Balpreet Kaur

BALPREET Senior Print & Broadcast Journalist/ Academic/ Film-writer & Filmmaker/ TV Show Hostess & Producer/ Voice Expert/ Author & Content Writer Skill Set Print and Broadcast Journalism: A good 20 years in the profession. Skilled with ins and outs of print journalism, editing, conceiving and putting together a publication, TV production (Programming ): TV & radio show hosting, ideating and leading a TV/ radio team, conceiving & scripting shows, stories, films, documentaries; Film-writing and Filmmaking (Direction); Documentary-making; TV show hostess; Voiceover expert; Scripting and content creation, screenplay & dialogue writing; PPIntNiNNiNTInterviewing and profiling celebrities; Conceiving & launching publications; Writing anything from short stories, to fiction to biographies, to corporate, historical, spiritual and cultural coffee-table books; Academics: UGC degree holder with teaching experience; Editing books, ad-copywriting; Creative content writing, poetry, ad copy-writing, brochure-writing etc in Punjabi, Hindi & English; Owing to close to two decades as a journalist, I have a wide network in the entertainment & the creative arts industry. I enjoy a high level of trust among artists, and thus have easy access to them. Presently & Recently… Film writer and Filmmaker: My third feature film for PTC – ‘Mera Kuch Samaan’ has just released. I have by now made three modern-day Punjabi films for the PTC BOX Office – having written the script, screenplay dialogues and directed them besides casting, costume designing, and overseeing the music & entire post-production. The other two films are titled ‘Hari Chutney’, ‘Main Haan Na!’. ‘Hari Chutney’, premiered in December 2018 with many re-runs, was received with loads of applause and press coverage. We got many nominations and awards too. ‘Main Haan Na!’ was released on October 11, 2019. ‘Mera Kuch Samaan’ was released on May 15, 2020. Documentaries: I have made a documentary ‘White Light’ (in both English & Punjabi) on dairy farmers of Punjab. Here is one of the links: https://youtu.be/nX3Wh32JSas. I also made a documentary on the younger sahibzaadas of the tenth Sikh Guru Gobind Singh ji, titled ‘Saanu Ki Ho Gaya’ . The project was done for Mr Bir Devinder, former Deputy Speaker, Punjab Legislative Assembly. Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKE_QDqUJec TV show hostess: Presently I research and host an exclusive weekly show ‘Punjab Mail’ for PTC Punjabi Gold. I previously conceived, produced and hosted a very successful and a prestigious weekly conversation-based show with celebrities titled ‘Between Us’ for Day & Night News, a trilingual TV channel operating from Chandigarh and aired all over India. Coffee-Table Book: I have conceived & authored a coffee-table ‘The White Light’ for Verka. Senior Print and TV journalist: I started my career with The Indian Express, Chandigarh & Mumbai (3 years), followed by Hindustan Times, Chandigarh (8 years), followed by Day & Night News TV Channel -), and then I was Director of My Dream Academy, an ambitious acting academy set up in Mohali. Since then, I have been writing and making feature films, documentaries and have authored a prestigious coffee table book. Academics: Armed with a UGC degree, I have carried out teaching assignments with two leading universities - Panjab University (as Guest Faculty in Feature Writing and have been External Examiner for vivas) and Chitkara University (as head, Journalism). I was also the Director at My Dream Academy, an acting academy at Mohali. I conceived it and roped in leading actors from Hindi and Punjabi industries as part of the faculty.  Conceiving, creating content, launching newspapers: I recently conceived, planned and launched a Tricity evening daily from Chandigarh – Rainbow Colours. I was the Associate Editor. Voice Expert & Voiceover/Dubbing specialist: I have been dubbing for leading ladies in Punjabi films. I have also been actively lending voiceovers to many prestigious docu-films, corporate films & political campaigns. Scripting & screenplay writing: I have written the script & screenplay for an upcoming full-length feature film in Punjabi/Hindi. I am also working on two scripts & screenplays for Hindi films. Poetry Films: have made a series of poetry films. Columnist : I am a cinema columnist for Urban Melange, a national lifestyle magazine published from Chandigarh. I also take up freelance TV assignments. Hosting literary events: I have been hosting literary conversations during lit fests.  