ITV

Category: Regional

  • Colors Tamil to present world TV premiere of ‘Vanam’ on 3 April

    Colors Tamil to present world TV premiere of ‘Vanam’ on 3 April

    Mumbai: Colors Tamil has announced the world TV premiere of the film “Vanam” on 3 April at 4 p.m.

    Directed by Srikantan Anand, this film features Vetri Sudley, Anu Sithara, and Smruthi Venkat in lead roles.

    “’Vanam’ attempts to send an underlying message of protecting the environment,” said director Srikantan Anand. “Despite being only four films old, Vetri has performed phenomenally well, along with the rest of the cast. I am glad that the movie is going to premiere on Colors Tamil, making the weekend enjoyable for the audiences while also leaving them with a lingering thought.”

    “Shooting Vanam was a different experience altogether since I had to shoot in a forest, and it is not easy making a film in this genre,” said actor Vetri Sudley. “We had to shoot in cramped spaces and had to be cautious about not damaging props. Furthermore, filming at the college filled me with immense nostalgia, reminding me of my college days. I am excited for the film to premiere on Colors Tamil, and I am certain that it will be well received by the television audience like it was in theatres.”

  • Sidharth TV Network hands over sales mandate to Whitepixel and GapBox

    Sidharth TV Network hands over sales mandate to Whitepixel and GapBox

    Mumbai: Oriya entertainment Group Sidharth TV Network has mandated Whitepixel and GapBox to handle its sales operations. Founded by Namita Agrawalla and Sitaram Agrawalla, Sidharth TV has four channels, namely, Sidharth TV (GEC), Sidharth Bhakti (devotional) Sidharth Gold (film), Jay Jaganath (niche channel on Lord Jaganath).

    Sidharth TV has been around for nearly four decades, bringing a range of premium entertainment content to the viewers across formats and genres including reality shows, dramas, events, comedies, game shows, dance shows, and others. It was founded by Namita Agrawal, renowned playback singer and a household name across Odisha, and her husband Sitaram Agrawalla who has been a known name in the entertainment business across TV, FM, music and movies. The channel was subsequently sold to Zee TV Group after which it became Sarthak TV. After a buy back last year, Sidharth TV Network returned to the field with the Sidharth TV platform on digital and now on satellite.

    Odisha is a rapidly rising market in the entertainment, music, and devotional content arenas, with an estimated audience size of over 45 million. The state’s entertainment preferences are dominated by its rich musical and religious past. Devotional programs, talent hunt shows, and serials that depict the cultural aspect are among the most demanded genres.

    “We have been in the field of creating artistic and engaging content for the Odia audiences for nearly four decades now. We had earlier established Sarthak TV which became a household name and was later acquired by Zee TV,” says Sidharth TV Network head-operations Bibhuti Bhusan Mishra.

    “We have also built a strong presence in the the digital entertainment field with 23 YouTube channels across devotion, music, entertainment, and other popular verticals with combined followership of 22 million subscribers. With Sidharth TV, Sidharth Gold, and Sidharth Bhakti, we are aiming to bring the best in entertainment, cinema, and devotional content to Odia viewers. We have entrusted our sales duties to Whitepixel and GapBox and look forward to using their expertise,” he adds.

    Whitepixel co-founder Abdul Aziz points out, “Sidharth TV, Sidharth Gold, and Sidharth Bhakti are platforms that have created a humongous bank of premium Odia content across genres. They have some of the best entertainment shows, TV serials, music and devotion programming depicting the salient features of Odia culture and heritage. We are keen to leverage our media sales, marketing, and advertising outreach to take this content to every viewer across the state and beyond.”

    “Whether it is the highly popular serials such as ‘Mangula Kanya’, and ‘Aparajita’, or reality shows such as ‘Sampurna Laxmi’ (based on the high-rooted traditions of Orissa), talent hunt reality show ‘Tike dance tike acting’ judged by three cine stars, or upcoming singing reality show ‘Odisha nua Swara Junior,’ we as a channel leave no stone unturned in delighting the viewers. We understand the pulse of the market and consumer sentiments very well,” states Sidharth TV Network head –sales Rabindranath Padhy.

