ITV

Tag: Kasautii

  • Indian soaps help Sri Lankan channel top charts

    Indian soaps help Sri Lankan channel top charts

    MUMBAI: The Kyunki’s and Kasautii’s of Indian television are not just helping Indian channels stay on top of the ratings charts, they seem to be helping Sri Lankan broadcasters too.

    Sinhalese Sirasa channel run by Maharaja Television in the island country, seem to have benefited from the dubbed versions of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, which runs as Maha Gedara and Kasautii Zindagi Kay, which is Praveena in its Sinhalese avataar on Sirasa.

    The dubbed Kasautii, in fact, launched in February 2005 on Sirasa, on a prime time slot that already had tough competition for the ratings. The competition’s ratings hovered around 11-12 vis-à-vis Sirasa’s 2-3 before launching Praveena at that slot. Praveena, according to Maharaja Television CEO Aditya Ray, started off with a TVR of 11.3 on its launch day and has in the latest data available, settled to an average of 8.0.

    While big Tamil hits like Chiththi that completed its successful run on Maharaja’s Tamil Channel Shakthi some months ago, have now been adapted for Maharaja’s Sinhala channel Sirasa, it is the Hindi soaps that are being lapped up by the Sinhala viewers for their cultural similarity, believes Ray.

    It isn’t just the soaps, but even SABTNL’s Office Office, that runs as Samawenna Sir on Sirasa on the weekends that has caught viewers’ fancy, says Ray. The revamped Sirasa, after Ray took charge in June 2004, has also been running a branded block called HIT TV, comprising sub-titled Hindi films, on afternoons since almost its inception about seven years back.

    The strategy to get in the dubbed soaps has apparently paid off. According to Ray, Maha Gedara and Praveena have already helped Sirasa climb to the number one position at prime time from its earlier third or fourth rank. It is also the No. 1 Channel on weekdays, although in overall channel share it remains at a strong number two position, behind the established state-owned Rupavahini channel.

    Quoting Lanka Market Research Bureau (IMRB’s Lankan operation) data, Ray says that Sirasa’s average prime time channel share has climbed to 26.9 as per the latest data from its earlier level of 18.7 during the time he took charge of this Sri Lankan TV station and shifted its programming focus more towards the Hindi soaps, while Rupavahini’s share declined marginally from 26.8 to 24.2.

    Sirasa’s all day channel share too has grown from 17.1 to 23.6, but it still needs to match up to Rupavahini’s 24.5. Ray says an increased focus on weekends, by bringing in big budget talent shows on the lines of Indian Idol, as well as game shows on the lines of Sahara’s Dial One or Jeeto, will be employed to boost channel share further.

    The channel is also scouting the Indian scene for some shows that can be imported for adaptation or dubbing. SABTNL, says Ray, is a ‘friendly organisation’ which has been collaborating with Maharajas for some of its productions, while the Sri Lankan broadcaster is also keenly pursuing Star and Zee for acquiring software.

    (This report was filed by the reporter before she flew off to France to get for us a complete lowdown on the MIPDOC proceedings)

  • Will ‘Kasautii’ oust top ‘K’ shows from ad buyers’ lists?

    Will ‘Kasautii’ oust top ‘K’ shows from ad buyers’ lists?

    MUMBAI: It is boom time for ad buyers and media planners who had earlier opted for the current surprise toppers on Star Plus.

    For the third week in a row, neither Kyunkii… nor Kahaani… figure in the top slots, quite unlike their previous records. In the week 25 May to 31 May 2003, Kasautii Zindagii Kay was the number one show in C&S households with a TRP of 10.4, according to TAM.

    While media buyers who initially opted for these surprise hits thanks to clients’ financial constraints are now rubbing their hands in glee, the ones that opted for the top ‘K’ shows are bound to expect some rebate.

    Although from the same production house- Balaji Telefilms, Kasautii – which has now consolidated its position in the numbers game, hasn’t been top on the list of media buyers till now. Neither have the current number two and three, Aruna Irani’s Des Mein Niklla Hoga Chand with a TRP of 9.4 nor UTV’s Kehta Hai Dil with a TRP of 8.9. With both Kyunkii… and Kahaani… ousted from the top position, the scene however seems to be changing.

    Although the top shows might have changed, it has been an inter-juggling for the channel – Star Plus. Like in past weeks, the channel continued its dominance in the TRP charts, with its shows bagging 48 out of 50 top programmes in the C& S households in the ratings just out.

    Surprisingly, the most common reason for a rise in the TRP figures – a sudden dramatic twist or a new character does not seem to be the case here. Both, Kasautii….. and Des…, claim to have risen to the spot gradually. According to Kasautii Zindagi Kay’s creative director Nivedita: “Kasautii… is a clean fuss free, linear love story with good characterisation aka Prerna-Anurag and now Bajaj. While we do have parallel tracks, they don’t take your focus off the main protagonists unlike other soaps, which fluctuate between tracks.” But she does admit that the rise in the last few weeks is because the audience is getting to know the better side of Bajaj, who was hitherto a grey character.

