ITV

Category: GECs

  • &TV presents Ekta Kapoor’s new horror-mystery Daayan

    &TV presents Ekta Kapoor’s new horror-mystery Daayan

    Mumbai, 4th December 2018:Na zinda, namrit… woh raat ki raani hain, ek shaitani taakat hain. Apno ke beech chhupi, kaun hai woh? Transporting its viewers into an alternate world of mystery and horror, &TV and Ekta Kapoor’s Balaji Telefilms’ present Daayan. The show is a gripping tale of a girl’squest in revealing the identity of the evil force hidden amongst her close ones and defeating its sinister plans.With popular television actors Tinaa Dattaa and Mohit Malhotra in the lead, the new weekend fiction property is slated to go on air from 15th December 2018 every Saturday and Sunday at 9.00 pm only on &TV. 

    Daayan is a mystifying narrative of a young Jhanvi Morya (Tinaa Dattaa), a well-educated and family-oriented girl hailing from Ujjain. It maps her race against time as she stumbles upon a dangerous ploy of the evil force, as many unusual and mysterious happenings repeatedly occur in her hometown. With a threat to her life, it’s her journey of unmasking the identity of the ‘Daayan’ who is one of her close ones. Accompanying her in this mission, will be Jhanvi’s childhood friend and love interest, the wealthy and chivalrous Akarsh Sharma (Mohit Malhotra). The show also brings together a powerful ensemble cast with names like Amit Thakur, Aakash Talwar, Rishita Nag, Kanika Shivpuri, Prabhat Bhattacharya, Priya Bhatija amongst others in various roles. 

    Commenting on the new offering, Vishnu Shankar, Head, &TV said, “At &TV we aim to cater to the evolving content palette of our viewers, which is why creating unexplored genres is an immensely exciting proposition for us. We were the first to combine supernatural and romance with Laal Ishq, which has created a niche of its own in the cluttered GEC category. This has encouraged us to now interweave horror and mystery in our new show Daayan. Placed at the primetime weekend slot of 9.00 pm, the audiences are in for thrilling weekends, starting 15th December. The show is a riveting narrative of a young girl Jhanvi Morya’s journey to unveil the identity of the evil Daayan. We are extremely delighted to join hands with Ekta Kapoor and Balaji Telefilms for this project and wholeheartedly welcome the team to the &TV family.”

    Talking about her show, Producer Ekta Kapoor, Balaji Telefilms said, “The team and I are very kicked to present Daayan and have worked really hard designing the show over the past few months. We are happy to see it come to life so beautifully with &TV. Taking viewers through the protagonist, Jhanvi’s journey of unraveling the mystery of the Daayan, the show promises horror, drama, thrill, romance, mystery, an all-in-all great entertainer. With a fantastic team of artists on board, we are sure to create intrigue with the layered plot that will keep the viewers guessing. I have enjoyed creating content in the horror space and I’m glad that audiences have responded well to it. This time too, I’m positive that we have a winner on our hands. With the blessings of God, now the show belongs to the audiences.” 

    Having essayed varied roles in the past, talented actress Tinaa Dattaa said, “I’m grateful to have been chosen to play Jhanvi, working with Balaji Telefilms and Ekta again. Horror-mystery as a genre has seen great interest from viewers at large and I’m excited to make way in this space. Jhanvi’s character is unlike any that I have played before, she grows from being vulnerable to being courageous, battling her own demons at times. It’s a thrilling narrative of a simple girl’s repeated trysts with the supernatural and her journey to unveil the evil Daayan amongst her close ones.”   

    Playing the role of the male lead, popular actor Mohit Malhotra said, “This is my second show with &TV and Balaji Telefilms has always been like a second home to me, so I was more than happy to play the character of Akarsh Sharma as the male protagonist. Daayan is in the mystery-horror genre which I have been wanting to experiment with for a while now, so this was an opportunity that I just couldn’t miss. This being an interesting genre with mystery and horror intertwined, my character Akarsh is key to the narrative, who is not just Jhanvi's love interest but a constant companion throughout the story."

    Driven by her fate upon the deepest and darkest alleys of witchcraft, Daayan aims to raise several mysterious questions in the mind of the audience. Will Jhanvi be able to ever unravel the truth behind the Daayan or will she crumble against the shadow of the evil? With a mystery to her identity and an unconventional form to her appearance, &TV brings forth a world where evil lurks arounds the corner and where everything seems real, yet nothing is.
     

