ITV

Tag: Comedy Nights with Kapil

  • The rise and rise of SOL Productions

    The rise and rise of SOL Productions

    MUMBAI: SOL: Roman god personifying our solar system’s life giving star – the sun. 

    That name is more than apt for the two ladies – Fazila Allana and Kamna Menezes – who have been running top TV production house, SOL Productions, for the past 15 years. Word on the street is that they are like the goddesses of the unscripted TV genre. So much so that whenever a TV channel commissioning editor even considers a factual or unscripted show, one of the first production house’s doors they come a-knocking at is SOL’s.

    With an overall turnover of more than Rs 35 crore, the big shows that have emerged from its banner are: Rakhi ka Swayamvar, Koffee with Karan, Comedy Nights with Kapil and Nach Baliye. This apart, it has been behind several years of the Star Parivaar Awards, Zee Rishtey Awards and Colors Golden Petal Awards. Amongst the first shows it line produced was Indiantelevision.com’s The Indian Telly Awards in 2002-2003.

    The duo has worked with almost every channel: Discovery, Sony, Star Plus and along the way it has attracted investment from UK firm Zodiak (now acquired by global format leader Banijay). Media execs are in praise of the dynamic duo. Says Applause Entertainment CEO Sameer Nair (who has been involved in the media industry for years), “I have worked with Kamna and Fazila since the early 2000s and done many, many shows with them, both at Star and at Imagine. They’ve always been one of my favourite producers; super professional and super fun to work with. They’re now doing an exciting drama series for us at Applause.”

    He goes on to add laurels to their work, “They have worked with me on a diverse variety of shows – Nach Baliye, Koffee with Karan, Star Parivaar Awards, Dhoom Machale, Nach Le Ve, Rakhi ka Swayamvar, Rahul Dulaniya le Jaayega, Ratan Ka Rishta, Meethi Chhoori No 1, and many more – and over the years, they have grown in creative capabilities and execution excellence. I guess that’s why we always picked SOL for our toughest projects.”

    Acknowledging the plaudits, Allana, however, says there’s a new passion driving the team at SOL – foraying into fiction and regional programming. “There are new platforms and new technologies, and it’s a constant case for everyone and not just for SOL,” she says. “So I believe if you can stay with the time, then you can go ahead of the time in near future. The regional market is growing rapidly and we would also like to have another big non-fiction hit on the mainstream GEC space in the next two years.”

    SOL has produced one show for ALTBalaji Bewafa Si Wafa and is currently working on its second season. ALTBalaji CMO Manav Sethi says, “It has been a great experience working for us. They are very professional. Balaji has liked their working manner and that’s the reason we handed them another project named Kapoors which we will launch soon.”

    And its journey to drive into the fiction genre: co-produce with creative writers and smaller producers who find it challenging to handle the rigours of the daily soap and fiction show grind. Its first venture into this space using this kind of entry point was the Colors TV show Thapki Pyaar Ki, which it had co-produced. However, this is not its first fiction show. In the previous decade, SOL produced 130 episodes of the popular Disney youth show Kya Mast Hain Life, for which it won an Indian Telly Award. 

    Core Team in SOL Production

    40 people including Fazila and Kamna

    Creative Leads are: Sanvari Alagh, Jahnvi Obhan, Meghana Badola and Ritu Shukla

    Number of hit shows for TV

    Rakhi Ka Syawamvar, Koffee With Karan, Star Parivaar Awards, Zara Nachke Dikha and Comedy Nights With Kapil

    Big Budget show produced so far

    Koffee With Karan (Season 6 releasing in the month of October)

    Shows for Digital

    Bewafa Si Wafa (Season 1) on ALT Balaji

     

    Company’ overall turnover

    More than Rs 35 crore

    Shows in Pipeline

    Bewafa Si Wafa and Kapoors for ALT Balaji, Koffee With Karan Season 6, Working on an Israel format with Applause Entertainment.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    But all is not well in today’s time. Allana feels that the margins in the industry are under tremendous pressure right now. The producers are getting squeezed between channels bringing down budgets and the unions pressurising for better payments of workers as well as other inflationary pressures.

    Despite proving to be successful, production houses have to battle their own stereotypes. “Television channel programming heads tend to bracket producers as fiction or non-fiction,” says a TV expert. “They further micro classify you as a thriller expert or soap expert. This is because they are so hungry for every show to be a TRP topper. They rely on those who have experience in the genre. Even if SOL understands the fiction genre the programming folks prefer to be risk-averse.”

