ITV

Tag: Aamir Khan

  • ‘Himmatwala’ receives worst film title at Golden Kela Awards

    ‘Himmatwala’ receives worst film title at Golden Kela Awards

    NEW DELHI: Box Office returns notwithstanding, Hrithik Roshan’s Krishh 3 and Ajay Devgn’s Himmatwala topped the list of the worst Bollywood films of 2013 in the sixth annual Golden Kela Awards presented over the weekend.

     

    Ajay Devgn(for Himmatwala) and Sonakshi Sinha (for R…Rajkumar) received the Golden Kelas for the second consecutive year in the worst actor category. Ajay had won the award in 2012 for ‘Son of Sardaar’ and ‘Bol Bachchan’ and Sonakshi for the five films she had acted in during that year. Her co-star in R…..Rajkumar won the ‘Why are You Still Trying’ award for the same film.

    Himmatwala, remake of the Jeetendra starrer of 1983 which itself was remake of a Telugu film of 1981 also got the ‘RGV Ki Aag’ Award for the ‘Most Pointless re-make/sequel’, and the ‘Worst Film’ award. 

     

    Krishh 3 shared the ‘Ra One’ award for the ‘Worst Premise’ along with Dhoom 3, while it also received an award for the ‘Most Atrocious Lyrics’ for Sameer’s ‘Raghupati Raghav’.

     

    Interestingly, Aamir Khan won the ‘Baawra Ho Gaya Hai Ke’ award for Dhoom 3. He got it for the ‘high level of stupidity in stunts and action, playing a ridiculously unnecessary double role and finally for succumbing to the dark side of Bollywood.’

     

    Golden Kela Awards creative head Anant Singh, who also presented the programme, said “Aamir Khan once said that he loves the Kela Awards, because all other awards are rigged. Wonder what he has to say about us now.”

     

    The awards are inspired by the Golden Raspberry awards given in Hollywood – commonly known as the Razzies.

     

    The Kela for the ‘Worst Director’ went to Sanjay Leela Bhansali for Goliyon Ki Raas Leela…Ram Leela.

     

    Actor Vivek Oberoi won the ‘This is too Much Award’ for the four films in which he appeared in 2013 – Krishh 3, Jayantabhai ki Luv Story. Grand Mastie, and Zila Ghaziabad.

     

    ‘Aap Yahaan Aaye Kisliye Award’ was given to Uday Chopra and was preceded by a tribute to ‘the late career’ of the actor, ending with the words ‘In memoriam 2000-2013.’

     

    The honour for the ‘Worst Actor (male) in supporting role’ went to Aditya Roy Kapoor for Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani – a wake-up call that acting needs a lot more than getting high! ‘The Worst Supporting Actor (Female)’ went jointly to Deepika Padukone, Jacqueline Fernandes and Amisha Patel for Race 2. Deepika also won the ‘Dara Singh Award for the Worst Accent’ for Chennai Express.

     

    The most ‘Irritating Song’ award went to ‘Party All Night’ from Boss while the ‘Rajshri Award for Most Regressive Film of the Year’ was bagged by Ranjhanaa.

     

    Tennis star Leander Paes got the ‘Worst Debut’ for Rajdhani Express.

    The ‘Aakhir Kyun Award’ went to Priyanka Chopra for the music video Exotic and the ‘Bas Kijiye Bahut Ho Gaya Award’ was given to Sunny Deol.

     

    Anant said, “Himmatwala was named for obvious reasons including over-the-top acting, irritating melodrama, lame jokes, mindless entertainment, and just about everything else!” 

    Shahid Kapoor was given the award to make him understand that doing lame comedies and using senseless dialogues like “Silent ho ja, nahi to main violent ho jaaonga”, will not make him a superstar.

     

    However amid this morass, some films received the Anti-Kela awards for being the saving graces of 2013. These include Saheb Biwi aur Gangster Returns – for being the only real sequel made last year; Go Goa Gone – for being India’s first ever Zombie Comedy and Stoner Film in one cool package; The Lunchbox – for showing the world that Indian films are not all song and dance, and Shahid – for being the best biopic made by Bollywood in a long time.

    Golden Kela founder Jatin Varma and filmmaker Abhishek Sharma also gave away some of the awards, and stand-up comedian Zakir Khan teamed up with Anant to provide the humorous touch to the awards.

