Category: GECs

&TV to air new series ‘Badho Bahu’

MUMBAI: &TV is all set to air it’s all new drama series Badho Bahu from September 12, every Monday to Friday at 9.30 PM. Produced by Sunny Side Up films and Hum Tum Telefilms Pvt. Ltd, &TV’s latest offering Badho Bahu, is set against the backdrop of Haryana, known to produce some of the best Indian players across various sports. ‘Hatti-Katti’ Komal who is lovingly called as ‘Badho’ (which means ‘too much’ in Haryanavi) is a spunky yet simple girl who like her size has a very big heart. In her bumbling ways, she lands herself helping most people in her town. While Badho is well known for her bigness, Lucky Singh Ahlawatis the most celebrated wrestler in the town. In what seems like a major celestial controversy, Badho is married to Lucky. What follows next is a sincere effort by Badho to win over her husband… Kyunki Husband and Wife main itnidoori hai, kiab ek love story jaroori hai!

Rytasha Rathore who plays the titular character Komal, aka ‘Badho’ in the show says, “Badho is a character we can all identify with – there is innocence, vulnerability, spunk and a whole myriad of feelings. I’m excited to be playing her because it gives me the chance to do things I wouldn’t do otherwise. The show itself has a lot of warmth and heart to it which I hope the audience enjoys and appreciates. It’s entertaining while also having a deeper meaning.”

Prince Narula who plays Lakha Singh Ahlawat aka ‘Lucky’ says, “This will be my first attempt at daily soap, so I wanted to take up a show that had unique content which is different from what you see on television these days. I am playing a very challenging character ‘Lucky Singh Ahlawat’ who is a gold medalist wrestler. I have undergone wrestling workshops and followed a strict diet as well. Rytasha and I will be seen as the television’s unconventional couple and I hope the audience appreciates our efforts.”

In addition to the stellar cast of Prince Narula, Rytasha Rathore and Pankaj Dheer the show includes names like Jaya Ojha, Arhaan Khan and Sangeeta Panwar. Shot across the beautiful towns of Haryana, the show also boasts of a great production and enthralling storytelling that will have the audiences enthralled!

August 30, 2016
Sony to strengthen weekend lineup, begins with ‘Super Dancer’

MUMBAI: The trio that has given Indian television some top of the line dance reality shows is back again with program in the same genre: Super Dancer – Dance Ka Kal. Ashish Golwalker, Ranjeet Thakur and Hemant Ruparel are all set to launch their new kids dance reality show on Sony Entertainment Television. It promises to showcase dance talent from across the country on one national platform and will air from 10 September at 8 pm on Saturday and Sunday.

Produced by Frames Production, Super Dancer will have 12 dance contestants who will get a golden opportunity to compete for the coveted title of India’s top emerging talent. Each finalist will be paired with one notable choreographer in charge of mentoring, understanding and nurturing their strengths, while introducing them to different dance techniques and bringing out the best in them week on week.

To run for 27 episodes over 13 weeks, the production team has already canned four episodes at the time of writing.

According to information available, the per episode production cost of Super Dancer is said to be between Rs 65 and 70lakh per episode and a 10 second TV commercial is being sold at Rs. 1.5 lakh.

The channel has roped in Patanjali Powervita as the presenting sponsor and Quick Heal as co-powered by sponsor.

Super Dancer will be judged by actress Shilpa Shetty, choreographer Geeta Kapur and Bollywood director Anurag Basu. Rithvik Dhanjani and comedian Paritosh Tripathi will host the show.

Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, Sony Entertainment Television EVP & business head Danish Khan says: “Sony Entertainment Television has always celebrated talent across India – Indian Idol, Entertainment Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega, KBC amongst others. Super Dancer will give a national platform for dancing talents to be nurtured, groomed and honed. We are delighted to have Frames Production Company as our creative partner.”

Khan also announced that Sony will soon launch another season of Indian Idol after a four years hiatus, once Super Dance is over. This will fall in line with the channel’s plan to renew its marquee shows with new seasons.

“With Super Dancer we will have weekend prime time. The talent show will be at 8 pm, comedy at 9 pm followed by the thriller C.I.D at 10 pm and reality show Crime Patrol at 11.30 pm. By October and November we will have a full-fledged weekend line up. Soon after Super Dancer, we will launch Indian Idol season 9.”