Past Work Experience July 2015- Presently: I have recently written and directed two Punjabi feature films for PTC Box Office titled ‘Hari Chutney’ and ‘Main Haan Na’. I am presently writing my third film for PTC Box Office titled ‘Mera Kuch Samaan’. I have also written a full-length Hindi/Punjabi film and it is set to be made in 2020. I have also made two prestigious and well-received documentaries in both English and Punjabi titled ‘The White Light’ for Verka and ‘Saanu Ki Ho Gaya’ for Mr Bir Devinder Singh, former Speaker, Punjab Vidhan Sabha. I have also authored a prestigious coffee table book for Verka titled ‘The White Light’. February 2014- July 2015 Director, My Dream Academy: I conceived and launched this premier acting academy in Mohali. I roped in actors like Yashpal Sharma, Adil Hussain, Dolly Ahluwalia, and Deepti Naval as guest faculty. April 2009 – October 2013 Assistant Editor (Features) & Entertainment Head, with a trilingual TV channel Day & Night News, Chandigarh. As a producer of entertainment shows, my four-year assignment here required me to lead a team of 10-12 people, and host my own exclusive prime-time Sunday show ‘Between Us’. As producer, hostess & conceiver of this exclusive weekly, 30-min prime-time show, I interviewed some 200 celebrities from across cinema, music, fine arts, performing arts, literature, spirituality and more… Some among them are filmmakers like Mahesh Bhatt, Subhash Ghai, Nagesh Kukunoor, Manmohan Singh, spiritual gurus like Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, artistes like Pt Jasraj, Jagjit Singh, Ghulam Ali, Kailash Kher, Rabbi Shergill, Gurdas Maan, Satinder Sartaaj, Harbhajan Mann, Jasbir Jassi, Rekha Bhardwaj, Abhijeet, Javed Bashir, Sardool Sikander, Remo Fernandes; actors like Raveena Tandon, Tulip Joshi, Ayesha Takia, Poonam Dhillon, Divya Dutta, Mahie Gill, Randeep Hooda, Gippy Grewal, Neeru Bajwa, Gurpreet Ghuggi, Binnu Dhillon, writers like Shobhaa De, Jerry Pinto, leading painters, poets & many more… As the producer of two daily 30-min shows 'Marigold' & ‘Cinemascoop’, I conceived the daily episodes, planned stories/events/documentaries/ lifestyle trends; edited scripts, lent voiceovers & guided my team with the final product. I also have acquired an additional skill of video-editing and am also trained & adept at radio scripting & voiceovers. December 2008-April 2009 Head, Department of Print Journalism, Chitkara University, Chandigarh. I’ve also been a guest lecturer at the Department of Mass Communication, Panjab University for three consecutive years. I hold a UGC degree in Mass Communications. June 2008 to December 2008 Brief stints with The Indian Express, Mumbai and The Hindustan Times, Delhi. April 2000 to June 2008 Features Head with The Hindustan Times, Chandigarh and In-Charge, HT City, Chandigarh. We, as a team, launched HT in this region. At HT, besides interviewing and writing on celebrities from varied walks of life, & my own columns, like ‘Soulitude,’ ‘Notes From The Underground’ and ‘Hot Cuisine’, I lead the features team and was responsible for bringing out HT City, everyday - conceiving, organising, editing, and producing a thought-provoking, entertaining pullout. June 1996 to April 2000 Sub Editor (Features), with The Indian Express, Chandigarh and The Indian Express Mumbai. My job involved writing, reporting, copy editing & taking out the local features pull-out besides Amritsar Newsline. June 1995- June 1996 Trainee copywriter with the leading ad agency of that time - Hindustan Thompson Associates (HTA). My work, at a glance: Some links to some episodes of my show ‘Between Us’: Mahesh Bhatt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxgfMpPR_es Gurdas Maan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akfyZMJzkTU Pandit Jasraj: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N85P3ZPElNc Ustad Amjad Ali Khan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGI0DA1XpCk Shobhaa De: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ru9CZnEOCa8 Kailash Kher: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFnC_GO7wp4 Jagjit Singh: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqGwjOromSg Deepti Naval: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDMDGtwTRMs Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA0bEGorKTY Kulbhushan Kharbanda: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQGbibUpsjw Kabir Bedi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBzy1pll9Q0 Rekha Bhardwaj: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Guhg0qa5R14 Satish Kaushik: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBaEBr16g3c Yashpal Sharma: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3ZO6pyCQWs