ITV

Tag: Amitabh Bachchan

  • Star ropes in Amitabh Bachchan as host for ‘Aaj Ki Raat Hai Zindagi’

    Star ropes in Amitabh Bachchan as host for ‘Aaj Ki Raat Hai Zindagi’

    MUMBAI: The “Nau Baj Gaye Kya?” question way back in the year 2000 is imprinted in the minds of one and all. That was when megastar Amitabh Bachchan came on the small screen for the first time to host Kaun Banega Crorepati for Star Plus. The show re-wrote Indian television history. Now, after a span of almost 15 years, Star India and Bachchan have come together again.

     

    Come October and the channel is once again looking at changing the grammar of creativity and entertain and inspire a nation with Bachchan in a never-been-seen avatar. This time round, Bachchan will be seen hosting a new show on Star Plus called Aaj Ki Raat Hai Zindagi, which is an adaptation of the British series Tonight’s The Night, which is aired on BBC One. The show will also be made available on hotstar.

     

    BBC One’s Tonight’s The Night is a series combining show-stopping acts from world-class artists with once-in-a-lifetime performances that make people’s dreams come true. The BBC One show is hosted by actor and singer John Barrowman.

     

    Star India CEO Said Uday Shankar said, “Our vision has been to inspire a billion imaginations and we have aimed to do that with every content offering we bring forth as a network. With Aaj Ki Raat Hai Zindagi, we have once again collaborated with the biggest superstar of the country Amitabh Bachchan for a unique project on Indian television that will not only entertain but also inspire individuals and leave them with a reason to smile.”

     

    Bachchan added, “Having started my television journey with Star India, I was always looking to associate with Star Plus again. However, I was keen that we come together for a befitting show that carries forward the legacy. When I heard about Aaj Ki Raat Hai Zindagi, I instantly connected with it. I genuinely believe that media is a powerful vehicle to inspire change but we have to achieve this in an entertaining manner. What I love about this show is that it is a thoroughly entertaining show, but has its heart in the right place. I am really looking forward to it.”

     

    The first promo of the show featuring Bachchan is out on hotstar, where he can be seen in an elevator clapping his way to happiness and dancing to the tunes of peppy beats in Macarena like dance steps.

     

    Aaj Ki Raat Hai Zindagi has brought on Maruti Suzuki as the presenting sponsor, whereas Cadburys Dairy Milk is the powered by sponsor.

     

  • Amitabh Bachchan joins campaign to give up LPG subsidy

    Amitabh Bachchan joins campaign to give up LPG subsidy

    NEW DELHI: Megastar Amitabh Bachchan has joined the GiveItUp movement where he will encourage people to give up the subsidy on LPG to benefit those who cannot afford it.

    Acknowledging the gesture, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that such a noble gesture by Bachchan would surely inspire many others to join GiveItUp, a movement committed to bring smiles to millions of poor households by providing them access to clean fuel (LPG).

    As on date, he said more than three million people have surrendered their LPG subsidy in response to the appeal made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 27 March.

    Modi had also promised that the money saved from this effort will be utilised to provide LPG connection to poor households.

    Modi had also talked about the GiveItUp movement during his recent MannKiBaat. He had mentioned, “Lakhs of families have given up their gas subsidies. These are not rich people. This is a silent revolution.”

  • ‘Piku’ & ‘Dum Laga Ke Haisha’ win at Indian Film Fest in Russia

    ‘Piku’ & ‘Dum Laga Ke Haisha’ win at Indian Film Fest in Russia

    MUMBAI: Yash Raj Films’ production Dum Laga Ke Haisha as well the Amitabh Bachchan and Deepika Padukone starrerPiku, which was distributed by YRF, won accolades at the recently concluded Indian Film Festival in Russia (IFFR).

     

    The festival saw Dum Laga Ke Haisha’s lead actor Ayushmann Khurrana, with industry personalities Ronnie Lahiri and Sheel Kumar in attendance along with IFFR president and festival director Sarfaraz Alam and Indian Council For Cultural Relations director, Indian Embassy Ashish Sharma.

     

    Khurrana won the best actor award for Dum Laga Ke Haisha, whereas Piku was awarded the best film (Ronnie Lahiri) and best director (Shoojit Sircar) at the festival, which took place at Formula Kino Horizont.

  • Life OK to adapt Dharamvir Bharat’s ‘Gunahon Ka Devta’ novel into show

    Life OK to adapt Dharamvir Bharat’s ‘Gunahon Ka Devta’ novel into show

    MUMBAI: Life OK is all set to launch a new show based on the popular novel titled Gunahon Ka Devta written by Dharamvir Bharat, which was published in 1949. So far 71 editions of the book have been published.

