The rise of Gaurav Banerjee

Gaurav Banerjee's rise in the entertainment industry is nothing short of a remarkable story of success.

Banerjee’s career spans from his early days as a journalist to being a key leader at Disney Star. It shows his ability to develop and enhance varied entertainment portfolios.

Gaurav Banerjee has been pivotal in shaping Star India (now Disney Star)'s entertainment portfolio. Under his leadership, the network launched successful shows leading the charts both on linear TV and digital.

Last week, the industry was buzzing with the news of Banerjee’s appointment as the new CEO. However, Sony Pictures Network India (SPNI) has not made an official announcement yet. As the industry eagerly awaits confirmation from SPNI, Banerjee's successful career suggests that he could bring big changes to Sony's entertainment.

Starting as a prime-time anchor and senior producer at Star News in 2004, he played a vital role in launching Star Ananda, a Bengali news channel, in 2005. Moving to content strategy for regional entertainment channels in 2008, Banerjee expanded the network's presence in Bengal and Maharashtra with channels like Star Jalsha and Star Pravah, the former quickly becoming India's top Bengali language channel.

Currently leading Disney Star, Banerjee heads content for Hindi Entertainment & Disney+ Hotstar and oversees Star Bharat, Hindi & English Movies, Kids & Infotainment & Regional (East).

Appointed as head of content strategy for Star Plus in 2009, Banerjee played a key role in the channel's resurgence with hits like Diya aur Baati Hum and Sasural Genda Phool. As General Manager in 2013, he propelled Star Plus to industry dominance with shows like Mahabharat and Yeh Hai Mohabbatein. In 2015, he led the Content Studio, refreshing storytelling for Star Plus and Star Bharat, and enhancing Disney+ Hotstar's library with acclaimed content, including Hotstar Specials.

Banerjee's leadership at the Hindi Content Studio has resulted in numerous top-ranking shows like Anupama, Ghum Hai Kisi Ke Pyaar Mein, and Imlie. His contributions to Disney+ Hotstar include creating award-winning originals like Aarya and Special Ops.

Beyond his professional roles, Banerjee serves on the board of directors of the Indian Broadcasting & Digital Federation (IBDF) and the core technical committee of BARC India, which measures television ratings in India.

He holds a Master's degree in filmmaking and TV production from the Mass Communications Research Centre at Jamia Milia Islamia University, Delhi and completed his undergraduate studies in history at St. Stephens, Delhi.