    If not broadcasters, it is the OTT players that are willing to take that risk. Case in point being ALTBalaji. Its second SOL show Kapoors –which will have 20 episodes – is under production and will be launched by end June. Plus there is a show from Israel’s Armoza Formats, which the Sameer Nair-headed Applause Entertainment has the green light for the duo called Honey Badgers. “So we are focusing on the fiction genre but more for the digital platforms,” says Allana.

    Though there isn’t much difference in producing for the TV versus digital, there are some advantages for the latter. Digital shows can have pre-written scripts like a film while a daily soap is a grind kind.

    SOL has earlier produced a show for kids but Allana maintains that there are no such plans to produce kids’ shows in the near future. Since kids’ channels like Nickelodeon and Sony YAY are focusing more on animation, the scope isn’t very high for live action now.

    SOL is a team of 40 people. Other than the duo, it has three creative directors in the company right now. It also has supervising producers, associates producers and a developing team. Since it doesn’t have any in-house writers, freelancers are hired. Since most people have been with SOL for the last 14 years, it is called as SOL Parivaar. Externally, it works with Prime Focus for cameras. Allana handles the client servicing and the creative of the shows whereas Menezes looks after the operations and the production design.

    Both of them know each other even before launching SOL from their times at UTV where Allana was the Menezes’ boss. But since they have become partners now, Allana believes that to run a company in a productive manner, both of the partners’ thought process must sync. “There aren’t too many partnerships that can last very long. So two people have to be very accommodating. In a lot of ways, it’s like a marriage. Both of the partners’ basic value system, way of functioning, the way to approaching certain issues and the plans they have for the company have to sync with each other. I think it’s good that we have stayed in sync so far and we hope to continue to stay in sync.”

    The struggles were many when they went forth with their idea to launch a production house, and the TV industry is definitely more challenging than others since there is a report card that comes out each week in the form of ratings. “In this industry, you are almost as good as your last couple of hits, so you constantly need to be ahead of time and be with quality production and give good content,” she says.

    In 2007, SOL became part of Zodiak Media. Zodiak is one of UK’s largest independent production and distribution companies which got merged with the Banijay Group in February 2016. Talking about this collaboration Allana says, “The partnership gave us a lot of international exposure – we get access to international shows that are doing well and we get information about them. As a group, we have a part of leveraging for format purchasing. It has given us an exposure to what is going on internationally. It has also helped us a lot from the financial aspect as well. We decided to go with the international company more from the point of creativity and formatting. Finance is something one can always raise anywhere he goes. Though we have not yet produced a US-centric format but we hope that some more will come up soon.”

    The partnership with Banijay has bought in a good system of monthly reporting, which she believes is very useful for a production house to keep a track of things. “There are more than 30 production companies spread over 15 countries and we do get some leverage in the acquisition of formats that appeal to more than one company.”

    Former Endemol India boss Deepak Dhar is also with Banijay but Allana hasn’t got a chance to work directly with him yet. “He has recently tied up with Banijay Group and SOL has been a part since 2016. So there are two production companies in India, which are a part of Banijay Group. So we are two parallel entities. He will continue to do his own stuff and we will continue to do our own stuff. It’s just that we report to the same parent group,” she says.

    Amongst all the shows that SOL has produced so far, Koffee with Karan is the one that makes her chest swell with pride. It was SOL’s first big production and Allana had a very good experience working with Karan Johar. SOL produced the first season in 2004 and now in the month of October, it will come up with its sixth season, this time rejuvenating the chat show a bit, to keep it fresh and relevant.

    Production houses are definitely at loggerheads but she is willing to collaborate and co-produce which will be the way forward. “It’s a great collaboration when two creative companies come together and make a good product. We have co-produced shows like Comedy Nights With Kapil and Thapki Pyaar Ki and both were great hits and recently we are co-producing a show called Juzzbaat with Sandeep Sikand.”

    The two leading ladies of one of India’s prominent production houses have a long way to go and are charting the way forward in the ever-evolving TV landscape. 

  • Decoding brand ‘Kapil Sharma’

    Decoding brand ‘Kapil Sharma’

    MUMBAI: Between his outrageously funny jokes, bang on comic timing and ‘put-you-at-ease’ smiles, comedy king Kapil Sharma has redefined the genre on television. His quick rise to fame flummoxed several in this entertainment industry as it didn’t follow the generic tropes – a strong Bollywood background, political backing or affluent beginning, Sharma had none.

    But it is this ‘guy next door’ image that drove his fandom in the country and compelled brands with big marketing budgets to turn and take notice of him back in 2014.  The last two years saw Sharma’s career take some topsy-turvy turns – his heights to fame with the his show Comedy Nights With Kapil, the tiff with Colors TV, and his subsequent departure from the channel, his hiatus from the small screen and finally his re-entry through Sony with The Kapil Sharma Show – and yet brand Kapil Sharma is going strong and how!

