ITV

Tag: namit sharma

  • “You should never underestimate the power of good writing”: Namit Sharma

    “You should never underestimate the power of good writing”: Namit Sharma

    MUMBAI: Utilising his 15 years of experience across genres, he has created great programming for Zee TV. From broadcasting to content generation, it’s an amalgamation of several aspects.

     

    Here we are talking about Zee TV’s programming head Namit Sharma who with his creative thoughts has bought some best ideas to the table. For ‘The Content Hub’, indiantelevision.com had a quick chat to get his views on today’s story-telling and the power of story writers.

     

    According to Sharma, our stories are universal and emotion driven. “Of course”, comes a prompt reply from Sharma when asked whether Indian content has the ability to travel international. “It all depends on who’s selling it and who’s buying it.”

     

    He cites the example of MIPCOM, the global market for entertainment content across all platforms. “At MIPCOM, there are Latin American companies selling Telenovelas which get bought by Indian companies. The difference between what we do here and what they do there is, they market them better,” he says.

     

    According to him, the channel’s current offering Jamai Raja can easily travel internationally. On the contrary, he feels that a concept like Satrangai Sasural won’t be accepted abroad because it is culturally very sensitive.

     

    Finding good script writers is difficult in every genre and one needs to keep building talent pool that they want to work with.

     

    “We will never arrive at a time when we say ‘Oh! We are happy with the amount of good writing talent we have’. We will always be hungry for more. We will always keep on looking and creating,” he emphasises.

     

    He believes that one should never underestimate the power of good writing. “A lot of people look down upon GEC shows and the quality of writing on it, but what they don’t realise is that it takes equal effort to write these shows as it takes to write intelligent shows.” The GEC shows talk to the masses, more than the biggest Bollywood blockbuster.

     

    He believes that Indian content shifting its paradigm can mean different things to different people. “It depends on which viewer is asking the question. For some it might be ‘when they will only do crime thrillers’ or ‘stop doing saas-bahu soaps’ or ‘produce only love stories’. For us as broadcasters, the only relevant questions come from the audience. So we are happy to listen to their questions and answer them and that’s the crux of what we do,” says he.

     

    Zee TV was a pioneer in creating seasonal shows when it launched two seasons of Choti Bahu and Punar Vivaah. He feels that there must be seasonal shows, but nobody should be forced to do it because it is a fad or a trend. “One should do seasonal shows because they want to do it. Every story has its own destiny and fate and nobody should really judge somebody else’s work in the field of writing specifically with one uni-dimensional filter,” signs off Sharma.

  • “Failures can teach you, what success can’t”: Namit Sharma

    “Failures can teach you, what success can’t”: Namit Sharma

    From directing fiction shows at Cinevistaas to film production and script writing at Yash Raj and handling events and non-fiction properties at Wizcraft International Entertainment, he has done it all.

     

    Namit Sharma, the programming head of Zee TV, has bought to the table years of expertise.

     

    The channel, which is running strong at number three at the TAM TV ratings chart, currently, has explored new concepts this year. With Zee’s three shows not only being the slot leaders, but also in the top 10 fiction shows category, Sharma feels it is in a happy space to be in but believes that  there should always a hunger for more.

     

    In his first interview, after taking charge at Zee TV, Sharma chats with indiantelevision.com’s Disha Shah in his office about challenges in churning out newer concepts and how to understand audiences’ likes and dislikes amongst other topics.

     

    Excerpts…

     

    It’s been almost nine months since you took charge as the programming head of Zee TV, how satisfied are you with the current positioning of the channel?

     

    There are two answers to it.

     

    The idea is to be happy with whatever you do because I think from a product and positioning point of view we have changed in the last nine months. We made a conscious shift about how we look and feel. There is certain uniformity in what we are doing and a certain sense of it coming together. The numbers have been good, so satisfied at that level. We are aligned with the legacy of Zee and yet evolving in a direction that we want to take the channel in.

     

    But at the same time, we will always be dissatisfied because we are hungry for more.

     

    From handling events to broadcast, did you face any challenges in the transition? Were you prepared for it?

     

    When you come from a creative background, the easiest part is always about interacting with the industry and getting the best talent to work with you.

     

    When you take charge or join a new team then there is always a lot of excitement and energy and people expect you to bring newer ideas to the table. At Zee, I have always been encouraged for bringing in fresh thinking. I am very happy the support I have received from the management and the team.

     

    The challenge always is to try and get inside the consumers’ mind, create products for them and then wait for their reaction to understand what they like and don’t like. Then, after a few months again one has to figure out a way to surprise with with something new and exciting. It is a vicious cycle.

