Category: Regional

Sun TV Network presents ‘Comedy Awards 2014’
MUMBAI: Comedy is an integral part of an average Indian life. Like music, comedy also plays a pertinent role in entertaining the audience. South Indian films have a reputation of creating some of the biggest stalwarts in comedy. Despite its importance, when it comes to rewarding the work done by comedians there has not been much. All film awards will have just one or two categories for comedies. Incidentally music has its own awards as well.

This gap created the idea of coming up with an exclusive comedy awards for South Indian Movies (Tamil, Telugu and Kannada) by the comedy genre channels of Sun TV Network. The network has come up with ‘Comedy Awards 2014,’ a platform to honour all the comedians who performed outstandingly well in the year 2014. There are various categories in which artists will be honored

Comedy awards 2014 – Kannada categories (Udaya Comedy)

1.      Best comedy film of the year

2.       Best comedian of the year – male

3.       Best comedian of the year – female

4.       Best comedy film director

5.       Best comedy song of the year

6.       Best comedy lyrics of the year

7.       Best comedy dialogue of the year

8.       Best comedian in a supporting role

9.       Rising star of the year (comedy genre)

10.   Comedy icon of the year 2014

11.   Lifetime achievement award – comedy entertainer

Comedy Awards 2014 – Telugu categories (Gemini Comedy)

1.       Best comedy film of the year

2.       Best comedian of the year – male

3.       Best comedian of the year – female

4.       Best comedy film director

5.       Best comedy song of the year (lyricist/composer)

6.       Best comedy dialogue of the year

7.       Rising star of the year 2014

8.       Comedy icon of the year 2014

9.       Lifetime contribution for comedy in Telugu cinema

Comedy Awards 2014 – Tamil categories (Aditya)
1. Best comedy film of the year
2. Best comedian of the year – male
3. Best comedian of the year – female
4. Best comedy film director
5. Best light hearted song of the year
6. Best light hearted lyrics of the year
7. Best comedy dialogue of the year
8. Rising star of the year 2014
9. Comedy icon of the year 2014
10. Lifetime comedy entertainer award
Viewers of Adithya, Gemini and Udaya comedy will also have a chance to vote for their favourite comedian through SMS and Ballot boxes that will be kept at various strategic locations across these three states. Besides social media will also be used to amplify the awareness and participation.

‘Comedy Awards’ 2014 will be telecasted on the respective channels on 2 and 3 May 2015. While TVS XL Super HD is the presenting sponsor, Sharon Plywoods, Twin Birds and Ramraj are the associate sponsors.
March 30, 2015
Colors Bangla to launch ‘Great Music Gurukul’ from 13 Apri

KOLKATA: Bengali general entertainment channel (GEC) Colors Bangla (erstwhile ETV Bangla) is all set to launch a non-fiction musical show called Great Music Gurukul. Premiering on 13 April, the show will air every Monday to Wednesday from 9-10 pm.

The development comes in light of the ETV regional general entertainment channels being re-branded as Colors by Viacom18.

On the day of the show’s launch, 32 contestants, who have already proved their mettle, will come together for the year’s biggest musical face-off. Four renowned singers have been roped in as mentors to guide the contestants in their battle to win the show.

The mentors including Hariharan, Kavita Krishnamurthy, Javed Ali and Bengal’s music composer and singer Jeet Ganguly will guide 24 singers, who will make it to the main rounds.

The show has been produced by Frames.

The top 24 will then be selected by the mentors to represent their respective ‘Gharanas’. With elimination each week, the top 10 contestants will be then vying for public votes for the winning title.

Colors Bangla and Colors Odiya channel head Sujay Kutty said, “A musical show that resonates with Bengali music lovers is an apt marker to flag off this journey. Great Music Gurukul is sure to strike a chord amongst Bengali viewers of all ages.”

March 27, 2015
Aakash Aath airs longest crime fiction in regional media space

KOLKATA: Bengali general entertainment channel (GEC) Aakash Aath has already aired 3,000 hours of crime fiction called Police Filez. The channel further said that it is the longest for any regional media to run a show like this one.

The channel has plans to continue the show. What’s more the show is also a part of the channel’s CSR activity as it makes people socially aware and helps them to comprehend and safeguard themselves from such brutal crime.

Police Filez is a real life crime based fiction. Aakash Aath has been covering almost all the crimes that take place and enacts it in the most real format. Stories are shown up till judgment/judgments pending. Police Filez is telecast from Monday to Saturday from 8.30 – 9.30 pm.

