ITV

Tag: namit sharma

  • Why do we need sub-franchises of popular shows?

    Why do we need sub-franchises of popular shows?

    MUMBAI: Over the years, television has spawned a slew of successful non-fiction franchises which in turn have given birth to a riot of sub-franchises that are equally popular if not more.

    In our quest to find out why sub-franchises have mushroomed when there are enough and more franchises to provide entertainment and whether franchises are mightier than their off-spring, Indiantelevision.com spoke to a cross-section of industry to get to the bottom of the matter.

    Zee TV

    In 1995, Zee TV created a home-grown music-based non-fiction format titled Sa Re Ga Ma Pa that went on to capture a country’s imagination.

    What started back then under the aegis of Gajendra Singh, went on for 16 seasons till 2004 when the brand name was changed to Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge and audience interaction was incorporated through a voting system. It was in 2011 that the channel infused kids’ participation to revisit the show as Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L’il Champs.

    Recalling the journey of the show, it was post 2001 that it became a brand, giving talented, albeit anonymous singers a platform and giving Bollywood much of its current talent including Shreya Ghoshal, Kunal Ganjawala and even Sonu Nigam, who was relatively unknown back then.

    In 2009, Zee created another big non-fiction property, this time in the dancing space, called Dance India Dance (DID). Till date, DID has seen four successful seasons while also giving birth to four sub-brands: DID Super Moms, DID Tashan, DID Doubles and DID Li’l Masters.

    What made Zee launch sub-franchises in the first place? “The key for any broadcaster today is to create for viewers an umbrella brand and then do a lot of exciting things under that,” says Zee TV programming head Namit Sharma. “It was a chance that Zee took and it worked. The audience at Zee is always hungry to watch new and fresh talent. Each of these shows has its own type of audience. There is a core DID audience and additionally, a different audience for each of the sub-franchises.”

    Sharma believes only successful shows make for franchises and franchises work on three things: firstly, how successful the original brand is; secondly, how innovative the creative team is; and thirdly, how receptive the audience is. Speaking of the many seasons of DID, he says the beauty of it is that with every season, the look, feel and talent can be sharpened.

    Explaining the need for sub-brands, he says, “It is fuelled by two things – one is the desire to keep doing well to want more viewership. So you know, if you are doing a DID sub-brand, it might get you more audience than a fresh show. Two – the audience enjoys it, so why not? Three – every sub-brand is actually like a new show under a mother brand. So these are all different shows. They are under one umbrella.”

    Sharma feels Zee is lucky to have two strong franchises that allow the channel to attract very good talent and showcase it in the best possible fashion.

    “There was a desire to fulfill in the singing space with Sa Re… and in the dancing space, DID took over and fulfilled that desire for talent to have a platform and the audience to watch that platform. So DID completed that wish. One of the challenges I have as a new person is to create more such franchises in different spaces,” he says.

    While Nitin Keni of Essel Vision Productions that produces DID feels that offering the same product to viewers back-to-back might erode brand value. “One is not happy about doing it back-to-back, but if audiences are seeing it as a different show altogether, then there we win. But if audiences start feeling a sense of fatigue and see that we are doing the same thing, then it loses value. So far from the ratings, it does not feel so, but yes, as a producer, we should not be repetitive,” he says. Besides, a whole lot of work goes in with every season.

    “Conceptually, every time some new twist is given to the show, we use it as a USP. There are creative people who work on it. Also in terms of finding talent, one has to scout around and find talent across the nation, which is another big task,” he adds.

    Star Plus

    In 2010, Star Plus produced MasterChef India, Colosceum Media’s cooking reality show.

    Star Plus senior vice president – programming (non-fiction) Ashish Golwalkar, who, during his earlier stint with Zee, created sub-franchises like Sa Re Ga… L’il Champs and DID L’il Masters, opines that creating a sub-brand helps a channel to leverage the popularity of the parent brand without killing it unlike adding an indiscriminate number of seasons. “Sub-franchises play a major role if you want to use the strength of the brand without overkill. For viewers also, it is easier. They are watching a bit of the same without over killing the particular kind of content,” he says. “When you go out into the market, if it is a successful sub-brand, advertisers who have earlier had a good experience with us and the brand, will be more than happy to associate with the brand again.”

    Golwalkar gives the example of MasterChef India, where Amul was the title sponsor of both the mother brand and the sub-brand, MasterChef Junior.

