ITV

Tag: Amitabh Bachchan

  • Amitabh Bachchan & Priyanka Chopra replace Aamir Khan as ‘Incredible India’ brand ambassadors

    Amitabh Bachchan & Priyanka Chopra replace Aamir Khan as ‘Incredible India’ brand ambassadors

    MUMBAI: Bollywood stalwart Amitabh Bachchan and India’s new international face Priyanka Chopra have been named as the brand ambassadors for Government of India’s ‘Incredible India’ campaign, making it the first time that the government has appointed actors.

     

    The endorsement agreement will be for a period of three years and the official announcement is likely to be made after 26 January.

     

    To date, Bachchan has been the face of many social campaigns like Gujarat Tourism, Polio Eradication Drive, Hepatitis B etc. Chopra, on the other hand, has made leaps and bounds in her career in recent years. Apart from being applauded in the roles she portrays in Hindi films, she also made headway in Hollywood by debuting as the lead in ABC’s television series Quantico and is also the first South Asian actor to win the Favourite Actress in a New TV series award at this year’s People’s Choice Awards.

     

    The duo replaces erstwhile brand ambassador Aamir Khan, who had been roped in by the creative agency working on the campaign – McCann Worldwide.

     

    It may be recalled that Khan was in the eye of the storm late last year, over his ‘intolerance’ remarks, which were blown out of proportion as well as quoted out of context in the media. Khan was the face of the ‘Athithi Devo Bhava’ campaign for almost a decade.

     

    Earlier this month, the Ministry of Tourism had denied removing Khan as ‘Incredible India’ brand ambassador in a statement. In response to media reports citing that Khan would no longer be endorsing the campaign in light of the ‘intolerance’ controversy that broke out late last year, the Tourism Ministry clarified that “there is no change in the stand of the ministry in this matter.” 

     

    The Ministry further clarified that at present it had a contractual agreement with creative agency McCann Worldwide to produce social awareness campaign and it was the agency, which had an agreement with Khan.

     

    However, a senior bureaucrat Amitabh Kant, who was a key figure in implementing the campaign during his tenure with the Ministry of Tourism, earlier justified the government’s decision to remove the actor from the portfolio.

     

    At that time, Khan, on his part, had said, “Whether I am brand ambassador or not, India will remain Incredible, and that’s the way it should be.”

  • Box Office: ‘Wazir’ takes in Rs 19.85 crore in opening weekend

    Box Office: ‘Wazir’ takes in Rs 19.85 crore in opening weekend

    MUMBAI: The Amitabh Bachchan – Farhan Akhtar starrer Wazir has received mixed word of mouth. A contrived revenge story on the done to death topic – Kashmir terrorism theme – the film manages to survive thanks to its solo release status after a three week draught of new releases. The survival, however, remains at the lower side.

     

    The film managed to collect Rs 5.5 crore on day one, adding a bit more on Saturday and Sunday. However, Monday saw the figures dropping. The film collected Rs 19.85 crore for the opening weekend.

     

    Chauranga, an outdated, boring and unpalatable film finds no takers as expected.

     

    Dilwale collected Rs 10.5 crore in its third week. The collections may be attributed to the open run with no opposition. This takes the film’s three week total to Rs 137.2 crore. This is not going to be enough for the film and its distributors to cover their investment.

     

    Bajirao Mastani gets the better advantage of a free run for three weeks, mostly thanks to the social media, and puts together Rs 26.5 crore in its third week. This takes the film’s three week tally to Rs 158.6 crore. However, the film is nowhere near recovering its extra high production cost.

  • Curtains down on Amitabh Bachchan’s ‘Aaj Ki Raat Hai Zindagi’ on 10 January

    Curtains down on Amitabh Bachchan’s ‘Aaj Ki Raat Hai Zindagi’ on 10 January

    MUMBAI: Amitabh Bachchan completes yet another inning on television as his non-fiction show on Star Plus – Aaj Ki Raat Hai Zindagi comes to an end.

    Being a finite series, the show had a life of 13 episodes and will air its last episode on 10 January.

    A source close to the development informs Indiantelevision.com that Big B signed a Rs 1.5 crore deal with Star for hosting the show. What’s more, the ad rates for the show’s 10 second slot was Rs 2 lakh.

    Additionally, the channel had roped in Maruti Suzuki as the presenting sponsor and Cadburys Dairy Milk as the powered by sponsor for the show. 

    However, despite have oodles of celebrity quotient on the show as well as having a unique feel-good factor, the show failed to generate good ratings for the channel. 

    “It didn’t do well in the terms of ratings. Despite bringing in so many celebrities on the show, it didn’t prove a profitable proposition for the channel,” said a senior media planner, on condition of anonymity.

