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Tag: Amitabh Bachchan

  • Salman tops the chart for being most savvy on digital media

    Salman tops the chart for being most savvy on digital media

    MUMBAI: Salman Khan emerged as the most digital savvy celebrity with an overall score of 16.1, according to TO THE NEW Digital Celebrity Index for the month of September. Khan ranked as number one while Shahrukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan ranked at number two and three scoring 14.6 and 14.5 respectively.

    As per the TO THE NEW Digital data, Priyanka Chopra has emerged as the most active celebrity in social media, on the basis of highest number of posts on all the platforms including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Chopra topped the chart with a total of 531 posts. Amitabh Bachchan is the second most active celebrity after Chopra with a total of 168 posts.

    On Facebook, Chopra had 75 posts during the month of September whereas Bachchan was close second with 71 posts during the same month. Female celebrities are more active when it comes to Instagram as compared to males. On Instagram, Chopra has total number of 66 posts. Sonam Kapoor was the second most active celebrity with a total of 45 posts.

    Chopra had 704 tweets, most of which were about her American TV show Quantico, which was launched on 27th Sep. Amitabh Bachchan grabbed the second spot in the list with a total of 140 tweets which were more generic in nature.

    Madhuri Dixit emerged as the most engaging celebrity on the basis of highest number of netizens she had engaged with on all platforms including likes, comments and shares on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. The posts made by Dixit were found to be most engaging among all the celebrities with a score of 11.8 M. Shahid Kapoor remained the second most engaging celebrity with a total engagement of 1.0 M.  Shahrukh Khan was the most engaging celebrity with a total engagement of 694,913 for the month of September.  Most of the tweets made by Shahrukh Khan were generic in nature where 32 per cent of his total tweets were re-tweets.  

    Madhuri Dixit received the highest engagement ratio of 47 per cent with 25.1M of total fans. Shahrukh ranked at number two with 38 percent of engagement ratio with 18.2M of total fans. Alia Bhatt, Shahid Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor ranked at number three, four and five with 34 per cent of engagement ratio with 9.6 M, 3.2M and 1.6 M of total fans. .

    Deepika Padukone has the highest reach across social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram) with total of 39.8 M fans. It was also observed that despite very high number of posts, Priyanka Chopra could not gather many fans and ended up securing only fifth position among all the celebrities with total fan base of 31.7 M fans on all the social media platforms combined. Padukone had the highest number of Facebook fans among all the celebrities that was close to 27.6 M while Salman khan was close second with a total of 27.1 M fans and Amitabh Bachchan was close to 21.9 M of fans and ranked at number three. Padukone also topped the fan base on Instagram with 3.7M fans. Alia Bhatt was a close second with a total of 3.5 M fans.  Priyanka Chopra secured third position with 3.4 M.

    It was noticed that male celebrities had higher number of fans as compared to female celebrities when it comes to Twitter.  Unlike Facebook or Instagram, Amitabh Bachchan has the biggest fan base on Twitter with a close to 17.3 M followers. Shahid Kapoor remained a close second with a total of 15.7 M fans. Even after having the biggest celebrity base on Facebook as well as Instagram, Deepika Padukone could only secure 4th place with respect to the fan base on Twitter.

    Salman Khan came up as the most searched celebrity by netizens on Google with a total of 4.5 M searches during the month of September. That also overlapped the other celebrities in a big way, since the second most searched celebrity, Paukone could only secure 2.5 M searches for the same duration. Anushka Sharma bagged third position with 2.4M searches, Shahrukh Khan secured fourth spot with 2.3 M and Akshay Kumar grabbed fifth place with 1.5 M searches.

  • Big B’s train journey inspired by ‘Aaj Ki Raat Hai Zindagi’ creates a stir on social media

    Big B’s train journey inspired by ‘Aaj Ki Raat Hai Zindagi’ creates a stir on social media

    MUMBAI: On Sunday morning, the local train commuters from CST to Bhandup were in for a surprise when they saw none other than Amitabh Bachchan in their train. In no time, #BigBAurHeroKaSafar became a trending topic across social media with several people posting pictures and videos of the actor from the train. The hashtag #BigBAurHeroKaSafar was the number one trend nationwide, on Twitter. 

     

    Big B was there to support a hero, Saurabh Nimbkar who featured on his show, ‘Aaj Ki Raat Hai Zindagi’. He was impressed by Saurabh who sings in the train to raise funds for cancer patients, and wanted to join in for this noble cause. 