    Sidharth Gold has over 100+classic odia movies along with 300+ jatras (Odia street palys), and the Sidharth Bhakti channel has 20 new devotional shows providing a daily dose of spirituality and devotion to the masses.

    “As India’s leading branded content/infomercial (DRTV) agency, we have been successful in establishing links between brands and communities. We believe in building modern brands that foster a rich cultural heritage. This is where Sidharth TV comes across as a perfect partner,” shares GapBox founder Srinivas. “They have built a network that has Odisha’s rich cultural heritage, practices and devotional depth at its core. The network also caters to all popular entertainment genres in vogue among the audience today. It is a joy to work with such a valued brand and bring about a transformation in Odia language entertainment industry, and we look forward to a long-term association with them.”

  • Colors Tamil announces reality game show ‘Pottikku Potti’

    Colors Tamil announces reality game show ‘Pottikku Potti’

    Mumbai: Colors Tamil has announced the premiere of its new reality game show “Pottikku Potti: R U Ready?” The show will premiere on 3 April starting at 7 p.m and then from 9 April every Saturday and Sunday at 8 p.m.

    The show’s league format will pit prominent Colors Tamil artistes against each other amidst several challenges. The show features TV anchor, commentator Bhavana Balakrishnan as the host. She was previously the host for the show “Dance Versus Dance’ season 2.  Popular choreographer Baba Bhaskar will play the role of ‘super audience’ whose vote coupled with the audience’s votes will be added to the tally which will determine the last team standing.

    The show is centered around a task mechanism with artistes like actors Kushboo Sundar, Reshma Muralidharan, Madan, Darshini, among many others from the channel’s popular shows are split into two groups. The teams will have to pull the lever of the machine four times which suggests a task at the end of each spin. The players will then have to execute the command which includes dance performances, songs, quizzes, or other fun activities. The game concludes when each team completes its set of tasks. The one with the highest score will be declared the winner over the course of the show.

    “We are thrilled to announce the launch of our brand-new non-fiction reality game show, ‘Pottikku Potti: R U Ready?’,” said Colors Tamil business head Rajaraman S. “With this show, we strive to celebrate the diversity of our channel by bringing all of Colors Tamil Artistes under one roof. All our previous flagship non-fiction shows, like ‘Dance vs Dance’ season 2, have been phenomenal successes and we are certain that ‘Pottikku Potti’ will also scale new heights in the non-fiction space. Besides, with this show, we aim to keep our promise of delivering entertainment to our audiences in the form of quality programs.”

  • Creativity is major factor behind the popularity of ‘Memsaab No 1’: Makers

    Creativity is major factor behind the popularity of ‘Memsaab No 1’: Makers

    Mumbai: Bhojpuri GEC Zee Ganga’s non-scripted reality show “Memsaab No 1” recently garnered a lot of attention from the audience owing to its unique concept and novel presentation. The latest season of the show is steadily growing in its viewership and has received a thundering welcome from the audience since its launch on 17 January. A marquee property of the regional channel, the tenth season of “Memsaab No 1” has successfully engaged audiences and increased viewership on a week-on-week basis.

    After nine successful seasons, the channel revamped the show for its latest turn. With this strategic move, Zee Ganga has tried to break the monotony and come up with exclusive content to capture the audience’s attention. 

    Speaking about the show’s brand new concept, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd’s (Zeel) chief channel officer for Bhojpuri cluster Amarpreet Singh Saini says the latest season of the show is a giant creative leap in both formatting as well as in content delivery. “Zee Ganga is for a renewed Bhojpuri mindset seeking a high degree of novelty and creativity in its originals,” he remarks.

