ITV

Category: GECs

  • Zee TV’s Disruptive teaser campaign for Haiwan Grabs Eyeballs

    Zee TV’s Disruptive teaser campaign for Haiwan Grabs Eyeballs

    MUMBAI: A collaboration that has spelt glorious success on television time and again, Zee TV and Balaji Telefilms are back again to reinvent the genre of science-fiction with elements of drama, romance and action for Indian television audiences with Haiwan: The Monster. This weekend primetime thriller is a magnum opus that promises to unleash the biggest monster viewers have seen so far on television. With the launch of this high-octane sci-fi drama, Zee TV introduced a disruptive campaign to pique people’s interest, generate curiosity, spark off conversations and have them guessing what’s coming their way!

    By way of a teaser, the character of Haiwan was introduced to audiences across Mumbai, Delhi and Gujarat through a series of intriguing unbranded billboards featuring just the eerie eyes and fingers of the Haiwan with a warning message “Shehar Mitaane Aa Raha Hu Main”. This was strategically supported by RJs talking about such citings in the cities, asking listeners to guess what they thought the billboards were about, click pictures with the billboards and post it on social media with their interpretation of the same. Memes and posts by social media enthusiasts reacting to the campaign set the internet abuzz with speculation about the billboards.  With an integrated approach cutting across mediums to drive conversations on the Haiwan, Zee TV had audiences sharing elaborate interpretations, resulting in a whopping number of engagements across Zee TV’s digital platforms.

    In the second phase of this campaign, the hoardings finally revealed the brand, the show name, the characters and the concept. The social media platforms, too, were used to unveil the concept through interesting memes and video graphics. As a response to this, the engaged audience not only appreciated the initiative but also drove conversations on the Sci-Fi genre across Twitter and other social media platforms, leading to high-intensity organic promotions for the show.

    Haiwan : The Monster follows the story of long-cherished friendships and a love triangle that sees a bromance turn to bad blood!  The show premiered on 31st August at 7 pm and boasts of an extraordinary cast including Riddhima Pandit, Ankit Mohan, Param Singh, Hiten Tejwani, Dalljiet Kaur, Manini Misra among others.

  • Zee Bollywood celebrates Akshay Kumar’s birthday with his 101% Shuddh entertainers on 9th September

    Zee Bollywood celebrates Akshay Kumar’s birthday with his 101% Shuddh entertainers on 9th September

    MUMBAI: ‘Singh jahan pair rakhta hain, woh ilaka uska hojata hain’, this dialogue turned into reality 51 years ago as a star was born with his dreams turning into reality as he paved his way into becoming Bollywood’s 101% Shuddh Khiladi. This megastar is none other than Bollywood’s most loved celebrity, Rajiv Hari Om Bhatia famously known as Akshay Kumar. From mastering the art of being a chef to donning ‘Zaabardast’ roles in the film industry, this Chandni Chowk munda’s journey as been a source of inspiration to many. Since the beginning of his career in the 1990’s, Akshay Kumar has left no stone unturned in entertaining viewers with masaaledar films and roles across genres. This 9th September, as Akshay steps into another exciting year of his life, Zee Bollywood the 101% Shuddh Bollywood channel will telecast Akshay’s 101% Shuddh entertainers – ‘Singh is Bliing’ at 6pm followed by ‘Singh is Kinng’ at 9pm to celebrate his birthday.

    From a marvellous career spanning over 29 years, and with a whopping 100+ titles credited to his name, Akshay Kumar has managed to win millions of hearts over. Singh is Kinng and Singh is Bliing, are two of Akshay’s 101% Shuddh Masaledar films that will leave you in splits. While the superstar has achieved great heights with various movies, Singh is Kinng is one of the biggest hits for Akshay Kumar that got a thunderous response at the box office and is remembered for its quirky storyline till date. Along with the fun narrative, the blockbuster songs like Teri Ore, Jee Karda, and Singh is Kinng is still quite a rage among the audience.