     

    He not only cheered for Saurabh but sang along with him, leaving the crowds in a frenzy. The frenzy evidently wasn’t just limited to the train compartment, but spread across social media with several people appreciating this gesture or expressing how surprised they were.  

     

    ‘Aaj Ki Raat Hai Zindagi’ which celebrates life and the small joys it offers, airs on Star Plus and hotstar, every Sunday at 8pm

  • “I may distribute a news channel. I just do not want to run one” : Kunal Dasgupta CEO SET

    “I may distribute a news channel. I just do not want to run one” : Kunal Dasgupta CEO SET

    It’s the festival of lights. And for many the festival of noise courtesy exploding fireworks. In the hope of reducing the number of those belonging to the latter tribe, we, at indiantelevision.com, decided to put a display of firecracker articles for visitors this Diwali. We have had many top journalists reporting, analysing, over the many years of indiantelevision.com’s existence.

     

    The articles we are presenting are representative of some of the best writing on the business of cable and satellite television and media for which we have gained renown. Read on to get a flavour and taste of indiantelevision.com over the years from some of its finest writers. And have a Happy and Safe Diwali!

     

    Written By: Thomas Abraham

     

    Sony Entertainment Television has secured the cable and satellite television rights for all ICC-designated One-Day cricket for the next seven years, which includes the next two World Cups. But with a reported $255 million acquisition tab, SET CEO Kunal Dasgupta has his task cut out to profit from it. At a media briefing last Friday, Sony presented the captain of India’s successful World Cup campaign of 1983, Kapil Dev, as its brand ambassador. Dasgupta talks of this and other issues like conditional access, DTH, uplinking from India to indiantelevision.com’s Thomas Abraham.

     

    What made you plump for Kapil Dev as your brand ambassador?

     

    The point is, just as Amitabh Bachchan is the icon of movies, Kapil Dev is the icon of cricket and we expect Kapil to do for Sony Entertainment what Bachchan did for Star.

     

    There is this huge investment of $255 million that has been pumped into getting the rights to ICC-designated One Day cricket tournaments. Recovering that is a tough ask any way you look at it. At least as far as the ICC tourney in September and the World Cup next March, are there any programming initiatives that you have in mind?

    There are a number of them we have lined up but I don’t want to talk about these initiatives at this juncture.

     

    What about an outline of your overall strategy? 

     

    First and foremost, we want to take the game beyond the male and offer it as family entertainment. The programming initiatives that we are working on will take cricket beyond the boundary and get the families in. There will certainly be a focus on women in our plans.

     

    Secondly, we have to generate interest beyond the matches India is playing. And we will have to create devices that provide for that.

     

    And the ICC rights that we have include under-19 cricket tournaments. There is no interest for this now but we will have to generate it.

     

    One way is to make the cricketers more media savvy. They will need to be groomed accordingly so as to give the proper sound bytes at the proper time. Tiger Woods is not just a sporting success story but a marketing one as well and this has been achieved by a great deal of coaching on how he conducts himself.

     

    Now that you have acquired this massive cricket property, have you thought of an IPO. Would this not be a good time to raise funds from the market?
    My board doesn’t think so.

     

    “The big question is, will the law make it mandatory to declare the subscriber management systems, which are in the hands of the cable operators? How do you control this is a big worry?”

     

    The big debate currently is around the government’s determination to introduce conditional access systems in the country. What is your stand on this?
    Well I would have to see how it is implemented. My principal concern is that there should not be a disruption of services which is something I am sure the government would ensure when CAS is introduced.

     

    The Cable TV Networks (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2002 is almost certain to get cleared in the next session of Parliament in July. How long do you think the first phase of the rollout in the four metros will take? 

    It should take about a year or so at the very least, I would think.

     

    What will happen to DTH in this scenario? The whole concept of having tiers means that high-end services can be offered to consumers which would incorporate interactivity and other options like pay-per-view. Would this not make the DTH option a non starter?

     

    The introduction of CAS as is visualised would in fact speed up the entry of DTH. If the customer has any way to invest in a set top to access channels, the quality of service that DTH provides would make it quite a feasible option if the price is right. It should be noted that in India what we are talking about as far as CAS is concerned is an analog service. To digitise, massive investment is needed for cable TV headend upgradation as well as line upgradation. What we are looking at is costs of up to Rs 50,000 crores (Rs 500 billion). At the moment, it is only Reliance that is doing this kind of cabling.