Dance Plus on Star Plus, which is also produced by Frames Production, airs at the same time slot as Super Dancer is proposed to be. Will that not impact the ratings of the new show or the older one because of cannibalisation? Frame Production co-founder Ranjeet Thakur does not think so. He explains: “Both the shows are different in their own way. One is a kid’s reality show and the other one is for youngsters. The audiences are different. I believe that Super Dancer will also become a successful show.”

August 30, 2016
Sony to strengthen weekend lineup, begins with ‘Super Dancer’

MUMBAI: The trio that has given Indian television some top of the line dance reality shows is back again with program in the same genre: Super Dancer – Dance Ka Kal. Ashish Golwalker, Ranjeet Thakur and Hemant Ruparel are all set to launch their new kids dance reality show on Sony Entertainment Television. It promises to showcase dance talent from across the country on one national platform and will air from 10 September at 8 pm on Saturday and Sunday.

Produced by Frames Production, Super Dancer will have 12 dance contestants who will get a golden opportunity to compete for the coveted title of India’s top emerging talent. Each finalist will be paired with one notable choreographer in charge of mentoring, understanding and nurturing their strengths, while introducing them to different dance techniques and bringing out the best in them week on week.

To run for 27 episodes over 13 weeks, the production team has already canned four episodes at the time of writing.

According to information available, the per episode production cost of Super Dancer is said to be between Rs 65 and 70lakh per episode and a 10 second TV commercial is being sold at Rs. 1.5 lakh.

The channel has roped in Patanjali Powervita as the presenting sponsor and Quick Heal as co-powered by sponsor.

Super Dancer will be judged by actress Shilpa Shetty, choreographer Geeta Kapur and Bollywood director Anurag Basu. Rithvik Dhanjani and comedian Paritosh Tripathi will host the show.

Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, Sony Entertainment Television EVP & business head Danish Khan says: “Sony Entertainment Television has always celebrated talent across India – Indian Idol, Entertainment Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega, KBC amongst others. Super Dancer will give a national platform for dancing talents to be nurtured, groomed and honed. We are delighted to have Frames Production Company as our creative partner.”

Khan also announced that Sony will soon launch another season of Indian Idol after a four years hiatus, once Super Dance is over. This will fall in line with the channel’s plan to renew its marquee shows with new seasons.

“With Super Dancer we will have weekend prime time. The talent show will be at 8 pm, comedy at 9 pm followed by the thriller C.I.D at 10 pm and reality show Crime Patrol at 11.30 pm. By October and November we will have a full-fledged weekend line up. Soon after Super Dancer, we will launch Indian Idol season 9.”

Dance Plus on Star Plus, which is also produced by Frames Production, airs at the same time slot as Super Dancer is proposed to be. Will that not impact the ratings of the new show or the older one because of cannibalisation? Frame Production co-founder Ranjeet Thakur does not think so. He explains: “Both the shows are different in their own way. One is a kid’s reality show and the other one is for youngsters. The audiences are different. I believe that Super Dancer will also become a successful show.”

August 30, 2016
UCWeb enters into strategic partnership with Colors TV

MUMBAI: China based mobile browser company UCWeb has launched its new version in India with a strategic partnership with Viacom18’s Hindi GEC Colors TV for exclusive content.

Driven by big-data technology, the New UC Browser includes news feeds from UC News making it an integral part of UC Browser now, with more customisation options for the users.

The partnership with Colors TV for selected shows is a reinforcement of Alibaba Mobile Business Group strategy to digitize entertainment content on mobile while transforming itself from tool to content and further offer more comprehensive content options to users, who access internet on the go.

Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, Colors TV CEO Raj Nayak said, “It’s combination of strategic and commercial partnership where UCWeb will use our platform to enlarge their user base in India and we will use their assets to popularize our content and drive audience to our channel. They are the gaming partner with us for 24 and trending partners on Jhalak Dikhlaa Jaa, Bigg Boss and they are also the partners for comedy nights live. The browser will have video clips, behind the scenes, news and more on shows.”

The group company Alibaba claims that they are the biggest browser brand in the country with over 80 million monthly active users.

