For years they brought the world into your living room with travel shows like The Great Escape, Off The Beaten Path and Real India Travel Show. A decade into the business, with shows like Indian Idol and MTV Roadies, Chhoona Hai Aasmaan and Parivaar, Limited Edition and Nat Geo Genius under its belt, Miditech has decided to play a part on the big screen.

The production house founded by brothers Niret, Nikhil and Nivedith Alva — sons of veteran politician Margaret Alva — are the line producers for the UTV-produced Aamir, a thriller that also marks the silver screen debut of television heartthrob Rajeev Khandelwal.

“It’s been a great experience being the line producers for such a fine film. Aamir is definitely a small film but one that surely makes for meaningful cinema,” says Miditech’s chief creative officer Niret Alva.

Aamir, released last Friday, and already earning rave reviews, promises to be just the beginning for Miditech in films, but its focus will remain on TV.

“We have always believed in quality programming and that is the primary reason why Miditech has today been successful in developing television content across a variety of genres,” says Niret.

The Alva brothers’ biggest small screen success story has been Indian Idol. “The primary reason why the first three seasons of Indian Idol did so well was because the show managed to connect with the Indian audience, particularly the common man. The uniqueness of the format coupled with the fact that it catapults an ordinary person to instant stardom is what worked for Indian Idol,” feels Niret.

Miditech’s tryst with reality television is not limited to song and dance shows. Naya Roop Nayi Zindagi, which went on air on Sony recently, a takeoff on the popular American show Extreme Makeover, attempts to resurrect the lives of individuals suffering from a physical disability.

“The audience today is extremely discerning. They look for intelligent programming and that is what we constantly work towards delivering,” feels Niret.