     

    The introduction of CAS would certainly alter the dynamics of the business. What sort of scenarios do you visualise?

     

    Bundling of packages will certainly be there. It will ultimately boil down to who offers the best package. There will be possibilities of a number of currently rival networks like Sony, Star and Zee for instance coming together and offering a shared bundle. India is a unique market. Ultimately, market forces will settle the issue.

     

    What other options are there available to the broadcaster?

     

    One possibility is to supply boxes directly to the consumer. That way we bypass the cable operator altogether by entering into a direct relationship with the consumer.

     

    If you are talking packages, then strong bouquets will still be important. Have you earmarked any candidates for joining “The One Alliance” (what the addition of the Discovery and Animal Planet channels to the Sony Entertainment bouquet of SET, MAX, AXN and CNBC India is called)?
    An English movie channel is top of our wish list. Music and niche channels are our other options.

     

    “We will be continuously introducing new shows but they will be short duration series. The days of the long-running serial are numbered”

    _________

    (Inset) A 1983 file picture of Kapil Dev with the Prudential World Cup trophy.

     

    How many new channels can we expect on the platform by the end of the year?

     

    Ask me on 20 June.

     

    What about a news channel? There is a lot of buzz that a news channel is also on your list.

     

    As long as I am CEO, a news channel will not happen. We do not want to get into issues of editorial management as that would involve taking sides on issues. The issue we have with running a news channel is that we prefer to remain neutral. We have a lot of products that we promote in India besides our channels. There is the movie business, music and electronics goods that we have as well, so that is the position that we are comfortable with.

     

    That is not to say I cannot have a news channel on my platform. I can certainly distribute a channel. I just do not want to run one.

     

    Now that the government has liberalised uplinking, there is talk that broadcasters who uplink abroad will be looking at transferring operations to India so as to bring in new avenues for advertising. Is Sony considering such an option?

     

    Not for the near term at least. If at some later date, we feel there are clear advantages to be derived, then we would have to reassess the situation.

     

    What of programming? Is there anything new happening on Sony?

     

    We will be introducing a new blockbuster series slotted for the weekend prime time. The weekend has been associated with blockbuster movies. Now we are working on a blockbuster series that will run for 39 episodes. With it, we expect to carve out the weekend prime time slot.

     

    Balaji has said it is readying a 39-part weekend series that is going on air within the next two months, slated to run as a one-hour show on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. And the talk is that you are doing a big new show with Balaji. Is this that show?
    Yes it is.

     

    Still, it is the weekday programming that ultimately decides the success of a channel. What have you lined up for the weekdays?

     

    We will be continuously introducing new shows but they will be short duration series. The days of the long-running serial are numbered.

     

    Do you have any big ticket shows lined up?

     

    One show we are seriously looking at is a game show called Russian Roulette.

     

    From whom are you acquiring the rights?

     

    It is a Columbia Tristar property.

     

    (Russian Roulette, produced by Columbia TriStar Domestic Television [CTDT], is a game of chance where every question could cause a contestant to literally “drop out” of the game and has been a hit in countries as wide apart as Russia and Spain. In this knowledge test, four strangers challenge each other to answer a series of multiple-choice questions. If a contestant answers incorrectly, he must pull the lever potentially triggering one or more “drop zones”. When only one contestant is left standing, that person keeps all of the money won and proceeds to the final round. In the US version, the final winner takes home an additional $100,000.)

     

    What about Shubh Vivaah (Sony’s blockbuster marriage reality show)? When do you see it finally launching?

     

    There is a hearing scheduled for 8 July. After that, we will know for certain.

     

    But I thought the issue was settled. Didn’t the Delhi high court ruling (of 3 March) state that Taal (which went to court over claimed copyright violation) gets a lead time of two months if its own show Swayamvar launches on or before 30 June, otherwise Sony would be free to launch Shubh Vivaah?

     

    Well, Taal went in appeal of that ruling. So the judge has put 8 July as the date for final hearing of the case. Basically, Taal is only employing delaying tactics. In any case, we expect to have the show out in the next few months.

  • Disney’s theatrical production Beauty and the Beast makes an impressive debut

    Disney’s theatrical production Beauty and the Beast makes an impressive debut

    MUMBAI: When the history of Indian theatre is written sometime in the future, historians will make references to the pre- and the post Beauty and the Beast era. The date: 21 October 2015 will be enshrined as the day that changed the Indian musical theatre world.  That was the day that Disney India had an exclusive premier of its one-year in production international theatrical musical.

