From K-Shows to Cocktails: Nivedita Basu’s New Script Unfolds at Miller House
For over two decades, Nivedita Basu has reigned as one of the most powerful creative forces in Indian entertainment. Her name was synonymous with the golden age of Indian television, the K-Show Era
, where she helmed and creatively shaped over 100 daily soaps that became part of India’s cultural DNA.
From Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi and Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii to Kasautii Zindagii Kay, Kkusum, and Kutumb, Basu was at the very heart of Balaji Telefilms’ storytelling empire, scripting an era where every living room became a theater of emotion, drama, and connection.
But like the television landscape she once dominated, Nivedita herself evolved. As audiences shifted from prime-time television to digital, she was among the first to leap ahead of the curve. She played a pivotal role in shaping India’s first bold OTT platform, Ullu, and later went on to launch Atrangi TV and Atrangi OTT, giving a new identity to entertainment with disruptive narratives. Always one to challenge conventions, she also created Hari Om — India’s first devotional app, expanding her creative universe to the spiritual and devotional space.
And then, she stepped out of the headlines. But not out of the action.
_“People often asked where I had vanished” Nivedita reflects. “The truth is, I wasn’t gone. I was reinventing”
That reinvention has now taken vibrant, tangible form in Miller House, a flagship bar-cum-restaurant in Mumbai, co-created with her longtime friend and partner, Udayann Shah. Dressed in retro-chic charm, Miller House is more than a culinary destination. It’s an experience. A buzzing hub that blends dance, music, open-mic nights, food, and cocktails with something far more profound: community.
“With my name, Nivedita Basu, I couldn’t just open a restaurant,”_ *she shares*. _“The idea was always larger — to build a cultural ecosystem. Miller House is a space where media, art, and hospitality merge seamlessly. It’s where a five-year-old can attend a creative workshop and an eighty-year-old can share wisdom at a storytelling evening. I envision it evolving into a membership-driven cultural hub, a place where there’s always something to discover, to experience, and most importantly — to narrate. At Miller, there will always be a story to tell, not just food to eat”
From helming daily soaps that redefined Indian television to curating dining stories that are reshaping urban culture, Nivedita has once again written herself into the script of reinvention.
And she’s not stopping. Already on her vision board are initiatives around eco-friendly packaging, sustainability-centric gatherings, and brand-new ventures that further blur the lines between creativity, culture, and community.
Miller House is just the beginning Nivedita hints with her trademark confidence. There are more stories to be told and as time unfolds, you’ll see them take shape”
From K-shows to cocktails, from prime-time soaps to prime experiences, Nivedita Basu is proving yet again that reinvention is not only powerful, it is deeply personal.
By Sunder M