    As per the data audience research organisation Ormax shared with Indiantelevision.com, Sharma tops the non-fiction characters in Ormax Characters India Loves list. Averaging the data for six months between October 2015 to March 2016, Kapil Sharma of Comedy Nights With Kapil has bagged 36 per cent of popularity, beating Salman Khan at second place with 16 per cent, Rannvijay of the Roadies fame at third place with a 4 percent share, Rannvijay ties it with Anoop Soni from Crime Patrol; and Sushant Singh from Savdhaan India at fourth place with  3 per cent.  Here percentages denote the popularity share of each person.

    “Because of his ‘non starry’ appeal, his fan base is basically a family audience including women above thirty five years of age. Within the Hindi speaking market (HSM) his core strength is mostly in the northern states. What Kapil has achieved with this fan base is quite remarkable. There have been comedy shows before his, but none could become a household name such as he has,” states Ormax Media founder Shailesh Kapoor.

    Kapoor also points out that even though the show went off air, Sharma remained the most popular non-fiction character in the category by quite a large margin. His popularity is evident from the anticipation in the nation for his come back to the small screen with his flagship The Kapil Sharma Show on Sony, which he is producing under his banner of K9 Productions.

    Kapil Sharma fame isn’t confined to the television industry alone. His fame competes with the likes of Saif Ali Khan and Sonam Kapoor. He is the only television star who has featured in Forbes India’s top 100 Celebrities list in 2015 at rank no 27 when it comes to popularity, beating Saif Ali Khan, Ranveer Singh, Yo Yo Honey Singh, and even Aishwarya Rai Bachchan for that matter. The same list reports his net income as Rs 15 crore (Rs 150 million). While that’s a jaw dropping figure for any average entertainer, Sharma has a long way to go to rank high when it comes to net income per year.  But no, there is no reason to fret for Kapil fans. Judging by how brands are enamoured with him, it’s only a matter of time before he joins the prestigious Rs 100 crore (Rs 1 billion) club.

    “When it comes to brand value, Kapil Sharma is one of the few personalities who came without any established filmy baggage and made it really big. In spite of him taking a short hiatus off screen, there hasn’t been a dent in his brand value,” says multi-platform entertainment management company Exceed CEO Uday Singh. “It is amazing how the hysteria and euphoria around Kapil Sharma remains constant since Comedy Nights With Kapil became a hit. I can’t quantify whether it’s a Rs 100 crore, but the familiarity and the relativity that Kapil Sharma gives off to his audience is what makes him a good choice for brands who want to reach the masses,” Singh explains.

    So far every brand that has sought Kapil’s help to boost its brand message has cast him as a middle class or upper middle class man, or a guy next door character rather than the star Kapil Sharma is. In 2014, Sharma starred in a digital campaign for Honda Mobilio in which he played a salesman.  With a success story of garnering millions of views, it was a perfect fit. As per media reports Honda India paid him Rs 4.5 crore (Rs 4.5 million) for the deal.

    But it was his partnership with online classifieds website OLX India that truly took off his endorsement career.  OLX India signed him on for Rs 2.5 crore (Rs 25 million) approximately for the campaign. “When the deal between Kapil Sharma and OLX was inked back in 2014, several eyebrows were raised as it was considered too big for a television star like Kapil,” revealed a source who was close to the development. Back then entertainment agencies facilitated the endorsement deals for Kapil Sharma, like most of the celebrities in the industry. Now, Sharma has taken it upon  

    Like most celebrities, Sharma locks these endorsement deals on a daily rate basis for the number of days he needs to commit to the campaign in a year. Having said that, the norm varies from brand to brand, depending on the nature of the campaign.   Being a live performer allows Sharma to be flexible with what he offers to the brands, and his contract may include live engagements and event shows. That naturally adds to the quote he gives the advertiser. As per an industry insider, Sharma demands anything between Rs 3 to 4 crore (Rs 30 to 40 million) from a brand for an endorsement.

    On an average, Sharma works on eight to ten different brands at a given time. These have included TVS Tyres, Policy Bazar, Micromax, PaisaBazaar and more. The number is likely to go up once his show goes live again on Sony, on 23 April, provided it makes the mark that it promises to.

    “Obviously, if he has to maintain his brand value he needs a show on air. While one or two months haven’t affected the value of brand Kapil Sharma, if he doesn’t have a show for a long time, the audience might move on. Therefore just like a movie star needs to keep coming with movies, a television stars need to have at least one show on air at a time,” Kapoor shares.

