Mumbai: The eighth edition of The Content Hub Summit delved into the ever-changing world of content creation. With the consolidation of platforms, creators face new hurdles in gaining visibility, maximizing revenue, and maintaining creative freedom. The event explored the remarkable theatrical success of Indian cinema and unraveled the secrets behind its unprecedented profits, with a critical eye towards its sustainability.
The esteemed panel of industry leaders have shared their expertise on adapting to the shifting landscape, tackling daily challenges, and envisioning the future of production.
The session was moderated by Elara Capital senior vice president Karan Taurani which included panelists: Fremantle India managing director Aradhana Bhola, House of Talkies founder & producer Sidharth Jain, Jio Studios Head – Originals Tejkarran Singh Bajaj and producer & content head Ashima Avasthi Chaudhuri.
Guiding the dialogue was Taurani, who steered the conversation towards the imminent trends in content consumption. Bhola espoused the paradigm shift in storytelling possibilities post-COVID, elucidating on the burgeoning spectrum of narratives that now captivate both creators and consumers alike.
Bajaj gave a nuanced perspective on the role of data in decision-making, cautioning against its exclusive reliance. With eloquence, he delineated the delicate balance between leveraging data insights and preserving the intangible essence of creativity that distinguishes human ingenuity from algorithmic predictability.
Jain elucidated on the challenges inherent in curating compelling narratives, underscoring the pivotal role of assembling adept teams to actualise creative visions seamlessly.
Lastly, Chaudhari offered profound reflections on the evolving palate of the audience, emphasizing the imperatives of captivating their increasingly discerning sensibilities. With perspicacity, she underscored the exigency of recalibrating cinematic endeavors to resonate with the evolving expectations of the viewer, amidst the segmentation of diverse entertainment mediums.
In essence, the session forged a roadmap for content creators to navigate the landscape of the digital age.
Mumbai: Sony Entertainment Television’s acclaimed singing reality show, Indian Idol, has etched an indelible mark on the Indian entertainment landscape, solidifying its position as one of the nation’s most popular and iconic singing reality shows. And now, the channel is ready to bring viewers Indian Idol Season 14, which promises to be ‘Music Ka Sabse Bada Tyohaar’, produced by Fremantle India. National Award winner Shreya Ghoshal, Bollywood’s King of Melody Kumar Sanu and Ace Composer/ Singer and Performer Vishal Dadlani have come together to form the Judges Panel, who will nurture the raw talent of aspiring singers handpicked from across the length and breadth of the country, with Hussain Kuwajerwala returning as the host for Season 14. Starting 7 October 2023, the singing reality show will air every Saturday & Sunday at 8:00 PM only on Sony Entertainment Television.
Featuring unique voices that hold the power to evoke a gamut of emotions, the show’s credo ‘Ek Awaaz, Laakhon Ehsaas’ is sure to resonate with audiences; this season will witness participants with stories that entertain, intrigue, and inspire as they attempt to impress the judges with their singing prowess. Singer par excellence Shreya Ghoshal is determined to find the best of the best and will not only test but also correct the singing of the contestants as and when they falter, leading by example. Kumar Sanu debuts as a judge on the show and as the most senior member on the panel, he will teach participants through anecdotes and learning of his rich experience in the field of music. Vishal Dadlani will strive to look for the best ‘3D’ performances that tick mark range & texture, the potential to achieve perfection and gaane ko nibhana, while motivating and providing constructive feedback to aspirants.
Indian Idol Season 14 is Co-Powered by Patanjali Honey, Smith & Jones Pasta Masala and Finolex Wires, with Levi’s and Preet Lite Gold coming on board as Associate Sponsors.
Starting 7 October, tune in to Indian Idol – Season 14 every Saturday & Sunday at 8:00 PM, only on Sony Entertainment Television!