“Our Police Filez series is doing very well. It is delivering around 25 per cent of the numbers alone in terms of audience viewership. We are the only one in the regional space to have a show like this. We have made approximately 3,000 hours of crime fiction. We plan to continue the show,” said Aakash Aath director Eshita Surana.

Surana further explains that while there are instances of national TV channels running crime related shows for years, in the Bengal TV space, this is a new development.

The show sometimes depicts gruesome acts. When queried on the purpose behind showing such acts on TV, Surana says, “Judgments are important to be shown as they would make the upcoming crime performers scared of it and this in turn might help in reduction of crime. Newspapers just write about the case on one day and then people don’t get to know what happened to the victim and what its judgment was,” she said.

The show also has a special segment called ‘Dharma Number,’ through which viewers are educated on the punishments that fall under various sections and how they can move towards filing a case and fighting for judgment.

Explaining further on how the channel’s telecast is helping the society, Surana says, “It was just after our telecast that the main culprit was caught in the Kamduni rape case, which has shaken the state.”

Referring to the Pandua Acid Case she adds, “In this case, after the telecast, the victim got monetary help from a viewer for her medical treatment. A show like this helps the masses at times to identify probable crimes before they take place and they can also take precautionary measures, and protect themselves.”

March 23, 2015
Kasthuri TV launches new logo; readies four new shows

MUMBAI: Kannada general entertainment channel (GEC) Kasthuri TV, which was taken over by Whitehorse Network in November 2014 has been undergoing an extensive revamp process.

The channel will be launching its new logo, a day after the auspicious festival of Ugadi on 22 March. This is part of the channel’s ‘New Shows, New Look, New Positioning’ strategy.

The channel’s new logo is being launched in order to enhance its look and feel while keeping its target audience in mind. The happy and smart logo has been designed with the intent of captivating its audience specially women and the youth.

Whitehorse Network CEO P Kailasam said, “Apart from the new programme line-up, we are also working towards changing the look of the channel. Hence, to begin with, we are now going to launch the new channel logo on the auspicious occasion of Ugadi Festival.”

Apart from this, Kasthuri TV has lined up four new shows, which will be launched by mid-April this year. Out of the four shows, there will be two each in the fiction and non-fiction categories. Of the two fiction shows, the first is a women centric daily soap, which focuses on the beautiful relationship between a father and a daughter. The second daily show is a love story that goes through various tests and trials and still stands strong.

Of the non-fiction shows, while the first will solely focus on children’s entertainment, the other will be for older age groups. Kasthuri TV is also in the process of giving a completely new look to its cookery show Kitchen Kamaal, in order to make it appealing to its viewers, especially women.

Earlier this year, the channel had launched seven new shows, both, in fiction and non-fiction categories. All shows aired during weekday prime time slots. Additionally, there are also a number of category-A movies, which are being telecast every weekend on Saturday at prime time and on Sunday at 4 pm.

March 21, 2015
Viacom18 unveils new channel identity of Colors Marathi

MUMBAI: On the occasion of Gudi Padwa – the Marathi New Year, Viacom18 has unveiled the new channel identity of Colors Marathi, the channel based on cultural ethos of Maharashtra.

This is a part of the recent announcement by Viacom18 on expanding its portfolio by rebranding five ETV regional general entertainment channels under the Colors brand name. The foray was flagged off by Colors Marathi in a star-studded Gudi Padwa extravaganza on 20 March, 2015 by revealing the channel’s new identity.

The change will be brought alive on 22 March, 2015 by airing the visual extravaganza – the Marathi International Film and Theatre Awards (MICTA), an event that saw the best in Marathi film and theatre celebrate the success of the industry in Dubai.

The entertainment quotient will further be upped with the launch of three new show premiering on 23 March namely, Amchya Gharat Soon Bai Joraat at 6.30 pm, Majha Hoshil Ka at 9.30 pm and Sakhi at 10 pm.

Colors Marathi business head Anuj Poddar said, “We are truly excited about this new chapter and are looking forward to doing what we do best – to bring great quality content and entertainment to millions of our Marathi viewers. We hope that the audiences will continue to enjoy our shows. I am hopeful that this will be a key milestone in the continuing growth of the Marathi entertainment industry and take the entire Marathi TV entertainment industry to much greater heights.”

Speaking on the new shows marking the start of the channel’s new journey, Colors Marathi content head Sanjay Upadhyay said, “The new journey of Colors Marathi is a great milestone for us and we will continue to redefine the television viewing experience for your viewers. The three new shows that are set to launch are all unique and address the varying needs of our audiences. Hope that our viewers make these engaging and entertaining show a part of their daily lives.”

