MUMBAI: I ts ‘K’ time on Zee again.
Balaji Telefilms is back on Zee, albeit little more cautiously. Besides launching two new shows on Star Plus Karma and Kahin To Hoga, the production house also plans to launch a new show titled Karvachauth on Zee.
With the earlier ventures like Koi Apna Sa, Kitney Kool Hai Hum and Kammal fading away from the scene unnoticed, it appeared as though the production house had been written off by Zee.
Queried about the soap factory’s plans, Balaji Telefilms COO Rajesh Pavithran said, “The programme is scheduled to air in the month of August. Karvachauth is going to be a prime-time weekly.” He however, refused to talk about the plot line, saying the story was still in process of being finalised.
When asked about the characters he offered that the show would be a good mix of Balaji veterans as well as some new actors. According to the Balaji tradition, it is likely that the protagonist should be a new entrant to the television media.
The recent ventures on Subhash Chandra’s flagship channel may not have set the TRPs soaring but it was on Zee where Balaji Telefilms first tasted success with its sitcom Hum Paanch. While Zee officials did not offer any comment, Pavitran insisted that the the show was a done deal.
What has been confirmed by the channel, though is the launch of the long pending action thriller XYZ to spruce up its Sunday morning slot, from 13 July. The Shekhar Suman starrer directorial venture of Anant Mahadevan has been in the pipeline since last year.
Meanwhile, with the first series of the Chausath Panne wrapping up, the channel will be launching the second edition titled Manasa on 20 July.
Tag: Balaji’s
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‘Karvachauth’ is Balaji’s new venture for Zee
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Balaji’s ‘Kohi Apna Sa’ to end run on Zee from 15 Jan
MUMBAI: The content pie is certainly broadbasing. Kohi Apna Sa , the only Balaji Telefilms’ daily soap on Zee TV, goes off air from 15 January 2003. It is being replaced by Miit in the 9:30 pm slot.
Billed as “a contemporary love story”, Miit was initially titled Agnisakshi…ek bandhan . Miit was a name that came only later. If current trends are any yardstick though, numerology may well have had a hand in the name change.
Kohi Apna Sa , which launched in October 2001, received good feedback initially but witnessed a steady decline in its TRP ratings due to its dragging storyline.
Another Balaji show which will make an exit this month is Kutumb on Sony TV.
But what could well getting to creative inspiration Ektaa Kapoor is the fact that none of its shows figure in the new programmes announced by Star as part of its new line-up.
Financial analysts in the meantime have confided to indiantelevision.com that the Balaji team has been presenting a confident demeanour despite these setbacks.
And why not? A year-end media report put out by ICICI Securities gives Balaji a buy rating because of its increased presence on Sony Entertainment, fresh programming it has on Sahara, as well as improved revenues from the southern programmes.
Kutumb may be going off air but it is being replaced by a bigger soap in Kahani Teri Meri that will give Balaji much higher realisations. Additionally there is the weekend show Kya Hadsa Kya Haqeeqat which gets it Rs 30 million a week for the the three episodes that are telecast.
As regards the impact of the rollout of conditional access system in the country, the report is extremely bullish on Balaji. The report says: “As a channel driver content house, Balaji’s bargaining power would improve. leading to higher realisations. Besides serving as ‘preferred property’ for advertisers, Balaji’s programmes would also emerge as a magnet to influence subscriber selection of pay channels in the CAS regime.”