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Tag: Endemol Shine India

  • Colors lines up new shows; ‘Krishnadasi’ to replace ‘Bigg Boss 9’ on weekdays

    Colors lines up new shows; ‘Krishnadasi’ to replace ‘Bigg Boss 9’ on weekdays

    MUMBAI: Colors is all set to ring in the new year with a bunch of new shows in the reality as well as fiction space. And kick-starting the new show launches will be the fiction series Krishnadasi, which will be replacing Bigg Boss 9 on weekdays from 25 January as the popular reality show reaches its finale later this month. 

    Krishnadasi will be a one hour show and will  be aired in the 10.30 pm – 11.30 pm time slot. 

    Produced by South Indian producer Kutty Padmini and Optimystix Productions, Krishnadasi will revolve around the life of a young girl Aaradhya. Krishnadasi is the tale of unconditional love of a woman for Lord Krishna. Though the concept is not necessarily new to the audience with the tale of Meera that was aired on NDTV Imagine in 2009, it will be interesting to watch how Colors’ offering is different. 

    What’s more, with Arjun Kapoor as the host of the show, Colors will be back with season seven of Khatron Ke Khiladi – Kabhi Peeda, Kabhi Keeda. A source close to the development informed Indiantelevision.com that the show is likely to be aired from 30 January as it will replace Bigg Boss 9 on weekends (Saturday and Sunday) at 9 pm.

    The promo of the show is currently on air. As was earlier reported by this website, the 20-episode season of Khatron Ke Khiladi – Kabhi Peeda, Kabhi Keeda, produced by Endemol Shine India has been shot extensively in Argentina.

    Another show in the pipeline is the second season of Mission Sapne. To make someone’s dream come true, Bollywood stars will spend one day as a common man. The show is produced by Sobo Films and will be aired at 11 am every Sunday from 17 January.

    In week 51 of Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India ratings, Colors propelled to the number position in the Hindi general entertainment channels’ (GECs) genre thanks to the Bigg Boss 9 power packed weekend episode featuring Shah Rukh Khan along with the show’s host Salman Khan.

    It will be interesting to see how the fresh line-up of new shows affects Colors’ ratings in the near future. 

  • “We plan to introduce innovative disruptive new age content in 2016:” Deepak Dhar

    “We plan to introduce innovative disruptive new age content in 2016:” Deepak Dhar

    Millennials in India have grown up watching reality television perhaps even before they could pick their favourite subjects or role models.

     

    Shows such as Bigg Boss, Master Chef, The Voice and Emotional Attyachar amongst others need no introduction, nor does their production house Endemol Shine India, which is heralded by one of the brightest minds in India’s reality TV landscape – Deepak Dhar as managing director and CEO.

     

    Dhar joined the production and content creating giant in 2005, after paving a successful career in media with companies like Star TV, MTV, Channel V, etc. Armed with his expertise in reality television, Dhar went on to lead Endemol with some of the most challenging and ambitious projects.

     

    At the launch of Khatron Ke Khiladi’s seventh season, which is slated to go on air on Colors early next year, Dhar speaks to Indiantelevision.com’s Papri Das on the current landscape of reality TV, prospects of producing home grown format shows in India, the company’s relationship with broadcasters and more.

     

    Excerpts:

     

    What’s new in Khatron Ke Khiladi season 7 from the production perspective?

    We have 60 different stunts lined up this season. It’s already a task to set up one and now we have 60 of them to put in place. Not to mention, the scale of each stunt will go up this season, matching international standards. The new locale (Argentina) has also allowed us to try different things and explore various possibilities in terms of the type of tasks. The schedule includes shooting in Argentina in Buenos Aires for 40 days. Our crew of about 160 people and contestants will celebrate their Diwali there.

     

    Have you tried anything new when it comes to production technique?

    We are shooting in Argentina, which is an evolved market from a technical standpoint and that works in our favour. We plan to use drones to shoot some scenes as well. They are not easily used in India as there are restrictions, but shooting in Argentina will enable us to do so. These are stunt friendly locations. We have a few things in mind but we plan to explore them once we reach the shoot location.

     

    Do you notice any new trends in the landscape of reality TV shows in India?

    I feel that reality TV has become a very staple diet for Indian viewers. It has also seen an evolution of sorts. At some point in time it used to be more focused on song and dance. People have now moved on from that and are looking for edgy content dealing with relationships, drama and danger. It is all about making it more real and how the people onscreen can relate to the people watching them.

     

    That is why shows like Bigg Boss, Master Chef, Fear Factor etc are doing well as they feel more real, and connect the audience with a sort of warmth on screen. I wouldn’t call this a new trend but that’s just how things are shaping the landscape.

     

    Are there any plans to introduce new international formats in the Indian market in the near future?

    There are quite a few formats from the Endemol Shine system that we are bringing in. Shows like The Hunted, The Circus of the Celebrities and The Australian Spelling Bee. There are a lot of innovative disruptive new age content that we have to offer, that will hit the screens next year.

     

    Are Indian production houses at a stage where a home grown format can be taken internationally?