    Before one-upping his past show with more gripping content remains important for Sharma, brand Kapil Sharma has more pressing matters to handle as The Kapil Sharma Show goes head to head with one of the biggest brands and events in India, the Indian Premier League. Only the coming Thursday’s BARC data will tell us if  Sharma has walked out of his show’s premiere with his head held high. His fans – of which there are many – won’t really care. They were the ultimate winners as they got a chance to engage with Kapil and team and roll over with laughter over the weekend .

  • Decoding brand ‘Kapil Sharma’

    Decoding brand ‘Kapil Sharma’

    MUMBAI: Between his outrageously funny jokes, bang on comic timing and ‘put-you-at-ease’ smiles, comedy king Kapil Sharma has redefined the genre on television. His quick rise to fame flummoxed several in this entertainment industry as it didn’t follow the generic tropes – a strong Bollywood background, political backing or affluent beginning, Sharma had none.

    But it is this ‘guy next door’ image that drove his fandom in the country and compelled brands with big marketing budgets to turn and take notice of him back in 2014.  The last two years saw Sharma’s career take some topsy-turvy turns – his heights to fame with the his show Comedy Nights With Kapil, the tiff with Colors TV, and his subsequent departure from the channel, his hiatus from the small screen and finally his re-entry through Sony with The Kapil Sharma Show – and yet brand Kapil Sharma is going strong and how!

    As per the data audience research organisation Ormax shared with Indiantelevision.com, Sharma tops the non-fiction characters in Ormax Characters India Loves list. Averaging the data for six months between October 2015 to March 2016, Kapil Sharma of Comedy Nights With Kapil has bagged 36 per cent of popularity, beating Salman Khan at second place with 16 per cent, Rannvijay of the Roadies fame at third place with a 4 percent share, Rannvijay ties it with Anoop Soni from Crime Patrol; and Sushant Singh from Savdhaan India at fourth place with  3 per cent.  Here percentages denote the popularity share of each person.

    “Because of his ‘non starry’ appeal, his fan base is basically a family audience including women above thirty five years of age. Within the Hindi speaking market (HSM) his core strength is mostly in the northern states. What Kapil has achieved with this fan base is quite remarkable. There have been comedy shows before his, but none could become a household name such as he has,” states Ormax Media founder Shailesh Kapoor.

    Kapoor also points out that even though the show went off air, Sharma remained the most popular non-fiction character in the category by quite a large margin. His popularity is evident from the anticipation in the nation for his come back to the small screen with his flagship The Kapil Sharma Show on Sony, which he is producing under his banner of K9 Productions.

    Kapil Sharma fame isn’t confined to the television industry alone. His fame competes with the likes of Saif Ali Khan and Sonam Kapoor. He is the only television star who has featured in Forbes India’s top 100 Celebrities list in 2015 at rank no 27 when it comes to popularity, beating Saif Ali Khan, Ranveer Singh, Yo Yo Honey Singh, and even Aishwarya Rai Bachchan for that matter. The same list reports his net income as Rs 15 crore (Rs 150 million). While that’s a jaw dropping figure for any average entertainer, Sharma has a long way to go to rank high when it comes to net income per year.  But no, there is no reason to fret for Kapil fans. Judging by how brands are enamoured with him, it’s only a matter of time before he joins the prestigious Rs 100 crore (Rs 1 billion) club.

    “When it comes to brand value, Kapil Sharma is one of the few personalities who came without any established filmy baggage and made it really big. In spite of him taking a short hiatus off screen, there hasn’t been a dent in his brand value,” says multi-platform entertainment management company Exceed CEO Uday Singh. “It is amazing how the hysteria and euphoria around Kapil Sharma remains constant since Comedy Nights With Kapil became a hit. I can’t quantify whether it’s a Rs 100 crore, but the familiarity and the relativity that Kapil Sharma gives off to his audience is what makes him a good choice for brands who want to reach the masses,” Singh explains.

    So far every brand that has sought Kapil’s help to boost its brand message has cast him as a middle class or upper middle class man, or a guy next door character rather than the star Kapil Sharma is. In 2014, Sharma starred in a digital campaign for Honda Mobilio in which he played a salesman.  With a success story of garnering millions of views, it was a perfect fit. As per media reports Honda India paid him Rs 4.5 crore (Rs 4.5 million) for the deal.