    Even Aruna Irani refuses to have introduced a twist-in-the-tale just to get the TRPs. “If I had an ace up my sleeve, I would have used it long ago. While the initial weeks might have been disappointing, the show began climbing the popularity charts ever since it registered with viewers. Des…. that claimed the most eyeballs in the previous week (for the week 5 May to 10 May 2003) had tried to experiment with the ‘Mihir’ trick (read claimed dead and brought back to life ) but Irani dismisses it as simply a coincidence. It is the simplicity of the track, a single central story besides strong characterisation of the ‘other’ characters that had help it bag the place, she maintains.

    Media planners, meanwhile, have adopted a wait and watch stance. According to Optimum Media Solutions media controller Kunal Jamuar: “For any trend to be recognised as substantial, we would look at a four week period, hence no change in plans for now. However, there is no doubt that there is a decline in the two K’s. We had taken the second rung serials, which are now topping the charts in our campaign earlier. Hence, the rate freeze ensures that we do not pay a higher price for the new chart toppers.”

    He also offers that Star Plus is unlikely to change the ‘K’ rate so fast as it would be tantamount to admitting that their premiere serials are no longer the number one now. But now since someone else deserves that price, he anticipates that there should be a reciprocal drop in rates for the two ‘K’s.

    MediaCom planning director Mamatha Morvankar voiced the same opinion. “We are at the end of our deal consumption on Star Plus and hence are not reacting to these changes. However, Kyunki and Kahaani are becoming too expensive. They have hiked their prices after we began the deal, so clients are re-negotiating the rates on these programmes. However, if Star Plus does not change its FPC before CAS, we can expect the 9-10 pm programmes (Mon-Thurs) to be priced higher than 10-11pm for the new deals to be started from 1 July.”

    MediaCom media director (buying and planning) Harish Shriyans seconds the opinion. “If a programme is slipping in terms of “GRP”, there is another which is doing better and shall make up the loss. For existing clients where you already have a deal, there is no question of paying higher rate, however, for a new advertiser/deal, I guess the channel will definitely try and get better pricing,” he said.

    Meanwhile, Balaji creative head Ektaa Kapoor is not about to just let things drift as far as the two ‘K’s are concerned. In an interview yesterday to the Indian Express, Kapoor claims to have spruced the Kahaani… track and says that the results should be seen in the coming weeks.

  • ‘Kasautii’ edges past Balaji siblings to reign over ratings

    ‘Kasautii’ edges past Balaji siblings to reign over ratings

    MUMBAI: Once might be perceived as the luck of the draw. But two weeks running certainly raises questions?

    Balaji offspring Kasautii Zindagi Kay, for long the lesser sibling of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi and Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii, has shot past both to lead the stakes for the second week in a row in the ratings just released by TAM for the week ended 24 May 2003.

    Kasautii …has usurped the first three slots dominated by the other two ‘K’ serials in the last two years. More importantly, Kasautii… has helped pull the ratings scorecard into double digits once again. In a slot occupied once by the mighty Kyunki… with TVRs that went over 12, Kasautii…today is at a respectable 10.9. 

    However, another slow and steady winner, Aruna Irani’s Des Mein Niklla Hoga Chand, which topped the heap for the week ended 10 May, continues to hold its own against the mighty Balaji rivals, save Kasautii…, of course. Des Mein… this week appears at the fourth spot with a TVR of 9.5 (erstwhile Balaji star Amarr Upadhyay who split with the production house to try his luck in films, is back on the small screen with Des… for the last one week, incidentally). 

    Kyunki… makes its appearance only at the sixth place and Kahaani…. finds pride of place only further down at the eighth place, with a TVR of 8.1. 

    Are the two mighty pillars of Star Plus’ programming finally entering their autumn period? Another week of similar ratings and it could be said with more certainty whether there is a trend developing here.

    Will the next few months see a battle royale between Ekta’s Kasautii…. and Irani’s Des Mein….? The ratings will tell.

  • ‘Kasautii…’ makes it to the top of the heap in ratings

    MUMBAI: It hasn’t been an easy task, but Kasautii Zindagi Kay has finally ousted Balaji siblings Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi and Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii to lead the top 100 shows in C&S households in India in the week ended 17 May 2003.
    While doing so, Kasauti…, which notched up a TVR of 9.6, also managed to push down Aruna Irani’s Des Mein Niklla Hoga Chand, which had been having a steady climb up the ratings ladder, culminating in the coveted number one position last week (for week ended 10 May 2003). But today belongs to Kasautii…., which has been twisting and turning its storyline steadily in the last few months, notching up viewer curiosity and consequently some solid audience loyalty.
    Kasautii.’s rise to the top also justifies Star’s programming head Tarun Katial’s belief in the serial’s potential. In an interview with indiantelevision.com in October 2002, Katial had said that Kasauti…. could even surge ahead of Kahaani…. (then the Number Two soap), and that this climb would be facilitated by the strengthening of the storyline.
    Kahaani…. meanwhile seems to slipping in the ratings even as Kyunki…. continues to hold its own. Kahaani…. was last seen at the top of the heap in the week ended 3 May, but is down at number 7 this week, with a TVR of 8.9. Kasautii…. at the time had bagged three of the top 10 slots on Star Plus’ top shows for the week. Irani’s Des Mein…which had rarely slackened from the top 10 spots, last week outdid itself and reached the number one position with a TVR of 10.9, only to slip down to number five in the latest ratings with a TVR of 9.3. 

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