     

    It played to a packed house consisting of Bollywood stars, directors, producers, broadcasters, distributors and a select high net worth client list of Citibank credit cards (apparently it willingly shelled out Rs 5 crore plus to be associated with the musical) at the National Sports Club of India Dome  in Mumbai.

     

    Disney India MD Siddharth Roy Kapur  was cock-a-hoop with delight about the response to the first performance. “We have made an impression on an audience consisting of entertainers, I think the rest of the journey is going to go well,” he said. “Disney International chairman Andy Bird responded to my wanting to bring Disney’s Theatrical Production to India with Beauty and the Beast. I thank him for that.”

     

    Watching spell bound were film makers and artistes and industry barons like Subhash Ghai, Vishal Bhardwaj, Emraan Hashmi, Mini Mathur, Ashutosh Goawarikar, Kabir Khan, Vishal Bharadwaj, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, Vidya Balan, Soha Ali Khan, Imtiaz Ali, Anurag Basu, Nikhil Advani,Ayan Mukherji, Rajkumar Hirani, Shabhani Azmi, Aditya Roy Kapur, Madhur Bandarkar,  Anil Thadani and Raveena Tandon, Manyata Dutt, Ronnie and Zarina Screwvala, Amol Gupte, Ramesh Taurani, Nikhil Meswani, Sudanshu Vats, Tarun Katiyal, among scores of others.

     

    It’s not as if attempts at upping the ante for musical theatre have not been made in India before. We had the showman Alyque Padamsee period in the eighties during which shows like Evita (probably the longest running musical in India), Jesus Christ Superstar, Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Greased Lightning,  The Wiz, sold out  in venues like the NCPA, Sophia, Homi Bhabha Auditorium in Mumbai. Then in recent times his daughter Rael Padamsee has been behind the production of  The Sound of Music and Grease. But while their efforts are praiseworthy, they pale in comparison to the scale that Beauty and the Beast was mounted upon.

     

    Estimates are that Disney India may have signed a cheque of Rs 22 crore for the production which will continue in Mumbai for 10 more shows till end this month. Delhi is slated to follow later. Most of the other Indian efforts at adaptations have budgets which are a fraction of that.

     

    The “different international” experience commenced at the venue itself with clear signage directing the traffic to the red carpet. And there was Siddharth Roy Kapur to greet his guests along with international Disney executives. Once you got past the gates with your bar coded ticket giving you entry you walked into a spacious dome theatre constructed for the Beauty and the Beast.  Rows upon rows of seats gave it a seating capacity of about 2,000-2,500.

     

    A half moon shaped lavish and large set (160 ft x 70 ft – normally used only for big budgeted televised awards shows) with ramps bisecting the front audience vertically and horizontally (giving it an H-shape) from those in the middle greeted the fans. Constructed by art director Varsha Jain at a cost of around Rs 1.80 crore, it is the centre-piece of Beauty and the Beast’s Indian production. It probably is the biggest stage ever constructed by Disney for the show anywhere in the world.  Then there is the attention to detail and quality that Varsha has put into the set. You are almost lulled into believing that you are in the village with its marketplace, its main street, the roadside café, the bakery, the vendors, where Belle lives in her small home with her father.

     

    A few minutes later the stage transforms itself into the dark castle wherein resides the young prince who was cursed to be a beast on account of his arrogance with a beggar. From the dark exterior to a well lit dining room to the dungeon to the balcony to the porch the shifts happen quickly.

     

    3D Projection mapping, LEDs and large curtains, focused lighting – every trick in the book has been used to make the transitions easy and seamless. Additionally the props too have a sense of realism about them as compared to the shoddy fare that we often see in use in Indian theatrical productions.

     

    It obviously is director Vikranth Pawar ‘s (he of Jhumroo and Zangaroo fame) vision. And choreographer Terence Lewis has ridden with him and made use of every inch of the stage and beyond for the sequences during the play. And he has adapted the choreography including styles such as ballet, jazz, breakdance and even classical ballroom dance depending on the scene’s requirement.  One of the most memorable ones is the opening act  with the song “Belle” wherein there are more than 60 actors and dancers on stage and you can’t seem to get enough of any of them.  Overall the production has more than 250 dancers back stage through its 130 minute duration.

     

    The musical  score  – like the original by Alan Menken  – by Leslie Lewis for the Indian edition is flawless. Recorded in Prague with a Philharmonic Orchestra and mastered in Los Angeles, it is  Lewis at his best, something that even Menken has acknowledged.

