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Tag: Aunn Zara

  • Zindagi DTH unveils November lineup packed with iconic on-screen jodis

    Zindagi DTH unveils November lineup packed with iconic on-screen jodis

    Mumbai: This November, Zindagi DTH captivates viewers with an exciting lineup featuring new dramas and cherished classics, celebrating iconic on-screen couples and compelling stories. With carefully curated programming, audiences are set for a month full of love, drama, and timeless jodis that will resonate deeply.

    Leading the lineup is Be Aib, a fresh drama exploring the themes of family dynamics and resilience through love. The story follows Sadaf, a determined mother who interrupts her daughter Tooba’s engagement to Taimur after an accident, sparking emotional conflicts. Starring Samina Peerzada, Ismat Zaidi, and Tariq Jameel, Be Aib airs daily.

    Back by popular demand, Dunk returns with its gripping narrative that tackles betrayal and justice when a student, Amal, accuses her professor, triggering unforeseen consequences. Featuring Bilal Abbas Khan, Sana Javed, Yasra Rizvi, and Noman Ejaz, this drama premieres on 30 November.

    Laapata, another fan-favorite series, is set to return with its tale of unfulfilled love and the challenges born from flawed choices. The series, starring Sarah Khan, Ayeza Khan, Ali Rehman Khan, and Gohar Rasheed, will air from 29 November, blending serious themes with lighthearted moments.

    The acclaimed Kabli Pulao streams from 9 November on Zindagi’s YouTube channel. This heartwarming drama, starring Mohammed Ehteshamuddin, Nadia Afgan, and Sabeena Farooq, follows Barbina, an Afghan widow finding new life in Pakistan, and showcases cross-cultural bonds with poignant storytelling.

    Alishba Yousuf, who plays Tooba in Be Aib, reflected on her experience: “Working on *Be Aib*, sparks memories of times when I was so invested in playing Tooba. Her look, her dialogues, and conversations with Sameena Apa were all important. And because I try to deeply delve into my characters, I felt Tooba’s innocence, her quietness and her curiosity. It was a lovely experience and Sameena Apa was truly the best suited actor for Tooba’s Mom. She was amazing and as powerful as the character needed her to be. I remember learning something very important just by listening to her talk. Now that *Be Aib* is airing on Zee India, I wish all the best to each and every member of the team and hope that audiences in India can see the subtle nuances in Tooba’s story and enjoy it as much as we enjoyed creating it. I also do hope that the perseverance of girls like Tooba can be seen.”

    Zindagi DTH’s programming this November continues with other beloved titles like Ishq Zehnaseeb, featuring Zahid Ahmed, Yumna Zaidi, Sami Khan, and Sonya Hussain, starting on 14th November. Aunn Zara, starring Maya Ali and Osman Khalid Butt, airs from 15 November. Watch O Rangreza with Bilal Abbas, Sajal Aly, and Noman Ijaz from 25 November, and enjoy Mujhe Pyaar Hua Tha, featuring Wahaj Ali, Hania Aamir, and Zaviyar Nauman Ijaz, starting on 29 November.

    Fans can also catch Cheaters as the Sunday blockbuster on 10 and 24 November, while the celebrated classic Humsafar, starring Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan, will be part of ‘Jashn-e-Superstar’ every Sunday until 24 November.

  • Digital channel Zindagi to launch on DTH platforms as a value-added service

    Digital channel Zindagi to launch on DTH platforms as a value-added service

    Mumbai: Digital channel Zindagi which features popular Pakistani soap operas will now be available on DTH platform Dish TV, D2H and Tata Play as a value-added service. The service will be available starting on 23 May.

    The channel launched in 2014, had gone off the air in July 2017 and its content was only available on the OTT service Zee5. Now, the shows Kitni Girhain Baaki Hain with Kirron Kher as the narrator, “Aunn Zara, Sadqay Tumhare” amongst others will be available to DTH subscribers. The channel’s launch is backed by an innovative content strategy of airing two episodes back-to-back.

    Apart from fiction shows, the service will also showcase acclaimed movies like “Baarish aur Chowmein” featuring Taapsee Pannu and Amit Sadh, directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia; “Toba Tek Singh”, based on a short story by Saadat Hasan Manto, featuring noted actor Pankaj Kapoor and directed by Ketan Mehta; “Silvat” written by Faraz Arif Ansari and directed by Tanuja Chandra with Kartik Aaryan in a leading role; “Saari Raat” a film by National Award winner Aparna Sen starring Konkona Sen Sharma among others.

