Mumbai: Ajay Bhalwankar has been associated with Sony Pictures Networks since 2014. He headed the network’s flagship general entertainment channel Sony Entertainment Television (SET) as chief creative director. In 2018, he was appointed as the business head for Sony Marathi, the network’s newly launched Marathi general entertainment channel.
Prior to joining SPN, he has worked in various capacities with broadcasters and channels like Zee TV and Music Asia. At Zee Network, he was the content head – Hindi GECs and had been instrumental in delivering quality content with exceptionally popular shows and remarkable characters across a bouquet of genres. He has also worked as a journalist with Mumbai’s leading Marathi newspaper ‘Aapla Mahanagar’ and fortnightly sports magazine ‘Ekach Shatkar’.
During his career, he has launched Marathi and Hindi channels besides producing Marathi films and setting up a film production studio.
Bhalwankar has a M.A in French literature from the University of Mumbai and a management degree from MICA, Ahmedabad. He is an ardent movie buff and avid reader with a preference for books on history, poetry and philosophy. During weekends, you may catch him spending quality time with his family and going on road trips.
Indiantelevision.com’s Varun Markande spoke to Sony Marathi, business head and Sony Pictures Networks India, executive vice president, Ajay Bhalwankar on how the channel fared during the pandemic, and its growth from 30 GRPs to 100 GRPs in four years, and more.
Edited Excerpts
On the growth of Sony Marathi over the last four years
We launched the channel four years ago on 19 August. At that time there were many general entertainment channels (GECs) that already existed but have since faded or have been unable to make a mark.
We started off with a healthy reach of 21 per cent and 30 gross rating points (GRPs) at the beginning. Since then, we’ve crossed 100 GRPs in four years and acquired a lot more audiences. These were tough years when the Maharashtra market faced issues such as Covid-19, floods, and extended elections but we’ve kept growing on the back of consistently good content coming on the channel.
At the time of launch, there were already four established channels in the Marathi GEC space and we’ve been able to reach No. 3 in terms of reach. We’re ahead of channels like Zee Youva and Colors Marathi with a reach of 25 per cent which shows that people are consuming Sony Marathi content.
On the growth of Marathi viewing audience
When we launched, the entire Marathi genre was hovering around 700 GRPs. Today, this genre is clocking more than 1000 GRPs looking at the data from the last two to three weeks. The market has grown thanks to the competition between channels and great content that is being produced. The growth of the Marathi viewing audience has been consistently strong in the last four years because of the efforts of GECs in terms of content.
The uniqueness of Marathi content is that it is viewed by the entire family together. Our research showed that Hindi GECs are watched mostly by women whereas Marathi soaps are consumed by men, women , and kids. That helps the advertiser, as well as the channel, attract more audiences. I know a lot of people who don’t speak Marathi but view Marathi content because it is progressive and brings people together. That’s what’s unique about the genre.
On the top shows for the channel
In non-fiction programming, our top shows include Kon Honnar Crorepati and Maharashtra Chi Hasya Jatra Navya Korya Vinodacha Punha Nava. The latter especially has become a big rage with Marathi audiences for its humour and content.
In fiction programming, shows like Gatha Navnathanchi, Saubhagyavati Ho, Swarajya Janani Jijamata have done very well for us. All these shows have a progressive element in them.
From July onwards, we have launched new shows starting with Ajunahi Barsaat Aahe which has an outstanding cast of actors like Mukta Barve and Umesh Kamat. We launched Vaidehi on 16 August which is produced by Purnendu Shekhar of Balika Vadhu fame.
We have planned more shows for the festive season which will be produced by Balaji Telefilms and some non-fiction properties that are the strength of Sony.
On the impact of the pandemic on ratings
The first wave of Covid forced channels to air their archive content as original content programming had stopped. That worked in the favour of a young channel like Sony Marathi. Fewer people had sampled our content to an extent.
The pandemic was an opportunity for us to showcase our content that was differentiated, progressive, and not the done-to-death drama that appeared on other TV channels.
During that period, Sony Marathi’s GRPs climbed quickly from 50 GRPs to 80 GRPs and today has crossed 100 GRPs. The channel has grown rapidly in the last one and a half years.
On marketing the channel to new audiences.
We have an almost continuous engagement with our audience. We take a 360-degree approach and leverage digital marketing, print media, ground-level activations, and OOH to create awareness for our shows. From April onwards, we launched an aggressive marketing campaign with the support of Sony Pictures Networks India channels to acquire more audiences.
On the growth of advertising on the channel
Advertising is growing year-on-year with sponsors coming on board for our fiction as well as nonfiction properties. There are national as well as local clients who want to advertise on Sony Marathi because of the way the channel is growing.
On the vision for the next three years.
For any channel reaching No. 1 in the market is critical. Our effort is to get to that level. Of course, that doesn’t happen overnight and we have a strategy in place that should raise the channel to a commendable position in an organic manner.
Sony Marathi has always been a challenger brand. We’ve offered new, differentiated, and innovative content. We’re looking at big formats like Kaun Banega Crorepati and Super Dancer and a mix of strong fiction shows to add to our programming.
Maharashtra has a highly urbanised market and for us the urban audience is critical. In markets like Mumbai, in the 10-75 age bracket, our ratings are as high as 165 GRPs. These markets are critical to our growth and we’ve seen our numbers increase consistently.
“The Marathi space has been missing this genre and these two shows are the network’s prime properties. The whole idea behind spending so much is that the whole network gets to share it,” explains Star Pravah programming head Jayesh Patil, pointing out that the astronomical costs involved in producing such shows was the very reason they hadn’t been tapped so far by the Marathi GEC space.