MxMIndia

Category: DAS KA DUM

  • Starting today, BD, as he’s known in the fraternity, will take our questions: one a day. And respond to them, like only he can.

    Introducing: Das ka Dum… where Dr Bhaskar Das responds to our questions like only he can

    He is one of the Indian media and entertainment sector’s most respected professionals. We’re talking of Dr Bhaskar Das, the former big boss of the Times of India group and Zee Media and Dainik Bhaskar . For those who’ve known him or have heard him, Dr Das belongs to the rare species of advertising sales professionals who is a true gyaani. His unique turn of phrase can make you chuckle, but is sure to  make you ponder. At MxMIndia, we enjoy our conversations with him. And for every googly we bowl at him, he hits back like no one has ever before.

    Starting today, BD, as he’s known in the fraternity, will take our questions: one a day. And respond to them, like only he can.

    We’re calling it Das ka Dum. And we’re certain you’ll enjoy it.

    ~~

    Our question for today: It’s Ganapati immersion today. If you had an opportunity to ‘immerse’ one thing from the Indian media ecosystem, what would it be?

    And his response: Pushing old technique to solve challenges of tomorrow which has arrived. After all ostrich position is beyond see-level.

     

    Look out for another question tomorrow

  • Day 2 of our all-new daily Q&A with Dr Bhaskar Das, the M&E industry’s much-loved and much-revered big boss

    Das ka Dum… today’s question to Dr Bhaskar Das: Are you really spiritual or is it a façade?

    We launched this feature yesterday, and judging by the number of views it  generated, we can say it’s a super-duper hit.

    For those who’ve come in late: here’s a link to yesterday’s Das Ka Dum: https://www.mxmindia.com/2019/09/introducing-das-ka-dum-where-dr-bhaskar-das-responds-to-our-questions-like-only-he-can/

     

    The questions will be answered by Dr Bhaskar Das, the former big boss of the Times of India group and Zee Media and Dainik Bhaskar and now Republic TV. For those who’ve known him or have heard him, Dr Das belongs to the rare species of advertising sales professionals who is a true gyaani… and may we add, likes to share his gyaan. His unique turn of phrase can make you chuckle, but is sure to set you pondering. At MxMIndia, we enjoy our conversations with him. And for every googly we bowl at him, he hits back like no one has ever before.

    Das ka Dum will feature Monday through Friday, except on our ‘no edition days’. Enjoy Day 2.

     

     Sir, are you really spiritual or is it a façade? After all, a hard-core ‘sale-oo’ like you can’t always be so philosophical in outlook… right?

     

    It’s a very legit query in a world where facade can be attributed to anything. That we are all all spiritual beings is a default reality. In our perception of duality, spiritualism is perceived as a facade. It has no connection with marketing/sales. Absence of customary evidence of one’s spiritualism is no evidence of its absence. But I empathise with the mendacity of such doubts.

     

    Editor: we appreciate that some of the words and phrases our dear and delightful BD uses can go over your head. So, purely in reader interest, we will link such words to the dictionary meaning. Like we’ve done in the case of ‘mendacity’ today. If you still can’t figure what he really means, sorry, we can’t help you. Curse yourself for not having had the opportunity of interacting with him (BD, who else?!)

  • Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das: With so many people losing jobs in the media, would you say it’s a safe place for people to take up as a career?

    There is only one word to describe the response to Das ka Dum by Dr Bhaskar Das: Huuuuge. There are of course many who say that the column was a no-brainer. Those who’ve had a chat with BD are familiar with his repartees and spiritual responses to down-to-earth issues and problems.

     

    To those who’ve come in late, the link to the last column is: https://www.mxmindia.com/2019/09/das-ka-dum-todays-question-to-dr-bhaskar-das-are-you-really-spiritual-or-is-it-a-facade/. And the link to the one before that is in the last column.

     

    The questions will be answered by Dr Bhaskar Das, the former big boss of the Times of India group and Zee Media and Dainik Bhaskar and now Republic TV. For those who’ve known him or have heard him, Dr Das belongs to the rare species of advertising sales professionals who has this unique combination of being a deeply spiritual being and a very persuasive salesperson. His unique turn of phrase can make you chuckle, but almost always sets you pondering. At MxMIndia, we enjoy our conversations with him. And for every googly we bowl at him, he hits back like no one has ever before.

     

    Das ka Dum will feature Monday through Friday, except on our ‘no edition days’. Enjoy Day 3.

     

    With so many people losing jobs in the media, would you say it’s a safe place for people to take up as a career?