    Why not? Largely a lot of song and dance reality formats have been home grown here, for example Dance India Dance (DID). A lot of drama, stunt based shows and game shows do come in from across the globe because we want something tried and tested. We don’t want to invest in something that might have a chance of not working with our audience. I do feel that India has the potential to create a home grown format in the song and dance segment.

     

    We also made something called Big Switch for Bindass a few years ago that involved switching people’s identities and their circumstances. We successfully ran that for two seasons and probably will come up with a third very soon.

     

    As producers do you get enough freedom from the broadcasters?

    As far as Endemol Shine India is concerned, our relationship with broadcasters is mutually beneficial. Colors for example has lapped up our formats for reality television quite well. They have taken Bigg Boss and Khatron Ke Khiladi to the next level, with a huge push on the marketing and celebrity side as well as by simply scaling up the content. They believe in airing disruptive content and we tend to have a lot of that.

     

    Out of all the reality shows you have produced or been part of, which has been the most challenging?

    They were all challenging and fun in their own right. But if I had to pick and choose, I found producing five seasons of The Great Indian Laughter Challenge a refreshing experience. It was a challenge because it was an unchartered territory for Indian reality TV. We couldn’t pre-calculate the parameters and variables involved that could go right or wrong for the show. It was all new for us. Comedy wasn’t mainstream those days. It was in the realm of smaller events. We picked it up and established an entire genre of reality shows from it.

     

    With VOD platforms like Hotstar, Voot, HOOQ, ErosNow et al emerging as the new medium for content consumption, how is Endemol positioning itself in the programming ecosystem?

    We are already creating and producing digital content formats for some of these OTT players. We have brought in formats from our international partners because those are evolved markets familiar with OTT and digital content. We are in talks with some of these players to see how we can start mounting them up.

     

    Is India finally catching up to short format fiction shows?

    The shortening of content is bound to happen due to fragmentation of mediums and due to the gradually reducing attention span of viewers. People are getting restless. They want to see the start and end of a scripted program and binge watching is becoming a concept as well. People now want to watch and complete a series maybe within one or two weekends or maybe over a month. With this viewing behaviour spreading across genres, producers must also shift and re-think in that direction, and go for more and more finite shows.

     

    What does week 41 and 42 BARC data mean for you as a content provider?

    It’s still too early to comment or even start shifting gears based on the data. Let the ecosystem stabilise and settle a bit. It is just about stabilising, so we must wait before forming any opinions based on it or our content strategy. The new numbers will throw us new trends as well, and we are keeping an eye on them for new possible show concepts.

  • Colors promises mischief & danger in ‘Khatron Ke Khiladi;’ Arjun Kapoor to host

    Colors promises mischief & danger in ‘Khatron Ke Khiladi;’ Arjun Kapoor to host

    MUMBAI: Colors is bringing season 7 of the popular reality show Khatron Ke Khiladi in a new makeover — from the location to the show’s flavour to the host. Actor Arjun Kapoor will be making his television debut as the show’s new host. So far, the show has seen three different hosts namely Akshay Kumar (Season 1, 2, 4), Priyanka Chopra (Season 3) and Rohit Shetty (Season 5, 6).

    The 20 episode season of Khatron Ke Khiladi – Kabhi Peeda, Kabhi Keeda, produced by Endemol Shine India, is expected to air in the first quarter of 2016 with the action packed and stunt heavy scenes being shot extensively in Buenos Aires, Argentina over the next couple of months.

    Speaking about his television debut, Kapoor said, “I love action in all its forms. Be it daredevil stunts or intense action sequences in my films. The thrill and adrenalin rush, which accompanies a well-planned stunt is an experience that cannot be put into words. With  Khatron Ke Khiladi, I’m not only going to be performing stunts, but will also be involved in designing them and watching them come alive. And with the ‘peeda’ and ‘keeda’ concept, I’m definitely looking forward to having some mad fun with the contestants in Argentina.”

    Colors CEO Raj Nayak added, “With the second season of 24 also lined up around the same time, scheduling Khatron Ke Khiladi is a big challenge for us right now. The dynamics are such that we can’t keep waiting to start shooting for KKK. It’s a new location and we want to wrap up the 50 odd days shoot by the end of this year, ideally before the holiday season sets in.” Without locking in on exact specifics, Nayak confirms that the show will air in the 8 – 9 pm time slot.

    Endemol Shine India MD Deepak Dhar said,“This season Khatron Ke Khiladi – Kabhi Peeda, Kabhi Keeda will be a gruelling challenge for the contestants. We are all set to design 60 different stunts for them in Argentina. With Arjun Kapoor hurling the challenges to the band of daredevils, this year, the fun, action and entertainment quotient will explode.”

    This year’s 14 contestants who will face their fears headlong are Tanishaa Mukherji, Sidharth Shukla, Vivan Bathena, Sana Saeed, real-life television couple Jay Bhanushali and Mahhi Vij, model Parvathy Omanakuttan, Indian hockey player Yuvraj Walmiki, telly actors Aishwarya Sakhuja, Tina Dutta and Himanshoo Malhotra, and dancing stalwarts Faisal Khan, Mukti Mohan and Raghav Juyal.

