ITV

Tag: Ajay Bhalwankar

  • Sony to launch Marathi GEC

    Sony to launch Marathi GEC

    MUMBAI: Sony Entertainment Television (SET) is prepping up to launch a new regional language general entertainment channel Sony Marathi. Sony’s Ajay Bhalwankar will lead the channel, according to a source at SET.

    The channel is at the development stage and the company is building the team by hiring more employees for the new channel. The launch date has not been announced yet but the channel is likely to make its debut after March, said another source.

    Sony is seeking to tap diverse regions of the country by expanding its offerings with a variety of content and by expanding its channel library. Sony Marathi will be the network’s second regional channel after Sony AATH, its regional channel.

    SET had brought Bhalwankar on board as chief creative director in April 2014 to provide creative leadership and direction for SET and lead the programming and on-air production teams. The new channel will run under Bhalwankar guidance.

    Recently, the good times have been rolling for Marathi channels as they are attracting good viewership. The Marathi GECs in the market that currently are doing well are Colors Marathi, Zee Marathi and Star Pravah. The genre has surprisingly turned out some of the most viewed channels in the television space. In week 41 in 2015, the genre had registered 242 million impressions, whereas in week 50 of 2017, the viewership was 594 million impressions, an increase of 145 per cent in the weeks compared.

    Currently, Sony Pictures Networks India has SET, Sony SAB, Sony AATH, Sony TV HD, Sony SAB HD and Sony Pal in the GEC genre.

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  • Ajay Bhalwankar-led Sony’s maiden inhouse show partners Beyond Dreams

    Ajay Bhalwankar-led Sony’s maiden inhouse show partners Beyond Dreams

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Network India is all set to produce its first show in-house for the network which will be led by the industry veteran Ajay Bhalwankar.  Also, Sony’s internal production house has partnered with Yash Patnaik’s Beyond Dreams for their first show.

    A source close to the development informed indiantelevision.com that the production house will be headed by the creative director Bhalwankar.

    Bhalwankar, an industry veteran of 20 years, was earlier the content head of Zee TV. Prior to joining to Zee TV, he worked as the programming head for SET from November 2009 to June 2011.  In 2014, he rejoined SET as the chief creative director.

    At the launch of Sony’s historical show Peshwa Bajirao, SPNI CEO NP Singh informed, “The first show of our production house is going into production early next month. It will be a fiction series and will go on air in 3- 4 months time.”

    This is not the first instance that a broadcast network is getting into TV production. Zee Network has its Essel Vision, which has been involved in many of its marquee properties. Star India had taken a 25.99 per cent stake in Balaji Telefilms in April 2004, only to exit it on 5 August 2015.

    ALSO READ :

    Sony Pictures Networks India to foray into TV production

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  • Ajay Bhalwankar-led Sony’s maiden inhouse show partners Beyond Dreams

    Ajay Bhalwankar-led Sony’s maiden inhouse show partners Beyond Dreams

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Network India is all set to produce its first show in-house for the network which will be led by the industry veteran Ajay Bhalwankar.  Also, Sony’s internal production house has partnered with Yash Patnaik’s Beyond Dreams for their first show.

    A source close to the development informed indiantelevision.com that the production house will be headed by the creative director Bhalwankar.

    Bhalwankar, an industry veteran of 20 years, was earlier the content head of Zee TV. Prior to joining to Zee TV, he worked as the programming head for SET from November 2009 to June 2011.  In 2014, he rejoined SET as the chief creative director.

    At the launch of Sony’s historical show Peshwa Bajirao, SPNI CEO NP Singh informed, “The first show of our production house is going into production early next month. It will be a fiction series and will go on air in 3- 4 months time.”

    This is not the first instance that a broadcast network is getting into TV production. Zee Network has its Essel Vision, which has been involved in many of its marquee properties. Star India had taken a 25.99 per cent stake in Balaji Telefilms in April 2004, only to exit it on 5 August 2015.