    “It’s a proud moment for us as we reach yet another milestone and launch Zindagi across key DTH platforms,” said Zee Special Projects chief creative officer Shailja Kejriwal. “What started as a salient idea between a few people deeply invested in the belief of cross border cultural collaborations grew to become one of the most loved television channels in the country. Zindagi took its journey ahead on OTT fueling the digital consumption needs in the country, and the community of believers continued to grow. Today, we add new partners, new believers in Tata Play, Dish TV and D2H, as we take Zindagi to every corner of the country.”

    “There’s a huge fan following for nuanced and author-backed storylines in our country,” said Tata Play chief content and commercial officer Pallavi Puri. “Tata Play Zindagi’s content library is very slice-of-life… they are humari zindagi se milti julti kahaniyan, which we believe will be a treat for the viewers who like relatable narratives.”

    “We firmly believe that providing relatable, wholesome, unique, and relevant content is the most effective way to engage with our subscribers,” said Dish TV India Limited head – VAS Shruti Kumar.

    “We are delighted to announce Zindagi Active as the latest addition to our comprehensive value-added service portfolio. With this, we offer our subscribers the stories that are emotional and enthralling, series & movies that resonate with them, their families, and relationships. We hope to bring together people/communities beyond our country’s border who share similar values, cultures, and traditions. Our Active Services brings the most appealing and relevant content to our subscribers, and the latest addition of the Zindagi Active service reaffirms our commitment towards them,” she added.

  • Zindagi to bring new show from Turkey

    Zindagi to bring new show from Turkey

    MUMBAI: Living up to its brand philosophy of ‘Jodey Dilo Ko,’ Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited’s (ZEEL) Hindi premium entertainment channel Zindagi is all set to bring a new tale from Turkey.

     

    Starting 15 September, the channel will launch its first Turkish show titled Feriha that will be aired from Monday to Saturday at 7 pm.

     

    Feriha is a Turkish television drama series produced by Med Yapim. The series is about the life of a young and beautiful girl named Feriha Yilmaz, a doorkeeper’s daughter, who gets into a university through full scholarship. Ever since her first day there, Feriha poses as a rich girl with a very wealthy father. There she meets a handsome and rich boy called Emir Sarrafoglu. Feriha lies about her whole life and background. Emir falls in love with her not knowing who she really is. Unfortunately, she also falls in love with him and is trapped in her own lies.

     

    So far known for its content from Pakistan, the channel in August, had forayed into a new territory by coming up with its first original non-fiction show titled as Shukriya. Produced by Frames Production, the show was launched in keeping with the channel’s aim to give its viewers varied content experience.

     

    It can be recalled that in May 2015, Zindagi also launched two shows of US origin, dubbed in Hindi-Urdu. While the first show Simply Beautiful was a health and beauty tips based programme hosted by Roni Proter, the other was a cookery series by Chef Nirmala Narine titled Nirmala’s Spice World.

     

    Zindagi which completed its successful one year in June 2015 has so far aired some memorable drama series from Pakistan including Zindagi Gulzar Hai, Aunn Zara, Mera Saaya, Khwahishein, Maat, Kitni Girhain Baaki Hain and Noorpur Ki Ran among others.

     

    In such a short span of time Zindagi has appealed to the audiences of all age groups. According to the week 34 of TAM Media Research ratings, the channel garnered 10 GVTs.

     

  • Zindagi: A bet that worked

    Zindagi: A bet that worked

    MUMBAI: “I have always gone by my gut feeling and that is the most important for me,” is what Zeel MD & CEO Punit Goenka had said when he first announced the launch of a new GEC, Zindagi, from the network’s cadre.

    And seems like, Goenka’s gut feeling has once again hit the bulls eye.

    Zindagi, the mass premium channel, was launched on 23 June with just four shows – Zindagi Gulzar Hai, Aunn Zara, Kash Mein Teri Beti Na Hoti and Kitni Girhain Baqi Hain – from Pakistan with a promise of ‘Jodey Dilon Ko.’

    The shows were an instant hit amongst viewers especially the urbanites who went gaga over them on the social media. They struck a chord with viewers and the word of mouth had the social networking sites abuzz with tweets, wall posts and blog posts. The impact was such that the channel in a short span already has more than 4500 followers on Twitter and approximately 2.2 lakh likes on Facebook.