     

    The new show – Ek Tha Chandar Ek Thi Sudha, which will go on air from 21 September, is an unconventional and timeless love story. It will be aired from Monday to Friday at 7 pm.

     

    The legendary author Bharati, who was awarded the Padma Shri in 1972, is also known for his creations like Suraj ka Satvan Ghoda and Andha Yug.

     

    Gunahon Ka Devta was written at a time when Indians were moving from colonialism to independence but were still engulfed by regressive norms within the country.

     

    Gunahon Ka Devta was path breaking as it was the first Hindi novel that honestly talked about tabooed subjects like sexuality, caste and religious discrimination. The book boldly questioned the place of sex in ideal love, an untouched and controversial topic that resonated deeply with the youth of that time. The book written way ahead of its time inspired an entire generation of writers and movie makers to court the conflict between physical and platonic love more openly. 

     

    In the last 65 years, many film makers have tried to adapt the story, but have found it extremely difficult to portray the complex set of relationships on screen. The only known adaption today is a movie with Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bhaduri and Rekha in the lead roles, but the film was never released.

     

    Set in the backdrop of Allahabad, it is the story of the young, fervent and mischievous Sudha and the gifted researcher Chandar who is a protégé of her father. The bond that Chandar and Sudha share is that of two good-humoured, inseparable friends, and neither understands that their relationship may have a name. It is only when Chandar is asked to convince Sudha to get married to a man of her father’s choice, that it is apparent how the two pine for each other. The story questions the boundaries defined by our society and redefines the very idea of love. The love between Chandar and Sudha transcends the realms of physical proximities. It’s a tale of unadulterated, self-sacrificing and overwhelming romance that is as relevant today as it was six decades ago.

     

    On Life OK’s show, Chandar will be played by Rahil Azzam and Sudha will be essayed by Umang Jain.

  • NDTV’s Indianroots.com adopts new marketing mantra to target tier II & III cities

    NDTV’s Indianroots.com adopts new marketing mantra to target tier II & III cities

    MUMBAI: At a time when every e-retail venture is shouting from rooftops about multiple discounts, exclusive offers and cashbacks, NDTV Ethnic Retail’s venture Indianroots.com has come up with a TVC showcasing their style and range.

     

    In a bid to target consumers in Tier II and III cities, the e-retail venture, which offers a range of Indian ethnic wear along with antique showpieces, has rolled out a nationwide campaign called ‘Inherently Indian,’ which will have presence on TV, outdoor and digital.

     

    The ‘Inherently Indian’ TVC, which was launched on 15 August, 2015 has already started appearing across NDTV channels and will also have presence on digital platforms. The brand strategy was conceptualised and created by Brandmovers India.

     

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, NDTV Ethnic Retail CEO Rahul Narvekar says, “We are currently mulling on whether we should put the TVC on other channels too. The ad brief had two major parts. Firstly, we wanted to depict our Indianess and the wide range of products.  And secondly we wanted to break the clutter. That’s the reason why we have not mentioned anything about discounts and pricing anywhere in the ad.”  

     

    Narvekar is happy with the response that the Soumik Sen directed TVC has garnered so far. “We have been trending on Facebook. We got calls from veteran Bollywood stars and other dignitaries praising the TVC and hence I am very delighted with the response.”

     

    Indianroots has recently raised additional funding for its expansion plans. “We want to be market leader when it comes to ethnic wear. In the last financial year, we garnered top line sale of Rs 61 crore and this year we want to grow further.”

     

    Narvekar added, “The new TVC will help establish our positioning around the idea of “Inherently Indian” in a visual manner and will beautifully blend fashion and story-telling, while highlighting typical quirks of our country. IndianRoots is a firm believer in Make In India and our TVC conveys the uniqueness and immense potential in this message. With this commercial, we aim to capture the attention and increase the recall value of Indianroots within the Tier II and III customer base of our country.”

     

    NDTV Ethnic Retail marketing head Paroma Sen said, “Indianroots has come a long way in the last two years, building up a strong foundation and business within and outside India. Coming in before the kickoff of India’s festive season this year, the TVC explores the moods and sentiments that every Indian will identify with. This TVC will help Indianroots build awareness in growing markets, and help us connect with our customers at a very human and emotional level.”

     

    Brandmovers India co-founder & managing director Suvajyoti Ghosh added, “Agencies, in general, do not rope in Bollywood directors to direct a TV spot, but in this case, we wanted Soumik’s unique story-telling vision to come through and create great cinematic quality. To keep it real, we avoided casting the typical model figure, and instead chose to portray the real, modern woman, with a distinct candour.”