    ALSO READ :

    Sony Pictures Networks India to foray into TV production

    DD sets up ‘War Room’ to revitalise programming & revenues

  • Sony re-jigs weekend programming for ‘Indian Idol Junior’

    Sony re-jigs weekend programming for ‘Indian Idol Junior’

    MUMBAI: While it may not have found favour with audiences on its fiction fare recently, Sony Entertainment Television is all set to enthrall audiences with the second season of its popular singing reality show format – Indian Idol Junior.

    The show, which will launch on 30 May, will be aired at 8.30 pm on weekends. With this, Adaalat, which was aired from 8 – 9 pm on Sony, will now get a new time slot and will be aired from 7.30 – 8.30 pm. Additionally, Bhanwar, which aired at 9 pm will be taken off air. The show’s last episode will be on 24 May.

     

    Indian Idol Junior, this time round, will see the juniors paying a tribute to the maestros of Indian music at the season’s grand launch. With the success of the first season, Sony Entertainment Television is upbeat about giving talented youngsters this platform to exhibit their talent yet again.

     

    What’s more, the talent quotient for this season has gone several notches higher with the inclusion of actor Sonakshi Sinha as one of the judges.

     

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com at the launch of the show, Sony Entrainment Television senior executive vice president and business head Nachiket Pantvaidya said, “The unique thing about this show is that for the first time ever, we are using a celebrity i.e. Sonakshi Sinha as a representative of the common people. You normally find that the judges are experts in their own fields but with Sonakshi, we want to explore the connect further.”

     

    “With the second edition of Indian Idol Junior, we intend to bring the entire family together and recreate the entertainment quotient of this season substantially while gifting the music industry with some really outstanding talent,” Pantvaidya added.

     

    Sharing insights on her television debut, Sinha said, “Playback singing is unique to Indian cinema. For our films, music is as essential an entity as the story. With every era of movies, there has come a whole generation of musicians who have almost immortalized some movies through the music. I’m really excited and happy to be associated with Indian Idol Junior, a reality show that celebrates music and creates platform for young talent to follow their dreams and reach out to the stars.”

     

    Sony Entertainment Television chief creative officer Ajay Bhalwankar added, “The whole selection process, auditions, theatre took about a year. The gala rounds episodes will go on for fourteen weeks and will have the normal voting system like previous formats.”

     

    Fremantle Media India managing director Anupama Mandloi said, “It’s always been nice to work with this format. We have been doing it for years now and this time it’s special because we found talent across the country – north, south, east and west.  Also in time to come, you will see what surprises this season will bring.”

     

    Sony has brought on board three sponsors for the second season of Indian Idol Junior. While Horlicks is the ‘presenting’ sponsor, Lifebuoy and Aquaguard have associated with the show as ‘co-powered by’ sponsors.

     

    Apart from Sinha, the show will have judges like Vishal Dadlani, Salim Merchant and Shalmali Kholgade. It will be hosted by Hussain Kuwajerwala and Asha Negi.

  • Sony’s ‘Maharana Pratap’ completes 400 episodes

    Sony’s ‘Maharana Pratap’ completes 400 episodes

    MUMBAI: Sony Entertainment Television’s (SET) historical show Bharat Ka Veer Putra Maharana Pratap recently completed a milestone of 400 episodes.

     

    Contiloe Telefilms producer Abhimanyu Singh said, “Maharana Pratap is one of our landmark shows. Leap will showcase the siege of Chittor, which is a sad chapter in our history. However it reflects the true spirit of our freedom fighters who did not lose hope in such adversity and showed great courage and bravado. We are going to take the help of VFX to show this conflict and give it the required scale. We are introducing new and well known characters in the show. It will be interesting for the audience to watch another episode of history unfold.”

     

    SET chief creative officer Ajay Bhalwankar added, “It is a really good feeling that our show completed a milestone of 400 episodes. It is a joyous moment for all of us associated with this show. We wish that the show completes many such episodes and keeps entertaining everyone.”