    The same was reflected in the TAM TV ratings, which were finally released after several weeks of waiting, as the newbie took over even the 14 year old channel, Sahara One. The channel witnessed 28,700 GVTs in week 29 and 27,013 in week 28.

    It has received an overwhelming response from viewers across all age groups as it broke away from the stereotypes of ‘traditional TV viewing in India’. The media analysts believe that the numbers received by the channel are decent for a new entrant in the already cluttered and highly competitive market of Hindi general entertainment channels (GECs).

    “If we look at the highly marketed show of megastar Amitabh Bachchan on Sony, Yudh, it was able to generate 1,199 TVTs.  Going by this for a niche channel like Zindagi, there is nothing to worry about,” says Havas Media Group India and south Asia CEO Anita Nayyar.

    The planners weren’t even expecting big numbers from the channel in the initial weeks, since according to them it is still in the nascent period wherein both the channel and the audience are sampling the content. 

    Zindagi Gulzar Hai, that generated a lot of buzz on social media, reported 346 TVTs, down from 415 TVTs, Noorpur Ki Rani scored 197 TVTs (week 29), Kaash Main Teri Beti Na Hoti stood at 262 TVTs, up from 252 TVTs and Kitni Girhain Baqi Hai noticed 209 TVTs, up from 167 TVTs.

    Like the current shows on Zindagi, even in the 80s, Pakistani series Dhoop Kinare, Tanhaiyaan, Ankahi had caught Indian viewers’ fancy. “The content from across the border is very different from the one showcased here, thus it has always made people notice it,” points out Nayyar.

    The shows’ timings too are different from the pattern the Indian shows follow. The first show starts at 8pm, followed by the next at 8:55 pm, then 9:45 pm and last, at 10:15 pm. However, media observers believe that it will take viewers some time to get used to the new pattern and over time, will become a part of everyone’s routine. In return, adding more GVTs to its kitty.

    On the other hand, a planner from down south says that though the channel was launched pan-India, the distribution needs to improve in the region which will give a push to the ratings. “A lot of money has been spent in marketing and slowly the numbers will show as well. But a little more push is needed in the area,” he says while agreeing on the fact that it’s too early to judge the channel’s performance by these numbers alone. “It takes time to form a trend,” he adds.

    While media analysts agree that the ratings are very low as compared to the big players in the genre, they also feel that it’s a good start. The early report card will not impact the deals the channel has with its current main sponsors: Fogg, Askme.com and Fortune- Edible Oils and Foods.  And with the festive season just around the corner, the channel will have reasons to rejoice.

    While others (media reports) have already jumped the gun and declared the fate of the channel, we at indiantelevision.com feel that the channel’s content has won many hearts and will continue to do so. ‘Zindagi’ Gulzar Hai…

  • Zindagi brings two new shows –Noorpur Ki Rani and Maat

    Zindagi brings two new shows –Noorpur Ki Rani and Maat

    MUMBAI: Zindagi, which launched with shows from Pakistan in the first phase, will treat audiences to new shows every month. The channel is merely three weeks old and is already gearing up to launch two new shows as its hugely acclaimed shows Aunn Zara came to an end yesterday and Zindagi Gulzar will end on 18th July. And, keeping its promise to offer fresh programming every month, Zindagi has two new show launches this month – Maat& Noorpur Ki Rani – in place of both the shows.   

     

    On 13th July at 8:55 PM, Noorpur Ki Rani, replaced the refreshing rom-com Aunn Zara and is a story of paradoxes brought out by contrasting characters of Noorie and Princess Rania. Orphaned at a young age, Noorie comes from an impoverished background and goes through turbulent times before her life takes a magical turn and she finds a new life in the palace. On the other hand, Princess Rania, the owner of the palace, is brought by fate to circumstances she never imagined possible. The gorgeous Sanam Baloch will enact the character of Noorie and it also stars the veteran actor, Naumaan Ijaz in a central role.

     

    Maat, which will replace the mature love story Zindagi Gulzar Hai will air at 8:00 PM slot starting July 19th, is the story of two sisters, Aiman and Saman who are poles apart. Aiman is generous and Saman is the mean sister who always tries to snatch whatever her sister has. The story takes a turn when Saman claims her right on something that is very dear to Aiman giving rise to very interesting twists and turns. With viewers raving about the natural talent and irresistible good looks of Fawad Khan, Sanam Saeed, Osman Khalid Butt and Maya Ali, the new show, Maat will bring to Indian Television, two of Pakistan’s most talented actresses– the beautiful Aminah Sheikh and the vivacious Sabah Qamar.