     

    “The TVC is marked by a languorous verse narrative in Hindi written in-house and is centred around the concept of identity and beauty and how little Indian things are embraced everyday through the attires worn by women,” added Ghosh.

     

    Sen said, “Indian fashion is evolving and Indianroots is one of the harbinger of this revolution in Indian wear. The portal has always reinforced the notion that Indian fashion can also be stylish and modern hence, we wanted to create a commercial that talked about modern women embracing ethnicity. The modern Indian woman is someone who embraces her traditional roots with elan, and wears it every day. Capturing this on film implied making tradition chic and urbane, and bringing out her inner beauty. This was challenging, but it was a fun, monsoon shoot.”

     

  • No contracts with any celebrity to endorse DD Kisan: Rathore

    No contracts with any celebrity to endorse DD Kisan: Rathore

    NEW DELHI: In the wake of news doing the rounds pertaining to Amitabh Bachchan’s endorsement fees for Doordarshan’s Kisan Channel, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore has said that the channel has not entered into any contract with any artist for celebrity endorsement.

     

    The clarification came from Rathore in reply to a question during Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha today.

     

    It may be recalled that last month, Bachchan had issued a statement denying media reports, which claimed that the actor had charged Rs 6.31 crore for endorsing DD Kisan.

     

    Later, the ad agency Lowe Lintas that represents the channel said that it had learnt only on 20 July of the 72-year old actor’s decision to work pro-bono or free of cost for it.

     

    A Lowe Lintas spokesman said, “We received formal communication from his office this afternoon, that upon reviewing the work-in-progress contract with his team, Bachchan has taken a decision on principle that he will not charge any fee on issues involving social causes and those that are in the best interest of the nation. In light of today’s development, we have initiated the process of refund to our client, DD Kisan, for the amount collected for Bachchan’s celebrity endorsement.”

  • Smart packaging, relevant marketing among key factors behind Pro Kabaddi League’s success

    Smart packaging, relevant marketing among key factors behind Pro Kabaddi League’s success

    MUMBAI: A game that was played in the inert Indian villages amidst mud and puddle garnered reach beyond expectations when telecast on television because of the way it was packaged. Quality non-reflecting mats replaced mud and puddle as the outdoor game was hosted in premier indoor stadiums and in turn offered fans a great viewing experience courtesy the Pro Kabbadi League (PKL), which was launched last year.

     

    Kabaddi being a native sports always had space in the heart of people and hence when clubbed with quality packaging succeeded to make an impact instantaneously in viewers’ mind. Moreover, the organizers in association with federations twisted and turned the rules of the sport to rope in more opportunities of monetization.

     

    To add to that, the who’s who of Bollywood were spotted cheering for their favourite team during Kabaddi matches in the first edition, which also drove their fan base into the sport. In the second edition, every game will start with a renowned dignitary singing the national anthem, the tournament kick started with Amitabh Bachchan singing Jana Gana Mana.

     

    To cut a long story short, no stones have been left unturned to popularize and market the game to the viewers.

     

    After detailed analysis, GroupM’s specialist business wing – GroupM ESP (Entertainment and Sports Partnerships) in association with IIM Ahmedabad released the key factors, which orchestrated the success story of Star Sports’ Pro Kabaddi League. In its debut year, PKL garnered a cumulative reach of 435 million. What’s more, in its second season, which is currently underway, Star and Mashal Sports expect it to be bigger and better.

     

    Fan Acceptability of League: Kabaddi as a sport didn’t enjoy the huge native fan base to start with but a high decibel marketing campaign ensured relevance and the media push built hype to ensure viewer interest. Top notch game quality, best-in-the world talent pool & crisp program packaging made the league ‘likable’ amongst the audience, finds the research.

     

    Choice of Sports: Choosing Kabaddi as the sport was a bold decision to start with considering player popularity being low in the country. But at the same time, Indian Kabaddi contingent has been immensely successful at the global stage over the years ensuring early survival of the league.

     

    Game Format & Scheduling: Instead of aping the successful home and away format of the Indian Premier League (IPL), PKL went for a caravan format keeping the league short and crisp ensuring the league getting over before the initial hype died down.

     

    Players: Being an indigenous sport, although the players aren’t well known names amongst the audience; the quality of talent pool participating in PKL has been the best in the world.