Sony Entertainment Television, Sony SAB, PAL and Sony MAX Movie Cluster Business Head Neeraj Vyas commented, “Reflecting the rich and diverse musical heritage of India, Indian Idol has been instrumental in serving as a launchpad for aspiring singers to kickstart their musical careers, driving synergy with the vision of our channel to empower the ordinary man and his extraordinary talent. Season 14 will unearth extraordinary voices from the farthest reaches of India, who will be under the discerning eye of some of India’s finest music personalities – prolific singer Shreya Ghoshal, the legendary Kumar Sanu and the fan favourite Vishal Dadlani, who form the Judges Panel. A celebration of music in its truest sense, this edition of the show will bring families together to enjoy a delightful experience of a wide range of songs, across eras”.
Fremantle India managing director Aradhana Bhola commented, “Idols’ production in 60 territories worldwide is testimony to the power & popularity of our brand. As we embark on the 14th season of Indian Idol, we are excited to bring to you a whole host of young, fresh, and talented voices that carry not only the dreams of their families, villages, community & humanity but also the promise of tomorrow’s music stars. Vishal’s rockstar vibes continue to rule, Shreya brings in earnestness and experience, Sanu Da regales with his iconic music & fun persona and of course, there’s a homecoming of sorts for Hussain. We hope that you will continue to love our labour of love.
Mumbai: Two decades ago, when audiences wanted to consume entertainment in a video format, they had only two options – TV and cinema. Today, the modes of delivering video content have grown multi-fold. Content production, too, has seen a democratization with new technologies that have enabled every individual to become a creator. This has radically changed the dynamic of content consumption which is also affecting TV.
At the sixth edition of Viacom18 presents The Content Hub Summit 2022 organized by Indiantelevision.com held recently, panellists discussed the topic ‘Mastering a New TV Language’ to get ahead of changing TV viewing habits and develop content to suit the audience preferences.
The session was chaired by media and entertainment advisor Mansi Darbar and was joined by Fremantle India Television Productions managing director Aradhana Bhola, The Q programming head Ashutosh Barve, Endemol Shine India chief operating officer Gourav Gokhale, Sony Pictures Networks India business head – Sony SAB, PAL and Hindi movies cluster Neeraj Vyas, Dreamiyata Entertainment actor and producer Ravi Dubey, Atrangii founder Vibhu Agarwal, Beyond Dreams Group founder and managing director Yash A Patnaik.
The discussion began by trying to understand what has essentially changed with the audience contrasting the 90s to the 2020s.
Sony Pictures Networks’ Neeraj Vyas, who is a broadcast industry veteran with over 25 years of experience, observed, “Today, TV still has 60 per cent of penetration but there’s a variety of alternatives for video consumption. The environment is a lot more competitive with emerging formats like long-form, short-form, video-on-demand etc.”
He contrasted the current state of TV to the transformation of cinemas post the 80-90s. He said, “The movies of the 80s and 90s were very similar. The movie industry had fallen into a rut until multiplexes opened up, where you could have different shows all screening at the same time. This choice infused a freshness in the movie business with new stories like ‘Lagaan’ and ‘Dil Chahta Hai’.”
“TV is being tested with the variety of alternatives that are available. We need to balance between the TV ratings reality and finding out what the consumer actually wants,” he added.
Fremantle India’s Aradhana Bhola, behind shows like Indian Idol, India’s Got Talent, said that “The biggest change has been the pattern of consumption on TV. There used to be a culture of co-viewing on TV where more than one viewer was in front on a TV set. Now, co-viewing has turned into individual viewing with personal devices such as iPads and smartphones.”
TV producer Yash A Patnaik candidly said that he is as old as the TV industry in India. He is the producer behind the shows Veera for StarPlus, Sadda Haq for Channel V, Ishq Me Marjawan for Colors, Kuch Rang Pyaar Ke Aise Bhi for Sony Pictures Networks and Raksha Bandhan for Dangal.
He noted that content has more of a voice today as compared to platforms. Earlier, the success of a show was dictated by how many episodes of content it aired. But, now, shows have different buyers for different formats and different audience cohorts.
Endemol Shine India’s Gourav Gokhale agreed. “Philosophically speaking, technology has made us impatient,” he stated. “People want to see a finite series for the immediate gratification. The expected size of a show has come down as audiences want the climax to come earlier. Also, audiences are consuming content at any time, anywhere, whether during their lunch break or during their commute.”