Also the Q1 FY 2016 – 2017 results of Alibaba Group mentioned that UCWeb has played a significant role by strengthening company’s competitive positions in digital media and entertainment category. The digital media and entertainment segment of Alibaba Group operates businesses through multiple properties including UCWeb.

“Today, UC Browser is the number one independent browser in India with 50 per cent market share and is one of the world’s top three mobile browsers,” said Alibaba Mobile Business Group overseas business president Jack Huang. He also added that the new milestone of reaching 420 million MAUs has placed them at par with Twitter and Instagram. “Our vision in the coming years after success in India, is to serve half the population of the planet. Our strategy is to focus on “Glocalization” – which is going global by offering localized solutions in each market. We believe this strategy will lead us to a new digital era, which is GUF – Google, UCWeb and Facebook,” added Huang.

UCWeb has evolved from a mobile browser to a mobile media asset, offering mobile search and news feeds to over 420 million MAUs globally. UCWeb recently launched UC News in June this year.

UCWeb general manager India Robert Bu said, “Entertainment content is the number one content in Indian market. If you see the data, In India most searched keywords are of entertainment. Also 7 out of 10 news are related to entertainment market so we thought it’s good area to explore. And Maharashtra is the biggest market share in Entertainment which 42 per cent. The reason behind choosing is Colors is because it’s a number one channel in Entertainment space and have very good TV shows. Hence we have long term tie up with them. Right now we have tie up with Colors but we are open for other collaboration and opportunity.”

The content or information is shareable on the browser and can be customised. It’s also available in two languages – English and Hindi, and will later be available in other regional languages as well starting with Tamil. The personalised channel settings allow users to choose their favourite news channels and make their own reading sequence, as per their individual preference. The user friendly browser also has a night mode feature that offers a convenient browsing experience during night.

August 24, 2016
UCWeb enters into strategic partnership with Colors TV

MUMBAI: China based mobile browser company UCWeb has launched its new version in India with a strategic partnership with Viacom18’s Hindi GEC Colors TV for exclusive content.

Driven by big-data technology, the New UC Browser includes news feeds from UC News making it an integral part of UC Browser now, with more customisation options for the users.

The partnership with Colors TV for selected shows is a reinforcement of Alibaba Mobile Business Group strategy to digitize entertainment content on mobile while transforming itself from tool to content and further offer more comprehensive content options to users, who access internet on the go.

Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, Colors TV CEO Raj Nayak said, “It’s combination of strategic and commercial partnership where UCWeb will use our platform to enlarge their user base in India and we will use their assets to popularize our content and drive audience to our channel. They are the gaming partner with us for 24 and trending partners on Jhalak Dikhlaa Jaa, Bigg Boss and they are also the partners for comedy nights live. The browser will have video clips, behind the scenes, news and more on shows.”

The group company Alibaba claims that they are the biggest browser brand in the country with over 80 million monthly active users.

Also the Q1 FY 2016 – 2017 results of Alibaba Group mentioned that UCWeb has played a significant role by strengthening company’s competitive positions in digital media and entertainment category. The digital media and entertainment segment of Alibaba Group operates businesses through multiple properties including UCWeb.

“Today, UC Browser is the number one independent browser in India with 50 per cent market share and is one of the world’s top three mobile browsers,” said Alibaba Mobile Business Group overseas business president Jack Huang. He also added that the new milestone of reaching 420 million MAUs has placed them at par with Twitter and Instagram. “Our vision in the coming years after success in India, is to serve half the population of the planet. Our strategy is to focus on “Glocalization” – which is going global by offering localized solutions in each market. We believe this strategy will lead us to a new digital era, which is GUF – Google, UCWeb and Facebook,” added Huang.

UCWeb has evolved from a mobile browser to a mobile media asset, offering mobile search and news feeds to over 420 million MAUs globally. UCWeb recently launched UC News in June this year.

UCWeb general manager India Robert Bu said, “Entertainment content is the number one content in Indian market. If you see the data, In India most searched keywords are of entertainment. Also 7 out of 10 news are related to entertainment market so we thought it’s good area to explore. And Maharashtra is the biggest market share in Entertainment which 42 per cent. The reason behind choosing is Colors is because it’s a number one channel in Entertainment space and have very good TV shows. Hence we have long term tie up with them. Right now we have tie up with Colors but we are open for other collaboration and opportunity.”