     

    How difficult it is to churn out new concepts always? What kind of concepts you are looking out for?

     

    With general entertainment channels (GECs) widening their scope and a number of GECs being launched, the challenge that all broadcasters will face henceforth is that now everybody will dip into the same research pool or try to align themselves to a very uniform way of working.

     

    While, the uniform way of working is a good thing, one should never allow oneself to not think out-of-the-box. You work towards your TG, create content for them; you sort of know your audience but at the same time you should have the ability as a creative person to surprise yourself and them. There are some happy surprises and there are some not so happy surprises (laughs) and that’s roughly the unpredictability of what we do, that’s the challenge and excitement.

     

    Yes, it’s difficult to find clutter-breaking ideas but we have this year we did manage to create some extraordinary concepts. We are now seen as a channel that has clutter-breaking ideas within the traditional format. The classic example is Jamai Raja, within the family drama fun, there is a prime-time daily soap with a male protagonist. KumKum Bhagya is another clutter breaker and Jodha Akbar has been a clutter breaker for over year and a half now. They are also slot leaders. Jodha Akbar and Jamai Raja are consistent slot leaders. KumKum Bhagya is a recent convert and we are hoping to stabilise it as a number one show at 9pm for a very long time with very interesting characters and unpredictable twists and turns in the story.

     

    I am happy with the fact that Zee is now being identified as a platform, as a destination where you can consume the new traditional form of content and where shows are designed for the entire family and yet they provide newer twists, newer characters and clutter breaking ideas. Each show now comes with a new idea and that’s important to us.

     

    For a very long time now, Zee has been stuck at number three in the ratings chart, according to you what went wrong and how do you plan to rectify it?

     

    We sustained the number two position for a very long time; we will be back sooner than later. We don’t analyse this on a weekly basis because it is healthy to work in a scenario where everybody is active and fighting hard to keep their spot and aim higher. The greater satisfaction is not only in the numbers, but in the consumers’ appreciation and good feedback on a daily basis.

     

    All shows don’t click so according to you, what kind of content works on television today?

     

    If I knew that, I would have sealed a 20-year deal with Zee TV (laughs). I think there are some thumb rules that we all live by and within that thumb rules we try to find innovation and newness. Everybody talks about new launches, but the greater challenge as a programmer is on-going shows. Once the show is on-air and you have put behind the mad eight months of hard work into the launch and then everyone is scratching their heads saying what should we do next on this show to keep the momentum going. And that’s where the criticism comes in and then you are reacting, you are trying to clear your mind about how the story should go now, so these are bigger challenges.

     

    Frankly, I love failures because failures can teach you what success can never teach you. Your successes teach you nothing. You just become worse as a person with every success because then you are like “I know everything”. As a creative and a television person, I have to start my day saying, “I don’t know anything”. Sometimes the audience will teach you, sometimes a writer who walks in will teach you something. Every day you can learn so much from different people.

     

    Today, there is nobody in the world, who has 100 per cent track record of success, there is no creative person or network or programmer or broadcaster who has a 100 per cent success rate.

     

    From mature markets in the US and UK to slightly less mature markets like us to under developed markets, be it film or television, you will always find that sometimes a product works and sometimes it doesn’t and that’s how the cookie crumbles.

     

    We always fine tuned the formula a little bit and it is not linked to success but is about coming closer to the audience. For me, as a programmer, the most satisfying moment is when the consumer says “the product is really good”. Numbers is like cash, they come and go. When we meet our consumers, they tell us anything they don’t like about the show, that criticism is well accepted and when they tell us that they like something, that appreciation is also welcomed.

     

    This year we saw a lot of new shows to the kitty, so what is your strategy in terms of programming? Have you been able to understand your audience and their liking and disliking?

     

    This is going to be an on-going process for anybody who does this job. There is an audience which changes every day and we will change with the audience. This is an on-going process of understanding the consumer, trying to find the best concepts and trying to make that concept work. This is what we do in the business, seven days a week, be it as broadcasters or writers or producers. And that’s what we live for. That basic essence is never going to change, but yes, in the coming months you would see a certain alignment of the programming within itself. You will see certain kind of alignment in the content within the brand values and a certain coming together of the Fixed Point Chart (FPC) with very exciting new products.

     

    You tried stand-up comedy through Bh Se Bhade, but didn’t really click with the audience, what new offering are you looking at for the audiences?