    On the format of the show

    Saini explains that the show’s new format focuses on three critical parameters of evaluation. This includes areas like personal identity, family identity, and social identity that make a woman complete. The tenth season of “Memsaab No 1” is launched with a creative concept of ‘Chalni Ke Chalal Babuni,’ which is a hunt for showcasing ‘Sarvagunn Sampann’ character of a woman in the current scenario.

    The core format of the show displays interpersonal dynamics, conflicts, relationships, and power plays. The participants are judged at various levels and different types of tasks are given to them, which facilitate deciding on their talents and capabilities. In the process of performing the tasks, the participants are groomed in a manner, which makes them an ideal candidate for winning the title of ‘Memsaab No 1.’ Undoubtedly, the show is providing an intense engagement and portrays the real personality of the participants.

    “This exciting hunt for Sarv Gunn Sampann Babuni, spanned across 13 weeks where the contestants are tested over three stages filled with terrific tasks,” Saini further says. “This true test of their all-round development sees their identity skills (Shubh Mangal Saavdhan, Tip Top Babuni, Rasoi Ki Rani), family identity skills (Aamdani Athani Kharcha Rupaiya, Neg Jog Ke Lekha, Saas Bahu Ke Sangam, Suno Sasoor Ji ) and lastly, the third and final stage – social identity skill (Maai Ka Anchara, Jaagruk Babuni) which makes todays’ woman a complete woman.”

    Catering to the younger audience

    Filmlion Production India’s director and producer Harsha Khanna says Zee Ganga desired to have a major twist in the tail in the latest season of “Memsaab No 1.” The channel wanted to experiment with the format of the show and approached her to plan for a complete makeover. From a simple studio-based set-up focusing on dance and quizzes, the programme has been turned into a hardcore reality show where 16 unmarried girls started showcasing their talent on Bhojpuri television.

    Khanna points out that from Monday to Wednesday, the reality episodes are telecasted and on Thursday, there is the gala round where the contestants get eliminated based on their score. The participants having the lowest scores get evicted.

    She says that the channel is trying to attract a younger audience by bringing reformation and innovation to the show. The viewership is expected to grow in the future as the show is based on ‘sanskar’ and typically focuses on Indian cultural values. 

    “We are looking at a decent rise of 20-25 per cent in the viewership,” Khanna points out.

    It is observed that the channel is witnessing significant growth in viewership during primetime between 6-7 p.m. Referring to the recent data by the Broadcast Audience Research Council (Barc) India, Saini also mentions that “Memsaab No 1” is currently achieving growth on a week-on-week basis. “It’s this complete viewer-centric novel presentation that has led to ‘Memsaab No 1’ achieving a staggering opening of 74 per cent slot jump with 88 per cent reach in growth and 15 per cent jump in time spent over pre four weeks, and on week-on-week, it has witnessed 85 per cent viewership growth in its second week and 112 per cent growth in its third week and more than millions of viewers are watching the show every week which is giving a thumping verdict of viewer engagement to the new format,” he says.

    Saini asserts that the new format of “Memsaab No 1” has received support from advertisers. The segments like personal care, home hygiene, beverages (mostly tea brands) and chocolates are the top categories that are contributing maximum to the top line, and Ultratech cement, Adani fortune and Eyetex Dazller are on-boarded as sponsors of “Memsaab No 1.” “Over the years Bhojpuri category has seen a significant increase in presence of established national brands along with regional ones,” Saini tells.

    Season 10 of “Memsaab No 1” was premiered on Zee Ganga on 17 January and has 65 episodes, which include both semi finale and finale. It is on air from Monday to Friday and is hosted by the Bhojpuri actor Pradeep Pandey (Chintu). 

    The show has a prominent presence of celebrities like Rinku Ghosh, Pakhi Hegde, ChamkiBhauji (Rekha Singh), Kajal Raghwani, Rani Chaterjee, Nissar Khan, and Puspa Verma in various capacities like judge, co-host, inspires, and promoters.