     

    Tune into to Zindagi every day, Monday to Sunday 8:00 PM onwards!

     

  • Zee to go the whole hog on Zindagi

    Zee to go the whole hog on Zindagi

    MUMBAI: There is no dearth of channels to choose from in India. Even with nearly 400 general entertainment channels (GECs) in various languages currently operating, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd  (Zeel) believes that its new offering – Zindagi –that goes on air from 23 June, will be a league apart from the existing Hindi GECs including its own Zee TV.

    “People’s tastes are evolving and so we have to create a standard for our offerings. There is a need for categorisation in Hindi GECs too. Many audiences in SEC A, SEC B and metros want good shows but don’t get them. This number represents about 40 per cent of the total audience but their time spent is less than 20 per cent to 25 per cent because they don’t get such good shows back-to-back.  Zindagi seeks to create a new category here,” says Zeel chief content and creative officer Bharat Ranga.

    The channel is the brainchild of Zeel chief creative special projects Shailja Kejriwal who has spent close to two years viewing and handpicking global content that can resonate with Indian audiences. “I was bored with what I was creating myself,” she says. “This channel is a great opportunity to see another culture which isn’t much different from ours. We will begin with the best shows from Pakistan because it has the greatest language affinity and then go on to co-producing our own shows depending on viewer feedback,” she adds. The channel will soon also telecast Pakistani movies.

    Content on the new channel isn’t limited to our neighbouring country. Shows from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Latin America and Iran are also in the pipeline. Unlike the now extinct channel from Sahara-Firangi  – that aired dubbed international content, Zee will be recreating international shows with Indian and Pakistani talent. The shows that have story affinity but not language will be remade and not dubbed. “So we will buy the licences for these shows and co-produce it using Indian and Pakistani producers, actors, directors, writers etc. Alongside we will also produce telefilms in a similar manner,” informs Kejriwal.

    According to Kejriwal, telefilms are a necessity whether or not they get TAM ratings. “It will give an opportunity to new talent and new stories to be shown. When serials run for more than three or four years, they don’t leave space for new talent,” says she.

    Zee also has plans for commissioned shows that will be created in both India and Pakistan. “So while we will have some Pakistani production houses making shows exclusively for Zindagi:  shot, written and directed in Pakistan, there will also be shows that will be created here in India,” adds Kejriwal.

    The channel aims at tapping those viewers who are open to variety in the content they consume. “It is not a homogenous viewing nation anymore. Many people want to see limited series and we will cater to them,” reveals Kejriwal.

    The show timings are different from the usual ones. If one sees the channel profile, while Zindagi Gulzar Hai begins at 8:00 pm, Aunn Zara will go on air at 8:55 pm and Kaash Main Teri Beti Na Hoti at 9:45 pm every day of the week. While some shows will be weekly, a few will be dailies.  The other shows in the channel programme bouquet include: Kitni Girhain Baqi Hain and Mera Naseeb.

    Kejriwal states that she purposely wanted play with the usual time slots on existing channels. “I was tired of the same 9:00 pm, 9:30 pm, 10:00 pm slots. Life isn’t clockwork, it is between all this. It isn’t that at 9:35 pm there is no life,” she says. All the shows on the channel are periodic with about 45 shows to be aired every year.

    The channel is available on all major DTH and cable TV platforms except for Sun Direct. The Rs 100 crore marketing plan entails a lot of outdoor, digital and print across the country in upscale areas with the concentration being in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab and Haryana.

    Says Ranga, “& Pictures has taken six to seven per cent channel share within eight months post launch. We believe Zindagi will do the same especially with digitisation setting in. Rather than be a victim of fragmentation we want to lead it. Before viewers go to Star Plus, we want to capture them on Zindagi.”

    Speaking at a press conference, Pakistani TV actor Imran Abbas who will be seen as a lead in the show Mera Naseeb highlighted that Indian shows are very popular in Pakistan but awareness about Pakistani lifestyles is limited in India. “You will see something about Pakistan which you don’t see on news channels. People think that women in Pakistan only wear burqas which isn’t true. In fact even films don’t show the real side,” he says.

    During the launch phase, the channel is looking at targeting premium brands to associate as brand partners. Askme.com and Fogg have already been roped in  as sponsors.