    But it was his partnership with online classifieds website OLX India that truly took off his endorsement career.  OLX India signed him on for Rs 2.5 crore (Rs 25 million) approximately for the campaign. “When the deal between Kapil Sharma and OLX was inked back in 2014, several eyebrows were raised as it was considered too big for a television star like Kapil,” revealed a source who was close to the development. Back then entertainment agencies facilitated the endorsement deals for Kapil Sharma, like most of the celebrities in the industry. Now, Sharma has taken it upon  

    Like most celebrities, Sharma locks these endorsement deals on a daily rate basis for the number of days he needs to commit to the campaign in a year. Having said that, the norm varies from brand to brand, depending on the nature of the campaign.   Being a live performer allows Sharma to be flexible with what he offers to the brands, and his contract may include live engagements and event shows. That naturally adds to the quote he gives the advertiser. As per an industry insider, Sharma demands anything between Rs 3 to 4 crore (Rs 30 to 40 million) from a brand for an endorsement.

    On an average, Sharma works on eight to ten different brands at a given time. These have included TVS Tyres, Policy Bazar, Micromax, PaisaBazaar and more. The number is likely to go up once his show goes live again on Sony, on 23 April, provided it makes the mark that it promises to.

    “Obviously, if he has to maintain his brand value he needs a show on air. While one or two months haven’t affected the value of brand Kapil Sharma, if he doesn’t have a show for a long time, the audience might move on. Therefore just like a movie star needs to keep coming with movies, a television stars need to have at least one show on air at a time,” Kapoor shares.

    Before one-upping his past show with more gripping content remains important for Sharma, brand Kapil Sharma has more pressing matters to handle as The Kapil Sharma Show goes head to head with one of the biggest brands and events in India, the Indian Premier League. Only the coming Thursday’s BARC data will tell us if  Sharma has walked out of his show’s premiere with his head held high. His fans – of which there are many – won’t really care. They were the ultimate winners as they got a chance to engage with Kapil and team and roll over with laughter over the weekend .

  • Sony makes a comedy comeback with Kapil Sharma

    Sony makes a comedy comeback with Kapil Sharma

    MUMBAI: A flurry of reports gave birth to waves of mystery, and sailing through rough seas was Kapil Sharma and his comedy enterprise. The water has now calmed as Sony Pictures Networks today (1 March 2016) announced the revival of comedy on its premier General Entertainment Channel (GEC) Sony. And the mantle for Sony’s return to comedy has been donned by Kapil Sharma and his crew. Jointly produced by Kapil’s own production house K9 Productions and Frames, the show will hit the small screen every Saturday and Sunday from 23 April at 9 pm. 

    “Comedy plays a vital role when it comes to viewership and is a very important part of Sony. Yes we took a break and now we are back and there is no better way to come back than with Kapil,” said SPN India CEO NP Singh.

    The show has been given a new sobriquet.  It is now The Kapil Sharma Show. SPN along with the televised show will also foray into a lot of on-ground initiatives. The first episode of the show will be the televised version of an on ground show in Delhi. Besides Delhi, SPN with Kapil and team will travel to Lucknow, Amritsar and Bhopal. 

    “Our major focus will be the Hindi Speaking Markets (HSM) and the four city tour is very much a part of a marketing plan. With Kapil, the buzz is already built, you don’t need to put in hefty investments. It’s just being at the right place at the right time. The eagerness for the show is already there and we will unveil our various campaigns in time” informed SPN SVP marketing Anup Vishwanathan.

    The Kapil Sharma Show show will go on air at a time when SPN’s biggest asset IPL will be at its peak and the channel is all set to utilize the huge reach of the million dollar league in order to promote it. “IPL is a great success and is very popular. But we believe The Kapil Sharma Show will have a totally different set of audience and both will have high viewership. IPL and The Kapil Sharma Show can both run successfully at the same time. Rather IPL is a big advantage for us, we will use it to promote and generate more awareness,” revealed Sony EVP and business head Danish Khan

    “There were sensibilities which did not match between us and Colors, therefore we could not reach a consensus and hence we parted. We will continue to do what we do the best, and that is to entertain people. The only difference is the network. I have had a great association with Sony and we are looking ahead for even better things,” said Sharma.

    SPN has already raked in a ‘presented by’ sponsor in Lava mobiles and is in the final set of discussion for powered by and associate sponsors category, “We are receiving a very positive response when it comes to advertisers and soon we will have more names to share,” informed Khan.

    The network is looking forward to a long term association with the comedian. “This is a long term investment and we are looking at the future. We want to take comedy to a new level, and we will do it together with Kapil and his team” Khan further added.  

    But how is it different? What is it that differentiates the new one from the one that he was doing for Colors? “Creating differentiation for the sake of creating it is not good” replied CEO NP Singh. He further added, “The team of writers and the team of actors they have will create a differentiation naturally everyday. The viewers will need to constantly re-invent themselves and that’s the magic the team can create.”