March 21, 2015
Sun TV slams reports about stake sell to Reliance Industries

MUMBAI: Kalanithi Maran owned Sun TV network has slammed media reports suggesting a possible sell out to Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries Limited (RIL).

As was reported earlier by Indiantelevision.com, media reports published on 20 March, 2015 claimed a possible takeover of Sun TV by Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) and the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) had sought clarification from both the companies, which are listed on the bourse.

Responding to the clarification notice from BSE, Sun Group CFO SL Narayanan said, “There is absolutely no truth in the news report that Sun TV is considering a stake sale.”

Echoing the same, RIL in its reply to the BSE has said, “We wish to state that there is no truth in what a website in question has chosen to write. Do please note that the reporter did not ask us about the facts.”

In a notice to both, BSE had earlier in the day said, “The Exchange has sought clarification from Sun TV Network Ltd and RIL with respect to news article appearing on ET Now on 20 March, 2015 titled “Tehelka reports – RIL considering acquiring Sun TV, RIL officials meeting at Chennai office to work out deal & deal in works for last 3 months.”

March 20, 2015
BSE seeks clarification from Sun TV following media reports of RIL buy out

MUMBAI: It was on 20 March 2015, that a media house published a speculative report stating possibilities of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) taking over Kalanithi Maran’s Sun TV Network.

Last year, RIL had shocked the media industry by taking over one of India’s largest media companies – Network18.

The report further claims senior officials of RIL holding numerous meetings in Sun TV’s Chennai office to work the deal out.

Mukesh Ambani led Reliance Industries, which already has made its foray into the media sector by Network18’s acquisition, if at all takes over Sun TV, will put a huge question mark on the credibility and freedom of media.

Following the developments, the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) has sought for a clarification from both Sun TV and RIL.

In a notice to both, BSE has said, “The Exchange has sought clarification from Sun TV Network Ltd with respect to news article appearing on ET Now on 20 March, 2015 titled “Tehelka reports – RIL considering acquiring Sun TV, RIL officials meeting at Chennai office to work out deal & deal in works for last 3 months.”

The reply from both the parties is awaited.

March 20, 2015
Zee Tamil dons fresh look; lines up new content offering

MUMBAI: Zee Tamil is all set to don a fresh look and feel with its new packaging, which is aligned with its new content offering.

The channel’s refreshed logo reflects the colour of Manjal (turmeric) and Kunkumam (kum kum), the two most auspicious colours and symbols in Tamil Nadu. The channel has positioned itself as people’s favourite channel with the new positioning statement “Ithu Namma Channel” (It is Our Channel).

At the content level, new programmes include entertaining game shows, serials as well as reality and star-studded shows. The channel has recently launched two new serials namely Lakshmi Vanthachu and Annakodiyum Ainthu Pengalum in tune with the new positioning.

The new upcoming serials will have differential and aspirational storylines appealing to the entire family. A new format game show Genes, is slated to launch in April. This will be the first of its kind show in Tamil GECs where celebrities play the game along with their relations. The show will be anchored by Suma, the most popular anchor in Telugu television, who is making her foray into Tamil Nadu market through this show.

Tamil Nadu being a film market, movies play a key role in contributing to the overall television viewership. Zee Tamil has also expanded its movie library with the acquisition of blockbusters like Vikram Prabhu’s Vellaikara Durai, Kamal Haasan’s Uthama Villain, critically acclaimed Kayal and Sidharth’s Enakul Oruvan.

Elaborating on the need for the new look, Zee Tamil business head Easwaran said, “Understanding the pulse of Tamil Nadu has been the strength of Zee Tamil. Every few years, a new set of audience come into television. The challenge lies in embracing the new audience into the existing one. The aim is to capture the hearts and minds of Tamil Nadu in its entirety and to make Zee Tamil the most watched general entertainment channel in Tamil Nadu.”

March 18, 2015
Star Pravah presents ‘Chaitra Chahul 2015: Navya Natyanchi Navi Gudhi’

MUMBAI: Gudhi Padva, which is one of the three and a half auspicious days for Maharashtrians, marks the beginning of their New Year. This festival is an integral part of Marathi culture. On this special occasion, Star Pravah has specially brought for its viewers, a celebration which will boost their festive spirit. ‘Chaitra Chahul 2015: Navya Natyanchi Navi Gudhi’ will put a super-duper spectacle by showcasing the glorious Marathi culture, for its viewers. The exclusive telecast of this show will be on Gudhi Padva Day i.e. 21 March at 8 pm on Star Pravah.