     

     

    The costumes by Gavin Miguel – around 400 of them – for both the lead and support cast  again are a class apart and make the show probably the biggest costumed theatrical show in India so far. The impeccable make up and hair design by Pallavi Devika take us back to the time and the place of the fairy tale. Vocal trainer Suzanne D’Mello  is reported to have put her heart and soul into lifting the singing performances of the cast, and it shows for almost the entire duration of the show.

     

    The technical production and direction are another highlight of the show and credit for that should go to Vikas and Vevek Menon (from Production Crew). Apparently, the lighting is being technically directed and programmed by foreign crew while it is being manned by Beckett.

     

    Onto the cast. The deep, grain rich voice of Amitabh Bachchan as he introduces the long-loved fairy taile sets the tone for its quality. Meher Mistry as Belle fits  and plays her part to the T, effortlessly becoming self-assured, vulnerable, loving, distraught and then joyous as she progresses from her ennui with the boor Gaston to meeting up with the Beast and her disgust with him transforming into love. And her singing is near perfect throughout as she easily croons the demanding tracks with lyrics from famed writers such as Howard Ashman and Tim Rice.

     

    Edwin Joseph essays the role of the Beast with finesse and a gentle touch. His agony at being trapped in an ugly body, his realization of his love for Belle, his heroic battle while saving Belle from the wolves, and then his joy at his transformation into a handsome young prince are emotion-filled scenes. The young 21 year older is someone we will hear a lot more of both for his acting and singing prowess. Veteran actor Bugs Bhargava as Cogsworth and Nichols Brown as Lumiere, Sanjiv Desai as Maurice, and the actors who play Lefou, Gaston, Mrs Potts, Ayudh Jatin Parikh (as Chip) deserve a mention for fabulous performances.

     

    In summation,  Disney India’s Beauty and the Beast was made in India but better than world class. And that was echoed by almost all those who watched it to the end. Something that should warm the cockles of Narendra Modi’s heart.

  • HooHaa! Amitabh Bachchan all set for ‘AKRHZ’ launch on Star Plus

    HooHaa! Amitabh Bachchan all set for ‘AKRHZ’ launch on Star Plus

    MUMBAI: Hoooo Haaaa! The excitement is almost palpable amongst one and all as the ever energetic grand old man of the Indian film industry – Amitabh Bachchan’s baritone voice and affable presence is set to yet again fill up television screens across the country this weekend.

     

    This time round, Bachchan will be seen hosting Star Plus’ new show Aaj Ki Raat Hai Zindagi, which will launch at 8 pm on 18 October. 

     

    The show, which aims to celebrate people across India making a difference in their communities, will see three personalities from the film industry as the first guests. Actors Alia Bhatt, Shilpa Shetty Kundra as well as singer Arijit Singh will be Bachchan’s first guests on the show. Aaj Ki Raat Hai Zindagi is being directed by Ken Ghosh. Actor and host Hussain Kuwajerwala will be the show’s co-host alongside Bachchan.

     

    After his stint on television started with Kaun Banega Croreapati (KBC) on Star Plus back in 2000, Bachchan has been hosting the same show on Sony Entertainment Television thereafter. Apart from the non-fiction show, his tryst with the television medium also saw him acting in the fiction series titled Yudh last year on Sony. While the audience has lapped up his avatar as anchor and host season after season ofKBC, his fiction fare didn’t find much favour from them.

     

    Now as Bachchan is back in his real avatar as the friendly and charming host on television yet again, albeit on a different kind of non-fiction format show, it remains to be seen how Aaj Ki Raat Hai Zindagi is received by the audience. That said, seeing the spring in his step and the zeal in his voice, Bachchan’s enthusiasm is almost contagious

     

  • Amitabh Bachchan to endorse TVS Jupiter

    Amitabh Bachchan to endorse TVS Jupiter

    MUMBAI: TVS Motor Company has roped in Amitabh Bachchan as the brand ambassador for its two-wheeler brand TVS Jupiter. This is the first time that Bachchan will be endorsing an automotive brand in the two-wheeler segment.

     

    The company expects this association with Bachchan to add further value to the brand.

     

    A new commercial featuring Bachchan will soon be rolled out, which has been directed by Shoojit Sircar and built around the festive season.