     

    VUCA  is the new normal. Media is no exception. Stability is the new death trap. And since worry is not a mode of preparation, one needs to upskill oneself continuously to remain ever-ready  for pivoting, both horizontally and vertically. Those who love instability, media is the space for them. It’s not for the faint-hearted.

     

    Editor: As we mentioned on Friday, some of the words and phrases our dear and delightful BD uses could go over your head. So, purely in reader interest, we will link such words to the dictionary meaning. Like we’ve done in the case of ‘VUCA’ today. VUCA isn’t of course a tough word… it’s just an acronym for Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity.

  • The response to this new series of Q&As has been amazing. It of course all boils down to BD’s immense wisdom and popularity. Read on for Day 5 of Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das.

    Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das: Which is a tougher question to answer – in any context: Why or How? And why?

    Bhaskar Das
    Bhaskar Das

    We hope you are enjoying the Q&As in Das ka Dum by Dr Bhaskar Das… just. The response to this new series of Q&As has been amazing. It of course all boils down to BD’s immense wisdom and popularity. Presenting Day 5 of of Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das. And do come back tomorrow for another question, and another answer

    The link to yesterday’s column is: https://www.mxmindia.com/2019/09/das-ka-dum-with-dr-bhaskar-das-if-you-could-relive-your-career-is-there-anything-that-you-would-like-to-redo-now-please-dont-give-a-politically-correct-answer/ And the links to the ones before that are in the last Q&A.

    To those who don’t know who Dr Bhaskar Das is: well, he’s the former big boss of the Times of India group and Zee Media and Dainik Bhaskar and now Republic TV. For those who’ve known him or have heard him, Dr Das belongs to the rare species of advertising sales professionals who has this unique combination of being a deeply spiritual being and also a very persuasive salesperson. His unique turn of phrase can make you chuckle, but almost always sets you pondering. At MxMIndia, we enjoy our conversations with him. And for every googly we bowl at him, he hits back like no one has ever before.

    Das ka Dum features on MxM – Monday through Friday, except on our ‘no edition days’. Presenting Day 5:

     

    Q. Which is a tougher question to answer – in any context: Why or How? And why?

     

    A. The quest for categorisation for a deterministic answer is quintessential. The world can’t anymore be ‘either-or’. We have to move from orness to andness. So sequentiality of why, how, what can be done depending on the context but they are fundamentally inter-connected queries for exploring answers to all unexplored areas.

  • It’s going viral. Each Q&A we hear is firing up the Whatsapp and mail circuit. People have been laughing, screaming out incorrigible reading a response… hut there’s no denying that each question-and-answer is profound and funny. Presenting Day 6 of of Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das. And do come back tomorrow for another question and another answer

    Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das: Why is it that none of the big Indian news media conglomerates have produced a product like InShorts or Dailyhunt?

    Bhaskar Das

    It’s going viral. Each Q&A we hear is firing up the Whatsapp and Gmail circuits. People have been laughing, screaming out incorrigible as they read a response… hut there’s no denying that each question-and-answer is profound and funny. Please go to the Das Ka Dum tab on the website’s top navigation bar, to visit the archives of Q&As.

    To those who don’t know who Dr Bhaskar Das is: well, he’s the former big boss of the Times of India group and Zee Media and Dainik Bhaskar and now Republic TV. For those who’ve known him or have heard him, Dr Das belongs to the rare species of advertising sales professionals who has this unique combination of being a deeply spiritual being and also a very persuasive salesperson. His unique turn of phrase can make you chuckle, but almost always sets you pondering. Read on and see how every googly bowled at him is hit back in style. And often far out of the park.

    Das ka Dum features on MxM – Monday through Friday, except on our ‘no edition days’. Presenting Week Two, Day 4:

     

    Q. Why is it that none of the big Indian news media conglomerates have been able to produce a product like InShorts or Dailyhunt?

     

    A. Going by the behavioural trend of India Inc, with the onset of VUCA as the new normal, a meta-realisation has dawned on me viz non-attachment to a successful business model and inability to inculcate a class of losers within a successful business… these are not easy traits to practise live. This axiom is industry- and organisation-neutral. I am sure there are exceptions but they are few and far between. That’s why disruptors are born and even when disruptors mature in their business, they get disrupted. In business and life there are very few holy cows.

  • Presenting Week 2, Day 5 of of Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das. And do come back tomorrow for another question and another answer

    Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das: Can one trust audience measurement data?

