MUMBAI: Saregama HMV has announced the appointment of noted filmmaker Aparna Sen as the new head of its Bangla film and television business.

The announcement was made by the company’s president and CEO, RPG Enterprises’ entertainment sector, Subroto Chattopadhyay, while announcing its Bangla film production plans on 10 January.

Sen will work in the capacity of chief creative officer and will be in charge of Bangla films and television content. Her appointment with Saregama closely follows the appointment of B R Sharan to head the Hindi film business and B R Vijaylakshmi as head of the Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam television content business.

Saregama begins its foray into film production with a music video by Rituparno Ghosh, based on Rabindranath Tagore’s poetry, Aparna Sen’s film Kite and Ken Ghosh’s untitled venture.

Talking about Saregama’s plans for film production, Chattopadhyay says, “We are building an entertainment company which will create and market music, cinema, television and radio content. We are exploring cutting edge technologies in filmmaking and bringing in best practices in the way films are made.”

Commenting on her association with Saregama, Sen says, “I see great opportunity in an organisation like Saregama. It is a rare corporate entity that does not just create and market music and movies, but rather is the repository of the country’s musical heritage. I am excited since Bengali cinema has tremendous potential both in India and international markets and with multiplexes making their presence felt, there does exist a discerning audience for quality products.”

She adds, “We will provide a platform to talents in acting, direction and technical aspects of filmmaking, as I help build this business. This will create an eco system of writers, poets, filmmakers, musicians and technical experts, which we hope will add to Kolkata’s reputation as a source of great cinema and music.”

Saregama also plans to produce TV content in Hindi and Bangla, which will be looked after by B R Sharan and Sen and in the south by noted cinematographer Vijaylakshmi. The company already produces 14 hours of programming per week for channels belonging to the Sun network.