerful conversation with the media leader who helped shape Kaun Banega Crorepati, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, Star India, Applause Entertainment and some of India’s most watched streaming shows.From bringing Amitabh Bachchan to Indian television through KBC to backing shows like Scam 1992, Criminal Justice, Scam 2003, Black Warrant and Gandhi, Sameer Nair explains what it takes to build...

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