Chaitra Chahul 2015 is a show conceived on the core thought of ‘Sanskruti Sobat Pragati,’ which every Marathi family will be proud to witness. Maharashtrians celebrate Gudhi Padva by hoisting a Gudhi outside their house to welcome the New Year. As the whole Maharashtra celebrates, Star Pravah will celebrate the evening of New Year day that will ignite Marathi pride and honor. Chaitra Chahul will take every Maharashtrian down the memory lane exploring his roots and values, underlining what they signify in today’s times. It will be the biggest entertainment show saluting Marathi customs, rituals, traditions, attire, jewellery and music as they all amalgamate on one platform.

While this is the maiden year of Chaitra Chahul, the hallmark of this event will be Pravah Ratna awards. Star Pravah will honor senior and rising stars in the Marathi space by felicitating them with ‘Pravah Ratna Puraskar’ for their noteworthy contribution in the fields of Theatre, Cinema, Journalism, Social Work, Television and Public Service. Star Pravah believes that this venerable initiative will inspire and motivate people to excel in their respective spheres in the society.

Star India official spokesperson said, “On Gudhi Padva day, Star Pravah is proud to present Chaitra Chahul 2015, an evening full of fun and entertainment for the entire family. We wish to celebrate this Gudhi Padva with our viewers, where our characters will entertain them and aim to become a part of every Marathi household. We are also delighted to have in our midst, some of the best talent in Marathi film and television industry and felicitate them with the Pravah Ratna awards, for their contribution to the industry. Star Pravah takes this opportunity to wish all its viewers a very happy Gudhi Padva.”

Over the years many artists from Marathi cinema and television industry have made remarkable contributions to protect, preserve and enhance Marathi culture. Hosting this very talent on Chaitra Chahul platform can be termed as path breaking success for Star Pravah. The entire family of Star Pravah, including the characters and team, are really proud and excited to present the celebration of ‘Marathiness’. Similarly, every Maharashtrian will feel honored and proud to witness this superlative event of Chaitra Chahul on Star Pravah.

March 16, 2015
Zee Marathi extends its prime time with ‘Dil Dosti Duniyadaari’

MUMBAI: Zee Marathi will add muscle to its programming line-up by extending the prime time slot to 10.30 pm with the launch of Dil Dosti Duniyadaari. This new offering targeted at the young generation of Maharashtra, is about six youngsters who discover friendship, family, love and life together under the same roof in Mumbai. The show is produced by Sanjay Jadhav’s production Dreaming Twenty Four Seven.

This differential offering has been promoted on the channel and through cross channel promotions. The campaign focuses on the ‘fun element’ amongst friends and the off-air and on-air campaign has reiterated this communication thought. The off-air has been largely driven through social media and outdoors. The outdoor campaign has been planned strategically in college areas apart from the Marathi speaking areas. Focused primarily in Mumbai and Pune but with presence in other markets of Maharashtra it includes not just billboards but also heavy use of transit media like bus shelters, bus panels and railway platform boards especially.

Another key innovation in the campaign has been the association with Café Coffee Day across 34 outlets at college zones and popular shopping zones in Maharashtra. The association would see branding at CCD outlets apart from a specially crafted combo meal for six christened as the Dil Dosti DuniyadaariCombo.

The social media campaign has been designed to target the 15-30 year old netizen with interesting viral videos shot specifically for the medium introducing the six protagonists of the show in a comic and entertaining way. Promotions pan across the official Zee Marathi Facebook page and on the Zee Marathi YouTube channel. Promotions on Whatsapp are also on the anvil post launch. The viral videos have received a positive response and are trending.

Zee Marathi business head Deepak Rajadhyaksha said, “The extension of the prime time was a natural progression as we aim to raise the bar in the regional space and look to further consolidate our position in the Maharashtra market. The show at this slot is designed to target the younger generation. The characters in the show are very relatable to the youth as they all portray various facets of this generation like fun-loving, smart, caring, responsible, ambitious youngsters with a streak of craziness in all of them. It portrays how friendship plays a vital role in your transition from being a dependent to an independent person. Where one finds a vital support system in their friends and they become your extended family. Dil Dosti Duniydaari will help us connect better with the youth as they will have an offering to call their own and also help us prepare an audience for the future.”

March 10, 2015