Kovid Gupta
| Kovid Gupta | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born |
Kovid Gupta 1988 |
| Occupation | Author, screenwriter, social activist |
| Nationality | India, United States |
| Alma mater |
Cornell University The University of Texas at Austin |
| Genre | 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 Indian-American author, screenwriter, and social activist. 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
Background
Kovid Gupta belongs to Houston, Texas.[1]" He holds a Masters of Business Administration from Cornell University. He attended the University of Texas at Austin where he received his Bachelor of Business Administration, Bachelor of Science, and Bachelor of Arts.[2]
Career
Before venturing into writing, Gupta worked at Teach For India, followed by which he took up screenwriting full time for Indian television soap operas. He is the founder and CEO of "India Kids", a nonprofit organization that empowers orphan children in India to reach their full potential.[3]"
As an author, Kovid has received mixed reviews on his books. 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" [4]
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-judgemental look at the world of television soaps."[5]
Bibliography
- Non-Fiction
- Kingdom of The Soap Queen: The Story of Balaji Telefilms (2014)
- Redrawing India: The Teach For India Story (2014)
- A Collection of Short Stories (Announced)
Filmography
- Television
- Balika Vadhu (2008)
- Bade Acche Lagte Hain (2011)
- Hamaar Sautan Hamaar Saheli (2011)
- Chhan Chhan (2013)
Quotes
“I disagree that we’re just here to entertain — if we’re not driving social change, we’re not (as screenwriters) doing our job!” [6]"
"We are on the cusp of an industry-wide renaissance!" [7]"
"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." [8]"
"When you see all the grave problems in the world, your problems seem so small in comparison." [9]"
See also
References
- ↑ "Book Review: Kingdom of The Soap Queen". Mid-Day. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
- ↑ "Kovid Gupta". HarperCollins Publishers India. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
- ↑ "Kyunkii Writer Bhi Kabhi Fan Tha.". Business Standard. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
- ↑ "Book Review: Kingdom of The Soap Queen". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
- ↑ "Kyunkii Writer Bhi Kabhi Fan Tha.". Business Standard. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
- ↑ "After the Delhi Gang Rape, Indian TV Dramas Go Feminist". Global Post. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
- ↑ "Kingdom of The Soap Queen". Metrognome. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
- ↑ "Pen Pals: Rashmi Sharma Interviews Kovid Gupta". Bloody Good Book. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
- ↑ "Interview with Kovid Gupta, MBA ‘15, Author of "Redrawing India: The Teach for India Story"". Cornell Business Journal. Retrieved 1 August 2015.