The content or information is shareable on the browser and can be customised. It’s also available in two languages – English and Hindi, and will later be available in other regional languages as well starting with Tamil. The personalised channel settings allow users to choose their favourite news channels and make their own reading sequence, as per their individual preference. The user friendly browser also has a night mode feature that offers a convenient browsing experience during night.

August 24, 2016
&TV’s The Voice India Kids gears up for Battles

Mumbai: &TV’s premiere singing reality show The Voice India Kids has gained immense popularity and fan following for its great talent, fun banter between the Coaches and superlative singing. The young voices introduced in BLIND audition have definitely lived up to the motto of “Size kum hai, par dum nahi” with the youngest contestant being all of 6 years old! The Coaches – Shekhar, Neeti and Shaan have fought for the Voices that struck a chord with them and have now formed their teams with the best contestants. With 18 contestants in each team, the race to the finish has only intensified further! Don’t miss the unique, spellbinding and high voltage episodes of the fiery BATTLES starting August 27th every Saturday and Sunday at 9:00 pm only on &TV.

If you thought the BLIND audition was unique, the BATTLES will be even more impactful. Each coach will choose 3 kids from their own team and train them for a song that highlights their best aspect of singing. The coaches will be seen leaving no stone unturned to spend time with their teams and imparting knowledge about music. However, during the BATTLES, the coaches will find themselves in a tight spot as they will take a call and eliminate 2 contestants from the trio they formed themselves. To add to this metaphorical round is the set design wherein the stage will be set up like a boxing ring.

Interestingly, for the BATTLES, the coaches have sought help from the best in the industry. While Singer Harshdeep Kaur joined Neeti to sort trios and pick songs for them, Music Director Shantanu Moitra backed Shaan and engaged in the selection process of his team. Composer, Musician, Singer and Lyricist Amit Trivedi spent time with Shekhar and his team and tried various combination of voices till they found the perfect trio.

The excitement among the three judges is intense and the response overwhelming. Said Coach Shaan, “Last time, it was tough for me to pair two adults for the BATTLES and this time around it’s even more challenging to form a trio with the kids wherein two of them will be eliminated. What is overwhelming and encouraging is the fact that these kids are so eager to learn and grasp new things. It has certainly been an enriching experience.”

Added Coach Shekhar Ravjiani, “While the BLIND Auditions have been exciting, the real task has just begun. As a coach, my priority is to train these kids to the best of my ability in the given time and prepare them for the next round which is the BATTLES. Matching the scale and the tempo of each child with the other and forming a trio is definitely difficult but the end result will be fabulous. We have spent time together and selected songs that the kids have worked upon and enjoyed.”

Coach Neeti Mohan further added, “I am proud of each and every contestant who has participated in The Voice India Kids. I can completely understand their fears and anxieties and hence adopted a different style of coaching them. I have had various interactions with them to tell them that this is a learning ground for them and what they experience here is certainly going to help them in the long run. They may seem to be 10- 14 years old, but their maturity is commendable.”

From the house of Talpa Media and produced by Endemol Shine India, The Voice India Kids has become definitely popular with ardent fans around the globe encouraging the contestants through social media platforms. And now the enthusiasm goes several notches higher as the battleground is set to choose the best.

Tune in to The Voice India Kids BATTLES starting August 27th every Saturday and Sunday at 9.00 pm on &TV!

August 23, 2016
&TV’s The Voice India Kids gears up for Battles

Mumbai: &TV’s premiere singing reality show The Voice India Kids has gained immense popularity and fan following for its great talent, fun banter between the Coaches and superlative singing. The young voices introduced in BLIND audition have definitely lived up to the motto of “Size kum hai, par dum nahi” with the youngest contestant being all of 6 years old! The Coaches – Shekhar, Neeti and Shaan have fought for the Voices that struck a chord with them and have now formed their teams with the best contestants. With 18 contestants in each team, the race to the finish has only intensified further! Don’t miss the unique, spellbinding and high voltage episodes of the fiery BATTLES starting August 27th every Saturday and Sunday at 9:00 pm only on &TV.