     

    Yes, Bh se Bhade did not survive for very long. Then we had Gangs of Haseepur which ran for six weeks, some weeks did well, some weeks did not do well, fair point. And then we launched Neeli Chatri Waale, which is about 10 weeks old. It’s been delivering decent numbers. More than numbers on Neeli Chatri Wale, we feel pride because in it because it’s a show that is about hopes and aspirations of a middle class family. We are really proud of the show because it is something unique and has the good old formula of good storytelling, good characters, good humour, seek and moral built into every episode. So while it’s delivering in its slot, and is fairly delivering to what we had expected it to deliver but we always see the show from a very different filter. We always protect the show and make sure that we don’t touch the soul of the show.

     

    How do you see competition coming from other channels?

     

    Competition is an everyday part of our life. They are competition to us and we are competition to them. Nobody is resting, nobody is sleeping easy, and nobody has a peaceful existence (laughs). We are possibly on one of the hyper dynamic businesses ever. You really have to not love yourself to do this because everybody is firing salvoes from all different corners on an everyday basis and there is really no choice of waking up in the morning and fighting a new battle with a smile on your face and a hope in your heart.

     

    On the non-fiction space, don’t you feel it’s time that Zee moves forward from the dance reality show regime and brings in freshness? Are you looking at reviving Sa Re Ga Ma Pa?

     

    We are very sure that we don’t want to be different just for the sake of being different. If our consumers like something and if we do well, then we are happy to do it differently. It’s like saying, why is there a love story in a soap? People always question song, dance, and entertainment value of a non-fiction show. Similarly, why don’t one question relationships or love stories in a family drama? This is bread-butter, how do you package it, how aspirational, emotional and engaging we make it defines the success of that particular show.

     

    Non-fiction is a bit like playing black jack. It’s very easy to risk something very big and it’s very easy to think that you can play safe and you can still lose. Unlike fiction in which you can go wrong and go then correct it within the show. Because non-fiction shows have a 13-week cycle, you can win big or lose big. That’s the risky part of doing it, but that’s also exciting because it allows you to innovate and experiment every 13 weeks.

     

    At what intervals do you come up with the findings and how do you then change content on the channel?

     

    Zee has a very robust system of talking to its consumers and allowing the consumers to talk to the channel. Be it through programs or postal addresses earlier and now e-mail id, we are in constant dialogues with our audience. Over and above that we also actively keep talking to the audience through various forums to understand what they like and don’t like.

     

    Where do you Zee five years from now?

     

    Zee is the only channel that for over two decades has been a part of India and its life. It is a very difficult track record to beat for anybody and any competition. I really hope that five years from now we continue to be in hearts of the audience because that is exactly where we want to be.

  • ‘Maharakshak Aryan’ to strengthen Zee’s weekend offering

    ‘Maharakshak Aryan’ to strengthen Zee’s weekend offering

    NEW DELHI: In a move to strengthen its weekend slot, Zee is set to launch a fantasy trilogy. The trilogy, which will commence with ‘Maharakshak Aryan’, is about an unassuming boy-next-door.

     
    Zee business head Pradeep Hejmadi said, “With shows like Neeli Chhatri Wale, Dil Se Naachein Indiawaale and now Maharakshak Aryan, we’re fortifying our weekend line-up with content that engages every family member. Aryan adds a new flavour of fantasy to our line-up, attracting diverse sets of viewers. Our current fiction line-up is robust and is only poised to get stronger”.

    Starting from 1 November at 7:00 pm, the show will air on Saturday and Sunday. Hejmadi expects the show to become a slot leader during weekends as it was a programme that would appeal to both adults and children.  

    In the series, Aryan is played by debutant Aakarshan Singh, who is chosen to save the earth from the Triloki -the ultimate embodiment of evil – essayed by the talented Vikramjeet Virk better known as Mahmud of Ghaznavi. Triloki is trapped in the centre of the earth under various layers surrounded by molten Lava. He wants to bounce back to power and rule the world but the only way he can do so is by reclaiming the ‘mani’ (magical jewel) which is the ultimate source of energy available in the world. Triloki will send his super villains – Vishkanya, played by the svelte Reshmi Ghosh, Challa played by the popular Mishal Raheja, and Kumbha played by acclaimed actor Deepak Bhatia amongst others to defeat the protector Aryan who finds himself gifted with some superpowers.

    Zee programming head Namit Sharma said the aim was to show that every person has some strong elements in him and it was only a question of using them.  “Maharakshak Aryan is one of our most ambitious projects and aims to set a benchmark in the fiction thriller genre, as this kind of programming has earlier only been seen on the large screen.

