Prajjal Saha
Media

India Today provides a Platform for aspiring talents

A new magazine Platform was launched in the Capital last Friday, which caters to a new breed of unknown talented minds

Those aspiring talents from the field of literature, art, photography or films, who still have not got their break, now have an opportunity to showcase their talent to the world.

On Friday, January 28, the capital saw the launch of the magazine 'Platform' – which promises to publish works of the unknowns – in the presence of corporate and media honchos and page 3 celebrities such as Prannoy Roy, Rohit Bal, Muzzaffar Ali, Jagdish Khattar and the Puris of the India Today group. The magazine is marketed and distributed by the India Today group.

Shruti Kapur, the editor of Platform, says, “Whenever a writer approaches a publisher, the first question s/he is asked is whether her/his work has been published before. At Platfrom, we are in the constant look-out for raw and unknown talents, whose work hasn't been showcased to the world before.”

“Platform caters to a new breed of unknown talented minds, providing them with an open forum. It promotes an understanding and appreciation of their forte. It is a medium for exceptional minds to expose their talents to like-minded readers around the world,” she adds.

But does this mean the publication will compromise with quality? Kapur says, “Anything and everything will certainly not be published in the magazine. We have an in-house panel which scrutinizes each and every work before it gets published.”

The magazine soon plans to include celebrities and experts from the different fields on the panel.

The magazine also has features from celebrities. For instance, the inaugural issue has articles from Rahul Bose (the actor of multiplex movies) and Cyrus Oshidar, senior VP, creative and content, MTV Networks India. Kapur says, “Even in the case of celebrities, we are looking forward to only those, who apart from being creative geniuses, are less talked about in the media.”

The magazine certainly seems to be an offbeat one. But is there a market for such a magazine in India? Kapur says, “Platform will cater to the seriously quirky and alternative reader who are not so interested in just gossips from the entertainment industry or page3 content.”

“Platform is a springboard for sharing thoughts, beneficial for both creators and patrons who are willing to experiment with the world of alternative arts,” she adds.

The magazine which starts with print run of 25,000 will cater to upwardly mobile readers from metros in the age group of 18-35 years. The magazine has been priced at Rs 50.

But the company doesn't seem very bullish about its revenue earnings. Kapur says, “Although we are looking forward to young brands to advertise in the magazine, it's only after a few months that we will exactly know how much of revenue would come from advertising and subscriptions.”

For promotions, the magazine is mainly looking forward to below-the-line activities especially road-shows around the youth hangouts and colleges. The publication will not spend on print and television advertisements in the initial phase.

Kapur, prior to launching Platform, has had a small stint with Newspaper Today, the news portal from the India Today group. Besides this experience, she has done courses in film production and creative writing from the US and the UK.

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