    It’s going viral. Each Q&A we hear is firing up the Whatsapp and mail circuit. People have been laughing, screaming out incorrigible reading a response… but there’s no denying that each question-and-answer is profound and funny. Presenting Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das. And do come back next week for another round of questions and answers.

     

    Please go to the Das Ka Dum tab on the website’s top navigation bar, to visit the archives of Q&As.

     

    Q. Can one trust audience measurement data?

     

    A. I am a strong advocate of data-based insights to complement decision-making processes. So any measurement data can at best be indicative and should be leveraged for directional purposes. Doubting the credibility of measurement data isn’t a constructive route to move towards an augmented intelligence.

     

  • Presenting Week 3, Day 1 of of Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das. And do come back tomorrow for another chatpata question and a spiritual answer.

    Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das: If you could relive your professional career, is there any thing you would like to redo? Now don’t give a politically correct answer.

    Bhaskar Das
    Bhaskar Das

    So what are the questions you’ve asked BD for next, a friend asked us on Friday. We obviously didn’t reveal any, except that we’ve tried our best to bowl some googlies, but we are sure he’s going to bowl back some reverse swings. Presenting Week 3, Day 1 of of Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das

     

    Please go to the Das Ka Dum tab on the website’s top navigation bar, to visit the archives of Q&As.

     

    Q. If you had the opportunity to relive your professional career, is there one thing – or may be two or three – that you would like to redo? Now please don’t give a politically correct answer.

    A. Why should I relive my professional career when I am so grateful that I could do my best what I was assigned to by God through earthly intermediaries. It may not be the best by material standards or by the expectations of a role model. But I didn’t aspire for them either. When one is in a trance of equanimity,  there is neither anything to seek, nor anything to achieve.

    This is not a politically correct answer. I don’t want to indulge in any etymological dissection of the word political but I feel it’s an oxymoron as when one is political , one can’t be correct.

  • Presenting Week 3, Day 2 of Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das. And do come back tomorrow for another chatpata question and a spiritual answer.

    Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das: Why do you think 30-40-year-olds don’t take on responsibilities in industry associations?

    So what are the questions you’ve asked BD for next, a friend asked us on Friday. We obviously didn’t reveal any, except that we’ve tried our best to bowl some googlies, but we are sure he’s going to bowl back some reverse swings. Presenting Week 3, Day 2 of Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das

     Please go to the Das Ka Dum tab on the website’s top navigation bar, to visit the archives of Q&As.

     

    Q. Why do you think young, 30- and 40-year-olds don’t take on responsibilities in industry associations?

     

    A. Today’s age cohorts, as mentioned, are navigating multiple paradigms, both at the personal and professional levels. Time for pro bono work is squeezed. The new mantra is ‘What is in it for for me’. It’s difficult to take tech Sabbath where one is engaged 16×365. The grey market occupants have learned the technique due to the onset of self-actualised skew.

  • Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das: Would you recommend embracing Tik Tok to Arnab Goswami to reach out to the millions who watch it daily?

    His words can make you laugh and almost always set you thinking. So at MxMIndia we decided to do the next best thing: do a Q&A with him every single day we publish.

    Presenting Day 3 of Week 3 of Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das. Dr Das, as we know, is currently a big boss at Republic TV, so we wondered how spiritual he could get with a question on the Republic TV bossman Arnab Goswami.

     

     Q. Would you recommend doing Tik Tok videos to Arnab Goswami so as to reach out to the millions who are hooked on to the platform?

     

    A. As a marketing professional, one has to find the synchronicity of a medium to a brand. Ultimately one aims at maximising stickiness to the delivered content, without vampiring the brand objective. For any UGC medium, gravitas isn’t a dominant logic of content creation. What is important is spontaneous and creative participation of users. To that extent it’s a democratisation of content creation. It has its sunny side advantage. News is a serious business and contextual credibility is generally non-negotiable. The current brand initiatives of the Republic Media Network are impactful enough in  making it  a leading news network in the country in the shortest possible time.  If MBO is a metric for measuring the efficacy of a  communication strategy, I think R. is on its prioritised path. And an Industry currency corroborates that impact.

     

    Pssst. If you found the question today bold and provocative, we promise you a naughtier one tomorrow

    Please go to the Das Ka Dum tab on the website’s top navigation bar, to visit the archives of Q&As.