    So what distinguishes the sub-brand from the parent brand? “We have to understand the elements wanted in common with the original brand and those that will be brought new to the sub-brand. But there has to be a limit to it. Sometimes, channels just get carried away by doing five versions of the same brand,” says Golwalkar.

    Sony Entertainment Television

    Sony has three non-fiction franchises: Boogie Woogie, Indian Idol and Comedy Circus.

    The channel launched Boogie Woogie in 1995 with Naved Jaffrey, Javed Jaffrey and Ravi Behl. During the time it aired, the show was very well received and provided a platform for unknown talent. Only recently, Sony telecast Boogie Woogie kids’ championship, four years after the last Boogie Woogie was telecast.

    Speaking of the franchise model in general, Fremantle Media India managing director Anupama Mandloi, says: “The franchise model has worked globally and it is that success which encourages other territories including India to invest in the proven blueprint. It is like bringing in any other branded product into the country. There is a surround sound already built around the ‘product’, which enables an effective pre-sell.”

    What about the sub-franchise? “The franchise has been built very effectively over the past 10 years in India. Most television viewers would be familiar with this property today and with the need to innovate and build the brand. A sub-franchise like Idol junior opened a new gateway of contestants, music and content. In fact, we have gone as far as creating another franchise called the Idol Academy, which provides a platform for learning and building music talent,” explains Mandloi.

    The original brand, Indian Idol, launched in 2004, was a channel driver, with its opening episode garnering a TVR of 5.4. This raised expectations from the brand and it became imperative to innovate and introduce visible changes that would keep interest and loyalty alive.

    “Idol has made several changes over the years, be it in terms of positioning, scheduling, changing the way the show is consumed, its approach to music, ranging from purist singing to performance and entertainment, different modes of auditioning and creating diverse touch points with the brand and the channel on-ground and various creative innovations in the journey of finding that one ‘Indian Idol’,” reveals Mandloi.

    Season after season, there was a lesson to be learnt by every content creator. “Some of those innovations were received well and some were completely dismissed by the viewer. At the end of the day, the viewer decides and with every show that you put out there for consumption, there is a lesson to be learnt by every content creator,” says she.

    After dancing and singing, it was the turn of comedy and the channel launched non-fiction property Comedy Circus in 2007. Not only did Comedy Circus see 18 successful seasons, the brand gave rise to tons of sub-brands including Comedy Circus -Kaante Ki Takkar, Comedy Circus – Chinchpokli To China, Comedy Circus 3 Ka Tadka, Comedy Circus – Maha Sangram, Jubilee Comedy Circus, Comedy Circus Ke Taansen, Comedy Circus Ke Ajoobe and Comedy Circus Ke Mahabali, among others.

    MediaSpeak

    Big Synergy director Anita Kaul Basu who has given new dimension to Indian television by producing Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) on Sony believes one needs to keep re-inventing to bring in the fresh perspective to the show. KBC never had a sub-franchise when it started in the Hindi space, but it brought a lot of changes within the format with each season. Whether it is in terms of format or creative, with every season it has enthralled the audiences with its content.

    Basu explains: “For long running shows like KBC, which is a knowledge-based show, you need to bring in variations so that people don’t get bored of watching the same thing which has happened 10-12 years back. Every time you bring in a new creative, while the main show remains the same in terms of structure, but these are creatives that need to come in to bring in a certain amount of dynamics into the show. In KBC, we have introduced small changes, since it started in 2000, yet its core remains the same, because its format is incredible.”

    According to media professionals, mother brands have worked better than sub-brands; some working wonders for the channel and others not. “Frankly, I don’t think any of the franchise models have worked. Indian Idol Junior didn’t do that well for the channel. Comedy Circus was variation, but more of, it was about making themes out of the show and as a viewer; it looked like a regular show. It wasn’t a separate franchise to that extent in its pure format. Dance India Dance is the only one which has done variations, but it is always the pure form that gets the maximum ratings. From a ratings perspective, I don’t think these shows have stood out like a typical franchise,” says Helios Media managing director Divya Radhakrishnan.

    According to Radhakrishnan, a sub-franchise is just a placeholder so that the channel does not have to do the same thing over and over again. The channels have to keep the interest going for any show as a product. “You cannot run it like a daily soap for years and years. The channel has to keep the brand alive and for that, they have to always keep innovating. Then it makes sense for the channels to make a sub-franchise. The main property within that umbrella will always be an original show.”