     Following the life of Raftaar Singh who is the apple of his mother's eye and the biggest irritant for his father, Singh is Bliing features Amy Jackson, Lara Dutta and Kay Kay Menon in the lead, in addition to the man in the spotlight Akshay Kumar. Directed by Prabhu Deva, the movie is the second venture of the actor-director jodi and will air at 6pm. Promising the audience an extra dose of laughter, Singh is Kinng will air at 9pm. A 101% Shuddh Comedy film by Anees Bazmee, Singh is Kinng features Katrina Kaif in the lead along with Neha Dhupia, Sonu Sood, Jaaved Jaafery and Kirron Kher. The movie narrates the gimmicks of Happy who is sent to Australia to bring the underworld don Lucky back to his hometown.

  • ‘Baalveer Returns’ to bridge quality gap between TV and OTT: Sony Sab’s Neeraj Vyas

    ‘Baalveer Returns’ to bridge quality gap between TV and OTT: Sony Sab’s Neeraj Vyas

    MUMBAI: Sony Sab is aiming to reduce the quality gap between channels and OTT platform with the launch of its new show Baalveer Returns. Baalveer Returns is the first show from Sony Pictures Network India which is digital-first. The show will be streamed on Sony LIV at 9 am for paid subscribers and it will be telecast on Sony Sab at 8 pm from 10 September.  

    Sony SAB, PAL and Sony MAX movie cluster business head Neeraj Vyas said, “Television today is competing with OTT which essentially is about binge-watch, less number of episodes and the quality that they deliver will also be a challenge for TV to match. But this one show will be bridging the quality gap. The show will go a long way in enhancing the perception of the channel and the brand even more than what it is.”

    For the past few weeks, Sony Sab has been consistently seen at number 2 or 3 in the top 10 Hindi GEC channels list of BARC India ratings. With the launch of the new show, the channel expects that its efforts and time taken in creating ‘Baalveer Returns’ gets transformed into ratings.

    However, Vyas is of the view that more than ratings, the attempt is to get people to take note of the quality.

    The channel is also elated that even in a post-NTO world, subscribers have decided to pay Rs 15 for Sony Sab. "Ratings is one reality but it is not the only reality which means we have to work on the quality of the product that we deliver day in and day out," he said.

    Giving more details into the show, Vyas said, “Baalveer is not just a show, it’s a legend! Years ago, when we showcased Baalveer on Sony SAB, it quickly gained a huge fan following. We are expecting this fan following to become bigger than ever with the launch of Baalveer Returns. This show is a true example of fantasy done right. With cutting edge VFX which will delight, stunt work that will boggle the mind and performances that will move, Baalveer Returns is going to be an epic adventure that audiences are sure to fall in love with. With a universal theme of Good vs. Evil, the show will appeal to everyone – young and old alike and is a true representation of the kind of content Sony SAB is appreciated for – values driven and with a heart. The show fits beautifully with our commitment to provide happiness and we believe it has got all the ingredients to become a massive hit.”

    Sony Pictures Networks CEO NP Singh said, “Sab is in its fifteenth year now. In April 2004 we re-launched SAB after the acquisition of the channel as Sony SAB. I am very proud and satisfied as it is one of the most stable channels in the genre. For the last couple of months, SAB has been in the top three channels.”

    He further said, “A new fresh energised SAB is something that we are showcasing now, from being a comedy channel it has now become a channel for family. After the NTO implementation SAB’s audiences have remained loyal to the channel and our subscriber numbers are also increasing month on month. With the launch of Baalveer Returns, it is expected to grow further. Time spent on the channel has grown dramatically. People not only subscribe to it but also watch it on a regular basis which is reflecting when the ratings come."

    SonyLIV Digital Business business Head Uday Sodhi commented, “We are excited to bring this iconic show to our digital viewers in India on our OTT platform. For the first time ever, Baalveer Returns will be available on SonyLIV a few hours prior to its televised broadcast to all premium subscribers. This is an innovation to get the mobile-first audience to watch the show and add to the excitement that the show offers. SonyLIV has always been a frontrunner in streaming relatable content to its viewers and this is our endeavour in that direction.”

    Optimystix Entertainment founding chairman & MD Vipul D Shah said, “Baalveer Returns has been produced such that it revolutionises the way people watch fantasy dramas on television. Besides the new cast, a lot of effort has gone into designing the costumes and the sets, so that we provide a thrilling, edge-of-the-seat, visual treat to the viewers. The fans are in for a real extravaganza! Besides the look and feel of the show, a lot of fine work has gone into the scripting which will get the fans hooked on to the show and we hope to receive the same love & approval they have shown before.”