     

    Actress Rachana Parulkar, who essays the role of Ajabde in the show, said, “I am overwhelmed with the response of the viewers’ towards the show. It is a moment of pride to see our show complete glories 400 episode. We promise to live up to the expectation of the audience by giving our best performance.”

  • Zee TV programming head Namit Sharma quits

    Zee TV programming head Namit Sharma quits

    MUMBAI: Zee TV programming head Namit Sharma has called it a day at the organisation after a stint that lasted a little more than a year.

    According to information available, Sharma put in his papers earlier this week and his last day at the organisation will be 8 May, 2015.

    In the interim,Zee TV business head Pradeep Hejmadi will be overseeing the programming at the channel till such time that a replacement is found.

    Confirming the development to Indiantelevision.com, Sharma says, “I’ve decided to move on from Zee TV and explore other opportunities.  I am happy that during my stint at Zee TV we have seen significant success with distinctive programming concepts in an extremely competitive genre. The last 14 months have been an incredible experience working with some of the best talent in the television business.”

    He further adds, “I am happy that our audience has reacted well to innovative content like Kumkum Bhagya, Jamai Raja, Neeli Chatri Waale and the recent DID Super Moms Season 2.  I have worked with a great team here and am confident that they’ll continue to lead the channel to even greater heights. As I complete 20 years in the entertainment business, it’s time to look forward to newer challenges.”

    Prior to joining Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) in February 2014, Sharma was Wizcraft Television and Films business head and chief creative officer. He had replaced Ajay Bhalwankar at Zee, who had quit to join Sony Entertainment Television (SET) as chief creative officer.

    As yet undecided on his next career move, Sharma will be taking a small mid-career break. “Honestly there are no plans as of now. But I will definitely be in the television business,” he informs.

  • ‘Crime Patrol’ completes 12 years

    ‘Crime Patrol’ completes 12 years

    MUMBAI: While criminal cases have always been a societal problem, it has always been a fascination for crime writers to include it as a narrative for television audiences. One such long running and popular entity has been Crime Patrol. In today’s day and age, when some shows are pulled off air in no-time due to no-show, Crime Patrol, which is telecast on Sony Entertainment Television (SET), has completed a run of 12 long years.

     

    The show was launched on 9 May, 2003 in the 10:30 pm slot on Friday.

     

    Speaking about the show, Sony chief creative director Ajay Bhalwankar says that being a quality product, Crime Patrol has been a matter of pride from the channel’s programming point. Equating Crime Patrol to the North Star in the constellation, Bhalwankar says, “From a house wife living in Meerut to Shobha De, it reaches across a spectrum of audience. Crime works well on Sony.”

     

    While crime stories are sometimes glorified by adding sensational flavours to the plot, the reality documentary’s writer and director Subramanian Iyer begs to differ. According to Iyer, the viewer decides if the matter on the show is sensitive or not. “The theme of the property is to tell viewers how one can remain safe without sensationalising the story and adhering to the facts,” informs Iyer.

     

    Anoop Soni, who hosts the show, adds, “There’s no intention to pick out a particular case angle and sensationalise it. We bring out the smaller and finer details missed out in mainstream news.”

     

    When queried whether the show glamorises crime incidents in the country, Iyer denies and puts forth two fronts. “Firstly, crime rates saw an increase in the country even when the Ramayana was telecast on public broadcaster Doordarshan. And secondly, cases are picked in a manner that affect the common man of India and poses questions that cannot be asked upfront otherwise,” he says.

     

    Soni, on the other hand, informs that the various cases selected for the show, bring out three critical aspects. “Firstly, we showcase what happened at the core of the story. Secondly, we focus on why such an offence was committed and thirdly, how can such situations controlled from being repeated in the future,” he informs.

     

    The research team of the show’s various episodes are spread throughout the country, right from Jammu and Kashmir to Kanyakumari, according to Iyer. In remote villages stringers are employed regularly to fill in details on various cases. While episodes of normal shows have scripts consisting of 28-30 scripts, one single episode of Crime Patrol can have 2,000 to 3,000 pages of script. Members of the research team also attend court proceedings to understand the nitty-gritty of the cases. However, the team behind the show sometimes need to restrict themselves due to the legal bindings in certain cases.

