Barun Das, MD and CEO of TV9 Network, India’s largest television news network, was honoured at the prestigious IWMBuzz Digital Awards 2023.

‘Duologue with Barun Das’ has emerged as a genre-defining talk show, thanks to his transformative leadership, disruptive ideas, and unwavering commitment to innovation.

His foresight led to the creation of News9 Plus, the world’s first news OTT platform, where he not only oversees the management of TV9 Network but also shines as the charismatic host of the remarkable show ‘Duologue with Barun Das’.

During a glittering star-studded evening on June 18 in Mumbai, News9 Plus’s ‘Duologue with Barun Das’ won a prestigious award, earning the title of ‘The Most Cerebral Show on Streaming Platforms’ at the IWMBuzz Digital Awards 2023.

The presence of renowned entertainment luminaries such as Sunil Shetty, Huma Qureshi, Rajkummar Rao, Jim Sarbh, and Aditi Rao Hydari wowed the audience. Manoj Vajpayee, Kartik Aryan, Arjun Kapoor, and Bhuvam Bam, in particular, emerged victorious, securing significant wins during the memorable awards night, the channel said in a press release.

During the first season of ‘Duologue,’ Barun Das held insightful conversations with thought leaders at the forefront of shaping a new India, capturing the attention of the global community.

Esteemed guests featured on ‘Duologue with Barun Das’ include Former UK Prime Minister David Cameron, NR Narayana Murthy and Sudha Murty, Sadhguru, Mithali Raj, and Subhash Chandra.

During his acceptance speech, Barun Das said, “While running news networks, I often observed, India frequently becomes the subject of distorted narratives in the hands of Western media, leaving us at the receiving end. I felt India desperately needed a platform that can drive its narrative in the global arena and protect itself from biased motivated points of view. At News9 Plus, which is the first News 0TT in the world of its kind, my vision is to make it a global opinion forum, which will serve the much-needed purpose of giving us a voice in the global arena which is long overdue.”

“News9 Plus stands as a revolutionary platform due to three key aspects. Firstly, it is about converting news and current affairs into engaging content. Secondly, it enables the discerning English-speaking audience to watch what they want, when they want. And the third aspect is the quality of content which is at par with world-class production that an English news channel or OTT can have,” Barun added.

‘Duologue with Barun Das’ was honoured in 2022 at the prestigious AFAQS Future of News 2022.

The show received the coveted ‘Best Set Design’ Silver Award for its outstanding design and packaging.

“Duologue with Barun Das is a one-of-a-kind OTT show with legends and legends in the making. This show has made waves among Genflix, and the impact of ‘Duologue’ is undeniable, as evidenced by the extensive coverage it has received from over a hundred international digital publications. And I’m delighted the IWMBuzz award recognises its ferociously unique cerebral proposition,” Sandeep Unnithan, Editor, News9 Plus.

“Duologue with Barun Das is a one-of-a-kind OTT show with legends and legends in the making. This show has made waves among the Genflix, and the impact of ‘Duologue’ is undeniable, as evidenced by the extensive coverage it has received from over a hundred international digital publications. And I’m delighted the IWMBuzz award recognises its ferociously unique cerebral proposition,” Sandeep Unnithan, Editor, News9 Plus.

Reflecting on the honour, show director Kartik Malhotra emphasised Barun’s exceptional abilities. “Not everyone has a natural talent for the camera. It’s difficult to hold a conversation when the spotlight is shining directly in your face. Even the most experienced anchors are intimidated when the conversation deviates from the script. That is not the case with Barun. He is equally at ease on camera as he is in his boardroom. Razor sharp to pick up on any point of view presented by his guests and conjure up an analogy or a counter-narrative as if it were all scripted. During the Duologue recordings, he is spontaneous, calm, and well-thought-out in his every articulation.”