     

    Design of The League: In the first season, the right holders managed to keep the expenses from central as well as team perspective under check beautifully making the league commercially viable and ensuring deep pockets for the team to spend on players. This in turn ensured level playing field between the eight teams making the league competitive right till the end and exhilarating for the audience.

     

    Team Location: City based franchise enabled association with fans of that particular region resulting in captive fan base.

     

    Fan Experience:

     

    .   Kabaddi as a sport doesn’t demand major infrastructure making it easy to host the matches in equipped auditoriums/multipurpose stadiums. This makes the on-ground fan experience memorable.

    .   Seek on-air production and packaging with informative commentary in regional languages helps build greater audience connect.  

    .   Live streaming on Hotstar will add to the on the go audience.

     

    League Federation Relationship: Pro Kabaddi League is a privately owned league, which is controlled and run by the league and the franchise owners bringing in accountability and professionalism. However, the league is sanctioned by international and national sports federation allowing the best talent in the world to participate.

     

    Celebrity Involvement:  High profile celebrity owners ensuring stickiness to the sport. Celebrity owners also cashed in on their existing audience to build initial loyalty. Broadcaster capitalized on marquee sports properties by introducing Salman Khan and continuously associating with him and his movie Bajraangi Bhaijaan to build the buzz. Additionally, getting icons like Amitabh Bachchan to voice “Le Panga” anthem added to the celebrity fervor.

     

    GroupM ESP sports and live events national director Vinit Karnik said, “Pro-Kabaddi League is a fine example of how a nation that is largely cricket-hungry can have its fair share of adulation, growth and success in a short span of time. It is heartening and optimistic for the business and growth of a sporting economy like ours. As a front-runner in the business of sports, ESP through this initiative listed all possible parameters that has made Pro-Kabaddi League a success. These findings are backed by the IIM-A and GroupM ESP report, a comprehensive paper that examines identifying factors for successful sporting leagues.”

  • Star Sports Pro Kabaddi League signs Allu Arjun as brand ambassador

    Star Sports Pro Kabaddi League signs Allu Arjun as brand ambassador

    MUMBAI: Star Sports Pro Kabaddi League, which opened to packed stadiums through its first leg in Mumbai, has now set its sight on the south. In a move to captivate the southern market, it has roped in Telugu cinema’s reigning star Allu Arjun as its brand ambassador in the two Telugu states namely Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

     

    The actor, who has won multiple awards for his work, will promote the sport and the league for the millions of Kabaddi enthusiasts in the Telugu speaking states. The Gachibowli Indoor Stadium in Hyderabad will host the eight city franchise league from 4-7 August 2015. 

     

    Talking about the development, Star Sports head Nitin Kukreja said, “At Star, we are committed to reinvent the great Indian sport of Kabaddi and set it in today’s context. The task is to make the game relevant and aspirational for the millions of young and passionate fans across India. Allu Arjun is an actor par excellence and a youth icon with following that cuts across all sections of the society. We believe he is the apt ambassador of the sport in this geography and are confident that this association will further the sport of Kabaddi in the region.”

     

    This season of Star Sports Pro Kabaddi has created a place of pride for the National Anthem. Every day during the league, eminent personalities, local musicians and bands sing the anthem in a manner that captures the essence of the entire country. One of India’s biggest superstar, Amitabh Bachchan sang the National Anthem on 18 July followed by Sunidhi Chauhan on the second day in Mumbai and Saurav Ganguly on the opening day in Kolkata. Arjun will be performing the National Anthem on Day 1 when Hyderabad hosts its first ever Kabaddi game on 4 August.

     

    Speaking on the occasion, Arjun said, “Kabaddi is a true Indian sport and Star Sports Pro Kabaddi has helped the game gain its due recognition in the country. I am truly honoured and proud to be singing the National Anthem at the start of the Hyderabad leg of Star Sports Pro Kabaddi. Being a physical fitness enthusiast, I am excited to associate with the league and will help promote the great Indian sport across the region.”

     

    Star Sports Pro Kabaddi is being broadcast in five languages- Kannada, Telugu and Marathi along with English and Hindi, across eight channels of the Star network as well as on Hotstar. The league is currently on air in Telugu on Maa Movies.

     

    MAA TV chairman N Prasad said, “Season one of the Star Sports Pro Kabaddi successfully established Kabaddi in the mainstream, breaking it out of its hinterland niche and transforming it into a sport enjoyed just as much by an urban audience. We are happy to partner with Star Sports to broaden Kabaddi’s appeal even further by taking it closer to fans in Telugu States. We believe Kabaddi, being an aspirational contact sport, has a lot of potential and is set to become very popular.”