     

    While Crime Patrol is telecast thrice a week on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 10.30 pm, the channel had previously decided to increase the telecast days. However, the idea was dropped as the process of conceptualising to shooting one single episode was a time taking one and could sometimes take even as long as six months.

     

    Highlighting Crime Patrol’s success, Bhalwankar says that police departments of various states have approached the channel for DVDs of the shows as they feel the show has done justice in compiling the narrative of a case. “The Maharashtra Police has taken 150 such DVDs so far. These are used during the training of police officers,” adds Bhalwankar.

     

    Channel officials believe that the show has, in a way, become a social platform of sorts. “This is so because, besides highlighting a case for the audiences, episodes of Crime Patrol have also provided important NGO numbers and contact details as well as creating platforms where donations were required to aid the victims,” Bhalwankar says.

     

    Sony, in the coming months, is also set for a revamp in terms of programming where it seeks to strengthen its prime time slot during the weekday programming. Talking about the same Bhalwankar informs that four new large-scale shows are being brought on board. These include Dil Ki Baatein Dil Hi Jaane starring Ram Kapoor, two mythological shows – Hanuman and Karna and a yet to be titled show starring Rajeev Khandelwal, which will be centred around the famous Newsroom series.

  • Sony’s rebooted ‘Aahat’ to go on air from 18 February

    Sony’s rebooted ‘Aahat’ to go on air from 18 February

    MUMBAI: Sony Entertainment Television is all set to reboot its popular horror show – Aahat – after a hiatus of four years.

     

    As was reported by Indiantelevision.com earlier this year, SET was gearing up to launch the sixth season of Aahat with an aim to rake in some healthy numbers on the ratings chart.

     

    The show, which will go on air on 18 February, will be aired every Wednesday and Thursday at 11 pm. The launch date of the spine-chilling horror show coincides with Amavasya (no moon day).

     

    Produced by B.P. Singh’s Fireworks Productions, Aahat will showcase stories that are bolder, terrifying and daunting than before. Each episode will be as sleek as a movie with real stories and sinister ghosts. Each episode of the show will feature a popular television actor, making the narration exciting for the viewers. While the first episode will star Shakti Anand, the upcoming episodes will see faces like Sukhmini Sadana, Aradhana Uppal, Abhishek Tiwari and Gurpreet Bedi amongst many others.

     

    Sony Entertainment Television chief creative director Ajay Bhalwankar said, “We have seen that the appetite for horror as a genre has only increased over the years and thus we decided to bring back Aahat for our audiences. Restless, visually sleek, and powered by lithe star performances Aahat offers dark, thought-provoking thrills and I am sure it will be appreciated by our viewers yet again.”

     

    The first episode showcases a hair-raising tale of a couple who move into a new house, which is haunted. The spirit befriends the couple’s little son and starts troubling the family and the story takes a spin into the most horrifying tale ever seen or told.

  • TV channels line up special programming for 66th Republic Day

    TV channels line up special programming for 66th Republic Day

    MUMBAI: The broadcast industry is all set to awaken the masses with ample dose of patriotism coupled with entertainment. An array of special programs have been lined up across channels to celebrate the spirit of India’s 66th Republic Day.

     

    This time round, Hindi general entertainment channel Colors is gearing up to simulcast the historic event with nationalistic zeal and fervour. The channel will telecast live the much awaited parade and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message for Indian and international audiences.

     

    This is the first time Colors and Rishtey will simulcast the celebrations along with the national television channel Doordarshan. The telecast will also reach out to the international markets i.e. MENA, US (Aapka Colors) and UK. Colors CEO Raj Nayak believes that the iconic Republic Day parade and the PM’s message to the nation is the content that drives cohesive viewing in families.