He remarked that the nature of TV content being 24-minute long shows airing at 9 p.m in the night needs to be reassessed.
The Q India is changing the language on TV by bringing popular digital formats to TV. Ashutosh Barve said that while consumption of content has changed over the years, the core TV programming has not. “It is the same five per cent of shows that are doing well, today, as they did years ago. The bulk of consumption on TV remains the same.”
However, “there are all sorts of formats making inroads from digital on to TV and we’re leading the charge,” he added.
“The measurement reality of our country is not accurately reflecting the viewing reality of the TV audience as there has been a log of change in the last five years,” said Vyas.
Vyas, who manages six channels under Sony Pictures Networks including Hindi GEC Sony SAB, said that in the future he does not see Sony SAB being just a channel but a differentiated brand that is available across platforms. “
Vibhu Agarwal, who founded OTT platform Ullu and Hindi general entertainment channel Atrangii, said there’s an audience for all kinds of content formats. “When I watch on digital, discovery is a big problem, and by the time I settle on a piece of content, my dinner is finished!” he candidly shared. Highlighting that even with the emergence of digital media, traditional media such as print, radio and TV continue to see robust consumption. “Why did I, as a digital player, choose to launch a TV channel? Because people are just as interested in TV long-format series as much as they are interested in a finite web series.”
Bhola affirmed that content producers are scrutinising which broadcast partner, target audience and genre/format works best to showcase their talent and story. She said that it’s the nature of the idea and duration of the series that dictates which platform it is made available on.
Actor and producer Ravi Dubey recalled that the pioneering shows on TV arrived much before there was any research to back them up. He stated “As a creative person in the industry, I still believe in backing shows based purely on gut instinct.”
Mumbai: The production of local originals in India is heating up and giving a boost to the creative economy. Online video platforms are expected to invest heavily into local original content to ensure robust paid subscriber growth.
“The market for digital content has definitely increased,” said Fremantle India managing director Aradhana Bhola. Fremantle India is known for its unscripted TV reality series like “India Idol” and “India’s Got Talent.”
Fremantle is a global production and distribution company based in the UK that has created hit reality series “Too Hot To Handle” on Netflix and “Hear Me. Love Me.” featuring actor Shilpa Shetty on Prime Video. The Indian arm of the production company has collaborated with YouTube India for two YouTube originals “Hello 2021” followed by “You V YouTube” hosted by actor and cricket presenter Gaurav Kapur.
“We don’t have a formal partnership in terms of some kind of output deal, however, we are working a lot with them (YouTube),” said Bhola.
According to Media Partners Asia, investment in online video content reached $1 billion in 2021. Furthermore, the investments in local content increased from 29 per cent in 2020 to 37 per cent in 2021. Licensed/acquired content accounts for 63 per cent share of investments in online video content.
OTT platform Lionsgate Play, the streaming arm of Lionsgate Entertainment is also launching its first Indian original “Hiccups and Hookups” starring Lara Dutta and Prateik Babbar. Prime Video is releasing the third season of its hit series “Inside Edge.” Disney+ Hotstar is releasing its family drama “Dil Bekaraar.” Netflix is releasing its comedy “Decoupled” that stars R Madhavan and Surveen Chawla. The space for local originals is heating up.
There is a strong correlation between OTT players who are willing to invest in premium content to service uptake and audience stickiness, according to a study by Boston Consulting Group (BCG). “In the last two-three years, the Indian OTT industry has come of age. The subscription OTT industry is growing at a much faster pace compared to the rest of the industry. This indicates a maturing of the consumer who is now willing to pay for specific content,” said BCG senior partner and managing director Kanchan Samtani.
Media Partners Asia vice president and head of India Mihir Shah estimates that if OTT players continue to invest in local content at this rate the subscription video on-demand adoption will grow by four times and reach 224 million subscribers and $ 2.1 billion in revenues by 2026.
The leading OTT players in terms of subscriber share in the SVOD market are Disney+ Hostar (50 per cent), Prime Video (19 per cent) and Netflix (5 per cent). Revenue share of SVOD subscriptions is at 25 per cent for Disney+ Hotstar, 22 per cent for Prime Video, and 29 per cent for Netflix.
