ITV

Tag: Laut Aao Trisha

  • Life OK gets bolder with action series ‘Pukaar – Call for the Hero’

    Life OK gets bolder with action series ‘Pukaar – Call for the Hero’

    MUMBAI: Off lately, Life OK, has been on an experimenting mode. After experimenting with different genres, the channel is set to introduce an action thriller series christened Pukaar – Call for the Hero.

    A tribute to the Indian army, viewers will get to see a different style of action rarely explored on small screen. Produced by the one who masters in the genre, Vipul Amrutlal Shah, who has made films like Force, Commando and Holiday, which were based on ‘Men in Uniform’.

    With this show, Shah intends to raise the bar of action ever experienced on the small screen. According to him, viewers can expect a 70mm big screen feel while watching the show.

    The show has many firsts. It marks the debut of Rannvijay Singh and Adah Sharma in fictional space. The comedian actor, Devan Bhojani, enters the action genre as the co-director and legendary actor Raj Babaar returns to the television. Talking about action, the show gets its might right from Allan Amin, who is the action director.

    Currently the channel runs Tumhari Paakhi at 8.30 pm and Laut Aao Trisha at 9pm. With the new series on-board, the channel for the first time is putting a male centric show on weekdays (Mon and Tues). The hour-long show will see curtains down on Tumahri Paakhi.

    Life OK EVP and general manager Ajit Thakur say, “We were actually thinking of doing it on Saturdays and Sundays till three weeks back, but then we thought it will be lost somewhere as on weekends there are too many things happening.”

    Thakur states the decision of putting it up on Monday-Tuesday’s might stand out or fail, but it will not be lost. “Women may still not sample it all. That’s a risk. Weekends would not have been as much of novelty.”

    Talking about the theme, Thakur says that the channel wanted to create larger than life heroes which it started with Mahadev and Hatim, and it wanted to get Bollywood creative talent on television.

    Shah and Thakur met five months and after brainstorming, the duo locked on the final concept for two reasons. “If we talk about home grown action series there are shows like Shapath and CID. 24 was more of a thriller. We wanted something which was far more on local issues,” reasons Thakur.

    Also, the channel wanted to explore a new relationship between a father and a son. “While for me action is the main USP of the show, the bigger USP of the show is the father and son relationship that has been rarely been exploded on TV.”

    Isn’t it going in the same lines of Everest where the show talks about a father-daughter relationship? Thakur denies the fact and says that Everest is still centred around Star Plus’s belief on the female protagonist and her journey. “We wanted to continue doing more male centric shows and from that point of view it is his journey and in the context of to win over his father’s love. To that level there is a similarity and of course these are both very proficient Bollywood movie talent, but the similarity ends there.”

    The story is of a soldier (Singh) whose responsibility does not only limit to his country and his family but also to the common man, for it is he who rises above all odds to be recognised as people’s hero and a saviour against a tyrant ruling a city.

    One of the things that Thakur was very keen on doing was that can it not be just chases and explosions, but more than it. Shah completely agreed and came up with hand comb act. The show has used the best of technicians, cameras gadgets and locations for the show.

    Almost 10 episodes have been canned in various locales like Manali and Mumbai. Talking about the marketing strategies, Thakur believes the PR of the show is most interesting. The channel along with the cast will be travelling to the Lucknow and Kanpur Army cantonment and will be showing previews there. Moreover, the channel is aiming at putting longer promos and not restricted to 10-20 seconds. “It is very different type of content, so people will take time to get used to it.”

    The show has got LIC as its powered by sponsor and the channel is hunting for two presenting sponsors for the show.

     

  • Life OK revamp: From being alternate to primary

    Life OK revamp: From being alternate to primary

    MUMBAI: It’s a channel that had promised to be different and has stayed true to its word till date. Exactly two and half years ago, on the launch day, it had organised an eight-hour-long Mahadev Rockathon at a Mumbai hotel, which could be viewed online, as numerous rock bands, including Parikrama, Agnee, Euphoria and Shaa’ir and Func, strummed songs.

     

    Done by none other earlier, Life OK, the sister channel of Star Plus, broke the conventional shackles to free the views of the usual saas-bahu dailies. Growing steadily in terms of viewership ever since its launch in December 2011, the channel has carved a distinct identity for itself on the back of its immensely popular shows like Mahadev, Saubhagyavati Bhava, Savdhaan India and now Laut Aao Trisha, all focusing on different social issues.