    The show will be very different from any of the content we currently have on air.  The ability of a superhero series of transporting viewers into an exciting world of fantasy, slick, cutting-edge superhero series is remarkable.”  

    The channel will put 15 to 20 per cent of its expenditure on marketing and publicity of the trilogy. The show is powered by PC Jewellers but Hejmadi is positive about more sponsors coming on board as talks are on with others.

    Hejmadi said that though the series, which is already being promoted on Zee channels, will now be promoted on other channels; he did not feel that on-ground events give much scale during the festive season.

    He said, “In view of the top-class visual effects, this kind of programme could only be promoted well on television.” And added that the website created for it was already very popular.

    Essel Vision business head Akash Chawla said the new series had taken six months of research and another six months of production in view of the high quality VFX involved. “Indian audiences have not seen an original superhero series for a fairly long time and Maharakshak Aryan will be the first from EVPL in this genre. A lot of meticulous research has gone into creating a world of fantasy that forms the canvas of the show. We have taken our time in scouting for the right talent and we have an interesting ensemble of actors playing the key roles. The show with its slick production values, innovative visual effects and ingenious cinematography will raise the bar for action thrillers and the fantasy genre on Indian television. ”

     

    The series has the involvement of the art director for films like Saawariya, Black and the director of Mary Kom, Omung Kumar for the production design and Hardik Gajja, the popular visual effects designer for the graphics of the show, and Majid Khan as the creative producer.  

     

  • Zee TV to tell a unique story

    Zee TV to tell a unique story

    MUMBAI: From the past few weeks, Zee TV has been on a launch mode. There is no looking back for the channel that enjoys its steady number two position in the TAM TV ratings chart. From Jamai Raja to weekend primetime show Neeli Chhatri Wale, it has showcased the importance of relationships.

     

    Now, with its new primetime offering – Bandhan…Saari Umar Humein Sang Rehna Hai, the channel has delved into an astonishing relationship between a little girl Darpan and Ganesha, a new-born elephant calf that she accepts as her younger brother.

     

    Produced by Swastik Productions, it is a heart-warming story of two innocent souls and a very tender relationship that develops between the two – one based on the most basic emotion of love and affection for one’s sibling,  standing by each other through thick and thin and completing each other.

     

    Moreover, the series will take the viewers through the innocent world of Darpan and her family set in the Dalma jungle. Always longing for a little brother, Darpan’s dream comes true in the most unexpected way when destiny introduces her to Ganesha, a baby elephant. What follows is a journey of love and struggle in the big bad world for the unlikely siblings.

     

    The show has been shot extensively in a forest where Karnik family stays in a picturesque house, a river flowing by its side. It transports viewers to a world in the woods distinctly different from the one they inhabit. 

     

    According to Zee TV programming head Namit Sharma, it marks a quantum leap for Indian television as the freshness of the concept established an all new genre of entertainment for audiences – a far cry from saas-bahu dramas, kitchen politics or anything run-off-the-mill.

     

    Sharma added, “For the first time ever, a television show presents a unique bond between man and animal brought together in the most fascinating manner by destiny and how together, they triumph over the trials and tribulations as a family! The show has the potential to draw a much wider audience base than your average soaps as the show’s canvas and its heart-warming premise that centers on the universal emotion of sibling love will surely appeal to every member of a family.”

     

    Producer Siddharth Kumar Tewary who has earlier worked with the channel and produced show called Agle Janam, believes that as against anything else one watches on television today, the show belongs to a world significantly different from the concretized, urban world most of them inhabit.

     

    He further goes on to say that it’s been exciting as a challenge to transport the audience into the world of a forest ranger’s family that lives in a jungle.

     

    “We’re shooting in real locations with the Karnik home set in an actual forest. We’re showcasing the relationship between a young girl and a baby elephant. The task of managing an elephant as a member of the cast is perhaps as big a challenge as the Karnik’s face as they embark on a journey of embracing Ganesha as a part of their family. It’s a difficult show to shoot but a joyride nonetheless.”

     

    The show stars handsome Aditya Redji playing the role of Darpan’s father – a kind hearted and upright forest ranger and Shweta Munshi essaying the role of Darpan’s mother.

     

    The striking Sudesh Berry is back as the epitome of terror, playing the evil poacher Vishwas Rao. Berry’s vast repertoire of work includes hard hitting and gritty characters on television and Bollywood.

     

    On the marketing front, it is being promoted through a 360-degree marketing campaign cutting across print, television and digital media. Given the show’s premise of loving animals, the channel also plans to conduct a school contact programme across key markets wherein the channel will engage children in fun activities that celebrate their love for animals.