MUMBAI: When a nationwide lockdown was imposed to stem the tide of Covid2019, all film and TV shoots were suspended. Finally, the Maharashtra government gave a green signal for the resumption of film and television shootings in non-containment zones.
As things are slowly getting back to normalcy it has become important for every production house to hold its intellectual property.
This was the unanimous view of a virtual round table conference organised by Indiantelevision.com to discuss the challenges faced by TV producers.
The panel, moderated by indiantelevision.com founder, CEO and editor-in-chief Anil Wanvari, had Swastik Productions & One Life Studios producer & managing director Rahul Kumar Tewary, SOL Productions founder and managing director Fazila Allana, Contiloe Pictures founder and CEO Abhimanyu Singh, Endemol Shine India CEO Abhishek Rege, Fremantle India Television Productions managing director Aradhana Bhola, Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah producer and Neela Films owner Asit Kumarr Modi, and ANM Global managing partner Nidhish Mehrotra.
With the whole pandemic situation, some television producers also have the fear of being kicked out of shows. This scenario has put a big question mark on broadcasters who own the intellectual property rights for most TV shows.
Swastik Productions & One Life Studios producer & managing director Rahul Kumar Tewary says, “Currently broadcasters have been very supportive, but mostly it is discussion rather than action that has happened from broadcasters’ end. However, I am very hopeful that they will come forward and help. Ultimately, they are the owners of the IP.”
He adds that this lockdown will create opportunities for producers who have trust in their content and IP. This situation will give producers some time to create different business models and IPs. Apart from this, there will be huge financial calculations also.
Adding to Tewary’s point, Contiloe Pictures founder-CEO Abhimanyu Singh said, “It has been a long discussion among all producers. This is a time where the production community can work along with broadcasters with some co-investment in place to create IPs.”
Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah producer and Neela Films owner Asit Kumarr Modi thinks it is very important for all producers to own their IPs. With the help of IPs producers can also sustain their business and become a long-time player.
He adds, “If I don’t own an intellectual property then I am merely a production coordinator and not a producer. Post Covid2019 it will be interesting to see who owns IP. Repeat telecasts are seeing a huge consumption on digital media. IP has its own value, who will own what percentage that producers and broadcasters will have to mutually decide.”
SOL Productions founder-MD Fazila Allana said: “Despite having our own IP there are certain formats which are created indigenously for the movie market which is not owned by them.”
She adds that it is a continued struggle. It is more than ever now that the platforms and the channels do not want to give up IPs. Because even they have realised that in this situation, they need a bank to play and they don’t want to pay for it again.
“The struggle is going to be tougher as everybody is now realising that there is a huge financial problem, so they are alright with producers sharing the cost and therefore own half IP. So, co-investing and co-owning could be a solution for this mid path. I don’t think the broadcasters or OTT players will give 100 per cent IP,” she further explains.
Adding to what Fazilla Allana said, Fremantle India Television Productions MD Aradhana Bhola believes that OTT players have now realised that there is no boundary to create content. They can do dubbing and subtitling; and consumers are willing to see those contents.
As we all know that a large part of Indian television comprises reality TV shows like Indian Idol, Bigg Boss, Dance Plus, etc. While some producers are of the opinion that owning IP will incur them huge costs and financial burden, others think that it could be the way going forward.
MUMBAI: The television producers believe that helping each other to revive the business, as and when the state government allows production to resume, will help the industry get back on its feet. This was the unanimous view of a virtual round table conference organised by indiantelevision.com to discuss the challenges faced by TV producers.
The panel, moderated by indiantelevision.com founder, CEO and editor-in-chief Anil Wanvari, had Swastik Productions & One Life Studios producer & managing director Rahul Kumar Tewary, SOL Productions founder and managing director Fazila Allana, Contiloe Pictures founder and CEO Abhimanyu Singh, Endemol Shine India CEO Abhishek Rege, Fremantle India Television Productions managing director Aradhana Bhola, Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah producer Asit Kumarr Modi of Neela Films, and ANM Global managing partner Nidhish Mehrotra.