    Going by the show’s history, every time a new host has been introduced, be it Chopra for season 3, or Shetty in the last couple of seasons, they have added their own element to it. Shetty’s stunt heavy last two seasons are still fresh in our memories. So what has Arjun Kapoor to offer?

    “Keeping the action part intact, we are going for more fun and mischief this season, and we think Arjun as a host completely fits the bill,” gushes Nayak. “He will bring in his quintessential sense of humour and happy-go-lucky attitude to this edition of Fear Factor India. He has already added a bit of his flavour by suggesting the term ‘Keeda,’ which we have now added to our tagline for this season.”

    Nayak also adds that the actor’s endearing quality is expected to appeal to not just the Gen Z but the mothers in the family as well, thereby opening up the show to a broader demography.

    Speaking of demographics, Nayak appeared unfazed by the change in ratings after the rural data has been published by BARC India, which has seen free to air (FTA) channels like Zee Anmol and Star Utsav giving stiff competition to networks’ flagship Hindi GECs.

    “As far as Colors is concerned, our focus is LC1 and urban population. We are not focusing on rural India. We want to remain India’s premium Hindi entertainment channel, so the rural data hasn’t bothered us. There will be no change in our content strategy. If rural happens by default, it’s a different thing but we can’t be tweaking content for two Indias. It can only be either or and we have made our choice,” says Nayak.

    From a business perspective as well Nayak informs that Colors stays unaffected by the new ratings. “Advertisers spend maximum money in LC1 and urban India, and truth be told, we are here to do a profitable business, and sticking to our current content strategy seems to be doing just that,” he stated.

    Having said that he doesn’t dismiss the prospect of advertising spends going up in the rural areas either. “We will obviously have a strategy to tap in that by focusing in rural with our second channel Rishtey. We will tweak its content to meet rural requirements and strengthen it further,” he informed.

    The channel will unleash a 360 degree marketing campaign with some focus on on-ground activation. “Right now, one can’t do without using all the mediums at their disposal. But the focus areas changes with the content of the show. With KKK there is a lot of scope for on-ground activations and engaging marketing. Digitally you can do a whole lot of things. Having Arjun Kapoor also gives us that advantage as he is tech savvy and social media friendly. He understands the language,” Nayak shared.

    The show has also kept up with this tradition of getting big names as sponsors with the title sponsor being Tata Motors this season. The channels is also in talks with other brands for ‘powered by’ sponsor and association sponsors, which will soon be revealed.

  • China’s maiden ‘Big Brother’ shot on Endemol Shine India’s sets

    China’s maiden ‘Big Brother’ shot on Endemol Shine India’s sets

    MUMBAI: The Indo-China memorandum of understanding (MoU), which was signed between the two countries while Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited China earlier this year probably showed its first practical prominence as Endemol Shine shot China’s maiden Big Brother season in India.

     

    Big Brother’s Indian adaptation – Bigg Boss is shot in Lonavala, which is in the outskirts of Mumbai. The sets in Lonavala are erected at a factory leased by Endemol. However, the set, which was used to shoot for the first ever Chinese edition was that of the Kannada version of Big Boss. It was on these sets, which were rebuilt to suit the international version where Chinese contestants dramatically fought to win the first ever title.

     

    Endemol Shine India, which has a rich experience of producing eight seasons of Bigg Boss so far with the ninth season set to launch in October, facilitated the Chinese branch of the production house with a 400 member crew. There were 40 representatives from China and together they executed the first edition of Big Brother China, which will be telecast by online platform Youku Tudou.

     

    This is the first time in the show’s global history that it will beam on a digital platform. China’s Youku Tudou platform garners traction of 580 million unique visitors every month and was the ideal choice to showcase the show in order to get maximum eyeballs.

     

    According to sources close to the development, the planning was going on for a very long time and the two counterparts held rounds of talks before the final execution. The decision to shoot in India under the guidance of experienced people who have been associated with various editions of Bigg Boss was primarily to use the infrastructure and expertise, which will eventually result in huge cost savings.

     

    The Chinese team brought in their creative directors, story editors, and remote camera operators, whereas the rest was executed by the Indian crew. The huge lingual differences within the team comprising members from the two respective countries were erased by translators. “Most of the communication were happening in English,” a source present on the sets of Big Brother China in India informs Indiantelevision.com.

     

    According to a senior official in the production fraternity, the two most populous country of the world shaking hands to execute an entertainment project is massive boost for the media and entertainment industry. “I hope this is just the beginning and we have many more such collaborations going forward. Such associations are rejuvenating and certainly a matter of pride for the industry,” the official said on condition of anonymity.

     

    In India, Bigg Boss 9 is set to unveil soon on Colors and the show with Salman Khan as the host is eagerly awaited. “It was not the Bigg Boss India sets, which were used for the Chinese edition shoot. The India set is exclusively used only for India edition,” said a source close to the development.

     

    Endemol Shine China managing director William Tan, Youku Tudou senior director Amy Shundong Xu, Rebecca De Young, who was once a producer of Big Brother UK and Endemol India CEO Deepak Dhar were amongst those spotted around the sets. Big Brother China shoot got over on 18 September, 2015 and the Chinese team will be flying back immediately.