  • Future will belong to those who can create compelling content: Raj Nayak

    Future will belong to those who can create compelling content: Raj Nayak

    GOA: He’s known as the risk taker who has never been afraid to experiment. After thirty years in the media industry out of which a whopping 26 years have been dedicated to the TV broadcast sector, exiting Viacom18 COO Raj Nayak is grateful to the media business for where he finds himself in life at the moment. Speaking at Indiantelevision.com’s Video and Broadband Summit 2018 in a freewheeling chat, Nayak revisited key chapters of his journey, his best memories at Viacom18, and commented on the nature of today’s media industry and its future.

    In a fireside chat with Indiantelevision.com founder, CEO and editor-in-chief Anil Wanvari, Nayak in his usual witty and cheerful demeanour captivated the audience with insights and learning from his stellar career. The media maven described his rollercoaster ride from Star TV to NDTV and then the shift into entrepreneurship to finally settling into the corporate world of Viacom18 as exciting.

    Answering Wanvari’s question about his evolution as a professional, Nayak shared how exciting it was to join satellite television from print media back in the 90s. He considers himself lucky to be at the right place at the right time. However, joining the TV industry then was considered a wasted opportunity until the satellite boom, he added.

    He further went on to say that the future will belong to those who can create content that is compelling because the challenge on the distribution front will eventually disappear. So, everybody will find a way to get their product out but there will be a taker at the end of the pipe only if it is compelling.

    The experienced professional said broadcasters got so used to making same patterned shows at Rs 8-10 lakh budget that it took Amazon and Netflix to come to change that habit. The quality of content has to go up now, he feels.

    According to him, linear TV has to change its style of narration and content. He cited the example of how ratings and viewership for individual shows are going witnessing a decline despite the increase in overall viewership. However, he is quick to add that the change is happening faster.

    “Content cost is going up, it’s not going down, it’s going up across broadcasters. I know of a broadcaster who tried to change that by restricting producers’ budgets but they lasted for not more than six months and now they are spending money more than ever,” Nayak said.

    The admirer of “Subhash ji” (Essel Group chairman Subhash Chandra) while talking about distribution repeats what Chandra said 20 years ago that if the content is king then distribution is God.

    While his seven and a half years at Viacom18 comprised of several landmark moments, he shared the ones closest to his heart with the audience. Nayak spoke about 24 which was a trendsetting show, Naagin and changing the time slot of Bigg Boss to 10.30 pm as defining moments of his tenure.

    “One of the things I was very happy to do and had the freedom and opportunity to do is a variety of content. We are the only channel in India who did so, where nobody expected to do we did the recordings of Yuvraj Singh when he was in cancer and Zindagi Abhi Baaki Hai,” he added.

    “Whatever I have achieved is because of this industry. If you don’t give back to the industry that has given you so much, I think you are doing a disservice,” the passionate veteran commented. He also named Star’s Uday Shankar and ZEEL’s Punit Goenka as leaders who he admires.

    Nayak says he draws motivation from the media industry and how it has evolved, given birth to so many entrepreneurs, created millions of jobs and helped individuals build glorious careers. The entry of Facebook and YouTube has made the system more democratic creating more opportunities, Nayak believes. Although, the absence of a common industry voice upsets him.

    “I can guarantee no one of you has watched more than three per cent of Netflix content yet you subscribe. House of Cards changed the trajectory of the game for the streaming service. Sacred Games increased the subscribers. All you need is 2-3 golden nuggets and that’s enough to change the whole dynamics of your business,” Nayak said.

    Sharing his vision for the industry in the next five years, he is certain that OTT will go big. But he also adds that from an ad sales model, monetisation will be a challenge so companies need to promote the SVoD model. Nayak also feels that TV will also continue to grow as big screen experience is never going to lose its charm. TV will turn into a box with Facebook, Google and everything available on it, Nayak predicted.

  • Star Plus leads GEC urban in BARC week 47

    Star Plus leads GEC urban in BARC week 47

    MUMBAI: Star Plus climbed to the third position from sixth position as compared to the previous week in the Hindi (U+R) genre in Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) data for week 47 of 2018. Star Utsav and Sony Pal interchanged their second and third positions as compared to the previous week in the rural market. Star Plus emerged as the leader this week by pushing down Sony Entertainment Television to second position in the urban market.