  • Viacom18 to premiere ‘Neer Dose’ on Colors Kannada and Voot Select

    Viacom18 to premiere ‘Neer Dose’ on Colors Kannada and Voot Select

    Mumbai: Viacom18 Network’s broadcast channel Colors Kannada and digital platform Voot Select will premiere the Kannada film “Neer Dose” on 31 March. 

    The comedy film will premiere digitally on Voot Select, followed by the world TV premiere on Colors Kannada.

    “Neer Dose” explores the challenge of narrating the life of a sex worker who forges unexpected but meaningful and selfless friendships with a crematorium van driver and a retired man. 

    The film features veteran talents such as HG Dattatreya, Jaggesh, Hariprriya and Suman Ranganathan in the lead roles.

    “I have seen sex workers closely and that has helped me in narrating the character of Hariprriya in this movie,” said director Vijaya Prasad. “I am so excited about the OTT release of the film as the demand of mass audiences for the film is finally being addressed by Voot Select. I can say that the same baby is born twice.”  

  • PTC Network’s Digital Film Festival and Awards conclude

    PTC Network’s Digital Film Festival and Awards conclude

    Mumbai: PTC Network’s two-days long Digital Film Festival and Awards concluded in Chandigarh on Sunday. The event, which commenced on 25 March with the screening of some very creative digital feature films by PTC Network, was inaugurated by actors Gurpreet Ghuggi and Dev Kharoud.

    On the first day, PTC Network’s thought-provoking full-length feature film “Seeto Marjani” was premiered. Apart from this, four short digital films were also screened. Film enthusiasts turned in huge numbers to watch special screenings.

    “We are proud to be a medium which provides opportunities to local film-making talent in Punjab. They no longer have to run to Mumbai to make a film or to be part of a feature film,” commented PTC Network MD and president Rabindra Narayan. “We are doing what local governments have failed to do over the years. Finally, Punjabi artists find work and showcase their talent in Punjab.”

    It was “Seeto Marjani” which attracted the attention of everyone on its launch day as the film is also streaming on the PTC Play app from Monday. The film is based on the play written by well-known Punjabi play writer Dr Charan Das Sidhu. Set in a remote village of Punjab, “Seeto Marjani” deals with the taboo subject, the right of a woman to choose her partner.

    The film exposes the duplicity of our patriarchal society where a woman is just a commodity. She has no right to choose a person with whom she is to spend her entire life. Artists like Pankaj Berry, Nirmal Rishi, Gurinder Makna, Navdeeep Bajwa, Aarzoo Jajoria, and Dhriti Goenka have given powerful performances in the film and were present at the premiere show in Chandigarh. The film is directed by Gaurav Rana for PTC Motion Pictures.

    Apart from “Seeto Marjani,” films like “Meri Bhain De Jeth De Munde Da Veah,” “Shart,” “Udeek,” “Life Cab” were also screened. On 26 March, films like “Mera Kuch Samaan,” “Jhanna De Paani,” and “Byaan” were screened for the audience. All these films are also available on the PTC OTT Platform, PTC Play app.

    On the eve of 26 March, PTC Network organised an award ceremony to honor young and veteran artists who have created such an amazing and international standard content for digital films. More than 30 stalwarts of the digital film industry were honoured for their efforts. The ceremony also witnessed the electrifying performance of Nooran Sisters.

    Celebrities like Yograj singh, Kartar Cheema, Aashish Duggal, Manav Shah, Kshitij Chaudhary, Sachin Ahuja, Gurmeet Singh, Taranvir Singh, Preet Harpal, Gagan Kokri, Tejwant Kittu, Kuljinder Sidhu, Pali Bhupinder, Raju Verma, Shamsher Sandhu, Atul Sharma, Preet Kamal, Pramod Sharma Rana were present at the ceremony to encourage the talents. Satinder Satti hosted the ceremony.

