Nivedita Basu Reveals the Risks and Stories Behind Her 25-Year Media Journey on Qaseem Haider Qaseem’s Life Lessons!
What would make someone leave a well-paying job and start working without a salary? For Nivedita Basu, it was a risk that ended up changing her entire career.
That is just one of the stories that comes up in the latest episode of Qaseem Haider Qaseem’s Life Lessons, where the veteran media professional sits down for a candid conversation about her long journey in the entertainment industry.
With more than 25 years in Indian media, Nivedita has worked through some of the biggest changes in television and entertainment. Her conversation with Qaseem takes viewers back to the early days of her career, when the industry worked very differently and getting ahead meant taking chances.
During the podcast, Nivedita opened up about taking a massive leap of faith early in her career [00:00]. Despite holding a solid role as a director/producer at Channel V with a strong salary, she stepped down to join Ekta Kapoor’s team as a trainee with zero stipend for three months [00:10]. She also recalled her tense first encounter with Ekta Kapoor in an edit suite, which unexpectedly led to her being promoted to Associate Creative Director after demonstrating her post-production editing skills [00:36]. She shared how entering media was a conscious deviation from conventional paths like engineering or MBA [01:26].
She also looks back at her time during the golden era of Indian television, her experiences in films, and her move into the world of OTT. Having worked across different sides of the industry, Nivedita has plenty to say about how entertainment has changed and where she thinks it is going next.
The episode isn’t limited to work either. Qaseem also gets into a lesser-known side of her life, including her passion for racket sports and the work she is doing to create more opportunities for women in the field.
What makes the episode interesting is that it isn’t simply a list of achievements. There are career risks, unexpected turns, and personal interests that give viewers a better idea of the person behind a long media career.
If you have ever wondered what the entertainment industry looked like before OTT became a part of everyday life, this conversation offers a clear glimpse into that era.
Qaseem Haider Qaseem’s Life Lessons EP #13 featuring Nivedita Basu is now available on YouTube.
Watch the snippet here:
By Keerti Kadam