ITV

Tag: Gauahar Khan

  • Badrinath Ki Dulhania: Part fun, part dull

    Director Shashank Khaitan seems to be creating a franchise of his own as he comes back with ‘Badrinath Ki Dulhania’ after his earlier film, Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania. This film too starts off in Hindi belt but later traverses to Singapore to break the monotony.

    In the process, Badrinath Ki Dulhania also heavily promotes the woman’s cause, her independence and right to choose.

    Varun Dhawan’s character is a barely educated lad from Jhansi working as a recovery man for his well-off but steadfast and old-fashioned father played by Rituraj Singh. Singh’s character considers himself lucky. Since he has sired two sons, daughters, according to him, are a liability. He does not care if his sons love some girl, they have to marry according to his wishes and the dowry that the girl brings is his prime consideration.

    Accordingly, his elder son, Yash Sinha’s character had to sacrifice his love and marry Shweta Basu Prasad’s character who brought along a car showroom besides cash as dowry. She is well-educated but a working woman is no-no for Rituraj.

    Varun joins the baraat of his friend headed for Kota. There, he spots Alia Bhatt, also a guest, and instantly falls for her. It is a one-sided love as Alia is a headstrong and independent girl who wants to work to bring her middle-class family out of a tight financial situation. Also, Alia has an elder sister, played by Aakanksha Singh, who, according to tradition, has to marry first.

    Nice guy that he is, Varun decides to help Alia and her family find a suitor for Aakanksha on the condition that Alia will marry him in the same mandap. Varun does manage to find a match for Aakanksha and the wedding day is decided.

    Things don’t go as planned, however, and Varun has to chase Alia all over again.

    Enjoyable so far, the film loses pace as the location shifts to Singapore where Alia has taken up a career in an airline. Varun is left to do a Devdas act, slipping into a bout of self-pity. This part slows down the film considerably for a while before it comes back into some fun and songs. The climax is interesting while it also delivering a message.

    The script is penned keeping in mind that the theme is youth-oriented and romance, with light moments aplenty, especially in the first part. The second half needed to be spruced up. Direction is competent and the songs are well placed.

    The film has a popular musical score with Humsafar…..,Rokenaruke…. Tenutakiyabina…. being hummable while the title song has a sectional appeal. The remixed Tammatamma… is already popular number from the film Thanedaar (1989). Cinematography is good.

    Varun plays his carefree character with élan. Alia makes a good pair with him, and acts well. Sahil Vaid makes a mark. Rituraj is impressive. Yash, Shweta and Aakanksha land good support.

    Otherwise a plus film, Badri Ki Dulhania will have to contend with pre-Holi weekend which affects collections, especially in the Hindi belt, board exams and election results aftereffects for next few days.

    Producers: Hiroo Johar, Karan Johar.

    Director: Shashank Khaitan.

    Cast: Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt, Gauahar Khan, Mohit Marwah, Aakanksha Singh.

  • Zee’s new reality show to bring celebs out of comfort zone; Farhan Akhtar to host

    Zee’s new reality show to bring celebs out of comfort zone; Farhan Akhtar to host

    MUMBAI: The popularity and success of reality shows showcasing various skills and talent on Indian television was a harbinger of sorts for Zee TV to bring the international non-fiction format show I Can Do That to India. What’s more, throw in a few celebrities as contestants and the show’s appeal increases manifold. 

     

    Developed by Israel’s Armoza Formats, Zee TV will launch the Indian version of the show on 17 October. What’s more, the channel has also roped in Farhan Akhtar as the host of I Can Do That. The weekend show will be aired on Saturdays and Sundays in the 9 pm primetime slot and has a run time of only six weeks. 

     

    I Can Do That will have 12 celebrities from different walks of life, who will be seen performing jaw dropping acts. The show will challenge them to outdo each other in a wide range of tasks, from intricate dance choreography to magic and illusion, from flair bar tending to daredevil stunts and more.

     

    The 12 celebrities that the channel has roped in for the show are Dino Morea, Gauahar Khan, Gurmeet Choudhary, Rithvik Dhanjani, Madhurima Tuli, Mandira Bedi, VJs Bani and Andy, Shibani Dandekar, Meiyang Chang, Ranveer Brar and Bharti Singh.

