ITV

Tag: KZK

  • Star Plus looks to hook teens with ‘Hello Dollie’

    Star Plus looks to hook teens with ‘Hello Dollie’

    MUMBAI: With every new show that Star Plus adds to its platter, the format seems to be veering evermore towards an urban and contemporary look and feel. Hello Dollie , the latest offering for the young and restless from Hindi entertainment television’s lead channel, is no different.

    After more than two years ensconced in the 7:30 pm slot, UTV’s Shaka laka boom boom is coming to an end and makes way for Hello Dollie, which debuts 25 October and will air Mondays through to Thursdays.

    Produced by the makers of Hatim (Sagar Group), Hello Dollie comes from the third generation of Sagars, which tells a story of an average teenager going through the agony of puberty dealing with frumpy hair and pimples. Having grown up in a sheltered, single parent environment for 15 years, this adolescent is taken by surprise when she finds out that that she’s a real life princess.

    Interestingly, this show, which is slotted at a band where the programming has been targeted at kids, addresses the early teens. When questioned on the same, Star India’s senior vice-president content and communications Deepak Segal points out, “With Shaka laka boom boom, the TG that tuned in did not progress to Dekho Magar Pyaar se, which is a romantic tale. But, with the slightly older age group of kids tuning in to Hello Dollie, there will be a natural progression to DMPS at 8 pm and then to a Kasautii Zindagii Kay (KZK) more mature love story at 8:30 pm.”

    Another point of note that was made was that the loyal audience of SLBB has also grown and hence this initiative. Also, behavioral patterns of viewers show that younger kids usually go with what the older one’s watch but the reverse does not apply. Hence with Hello Dollie, Star Plus not only hopes to sustain its current viewership but also expand it in this particular band as well as the adjacent ones.

    Also, capitalising on the Navratri festive season, the channel tied up with one of the biggest dandiya groups at the Kora Kendra located in Borivali in Mumbai for a unique contest wherein the best dressed young woman was crowned princess each night.

    A glittering tiara studded with semi-precious stones was the winner’s crowning glory. This activation was to announce the launch of this daily as also to create hype and curiosity around the same.

    Hello Dollie, apart from being fast paced and racy, is nicely peppered with a mix of English (the way it is spoken, and not with an accented undertone) that depicts a natural scene at a school. The coming of age story of a 15-year-old is a simple story but more importantly simply told. With a finite number of episodes, this property looks extremely promising and lends itself a good chance to hit it off with teenagers.

  • Sony expects ‘Ayushmaan’ special episode to spike reach

    Sony expects ‘Ayushmaan’ special episode to spike reach

    MUMBAI: It’s been exactly seven weeks on air for Sony’s Ayushmaan . While the odds were stacked against it right from the start (pitched alongside Star Plus’ big gun Kasautii Zindagi Kay), Sony claims that the show has shaped up quite well.

    In an endeavour to increase sampling for the show, 20 September (Monday) will witness an hour long special episode of Ayushmaan.

    Speaking to indiantelevision.com, Sony’s executive vice president programming and response Tarun Katial says, “We are very pleased with Ayushmaan’s performance, and its delivery has been much beyond our expectations. It is now critical that the show arrives at a mass reach like Yeh Meri Life Hain which currently commands a 40 per cent stickiness in the HSM 1 MN + and our one hour special is an attempt to increase sampling as well as spike the show’s reach numbers.”

    The one hour specials have been a common feature and strategy on Sony, and the channel claims that this has worked wonders for them in terms of increase in stickiness in shows like Jassi…., Yeh Meri Life Hain and Kkusum. Although Monday will see its first hourly special for Ayushmaan, many more one-hour specials are in the offing for this particular show. Currently the show commands an average of 1.8 – 2 in all Hindi speaking markets 1 million+ according to TAM Data. The show hit its peak in the HSM 1 mn +( CS 4+) market at 2.12 TVR, its low at 1.13 TVR. But on an average had managed to garner rating above the 1.5 TVR mark.

    The one-hour special will also see the introduction of new character who is the male protaganist ‘s(Ayushmaan) autistic brother (Bodi). This will bring in the emotional quotient where the interaction between a prodigy and an autistic individual is seen.

    Talking about the show’s performance, Mindshare’s investment director Amol Dighe says, “Well, the show is definitely not picking up but has maintained sustained ratings. Also, considering the 8:30 pm – 9 pm slot earlier garnered ratings of 0.5 TVR (for Sony), an average of 1.8 – 2 is a considerable increase.”

    Moving on to whether the show promises a pick up in the near future Dighe adds, “It might spike up slightly and settle between a 2.5 – 3 TVR. Also, one has to see if KZK reaches a fatigue level and hence people make that switch.”

