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Tag: horror shows

  • The resurgence of horror shows on GECs

    The resurgence of horror shows on GECs

    MUMBAI: The horror genre has formed an important part of TV entertainment since the 1990s when Zee Horror Show, Aahat and Ssshhh…Koi Hai were anticipated shows. A resurgence of horror shows on TV has been noticed in the past one month. Ekta Kapoor’s Qayamat Ki Raat, which airs on Star Plus, and Colors TV’s Kaun Hai, both opened to incredible ratings in their first week. Vivek Dahiya and Karishma Tanna starrer Qayamat Ki Raat bagged the seventh spot with 5.6 million impressions while Kaun Hai received 3.89 million impressions and was at the 11th spot.

    Bodhi Tree Multimedia has produced quite a few horror shows like Rooh and Fear Files for Zee TV. “Horror has always been a genre that has worked in the Indian market. It is also been an underserved genre with only our show Fear Files running for the past one year. So more horror shows coming was always anticipated,” says Bodhi Tree Multimedia founder Mautik Tolia. 

    Endemol Shine CEO Abhishek Rege holds a different opinion. He feels that the Indian audiences are dedicated to all sorts of genres and horror was possibly an underserved one. “Although many shows are launching, how many does the market need will only be known after the ratings or the consumption pattern comes out.”

    If horror shows want to create a mark today, they have to come up with good content. Earlier horror shows used to have just one story in an episode. Now horror shows have long term stories with a supernatural background. 

    Earlier, late prime time was the slot given to the horror shows assuming that the kids are asleep by then. But now things are changing. The horror shows have got promoted to earlier time slots (7-9 pm). According to Rege, any time after 8-8.30 pm is a good time slot for a horror show. Shows like Aahat, Fear Files or X-Zone were hard core horror shows. Nowadays there are many shows which have different approaches and if they are not hardcore horror they can be broadcasted at early prime time slot.

    Tolia thinks that the increase in the number of horror shows in India could be due to exposure to international content releasing in India. “A lot of good international horror has been produced over the past few years. Films from the Conjuring universe, Quiet Place, Lights Out, It, Mama and now Hereditary have breathed new life into the genre. So the rub off effect is surely being seen.”

    Advertisers tend to stay away from horror shows due to their low viewership. The earlier shows couldn’t get advertisers due to the late time band. The sudden surge in horror seems to be the channels’ attempts at expanding its offering before festive season kicks in. They could then be replaced with reality format shows.

    Madison Media Sigma CEO Vanita Keshwani feels differently. She says, “According to me, the crime/thriller genre works most for the Indian audience than the horror genre. Shows like Savdhaan India  and Crime Patrol garner more viewership than Aahat and Fear Files. Since shows like Qayamat Ki Raat, Laal Ishq and Kaun Hai have just launched it’s too early to give a judgment on those shows. According to me the horror as a genre is not doing well. But I think they are betting on it.”

    Indian makers have even been plagued by budget issues and a very narrow approach towards the depiction of horror inspired by Indian imagery. However Indian horror is also seeing a paradigm shift in terms of quality of content over past few years. A new breed of filmmakers is churning out a spate of horror films and shows that are able to blend Indian imagery with great storytelling.

    Even though the shows in this genre may or may not gain good TRP, the experimentation continues for adding variety to a channel’s offering.

  • Scary times for horror shows

    Scary times for horror shows

    MUMBAI: Ssshhhh…koi hai is today the trademark dialogue of any horror-related conversation, thanks to the namesake show some years ago. In the early years of television in India, when the genres were just adapting, horror was a popular resort for producers (even films). The horror escapades of the 1990s don’t have strong contenders today. But is it that the horror value is lower or have we just become smarter?

    For years, TV shows such as Zee horror show Aahat, Woh, Ssshhhh… Koi Hai, X Zone, Fear Files etc, worked their magic on audiences but lately people laugh them off as horror comedy. If we were to revisit earlier shows, we would probably even kid ourselves for being scared in the first place.

    The Zee Horror Show of the Ramsay Brothers and Aahat of Fireworks Productions gave goosebumps in the early 90s and, in late 90s, we sampled Woh, another horror TV series, on Zee TV.

    Zee TV predominantly relied on horror shows in the 90s with a string of series like Saturday Suspense and X Zone. The earliest success in the genre was Aahat, which first aired in 1995 on Sony Television. Star Plus began its horror journey in 1997 with the show called Kohra and hit the right notes with Ssshhhh… Koi Hai in 2001. The poor graphics, amateur sound effects and logic-defying sequences didn’t stop us from being scared while the shows reigned the ratings chart. In 2015, Bipasha Basu, an actress known for her horror film roles, anchored a show Darr Sabko Lagta Hai that only attempted to scare people.

    Bodhi Tree Multimedia is currently producing Fear Files season 3. The studio’s founder, Mautik Tolia, said that the horror genre is still alive and the show picked well with 2.3 and 2.5 [ratings] at the 10.30 pm time slot.

    However, horror content carries the baggage of restrictions. Tolia says, “The one major constraint with horror shows is that they have to be shown on the television after 10 pm as per the broadcasting guidelines. This also hampers repeat value during the day and so time slots are fewer.” Weekends were a popular time for this genre earlier but now with the advent of big budget shows, horror cannot sustain viewership.

    Regular shows today have some horror or supernatural elements interspersed. Daily soaps like Ek Deewana Tha, Brahmarakshas, Kavach, Kaal Bhairav Rahasya etc. and, in earlier days shows like Woh, Kya Hadsaa Kya Haqeeqat, have scored higher success than the proper episode format horror shows. Tolia adds that these shows are actually categorised as supernatural horror. He says that some shows have done phenomenally well like Naagin, Brahmarakshas, Kavach and more.

    The maker of Sony TV’s thriller romantic horror show Ek Deewana Tha Prateek Sharma, who is the founder of LSD films is now into the idea of romantic horror. “With Ek Deewana Tha, the idea was never to scare the viewers. Our intention was to give a thrill and supernatural drama but with the core family surrounding drama to make it more appealing.”

    Sharma says that the volume of horror shows has increased and this could be a reaction to the increased exposure to international content and all major Hollywood films and shows releasing in India. But he feels Indian content needs to evolve. Today we rely on special effects and graphics rather than scary faces.

    The disadvantage is from the advertising side since brands aren’t very friendly to these shows. “Traditionally horror content does have fewer buyers and also because of its late night viewing. People will not notice kids’ related brands advertising during these shows,” says Tolia. He adds that this problem is solved in shows where it is blended in the normal series. But he adds that if a horror show manages to really spook you and make you return, the advertisers will also come chasing.

    Though horror may have died down in popularity, the genre is still alive in regular shows where it is used for impact. This also allows shows to circumvent the limitations that a pure horror show has to endure.

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