    Dentsu Aegis Network South Asia chairman & CEO South Ashish Bhasin opined, “It’s true that having a celebrity onboard a show does give it an edge. Therefore it is helpful in the initial few days to set up its fan base and audience. But in the long run that won’t sustain a show. Ultimately it’s the content of the show that will retain eyeballs. Advertisers understand this as well. They might want to take advantage of the initial popularity of the show for a celeb, but for continuous investment they will go for a show that is doing well long term.”

    Star India COO Sanjay Gupta said, “Star India has always endeavoured to explore new and disruptive content – one that can fuel a billion imaginations. Aaj Ki Raat Hai Zindagi is one such show that, at its heart, captured the ethos of Star. Through this 13-episode finite series, our vision was to celebrate the extraordinary deeds done by ordinary people thereby inspiring people to believe that they too can make a difference and positivity can triumph. By celebrating the inherent goodness in people, we believe that people will be inspired by the feel-good and do-good spirit of the show long after the series reaches its culmination.”

    On 10 January at 8 pm, the show’s finale will see the legendary Jai-Veeru moment from Sholay being recreated on the stage of Aaj Ki Raat Hai Zindagi along with a surprise performance by Farhan Akhtar for Bachchan. 

    Whether the channel brings back the show for a second season, remains to be seen.

  • ‘KBC’ signs off in style… with Star promising to bring it back

    ‘KBC’ signs off in style… with Star promising to bring it back

    After over 300 episodes on air, nearly 3000 contestants, over 500 people on the hotseat, a more than 60,000 studio audience, over 90 million phone calls, and more than Rs 260 million given away as prize money, Kaun Banega Crorepati, the show that resurrected a channel and a fading Bollywood superstar, signed off today. With a promise that it would be back.

    KBC, the show that Star licenced from Celador’s Who wants To be a Millionaire and launched in June 2000, not only raised Star to the No. 1 position but also gave actor Amitabh Bachchan a fresh lease on superstardom.

    Said Sameer Nair, executive V-P, content & communication, Star Network: “We’ve enjoyed every moment of the show, shooting with Amitabh Bachchan, guests stars, interacting with audiences, and basking in the unprecedented success of the show. Every, such show needs a small break and now it’s time for Kaun Banega Crorepati too. Come, July-August, and watch out we’ll be back with Amitabh Bachchan and a big, brighter and bigger show.” 

    Whether Bachchan will be back in the hot seat if and when the show returns only time will tell; but the Big B did, during the course of the show, leave that particular issue open ended.

    And as the guest on the grand finale show, Star Plus brought back Harshvardhan Nawathe, KBC’s first ‘crorepati’ (10 millionaire?).

    From next week (16 January), Cinevista’s Sanjivani, a hospital drama with actor Mohnish Behl in the lead, goes on air. And Star’s rivals can get set for a channel stakes battle with a far more level playing field – without the Big B’s shadow hanging over the proceedings.

  • RepIndia bags digital & brand marketing duties of ‘Wazir’

    RepIndia bags digital & brand marketing duties of ‘Wazir’

    NEW DELHI: RepIndia has bagged the digital and brand marketing duties of Wazir, the new film produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra starring Amitabh Bachchan and Farhan Akhtar.

     

    The film, which released today (8 January) also stars Aditi Rao Hydari, Neil Nitin Mukesh and John Abraham.

     

    Chopra said, “Chase excellence, success will follow was the premise of 3 Idiots. The two idiots Ishaan and Ayesha fit that premise, I’m glad that they found the third idiot in us.”

     

    RepIndia CEO and co-founder Ayesha Chenoy added, “I have never been this happy to be called an idiot. It is a real honour to be able to work on Wazir and an absolute delight to work with a genius like Vidhu Vinod Chopra and his entire team.”

     

    RepIndia managing director Ishaan Ahuja said, “We are excited to give everything to ensure our marketing creativity does justice to Wazir.”

  • ‘Wazir:’ Give me Ludo any day!

    ‘Wazir:’ Give me Ludo any day!

    Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s company has some very successful entertainers and they have been huge money-spinners for the banner. To this end, his tie-up with director Rajkumar Hirani has proved to be fruitful. But, left to his own, Chopra likes to indulge in stories of intrigue, the earlier one being Eklavya. This time Chopra is credited with the original story ofWazir. Simply put, it is a story about two persons, Amitabh Bachchan and Farhan Akhtar, affected by the same villain and the way they join forces to avenge the wrong done to them.