     

    The show will hit the television screens from 16 September every Monday to Friday at 7pm.  

  • Akshay Kumar forays into TV production with Zee’s ‘Jamai Raja’

    Akshay Kumar forays into TV production with Zee’s ‘Jamai Raja’

    MUMBAI: In the world of evil in-laws, it is the petite and innocent bahus who have been made to do household work as well as tortured enough. But, it’s time to put an end to it.

     

    Zee with its new property aptly titled Jamai Raja will break the stereotype and ask – if the bahus have done it all along, why can’t the son-in-law?

     

    Come 4 August, the channel will convey the message ‘enough of the women, let’s go on men now’. The new series will replace Do Dil Bandhe Ek Dori Se, which has been struggling to get numbers, and air on weekdays at 8:30 pm.

     

    The son-in-law, without a doubt, has enjoyed great importance in Indian culture, but the upcoming show will show the male protagonist proactively take on what has been otherwise considered a woman’s prerogative, and embark on a journey of setting right the discord between his wife and mother-in-law, after marriage.

     

    “I don’t think there has ever been a moment where Zee has been afraid of taking risks,” says the channel’s programming head Namit Sharma while elaborating that the channel never shied away from experimenting with content, be it any genre.  From Rishtey, Gubbare, Jhansi Ki Rani to Qubool Hai and Cinestars Ki Khoj, the shows have tried to capture all aspects of human emotions.

     

    The show is produced by Ashwini Yardi and actor Akshay Kumar who will make his debut as television producer under the banner Grazing Goats Pictures. The duo is co-producing it along with Sagar Pictures.

     

    The new offering is set against the swish backdrop of south Mumbai’s upscale Cuffe Parade and will star Ravi Dubey (Siddharth), Nia Sharma (Roshni), Achint Kaur (DD) playing the sophisticated mother-in-law and Apara Mehta as the uber cool naani. Popular faces like Delnaz Irani and Shruti Ulfat will be seen play significant parts in the show.

     

     “We are always trying to do something new with various producers, directors, writers and actors. There is no dearth of support when you want to take risks at Zee because our management really believes in that. Until we don’t innovate, we are not living up to our reputation,” believes Sharma.

     

    He recalls the moment when he had joined Zee in February, this year, the show was his first project in the channel. “I have lived the journey with this show since its inception. Yardi came up with the brief; we approved and started working on it.”

     

    According to Yardi, who makes her comeback on TV after two years, believes the small screen will always be her first priority and then the big screen. “It’s been a while since I was associated with TV, but Zee gave me an opportunity to narrate this beautiful drama and take it to various homes.”

     

    She believes that there are different ways of seeing the same story and will touch every member of the family. “We are not targeting men with this show. We are targeting the entire family including housewives. We want the women to catch hold of their husbands and sons and make them watch,” laughs Yardi.

     

    The set is located at Naigaon with 10-12 episodes already canned.

     

    The new offering will have a cut-to-cut competition with the best performing shows like Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah on Sab and Mahabharat on Star Plus.

     

    “Every slot is important for us. For me as a programmer, the main challenge is to deliver good quality of content rather than look at numbers,” highlights Sharma.

     

    Though the makers and channel are confident about its new property, planners believe it is ‘just another show’. “Every show and every broadcaster claims it to be a different concept, but how well the story unfolds is important,” says a media planner.

  • Sa Re Ga Ma Pa to make a comeback as DID takes a sojourn

    Sa Re Ga Ma Pa to make a comeback as DID takes a sojourn

    MUMBAI: Are you an avid Dance India Dance fan? Well, then get ready to wait as the most rated non-fiction property of Zee TV will come back with a new season after a good one year.

    The show which has caught on to the audience’s heart with jaw dropping performances for more than seven years, has decided to take a break and come back next year with an all new, refreshing and exciting new season.

    Confirms the maker himself, Essel Vision Productions producer Nitin Keni, “With back-to-back launches, there is too much of DID happening.”  From introducing the Indian audiences to dance forms like locking and popping, hip hop moves to ‘slo-mo’ style, to making dance popular among all age-groups, DID has done it all. And through the DID sub-franchisees (DID LiL Masters, DID Super Moms and DID Doubles), the channel has ensured that all the age groups have been explored to the optimum.