  • Bombay Velvet release pushed back to avoid clash with Aamir Khan’s PK

    Bombay Velvet release pushed back to avoid clash with Aamir Khan’s PK

    MUMBAI: If rumors doing the rounds are to be believed, Anurag Kashyap’s dream project Bombay Velvet with Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma will not release as per the schedule.

     

    According to Zoom, the release of Aamir Khan’s movie PK on Christmas may have lead Kashyap to postpone the release of Bombay Velvet. This decision will then call off the clash between Bollywood’s two biggest blockbusters this year.

     

    Further, the makers of Bombay Velvet tried to convince Aamir Khan and the producers of the PK team to adjust the release dates to no avail. However, Khan denied any such news at his birthday party recently.

     

    History says it; there have been enormous losses when two big Bollywood films clash at the box office. While in 2012, the Diwali release of Jab Tak Hai Jaan and Son of Sardaar divided the box office profit, the 2013 Eid release of Chennai Express and Once Upon A Time in Mumbai Dobara’s clash brought in massive monetary loss to Ekta Kapoor. And the cherry on the cake is the fight within for maximum number of screens with the distributors! Considering this, guess the makers of Bombay Velvet have decided to hold back the release and not compete with the marketing king and perfectionist Khan at the box office.

  • Satyamev Jayate campaign pays off

    Satyamev Jayate campaign pays off

    MUMBAI: When it aired on Star Plus two years ago, it took the nation by storm even as it brought home uncomfortable realities for not one but 13 weeks. At the time, Satyamev Jayate was the most talked about television show; its title the most searched phrase on Google. The channel claimed that the Aamir Khan-hosted show, simulcast in seven languages, reached a staggering 600 million viewers in its first season.

     

    Two years later, the show is back by popular demand, with even more hard-hitting content – pertinent social issues that a majority of Indians are cut off from. And while it’s too early to predict how season two will fare, judging by viewer response to the first couple of episodes, one can safely say that Star Plus’ 360-degree promotional campaign is working well for the show, and the channel.

     

    The Campaign

     

    Launched on 26 January this year, the marketing campaign for season two of Satyamev Jayate was conceptualised around the thought, “Jinhe Desh Ki Fikr Hai” (Those who care for their country).

     

    Spread across platforms including TV, print, digital, radio and outdoor, a series of on-ground activations with ambient touch-points called ‘Fikr touch points’ were held across the country. To drive greater affinity in the south, actors Mohanlal and Suriya were roped in as cultural ambassadors. A special people’s version of the Satyamev Jayate anthem was created on Radio Mirchi that had ordinary people singing the original anthem and making it their own. What’s more, the show promo garnered 4.4 million views on YouTube before its launch, which is a massive number.

     

    On social media, on the day of the launch of season two, #SatyamevJayate trended as the number one topic across both Twitter and Facebook and together, resulted in 54.2 million impressions. On Yahoo, the show owned it for a day across each Yahoo webpage, resulting in more than 108 million impressions per day and more than four lakh clicks.

     

    To top it all, out-bound calls in Khan’s voice went out to people across the country, resulting in a total 23 million impressions in a day.

     

    The Launch

     

    The opening episode, focused on rape, received an overwhelming response from viewers. The show urged Indians to ‘Vote for change’ and one of Star Plus’ leading protagonists took the cause forward by urging viewers to give a missed call on a toll-free number to help create One stop rape crisis centres across the country. Over 57 lakh missed calls were registered, of which 40 lakh calls were made within the first 72 hours of telecast of the show.

     

    Among the seven hash tags created around the first episode, #FightingRape became the top trending hash tag in India on the day of the launch.

     

    Four weeks before the launch, Satyamev Jayate‘s facebook page had nearly 10,000 PTAT (people talking about this). Today, the number is 7.5 lakh and counting.

     

    At the end of season one of the show, the fan base was 1.4 million fans on facebook, which has now more than doubled to 3.4 million.

     

    The Strategy

     

    Satyamev Jayate is very important for the network at every level; be it content, marketing or any other.

     

    “It’s a unique show like no other. It’s a show that leverages the power of a celebrity and the Star platform to create social impact. The reason it works is because it resonates with the citizen and the viewer who cares for the country and is concerned about these issues. Because these are issues that impact every family,” says Star India EVP marketing and communications Gayatri Yadav.