    TME media director Madan Mohapatra offered, “For Sony as a platform, Ayushmaan has definitely done a lot of good when it is looked at holistically. Although, as a standalone, the point the channel was aiming at, which was to draw viewers from KZK , has not taken place. What it has managed to do is draw viewers across other channels as well as bring in new viewers. The story line though does suggest that the show has a long life stamp vis-a-vis some other shows across other channels.”

    According to Mohapatra, apart from promotional and marketing efforts that Sony needs to consistently undertake for this property, the final onus will lie with the progression of the story line and packaging for it to retain eyeballs.

  • “If you restrict the story to the main characters, the viewer enjoys it more” : Ravindra Gautam

    “If you restrict the story to the main characters, the viewer enjoys it more” : Ravindra Gautam

     Smart, young and handsome. One look at Ravindra Gautam and you wonder why he didn't want to have a tryst with acting. But then, you can't force somebody to start believing contrary to his convictions. Ravi, as he is fondly called, always believed that he could make his mark as a director.

    Did we say 'make his mark'? Sorry, we take our words back. He hasn't just made his mark, he has now become a force to reckon with- as a director. Balaji's Kasautii Zindagi Kay currently directed by him was number one for quite some time recently, then Aruna Irani rolled up her sleeves and snatched away the top slot with her  Des Mein Nikala Hoga Chand for some time. But Ravi wrested it back!

    Vickey Lalwani caught up with him on the crest of his wave, at a break in the hectic shooting schedule of  KZK in 'Indiclay' at Goregaon. Excerpts from an interview:

    How did the direction bug bite you?
    Since childhood (which was spent in Lucknow), I was a filmi buff, in the sense that, I used to see almost every film. Then, I joined a theatre group. I worked there for nearly seven years and learnt almost every nuance involved in the making of a project- screenplay, script-writing, direction, editing, etc. I developed plans of coming to Mumbai. But somewhere along the way, I got a nice job as a Probationary Officer in a nationalised bank.

    And your filmi aspirations went for a toss?
    No way! Films were my first love and first love never dies. Since my theatre days, I had developed an itch to direct a film, and even my parents supported me in my decision. Also, I had already met my better half!

    Wow!
    (blushes) I met her during my theatre days (I was just 22 then) and we even got married in Lucknow, before we finally departed for Mumbai.

    And you left the bank job?
    Obviously. Even my wife had started supporting me in the pursuit of my dream. Frankly, I had made it clear to her before marriage that I would leave the job and we would go to the city of my dreams, very soon after marriage.

    Then?
    I joined a six-month course in Animation Graphics in Lucknow. Meanwhile, my wife started working. Someone had to form the supportive system (smiles).

    Fast forward. What happened in Mumbai?
    I joined Crest Communications. After a year, they made me the editor. I worked there for nearly six years. Then joined MTV as an editor for a very brief period. Then I joined Sibar Media (a Hyderabad based company) which gave me the flexibility of being the Creative Head of their studio. From there, I got my first assignment as a director. I directed a few episodes for Khaufffor Sab TV. The EP of Khauff Vandana (who is currently the EP of KZK) messaged me that Balaji was looking out for someone to take over the directorial reins in KZK. I did a few test shoots for them. They liked it. Within a month, I was in the hot seat of KZK .

    Hot seat?
    Yeah. Kaid had directed about 200 episodes of the serial. Balaji wanted this serial to raise its TRP ratings. Earlier, it was slotted as fourth or fifth, if I am not wrong. So, my task was cut out for me. Mind you, it was a stiff challenge.

    How did you meet the stiff challenge?
    I saw the earlier episodes to take a firm grip on the plot. And I realised that the pace of the serial was quite slow. I started making it pacy. I am not saying that is moving at break-neck speed even now, but if you see how we take the shots compared to the old episodes, you'll realise what I mean. Without changing the gist, the camera angles and the length of the scene can be altered to keep the viewer's interest alive. Importantly, I started curtailing all the unwanted characters and dialogues. If you restrict the story to the main characters, the viewer always enjoys it more than otherwise.

    Then, I realised that I needed to better the performances of the artistes as well. I had a long meeting with them where we gelled extremely well. From there on, I have never had a day of going home and worrying that any of my artistes was not too good. We tell each other whatever we have in our mind, and neither of us takes it to heart. We improvise on our flaws and highlight our virtues. The results are there for all to see. I have a terrific equation with my artistes. Importantly, I am open to suggestions.