     

    “Whether it’s Cinestars ki Khoj or otherwise, DID needs to be given rest,” adds Keni. Replacing the dance reality programme is Zee’s talent hunt show – Cinestars ki Khoj. Come 28 June and the channel is all set to revive its popular format every weekend at 9 pm. The mega auditions is slated to start from 20 June at RK Studios.

    “Zee TV has always stood for celebrating the talent of India’s common man. In 1995, the channel created the Mecca of singing talent in the country with Sa Re Ga Ma Pa and introduced the entertainment fraternity to some of its leading singers. The year 2009 saw a landmark in the history of Indian television when we launched Dance India Dance, giving hope to a million dance enthusiasts across the country. The show not only emerged as one of reality television’s biggest successes but opened up several new career avenues in dance for its participants,” says Zee TV programming head Namit Sharma.

    So while the currently running DID will be replaced by Cine Stars ki Khoj, post that the channel and the makers (Essel Vision) are planning to get back Sa Re Ga Ma Pa on-board. 

    Reveals Keni, “We are thinking of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa again, although it has not done really well in the past few seasons, considering people no longer are classically oriented, but we are thinking about it now.”

     

    A media planner believes that though it is a good decision to take a break from Dance India Dance, but considering the show’s popularity, the viewers might take some time to digest. “Undoubtedly, it has been a wonderful journey for the channel with DID. The show not only helped them in getting good numbers but also a large number of advertiser’s, season after season. Getting Sa Re Ga Ma Pa on-board is a good move, but the challenge for the channel is to make it competitive, bigger and better than the previous seasons.”

  • Zee TV, SET celebrate Mothers’ Day

    Zee TV, SET celebrate Mothers’ Day

    MUMBAI: Year after year, Mothers’ Day is celebrated with such fervour worldwide that it would make even Julia Ward Howe and Anna Jervis – the two women who started the tradition – proud.

    Like every year, television channels are busy paying tribute to every “mother” in our lives. One such is Zee TV, which is celebrating Mothers’ Day throughout the week.

    Monday onward, a special Mothers’ Day track will be introduced in one of the channel’s properties, Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya. In DID Li’l Masters, participants will steal a moment and do something special to express their gratitude towards their mothers. So much so, during the shoot, masters Ahmed Khan and Geeta Kapoor became very emotional. Ahmed said that his family still celebrates his mother’s birthday with great gusto while Geeta said that till date, her mother’s arms are the safest place on earth to find solace.

    The DID ‘Mother’s Day’ special episode will be aired on Sunday where all the skippers, masters and contestants will express their love and appreciation by saying a special thanks to their mothers and acknowledging their unconditional support and warmth throughout their life.

    “We had an opportunity to introduce a beautiful small track in Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya and also get in a few other characters into the show. In DID Lil Masters, kids are performing and the mothers are very proud of them, so we thought why not grab this opportunity and celebrate,” says Zee TV programming head Namit Sharma. “It was a fairly organic opportunity that allowed us to organically do this beautifully.”

    This Mother’s Day, fans of Sony Entertainment Television’s Ekk Nayi Pehchaan will be bombarded with a surprise. The viewers will witness a double bonanza of entertainment and excitement. There will be a special track showing how Karan and Latika make Sharda’s day special in the most unexpected way.

    The leader in the GEC space, Star Plus, may not be celebrating the occasion with on-air programming, but the channel is using the digital space to engage its viewers. On the official Facebook page, reel time mothers will be receiving messages from their children. So Akshara from Yeh Rishta will receive a special message from her son, Ishita’s daughter Ruhi from Yeh Hai Mohabbatein expresses her love for Ishita and Ratan and her daughter Veera will share space on the Facebook page of the channel.  On twitter, conversations are happening on a daily basis; posts are tweeted and re-tweeted by using the hashtag #MyMomMyStar.

     

  • Zee hunts for actors with ‘Cinestars ki Khoj’

    Zee hunts for actors with ‘Cinestars ki Khoj’

    MUMBAI: Add a dash of glamour to reality and you have a crowd puller! That’s what happened back in 2004 when Zee TV launched its massive talent hunt, India’s Best Cinestars Ki Khoj. A decade later, the channel is all set to revive the popular format, albeit with slight alterations in approach and presentation.

     

    Post IPL, the Essel Vision produced show will replace Zee TV’s current favourite, Dance India Dance (DID) Li’l Masters, which airs every Saturday and Sunday at 9pm.

     

    Auditions are already on while for participants from outside India, the makers are deploying another casting process. It is learnt that 20 versatile contestants (Indians) from across the globe will compete for the crown of ‘cinestar’.