It was a two-hour-long animated and insightful discussion that touched upon the issues which are afflicting the production community during this pandemic. Towards the end, there saw a question-and-answer session between the moderator and panellists.
The majority of panellists agreed that the lockdown has prompted them to think about the future, watch enormous content. And the further extension of the lockdown is adding to their financial stress. The country has been under shutdown for over two months now, the total cases across the nation surpassing the one-lakh mark with around 4000 deaths due to the Covid2019.
SOL Productions founder and managing director Fazila Allana says that the lockdown has been interesting so far, it gave the producers a time to plan for the future. They are in a wait-and-watch mode.
Contrary to the Allana’s view, Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah producer Asit Kumarr Modi says: “We were expecting 10-15 days of lockdown, but the situation is getting grimmer with the extension. There is no positivity remaining and I don't have a happy mindset after two months of lockdown.”
The producers expressed the view that they somehow tried to stretch the fresh content on TV until March, but with the beginning of April every other broadcasting network started showing re-runs of archives and are doing the same even today, except with some error-and-trial work from home shows.
Many producers had predicted lockdown, shut their offices and stopped shooting before prime minister Narendra Modi announced the official lockdown on 24 March.
Expressing his concern that prolonged lockdown is taking a toll on businesses, Swastik Productions & One Life Studios producer & MD Rahul Kumar Tewary says: “We can’t be in lockdown forever and the nation's economy needs to be revived. We need to have ways, initiatives, and measures as an alternative to start businesses. It's an evolution and a new way to do business. We need to evolve.”
Sharing Tewary’s view, Fremantle India Television Productions managing director Aradhana Bhola says: “The lives of the people are important but we need to revive business and try different ways to find the solution. I think this is the time to reset, and need to find ways to do it collectively.” She doesn’t believe that the producers will have a typical set of doing a production from home; rather it will have a hybrid studio setup of producing content remotely.
And in these testing times, to guide the panellists on the legal front, ANM Global managing partner Nidhish Mehrotra says that nobody had thought of adding pandemic as force majeure clause in the contract globally. He adds that if insurance talks about the pandemic in your contract then you're covered, but if it doesn't mention it, then you are not eligible for the same.
With over-the-top media having taken the centre stage amid the pandemic, Modi says, “The audience’s behaviour will drastically change after post-Covid2019 situation. And, I am positive that producers will come with more creative shows. We need to create shows which make viewers happy. Both fiction and non-fiction will have their own challenges.”
Listing out the challenges post-lifting of the lockdown, Contiloe Pictures founder and CEO Abhimanyu Singh explains: “All the stakeholders will have to understand each other’s problem. It has to be a healthy discussion, which helps us find a solution. We will face multiple challenges once the lockdown is lifted, and the budget cut is going to be a collective problem.”
He adds, “Our biggest challenge as a producer is to ensure the continuity of the shoot. Once you have started the shoot, don’t stop it”. Singh is of the same view of Modi that the viewing patterns of television audiences may change. According to him, AVoD will co-exist with television and SVoD is here to stay as many OTT platforms have proved their mettle.
The Maharashtra government has listened to the television fraternity’s concerns. Endemol Shine India CEO Abhishek Rege, who was one of the producers who attended the virtual meeting with the chief minister in this regard, said: “The state government has formed teams to do surveys at shooting locations and will also come up with final SOPs.” Rege hopes that by the first week of June the government should come out with a concrete plan and shooting would resume soon.
The other challenges that were discussed by the producers were pay cuts and shooting locations. According to Rege, there is no specific regulatory body to monitor pay cuts; it’s an individual decision. Similarly, Modi highlights the fact that television producers don’t have a proper shooting infrastructure in India, and “it should be our next focus once the pandemic ends.”
During this lockdown period, with no work to do, television producers are using their free time to either binge-watch some good content and/or planning the future course of actions or trying to find an alternative way to deal with this situation once the lockdown ends.
MUMBAI: “Television should offer a spectrum of content which includes not just the traditional definition of entertainment but also content that feeds the human passion for knowledge, which stokes curiosity and inspires people,” said Star India chairman and CEO Uday Shankar, at the unveiling of the first look of ‘TED Talks’ in India along with the megastar Shah Rukh Khan and head of TED Chris Anderson in Mumbai on Thursday evening.