    Hindi GEC (U+R)

    Zee Anmol and Star Bharat retained their first and second positions with 839585 impressions ‘000s and 759104 impressions ‘000s respectively. Star Plus climbed to the third position from sixth position as compared to the previous week with 707398 impressions ‘000s. Star Utsav jumped to fourth position from third position with 706312 impressions ‘000s. Zee TV retained its fifth position with 686850 impressions ‘000s.

    Sony Pal, Colors, Sony Entertainment Television, Dangal TV and Sony Sab stood at sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth positions respectively with 600897 impressions ‘000s, 600118 impressions ‘000s, 594133 impressions ‘000s, 445579 impressions ‘000s and 431762 impressions ‘000s respectively.  

    Hindi Rural GEC

    Zee Anmol retained its first position with 684717 impressions ‘000s. Star Utsav and Sony Pal interchanged their second and third positions as compared to the previous week with 491473 impressions ‘000s and 428004 impressions ‘000s respectively.

    Star Bharat, Dangal TV, Rishtey, Zee TV, Big Magic, Star Plus and Colors continued to be on fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth positions respectively with 386806 impressions ‘000s, 349965 impressions ‘000s, 274430 impressions ‘000s, 267118 impressions ‘000s, 246805 impressions ‘000s, 211446 impressions ‘000s and 188088 impressions ‘000s.

    Hindi Urban GEC

    Star Plus emerged as the leader this week by pushing down Sony Entertainment Television to second position with 495952 impressions ‘000s and 446561 impressions ‘000s respectively. Zee TV and Colors stood at third and fourth positions respectively with 419733 impressions ‘000s and 412030 impressions ‘000s.

    Star Bharat, Sony Sab, Star Utsav, Sony Pal, Zee Anmol and &TV retained their fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth positions respectively with 372298 impressions ‘000s, 315458 impressions ‘000s, 214839 impressions ‘000s, 172893 impressions ‘000s, 154868 impressions ‘000s and 114770 impressions ‘000s.

  • Zee collaborating with African countries to remake Indian content

    Zee collaborating with African countries to remake Indian content

    MUMBAI: Gone are the days when Indian producers were busy Indianising foreign content. Not that it’s not done still, but now made-in-India fare is being adapted into other languages in various countries. Zee, for example, is re-adapting popular Hindi soaps for other markets, especially the African ones.

    Zee TV’s flagship show, `Pavitra Rishta’, which worked well with Indian audiences, is now ready to fly in countries like Kenya, Nigeria and Senegal that have taken a fancy for Indian kitchen politics. Zee Telefilms has partnered with Multimedia Group (a broadcaster with two entertainment channels, Joy Prime and Adom TV) from Ghana and a Nigerian investor, MACE, to remake `Pavitra…’ as `Deceptive Measures’ with local actors.

    The filming is taking place across Kenya, Ghana and Nigeria and the first season will have 52 episodes of one-hour each. Popular actors from Kenya, Ghana and Nigeria, who will star in the series, include local stars like Michael Godson and Joy Jasmin Aygeman apart from actors from the three countries. The series will be directed by Nigerian film producer and director Uduak Obong.

    Zee Telefims Ltd regional head for Middle East, Africa, Turkey and Pakistan Nitin Michael told indiantelevision.com that over the past few years popularity of Indian content amongst African audiences has grown significantly.

    According to Michael, last year Zee produced `Khwaabon Ke Darmiyaan’, in collaboration with RTI from Ivory Coast, giving it a local flavour. The Indian drama series produced in the UAE had an African actor as part of the cast. A few of the scenes from the drama were also shot in Africa as well. “This series turned out to be a huge success and, hence, the next logical step was to explore a full local production,” Michael explained the reason for Zee venturing into remakes.

    However, getting into a full-fledged conversion of an Indian theme with foreign actors for specific markets was not just a thought out of the blue. The idea to get into local flavor came after lot of brain-storming and data analytics relating to popular soap operas that did well in Africa in the past.

    ‘Pavitra Rishta’, for example, was a story that had worked well both on Zee channels in Africa as also on other TV channels from countries like Kenya, Nigeria and Senegal when telecast in original Hindi and dubbed/sub-titled in English and French languages, Michael said.

    The partnership amongst African broadcasters, local investors and Zee is a unique initiative with the objective being collaboration with FTA broadcasters from across Africa and using local talent to create engaging content with production values that were better than what was already being done in the African entertainment industry. According to Michael, the price of creating such re-purposed content was similar to what was already being done.