    But Chopra does not like to make it so simple. He weaves a web of complications around the script and the characters like the game of chess, which is at the centre of this film. What backfires on the script is that the audience knows who the culprit is while Bachchan and Farhan try to expose him.

    Farhan is out with his wife, Aditi Rao Hydari, and daughter. While Aditi goes to a shop to get some work done; Farhan, waiting for her, spots a dreaded terrorist who, the authorities think, is in Karachi. A dutiful ATS officer that he is, he starts to chase the terrorist’s car. The chase ends abruptly when, after he turns a corner, the terrorists are waiting for him and start shooting at him. Farhan takes a bullet but survives while his daughter falls to a bullet. 

    The happy family of Farhan is shattered. Aditi holds him responsible and wants nothing to do with him anymore. Soon, Farhan learns where the killer of his daughter is. He defies the ATS cadre, which is out to get the convict with instructions to take him alive since he is linked to an influential minister. Farhan’s rage is uncontrollable and he kills the terrorist. 

    As is the norm in Hindi films of suspending honest and brave officers, Farhan too is suspended from the force. Farhan is forlorn and also decides to commit suicide at his daughter’s grave when Bachchan steps in. He gives Farhan time to have a second thought and, purposefully, drops his wallet at the gate of the cemetery. Luring Farhan to come visit his home to return the wallet. 

    Bachchan runs a Bal Bhavan at his home. He is some sort of an expert on chess and teaches small children to play the game. There is another woman around who teaches them the skills of drama. Bachchan has lost his wife and both his legs for being flamboyant. Out on a ride with his wife, he exceeds the speed limit of his car and tragedy ensues. 

    As it turns out, Bachchan’s daughter has been murdered by the same villain, Manav Kaul, who is also responsible for Farhan’s tragedy. Being handicapped, Bachchan needs a brave man with the same determination to finish the wrongdoer. Bachchan starts working on Farhan and while teaching him to play chess, fills his mind with a purpose, which is to kill Kaul. 

    By now, Farhan has grown very fond of Bachchan, who creates a fictitious character called Wazir. Wazir torments Bachchan and hurts him and also promises to kill him. Why Bachchan and why not Farhan himself as the handicapped Bachchan is no threat to anyone while Farhan is the one capable of taking revenge. But, that is Bachchan’s way of emotionally blackmailing Farhan to go out and get the man who killed his daughter.

    Kaul for his part lives a dual life. He is a terrorist who has killed the entire population of his village in Kashmir but using dramatics has emerged as the victim and as a patriot. He has even won elections and is now in a position to call the shots with police. Bachchan adopts all the tricks in the trade to convince Farhan to go after Kaul. Farhan does so. Kaul is at a public rally, surrounded by an army of guards but Farhan makes it look so easy that the audience satisfaction of justice to the villain is lost. 

    The script of the film is like a game of chess for one who is not familiar with the game. The revenge angle is stretched and even it just a little over 100 minutes, the narrative sags. And the director’s fancy for creating rain and shooting in low light most of the time makes the viewing drab. It is the same complaint with cinematography: too much of low light. The film has little scope for songs but is loaded with seven numbers. Editing has no place here for that would have rendered the film to the length of a TV episode. 

    Bachchan makes his presence felt by being loud. His get-up makes him look like a caricature and is quite a put off. Farhan justifies his character to the best of his abilities. Aditi has little to do. Cameos by John Abraham and Neil Nitin Mukesh are okay. Kaul does a fair job despite his stereotypical character. 

    Wazir has nothing for the single screens, and its time at the multiplexes won’t be exciting either. 

    Producer: Vidhu Vinod Chopra

    Director: Bejoy Nambiar

    Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Farhan Akhtar, Aditi Rao Hydari, Manav Kaul and cameos by John Abraham and Neil Nitin Mukesh

    ‘Chauranga:’ This is not cinema

    Chauranga is one more offering from the National Film Lab organised by NFDC and others, which means it is meant to exploit poverty, class differences and such problems in India and earn glory at various film festivals. This film has been doing the festival circuit since 2014 and has finally come to try to reach the Indian audience.

    Two brothers coming from a backward class family are thick in their brotherhood. While the elder, Riddhi Sen, studies in a school away from his village, the younger, Soham Moitra, whiles away his time hanging around a jamun tree, watching the village strongman’s (Sanjay Suri) daughter passing on her two-wheeler. He has fallen in love with her and is convinced she too loves him because she always spares a smile for him.

    Suri is the village headman by proxy as he takes all the decisions for a voicelessgram panchayat. While the population of the village is purely segregated between upper and lower castes, it does not come in the way of Suri from having a liaison with the mother of these two boys, Tannishtha Chatterjee. Her job is to look after the cowsheds of Suri and that is where their rendezvous takes place. In return, Suri looks after the education of her son. 