    How do media planners view the channel? Says Maxus managing partner for north and east Navin Khemka, “Historically, Pakistani content was always popular in India and vice versa. Viewers will get to sample a fresh channel with fresh faces. It will be a breath of fresh air and if they like it they will get hooked to it. Whatever the channel does later on will depend on the mark it makes with the Pakistani shows. If the channel manages 70-80 GRPs in the beginning, that’s good news, but if it garners 100 GRPs then that’s great news!”

    With the launch of Zindagi, the network is fully focusing on its tagline ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ meaning ‘The World is my Family.’ As Abbas puts it, “People need Visas to travel, stories don’t.”

  • I go by my gut feeling: Punit Goenka

    I go by my gut feeling: Punit Goenka

    MUMBAI: Carrying forward Zee Entertainment Enterprises (ZEEL) brand positioning statement, ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – The World is My Family’, the country’s oldest entertainment network, is launching a new GEC, Zindagi, on 23 June. The third GEC offering from the Zee stable will showcase soaps and telefilms from across the border. That the network had acquired Pakistani shows during Mipcom 2013 had been reported by indiantelevision.com.

    According to Zeel MD & CEO Punit Goenka, “The focus will not be on the negativity but to bring out positivity between the two countries.” The two countries are separated by borders but the emotions and lifestyle of people on either side remains the same. “We want to join the two hearts,” he adds while emphasising on the tagline of the channel, Jodey dilon ko.

    Replying to a question about whether the move will go down well with the Indian audiences, Goenka says, “I have always gone by my gut feeling and that is the most important for me.” Apparently, the network spent close to two and a half years on the process before making the announcement.

    The channel did a lot of homework; so much so, that the channel roped in research agency AC Nielsen, to know what people want and what was their reaction when the promos of the shows was shown to them.

    About Urdu posing a barrier, Goenka feels that like Hindi, Urdu too has undergone a change with the changing times. “Actually, the USP of the channel is the language. People are tired of the colloquial language and want that sophistication,” he says, adding that the channel caters to the classes and not the masses.

    On one more GEC’s launch, BPN India CEO Suresh Balakrishnan feels that there is never too much of entertainment and more the merrier. As for the content from across the border he feels that a few years back Pakistani content was very popular amongst Indians. “But whether it will be able to work in today’s time is a little doubtful and one will have to wait and watch to see what happens next,” he says while applauding Zee’s attempt.

    “News faces, new stories are bound to capture people’s attention and maybe down the line, the channel will be able to create a special niche of audience for itself,” he adds.

    Shows like Zindagi gulzar hai, Aunn zara, Humsafar, Ishq ghumsguda promise to break the studio set-up of Indian daily soaps and promises to take one to the outer surroundings, as shown in the channel’s promotional video.

    A separate team was created for the channel which the network doesn’t want cast in a similar mould as it other GECs. The team comprises Priyanka Datta as business head, Rahul Sharma as national sales head, Vanita Jain as programming head, Sumona Roy Sen as brand head, Shailja Kejriwal as the chief creative head for special projects and Akash Chawla as national channel marketing head.

    Chawla has big plans for the channel’s pan-India launch. The marketing campaign teaser went online on 5 May and will spread to other mediums from 10 May onwards. A mix of 40-45 channels will soon start showing the brand film created by Kai Po Che director Abhishek Kapoor. Network channels too will put across the new channel’s message in their content. “The marketing campaign is going to be very innovative, be it print or otherwise. We are focusing a lot on OOH as well, this time,” said Chawla. Talks are on with various OOH players and more than 500 hoardings will be bought across the nation.

    The channel’s creative duties will be handled by FCB Ulka while MEC is the media agency.

    A staggering Rs 80-100 crore is expected to be invested on the campaign. “This is the first time a channel is being launched across the country, otherwise one focuses on the Hindi speaking markets (HSM) and then forgets about other markets,” Goenka points out.

    In the near future, the plan is to get content from other countries (Middle East) as well if the content connects with viewers. At the same time, Zee will not shy away from creating original content for Zindagi either.

    South East Asia is the main focal point for the channel and soon after its launch in India, Zindagi will go abroad. Talks are already on for output deals with Pakistan to simulcast content especially that created in India.

    As of now, the channel is available only on SD and is priced much higher than other GECs at Rs 25.81. It will be available on both analog and digital platforms in the country.