     

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com on the reasons for investing in an established worldwide format, Zee TV business head Pradeep Hejmadi says, “It’s a format, which is very close to what Zee TV stands for. Zee has always celebrated formats, which identifies the talent in people. The show at its core matches with what we have done so far with our other shows like Dance India Dance (DID) and Saregamapa, which focus on talent. In this show, we aim to pull out the hidden talent from celebrities and take out them of their comfort zone. I Can Do That is a format, which is very close to our DNA in the non-fiction space.”

     

    Throwing light on the reason for choosing Zee’s platform for the international format, Armoza senior creative director – development department Elwin Vizetelly De Groot says, “We are very excited to work with the biggest entertainment channel in India that is Zee Television. India is such an important market for us. I travelled across India and spent a few days working with the team. The basic format of the show is that it’s a story of your favourite celebrities, who will perform amazing acts on stage. We are working very closely with the team of Zee to launch this show here in India.”

     

    Groot further adds, “People will see celebrities doing something different.  They will watch them dancing, singing, sometimes cooking and other things. Our aim was to combine all that we wanted in a show. I Can Do That is a platform where we can showcase amazing talent and something that Indian audiences has never seen before. Zee and Armoza are very excited with the prospects of the show and we believe that it can do really well. It has done very well in other territories and we believe that India is next.”

     

    While there are multiple reality shows on television today, which showcase, celebrate as well as hone various talents, I Can Do That will be different. Talking about the USP of the show, Hejmadi says, “The difference comes in the show from the contestants because automatically the players are people, who come with certain talent. On this platform, people will be seen performing certain kind of things that they have never before done in their lives. It is not just a show, which has celebrities. Usually other shows focus on the strengths of celebrities but in this show, the audience will see them performing unbelievable tasks. And therein lies the difference.”

     

    With the multi-talented Akhtar as the show’s host, Zee TV is banking on his popularity to take the show a notch higher than the rest. “Farhan is a great embodiment of the format. He is multi-talented and has always pushed boundaries to do multiple things. He is great guy, who can stand up with the format and can say I Can Do That,” Hejmadi says.

     

    To push the show at multiple levels, Zee TV will be adopting a 360 degree marketing approach. Hejmadi informs, “There is always an on-air television based campaign and along with that we will go with off-air marketing as well. There is huge digital campaign that we are mounting. The format is such that everyone from kids to very elderly people can enjoy the show, so the campaign is designed to appeal to the masses.”

     

    With Vaseline as the presenting sponsor for I Can Do That, Hejmadi says that advertisers’ response to the new show has been encouraging so far. “We have received an excellent response from them. While we have almost closed all the positions of sponsorship, we are still in discussion with a few advertisers,” he adds.

     

    Speaking on the research carried out for the show, Hejmadi says,  said, “Even as we met the contestants, we were parallelly evaluating the stunts done in the international format. We also looked at different kinds of talent that we should evaluate for each of the players, who were coming on board. So a series of evaluations were done in terms of the kind of acts that people would like to see.”

     

    The reality show format I Can Do That has been popular in countries like the US, Italy and Israel amongst others.

  • Videocon Telecom ropes in Gauahar Khan as brand ambassador

    Videocon Telecom ropes in Gauahar Khan as brand ambassador

    NEW DELHI: Even as Videocon Telecom plans to spend ten per cent of its gross revenue on brand and communication this year, the company has brought on board actor and model Gauahar Khan as its new brand ambassador

     

    With Khan as the new face of the brand, the telco intends to connect with forward-looking, modern youth segment and extend its presence in the market. The company is also gearing up for its 4G rollout and is eyeing a pan India presence.

     

    According to the company, Khan’s popularity and youth appeal will complement Videocon Telecom, which engages consumers via its innovative telecom services.

     

    Khan made her Bollywood debut in 2009 with Rocket Singh, Salesman of the Year, followed by Game, and Ishqzaade. She also made her debut in a Punjabi film Oh Yaara Ainvayi Ainvayi Lut Gaya this year. Khan also made her presence felt on the small screen with her TV show Khan Sisters in 2011, and was also crowned the winner of the seventh season of the reality show Bigg Boss.

     

    Videocon Telecom will leverage the association with Khan through various mediums including TV commercials, OOH, press ads and digital marketing.

     

    Given its regional presence, the telco has been limiting its presence on television, but now with options being available on geo targeting on TV channels including Star and Sony, Videocon Telecom plans to leverage the option.

     

    Videocon Telecom director and CEO Arvind Bali said, “Change is always good and refreshing and brings in vibrancy in the environment. We are pleased to add the noted celebrity, Gauahar Khan into our Videocon family. Gauahar signifies a positive vibrancy, bold attitude, sense of dedication and reflects our brand spirit- young, vibrant, and cool. She represents the youth of today who are independent, expressive, confident, and carefree and brand conscious. Going apt with the same, this association has been established to connect with the youth consumers at ground level.”