    Suri has built a hand pump to solve the village’s water problem. He decides to invite a politician to inaugurate the pump followed by a film show for the entire village. This way, while the whole village is glued to the cinema, he can have his time with Tannishtha in the cowshed.

    From the beginning of the film, there is a naagin slithering around on the screen, protecting her eggs. And during the duo’s rendezvous, she decides to leave her eggs, slithers into the cowshed and bites Tannishtha.

    Earlier, besotted Soham has convinced his educated elder brother to pen a love letter to Suri’s daughter. Doting on his brother, the elder one obliges. It is some lines from a film song, which Suri had heard from the boy on an earlier occasion. That sounds the death knell for the boy. The younger one manages to board a goods train to escape to safety. 

    Having sat through it, it is tough to understand the purpose of such a film. Its theatrical release spells disaster. 

    Producers: Onir, Sanjay Suri

    Director: Bikas Ranjan Mishra

    Cast: Sanjay Suri, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Riddhi Sen, Soham Maitra, Ena Saha

  • 2015: The year of nip & tuck for Hindi GECs

    2015: The year of nip & tuck for Hindi GECs

    MUMBAI: Ratings, ratings from the BARC, who’s the leader of them all?

    ‘Twas the question on many a lips as the new Indian television ratings body –  Broadcast Audience Research Council India launched earlier this year and within just a few months of operations created waves in the industry by throwing up All India data comprising urban and rural numbers. The dynamics of the Indian television market changed and old programming and marketing strategies were scrapped for newer ones. Many a channel executives went back to the drawing board to figure out what India wanted to watch on television.

    The year 2015 was also when Hindi general entertainment channels (GECs) slugged it out to attain the top slot by moving away from the typical saas-bahu sagas and explored other genres from horror to mythology to reality in order to provide viewers with wholesome entertainment. The fight had never been tougher for as the year drew to a close, it was nip and tuck as to which channel would lead the ratings race week on week. The undisputed leader of the genre – Star Plus could no longer be complacent as Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd’s (Zeel) underdog Zee Anmol gave the market leader a run for its money.

    Moreover, channels no longer have the luxury to run non-delivering shows. If a show isn’t working, it’s pulled off air. It’s as simple as that. Gone are the days when a show would endlessly run for years and years. Now, the fight is no longer limited to the top three – Star Plus, Colors and Zee TV. In light of the rural ratings data, free to air (FTA) channels like Zee Anmol, Star Utsav and Rishtey have managed to find their place under the sun and emerge in the list of the Top 10 Hindi GECs. Since week 41, FTA channels started dominating the Top 10 channels’ list. In just eight weeks’ time, Zee Anmol climbed up to the number one spot from the third position, pushing erstwhile market leader Star Plus to the third spot.

    On the programming front, if there was a genre apart from drama and reality shows that ruled the airwaves this year on Hindi GECs, it was mythology and historical shows. While some shows proved to be game changers for the channels, some failed to garner ratings.

    The year also witnessed some successful partnerships reunite. Star Plus and Amitabh Bachchan came together once again after a span of 15 years for Aaj Ki Raat Hai Zindagi. However, the hype that was created for the show subsided as quickly as the show’s content failed to impress the audience. On the other hand, actor Iqbal Khan, who started his television career with Ekta Kapoor’s show Kaisa Yeh Pyaar Hai on Sony Entertainment Television, made a comeback after 10 years with Pyar Ko Ho Jaane Do.

    Even as Priyanka Chopra rocked the international television circuit with her fiction debut in ABC’s high-octane drama series Quantico, closer home there was no dearth of star power on the small screen this year as movie stars from Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Shahid Kapoor, Hrithik Roshan, Sonakshi Sinha, Farhan Akhtar, Bipasha Basu, Arbaaz Khan to Malaika Arora Khan descended on television with a single minded vision to entertain the audience.

    Additionally, adaptations of international format shows, which have become an important part of Hindi GECs, also saw an increase this year. While adaptations of reality and non-fiction shows have been seen on Indian television for some years now, what was special this year was that for the first time, an international fiction format was adapted. India got its very own Everybody Loves Raymond in the form of Sumit Sambhal Lega. Other non-fiction adaptations that made their presence felt this year were India Poochega – Sabse Shaana Kaun?, Bigg Boss Season 9, I Can Do That, Aaj Ki Raat Hai Zindagi and Power Couple to name a few.

    The year 2015 also saw Zeel launching a new Hindi GEC under the ‘&’ brand name. Ten months into launch, &TV is striving to carve a niche for itself in the already busy GEC space.