     

    Once known as a re-packaged replacement for Star One, which had failed to generate eyeballs, Life OK started off with 2 per cent market share, now enjoying a good 14 per cent market share.

     

    Taking a step further towards differentiation, the channel is set to give a new avatar to it by re-vamping. Come November, viewers will be introduced to a new look and feel of the channel.

     

    “Now we are confident of success,” says Life OK EVP and general manager Ajit Thakur. He states three reasons behind the channel’s continuous success.

     

    Number one, viewers have noticed the channel. “We are among that one success story which is very well entrenched. You go and talk to any community, viewers, trade, or advertisers.”

     

    Thakur feels that everybody needs numbers, and are important in terms of market share and the channel has done it at lower investment than others.

     

    Second point he highlights that it’s a matter of pride for the entire Star network  to have done it differently, as promised.

     

    Thakur recalls that when the channel started out, it had promised two differences. One, the channel will target the family – men and kids will also have as much to watch as the women in the family. Second, it would be built around a promise of no or a very few saas-bahu soaps. “Can we create a channel that the whole family can watch? Today there is one channel for women, one for men and one for youth. But in the house there is mostly one TV, so could we have created a destination for family where everybody has something to watch?”

     

    He says that confidently, no other channel has the kind of variety of programming which Life OK delivers. “One can switch any particular channel and expect the same genre from it year after year. For instance, one channel only focuses on comedy while other only on soaps. So, today we have a channel showing just one genre which is skewed towards one demographic in the house. We have changed the pattern.”

     

    Thakur states that the channel has had a very different viewing pattern focusing on genres like mythology, thriller, love story, social issues and crime.

     

    “It is of course risky,” reveals Thakur and adds, “Because what we are expecting is women to come in first, then the whole family to join in for mythology and men to keep glued on post 10 pm.”

     

    “We will not grow by being similar; we will grow by being different. One of the problems of not doing soaps is the longevity of the shows as our channel’s shelf life is smaller and we agree to it.”

     

    Similarly, the channel has different content during weekends. When other channels are filled with reality shows and extended soaps, Life OK has a different story to tell. “Who has a show on GEC targeting kids? Followed by a big ticket reality show and then crime,” asks Thakur.

     

    Thirdly, Thakur highlights that along with the viewers, it has managed to hold on to its advertisers and cable operators.  “We have a fare share of FMCG brands because they have all the big GECs, but we have a fair share of male centric clients because they don’t have that option.”

     

    The next big change…

     

    Thakur does not wish to be an alternative platform anymore. This Diwali, the channel aims to be a primary destination. “What is important is what we have built as an alternative proof, now in the next three months we want to tell them this is your primary destination, everything else is alternative. This Diwali, there is no bigger entertainment destination than Life OK.”

     

    The channel is adding seven properties to its kitty. Come 7 October, in the lines of Saubhagyavati Bhava, viewers will be introduced to a women’s journey towards independence by Ekta Kapoor’s Balaji Telefilms, titled  Ajeeb Dastan Hai Yeh at 9:30 pm.

     

    Planning to tap into the comedy genre for a very long time, it is set to review the definition of fun and laughter with Comedy Classes at 10 pm from 7 October. Breaking away from the usual practice of airing comedy on weekends, the channel is launching a daily sitcom with the popular TV comedy stars.

     

    Next up, for the first-time ever the channel will telecast the world television premier of the movie, 2 States. “I deeply believe that the film has a strong social topic. Divide on basis of caste, religion is just artificial and love prevails over it,” says Thakur.

     

    On the occasion of Diwali, viewers will be treated with a grand event with big Bollywood stars. This will be followed by Vipul Amrutlal Shah’s action-thriller show staring the youth icon Ranvijay Singh, which will hit the television screens in the first week of November replacing the on-going reality show Dare 2 Dance. One more big name to the channel’s stable is Sooraj Barjatya’s new love story.

     

    Taking mythology to the next level, it plans to launch a big mythology in the month of December.

     

    “From October to mid December, seven big properties all put together in the span of 10 weeks, which normally takes a year to do. We are establishing the channel’s identity of differentiated content,” says Thakur.