If you thought the BLIND audition was unique, the BATTLES will be even more impactful. Each coach will choose 3 kids from their own team and train them for a song that highlights their best aspect of singing. The coaches will be seen leaving no stone unturned to spend time with their teams and imparting knowledge about music. However, during the BATTLES, the coaches will find themselves in a tight spot as they will take a call and eliminate 2 contestants from the trio they formed themselves. To add to this metaphorical round is the set design wherein the stage will be set up like a boxing ring.

Interestingly, for the BATTLES, the coaches have sought help from the best in the industry. While Singer Harshdeep Kaur joined Neeti to sort trios and pick songs for them, Music Director Shantanu Moitra backed Shaan and engaged in the selection process of his team. Composer, Musician, Singer and Lyricist Amit Trivedi spent time with Shekhar and his team and tried various combination of voices till they found the perfect trio.

The excitement among the three judges is intense and the response overwhelming. Said Coach Shaan, “Last time, it was tough for me to pair two adults for the BATTLES and this time around it’s even more challenging to form a trio with the kids wherein two of them will be eliminated. What is overwhelming and encouraging is the fact that these kids are so eager to learn and grasp new things. It has certainly been an enriching experience.”

Added Coach Shekhar Ravjiani, “While the BLIND Auditions have been exciting, the real task has just begun. As a coach, my priority is to train these kids to the best of my ability in the given time and prepare them for the next round which is the BATTLES. Matching the scale and the tempo of each child with the other and forming a trio is definitely difficult but the end result will be fabulous. We have spent time together and selected songs that the kids have worked upon and enjoyed.”

Coach Neeti Mohan further added, “I am proud of each and every contestant who has participated in The Voice India Kids. I can completely understand their fears and anxieties and hence adopted a different style of coaching them. I have had various interactions with them to tell them that this is a learning ground for them and what they experience here is certainly going to help them in the long run. They may seem to be 10- 14 years old, but their maturity is commendable.”

From the house of Talpa Media and produced by Endemol Shine India, The Voice India Kids has become definitely popular with ardent fans around the globe encouraging the contestants through social media platforms. And now the enthusiasm goes several notches higher as the battleground is set to choose the best.

Tune in to The Voice India Kids BATTLES starting August 27th every Saturday and Sunday at 9.00 pm on &TV!

August 23, 2016
Big Magic to air season finale of ‘Akbar Birbal’

MUMBAI: Big Magic ‘s flagship show Har Mushkil Ka Hal Akbar Birbal, which thrives on its innovative content, has always been the front-runner in terms of viewership numbers. For years, the show has been at the top of its game, ruling the comedy space on Indian television. The show, which is inspired by the childhood folk tales of Akbar and Birbal, is all set to take viewers on yet another laughter ride in its season finale on August 20 at 8 pm, before they announce the return of the next season soon.

A Big Magic spokesperson said, “This has been one of BIG Magic’s most successful shows, both in terms of the ratings as well as the outpour of love and appreciation we have received from viewers. It is a property that we can proudly call the most unique adaptation of the childhood folk tales of Akbar and Birbal, and it is all a result of the talented cast and crew. The season finale episode will leave viewers longing for more, and it will only be a matter of time that we bring our most loved show back on BIG Magic with yet another exciting season.”

An hour long finale episode will provide a double dose of entertainment with talented artists Kiku Sharda and Vishal Kotian. The finale episode marks Vishal Kotian’s (who portrays the astute Birbal) 500th episodic appearance, which includes his role as Birbal in Birbal aur Viraat, an extension of Har Mushkil Ka Hal Akbar Birbal.

Har Mushkil Ka Hal Akbar Birbal has seen tremendous success and outperformed other popular shows in its genre. Going by the love received from its viewers, it won’t be very long that the popular show comes out with yet another season to rule again.

Big Magic is available across all DTH players such as Tata Sky, Airtel, Videocon, Dish TV, Reliance DigitalTV along with all cable operators as Hathway, DD Free Dish, Incable, Digicable, DEN, 7 Star, ABS, Siticable, Star Broadband and GTPL amongst others.

August 19, 2016
Big Magic to air season finale of ‘Akbar Birbal’

MUMBAI: Big Magic ‘s flagship show Har Mushkil Ka Hal Akbar Birbal, which thrives on its innovative content, has always been the front-runner in terms of viewership numbers. For years, the show has been at the top of its game, ruling the comedy space on Indian television. The show, which is inspired by the childhood folk tales of Akbar and Birbal, is all set to take viewers on yet another laughter ride in its season finale on August 20 at 8 pm, before they announce the return of the next season soon.