     

    “Being able to bring to our audience the much awaited parade and message from our Prime Minister Narendra Modi LIVE is a privilege and a source of pride for the team at Colors and Rishtey. This is our way to celebrate our 66th Republic Day, by bringing it closer to our audiences, in India and the world. Telecasting this event in markets other than India – and to the US MENA and UK is also a milestone for the network as a whole,” Nayak said.

     

    On the other hand, Zee TV is taking a different route. The channel will be premiering the Shah Rukh Khan starrer – Happy New Year – from 1 pm onwards.

     

    Sony Entertainment Television’s (SET) longest running show – CID completed a milestone of 17 glorious years on 21 January, 2015 and celebrating the landmark this year, CID is all set to entertain its fans with a daylong CID special feature on 26 January.

     

    From 8 am to 10 pm, viewers will get to see the most exciting episodes of CID over the years. In fact, the first episode of the show will also be aired on 26 January. What’s more, the CID team will also spend the day with children and share their experience and memories. These interactions will be showcased in between episodes throughout the day.

     

    SET chief creative director Ajay Bhalwankar said, “Our flagship show CID has over the years responsibly entertained generations of young viewers to recognize and act upon the incidence of crime around them. This Republic Day we want to commemorate this memorable journey with our daylong celebration through a special programming initiative called Jashn-e-CID.”

     

    Big Magic, which is positioned as the one stop destination for humour,  is geared up to celebrate the day with actor Ayushmann Khurrana, as he engages the audience from 7 to 10 pm. The channel has partnered with his upcoming movie – Hawaizaada to celebrate the spirit of ‘Made in India’. The movie releases on 30 January, 2015.

     

    Pumped with fun, humor and patriotism, all the shows on Big Magic will celebrate Republic Day with the special episodes wherein Khurrana will be the anchor link. The actor will also share anecdotes about his movie and will be imparting a distinctive message of believing in oneself.

     

    Reliance Broadcast Network COO Lavneesh Gupta said, “To salute Republic Day, a momentous occasion for Indians, the Big Magic family will come together to entertain our audience with fun-filled episodes. We’re glad to be sharing this special day with Ayushmann Khurrana , lead actor of Hawaizaada, where the film salutes Indianness and will together impart an inspiring message to our viewers.”

     

    History TV18 will host a line-up of shows from 12 to 7 pm. From 12 to 3 pm, the channel will air Gandhi, a series that charts Mahatma Gandhi’s establishment beginnings, his move into politics and his campaign to bring independence to India. Hosted by journalist Mishal Husain, this first definitive series on the life of Gandhi examines his relationship with his wife and his role on the path to Indian independence.

     

    From 3 to 5 pm, the channel will showcase a series called – India on Four Wheels. As the Indian economy booms, the latest must-have accessory is the car. With increasingly affordable models on the market, and growing demand for cars as a status symbol and sign of social development, people’s lives are becoming intertwined with car ownership. Justin Rowlett and Anita Rani join the chaos of India’s roads on a madcap road trip across the country, to find out the truth behind the dream. Whether it’s breaking down by the side of the road, facing suicidal peacocks or tasting luxury in a Maharaja’s vintage Rolls Royce, this is a surprising look at a country on the move.

     

    Last but not the least, from 5 to 7 pm, the channel will air The Birth of Empire: East India Co, a series that reveals how the behemoth that was the East India Company grew into an imperial power and became the hotbed of corruption and greed that led to its downfall.

     

    Comedy Central will commemorate Republic Day by showcasing a one hour special episode of the news spoof The Other Week That Wasn’t at 8 pm. Viewers will get a chance to enjoy more of Cyrus Broach’s tongue-in-cheek spoofs and mouthful of puns.

     

    Kids genre is also leaving no stone unturned to celebrate the spirit of nationality. A puppet show, relevant to the day’s theme and an explorative session with Dora the Explorer will be aired on the channel from 5.30 to 7 pm.