     

    The first auditions started on 15 April in Amritsar to scout out the most impressive candidates. It will be followed by other countries like UK, North America, South East Asia and many more. 18-40 years of age can participate and showcase their talent which can open up a million new doors to a career in Bollywood.

     

    They will be groomed by Bollywood’s most popular casting directors, filmmakers, actors and choreographers, and will in turn showcase their acting and dancing talents to an international audience over a span of 15 weeks. Celebrity judges, exhilarating dance numbers and performances will mark the show.

     

    “We are inviting Indians from all over the world to come and participate. We are not doing massive public auditions but have another casting process which is being used. We have not formulated the exact flow but have already started working with the communities and offices there,” says Zee TV programming head Namit Sharma, who is hoping to attract talent from everywhere.

     

    “Zee TV has always stood for celebrating the talent of India’s common man. In 1995, the channel created the Mecca of singing talent in the country with Sa Re Ga Ma Pa and introduced the entertainment fraternity to some of its leading singers. Year 2009 saw a landmark day in the history of Indian television when we launched Dance India Dance, giving hope to a million dance enthusiasts across the country. The show not only emerged as one of reality television’s biggest successes but opened up several new career avenues in dance for its participants,” says Sharma.

     

    After revolutionizing the worlds of singing and dancing, Zee TV is all set to make a similar impact in the world of acting with its reality series India’s Best Cinestars Ki Khoj. “We have a knack of identifying the right talent; we look forward to an interesting season of this show!” he adds.

     

    About the format of the show, Essel Vision producer Nitin Keni reveals: “We are working on a different design, but nothing is finalized as yet. We are still ideating, but the series will be about finding out the best actor/actress through various levels and then from the EVPL side, we will also be giving them a chance to act in our projects.”

     

    Repeating the property was a conscious decision, following the response to the last season. “There is a lot of aspiration among people in the country to become actors/actresses. And now that we have a production house, we require actors all the time and we are also into films,” says Keni.

     

    As the producer of DID which is being replaced by the newbie, Keni says it will be a good break. “With back-to-back launches, there is too much of DID happening. Whether it’s Cinestars ki Khoj or otherwise, DID needs to be given rest,” he says.

     

    With the show’s earlier outing having produced stars the likes of Ankita Lokhande (Pavitra Rishta), Sarwar Ahuja (Punar Vivaah), Aditi Sharma (Ladies vs Ricky Bahl), Sharad Malhotra & Divyanka Tripathi (Banoo Main Teri Dulhann), Yuvika Chaudhary (Om Shanti Om) and Himanshu Malhotra (Bhagonwali), all eyes are peeled on the return of the star maker.

  • This one’s the Gags Gang!

    This one’s the Gags Gang!

    MUMBAI: One – a gritty drama around the coal mafia of Dhanbad has nothing to do with the other – a laughter riot cooked up by television’s funnies.

     

    We’re talking about Zee TV’s first-of-its-kind ‘variety’ comedy show titled Gangs of Hasseypur  which promises to tickle your funny bone and bears no resemblance whatsoever to its cerebral namesake – Anurag Kashyap’s critically acclaimed film, Gangs of Wasseypur.

     

    As reported earlier by indiantelevision.com, Gangs of Hasseypur is slated for an April 26 premiere on Zee TV. So, at 8:00 pm every Saturday and Sunday, viewers will be treated to a mish-mash of hasya kavis making them laugh at everyday issues or stand-up comics unraveling the real faces behind the big names in cinema, sports and politics.

     

    Be it the unending speculation over superstar Salman Khan’s bachelor (should we say virgin) status or something as everyday as rising prices, the show will see comedians like Raju Shrivastav and Suresh Menon leaving the audience in splits with their witty punches and comic timing. Actor-comic Bharti Singh will add her own brand of madness while divas Mandira Bedi and Tanishaa Mukherjee will step in as Hasseypur ki Haseenayein, upping the show’s glam quotient. Gorgeous and witty Ragini Khanna will host the show. Dabur Glucose-D will be the title sponsor.

     

    Pankaj Saraswat of Laughter Challenge fame will helm this laugh-a-thon as creative director. He says that the show was conceptualized in just 15 days. With the shoot having begun not very long ago on April 14, four episodes have been canned already.

     

    Asked if the jokes on issues ranging from inflation to the serial lack of trust in politicians will be taken in the right spirit, Saraswat says: “We are not attacking anyone personally. We are talking about things that are known to everyone. Everybody knows that Narendra Modi’s wife’s issue has come up suddenly. Everybody knows that Aam Aadmi Party chief got slapped. We don’t have any personal agenda and are not politically biased against anyone. It is more socio-political.”