     

    To tell the world about its revamp, the channel is putting full marketing muscle behind it. Every week, one will see promotions on 50 TV channels along with live sports, outdoors, malls and buses. Moreover, the channel for the first-time ever has done cinema hall branding and promos, which will go on till December. Even digital, radio and print will not be spared.

     

    Not only TV advertising, but the channel is focusing strongly on cable advertising as well. “We have always dependent on the reach of television, but this time we are going beyond. We are doing cinema integrations and cable activations which is new.”

     

    “We want to be the foremost GEC”

     

    Ad rates have been rising steadily as has the number of advertisers, from 30, in the beginning, to 200 in the last quarter. Of the initial lot, Shakti Bhog, the lead sponsor for Mahadev, and Idea have stayed with the channel right through.

     

    For a show like Mahadev, last year a 10-sec slot was Rs 50,000 to Rs 70,000. Currently, it ranges anywhere between Rs 90,000 – Rs 1,10,000, sources from the industry estimate.

     

    Is the move in order to attract the advertising spends in this festive season? “The advertising for this season is already done and we are full. It is not about advertising revenue but telling the market our intent and ambition. We want to grow aggressively on the back of a strong platform that we have built over last two and half years. We haven’t talked too much, we have done it quietly, but now  we will let everyone know.”

     

    The channel has advertisers from all categories right from bikes to mobiles. “In terms of male targeting we have all the FMCGs. Compared to a GEC, we have a very different mix,” says Thakur and states the example of Kapoor’s show. “Usually a fiction show doesn’t get sponsors on-board before the telecast. But in this case, very different sponsors like Venus and Basmati Rice have come on-board,” he adds.

     

    Though advertisers are taking note of the channel, media planners unanimously believe that the channel’s growth is phenomenonal. However, they are apprehensive about it being counted in the top three as of now. “It will take some more time for the channel to become a ‘primary destination for the viewers,” says a media analyst.

  • Life OK goes bold again with ‘Laut Aao Trisha’

    Life OK goes bold again with ‘Laut Aao Trisha’

    MUMBAI: The channel is known for its offbeat shows, and yet manages to be on the top three of the TAM ratings every now and then, and doing that is not an easy task. From domestic violence to spirituality, the channel has experimented with various genres.

     

    “After beating Colors for four consecutive weeks, the pressure from our bosses has increased tremendously,” laughs Life OK general manager Ajit Thakur.

     

    Keeping with its philosophy of creating content through differentiation, Life OK is back with a new series Laut Aao Trisha (LAT). Delving into strong social issues, the new show is not so different from the channel’s current offerings. Come 21 July, every Monday to Friday at 10 pm, viewers will get to witness one of the boldest content ever on Indian television screens. Life OK brings to the fore topics which in general have not found a standing in the general entertainment space.

     

    LAT will see the return of Bollywood’s sweetheart Bhagyashree Patwardhan in the lead role along with television stars Rajeshwari Badola, Jai Kalra and Eijaz Khan.

     

    Adapted from the highly acclaimed Spanish telenovela Dónde está Elisa?  (Where is Elisa?) (The Missing), the series revolves around the quest of a mother in search of her missing daughter. What if the person who has committed the crime is within the family? The channel which has talked about crimes outside has now taken on crime within the house, with this show.

     

    The channel has kept the storyline almost the same compared to the adapted ones.

     

    Life OK has always aimed to work with new people, new producers and writers and with LAT it has also done the same. Produced by 24 Frames’ Nandita Mehra and Bhairavi Raichura, along with BP Singh of Fireworks Productions, it is an intriguing story full of tricky plots that deals with the issue of in-family crimes. The writers of the show are Raghuvir Shikhawat and Amit.

     

    According to Raichura (Balika Vadhu fame), it is an interesting storyline with an interesting star cast. “The concept won’t only attract women audiences, but every individual who believes in social issues. Plus, the star cast which will add spice to the storyline making it more real with real emotions.”

     

    The show is a finite one as the channel does not believe in dragging storylines. “It is a 10-12 month storyline. I don’t think it is a new genre, we have done this in the past with Saubhagyavati Bhava, a social thriller, and this show is an extension of it. Every second week, you will see a new suspect,” revealed Thakur.