    Investment

    Advertisers in India spend around Rs 20,000 crore on TV ads and almost a third of this money goes to Hindi GECs. Reality shows can never go wrong, reveals a TV executive on the condition of anonymity. Moreover, the channels also sell spots; a 10-second one could cost anything between Rs 3.5 lakh and Rs 5 lakh and the production cost of an hour ranges anywhere between Rs 80 lakh to Rs one crore.

  • Zee TV’s ‘Kumkum Bhagya’ launches on April 15

    Zee TV’s ‘Kumkum Bhagya’ launches on April 15

    MUMBAI: Narrating tales that have captivated audience attention for almost two decades now, the master storyteller Ekta Kapoor is back with a new offering on Zee TV. Her new show ‘Kumkum Bhagya’ launches on 15th April  at 9 PM, this time replacing her own immensely successful show ‘Pavitra Rishta’ on the channel. Based loosely on Jane Austen’s classic ‘Sense and Sensibility’, ‘Kumkum Bhagya’ is its Indian interpretation, following the life of a Punjabi matriarch Sarla Arora who runs a marriage hall and lives with the hope of seeing her two daughters Pragya and Bulbul who’re poles apart, happily married some day! Known for making shows that are women-centric, the pivotal characters of this new show are a bunch of strong, feisty women, living together in an all-female, matriarchal family.

     

    Sriti Jha plays the character of Pragya, the elder sister, who is practical, hardworking and committed to supporting her family … though she’s barely finished her own studies, she teaches at a college to ensure that her mother Sarla’s (Supriya Shukla) meager earnings from the ‘Kumkum Bhagya’ marriage hall never fall short in making the two ends meet. In the midst of all this pressure on her, she’s forgotten how to unwind or pursue any passions of her own. Mrunal Thakur plays Bulbul, the younger sister who has her head in the clouds. She’s vivacious, smart, stylish and a complete dreamer. It barely occurs to her to snap out her own make-believe, rose-tinted world and be of any real use to her family. She idolizes the ruling heartthrob of the country, Rockstar Abhi. Actor-turned-producer Shabir Ahluwalia, who has shied away from facing the camera since 2012, has been roped in to play Rockstar Abhi with a cult following of his own. Faisal Rashid will be seen as Suresh, the college professor who works closely with Pragya (Sriti Jha). Having led a tough life in the military and lost most of his close ones, he is an embittered soul with much angst and pent-up frustration about life. It remains to be seen how the lives of these two men intertwine with the Arora girls and change their destinies forever!

     

    Talking about introducing a fresh concept on primetime, Zee TV Programming Head – Namit Sharma said, “It takes one epic show to replace another, so you can imagine the faith we have in Kumkum Bhagya, as a property, to replace a show that has been extremely special to Zee for over 4 glorious years. Pavitra Rishta has given Indian television audiences their most sought-after dinner table companions in Manav and Archana – star-crossed lovers that millions of viewers have loved, and idolized. Kumkum Bhagya is another extremely engrossing story from a Punjabi mohalla in Mumbai. It talks of a matriarch and her quest to find ideal grooms for her daughters who’re as different as chalk and cheese. Deriving its core from Sense and Sensibility, Ekta has Indianized it beautifully. It’s a passionate drama of love, a far cry from regular saas-bahu soaps and has an ensemble cast of some very talented actors.”

     

    With ‘Kumkum Bhagya’ slated to air at 9 PM from the date of its launch on Zee TV, ‘Pavitra Rishta’ will now be aired Monday – Friday at 6:30 PM on the channel. Talking about the time shuffle amongst her projects on Zee TV, Ekta says, “While two of my shows (Pavitra Rishta and Jodha Akbar) are already on-air and doing immensely well on Zee TV, it’s a pleasure to extend my partnership with Zee to a third show. ‘Pavitra Rishta’ has had a run of over 4 years now and the journey has been most gratifying for me as a producer. While the audiences who are hooked on to ‘Pavitra Rishta’ will continue to enjoy the show at 6:30 PM, ‘Kumkum Bhagya’ will open at 9 PM, drawing maximum eyeballs. Kumkum Bhagya is so contemporary in its treatment that viewers will be able to instantly spot characters out of their own lives in the show. It’s a story of passionate love that anyone with a soul would be able to easily relate to.”