    The project involving remaking Indian content for audiences across regions has “opened the eyes and minds” of broadcasters to create more such high-quality content, which could work well with the audiences there in Africa.

    Michael said following `Pavitra Rishta’ initiative, Zee is exploring the option with other broadcasters from across the region for remaking other successful Indian scripted and unscripted formats that could travel across Africa and could include the likes of ‘Dance India Dance’ and ‘Punar Vivah’. 

  • India’s most watched TV programme ‘Main Kuch Bhi Kar Sakti Hoon’ all set to make a comeback with Season 3

    India’s most watched TV programme ‘Main Kuch Bhi Kar Sakti Hoon’ all set to make a comeback with Season 3

    MUMBAI: After two compelling seasons that made an impact on women, men and young people, Population Foundation of India’s popular edutainment show Main Kuch Bhi Kar Sakti Hoon is all set to make its comeback with its third season. With an empowering new slogan “Main Desh Ka Chehra Badal Doongee’ the show’s protagonist Dr Sneha Mathur plans to tackle fresh issues, including access to hygiene and sanitation. The show has proven to be one of the flagship programmes on the national broadcaster Doordarshan with several repeat telecasts, dubbed and telecast in 13 different Indian languages and aired on 216 AIR stations across the country.

    Launched on March 8, 2014, Main Kuch Bhi Kar Sakti Hoon garnered such a following that within two months, Doordarshan decided to telecast it on DD India reaching out to 50 countries across the globe. The show uses a popular entertainment format to inspire people and draw them to challenge regressive social norms that have an impact on women’s status and their lives.

    Population Foundation of India’s Executive Director Poonam Muttreja says, “The real success of Main Kuch Bhi Kar Sakti Hoon are the stories of impact. Be it a Ladkunwar Kushwaha from Bundelkhand, MP who was the first girl from her village to go to college, or Nirma Devi of Patna who convinced her husband to use contraceptives and is now a champion for family planning, or the women from Bairiya in Bihar who meet every week to discuss issues of domestic violence after watching the show. We hope to create real impact with Season 3 as well by taking the conversation forward.”

    Celebrated director Feroz Abbas Khan who is the creator of the show adds, “Main Kuch Bhi Kar Sakti Hoon  has busted many myths about soap operas and proven that social issues can be tackled in an entertaining manner without trivializing them. In Season 3 we want our protagonist to lead the charge for social transformation and behaviour change.”

    Main Kuch Bhi Kar Sakti Hoon revolves around the inspiring journey of Dr. Sneha Mathur, a young doctor, who leaves behind her lucrative career in Mumbai and decides to work in her village. The show focuses on Dr. Sneha’s crusade to ensure the finest quality of healthcare for all. Under her leadership, village women find their voices through collective action.  The second season had special focus on youth along with women.

    This time, Population Foundation of India is supported by the Rural Electrification Corporation (REC) and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to produce the much-awaited third season of this popular edutainment show.

  • Black magic, evil forces and unnerving eeriness – COLORS’ new supernatural drama ‘Tantra’ explores the untamed world of the unknown

    Black magic, evil forces and unnerving eeriness – COLORS’ new supernatural drama ‘Tantra’ explores the untamed world of the unknown

    Mumbai: A beautiful house nestled in a beautiful environment houses a beautiful family. But does beauty dwell in everything that looks beautiful? Delving into the realms of the unknown is COLORS’ latest supernatural offering, Tantrawhich explores the world of black magic and its evil effects. The show is an intriguing tale of incantation, mysticism and supernatural elements wrapped in a family drama.

    ‘Tantra’tells the tale of a family who has fallen prey to the clutches of incantation. The Khanna’s are an affluent family who move into their dream home but become unfortunate victims of the gruesome practice of Tantra. The antagonist is the House itself whose eerie effects makes the place unliveable and a nightmare for its inhabitants.

    Actor Sargun Kaur essays the female protagonist Niyati Khanna, while actor Gautam Vig plays her love interest, Akshat. The supernatural thriller marks the comeback of celebrated television actors Manish Goel and Juhi Parmarwho will be seen as Prithvi and Sumati Khanna. Producedby Swastik Productions, Tantra will premiere on 3rdDecember 2018 and will air every Monday to Friday at 11:00 p.m.