     

    “The choice of bringing Gauahar on board was no brainer as she is a self-made youth icon with huge fan following in India and across the continent. She is a fantastic artist and we seek to use her charisma extensively in our forthcoming marketing initiatives, wherein she will be seen prominently across television commercials, newspapers advertisements, digital medium, billboards, retail front displays, and on-ground activities of the brand. We are confident that this association will go a long way in improving Videocon Telecom’s brand awareness and consideration,” he added.

     

    Khan said, “Videocon Telecom is so young and vibrant with its approach that I can actually relate myself to the brand. Owing to its wide reach and consumer- friendly services, I did not have second thoughts in associating myself with Videocon Telecom. With this association, I see myself connecting with millions of consumers of the brand.”

  • Colors launches Idea presents ‘Khatron Ke Khiladi – The Game’

    Colors launches Idea presents ‘Khatron Ke Khiladi – The Game’

    MUMBAI: Following the successful launch of Idea presents Khatron Ke Khiladi – Darr Ka Blockbuster, COLORS is all set to enhance audience engagement with the launch of Idea presents Khatron Ke Khiladi – The Game. Through this 3D interactive game, COLORS will recreate the Khatron Ke Khiladi experience for the show’s loyal viewers who have been supporting the show since its on-air launch. Idea presents Khatron Ke Khiladi – The Game will be available for free download on the iOS and Android platforms to Indian audiences.

     

    Idea presents Khatron Ke Khiladi – The Game is a reflex-testing challenge addressing the fear of heights amongst players as they balance their avatars on a tight rope above the concrete jungles of South Africa, braving tough conditions like wind force and oscillations. To further engage audiences, the game will feature a special contest wherein the highest scorers will compete to win an iPad Mini.

     

    Speaking about the launch of the game, Vivek Srivastava, Digital Head – COLORS, said, “Digital strategies, today, go beyond the realm of audience outreach through social media platforms and increasingly focus on engaging with them to create a strong brand recall and relationship. We have tasted success when we introduced an interactive 3D mobile game for 24 which was featured as the top game across platforms with over half a million downloads. With the launch of Idea presents Khatron Ke Khiladi – The Game, we are looking forward to bringing the audiences’ biggest fears to their fingertips through a thrilling entertainment experience that is deeply seated in agility and balance.”

     

    Designed by Gameshastra Solutions Pvt. Ltd, Idea presents Khatron Ke Khiladi – The Game is an adventure-based interactive mobile game which allows a player to raise their scores basis the distance they are able to cover while they balance on a tight rope while facing grave weather conditions. Every stage of the game also enables players to earn varied power-ups such as ‘Super Boost’ and ‘Extra Life’ which allows the player to increase their expertise levels within the game. The Game also features some incredible in-app purchases including merchandise such as shoes and track suits for their avatars with the bonus that they earn. During the course of this highly-addictive game, players will be able to gain multiple levels of achievement starting from Baby Steps for the first-time players to Champion, Unstoppable and even Obsessed for more seasoned players. Users can download the Game by sending an sms KKK to 56882* to get the link to download the game or download it from Google play store or Apple Play store.

     

    Commenting on their association with Khatron Ke Khiladi – the Game, Mr. Sashi Shankar, Chief Marketing Officer, Idea Cellular said, “Gaming, on the mobile and digital platform is a key focus area for Idea. The show’s on-air success led us to extend our partnership with the property on the digital medium as well. Idea presents Khatron Ke Khiladi – The Game, fits well in our marketing communication strategy as it offers unique brand integration into the property, and being a digital Game, it offers  a thrilling yet entertaining way of reaching out to our online audiences.”

     

    Idea presents Khatron Ke Khiladi – Darr Ka Blockbuster powered by Gionee Smart Phone is the ultimate stunt-based action reality show which has been entertaining audiences for over 3 weeks. The show features celebrity contestants like Gauahar Khan, Kushal Tandon, Mugdha Godse, Dayanand Shetty, Karanvir Bohra, Teejay Sidhu, Nikitin Dheer, Gurmeet Choudary, Debina Bonnerjee, Rajniesh Duggall, Geeta Tandon, Salman Yusuff Khan and Ranveer Shorey who perform daredevil stunts under the expert guidance of action maestro Rohit Shetty.