     

    Speaking of his comeback as an actor, Shabir says, “With me producing shows, it was getting very difficult to manage time for acting assignments. But now, I have decided to concentrate on acting. You can’t be away from what you love doing for long. The role appealed to me a great deal. This is the first time that I will be playing a rockstar on television and in order to look my part, I had to ensure that I did not just get my costume and look right, but also get that attitude right that is required to portray a rockstar onscreen.”

     

    Ekta Kapoor’s association with Zee TV dates back to almost two decades ago when the partnership produced one of the greatest successes of satellite television – Hum Paanch. Her soaps, be it Kasamh Se, Pavitra Rishta or Jodha Akbar – the latest historical to rule the roost on Indian television, have been universally appreciated and have enjoyed long, glorious runs on the tube.  

     

    Starting 15th April, stay tuned to Kumkum Bhagya at 9 PM every Monday-Friday, only on Zee TV!

  • Hindi GECs lend colour to Holi celebrations

    Hindi GECs lend colour to Holi celebrations

    MUMBAI: Squirt coloured water on your friends and dear ones or smear their faces with Gulaal… anything goes for it’s that time of the year when you can say, “Bura na maano, holi hai”.

    With the festival of colours just round the corner, Hindi GECs are going hammer and tongs to jump into the Holi revelry. Kick-starting the celebrations will be Colors’ ‘Beintehaan Jazbaat Ke Rang’ on 15 March from 7.30 to 9pm. The show will bring together protagonists of Colors’ many shows such as Bani- Ishq Da Kalma, Uttaran, Balika Vadhu, Beintehaan and Rangarasiya. Among a slew of performances, Sunny Leone, who stars in Balaji Motion Pictures’ upcoming Ragini MMS 2, will be seen shaking a leg to the films hit number, Baby Doll.

    Zee TV will air a three-hour special titled Zee ‘Holi Mahotsav- Ladakpan ke suhaane’ rang on 16 March at 6pm and 17 March at 4pm. The Sapne Suhane Ladakpan Ke team will invite other Zee artistes to celebrate Holi in the Benares style while audiences will be given a sneak peek into celebrations in other states of the country including UP, Punjab and Rajasthan. Hasya kavi Surendra Sharma will grace the event that will also witness performances by on-screen couples such as Jodha-Akbar and Zoya-Asad.

    Says Zee TV programming head Namit Sharma: “This year, the Holi Mahotsav on Zee will be a celebration of the sheer diversity of content we offer as a broadcaster. The grand revelry with colors will be in Benares where the Sapne Suhane Ladakpan Ke family invites artistes of all our other primetime shows to join in. Showcasing the various styles in which Holi is celebrated across different Indian states, we’ll have beautiful acts that represent the country’s vibrant cultural canvas.”

    As for Star Plus, the channel is all set for a waterless Holi on 17 March at 12.30pm with ‘Masti Gulal Ki’, a two-hour-long celebration highlighting the importance of conserving water while keeping the fun element intact. Produced by Frames Productions, the show will be hosted by real-life couple Jennifer Winget and Karan Singh Grover with Ritvik and Asha, Ravi and Sargun, Sanjeeda Sheikh, Digangna Suryavanshi (Veera), Sayantani Ghosh, MJ 5 and Krushna Abhishek joining in the celebrations.

    Star Plus SVP and programming strategy Nikhil Madhok says: “Star Plus’s initiative of a waterless, environment-friendly Holi is in perfect sync with our core philosophy of Nayi Soch. Holi this year coincides with World Water Day, so the message becomes even more relevant. Masti Gulal ki will show how Holi can be great fun even without the use of water. It will be a really entertaining event.”

    According to Frames Productions founder Hemant Ruprell, it took almost three weeks to put together the show. “It is a message. We are heading toward summer and with the kind of drought in so many parts of India, we thought we would do it differently this time and send out a message to people that celebration of Holi is about colors and not necessarily asking for 20-25 water tankers. We wanted to go waterless, but wanted to make it as colorful and dynamic,” he says. “Unlike others, we have done a proper stage event for Holi and not in a fictionalized manner.”

    Star Plus’ sister channel, Life OK, will telecast ‘Holi Hain… Life OK Hain’ on 17 March at 8 pm. Bharti Singh and Karan Kundra will be the hosts while Savdhaan India presenters Sushant Singh and Pratyusha Banerjee will join in the festivities and talk about women’s safety on the occasion of Holi.