    The show will also be up on the digital platform Sony Liv through a yet to be determined business model. “We still have time to decide if we will put the show as AVOD or SVOD. But it will be available for the viewers on the digital platform,” asserted Singh.

    Due to copyright issues despite having the same crew Kapil will have to revamp the characterization all over again. Now it remains to be seen how Sony’s foray into comedy unfolds in days to come.

  • Sony makes a comedy comeback with Kapil Sharma

    Sony makes a comedy comeback with Kapil Sharma

    MUMBAI: A flurry of reports gave birth to waves of mystery, and sailing through rough seas was Kapil Sharma and his comedy enterprise. The water has now calmed as Sony Pictures Networks today (1 March 2016) announced the revival of comedy on its premier General Entertainment Channel (GEC) Sony. And the mantle for Sony’s return to comedy has been donned by Kapil Sharma and his crew. Jointly produced by Kapil’s own production house K9 Productions and Frames, the show will hit the small screen every Saturday and Sunday from 23 April at 9 pm. 

    “Comedy plays a vital role when it comes to viewership and is a very important part of Sony. Yes we took a break and now we are back and there is no better way to come back than with Kapil,” said SPN India CEO NP Singh.

    The show has been given a new sobriquet.  It is now The Kapil Sharma Show. SPN along with the televised show will also foray into a lot of on-ground initiatives. The first episode of the show will be the televised version of an on ground show in Delhi. Besides Delhi, SPN with Kapil and team will travel to Lucknow, Amritsar and Bhopal. 

    “Our major focus will be the Hindi Speaking Markets (HSM) and the four city tour is very much a part of a marketing plan. With Kapil, the buzz is already built, you don’t need to put in hefty investments. It’s just being at the right place at the right time. The eagerness for the show is already there and we will unveil our various campaigns in time” informed SPN SVP marketing Anup Vishwanathan.

    The Kapil Sharma Show show will go on air at a time when SPN’s biggest asset IPL will be at its peak and the channel is all set to utilize the huge reach of the million dollar league in order to promote it. “IPL is a great success and is very popular. But we believe The Kapil Sharma Show will have a totally different set of audience and both will have high viewership. IPL and The Kapil Sharma Show can both run successfully at the same time. Rather IPL is a big advantage for us, we will use it to promote and generate more awareness,” revealed Sony EVP and business head Danish Khan

    “There were sensibilities which did not match between us and Colors, therefore we could not reach a consensus and hence we parted. We will continue to do what we do the best, and that is to entertain people. The only difference is the network. I have had a great association with Sony and we are looking ahead for even better things,” said Sharma.

    SPN has already raked in a ‘presented by’ sponsor in Lava mobiles and is in the final set of discussion for powered by and associate sponsors category, “We are receiving a very positive response when it comes to advertisers and soon we will have more names to share,” informed Khan.

    The network is looking forward to a long term association with the comedian. “This is a long term investment and we are looking at the future. We want to take comedy to a new level, and we will do it together with Kapil and his team” Khan further added.  

    But how is it different? What is it that differentiates the new one from the one that he was doing for Colors? “Creating differentiation for the sake of creating it is not good” replied CEO NP Singh. He further added, “The team of writers and the team of actors they have will create a differentiation naturally everyday. The viewers will need to constantly re-invent themselves and that’s the magic the team can create.”

    The show will also be up on the digital platform Sony Liv through a yet to be determined business model. “We still have time to decide if we will put the show as AVOD or SVOD. But it will be available for the viewers on the digital platform,” asserted Singh.

    Due to copyright issues despite having the same crew Kapil will have to revamp the characterization all over again. Now it remains to be seen how Sony’s foray into comedy unfolds in days to come.

  • Kapil Sharma set to make a comeback on Sony with comedy show in May

    Kapil Sharma set to make a comeback on Sony with comedy show in May

    MUMBAI: Speculations about actor – comedian Kapil Sharma joining hands with Sony Entertainment Television can finally be laid to rest. It’s official now! Sharma, who had a rather acrimonious fallout with Colors recently, is all set to join hands with Sony to launch a comedy show.

    Confirming the news to Indiantelevision.com, Sony Pictures Networks India CEO NP Singh said, “You will see Kapil soon on Sony TV in a few months’ time.”

    According to information available with Indiantelevision.com, the weekend show is slated to launch in May. 

    A source close to development informed that Sharma’s new show on Sony will be produced by Frames Productions and Sharma’s K9. 

    It may be recalled that before hopping on to Colors with Comedy Nights With Kapil, he was onboard one of Sony’s most popular comedy reality shows – Comedy Circus and has also been a winner of six seasons.