     

    The theme of the entire first season was “Dil pe lagegi, tab hi baat banegi”. True to its theme, the show talked about issues that touched everybody’s heart. The second season takes it a notch higher.

     

    “The second season takes the whole promise forward. Because it taps into a sense of commitment and concerns that the average citizen has for the country,” she says.

     

    As for the theme of season two, the germ of the idea came from Star India CEO Uday Shankar. “We were thinking about what should be the theme of season two. From the season one, some complained that the show was too heavy and too difficult to watch on a Sunday morning. And we felt that is the nature of the show. The show is intense, it is going to be dealing with issues that are important to address,” she says.

     

    While it may not be the kind of stuff you’d want to see on a Sunday morning, people still do watch it because of the deep love they have for the country. Tapping into the love and concern every citizen has for the country is the promise of season two. “We don’t really see as the episode is over, the cause is over,” says Yadav. “This year, you will see a lot more engagement with the causes, even after the episode airs. As there are only five episodes this month, there will be a real focus on driving a very strong season finale which is the fifth day.”

  • SMJ season two evokes mixed reactions

    SMJ season two evokes mixed reactions

    MUMBAI: All eyes were peeled on the first episode of season two of Aamir Khan-hosted talk show Satyamev Jayate (SMJ) when it finally aired on March 2 at 11am, putting an end to all the excitement of the past few months.

    The two-hour-long episode titled ‘Fighting Rape’ put the spotlight on an extremely pertinent social issue while discussing some really hard-hitting cases. It began with a narration of the gruesome gang rape of a 23-year-old physiotherapy intern in the national capital on 16 December, 2012, going on to give shocking statistics of rape cases in the country.

    Khan revealed that according to the NCRB, there are nearly 101,041 rape cases pending trial, of which 3,563 cases have been acquitted or withdrawn and 86,032 are still pending. He spoke of the kind of medical and legal apathy that rape victims and their families usually face. Doctors tend to back off when such cases are reported, medical examinations are not conducted immediately and misleading information results in the victim being questioned more than the accused. However, he pointed out that changes have been made to the law, especially after the Nirbhaya gang rape case, and proceeded to elaborate upon the same.

    While urging viewers to change their perception toward rape victims who are otherwise looked down upon by society, Khan, in association with the Aakash Institute, encouraged the audience to ‘Vote for Change’ by giving a missed call on 1800-103-2301 and pledging support for a standard protocol for medical examination of rape survivors. Surprisingly, 12 lakh missed calls was generated in two hours.

    Indeed, the opening episode of season two of SMJ sent social media into overdrive with likes and tweets doing the rounds of the Internet, even as SMJ took fourth place on twitter.com on the day of its launch.

    And yet, both viewer and industry response was a bit of a mixed bag with some saying season two might be better while others finding it very similar to the previous outing. We spoke to some people about the episode and here’s what they said.

    A majority of media professionals thought episode 1 of season 2 did well in terms of research and so did media veteran and founder at Social Access Communications, Lynn de Souza. “The first episode was good. Bringing out all the issues pertaining to rape and how the victims are treated in court was rather touching. It brought about a lot of awareness. The show taught me a lot of things which I did not know. It is worth watching and a great learning,” she said.

    In contrast, a producer who did not wish to be named said the show was way too long. “Mixed reactions,” he said. “It was far too long. Two hours is a long time. People won’t stick to it after some point of time. However, thumbs up to Aamir and his research team for the heavy amount of research work.”

    Another media planner said there was nothing different from the earlier season. “The first episode was very similar – nothing new and dramatic. Plus time, it was almost like a feature film. Unless there is some hook, people will lose interest. It’s a very documentary style of saying things and with viewers here, they don’t stick with documentaries. But kudos to their research work. Well done, detailed in-depth analysis, surely took the crown,” he said on condition of anonymity.

    While Population First (Laadli) programme director Dr AL Sharada said, “In terms of format, I did not find anything different, it remained the same. In terms of research, it covered all aspects of judiciary reports and what common people face. I felt that Aamir should continue the same topic over a period of time.  Supposedly, he starts with gender violence and next week, he goes on to something else. The impact of whatever discussions are happening today will be completely forgotten next week when he takes up another issue.”