    Vibhav Roy and Parvati Sehgal (Gustakh Dil) will showcase fun acts, while Gaurav Bajaj and Sukirti Kandpal ( Kaisa Ye Ishq Hai)) will recreate romance on the small screen. The star performer will be Yo Yo Honey Singh and the music will get a comic tadka as Yo Yo Honey Singh and Bharti Singh slug it out in a Punjabi versus Bhojpuri rap.

    On Sony Entertainment Television, there will be Holi integrations on three shows – Ekk Nayi Pehchaan, Boogie Woogie and CID.

    During the 16 March episode of Boogie Woogie, along with performances by the top six contestants, hosts Sargun and Rakshit will perform on the song Balam Pichkari from Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. They will be later joined by the judges and there will be performances on songs like Holi Khele Raghuveera from Baghban and Do me a favour let’s play Holi from Waqt-The Race Against Time.

    Ek Nayi Pehchaan will see the entire Modi family gather under one roof to celebrate the festival on 17 and 18 March. As for CID, there will be a special one-hour episode on 17 March at 9 pm, replacing the two daily soaps, Nandini and Jee Le Zara.

    Sony Entertainment Television SVP head-marketing Gaurav Seth says: “A lot of the channels use these special days for topical value and obviously, cultural festivals hold a big place in the Indian family. Viewers like to see their favourite characters mirroring their own lives. It is good for us to have those special events.”

    As for Sony’s sister channel, Sab, this year, it will celebrate a Bollywood-style Holi with all of its actors on 17 March at 9pm. ‘Sab Ki Filmy Holi’ will ensure that viewers shake a leg alongside as they watch it with their family.

    The lovable small screen couple, Daya and Jetha, will anchor the show that will see performances by Daya – Jetha, Taarak – Anjali, Bhide – Madhavi, BabitaIyer, Indu-Mukundi, Koel-Ghotak, Jeannie-Juju, Bagha-Bavri, Chukku-Lily and Machli-Kapi. While gags by Aamir Ali, Sayantani, Kamya Punjabi, Kiku Sharda and Rajesh Thakur will tickle the viewers’ funny bone.

    On-screen celebration of festivals such as holi help these channels make a stronger connect with their audiences.
  • Zee to bring bachchagiri with DID L’il Masters

    Zee to bring bachchagiri with DID L’il Masters

    MUMBAI: Dancing isn’t just about mean moves; it’s also about attitude. This is the reason why Zee TV is all set to bring back DID (Dance India Dance) L’il Masters, now in its third season, to replace the ongoing DID season four.

     

    Starting 1 March, children aged five to 12 years will mesmerise audiences with their awe-inspiring performances every weekend at 9 pm. This time round, the show positioning is: ‘from dadagiri to bachchagiri’.

     

    Zeel content head (Hindi GECs) Ajay Bhalwankar, who recently resigned from his post, explains: “Though the world is heavily borrowed from dadagiri, bachchagiri in no way gives any leeway to over-smartness or cockiness. Kids aren’t show-offs but they do have a ‘don’t mess with me’ attitude when it comes to dance. They aren’t afraid of a little competition and stage fear means nothing to them.”

     

    Says Nitin Keni of Essel Vision Productions, producer of the show: “These are genuinely gifted children and little powerhouses of talent who astonished us with their unimaginable talent. Along with entertainment, Zee and Essel Vision have always endeavored to become the most coveted platform for aspiring youth and women in the country and with the third season of DID L’il masters, we only hope to strengthen that conviction of ours.”

     

    Season three will follow a similar format with 16 contestants divided into four teams led by skippers including Sanam Johar, Raghav (Crockroaz) and Swarali Karulkar (DID 4 contender) with the fourth name still under consideration. Masters Geeta Kapoor, Ahmad Khan and Mudassar Khan will judge the performances while veteran actor Mithun Chakraborty (Mithun Da) will once again lend his characteristic wit to the platform. Hosting the show would be popular television actor Jay Bhanushali.

     

    So what’s the talking point of this season? “We, as a channel, don’t have to do anything new. Of course, we have plans to think about new dance forms, acts and visuals but what is really new is a fresher mind, fresher and more original talent. Kids are typically very informal; they have a mind of their own and when they perform, they completely rock the stage,” says Bhalwankar before adding, “I couldn’t have imagined some of the steps they ended up doing during the auditions.”