     

    The Indian game of Kabaddi is also being telecast to a huge global audience in over 100 countries, including viewers in the United States, United Kingdom, Middle East and Latin America. It also has commentary from the field of play, a never seen before phenomena in Indian sports, actively engaging their role on camera.

  • Amitabh Bachchan denies contract with DD to endorse Kisan TV

    Amitabh Bachchan denies contract with DD to endorse Kisan TV

     

    MUMBAI: Actor Amitabh Bachchan has denied signing any contract with Doordarshan for endorsing its recently launched television channel Kisan TV.

     

    In an official statement, Bachchan denied a media report, which stated that he had taken a sum of Rs 6.1 crore to endorse the channel.

     

    “I wish to state that I have not entered into any contract with Doordarshan, on the endorsement of their channel DD Kisan, and neither have I received any money from them. I worked with the advertising agency Lowe Lintas on the campaign for DD Kisan, and have not entered into any contract with them either, nor have I received any money from Lintas, as being stated,” the statement read.

     

    “My ‘deliverables’ on this campaign have been executed by me many days ago.

     

    I work pro bono on various issues and DD Kisan Channel is one of them. If there is any evidence or proof to the contrary, please forward them to me for verification,” Bachchan’s statement further read.

     

    It may be recalled that Doordarshan’s Kisan TV was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this year on 26 May.

     

  • Swachh Bharat, National Anthem, Amitabh Bachchan to dominate Pro Kabaddi 2 marketing blitzkrieg

    Swachh Bharat, National Anthem, Amitabh Bachchan to dominate Pro Kabaddi 2 marketing blitzkrieg

    MUMBAI: Bollywood’s quintessential superstar Amitabh Bachchan is emerging as the flag bearer of Star Sports’ Pro Kabaddi League season 2 marketing blitzkrieg. It all began with Bachchan composing and singing the anthem song ‘Le Panga’ for the league. Star India converted the entire recording studio voyage to a television commercial (TVC) and is telecasting it across its network.

     

    However, Bachchan’s contribution to the marketing campaign of Pro Kabaddi League season 2 is not just limited to the anthem that he composed and sung. This year, the tournament has integrated with many national awareness initiatives and special importance has been given to the Indian National Anthem. Bachchan will mark the beginning of Pro Kabaddi League season 2 not by lighting lamp but by crooning the National Anthem of the country.

     

    “Every match will start with the Indian National Anthem and we are delighted to announce that in the first match MrBachchan will sing the national anthem and mark the opening of the tournament. Kabaddi is a homegrown sport and pride and honour is deeply associated with the sport,” said Star Sports head NitinKukreja.

     

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com Pro Kabaddi initiator and Mashal Sports director Charu Sharma said, “Last year also we wanted to have renowned singers on board to start matches by singing National Anthem, but it wasn’t possible and we played the instrumental version of it. This year, we will have many significant dignitaries and Amitabh Bachchan is one of them. To start with him was pre-planned and his personality is one of the reasons behind it.”

     

    International Kabaddi Federation president Janardhan Singh Ghelot opined, “For every Indian whenever the national anthem is sung in a sports event, it’s a matter of pride and honour and Kabaddi is a sport with pride and honour enthralled in it throughout. So the National Anthem is the best way to kickstart the league. Kabaddi always made India proud but no one was aware of the achievements of Indian Kabaddi players. Thanks to Mashal Sports, Charu Sharma, Nitin Kukreja, Star India Team and all their initiatives that the sport and the players got global recognition. The day Kabaddi will find a spot in Olympics, my dreams will turn true.”

     

    According to a source close to the development, Star India is said to have paid Bachchan approximately Rs 2.5 crore for the ‘Le Panga’ campaign. However, the source also informed that Bachchan did not charge for the National Anthem appearance.

     

    The tournament also stretched its arm to shake hands with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Swachh Bharat’ campaign. In a silent support to the campaign last year, Star in one of its TVCs opposed throwing waste on the roads in a creative way. “This year, we are actively part of it. We decided to join the campaign and push it actively. We need a cleaner India, we need to stop throwing waste in the middle of the road. There are waste paper baskets to throw garbage and so we decided to talk about it more this year. We will talk about the campaign across every medium,” added Sharma.

     

    The tournament’s last year record may emerge as the biggest challenge this year. If Pro Kabaddi League 2 fails to garner more than 435 million viewers, will it affect the brand value and pose a question mark over the sustainability? Terming last year’s record as a compliment rather than a challenge, Sharma said, “I don’t take it as a challenge. Last year the tournament was over before people got into it. This year, people are waiting for it so I expect it to grow bigger and better.”