A Big Magic spokesperson said, “This has been one of BIG Magic’s most successful shows, both in terms of the ratings as well as the outpour of love and appreciation we have received from viewers. It is a property that we can proudly call the most unique adaptation of the childhood folk tales of Akbar and Birbal, and it is all a result of the talented cast and crew. The season finale episode will leave viewers longing for more, and it will only be a matter of time that we bring our most loved show back on BIG Magic with yet another exciting season.”

An hour long finale episode will provide a double dose of entertainment with talented artists Kiku Sharda and Vishal Kotian. The finale episode marks Vishal Kotian’s (who portrays the astute Birbal) 500th episodic appearance, which includes his role as Birbal in Birbal aur Viraat, an extension of Har Mushkil Ka Hal Akbar Birbal.

Har Mushkil Ka Hal Akbar Birbal has seen tremendous success and outperformed other popular shows in its genre. Going by the love received from its viewers, it won’t be very long that the popular show comes out with yet another season to rule again.

Big Magic is available across all DTH players such as Tata Sky, Airtel, Videocon, Dish TV, Reliance DigitalTV along with all cable operators as Hathway, DD Free Dish, Incable, Digicable, DEN, 7 Star, ABS, Siticable, Star Broadband and GTPL amongst others.

August 19, 2016
Saluting TV technicians, the Beyond Dreams way

MUMBAI: As an audience, whenever we watch a film or a TV show we only know and remember the faces of our heroes and heroines. Even the national anthem videos which play in the multiplexes before a film starts feature the stars – film or TV or musicians or singers.

We promptly forget and hardly acknowledge the professionals who work behind the camera. These are the names that appear in the end of the film or the show in the credits. We simply switch the channel or walk out the theatre, without paying heed to any of them as they roll down.

Breaking the stereotype formula of only highlighting the stars on screen, TV production house Beyond Dreams Entertainment’s Yash Patnaik has featured those behind the scenes in a video of the national anthem, that was released on social media websites such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter on Independence Day.

TV crew such as make up artists and hair designers, writers, set designers, spot boys, lighting boys, helpers – pop up in the video singing a word or a line of the national anthem.

Says Yash: “Whenever events like Independence Day, Diwali or Holi come, we always zoom in on the on-screen talent or directors or producers, and they are given greater respect. But behind the recognition and success we get are the large crews that work with us and support all our productions. Whenever I visit my set, the affection and love I received from my unit is tremendous. Therefore, we thought of doing the video featuring them and let them feel special on the special day. “

The national anthem video cost Patnaik – who has three shows (Jaana Na Dil Se Door, Naagarjuna and Kuch Rang Pyar Ke Aise Bhi) under his belt currently – Rs 3 to 4 lakh to produce. Thanks to the three units that are working on the three shows, Patnaik had access to the 150 crew to participate in the video. Despite that however he states that it was not that easy to make the film.

“They were not ready to face the camera,” he reveals. “as they are very uncomfortable in front of it. But they came forward after some persuasion and we shot it over four to five days.”

Even good names from Bollywood stepped forward to lend their support to his effort. Bollywood actor Ali Faisal came forward and gave the voice over at the beginning of the video, with lyricist Abhishek Kumar writing the lines and Udbhav Ojha composing the music for the national anthem.

The video was released on Facebook and YouTube and simultaneously a social media push was given. The hashtag #GoBeyond was used to promote it on social networking sites. On Twitter, the hashtag #GoBeyond was at the No 1 spot in India and in the world it was on number 20. The reach was 1.5 million and the video generated 165,000 views. More than that it got a lot of plaudits from fellow and rival producers, industry stalwarts. The video trended at the number three position in Australia

Patnaik says another video has been produced with TV stars paying tribute to the behind the scenes technicians.

Yash says he is quite enthused by digital and short productions and hopes to launch a digital platform by the end of 2016.

“Digital gives you an opportunity to say what you feel and we should all say something which make sense,” says Yash. “You should speak in a voice and that voice should make some difference in the society and we will not shy away from telling the world what we believe in. And this video is first step in that initiative.”

August 19, 2016