    Speaking about this thrilling genre said, Nina Elavia Jaipuria – Head, Hindi and Kids TV Network, Viacom18, "At COLORS we have always provided varied and diverse content choices and experiences to our viewers.  Our intriguing and captivating sagas continue to engage audiences and create benchmarks in storytelling and scale.  With Tantra, we continue to explore another interesting and intriguing genre that is sure to provide viewers with an edge of the seat experience.”

    Speaking about the concept of the show,Manisha Sharma, Chief Content Officer, Hindi Mass Entertainment, Viacom18 said,“The Indian audiences have always been fascinated by supernatural stories. These stories take us back to our childhood, a time when it was easy to believe in the fairy-tales and mystical stories. Whether it’s the costumes, the VFX, the props or the sets, the viewers have always devoured the mysterious world of uncanny tales. The antagonist in our show is a House that has a will of its own. Will Niyati be able to save her family from the clutches of the evil forces entrenched in this House? 'Tantra' will explore this and much more for the viewers.”

    Mr. Siddharth Kumar Tewary of Swastik Productions, the Writer, Producer and Creator of Tantra, "Tantra, the story of a house that has undergone black magic, is a progressive show that truly shows that doing black magic isn’t good and the consequences can be dire. The intricacies in the relationships which each of the family members share with each other as well as the dynamics of a family also plays a crucial role in the story. Tantra is Swastiks’s first foothold into the supernatural genre in which we are bringing to our viewers a house that shall truly ‘live’, a family that shall fight the darkness which comes with black magic and a story that shall grip the viewers through VFX, sets, props etc which has never been seen before in the world of supernatural on Indian Television.”

    Sargun Kaur who plays Niyati Khanna, said, “Niyati’ is a practical young woman who does not believe in superstitions. She must come to terms that her family is inflicted by the evils of tantra and is the only person who can truly save her family from its wrath. I am extremely excited to work with COLORS for the first time and I hope to receive a positive response from audience.”

    Gautam Vig who plays Akshat,said, “Akshat plays Niyati’s love interest. He is undyingly devoted to his lady love. While Niyati’s family relies on her to safeguard their lives, it is Akshat who is Niyati’s pillar of strength. It is my first show with COLORS’ and the concept is pathbreaking, I am sure it will entertain the audience and keep them glued to the television”. 

    Juhi Parmar, who plays Sumati Khanna, said, “I am happy to be back with COLORS and Swastik Productions once again. It is like coming back home for me. But this role is completely different from my last stint. My character Sumati is a god loving woman and a hands-on mother. I am looking forward to this show because of its unique concept and eagerly awaiting audience feedback on the same”.

    Manish Goel, who plays the family patriarch Prithvi Khanna said, “This is my first show with COLORS and I am looking forward to this union. My role as Prithvi Khanna is an atheist but I am a firm believer of god in real life. The show has been conceptualized well and has some beautiful characterisations. I hope the audience appreciates our efforts and make this show a thumping success.”

    Tantra is an esoteric practice and the Khanna’s must band together to fight this evil when they come face to face with the reality of Tantra. This unnerving tale is sure to have the audience by the edge of their seats.

  • ZEE Entertainment Enterprises’ FY2018 Annual Report bags Gold at The LACP’s 2018 Spotlight Awards

    ZEE Entertainment Enterprises’ FY2018 Annual Report bags Gold at The LACP’s 2018 Spotlight Awards

    MUMBAI: In yet another extraordinary win, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (ZEEL), the leading media & entertainment powerhouse, has bagged two gold awards for its FY2018 Annual Report at the League of American Communications Professionals’ (LACP) 2018 Spotlight Awards held in Naples, Florida, USA.

    ZEEL’s FY2018 Annual Report titled ‘Experience the Extraordinary’ won gold in the print and online categories, being ranked 35th in world under the online report category, and 64th in the world under the print report category.

    Designed by Synapse, the report reflects the company’s brand ideology of ‘Extraordinary Together’ and ZEEL’s belief in the power of working together, deriving the strength to deliver the exceptional. The motif of the report being Mosaic, an art form made of innumerable elements, each of which is vital to the picture that emerges when they all come together, celebrated ZEEL’s 25 glorious years in shaping the Media & Entertainment landscape in India.