Inspiring a billion imaginations is much more than a tag line, it’s a promise Star India delivers every day in ways that break away from the conventional, spark national debate and help shape the new India.
Challenging the grammar of conventional entertainment and inspiring Nayi Soch, Star India is bringing this disruption on Star Plus, produced by Fremantle India, and hosted by Khan.
Star India has always believed in powering social change through the power of its content to influence and impact people’s lives and thought. Continuing with this journey, the new programme will take forward Star’s commitment of creating a social impact.
In a global first collaboration that will make the transformative power of ideas accessible to audience across India, Star Plus unites with TED – the global platform known for spotlighting and spreading powerful ideas that transform people see the world.
It is TED’s first collaboration with a major network to produce a television series featuring original TED Talks in a language other than English.
The show will bring some of the best innovators and thinkers of Indian origin to the center stage, hosted by Shah Rukh Khan. The show captures a mix of speakers, thinkers and doers, who have questioned norms and brought forth unique ideas that have the potential to inspire billions.
All these ideas which originate from personal belief and self-motivation bear testimony to the ingenuity of Indians.
Scientists, authors, thinkers, entrepreneurs and artistes, this show provides a global platform to speakers from all walks of life, taking their ideas to every home in India with the huge reach of the Star Plus platform. It can also be viewed on Hotstar, Star’s online video streaming platform.
Shankar said: “At Star, we have always believed that conventional definitions of content exist only to be challenged. I have been a big fan of TED and felt that there is no reason why these ideas should not be made accessible to all Indians in a language of their choice.”
He added: “The timing is perfect — It is a time when the world is looking to India for the next big idea. Shah Rukh Khan whose charisma and enthusiasm will be pivotal in connecting with our viewers.”
Khan said: “Bringing the power of ideas to people’s living rooms across India, and reaching out to especially the youth of our country, is something that’s really exciting.”
Anderson said, “We have a real shot at offering millions of people the empowerment that inspiring speakers can bring.”
MUMBAI: Singapore-based content distribution agency Bomanbridge Media as part of its Asia expansion has opened an office in Mumbai. It will be headed by TV veteran Arpit Agarwal as Bomanbridge Media director of sales for South Asia.
India is the fourth country in Asia where the company will have a base, after recently launching offices in Korea and Mongolia, in addition to its headquarters in Singapore. The further expansion follows recent investment by Hera Capital, which is also funding the company’s international lifestyle and cooking show Haute & Saucy with Kelly Randall Sia.
Agarwal, who has worked in various capacities at Fremantle India, Balaji Telefilms, Bang Singapore and Sahara One, comes with over 18 years of experience in creating and managing both mass and niche television content in India and in Singapore. He also headed business development at Starcut Asia Pacific – a Nokia subsidiary and is credited for creating Singapore’s first made-for-mobile series Kumarsutra. Agarwal began his career as a reporter, producer and host at NDTV in New Delhi, India.
“This entrance into South Asia, and especially India, is the beginning of very exciting times for us at Bomanbridge. With assured improvements in TV measurement, and decreasing carriage costs, we are witnessing not only a surge in demand for niche content but also the need for product differentiation through innovation amongst the major GEC players. India has always been one of our stronger territories in the region and we look forward to enhancing our presence there to better serve our partners. Arpit brings extensive television experience and we look to him to bring us to the next level. Our team is now stronger than ever, ready to serve the entire Asian region with the best programming, and with people on the ground in several countries,” said Bomanbridge Media CEO Sonia Fleck.
Agarwal added, “I am very pleased to join Bomanbridge Media, a company that is respected across the broadcasting fraternity of Asia as exclusive representatives of renowned content from around the world. Sonia and her team have a firm handle on the territory and I look forward to adding value and growing the business further in India and the region.”
MUMBAI: For couch potatoes, it’s time to rejoice as broadcasters are ready with treats for their viewers as the new year arrives.