    Let’s now take a look at some of the key happenings across the genre in 2015:

    Star Plus

    The beginning of 2015 was good for Star Plus as it performed well in terms of ratings according to TAM Media Research data. The happy saga continued for a few weeks even after the introduction of BARC data. However, from week 34 onwards, Star Plus witnessed many ups and downs and was in close competition with Colors. Come week 41, which was when BARC released its rural data, the channel faced double trouble with introduction of FTA channels in the tally. As per the latest week data, Star Plus stood in the third spot with Zee Anmol in the top slot followed by Colors.

    That said, 2015 will remain memorable for Star Plus as it roped in Bachchan as the host of Aaj Ki Raat Hai Zindagi.

    The channel’s long running show including Saath Nibhaana Saathiya, Yeh Hai Mohabbatein, Diya Aur Baati and Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlta hai are among the top five programmes of Hindi GECs.

    After the successful execution of Mahabharat, Star Plus launched another mythological show Siya Ke Ram on 16 November, which is produced by Triangle Film Company. A reality show called Dance Plus also made its presence felt on the small screen.

    The year gone by also saw a number of shows launching and going off air in a period of three – six months. Shows like Manmarziyan, Gulmohar Grand, Badtameez Dil, Kuch Toh Hai Tere Mere Darmiyaan and Tere Mere Shehar Mein were pulled off because of poor ratings.

    Colors

    2015 has been a good year for Colors even as the tug of war with Star Plus to claim the leadership position kept both players on their toes. Many a times Colors successfully grabbed the lead position inching ahead of the market leader. So, what worked for the channel in 2015?

    Every year Salman Khan says he won’t host the next season of Bigg Boss and every year the channel manages to lure him back on the small screen’s biggest reality show. Colors launched the ninth season Bigg Boss Double Trouble with Khan. However, not wanting to disturb the timings of its prime time fiction shows, which was raking in the ratings, Bigg Boss 9 was placed in the late prime time slot of 10.30 pm on weekdays and 9 pm on weekends.

    Colors also experimented with its weekend time slot and launched the supernatural fiction show Naagin, which proved to be a game changer for the channel and was perched on the top rung of the ladder in week 50.

    Some of the other notable shows, which have been performing well for the channel are the historical Chakarvartin Ashoka Samrat produced by Contiloe Entertainment as well as two fiction shows produced by Rashmi Sharma Telefilms namely Sasural Simar Ka and Swaragini.

    On the non-fiction front, apart from Bigg Boss 9 Colors also launched the second season of its chat show The Anupam Kher Show: Kucch Bhi Ho Sakta Hai and the eighth season of Jhalak Dikhlaa Jaa Reloaded. Experimenting with a celebrity cooking show, Colors roped in Farah Khan and launched Farah Ki Dawat.

    While the year saw Colors acquiring some flagship properties like the IIFA Awards and the Box Cricket League, the earlier editions of which were aired on different broadcasters, the channel also launched its first live event property called Suro Ke Rang Colors Ke Sang to celebrate the world of Indian music industry.

    Zee TV

    The year saw Zee TV struggling to hold on to its position in the third and fourth slots. Even as the channel saw some instability on the ratings chart, the year was sprinkled with a few new launches. The channel, known for its original content formats like Dance India Dance, Sa Re Ga Ma and India’s Best Dramebaaz, experimented this time round with an international format called I Can Do That.

    In the fiction genre, the year saw launches like Kaala Teeka, Ek Tha Raja Ek Thi Raani, Sarojini, Laajwanti and Yeh Vaada Raha. On the other hand, the channel’s fiction show Kumkum Bhagya managed to garner high ratings and was amongst the top 5 shows across Hindi GECs.

    On the non-fiction front, Zee TV launched the second season of India’s Best Dramebaaz as well as the fifth season of Dance India Dance.

    Further strengthening its weekend, the year saw the channel experimenting with the slot with the launch of Neeli Chatri Waale produced by Ashwini Dhir at 8 pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Apart from this, the channel also took its Sunday programming a notch higher with the new adventurous show Janbaaz Sinbad in the 7 pm time slot.

    Zee TV also extended its weekday primetime shows to six days a week from Monday to Saturday. From 28 November onwards, the shows on the channel’s 7 – 9 pm time slot were also telecast on Saturdays.

    Sony Entertainment Television

    In the year 2015, Sony completed two decades of its broadcast operations in India. The year was marked by a new team, new shows and even a new name… 2015 can well be called as the year of everything new for Sony Entertainment Television.

    The channel’s mother company Multi Screen Media India was rechristened as Sony Pictures Networks India.