    Commenting on the win, Mr. Bijal Shah, Head – Corporate Strategy and Investor Relations, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (ZEEL) said, “As India’s leading entertainment content company celebrating 25 years of entertaining audiences around the world, we wanted this annual report to be special. It was a pleasure working with Synapse to drive creative synergies and deliver a truly extraordinary Annual Report in line with our brand philosophy. It not only highlights our achievements but brings alive our story in an engaging manner.”

    The LACP is an international association that identifies and discusses best-in-class practices within the communications industry while also recognizing those who demonstrate exemplary communications capabilities. LACP’s 2018 Spotlight Awards seeks to identify organizations across the world that have helped create compelling communication collateral for clients. This year LACP drew an unprecedented number of business communication entries from across the world, across industries and organizational sizes.

  • COLORS steps up the game with India’s Got Talent #talent4good initiative

    COLORS steps up the game with India’s Got Talent #talent4good initiative

    MUMBAI: ‘Don’t let talent go to waste’, advocates COLORS’ flagship reality show, Maruti Suzuki Arena presents India’s Got Talent powered by Vaseline and Frooti.  The show that adjudges talent sans any gender, age, social status or location bias, in its 8th Season took innovation a notch up with its latest campaign called, #Talent4Good. Expounding on its launch proposition – ‘Woh talent hi kya jo kisi ke kaam na aye’ and adding more color to the lives of the less privileged, the campaign engaged their viewers and involved more than 50 NGO’s to spread joy amongst their beneficiaries. Talented individuals from various cities formed groups, sang, danced and performed with members of q-age homes, orphanages, and other under privileged sections to fill up the void of companionship and to entertain them through their talent and light up their lives. Spreading cheer across the country, the campaign managed to touch the lives of many through these efforts.

    The high-buzz media outreach plan that spanned across different platforms and also mobilized more than 900 students across 58 markets to use this opportunity and exhibit their talent to spread cheer in the society. This initiative resulted in an overwhelming participation of people from different walks of life.

    Having rolled out an effective and engaging media campaign said, Sapangeet Rajwant, Head- Marketing, COLORS, “India’s Got Talent as a concept provides us with a huge canvas to engage viewers across age groups. Leveraging the festival period when people are in a generous mood we went to town with the   #Talent4good campaign giving every individual a chance to give back to the society in a very simple way, i.e. by showcasing their talent. Lightening the burden of many families, COLORS, distributed hearing aids amongst those with a hearing disability and also went into hinterlands to distribute food grains, thus helping and cheering up the indigents. Our endeavor has always been to draw viewers in a way that is relevant and constructive. With efforts such as these our commitment towards being socially relevant continues on-air as well as off-air.”

    Engaging the existing and inviting new audiences the #Talent4good campaign witnessed more than 2 million listeners of Mumbai and Delhi through various activities. While Radio City RJs entertained children from orphanages through their singing and storytelling talents, BIG FM listeners were urged to beautify the city, converting dirty walls into colourful murals. Local talent entertained beneficiaries of various NGOs in Delhi, which was amplified through Big FM.

    900 colleges in 40+cities were contacted to adopt and take forward the messaging of the #together4good campaign.  Across pandals in Ahmedabad, Surat and Rajkot, dancers showcased their talent and the calories thus burnt were equated to the quantity of food packets/meals and donated to NGOs. The channel distributed 2,000 kg of food grain to 27 NGOs.

    Hearing aids were given away at a musical event hosted by 9X Tashan in which 10,000 audience members displayed their collective singing talent. A talent hunt was organized at the Colors Golden Petal Club in Lucknow, Kanpur, Varanasi and Agra, giving participants a chance to be become a part of the COLORS family. Through Maharashtra’s Got Talent, people from 25 cities across the state showcased their talent and entertained the underprivileged. A talent workshop was also conducted for differently-abled children. Resident Welfare Associations across Mumbai were tapped during Navratri to spread the message of the campaign.

  • Sony Entertainment Television promises daily dose of hope and happiness with its new show – ladies special

    Sony Entertainment Television promises daily dose of hope and happiness with its new show – ladies special

    MUMBAI: Sony Entertainment Television’s latest prime time offering Ladies Special brings forth the journey of three starkly different personalities, belonging to different socio-economic backgrounds, who happen to meet each other on a Ladies Special local train.With an engaging narrative that weaves three stories ofhope, friendship, aspiration and womanhood, the show will redefine the audience’s outlook towards life. The stories and characters are rooted in the reality of middle class life in Urban India and so are their aspirations and anxieties.Produced by Vipul D. Shah’s Optimystix Entertainment, Ladies Special will premiere on Nov 27and will air every Mon-Fri at 9:30PM only on Sony Entertainment Television.

