Mumbai: The Indian entertainment industry has changed a lot in the last 25 years and Nivedita Basu has seen much of that change up close. From the early days of television to films, production and the rise of OTT, her career has taken her through almost every major phase of the industry.
In the latest episode of Qaseem Haider Qaseem’s Life Lessons, she sits down for a candid conversation about the choices, risks and experiences that shaped her journey.
One of the most interesting stories from the conversation takes us back to the beginning of her career. Coming from an engineering background, Nivedita was working at Channel V when she decided to take a major risk. She left her paid position and joined Balaji Telefilms as an unpaid trainee for three months. She wanted to prove that she had the skills to work in post-production and editing, even if it meant working without a salary for a while.
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Aug 31, 2026The decision turned out to be an important turning point. She joined Balaji just before Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi premiered in July 2000 and went on to become part of one of the biggest phases of Indian television. Over the next decade, she worked on nearly 100 daily soaps at a time when television serials had become a major part of everyday life for Indian families.
Her journey later moved beyond television. Nivedita worked on nearly 18 feature films with Balaji before starting her own production banner, House of Originals. As the industry moved towards digital platforms, she also stepped into the OTT space and worked on content strategy for several streaming platforms.
The conversation also touches on the ongoing discussion around television and OTT. With streaming growing rapidly, it is easy to assume that traditional television will slowly disappear. Nivedita looks at it differently. She believes television will continue to have a strong place in India because of its reach in regional and rural areas, while OTT continues to build its own audience.
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Aug 31, 2026There is also a more personal side to the conversation when Nivedita talks about her love for squash and pickleball. Her interest in sports has led her to start Women and Racket Sports (WARS), an initiative aimed at giving women more regular opportunities to compete. She speaks about the gap between the number of tournaments available to men and women and why creating more platforms can help female athletes stay involved in sports for longer.
The episode brings together different chapters of Nivedita’s life that may not seem connected at first, but together they show how often her career has involved taking a chance, trying something new and moving with the changing times. Her conversation with Qaseem is less about simply looking back at a successful career and more about the decisions and experiences that happened along the way.
For anyone curious about what goes on behind the television and digital entertainment industry, Qaseem Haider Qaseem’s Life Lessons EP #13 with Nivedita Basu is definitely a conversation to watch.