The channel, which has over the years changed the way stories are told and made characters a household name, is once again set for a different take. The channel is back yet again with a detective series Private Investigator (PI). It had first experimented with the genre in 2011 with a show called Arjun which ran for good two years.
Produced by Fremantle India, the promos of the show have already hit the television screens. The series is about Raffe Roy Choudhary who is playing the central character, and has special powers like thinking at a lightning speed, with his guesses never going wrong. Choudhary is a 21-year old young college going student who helps the police in several crime cases such as kidnapping, suicide. Moreover, born with natural instincts and sharp problem solving skills to solve crime cases, he has the ability to see things which others cannot see. Vrajesh Hirjee is playing the police inspector, while Choudhary is played by Mrinal Dutt. The channel has roped in Colgate Plax Active Salt as the presenting sponsor and Garnier Black Naturals is the co-powered by sponsor.
To give viewers a non-stop dose of entertainment, the series will replace India’s Raw Star from 7 December and will occupy the 8pm slot every Sunday.
Keeping with the attempt to not single out the youngsters, the channel is breaking away from the saas-bahu dramas and is set to launch a comic love story christened Tu Mera Hero. The channel has teamed up with ace producers Shashi and Sumeet Mittal, who have produced popular shows like Diya Aur Baati Hum (Star Plus) and Punar Vivah (Zee TV).
The promos, which have been doing the rounds for quite some time now, start with the male lead, Titu, talking about his laziness. He believes that though people think he doesn’t do any work, he has conducted a research on unemployment in India. He reasons that unemployment in the country is existent because everyone wants to work and goes on to say that if more people didn’t want to work then unemployment would be eradicated from the nation.
It will hit the television screens from 22 December and replace the on-going Cinevistaa’s show Ek Hasina Thi at 8 pm.
Similarly, it’s going to be a power-packed start of the year for Colors. From Jhalak Dikhla Jaa to 24 to Bigg Boss to Comedy Nights With Kapil, Colors has consistently showcased path breaking shows that have redefined television. Early this year, after a gap of two years, it brought back adventurous reality show Khatron Ke Khiladi season five in a re-packaged avatar.
Now the channel is back with the sixth edition of the series that will make for an explosive entertainment viewing with 13 celebrity contestants.
This season, Khatron Ke Khiladi will transform into a ‘Darr Ka Blockbuster Returns’ where the popular celebrity contestants will endeavor to overcome their deepest phobias. Bollywood’s ace action entertainer Rohit Shetty continues to be the host for the season.
Produced by Endemol India, it will be shot in locales of Cape Town. Sources close to the development reveal that the shooting has already begun from 24 November and will go on till 20 December 2014. The reality show will start as soon as Bigg Bosseight ends. Pegged for a weekend property, as of now, it has been penned for close to six weeks.
The 13 celebrities who will fight with their fears are Sana Khan, Sagrika Ghatge, Archana Vijaya, Rashmi Desai, Ridhi Dogra, Asha Negi, Nathalia Kaur, Ashish Chaudhury, Chang, Harshad Arora, Iqbal Khan, Hussain Kuwajerwala, Rakesh Kumar, Siddharth Bharadwaj and Nandish Sandhu entering the show as wildcard entry.
On the digital front, the celebrities have already started tweeting about their excitement to be on the show with the hash tag #KKKonColors.
While last season the production of the non-fiction show was pegged at Rs 50-55 crore, this season media planners estimate it to be around Rs 60-65 crore.
Secondly, the channel is set to launch for the first time a historical period drama Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat. Produced by Contiloe Productions, it will captivatingly showcase the journey and life time of Emperor Ashoka, from his rise to power to his state of penance after the gory blood-bath in the historical battle of Kalinga that made him give up war to embrace Buddhism.
The compelling story of this Great Emperor has been written by the acclaimed and contemporary author Ashok Banker, who will be making his comeback on television after nearly two decades. Sources from the industry reveal that the production cost of a mythological show per episode is double the amount of what a daily fiction show costs. Thus, the production cost per episode ranges from Rs 13-14 lakh.
Though the launch date is not yet fixed, sources close to the development believe that it will be a weekday property and will air once Bigg Boss eight sees its curtains down at 9pm.