     

    TVS Motor Company president and CEO K N Radhakrishnan said, “Amitabh Bachchan is held in high esteem in the hearts of India. He embodies the fact that success comes from talent that is nourished with great diligence, character and the spirit of wanting to do ‘Zyada’. This is the philosophy behind TVS Jupiter, ZyadaKaFayda, which we are confident will resonate across India, especially when it is propagated by Shri Bachchan himself. We are very happy to welcome him into the TVS family.”

     

    Bachchan added, “It is an honour to associate with TVS Motors, especially, with its flagship scooter brand – the TVS Jupiter. I felt very welcome, and at home here. While we are working on some very exciting things, the first campaign is looking very good and I am sure will be liked. I look forward to a fulfilling association with the brand. To all members of the TVS Jupiter family, I would like to convey my warm greetings for very happy and prosperous festive season.”

     

    The scooter is available in two variants – TVS Jupiter and TVS Jupiter ZX.

  • ‘Piku,’ ‘Dum Laga Ke Haisha,’ ‘Mardaani’ screened at Indian Film Festival Japan

    ‘Piku,’ ‘Dum Laga Ke Haisha,’ ‘Mardaani’ screened at Indian Film Festival Japan

    MUMBAI: Yash Raj Films’ productions Mardaani and Dum Laga Ke Haisha along with MSM Motion Pictures’ Piku, which is co-produced by Saraswati Entertainment and Rising Sun Films and distributed by YRF are being showcased at the Indian Film Festival Japan.

     

    The festival is being held from 9 – 23 October, 2015.

     

    This year, the Indian Film Festival Japan festival opened with a screening of Piku on 9 October. The film starring Amitabh Bachchan, Irrfan Khan and Deepika Padukone, has already been screened at Indian Film Festivals in Russia and Australia.

     

    Dum Laga Ke Haisha director Sharat Katariya attended the screening of his film at the festival in Japan on 10 October.

     

    YRF’s Mardaani starring Rani Mukerji will be screened later this week.

     

    YRF vice president of international operations Avtar Panesar said, “It has always been our endeavour at YRF to take Indian cinema to the widest possible audience. It’s heart-warming to see native audiences connect with our films through festivals, which eventually lead to commercial releases. Japan is a very vibrant market and we hope to build on the earlier successes we have had with Jab Tak Hai Jaan andEk Tha Tiger.”

  • Colors firms up weekend programming with ‘Naagin’ at 8 pm

    Colors firms up weekend programming with ‘Naagin’ at 8 pm

    MUMBAI: After launching the new season of Bigg Boss, Colors is gearing up to firm up its weekend programming with the launch of another show titled Naagin.  Starting from 31 October, the show will be aired on Saturday and Sunday at 8 pm. 

    It will replace the channel’s celebrity talk show The Anupam Kher Show- Kuch Bhi Ho Sakta Hai at 8 pm hosted by Anupam Kher. 

    The concept of Naagin is not new to India. There have been multiple movies based on the Ichhadhari Naagin like the Sridevi starrer Naagin, Nagina,  Sheshnaag and more recently – Mallika Sherawat’s Hiss. 

    Moreover, in 2007 Zee TV launched a show on the same concept titled Naagin – Waadon Ki Agnipariksh, which was produced by AK Films. The series ran for three years and completed 219 episodes. 

    How Colors’ new television offering brings about differentiation from what has already been tried before will be interesting to see. 

    Produced by Balaji Telefilms, Naagin is based on the snake that changes her form according to will. The promos of the show are already on air.

    On other Hindi general entertainment channels (GECs) Colors’ weekend show Naagin at 8 pm slot will be pitted against &TV’s game show Deal or No Deal hosted by Ronit Roy, which airs at 8 pm on Saturday and Sunday, Zee TV’s Neeli Chatri Wale, Star Plus’ new show Aaj Ki Raat Hai Zindagi (AKRHZ) with Amitabh Bachchan as the host, Life OK’s Dafa 420 and Sab’s Police Factory. On the other hand, Sony Entertainment Television airs Hindi movies from 8 pm on Saturday and Deva Shree Ganesha on Sunday.

  • Star Plus’ ‘AKRHZ’ aims to infuse optimism in life with Amitabh Bachchan

    Star Plus’ ‘AKRHZ’ aims to infuse optimism in life with Amitabh Bachchan

    MUMBAI: Star Plus’ upcoming show Aaj Ki Raat Hai Zindagi is soon going to beam across television screens. The show will showcase Indian superstar Amitabh Bachchan in a pivotal role as he embarks upon a journey to celebrate life and aims to infuse optimism in people.