    Meghna Nikade, represents the everyday struggles of a working woman, a hardworking wife and a mother. While she was raised in a lower middle class set up where dreams and aspirations were always measured and limited, she is determined to provide the best for her children. is it wrong for her to expect more for her children considering her family’s income is limited? 

    Bindu Desai, who hails from a small town in Gujarat, was ecstatic when she married a doctor from the city of dreams – Mumbai. But her happiness was shattered on the first night of her wedding when her husband confessed that he was in love with someone else. Yet, the optimistic Bindu, builds a relationship based on friendship and trust with her husband with a promise to reunite him with his love. She approaches every hurdle in her life with so much optimism that it’s not only infectious but makes the problem at hand look trivial. But how long will this optimism be able to hide her pain? 

    Prarthna Kashyap, has gracefully stepped out of the shadows and taken charge to provide for her family. Without her the family will wither. While she had the opportunity to settle down and leave her family behind, she did not.  Being a woman, why does putting family at the forefront come at a cost?

    These stories are not only relatable but a strong representation of women at large. Like they say, a strong woman loves, forgives, walks away, let’s go, tries again, and perseveres… but doesn’t let go of her hopes and aspirations no matter what life throws at her. Starring popular television and theatre personalities like Girija Oak(Meghna Nikade), Bijal Joshi(Bindu Desai) and Chhavvi Pandey(Prarthna Kashyap), get your ummeed ka ticket for this beautiful journey called life.

  • Network18 hands Avinash Kaul, Rahul Kansal additional portfolios

    Network18 hands Avinash Kaul, Rahul Kansal additional portfolios

    MUMBAI: Close on the heel of a senior executive from Network18 group announcing his departure and internal synergies being brought about in the company for better cohesion and functioning, the organisation has handed some other top execs newer responsibilities.

    Reliance Industries Ltd-controlled Network18 COO Avinash Kaul  has been handed the sales responsibilities for the group with all national sales heads reporting into him. Kaul will continue to be the MD of A+E at TV18, the television arm of Network18 that controls the largest number of TV news channels in India.

    Brand wiz Rahul Kansal , who cut his teeth at the Times of India group and joined Network18 earlier this year as group brand advisor, has been given interim charge of the overall marketing for network. Day-to-day activities will be taken care of by respective TV channels.

    Two recent departures from the group and a joint venture included that of Forbes India CEO and Network 18 President (Revenue) Joy Chakraborthy  and Viacom18 COO Raj Nayak . Nayak will stay on till early 2019 with the company that’s a joint venture with American media giant Viacom.  

    Apart from Kaul and Kansal getting additional responsibilities, Network18 president of special projects Priyanka Kaul will take over the charge of broadcast Focus and branded content and is shortly expected to revamp the Focus division.

    The two Kauls and Kansal will continue to report to Network18 and TV18 MD Rahul Joshi.

    Network18 Media and Investments Ltd is a media and entertainment company with interests in television, internet, filmed entertainment, digital business, magazines, mobile content and allied businesses. The company manages various digital businesses, including portals such as moneycontrol.com, ibnlive.com, burrp.com, in.com and firstpost.com.

    It also operates digital commerce properties like HomeShop18 and bookmyshow.com. In addition, Network18 is a leading player in the publishing space having under its wing titles such as Forbes India, Overdrive, Better Interiors and Better Photography.

    Through its subsidiary TV18 Broadcast Limited, the group operates news channels such as CNBC-TV18, CNBC Awaaz, CNBC Bajar, CNBC-TV18 Prime HD, CNN-News18, IBN7, ETV channels and News18 Lokmat (a Marathi regional news channel in partnership with the Lokmat group).

    TV18 also operates a joint venture with Viacom, called Viacom18, which houses a portfolio of popular entertainment channels like Colors, Colors HD, Colors Infinity, Rishtey, MTV India, MTV Indies, Comedy Central, Vh1, Nick, Sonic, Nick Jr, Teen Nick and Viacom18 Motion Pictures, the group's filmed entertainment business. TV18 operates a factual entertainment channel History TV18 and FYI TV18 through a joint venture with A+E Networks.