    PTC Network is an undisputed leader as far as creating Punjabi entertainment content is concerned. PTC produces more than 100 songs in a year. It has also produced more than 100 digital short films. 

    The purpose of the festival is also to showcase the potential and importance of digital technology and short films.

  • Colors Tamil to telecast ‘Kasada Thapara’ on 27 March

    Colors Tamil to telecast ‘Kasada Thapara’ on 27 March

    Mumbai: Colors Tamil will telecast the world TV premiere of the film “Kasada Thapara” on 27 March starting at 5 p.m. The film is composed of six interwoven anthologies, each with its own underlying theme.

    Written and directed by Chimbudeven, the film stars Harish Kalyan, Sundeep Kishan, Shanthanu Bhagyaraj, Priya Bhavani Shankar, Sija Rose, Regina Cassandra, Premgi Amaren, Venkat Prabhu, and Vijayalakshmi in prominent roles. “’Kasada Thapara’ remarkably juxtaposes theories like the vantage point and butterfly effect to connect six storylines,” said the statement.

    “We tried to take a different route with respect to emotions in ‘Kasada Thapara’ while implementing various theories and analogies,” said director Chimbu Deven. “Everyone in the team has put in immense efforts and I am sure that audiences will like our distinct approach towards filmmaking. The experience was wonderful. With the movie being telecasted in Colors Tamil, I am sure it will be an enjoyable weekend for the viewers, and we are glad to partake in the channel’s proposition of providing quality content.”

  • Colors Tamil to launch new show ‘Meera’ on 28 March

    Colors Tamil to launch new show ‘Meera’ on 28 March

    Mumbai: Colors Tamil is set to premiere a new fiction show “Meera” on 28 March starting at 9:30 p.m, every Monday to Friday.

    Directed by Jawahar and screenplay by Devi Bala, the show portrays the essence of a woman discovering her self-worth as she goes through trials and tribulations in her life, said the channel in a statement.

    “I am delighted to helm Meera, especially with a phenomenal actor like Khushbu in the lead,” said director Jawahar. “The rest of the cast is also supremely talented. Further, executing the story written by Khushbu is a joy altogether. With Meera, we are attempting to showcase a powerful facet of a woman who is bold, courageous and chooses her self-respect over everything else. The idea is to create a positive influence on audiences and to encourage women to value themselves and prioritise their dreams and aspirations. I am grateful to Colors Tamil for providing me such a wonderful opportunity again after the success of ‘Thirumanam.’”

    The show features actors Khushbu and Suresh Chandra Menon in the lead roles, alongside Pooja Lokesh, Shalini, Shanthi Williams, Sai Krishna and Pasi Sathya in supporting roles. 

    “We have always strived to create unique narratives that resonate with our audiences and present a fresh and positive perspective towards managing the issues that confront us,” said Colors Tamil business head Rajaraman S. “Our new offering is in line with our endeavours to showcase women characters that embody empowerment and emancipation. Meera will redefine feminism in terms of equity, self-worth, and self-reliance.”

  • ‘Bigg Boss’ Malayalam set to return with new season on Asianet

    ‘Bigg Boss’ Malayalam set to return with new season on Asianet

    Mumbai: In a bid to further bolster its content portfolio, Asianet on Monday announced the fourth season of “Bigg Boss” Malayalam. Hosted by veteran actor Mohan Lal, the show is slated for premiere on 27 March.

    The show has signed-up Nerolac Paints as the ‘co-presenting sponsor,’ India Gate Basmati Rice as the ‘co-powered sponsor,’ and Eyetex Dazzler as ‘special partner.’ Asianet recently unveiled the official logo of the latest season.

    “The show has been one of the highest-rated properties in Malayalam entertainment on TV for the last three seasons, and with the upcoming season of Bigg Boss, we are confident of further strengthening our content portfolio in the Malayalam-speaking market,” said the channel’s spokesperson. “Every brand that has been associated with Bigg Boss has managed to redefine their presence in the market and we look forward to continuing this trend.”