    She felt the show should be restricted to one hour instead of the current two hours. “It requires a little more depth, in terms of the issues being raised. For instance, in season one, in the doctors’ episode, only activists’ perspectives were taken into consideration but the ground realities of a hospital i.e. how it functions, what are the facilities available wasn’t considered. We should not just say they are not doing, we should also understand why they are not doing,” said Sharada.

    This is what celebrities tweeted on Satyamev Jayate:

    Karan Johar – #SatyamevJayate broke my heart…made me feel helpless yet inspired me to make a change..truly moving, heartfelt and rightfully arousing!

    Sunil Grover – Whn v all only spk abt a change here’s a shw vich is actually brining abt 1!Congrats @aamir_khan @StarPlus on anthr brilliant season of SMJ!

    Sanjeev Kapoor – What @aamir_khan is doing via @satyamevjayate is nothing less than a social revolution. Hats off to him!

  • “SMJ truly reflects the aspirations and concerns of the country”

    “SMJ truly reflects the aspirations and concerns of the country”

    MUMBAI: After a successful season one ‘Satyamev Jayate’, the makers are back with its second season. Star India and Aamir Khan are returning with the intense, spell-binding show that redefined television entertainment in 2012.

    The television show broke all records, where it touched over 500 million Indians households in 843 cities and 1.5 impressions online. To top it all, it also collected more than Rs 22 crore in donations.

    The season two which will hit the TV screens on 2 March 11am on Star Plus will make Sunday mornings more educational and inspirational. It will be simulcast in six languages across Star Plus, Star World, Star Pravah, Star Vijay, Asianet, Star Utsav, Doordarshan and a deferred telecast at 1.00 pm on ETV Telegu. The first tranche in March will see five episodes being aired, giving viewers the time to soak in and help create a larger emphasis for the cause.

    Airtel has come on-board as the title sponsor and Axis bank as the powered by sponsor for the new season of Satyamev Jayate. Reliance Foundation is the philanthropic partner on the show. All three sponsors are renewing the association started in season one.

    Talking about the second season, Star India CEO Uday Shankar opines: “When we look back at season 1 and the response it evinced, you can see a new culture of hope for change emerge. Satyamev Jayate truly reflects the aspirations and concerns of the country. In that it has the strength of a nation behind it. We look forward to the support of our audience to take the message of the show far and wide.”

    Host of the show Aamir Khan exults: “I am excited about the new season of Satyamev Jayate, a show that is extremely close to my heart. It was a journey of learning and revelation, a tough one for me to tread on but I am extremely happy with what we have managed to do this season, in bringing forward relevant and key social issues that matter to the people of this country.  With a partner like STAR India, we look forward to taking forward the cause of Satyamev Jayate and enabling more participative and action oriented change this season across India.”

    On the marketing side, the new season of Satyamev Jayate as the marketing campaign declares is for all those who care for their country “Jinhe Desh Ki Fikr Hai”. It will educate, engage and empower audiences to participate in an action-oriented change, and will be seen running through the year with an innovative programming approach that includes episodes in tranches.

     The issues that the show will address this season are those that concern and impact every citizen of India whether they are from Mumbai, Delhi, Cochin or Kolkata. South Indian Superstar Mohanlal comes on board as a brand ambassador for the show in the south. His association will help carry the show’s message to a larger audience segment.

    The show is supported by a compelling and visible marketing campaign with Star network taking the lead and press, outdoor, digital and radio providing the immersive surround. Another key element integral to the campaign are the series of on-ground activation with ambient touch-points called “Fikr Touch points” created across the country to take forward the campaign message.

    The first season of Satyamev Jayate broke all records in the digital space and was the most talked about show online. The upcoming season will see greater emphasis on digital media using an integrated approach through various digital touch points – mobile, social media, website etc being amplified throughout the year. There is a special Satyamev Jayate website www.satyamevjayate.in with the goal of engaging and empowering a community of Satyamev Jayate change agents.