    That said, even though the channel launched many new shows in the year in a bid to strengthen its programming, unfortunately not one managed to create the much required magic for the channel. The channel has a long way to go if it wants to make its presence felt in the Top 5 Hindi GECs. As of week 50, Sony stood at number seven in the pecking order according to BARC data.

    On the programming front, the channel launched a couple of fiction shows like Parrvarish season 2 and Pyaar Ko Ho Jane Do. On the other hand, hopping on to the mythology bandwagon, Sony too launched two shows in the genre namely Suryaputra Karn and Sankat Mochan Mahabali Hanuman. Going by the popularity of the genre on Indian television, Sony might as well latch on these two shows and offer content that the Indian viewer is readily lapping up.

    On the non-fiction front, the channel launched the second season of Junior Indian Idol, which also saw the television debut of actress Sonakshi Sinha as judge along with Vishal Dadlani and Salim Merchant.

    Even though the current fare on the channel may not be whetting viewers’ appetite, Sony has been known as a pioneer in bringing cutting edge programming to Indian television screens. After introducing shows like Indian Idol, Jhalak Dikhlaa Jaa and Khatron Ke Khiladi, the channel brought another international format -Power Couple to India. Produced by Colosceum Entertainment the show was adaptation of Israeli format launched on 12 December.

    Another major highlight for the channel has been its longest running show CID, which entered in its 19th year in 2015 as well as the hugely successful Crime Patrol,which is all set to follow suit.

    Sab TV

    Sony Entertainment Television’s sister channel Sab TV is one of India’s most loved comedy channel. Though many shows this year failed to garner sustainable ratings, the channel did not hold back when it came to experimenting with content.

    Sab’s comedy show Peterson Hill produced by Garima Productions, was pulled off air due to low ratings despite having a cast like Rohit Roy, Sucheta Khanna and Ashwin Mushran. What’s more, as a part of its programming strategy, the channel also pulled down four of its shows on 19 July this year. The first one to bite the dust was the weekend show Hansi Hi Hansi Mil Toh Lein, which was launched on 29 March. The second show titled Rumm Pumm Po hit screens on 6 June and was wrapped up within 43 days. The game show titled Sab Ka Sapna Money Money, which started from 26 April went off-air in four months too. Rukawat Ke Liye Khed Hai, which launched on 26 April, was the fourth show that ended on the same date.

    However, Sab TV also tried some new formats to keep the spirit alive. Taking the route of advertiser funded programming (AFP), the channel launched Chalti Ka Naam Gadi, which was produced by Deepti Bhatnagar production and funded by Maruti Suzuki.

    The channel’s longest running show Tarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chashma continued to impress the audience with its comic trails. Additionally, in the last year, Sab TV also made its maiden foray into a big ticket reality show called Comedy Superstar with celebrity judges.

    In terms of new offerings, Sab presented Yum Hai Hum, Sahib Biwi Aur Boss and Police Factory  to the audience in 2015.

    Life OK

    2015 saw multiple new show launches across channels and not to be left behind, Star India’s Hindi GEC Life OK too contributed its share to the ecosystem by brining in new shows, which worked slowly but steadily for the channel.

    Dream Girl, Zindagi Baki Hai Mere Ghost, Roshini, Ek Tha Chandar were among the few shows that were launched this year.

    &TV

    Zeel’s new Hindi GEC &TV began beaming from 2 March, 2015. Coming into an already cluttered space with established players in place, the newest baby in the Hindi GEC made its presence felt from the word go!

    It’s been only ten months since launch but &TV has already managed to carve a niche for itself. From the big bang launch of the Shah Rukh Khan hosted show India Poochega: Sabse Shaana Kaun? as its flagship property to its popular fiction drama Begusarai, the sailing has so far been smooth for the channel. In a span of ten months, &TV launched as many as 17 shows across genres.

    In the non-fiction category, the channel brought Deal or No Deal back on Indian television with Ronit Roy as host as well as launched the singing reality show The Voice India.

    This year, the popular television awards show – the 14th Indian Telly Awards 2015, which is hosted by Indiantelevision.com hopped on board &TV.

    In the fiction space, the year saw some fabulous shows like Ganga, Begusarai, Bhabhi Ji Ghar Par Hai, Yeh Kahan Agaye Hum, which managed to create the required magic for the channel.

    &TV also launched its first socio-mytho show Santoshi Maa produced by Rashmi Sharma Telefilms.

    What’s more, Bollywood diva Bipasha Basu also made her television debut this year on &TV’s horror show Darr Sabko Lagta Hai.