    That apart, in a bid to grab eyeballs, Sony Entertainment Television is also gearing up to regale its audience with the launch of two new shows namely Kuch Rang Pyaar Ke Aise Bhi and EK Duje Ke Vaste on 29 February.  

    Produced by Beyond Dreams Productions, Kuch Rang Pyar Ke Aise Bhi boasts of a talented star cast comprising Supriya Pilgaonkar, Shaheer Sheikh and Erica Fernandes in lead roles. It is a new age love story that deals with modern day intricacies of romantic relationships. The show will be aired at 9:30 pm from Monday – Friday. 

    On the other hand, Ek Duje Ke Vaste produced by Bindu Productions is a story of Shravan played by Namik Paul and Suman played by Nikita Dutta that explores the conflict between love and self-respect. It will be aired at 10 pm from Monday to Friday. 

    Sony Entertainment Television EVP & business head Danish Khan said, “Kuch Rang Pyar Ke Aise Bhi and Ek Duje Ke Vaste are based on real life insights and their soul lies in the story and narration. While Kuch Rang Pyar Ke Aise Bhi boasts of outstanding writers Mitali & Raghuveer, Ek Duje Ke Vasteis is being written by Dilip Jha, who is known for the classic Bade Acche Lagte Hain. We are thrilled to associate with Yash Patnaik & Dilip Jha for these two shows respectively.”

  • Kapil Sharma set to make a comeback on Sony with comedy show in May

    Kapil Sharma set to make a comeback on Sony with comedy show in May

    MUMBAI: Speculations about actor – comedian Kapil Sharma joining hands with Sony Entertainment Television can finally be laid to rest. It’s official now! Sharma, who had a rather acrimonious fallout with Colors recently, is all set to join hands with Sony to launch a comedy show.

    Confirming the news to Indiantelevision.com, Sony Pictures Networks India CEO NP Singh said, “You will see Kapil soon on Sony TV in a few months’ time.”

    According to information available with Indiantelevision.com, the weekend show is slated to launch in May. 

    A source close to development informed that Sharma’s new show on Sony will be produced by Frames Productions and Sharma’s K9. 

    It may be recalled that before hopping on to Colors with Comedy Nights With Kapil, he was onboard one of Sony’s most popular comedy reality shows – Comedy Circus and has also been a winner of six seasons.

    That apart, in a bid to grab eyeballs, Sony Entertainment Television is also gearing up to regale its audience with the launch of two new shows namely Kuch Rang Pyaar Ke Aise Bhi and EK Duje Ke Vaste on 29 February.  

    Produced by Beyond Dreams Productions, Kuch Rang Pyar Ke Aise Bhi boasts of a talented star cast comprising Supriya Pilgaonkar, Shaheer Sheikh and Erica Fernandes in lead roles. It is a new age love story that deals with modern day intricacies of romantic relationships. The show will be aired at 9:30 pm from Monday – Friday. 

    On the other hand, Ek Duje Ke Vaste produced by Bindu Productions is a story of Shravan played by Namik Paul and Suman played by Nikita Dutta that explores the conflict between love and self-respect. It will be aired at 10 pm from Monday to Friday. 

    Sony Entertainment Television EVP & business head Danish Khan said, “Kuch Rang Pyar Ke Aise Bhi and Ek Duje Ke Vaste are based on real life insights and their soul lies in the story and narration. While Kuch Rang Pyar Ke Aise Bhi boasts of outstanding writers Mitali & Raghuveer, Ek Duje Ke Vasteis is being written by Dilip Jha, who is known for the classic Bade Acche Lagte Hain. We are thrilled to associate with Yash Patnaik & Dilip Jha for these two shows respectively.”

  • ‘Comedy Nights Live’ to replace Kapil’s show on Colors from 31 January

    ‘Comedy Nights Live’ to replace Kapil’s show on Colors from 31 January

    MUMBAI: After grabbing headlines for weeks now and being the talk of the town – amongst viewers and the industry alike – Colors’ flagship comedy show Comedy Nights With Kapil is all set to come alive in a new avatar but sans Kapil Sharma.

     

    Re-christened as Comedy Nights Live, the show will be hosted by actor – comedian Krushna Abhishek and will go on air from 31 January. The show will aired on Sundays at 10 pm.

     

    It may be recalled that Colors’ other comedy show, Comedy Nights Bachao, which is based on the format of roast comedy, also has Abhishek along with other comedians like Bharti Singh etc. The show airs on Saturdays at 10 pm.

     

    While Comedy Nights With Kapil was jointly produced by SOL Production and Kapil Sharma’s K9 Productions, Comedy Nights Live will be produced by Vipul D Shah’s Optimystix Entertainment India.