     

    As was previously reported by Indiantelevision.com, the show will go on air from 18 October and will be aired on Sundays at 8 pm.

     

    Aaj Ki Raat Hai Zindagi aims to inspire people to change their outlook, and cherish the good that life has to offer, apart from entertaining them of course.

     

    Star India COO Sanjay Gupta said, “Entertainment when done with a sense of purpose can be a very powerful tool, one that can break the cynicism and bring about happiness. As a network, we have always strived to inspire a billion imaginations while working towards giving our audience something new and exciting. And with Aaj Ki Raat Hai Zindagi, we are happy to collaborate again with Amitabh Bachchan on a project, which is so special. Off late, an overexposure of negative news has impacted our perspective towards life, so the show is an attempt to bring back a sense of optimism.”

     

    Sharing his views about the show, Bachchan said, ”The show is all about a celebration of life and people who have made a difference. I am working with Star after a gap of 15 years and wanted a project that befitted the legacy. Aaj Ki Raat Hai Zindagi is One such endeavour that will make you smile, dance, clap and go ‘HuuHaa’ with joy. Life Is all about living, loving and celebrating moments with pepole who put a smile on your face and it is celebration that matters most.”

     

    The channel has roped in Maruti Suzuki as the presenting sponsor and Cadbury Dairy Milk as the powered by sponsor.

     

    Maruti Suzuki India marketing and sales executive director R S Kalsi said, “We at Maruti Suzuki always believe in making a difference to every Indian and our inspiration comes from one place – India’s hopes, dreams and aspirations. It’s a privilege to be associated with a show that shares the same belief. Our vision is to be the ‘Pride of India’ and Aaj Ki Raat Hai Zindagi celebrates the pride of the ordinary people who have contributed and made a difference to the society in some form or the other.”

     

    “Cadbury Dairy Milk has always stood for triggering joy through unlocking relationships and this program is all about people who go beyond to bring joy to the lives of others. CDM stands for generosity, optimism and authenticity and we felt that the stories of AKRHZ mirror those very values- hence it seemed like a great,” added Mondelez India director Prashant Peres.

     

    The show is based on the Tonight’s The Night format, which is owned and produced by BBC Worldwide.

     

    The extensive marketing campaign by Star Plus before the launch of the show, has led to immense curiosity and discussions all over. The first teaser of the campaign received over one million views on Facebook in less than 20 hours, creating a new benchmark for TV shows.  The creative campaign has been conceived by O&M and produced by Bubble Wrap Films.

     

    The punch line of the teasers, ‘Huuhaa’ got the nation talking about the show with #HuuHaa trending on social media. The entire campaign on social media has received over 400 million potential impressions till date creating a lot of positive buzz. This will be followed by a marketing blitz on television, radio, digital and outdoor.

     

    HuuHaa to that!

  • Hindi GECs ace programming game as festive season descends

    Hindi GECs ace programming game as festive season descends

    MUMBAI: The Indian festival season is fast approaching and all major Hindi general entertainment channels (GECs) are pulling out new programming rabbits from their hats to lure in viewers.

     

    What’s more, with brands loosening their purses considerably for advertising purposes during the festival season, fresh programming is the best way for broadcasters to offer them a big bang for their buck.

     

    From Colors’ Bigg Boss Season 9 to Sony’s Power Couple, from Star Plus’ Aaj Ki Raat Hai Zindagi to Zee TV’s I Can Do That, broadcasters are adding muscle to their programming with star power because in a country like India, nothing works its charm better on the general public than Bollywood celebrities. So major A-list stars like Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan and Farhan Akhtar are prepping up to weave their magic on the small screen soon. 

     

    Be it in the fiction or non-fiction space, channels are trying hard to give exceptional shows to boost viewership. Firmly putting the saas-bahu sagas behind them, channels are now experimenting with content to stay ahead of the competition.

     

    Hindi GECs like Star Plus, Colors, Zee TV, Life OK, Sab, Sony Entertainment Television (SET) as well as &TV have multiple new shows up their sleeves, which are slated to launch in the coming months.  

     

    Here’s a look at the programming fireworks in store for the festive season across major Hindi GECs.