Randeep Hooda: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=la97_tL3Kew Raghu Rai: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSjRciLucm4 Seema Biswas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTIb-p39-QY Gul Panag: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNRxtpZzUCU Vani Ganpathy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6Mb7V3hwok Jerry Pinto: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gKE8XHCi4w Veena Malik: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfmOu2iXhEM Raveena Tandon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDRKdcUe6Fw Poonam Dhillon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__0HX-9ec0E Adil Hussain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBmqn3uPBno Ranjeet:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiTK1NU6OHM Rabbi Shergill: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2ccUMKm39g Javed Bashir: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oi31euypApg Binnu Dhillon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9BubBNibD4 Huma Qureshi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJZnr-xGxlI Ustad Rashid Khan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCj7CP7wjEQ Nagesh Kukunoor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d24HXdqyv70 Om Puri:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaIYsMa6NrI Sherlyn Chopra: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lqxj_2ydFzw Tulip Joshi:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIj5-nva0I0 Chandrachur Singh: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpEbVb87-G8 Parikshit Sahni: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_Pu5BJkG0I Neeru Bajwa: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrkk-LNoBWc Hans Raj Hans: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_qI28lfkpk Gippy Grewal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TRlB7nWmj8 Irshad Kamil: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kswch527zc8 Divya Dutta: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wME4QpeGI9M My writings may be found on… http://www.balpreet-soulitude.blogspot.in/ Links to some of my write-ups http://balpreet-soulitude.blogspot.in/2009/04/meeting-sir-mr-bachchan.html http://balpreet-soulitude.blogspot.in/2009/04/meeting-rekha-loving-journey.html http://balpreet-soulitude.blogspot.in/2009/04/meeting-irrfan.html http://balpreet-soulitude.blogspot.in/2009/04/mahesh-bhatt-on-j-krishnamurti.html http://balpreet-soulitude.blogspot.in/2009/04/chatting-up-dirty-old-man-generous.html http://balpreet-soulitude.blogspot.in/2009/09/little-buddha.html http://balpreet-soulitude.blogspot.in/2009/04/profiling-sanjay-dutt-ht.html The highest passion My interactions with the world and its reactions towards me tell me that communication, first and foremost, and beyond the surface, is one of my better assets. Drawing people out of their shells, winning their confidence to speak their minds and tackling difficult attitudes come easy to me. Writing is my second skin. Words turn me on and I love to dive into their games. Cinema is my biggest passion. And I have a thorough knowledge of documentary and filmmaking, TV production, hosting conversation-based shows and bringing out publications – from conception to delivering them. My Education… Schooling at Guru Nanak Public School, Chandigarh. Graduation in Economics and Maths, MCM DAV College, Chandigarh. Masters in Mass Communications from Panjab University, Chandigarh. UGC certificate for lecturership in Mass Communications. Across my educational years, I was an eager participant of debates, declamations, poetry recitations, and literary activities and won many inter college and university contests. I was editor of my college magazine Mehr Jyoti. Sports and athletics figured actively too, with me captaining my school basketball team. I thrive on…  Making films. Film and music appreciation.  Sharing my knowledge & expertise with whoever is inclined towards thinking beyond…. Spirituality and life continue to be my highest passions.  Using my voice for anything ranging from conversations, dubbing, voiceovers, interviews, & more.  Hosting conversations.  Writing - short stories, poetry, music & film reviews, and pieces dealing with life & perspectives. Acting and mainly theatre - an important wing of my creative outlet. I have explored it at exciting opportunities. I have ACTED IN AN INDO-FRENCH DOCU-FILM on Chandigarh and Berlin by French director Louidgi Beltrame. The arts are my all-time companions and go a long way in liberating the mind to evolve better. Am available at… --