  • The first ever ‘Stree Sanman Award’ goes to Farah Khan at Lux Cozi Zee Cine Awards 2014

    The first ever ‘Stree Sanman Award’ goes to Farah Khan at Lux Cozi Zee Cine Awards 2014

    MUMBAI: It is rather challenging for a woman to emerge as a power to reckon with in a field dominated by men. In Bollywood, more often than not, women are often relegated to donning the greasepaint and serving as an arm candy for the film hero. Barring the role of an actress, most profiles within the film industry such as editor, director, producer or technician are ruled by men. For having managed to find her own footing in the frenzied world of Bollywood and carving a distinct niche for herself first as a successful choreographer, then as a film director and producer, Farah Khan recently bagged a distinctive award at the Lux Cozi Zee Cine Awards 2014. The ‘Stree Samman Award’ is a first-of-its-kind initiative at a film awards show aimed at recognizing the contribution made by industrious, enterprising women in a male-dominated industry.

    Farah received the prestigious award at the hands of veteran film-maker, the Great Showman Subhash Ghai. As she went on stage to accept the award, Farah said, “They say behind every successful man, there is a woman. But let me tell you, behind this successful woman, there are a hundred men.” She went on to thank all the men who have stood by her side as a pillar of strength in the course of her journey in Bollywood. She also thanked Shah Rukh for having been a mentor and a dear friend. Subhash Ghai thanked the Zee group for coming up with this unique award.

    Farah’s first stint as a choreographer began with ‘Pehla Nasha’ from Aamir Khan starrer, ‘Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar’. As a choreographer, Farah has received 25 prestigious awards in the course of her prolific career. Later, her penchant for entertaining the masses saw her direct and produce popular blockbusters like Main Hoon Na and Om Shanti Om. She is easily amongst the most successful commercial female filmmakers in Bollywood. As a director, her movie Om Shanti Om became the highest grossing Hindi film ever at the time of its release. Currently in the news for her upcoming multi-starrer ‘Happy New Year’, Farah is delighted on receiving this recognition. She tweeted, saying she was grateful to the jury of Lux Cozi Zee Cine Awards 2014 for choosing her for her efforts in the industry.

    Catch the most stunning spectacle of entertainment as the world’s biggest viewers’ choice awards – Lux Cozi Zee Cine Awards 2014 powered by Dabur Vatika Enriched Olive Hair Oil and Karbonn Mobile airs at 8 PM on 23rd February on Zee TV, Zee Anmol and Zee Tamizh.

  • Aakash Educational Services Limited comes on board as associate sponsor for Satyamev Jayate

    Aakash Educational Services Limited comes on board as associate sponsor for Satyamev Jayate

    MUMBAI: Aakash Educational Services Ltd. (AESL), the leading coaching institute in India has allied itself as an associate sponsor to one of the most popular and much awaited television shows, Satyamev Jayate. The new season of the socially relevant show will be back on TV from 2nd March, 2014. Hosted by ace Bollywood actor Aamir Khan who made a nationwide impact in the previous season, the show has gone on to create international resonance through the universal social issues it deals with. Aakash will become the first ever coaching institute in India to sponsor a television talk show that highlights and educates the masses on sensitive problems India suffers every day.

     

    The first season of the talk show Satyamev Jayate premiered on 6th May 2012 on Star Plus. The title which means ‘Truth Alone Prevails’ is in absolute sync with the objective of the show- to educate and enlighten the people of India, making it a better country to live in. The show received an overwhelming response both from the public and critics for its research, format, presentation and content.   

     

    Mr. Aakash Chaudhry, Director, Aakash Educational Services Limited, commented, “We believe in the content and contribution of Satyamev Jayate and take immense pride in allying ourselves with the talk show. On a broad scale, we share the values and commitment Satyamev Jayate stands for. As an educational institute dedicated to nurturing the future of children in India, we share a nationwide commitment and in turn toil hard to give it bright doctors and engineers, so that they can together build a strong nation for tomorrow’s children.”  

     

    The central communication theme for this season of Satyamev Jayate is ‘Jinhe desh ki fikr hai’ which is congruent with Aakash’s vision of serving the country and paving the way for a progressive future. It is at its zenith for its contributions to the medical and engineering careerists today. It has been bestowing toppers incessantly and seamlessly, assisting the deserving and diverse blend of aspirants countrywide to crack various entrance examinations across India. Aakash helps students explore their full potential, boost their self-confidence and help them realise their dreams through the advanced system of teaching they adopt and propagate. Since its inception in 1998, it has created an unparalleled legacy in the sphere of education in India.