     

    Star Plus

     

    The leader in Hindi GECs, Star Plus has a few aces up its sleeves this festive season. And the one making the most amount of buzz as of now is the show with Amitabh Bachchan as host titled Aaj Ki Raat Hai Zindagi. Two teaser promos of the show with Big B have already managed to pique viewer interest. The show will also see Star Plus and Bachchan coming together again after a span of 15 years. Their association started back in 2000 with the first season of Kaun Banega Crorepati, which also marked Bachchan’s television debut. 

     

    In recent fiction launches, Star Plus began airing Balaji Telefilms’ new show Kuch Toh Hai Tere Mere Darmiyaan from 28 September. Apart from this, the channel has a few other shows lined up. Produced by Triangle Film Company’s Nikhil Sinha for the channel, is the mythological series titled Siya Ke Ram, which is slated to launch soon. The series will depict Sita’s story while narrating her journey with Ram.

     

    The second new fiction show on Star Plus is titled Saajan, which is produced by Rashmi Sharma Telefilms. While the show is currently under production, it is likely to launch by October end.

     

    Colors

     

    Since its prime time shows Sasural Simar Ka, Udaan and Swaragini have been rating rakers, Colors is eyeing only one new fiction show launch in the coming months called Naagin. The channel has not yet revealed the launch date of the show, which is produced by SOL Productions. That said, in the non-fiction space, Colors will be bringing back its hugely popular reality show Bigg Boss with double the vigour as host Salman Khan promises ‘Double Trouble’ this season. Not wanting to mess with its current programming line-up, Colors has slotted season nine of Bigg Boss in the new time slot of 10.30 pm on weekdays from 11 October.

     

    Zee TV

     

    While last month the channel launched a couple of new shows like Laajwanti and Yeh Vaada Raha, in October too Zee TV will continue its spree of new programming. A new fiction show called Kaala Teeka, which revolves around superstition and its impact on our society, will be launched soon. The first teaser of the show is already on air. The second new fiction show is titled Radha Krishna – Ek Aalokik Prem Gaatha, which is a romantic series that explores the love of Radha for Lord Krishna.

     

    In the non-fiction space, Zee is bringing the international non-fiction format show I Can Do That to India, which will go on air from 17 October. The show will have 12 celebrities who will perform never seen before tasks on stage. I Can Do That will be hosted by Farhan Akhtar. Another show in the non-fiction category is the second season of talent search reality show India’s Best Dramebaaz. The show will see children between the age group of 5-12 years as participants and is produced by Essel Productions.

     

    Life OK

     

    Star India’s second Hindi GEC Life OK is getting ready to herald in a couple of new shows by the end of October. The first fiction show is titled Jaane Kya Hoga Rama Re and is produced by Shobhana Desai Production. The show, which will also mark Supriya Pathak’s comeback on the small screen, was earlier titled Ram Ki Leela Rang Layegi.

     

    Two others fiction shows that are being readied for launch in the month of October are Pati Patni or Woh by Edit II Productions and Naagarjuna produced by Beyond Dream Productions.

     

    Sab TV

     

    The comedy destination on Indian television – Sab is known for quirky shows. While the channel launched a new show late last month called Police Factory, which is produced by DJs A Creative Unit, another show is slated to launch by the end of October. The new show – Chalti Ka Naam Gadi is based on a car and a family and is produced by Deepti Bhatnagar Productions.

     

    Sony Entertainment Television

     

    With an aim to reboot its programming story, Sony Entertainment Television too has a host of new shows lined up. The first in line is the fiction titled Pyar Ko Ho Jane Do starring Iqbal Khan and Mona Singh in the lead. The show will replace Reporter from 20 October in the 9 pm slot. 

     

    On the non-fiction front, the channel will be bringing the popular Israeli reality show Power Couple to India, which will be hosted by Arbaaz Khan and Malaika Arora Khan. Produced by Colosceum, the show will see 10 celebrity couples living under one roof being tested as they face extreme challenges to prove how well they know each other. The launch date of the show has not yet been announced.

     

    &TV

     

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises’ &TV will be churning out as many as three new shows across different genres. Foraying in the horror genre, the channel will be launching a mini-series called Dar Sabko Lagta Hai, which will be anchored by Bipasha Basu. Exploring other genres, &TV is soon also planning to launch its first mythological series called Santoshi Maa. The show’s teaser promo is already on air. On the other hand, a fiction titled Yeh Kaha Gaye Hum, produced by Balaji Telefilms, will be going on air from 26 October.

     

    With genres ranging from horror to mythology, reality to drama, comedy to romance, there’s a liberal dose of everything for everyone on Hindi GECs this festive season.