     

    Vh1 celebrates yet another moment of patriotism with a countdown to the top Indian videos that have emerged in recent times from 10 am to 5 pm. On the other hand, 9X Jalwa will play a special playlist of all patriotic songs between 7 to 10 am on the band Hits Forever. The repeat telecast be aired on the same day from 7 to 10 pm.

     

    #fame, a multi channel network, will dedicate the day to womanhood. Orville Richard Burrell CD, best known by his stage name Shaggy, once chanted, “So amazing how this world was made I wonder if GOD is a woman; the gift of life astounds me till this day; I give it up for the woman.” Taking cue from the song, singer Abhiruchi Singh has penned down and sung an awe inspiring song ‘Ud Chali’ to celebrate womanhood, which will be aired on #fame.

  • ‘Bhanwar’: Sony revives its tried and tested label in the crime genre

    ‘Bhanwar’: Sony revives its tried and tested label in the crime genre

    MUMBAI: It’s survival of the fittest in a highly-competitive TV world. One needs to keep re-inventing oneself and that’s exactly what works wonders in the end. Likewise, Sony Entertainment Television (SET), has gone back to its tried and tested formula gory crime!

     

    The crime genre has until now, been the bread and butter for the channel.  Programmes like C.I.D, Crime Patrol and at times, Adaalat have gripped audiences and thus, Sony has unanimously got a thumbs-up for its non-fiction, criminal offerings.

     

    SET literally takes the viewer through a virtual reality show. It gives them a gripping courtroom drama series, an enthralling and emotional journey, engaging their consciences in matters of right and wrong, and the ultimate balance of justice.

     

    Christened – Bhanwar – Kalyug Ki Hairatangez Kahaniyaa, its provocative stories will compel our society to sit up and take cognizance of the fact, that for every crime committed under the Indian Penal Code, there is an equally harsh justice system meted out.

     

    You may recall, in the late 1990s, Sony had launched a series with an identical name that dealt with landmark judgements from the Indian judicial system. Produced by TV18, the show was so popular that it enjoyed re-runs on SAB and Fox History to boot. Its audiences were treated royally for over two years on Sony, and its episodes were remarkably directed by Sanjay Ray Chaudhari.

     

    It’s back with a bang with a fresh menu of juicy, judicial cases. Come 10 January, 2015, the two veterans of TV production, Contiloe Entertainment’s Abhimanyu Singh and Sunshine Rise Productions’ Anshuman Kishore Singh, will present true-to-life stories of human excesses, which depict volatile social relationships of today.

     

    SET chief creative director, Ajay Bhalwankar, believes that the name of this series is defined by the twists and turns of true events, which often shows that ‘truth is stranger than fiction.’ “Presented in a unique style, the show promises to raise the benchmark of crime shows on Indian television.”

     

    He feels, “The channel has invested a lot of time in researching and digging out real-life stories that take place in a courtroom. It took three months for the channel to pick up the best stories, which were then executed in a fictional manner.”

     

    With this new property, the channel now has a complete portfolio focusing only on crime properties on weekends, starting with Adaalat at 8 pm, Bhanwar in close succession at 9 pm, followed by C.I.D and Crime Patrol at 10 pm and 11 pm respectively. “Sony has been a pioneer in crime genre. We have made a lot of sense and the outcome has turned out very well. We are confident that audiences will relate to this kind of drama that occurs in a courtroom,” asserts Bhalwankar.

     

    “I think this is a good move that the channel has made. In a way, they want audiences to stay tuned to the channel and sample the content one after the other. C.I.D and Crime Patrol both have been consistently delivering decent numbers and Bhanwar will follow suit and jump on the bandwagon, considering its different content. But on the other hand, experimentations have happened on the channel, but viewers haven’t really accepted it; I hope this one pays off for Sony,” says a media planner.

     

    The one-hour courtroom drama TV series is going to face tough competition from Bigg Boss eight on Colors, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L’il Champs five on Zee TV, Diya aur Baati Hum and Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai (Saturday) and Airlines (Sunday) on Star Plus, Supercops vs Supervillains… Shapath on Life OK and The Great Indian Family Drama on Sab.