     

  • Those who’ve had a chat with BD are familiar with his repartees and spiritual responses to down-to-earth issues and problems… Welcome to Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das… a Q&A like never before, Monday through Friday

    Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das: If you could relive your career, is there anything that you would like to redo? ? Now please don’t give a politically correct answer

    Bhaskar Das

    We hope you are enjoying the Q&As in Das ka Dum by Dr Bhaskar Das… just. There are of course many who say that the column was a no-brainer. Those who’ve had a chat with BD are familiar with his repartees and spiritual responses to down-to-earth issues and problems.

     

    To those who’ve come in late, the link to yesterday’s column is: https://www.mxmindia.com/2019/09/das-ka-dum-with-dr-bhaskar-das-with-so-many-people-losing-jobs-in-the-media-would-you-say-its-a-safe-place-for-people-to-take-up-as-a-career/

    And the link to the ones before that are in the last column.

     

    The questions will be answered by Dr Bhaskar Das, the former big boss of the Times of India group and Zee Media and Dainik Bhaskar and now Republic TV. For those who’ve known him or have heard him, Dr Das belongs to the rare species of advertising sales professionals who has this unique combination of being a deeply spiritual being and a very persuasive salesperson. His unique turn of phrase can make you chuckle, but almost always sets you pondering. At MxMIndia, we enjoy our conversations with him. And for every googly we bowl at him, he hits back like no one has ever before.

     

    Das ka Dum will feature Monday through Friday, except on our ‘no edition days’. Enjoy Day 4.

     

    Q. If you had the opportunity to relive your professional career, is there one thing – or may be two or three – that you would like to redo? Now please don’t give a politically correct answer

            

    A. Why should I relive my professional career when I am so grateful that I could do my best what I was assigned to by God through earthly intermediaries. It may not be the best by material standards or by the expectations of a role model. But I didn’t aspire for them either. When one is in a trance of equanimity,  there is neither anything to seek, nor anything to achieve.

     

    This is not a politically correct answer. I don’t want to indulge in any etymological dissection of the word political but I feel it’s an oxymoron as when one is political , one can’t be correct.

     

     

    Editor: As we mentioned before, some of the words and phrases our dear BD uses could go over your head. So, purely in reader interest, we will link such words to the dictionary meaning. Now we don’t think etymological is a tough word, but perhaps equanimity might well be for some.

  • Presenting Week 3, Day 4 of Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das. And do come back tomorrow for another spiritual question and a chatpata answer.

    Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das: In the service of which boss did your soul feel the bestest – the Jains, Subhash Chandra/ Punit Goenka, Girish Agarwal & now Arnab Goswami?

    Bhaskar Das

    We’ve got Dr Bhaskar Das to do what he’s super at: share his gyaan in his inimitable manner. Presenting The Wizard of Words with Das ka Dum. Week 3, Day 4.

     If you want to access the archives, please go to the Das Ka Dum tab on the website’s top navigation bar..

     

    Q. You have worked with various media mavens in the last decade. Samir and Vineet Jain, Subhash Chandra and Punit Goenka, Girish Agarwal and now Arnab Goswami. Since you are a spiritual person, please tell us: In the service of which boss did your soul feel the bestest?

     

    A. Any soul is impervious to external triggers. Besides, there is no duality between two interacting souls. I saw them in me and I was in them. At a cognitive level, all the referred names in your question have enriched me and whatever I am today is due to the cumulative enlightenment they have ushered on me.

    I can imagine the answer won’t satiate your vibrant mind. I can assure you that real correctness is apolitical. My answers come from the core of my heart. They are socio-politico agnostic.

  • Presenting Week 4, Day 1 of of Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das. And do come back tomorrow for another question and another answer. Pssst. A Gandhi Jayanti question for tomorrow!

    Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das: Would you say the Festive Season 2019 will be possibly the worst ever for media entities?

    It’s going viral. Each Q&A we hear is firing up the Whatsapp and mail circuit. People have been laughing, screaming out incorrigible reading a response… but there’s no denying that each question-and-answer is profound and funny. Presenting Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das. And do come back tomorrow for another round of questions and answers.

     Please go to the Das Ka Dum tab on the website’s top navigation bar, to visit the archives of Q&As.

     

     

    Q. We’ve asked you a lot question on the health of the media business. Would you say the Festive Season 2019 will be possibly the worst ever for media entities?

     

    A. You are looking for deterministic answer (usual for a journalist) to a transient situation. There is nothing christened as best or worst times. It’s in our mind. It’s a cycle (one that  frequently happens these days due to VUCA headwinds). Human beings tend to behave bad in good times, so bad times follow good times and vice versa. The old adage  works: as you sow,  so you reap. So the current perception of worst times will also pass. In a VUCA world, one needs to detox more frequently. A bend is not an end.