     

    He lavishes praise on the talent possessed by these kids. “They can change the format and mould it; they can mould their performance… We have to give them a format which allows them freedom. Bachchagiri is a format for us, and the entire control has been given to the kids,” he says.

     

    According to Zeel new programming head Namit Sharma, who assumed responsibility only yesterday, season three is a lot about evolution. “Lil masters is a very unique show. It is fun, engaging, heartwarming and at the same time, inspirational, because you are watching these kids doing all the fantastic moves. This year, we are keen on seeing the kids grow and evolve rather than just contestants in a reality show,” he says.

     

    Already, dancing fever has gripped the nation with auditions being held in 15 cities including Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Vadodara, Jaipur, Raipur, Indore, Bhubaneswar, Guwahati, Dehradun, Chandigarh, Ranchi, Patna, Jammu and Lucknow. The number of participants has risen 25 per cent from last year’s one lakh contestants. After more than four months of auditioning, 100 children have been selected, of which, 16 finalists will be selected in mega auditions being held this week.

     

    Speaking of her experience, Kapoor said: “Judging kids was a tough call. We had to be easy with them. However, each and every child is a winner for us. We don’t treat them as contestants but as normal kids.”

     

    While Khan felt their main job was to console the kids who’d been rejected in the auditions phase.  “Somewhere down the line, they are conditioned to the fact that they are here to get popularity. They don’t come with a positive mind that they will get selected,” he said.  

     

    On their part, the skippers said they enjoyed choreographing the ‘patakas’

     

    Johar, a contestant of DID season three, said: “It’s very interesting to choreograph kids. After becoming a skipper, you can’t show or teach them moves which are repetitive; we have to do something new. Instead of getting scared, we have to be prepared to do something innovative.” Raghav, who is famous for his slo-mo style said: “It is all in nature. You get to learn a lot from your surroundings. We don’t have to teach anything to the kids creatively. Get them on stage, and they will burn the dance floor. They are very smart. Plus, they come prepared.”

     

    Industry sources say the channel is looking at anything between Rs 180 and Rs 190 crore from DID L’il Masters season three with anything between Rs 1,20,000 and Rs 1,80,000 for every 10 seconds.

     

    Marketing and promotion

     

    A 360-degree marketing plan is on the anvil comprising outdoor, print, television and radio to sustain audience interest in the property. As part of on-ground, children will form special ‘Dhating Naach Tolis’ and visit various housing societies in Mumbai and Delhi to play Holi with the residents as a mark of the festival.

     

    Vignettes have been created for television where kids will sometimes be seen talking about a show before it starts and encouraging the audience to see it. On the digital side, there are plans to create a hashtag #DIDLM for greater engagement with the viewers.

     

    No doubt the show will face tough competition from the ongoing India’s Got Talent on Colors and the upcoming Mad in India on Star Plus. While Mad in India is a 75,000 per 10 sec slot, IGT is 1.25 lakh. But with the last season having opened at 5.8 TVR, Bhalwankar remains unfazed. “When kids come to the show, they have a ball. I don’t think we will need masala to get ratings or eyeballs. Other people can worry,” he laughs.

  • Ajay Bhalwankar quits ZEEL as Content Head

    Ajay Bhalwankar quits ZEEL as Content Head

    MUMABI: Almost three years ago in June 2011, Zee Entertainment Enterprises had brought back one of its most cherished employees – Ajay Bhalwankar as the programming head after his short eight-month stint with Multi Screen Media. The news now is that Bhalwankar, who was working as ZEEL’s Content Head (Hindi GECs), has decided to explore opportunities outside the group on his own accord. 

     

    Namit Sharma will be coming on board to join the Zee TV programming function as Programming Head.

     

    In the official announcement made by the channel, it is mentioned that Bhalwankar was instrumental in creating path breaking content on Zee TV and also spearheaded the launch of new free-to-air (FTA) channel, Zee Anmol. He has been with the organisation since 1994. Barring a stint with Multi Screen Media, he has been at ZEEL for over 17 years. 

     

    “Ajay’s support for ideas, creativity and innovation has been the real strength of his time as content head of Zee TV,” said ZEEL Chief Creative and Content Officer Bharat Ranga. “He gave the team strong creative leadership with the freedom to experiment and he’ll be hard to replace. With regret, we accept his decision and thank Ajay for his valued contribution to the organization. During his stint with the group, Ajay has achieved various milestones and strengthened the position of channel and built a great and dedicated team for the channel. Given his credentials, we are also sure that he will continue to achieve his aspirations and further strengthen his credential in his domain.”