    “Pre-eminent educational groups today are working towards the overall advancement of the society by enabling youngsters of the country to achieve ‘what they desire to and what they deserve to’. They are thus playing a dual role of being social entrepreneurs as well as contributing to the society. As associate sponsor to Satyamev Jayate, we are playing an active role in living upto this promise,” added Mr.Chaudhry.

  • High hopes for ‘Satyamev Jayate 2’

    High hopes for ‘Satyamev Jayate 2’

    MUMBAI: Aired two years ago, this television show hosted by Aamir Khan took the country by storm with its focus on social ills such as female foeticide, dowry, domestic violence, child abuse, rape, domestic violence and honour killings among others.

     

    Buoyed by the overwhelming response, the makers decided to take the franchise further. And so, starting 2 March, viewers can once again tune into Satyamev Jayate on Sundays at 11 am on Star Plus.

     

    With a tagline that reads: ‘Jinhe Desh Ki Fikar Hai’, season two promises hard-hitting content like before but the format will be different. Unlike the last time when all 13 episodes ran at a stretch, this time, the series has been broken up into three quarters with five episodes in March and the remaining eight episodes split into groups of four each.

     

    Airtel has been roped in as title sponsor while Axis Bank is the powered by sponsor this season. According to industry sources, the sticker price of the show is anywhere between Rs 3 crore and Rs 3.5 crore.

     

     

    Graphene Media CEO Sanjoy Chakrabarty

    Marketing and promotion

     

    Host Aamir Khan and Star Plus have come out with six different promos that are already doing the rounds on the network.

     

    One of them begins with Khan asking the question, ‘Pata hai apna show kaun dekhega?’ later shifting his gaze to the cars and autos on the road below. He sees some of them breaking the traffic rules and shakes his head: ‘Yeh nahin dekhega’. Moments later, he breaks into a smile on seeing one of the cars paying heed to the red signal. ‘Yeh dekhega,’ he signs off…

     

    The promo, which urges people to be responsible citizens, went on air on 25 January and has since garnered 552,000 views.

     

    Apart from the promo, the show itself has set social media aflutter. From 1.6 million likes last season on Facebook, season two has garnered nearly 2.7 million likes. From close to 93,000 followers on Twitter last season, this time, there are around 143,000 followers.

     

    While initial conversations around SMJ were triggered by Khan’s popularity, later conversations are more around the causes espoused by the actor on the show. Plus, the channel shares and tweets these conversations and uploads videos on a daily basis to keep up the buzz.

     

    Havas Media managing director Mohit Joshi

    Industry Speaks

     

    Ahead of the launch of season two, indiantelevision.com spoke to a cross-section of industry about the return of SMJ and how it would fare in their opinion…

     

    “For me, a show like SMJ doesn’t need any promotions. The fact that it is coming back says a lot about it and the impact it has had on people. In one of the promos where Aamir is talking about who will watch SMJ and who won’t speaks of responsible behavior. SMJ is beyond television, it is meaningful TV!” said Havas Media managing director Mohit Joshi.

     

    “The promos this time are a little tongue in cheek. They’re quite subtle. Even the timings are correct, with elections coming near and what is happening in Delhi, these things are tying in very relevantly. It’s really bang on to start conversations around it especially Aamir Khan in this style,” said Lodestar UM vice-president Deepak Netram.

     

    However, about the change in format, he said: “A show always works if you have continuity; appointment viewing builds up after a certain period of time certainly for GECs. Having gaps is not going to help, but I guess in the grain of what the show is I am sure it is possibly going to be an objective which will have people looking forward to the show.  The challenge will be to maintain the momentum and keep the excitement going, because there will be so much happening in between.”

     

     

    Lodestar UM vice-president Deepak Netram

    “The promos are more interesting than the previous season. If someone is watching it for the first time, they will be inquisitive about it. But for people who have already watched the previous season, they know the format of the show. This season the promos are much more focused, straight to the point and more subjective,” believes Graphene Media CEO Sanjoy Chakrabarty.

     

    Commenting on the break pattern Chakrabarty asserts: “Since the topics are relevant and very engaging, people will consume the content in dozes so break won’t affect the viewership.”