     

    Thakur informs that in terms of boldness, the channel had to tone down a bit keeping Indian audiences in mind. “The original show is very bold, we have toned down the boldness and which is why we have decided to air it at 10 pm and not earlier. By Indian standards, it will be by far the boldest show ever on television.”

     

    With TV being a family viewing medium, Life OK programming head Yuvraj Bhattacharya was initially a little apprehensive about calling LAT a family show. “If you have your book, magazine or an iPad, you can actually have a private and a personal consumption of content which is not possible in the case of TV. I was nervous about it. Now that I have seen about eight to nine episodes which are ready to go on-air, I am confident that this is still a family show.”

     

    With the initial episodes being shot in Goa, the set is located at Filmcity, Mumbai.

     

    Though the channel terms the show bold – it is not a regular candy-floss love story – LAT will allow a family to sit together and watch it. Bhattacharya believes that there is always a thin line. The producers have been working for more than a year on this project. “It is a show that where you can easily go wrong. Now we feel that it is the step forward for Indian television,” said Bhattacharya.

     

    Thakur revealed that, unlike other fiction shows, this is a high-budget show. “It is more expensive than any other fiction show because of the cast which was more expensive than the regular cast of the show. Overall, by regular standards, it is a more expensive show.”

     

    Life OK is investing heavily on digital apart from television. Promos are running on a big scale across all the Star network channels as well as on other channels apart from the kids genre channels.

     

    This story is a thriller and as family drama has taken front stage in this show, people are sure to watch it, said a confident Thakur. “For the women viewers, it will still have that social thriller drama and that urge to see what happens to a mother who loses her teenage daughter. For male viewers, while they follow the story, they will also see how the police investigation is happening in context of the family.”

     

    LAT is going to compete with Pyaar Ka Dard Hai Meetha Meetha Pyaara Pyaara on Star Plus. About the competition at 10 pm slot, Thakur comments: “How does that matter to us? We have nothing to lose. We do not look at competition at all. We are way different from kitchen soaps and whoever is bored, can come and watch something new on Life OK.”

     

    According to a media planner, LAT is not likely to attract much of the audiences because of its bold content. “For housewives, who are used to watching soaps, it is difficult for them to follow a storyline of this kind.” Many households today depend on one TV set, and such kind of content can only create the sense of awkwardness, he feels.

  • Bhagyashree makes her comeback on TV with Life OK’s new show

    Bhagyashree makes her comeback on TV with Life OK’s new show

    MUMBAI: Seems like film actors are moving out of their comfort zones! Faces like Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Manoj Bajpai and others have already established themselves in the television fraternity.

     

    Latest to join the race is Bhagyashree Patwardhan, the actor who ruled an entire generation’s heart with her debut movie Maine Pyaar Kiya.

     

    Come July, and Bhagyashree will return to the small screen with Life OK’s new offering Laut Aao Trisha. Produced by Nandita Mehra and Bhairavi Raichura’s 24 Frames Production’s, she essays the role of Amrita Swaika, a mother and her journey as she steps out of the house to find her daughter Trisha, who has suddenly disappeared. To the outside world, the Swaikas appear as a picture perfect family that eats, prays and stays together but in her search for Trisha, she comes face to face with the shattering realities of her family and relationships.

     

    With the promos already hitting the television screens from 16 June, it has got more than 2,000 views on YouTube. The show will also bring together some of the very talented and successful actors of television on one platform.

     

    Thrilled to be a part of Life OK’s Laut Aao Trisha, Bhagyashree said, “It’s been a long time since I have been in the entertainment space and I am really excited to be back and working with Life OK for Laut Aao Trisha. The intrigue and the complexities of relationships that are part of my character is what attracted me to the show and made me want to be a part of it. Nothing is black and white, we are all shades of grey. There are layers to every relationship and it takes a trauma to reveal them. What starts as a mother’s search for her daughter who has disappeared, slowly unveils the true faces of all the relationships around her.”

     

    Surprisingly, this finite series was earlier set for telecast on Star Plus. But due to lack of slot, it has been pushed to Life OK. Moreover, while the working title for the show was Missing, it is now called Laut Aao Trisha. While it is an adaptation of the US series Missing, the creative’s changed the title to Laut Aao Trisha in order to make it more relevant as per the story.

     

    If sources are to be believed, the show will air five days a week and will occupy the prime time slot.