  • Main Kuch Bhi Kar Sakti Hoon introduces new vocabulary on family planning

    Main Kuch Bhi Kar Sakti Hoon introduces new vocabulary on family planning

    MUMBAI: Population Foundation of India’s TV show Main Kuch Bhi Kar Sakti Hoon has introduced a new vocabulary for people to talk about difficult and taboo topics like family planning and contraception. The “Mast Pitara” or the Carefree treasure chest denotes the basket of contraceptives available for couples to delay or space births. It changes family planning messages often associated with embarrassment or clinical detachment into a way of life, closely interlinked with a loving relation between couples.

    The ‘mast pitara’ in Main Kuch Bhi Kar Sakti Hoon especially emphasises on temporary methods of contraception including oral contraceptive pills, injectables, condoms, and intrauterine devices. Government data shows that in India, the burden of family planning falls on women with female sterilisations comprising over 75% of the modern contraceptive methods used. opting for as a means of family planning. By popularising the various options available to couples, the Mast Pitara demonstrates how couples can be mast or without worry by adopting a contraceptive method most suited to them.

    Population Foundation of India Executive Director Poonam Muttreja said, “For a society that considers sex and contraception to be taboo topics, the Mast Pitara is a means for people to engage openly in conversations about family planning, and not feel embarassed to seek proper health information from service providers.”

    The show Main Kuch Bhi Kar Sakti Hoon is an initiative by the Population Foundation of India to increase awareness and change behaviours among people on family planning and women’s empowerment issues. Apart from the television programme that follows the entertainment education approach, the show also has extensions on an Interactive Voice Response System, community radio, digital media and on-ground outreach.

    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 has proven to be one of the flagship programmes on the national broadcaster with several repeat telecasts, dubbed and telecast in 13 Indian languages and aired on 216 AIR stations across the country. Season 3 of the show has been produced with support from REC Foundation and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

    Population Foundation of India (PFI) is a national NGO, which promotes and advocates for the effective formulation and implementation of gender sensitive population, health and development strategies and policies. PFI addresses population issues within the larger discourse of empowering women and men, so that they are able to take informed decisions related to their fertility, health and well-being.

  • Zee Cinemalu celebrates 3 years of undisputed entertainment

    Zee Cinemalu celebrates 3 years of undisputed entertainment

    Over the years, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited’s Zee Cinemalu celebrates yet another year of entertaining its Telugu Cinema lovers as the channel completes three years on 4th September. Launched by the Megastar Chiranjeevi, who unveiled the logo, Zee Cinemalu began its journey with ‘Dil Pai Super Hit’ as its brand tagline and became the first movie channel to introduce the concept of World Television Premieres, giving a fresh offering to movie lovers. Zee Cinemalu scattering to 50.8 Million viewers week on week in AP & TS. Zee Cinemalu’s strength continues to lie on its archive of movies for the younger generation.

    Zee Cinemalu gained the highest ever ratings achieved by any movie channel in the Hyderabad market with BARC India ratings of 416 GRPs in wk22’19, scoring a milestone of 300 GRPs in Urban in the same week. This sets a new benchmark in the television industry as the only Telugu movie channel to achieve this feat. The channel witnessed a growth of 26% and moved from 148 in FY18 to 186 in FY19 and has seen a growth of 31% in FY 20 and moved from 186 in FY19 to 243 GRP’s in FY20 in Urban.

    The channel has been entertaining audiences with evergreen hits and with latest titles in various genres like Family, Drama, Comedy, Horror and Thriller. In the process, Zee Cinemalu has successfully occupied a special space in the hearts of all Telugu audience across the state. The Zee Cinemalu HD variant launched on December 31, 2017 continues to deliver the best viewing experience enabled with this technology to their ardent viewer.

    Commenting on the 3rd year anniversary, Anuradha Gudur, Business Head, Zee Telugu and Zee Cinemalu has said, “A successful 3-year feat of having set unparalleled standards in the industry is definitely our highlight for the year. We are pleased with the growth that reflects our efforts in developing the channel only further. At Zee Cinemalu we are always looking at newer avenues to keep our audiences engaged. On this truly momentous occasion, we reiterate our commitment to offering only best in class entertainment that will be loved by Telugu audiences”.

  • Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century fox leads to employee layoffs: Report

    Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century fox leads to employee layoffs: Report

    MUMBAI: Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox has again led to more employee layoffs. Disney has laid off nearly 60 employees within its media distribution division, according to a Variety report.

    Fox TV Distribution worldwide marketing executive vice president Greg Drebin and 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment worldwide marketing and strategy senior vice president Jennifer Chai are being counted among the affected ones. Drebin was promoted from SVP to EVP of Worldwide Marketing last year.

    A few days after Disney’s $71.3 billion acquisition of Fox’s entertainment and studio assets was completed, 20th Century Fox TV distribution president Mark Kaner was let go. After the closure of the deal, the distribution department was hit by the first round of layoffs.

    Earlier in August, another round of layoffs was executed where a large number of employees have been let go from both sides. Visual effects head  John Kilkenny, feature production executive VP Fred Baron, physical production executive VP Dana Belcastro and post-production executive VP Fred Chandler are among the executives who have received pink slips on the Fox side.

  • Colors to premiere new show ‘Vidya’ on Sept 9

    Colors to premiere new show ‘Vidya’ on Sept 9

    MUMBAI: Viacom 18's Hindi GEC Colors is all set to premiere a new show ‘Vidya’ from September 9, Monday to Friday at 7 pm. The show is produced by Mahesh Pandey and Meera Deosthale, Namish Taneja and Waqar Sheikh will be seen in the lead role.

    A for Apil, B for Baal, C for Cau! Though it sounds strange and amusing, this is what Vidya will teach in her ‘Englisss’ class.Contrary to her name, Vidya is an illiterate army widow who gets a compensatory government job as an English teacher. But while it is an unfamiliar language to her, she gathers all the courage and strength to teach English, incorrectly at first but gradually learns and overshadows her weakness. COLORS new social drama offering Vidya will not only take the viewers back to school but also generate spurts of laughter through Vidya’s linguistic quirks and innocence.

    Set against Devgarh, a small village in Uttar Pradesh, the show brings to fore Vidya’s apprehensions and struggles as she steps into the role of a school teacher to financially support her family after her husband’s demise. In the process, she has an encounter with the Pradhan of the village (played by Waqar Sheikh) who poses as a big hindrance in her outing. As she goes along in her journey, Vidya discovers many loopholes in her school and the overarching education system. There is only one person, district magistrate Vivek Vardhan Singh (played by Namish Taneja), who recognizes Vidya’s efforts and acts as her support. Ultimately, she not only ends up winning over her personal struggles but also pins down the people plaguing the education system. As life throws curveballs at her, Vidya keeps overcoming them with her spirit and wit while entertaining the audience along the way.

    Viacom18 Hindi Mass Entertainment and Kids TV network Head Nina Jaipuria said, “COLORS has been a pioneer in presenting strong and socially relevant concepts that have changed the entertainment landscape of our country. Along with unique storylines, we have successfully created characters which have left an everlasting mark on the minds of the Indian audience. With Vidya, our attempt is to give viewers, yet another relatable character, who will entertain them with her interesting nuances and idiosyncrasies. Vidya’s journey from being an innocent uneducated widow to a resilient woman will add the right amount of freshness and fun to our existing fiction lineup.”

    Viacom18 Hindi Mass Entertainment Chief Content Officer Manisha Sharma said, “We live in a society wherein people are quick to pass judgments about each other basis their language skills. But there are very few who try to correct them or motivate them to learn better. Vidya is a quirky take on many such moments that we experience in our life through the perspective of an illiterate teacher with the same name. She faces criticism and disparagement, but she tides over them and turns her weakness into her strength to become an English teacher.”

    Producer Mahesh Pandey, said, “I hail from a small town in UP and have witnessed how education is still a major concern in these villages. A lot has been spoken of when it comes to our education system, but it’s us who have failed to address these challenges and help spread awareness about illiteracy. Therefore, to bring to light a topic of great importance, Vidya was conceptualized. A strong lady, conscious about her challenges but has the determination to overcome them, she will not only self- educate herself but will also fight the people who are corrupting the system and at the same time, change it.”