     

    Referring to a joke about “Neil Nitin Mukesh is menghai ke zamane me teen naam leke chal raha hai” in the show, Saraswat explains: “It is comedy; we are not making the show to hurt anyone’s sentiments. It is not below the belt. We have got a lot of different elements in the show. It is not just stand-up comedians coming, throwing jokes and going but it has got more meat to it like interactive sessions, panel discussions and much more.”

     

    What was it like with the production team having been given just 15 days to put the show together? “We brainstormed on the idea internally and I gave Pankaj a call and threw a bomb saying let’s shoot in the next two weeks. He has his pool of comedians, he knows them, and he knows how to utilize their talents in the best way. And he did it and we would like to improve on what we have done and I am sure the audience is going to just love it,” answers Zee TV programming head, Namit Sharma.

     

    Sharma was confident that the concept would be bang on in an election season in a country where there aren’t too many platforms to showcase comic talent. “If you look at the English comedy, they allow young talent to grow. We have not created enough platforms for comic talent to grow. So I am very keen to do that,” he says.

     

    Going by industry sources, the show costs are anywhere between Rs 15 and Rs 20 lakh per episode.

     

    A media expert opined that the channel has also got the slot timing right for this show. “The channel has made a safe move by not airing the show during a latter slot which has some of the best shows like Khatron Ke Khiladi, Mad In India and Comedy Nights with Kapil,” he says. “The show will get a  thumbs up as far as viewership is concerned, because people who are bored of watching daily soaps have an option to switch to Zee for the new content.”

     

    Despite the competition, Sharma believes that good content always work on television. “There are so many daily soaps that work across channels despite competition. On the same slot many shows work sometimes, so why non-fiction should be treated any differently? People like laughing; then why not?” he says. “It is really difficult to shoot such shows and I am nervous as hell about audience reaction. However, we are trying and we hope it works.”

     

  • ‘Gangs of Haseepur’ to replace ‘Bh se Bhade’

    ‘Gangs of Haseepur’ to replace ‘Bh se Bhade’

    MUMBAI: There was a time in the 80s and 90s that comedy shows like ‘Hum Paanch’, ‘Dekh Bhai Dekh’ and ‘Zabaan Sambhal Ke’ ruled the small screen. More recently, the likes of ‘Khichdi’, ‘Sarabhai v/s Sarabhai’ and ‘Office Office’ captured the audience’s imagination.

     

    Speaking of channels, Zee TV had stopped dabbling in comedy for nearly a decade till it launched ‘Bh se Bhade’ not too long ago. While the show bombed at the television box office, Zee didn’t lose hope and is back with another comedy show titled ‘Gangs of Haseepur’, slated to replace ‘Bh se Bhade’. With the nation in the grip of elections, ‘Gangs of Haseepur’ will reflect what’s happening around us in a funny, humorous way.

     

    “Things that can make you cry will now make you laugh!” is how Zee TV programming head Namit Sharma sums up the new show. “So be it onions being expensive, our faith in our political system, corruption or mehengaai, these are the pain points in our lives, but let’s laugh at them. Since we cannot do anything about it, why not just laugh at it.”

     

    Produced by Essel Vision Productions, the show will be hosted by Ragini Khanna. Contestants like Bharti Singh, Suresh Menon, Raju Srivastav and Krushna Abhishek will perform. Actress Tanishaa Mukerji, who shot to fame with ‘Bigg Boss season seven’, along with Mandira Bedi will judge the laugh-a-thon.

     

    Nitin Keni of Essel Vision Productions says the concept is very different from other comedy shows running on television today. “It will talk about social issues, and comedians will pick an issue which the country is facing and make fun of it. It has been just 15 days since we finalized the concept of the show.” Currently in the scripting stage, shooting for the show will start from April 14.

     

    Sharma says they wanted to time the show with the polling phase so as to reflect what is happening in the country. “Our endeavour is to make a good comedy show that reflects all the issues of society currently and that can poke fun at the everyday life of our country. On our channel, there was a lack of it, and there was a desire to do a comedy show. More importantly, there was a desire to reflect the mood of the country,” he says. “We do understand that men watch more GEC television over weekends. So, we are catering to the entire family.”

     

    Won’t ‘Gangs of Haseepur’ get lost in the sea of comedy shows that have debuted on television of late? “Today, one wants to see clean comedy shows, no doubt it works as a stress buster at the end of the hard day, but good and differentiated content will be recognized,” says a media planner on condition of anonymity.