    As the industry readies to usher in 2016 as well as the completion of the third phase of Indian cable television digitisation, the mass entertainer Hindi GECs are well poised to go on a growth trajectory. Moreover, as the months go by, the All India ratings data by BARC India will also steadily provide a clearer picture of trends and analysis of what a diverse country like India is actually watching thus making it easier for the channels to put in place bespoke programming strategies.

  • Amitabh Bachchan & Deepika Padukone win Big Star Entertainment Award for ‘Piku’

    Amitabh Bachchan & Deepika Padukone win Big Star Entertainment Award for ‘Piku’

    MUMBAI: At the sixth edition of the Big Star Entertainment Awards, Amitabh Bachchan and his co-star Deepika Padukone bagged the top honours for Best Actor of the year (Male) and (Female) respectively for their performance inPiku.

     

    The audience witnessed Varun Dhawan bag the most honors with two awards under different categories for his work in Badlapur.

     

    Salman Khan won the award for Bajrangi Bhaijaan under Big Star Most Entertaining Actor in a Social Role (Male). 

     

    The 92.7 Big FM ‘Hit Thhe Hit Rahenge’ award went to evergreen sensation Anil Kapoor, while Alia Bhatt won the award for Big Star Most Entertaining Dance for her moves in the song ‘Gulabo’ from her recent film Shaandar. 

     

    Laughter sensations Bharti Singh and Manish Paul played host to the awards ceremony.

     

    Bajrangi Bhaijaan child artist Harshali Malhotra received her first ever award for her work in the film.

     
    Salman Khan dazzled the audience with his moves on recent tracks like ‘Aaj Ki Party Meri Taraf Se,’ ‘Selfie Le Le Re,’ ‘Prem Ratan Dhan Payo’ and ‘Prem Leela.’ This was followed by Alia Bhatt, who took the entertainment quotient to another level with her performance on songs like ‘Gulabo,’ ‘Shaam Shandaar’ and others.

     

    Sonam Kapoor was awarded the Big Star Most Entertaining Actor in a Romantic Role (Female) for her performance in Prem Ratan Dhan Payo while Ranveer Singh was awarded Big Star Most Entertaining Actor in a Romantic Role (Male) for his work in Dil Dhadakne Do.

     

    The award for Big Star Entertaining comedy film was won by Anand L Rai for Tanu Weds Manu Returns, while Meghna Gulzar won Big Star Most Entertaining Thriller for Talvar. Sooraj Barjatya won Big Star Most Entertaining Romantic Film for Prem Ratan Dhan Payo.

     

    Bhumi Pednekar won her first ever award for her work in Dum Laga Ke Haisha under Big Star Most Entertaining Actor in a Social Role (Female), while the Big Star Most Entertaining Social Film went to ABCD 2.

     

    The Big Star Most Entertaining Actor in a Thriller Role (Female) went to Tisca Chopra for Rahasya and Big Star Most Entertaining Action Film went to Gabbar Is Back.

     
    Indian cinema’s new entrants Omkar Kapoor, Akshara Hassan and Sana Kapoor were praised for their debut performances and collected awards in the debut categories, while Palak Mucchal and Armaan Malik bagged an award each as the Big Star Most Entertaining Singer (Female and Male) for ‘Prem Ratan Dhan Payo’ and ‘Tumhe Apna Banane Ka’ respectively.

     

    The Big Star Most Entertaining Music award went to Prem Ratan Dhan Payo and Big Star Most Entertaining Song went to ‘Chittiyan Kalliyan’ from Roy.

     

    Saina Nehwal bagged the honour for the Big Star Most Entertaining Sportsperson of the Year.

     

    Among television shows Yeh Hai Mohobbatein (Star Plus) and Kum Kum Bhagya (Zee TV) won the highest honours as Big Star Most Entertaining Series TV – Fiction.

     

    Mohammad Nazim and Vishal Singh of Saath Nibhana Saathiya (Star Plus) fame won Big Star Most Entertaining Actor TV – Fiction – Male while Bharti Singh and laughing sensation Krushna Abhishek won Big Star Most Entertaining Jury/ Host (TV)- Non Fiction for the humorous show Comedy Nights Bachao (Colors).

     

    The Big Star Most Entertaining Series TV – Non Fiction also went to laugh-riot show Comedy Classes (Life OK). 

  • Dilip Kumar receives Padma Vibhushan award

    Dilip Kumar receives Padma Vibhushan award

    NEW DELHI: Legendary thespian Dilip Kumar, who gave a distinct meaning to method acting, was presented the country’s second highest civilian honour Padma Vibhushan in Mumbai today – just two days after his 93rd birthday.

     

    The actor was presented a medal, a certificate and a shawl by Home Minister Rajnath Singh in the presence of the actor’s wife Saira Banu. Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis among other dignitaries were present at the actor’s residence in Mumbai’s suburb Bandra.