  • Satyamev Jayate back for season II – with a difference

    Satyamev Jayate back for season II – with a difference

    MUMBAI: In its first season, it did swimmingly well for Hindi GEC Star Plus. It created humungous amounts of buzz, won critical acclaim from industry leaders and activists and also generated laudable veiwership ratings for an otherwise barren Sunday morning slot. Now, the Aamir Khan-hosted Satyamev Jayate is ready to make a comeback for its second season; to engage viewers with its hard focus on tackling ills which plague the Indian social system.The format is almost the same; viewers will see that when it begins airing sometime in March 2014 – the difference is that it will be telecast in tranches.

     

    Satyamev Jayate season 1 marked the debut of the method actor Aamir Khan on the small screen. It also marked the debut of social activism television in India, decades after shows such as Raajni did on Doordarshan in a fictionalised format. His inimitable and methodical approach towards exposing society’s malaises helped Satyamev Jayate  become a household name. Viewers eagerly waited for the clock to strike 11 am every Sunday morning so that they could catch Aamir Khan at his inquisitive best.  

     

    The director of the show – Satyajit Batkal says that season 2 will have the same tenor and feel in the creative. The decision to showcase the episodes of the show in parts, with breaks in between was taken because “as we feel there is so much we want to tell and do and this will help us in that. Also, it will let people work towards the causes they want to change.” 

     

    Apparently, the year-long break helped the team at Aamir Khan Productions to conduct elaborate research on the topics chosen. The show has a sticker price of around Rs 3 crore to Rs 3.5 crore according to sources and all the five 

     

    March episodes have already been fully shot and wrapped up, says Batkal.

     

    But will this tack of airing just five episodes and then taking a break before airing the next tranche work? A media planner says the show will be a big draw at a time when the country is going through an upheaval  politically and economically. But however he admits that audience stickiness could be an issue.  “Out of sight is out of mind,” he says. “It is quite probable that  channel will lose out on some money with this break pattern.” 

    Others disagree.  “Remember, the show is about sparking social change amongst Indian citizens; raising social awareness. Giving the common man some hope, this is what Satyamev Jayate did, and the initiative has been recognised by not just governments but also by several organisations,” says another media planner. “You can’t forget how AAP  – which is about the common man – stormed its way into the hearts of Delhi-ites who then swept it to power. Aamir Khan is Aamir Khan. The loyal followers are going to be drawn in come what may, even if there is a break”
     

    No official communication has emerged from Star Plus as yet, but the show is quite likely to to air on all channels of the Star network to get it maximum viewership.

  • HDFC ERGO’s launches unique on-ground activation

    HDFC ERGO’s launches unique on-ground activation

    MUMBAI: HDFC ERGO General Insurance, India’s 4th largest private sector general insurance company, recently executed an innovative multiplex campaign which was a mix of online & on-ground activation at PVR Cinemas. The campaign was focused on HDFC ERGO’s Motor Insurance policy which can be bought or renewed through the company’s mobile website anytime, anywhere.

     

    This unique activation was executed during the opening weekend of Amir Khan starer blockbuster – Dhoom 3 screening at PVR Cinemas. The concept saw a person from the audience surprisingly walking into the big screen and coming back  to his seat enjoying the movie with other audience.

     

    Storyboard:

     

    On the onset of the ad, a host on big screen reads out a car number to find out the owner, and invite him on-screen to discuss something important. One of the guy in the audience identifies the said car number as his car and he walks towards the big screen. Suddenly audience sees him on the big screen with the host.  He is than reminded about his motor insurance policy which will lapse in a matter of hours and how he instantly renewed it with the help of HDFC ERGO’s mobile website.
     

    HDFC ERGO managed to perfectly synchronize the entire activation with the live crowd present at the cinema hall, capturing all natural audience reactions which holds the thrill.

     

    The campaign immediately caught the audience attention while simultaneously delivering its core message of renewing motor insurance policy instantly on HDFC ERGO mobile website. The campaign, once uploaded, immediately went viral and managed to garner an incredible 7.14 Lacs hits in 7 days on youtube.

    Bindi Thakkar, Vice President, Marketing & Corporate Communication says, “The campaign was innovatively conceived to connect with the customer and create buzz with curiosity. This is one of our first viral campaigns to receive such overwhelming response on our YouTube channel within few hours of its upload. We are confident that the campaign would be a great success across geographies thus creating better brand awareness.”