  • Sony SAB partners with TikTok for its new show ‘Tera Kya Hoga Alia’

    Sony SAB partners with TikTok for its new show ‘Tera Kya Hoga Alia’

    MUMBAI: Sony SAB has partnered with TikTok for an exciting product placement for their upcoming show ‘Tera Kya Hoga Alia’. This one-of-a kind marketing initiative will see Sony SAB creatively integrating TikTok into the story to produce content that is extremely relatable to the masses. The association is aimed towards making the character of Alia, the protagonist of the show, more relatable to the viewers, with the use of TikTok, considering its popularity across the country especially in many of India’s small towns, like Agra where the story of the show is based. 

    Alia (Anusha Mishra) although a small-town girl is extremely social media savvy, staying up to date with all the current trends. Keeping this key characteristic in mind, Sony SAB has seamlessly integrated TikTok in the storyline to showcase Alia’s love for selfies and making TikTok videos. In fact, in the show the character is also addressed as TikTok wali and her abode as ‘TikTok wali ka ghar’. This integration will be in effect from the first episode of the show itself and Alia will be the first Indian television character to have her own TikTok account.

    Tera Kya Hoga Alia is set in the beautiful city of Agra and revolves around the life of an overprotective bubbly lady, Alia. While Alia was once the diva of Agra, she loses control of her weight post pregnancy, eventually leading her to be insecure about her extremely fit and handsome husband, Alok. The show premiered on Sony SAB on 27th August at 10 PM.

  • Zee Telugu’s Zee Heroes – Episode 4, Happy ‘Pool’ Stunt

    Zee Telugu’s Zee Heroes – Episode 4, Happy ‘Pool’ Stunt

    Zee Telugu’s latest show Zee Heroes witnesses breathtaking stunts that keep viewers at the edge of their seats as last week’s tasks had gone several notches higher. As the tasks in the competition gets tougher, the ability and courage of the contestants get challenged at every stage. An amalgamation of thrill, adventure, courage, reality, entertainment and a whole lot of fear, Zee Heroes goes on-air every Sunday at 9:00 PM only on Zee Telugu and Zee Telugu HD.

    As a sneak peek to the next episode in the wilderness of Thailand, 10 daredevils perform a nerve- wracking stunt in a pool, and the team that completes the task in the least amount of the time is the winner.

    The end of every episode will witness a face-off task, and the winner of this task will be elected as Garuda contender. This week Milind and Samrat will fight for the title of Garuda contender and the Garuda winner would earn the power to save themselves or a friend from elimination.

    To find out more, don’t miss watching Zee Heroes at 9:00 PM every Sunday, only on Zee Telugu and Zee Telugu HD.

  • Sony SAB celebrates ‘Khushiyon Ke Sab Sizes’ with its latest show ‘Tera Kya Hoga Alia’

    Sony SAB celebrates ‘Khushiyon Ke Sab Sizes’ with its latest show ‘Tera Kya Hoga Alia’

    Sony SAB broadens its slate of shows with its exclusive brand-new offering, Tera Kya Hoga Alia. This one-of-a-kind yet highly relatable story traces the insecurities and concerns faced by the protagonist, Alia and showcases the journey of the married couple, Alia and Alok, who were high school sweethearts and now, are teachers in the same school. The couple along with their son, Rohan, will take the viewers through the bustling streets of Agra into their sweet abode in Teacher’s colony, where the bubbly Alia will introduce everyone to her life. The show premiers on Tuesday, 27th August, every Monday to Friday at 10pm on Sony SAB.

    In the series, the key character Alia played by Anusha Mishra, a history teacher, was once crowned as Miss Agra and has devoted everything to her family post marriage. Like a dutiful Indian wife and mother, she puts the needs of her family first at the same time battling weight and confidence issues post pregnancy which has made her very conscious about her physique over time. Alok, played by Harshad Arora is a loyal and a loving husband with charming good looks. He is a fit PT teacher who has no dearth of attention from the ladies. Alia being over protective is always on a look out for the wandering eyes of other women and tries to keep them away from her husband. But what happens when a gorgeous young woman like Taara (Priyanka Purohit), an English teacher from South Delhi, enters their life as a colleague in the same school? How will Alia succeed in her attempts of keeping the ladies, and especially Taara at bay? Will Alok leave Alia for Taara? If so, then ‘Tera Kya Hoga Alia?

    The show has roped in a phenomenal cast comprising of Anusha Mishra, Harshad Arora, Priyanka Purohit, Atharv Sharma, Namrata Pathak, Jhooma Mitra and Smita Singh amongst others.