    "Without changing the gist, the camera angles and the length of the scene can be altered to keep the viewer's interest alive"

    Do you give your artistes the flexibility to perform as they want to?
    That's what I was coming to (smiles). I tell them that they should perform in a tone and posture they feel the best. I observe that. More often than not, they are bang on. They are professionals, have an image and reputation to protect and have lived the character now for more than 320 episodes. Why wouldn't they give it their best? Sometimes, of course, as a director I cannot see eye to eye with their portrayal. I tell them and they immediately understand. It's a pleasure to work with especially Cezzane Khan, Shweta Tiwari, Ronit Roy and Dipak Kazir. Put together, they form the biggest volcano of talent on Indian television.

    Do you get rattled when some of your actors come late?
    No. Because I know that they have a genuine reason. Many artistes from my serial are working on some other Balaji project. Surely, I can't be screaming in that case.

    How does it feel to enjoy the top slot in the TRP game for so long?
    Great. But we haven't had a party as yet. There is so much work still to do. You can't relax in this business. Remember, Des Mein Niklla ... had become number one for a week or so!

    Oh, yeah! Did Ekta Kapoor send you a fiery message?
    (laughs). No. But she told the Creative Head of the show, Nivedita Basu, that we quickly need to get our act together again.

    But how did you recover in a week's time?
    I removed all the unwanted scenes in that week. I kept only that stuff, which keeps you guessing as to 'what next?' Predictability was thrown out from the nearest window. Importantly, I hastened to show that Bajaj was still alive. Else that was slated to be shown a little later. The public got a jolt, we went back to the top (smiles).

    So you change tracks, here and there, to suit the TRPs?
    That's the name of the game.

    Do you have an end in mind? Or is this serial just going on?
    In television, the dictum is – 'if so far so good, then please don't tamper and don't think too much ahead'. You have to know the economics of the trade. Honestly speaking, I don't know what is the end. We are going on as per the mood of the viewers. But Ekta must be having something in mind, I am sure.

    Doesn't the inordinate length often find characters being changed midway?
    It does. But what to do? That way, just recently, we replaced the Geeta character (shrugs his shoulders). There is no time to sit, debate, brood, etc.

    A word about Balaji before we wind up?
    Great production house. Full freedom given to directors. Cost is never the factor. Lucky me! (smiles).

    Has the first love of films evaporated?
    May I repeat that first love never dies? One day, I will direct a film.

  • Madhuri show fails to jack up the TRPs for Sony

    Madhuri show fails to jack up the TRPs for Sony

    MUMBAI: It’s early days no doubt. But the first week’s TAM ratings of Sony Entertainment’s matchmaking blockbuster show hosted by Bollywood screen siren Madhuri Dixit, Kahin Na Kahin Koi Hai, has not brought too much cheer. 

    According to market research agency AC Nielsen’s TAM ratings covering cable and satellite homes in the nine main cities, the very first episode on Monday (29 July) managed only 2.69 TRPs and debuted at 66 on the charts. The next day’s episode saw a further dip to 1.39. The ratings fell further on Wednesday before picking up somewhat on Thursday and Friday. 

    SET India CEO Kunal Dasgupta, was not so downbeat in his assessment however, and said that more time was needed to make a judgment on the show. Dasgupta said a parallel survey that they had commissioned AC Nielsen to do in the two main metros, which covered 500 respondents in Delhi and 500 in Mumbai, had thrown up more encouraging findings. The results of that survey had shown that 33 per cent of those sampled saw the shows and of those that did watch, 76 per cent said they intend to watch it the next week as well. 

    Will Madhuri manage to charm audiences over time?
    The TAM data from the main metros, however, threw up a mixed bag. Kolkata had the highest ratings for the debut show at 4.52 while Mumbai had a 4.18 TRP. Delhi cold-shouldered the show from Day 1 with a 2.24 rating. All three cities saw a ratings dip in the following episodes.

    Meanwhile, the show that K3H is pitched against in the 8:30 to 9:00 pm slot, Star Plus’ Kasauti Zindagi Kay, was 9 on the TAM charts for Thursday’s episode at 10.05 TRPs. Monday was when KZK had its lowest rating of the week with 8.38 TRPs, but still in the Top 20 at a solid 14.

    And while talk that K3H would be SET’s Kaun Banega Crorepati was more media hype than serious expectation, Sony and producer UTV were probably expecting a far better start to the proceedings. 

    Hindu Businessline reports that advertisers such as Videocon, Samsung, Hindustan Lever, Dandi, Moov and Pantene have paid high advertising fees to get on to the show. According to media planners, sponsorhip rates for the show have been Rs 35 million for a 13-week package (with airtime of 60-90 seconds a week).

    For Sony, it is still the Balaji dependables Kkusum and Kutumb that are delivering the goods. And as regards K3H, it will have to do far better in the coming weeks if it is to justify the reported Rs 200 million + that has gone into its making.