     

    Colors will air the final episode of Comedy Nights With Kapil on 24 January, which also happens to be the day when the Bigg Boss 9 finale will take place.

     

    “It’s good for Comedy Nights Live as the time band is already established, therefore it will do well. Initially for the first two – three weeks, ad rates for the 10 second slot will be slightly lower by Rs 20,000- 25,000 but if the show performs well, then it might go up,” a senior media planner tells Indiantelevision.com.

     

    While there have been questions raised about how the show will perform without Kapil Sharma, another media observer opines, “It’s a format that the channel has to follow. Let’s give Krushna a chance as he has performed well in his others shows including Comedy Circus. Even Comedy Nights Bachao is performing well.”

     

    Launched on 22 June, 2013, Comedy Nights with Kapil will complete 192 episodes on 24 January. How successfully Krushna fits into Sharma’s big shoes and does justice to the show, only time tell.

  • ‘Comedy Nights Live’ to replace Kapil’s show on Colors from 31 January

    ‘Comedy Nights Live’ to replace Kapil’s show on Colors from 31 January

    MUMBAI: After grabbing headlines for weeks now and being the talk of the town – amongst viewers and the industry alike – Colors’ flagship comedy show Comedy Nights With Kapil is all set to come alive in a new avatar but sans Kapil Sharma.

     

    Re-christened as Comedy Nights Live, the show will be hosted by actor – comedian Krushna Abhishek and will go on air from 31 January. The show will aired on Sundays at 10 pm.

     

    It may be recalled that Colors’ other comedy show, Comedy Nights Bachao, which is based on the format of roast comedy, also has Abhishek along with other comedians like Bharti Singh etc. The show airs on Saturdays at 10 pm.

     

    While Comedy Nights With Kapil was jointly produced by SOL Production and Kapil Sharma’s K9 Productions, Comedy Nights Live will be produced by Vipul D Shah’s Optimystix Entertainment India.

     

    Colors will air the final episode of Comedy Nights With Kapil on 24 January, which also happens to be the day when the Bigg Boss 9 finale will take place.

     

    “It’s good for Comedy Nights Live as the time band is already established, therefore it will do well. Initially for the first two – three weeks, ad rates for the 10 second slot will be slightly lower by Rs 20,000- 25,000 but if the show performs well, then it might go up,” a senior media planner tells Indiantelevision.com.

     

    While there have been questions raised about how the show will perform without Kapil Sharma, another media observer opines, “It’s a format that the channel has to follow. Let’s give Krushna a chance as he has performed well in his others shows including Comedy Circus. Even Comedy Nights Bachao is performing well.”

     

    Launched on 22 June, 2013, Comedy Nights with Kapil will complete 192 episodes on 24 January. How successfully Krushna fits into Sharma’s big shoes and does justice to the show, only time tell.

  • Zee gains big in individual data; Colors’ five shows top the list

    Zee gains big in individual data; Colors’ five shows top the list

    MUMBAI: Hindi general entertainment channel (GEC), Zee TV is riding high on success. After winning back its third slot and dislodging Sab to number four in week 23 of TAM TV ratings, in week 24, the channel has garnered a significant rise in individual data. 

     

    Zee TV observed 167 GRPs, up from 147 GRPs at number three. Sony at number six was the second highest gainer with 119 GRPs, up from 113 GRPs. Life OK at number five too saw a marginal rise with 131 GRPs, up from 130 GRPs. &TV also witnessed a growth in ratings and recorded 68 GRPs, up from 58 GRPs. 

     

    Other channels like Star Plus and Sab were on the losing side in week 24. While Star Plus dropped from 244 GRPs to 241 GRPs in individual data, Sab dropped from 150 GRPs to 144 GRPs. 

     

    Interestingly, breaking the records of Star Plus’s shows always leading the pack with the maximum wins, this week Colors became the leading channel with five of its shows making it to the top 10 list.

     

    India’s Got Talent at number five topped the Colors chart with 3.14 TVR followed by Meri Aashiqui Tum Se Hi at number seven with 3.03 TVR followed by Comedy Nights With Kapil with 2.77 TVR at number eight. Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat recorded ninth position with 2.71 TVR, which was followed by Udaan occupying the tenth spot with 2.68 TVR. 

     

    For the rest, two of Star Plus’ shows continue to occupy the first and second spots. Thus Ye Hai Mohabbatein scored 3.94 TVR and Saathiya Saath Nibhana registered 3.83 TVR. Another hit from the kitty, Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai stood at number four with 3.40 TVR.

     

    Zee TV’s Kumkum Bhagya at number three reported 3.66 TVR. 

     

    Click here for the full individual report.