     

    Though both Dilip Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan were among those whose names had been announced in January this year, Kumar’s sickness prevented him from attending the presentation by President Pranab Mukherjee in April at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. 

     

    Born as Muhammad Yousuf Khan in Peshawar on 11 December, 1922, Kumar made his debut as an actor in the film Jwar Bhata in 1944 produced by Bombay Talkies. 

     

    In a career that spanned over six decades and just over sixty films, he showed his caliber in different genres and set trends for others to follow in films like the romantic Andaz (1949), the swashbuckling Aan (1952), the dramatic Devdas (1955), the comical Azaad (1955), the historical Mughal-e-Azam (1960) and the social Ganga Jamuna (1961). 

     

    While he came to be known as the ‘tragedy king of Bollywood’ for films like Devdas, Daag(1952), Dil Diya Dard Liya (1966), Admi (1968) and Bairag (1976), he also did comedies likeRam Aur Shyam (which has been remade several times) and Madhumati. His acting prowess showed in films like Kranti (1981), Shakti (1982), Karma (1986), Saudagar (1991) and others. His last film was Qila (1998).

     

    He was honoured with the Padma Bhushan award in 1991 and the country’s highest award in cinema Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1994 for his exceptional and distinguished contribution to the Indian cinema. The first to receive the Filmfare award in 1952 for Daag, he received this honour eight times though he had been nominated about 20 times. In 1993 he won the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award. Pakistan honoured him with its highest civilian honour Nishan-e-Imtiaz in 1997.

     

    The late cine craftsman Satyajit Ray had described Dilip “the ultimate method actor.”

     

    Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore tweeted, “Congrats to the screen legend Dilip Kumar for being conferred Padma Vibhushan. His touching cinematic performances are inspiration for many.”

     

    Fadnavis, in his tweet said, “Honoured to honour the veteran actor #DilipKumar ji with #PadmaVibhushan with Hon @BJPRajnathSingh ji & Hon Governor.”

     
    The veteran actor decided to skip his birthday celebrations to mark ¬solidarity towards the Chennai floods victims. His wife and actor Saira Banu had said, “He has got so much love from all over the world. What more can I give him? I can only pray for his good health and that’s my gift for him.”

     
     “I think his health gets affected after any ¬celebration. We are also very affected by the Chennai incident and decided to keep it quiet. After what happened in Chennai, it would not have been right to have a huge celebration,” she added.

  • Amitabh Bachchan to co-own IPTL’s OUE Singapore Slammers team

    Amitabh Bachchan to co-own IPTL’s OUE Singapore Slammers team

    MUMBAI: Amitabh Bachchan has hopped on board as the co-owner of The International Premier Tennis League’s (IPTL) OUE Singapore Slammers team alongside the local company UD Group, which acquired the team earlier this year.

     

    Bachchan will make a courtside on 20 December at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on the final day of the season. He will also be interacting with fans during the course of the day.

     

    The OUE Singapore Slammers are one of the five teams competing in the second edition of the Coca-Cola IPTL. Singapore will host the final leg of the competition from 18-20 December to determine who will be the league champion for 2015.

     

    A massive tennis fan who has travelled the world to watch some of the best in action, Bachchan’s excitement is palpable. Says he, “My work schedule allows me to only be there for one day, but I’m confident the Singapore Slammers will be playing in the final. I’m also really looking forward to hanging out with members of our clan, the #SlammersNation. I’d like to invite my fans and tennis fans alike to come spend the day with me at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.”

     

    With an aim on developing the sport of tennis in Singapore, the UD Group bought the OUE Singapore Slammers to help cultivate the first generation tennis stars of Singapore.

     

    UD Group chairman Prateek Gupta said, “For us, the IPTL and the OUE Singapore Slammers is as much about entertaining the fans as it is about winning that trophy. In Mr Bachchan, we found a kindred spirit who believes in that aim. Moreover, his commitment to the sport of tennis means that he will be a crucial driver of our Junior Slammers program as well. We look forward to creating a winning team with a true Indian icon.”

     

    Joining the OUE Singapore Slammers at the Singapore Indoor Stadium will be the UAE Royals, Indian Aces, Philippine Mavericks and Japan Warriors – the newest addition to the season – bringing 35 of the world’s top tennis stars into town for the three-day league climax.

     

    The second edition of the IPTL, founded by multiple grand-slam winner Mahesh Bhupathi, will see Japan added to the tour, which already saw packed audiences in the Philippines, Singapore, India and Dubai. The 2015 IPTL will run from 2 – 20 December, 2015.