     

    Confirming the news, Bhalwankar said, “It’s been a memorable journey.  There is never a perfect time for this type of transition, but now is the right time. It’s a tough decision. The trust reposed in me by ZEEL MD & CEO, Punit Goenka will never be forgotten.  I leave ZEEL with renewed respect for television broadcasting and the talented producers of our programs, and with great pride to have worked with an exceptional team who will continue to see success.” 

     

    Bhalwankar will handhold Namit during the transition process – in settling down in the organisation and continue to take all programming related decisions as is currently being done. Sharma, with almost 15 years industry experience, was earlier with Wizcraft International as Business Head and Chief Creative Director – Wizcraft Television & Films. Prior to that he has worked as an executive producer with Yash Raj Films; as a creative director with Cinevistaas Ltd; and as a senior executive producer with Sony Entertainment Television.

  • Sony revives second non-fiction show ‘Entertainment Ke liye…’

    Sony revives second non-fiction show ‘Entertainment Ke liye…’

    MUMBAI: A few weeks back when Sony Entertainment Television NP Singh was elevated to the post of CEO from COO, he had promised that he will make some changes in the channel’s programming and work on bringing it back into fighting fit shape. Apparently, he appears to be acting on that promise in double quick time. 

     

    A statement from the channel says that its talent reality show Entertainment Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega is going to be back soon. “This is to inform you that SET’s show Entertainment Ke Liye Kuch bhi Karega is coming back. The auditions will start from 26 January,” it says.

     

    While the date has been announced, no other details are known. A source from the channel says that Anu Malik, who has been the judge on earlier editions, has a big chance to come back this time too. However, the second judge hasn’t been finalised yet. “It could be Farah Khan, or somebody else may come in as well,” says the source, admitting that the hosts may also change.

    Sony Entertainment is also looking at tweaking the format a bit to make it more appealing to audiences.

     

    When we contacted Wizcraft TV head Namit Sharma that has produced the earlier editions of the show, he said it’s too early to talk about the details as nothing has been finalised – as of yet. “But we are starting silent auditions from the end of the month and we will go across the country to find exceptional talent,” he adds.

     

    The talent show premiered on the channel in May 2009, just a month before India’s Got Talent kicked off on rival channel Colors. However, while IGT became one of the most talked about and popular properties of Colors, Entertainment… was given a quiet burial. However, the tongue-in-cheek and many times blunt comments of judges Anu Malik and Farah Khan caught the fancy of TV viewers. 

     

    The last season (season 4) was aired on the channel in 2011 and The Raibishi group from West Bengal was the winner. 

     

    NP – it appears – is relying on tried and tested non-fiction properties to buoy Sony Entertainment. Recently, he dragged out R&N Productions’ long-running Boogie Woggie from the back of the closet and relaunched it on the Hindi GEC. The trio of Ravi Behl, Naved and Jaavved Jafferi tweaked the format, added a lot more emotion and drama to the dance show, and since then it seems to have got its mojo back and appears to be doing very well for Sony.

     

    Will Entertainment Ke Liye… do similarly well? 

     

  • Star ropes in stars to raise funds for Uttarakhand rehabilitation

    Star ropes in stars to raise funds for Uttarakhand rehabilitation

    MUMBAI: When Star India CEO Uday Shankar watched hundreds of innocent tourists and locals being swept away and buildings being flattened by the rising waters of the Mandakani river in June this year, he was at first horrified by the magnitude of the tragedy and then moved to action. He vowed to himself, that he would put in his best to help in the rebuilding efforts in the affected areas. He made a call to the two Bhatts of Bollywood- Mahesh and Mukesh and sought their support in putting together a fund-raising initiative which would involve the film and television fraternity.
    This is an opportunity for the entire Hindi film industry to stand by people who have showered them with unconditional love, says Star’s Uday Shankar
    He also connected with Wizcraft’s Sabbas Joseph, asking him to pitch in this with his mite. And he deputed Star India senior VP marketing Yogesh Manwani to go down to Uttarakhand to study and assess the situation and gauge the funds required to rehabilitate the afflicted areas with major NGOs working there.
    Come 15 August 2013, and Uday’s initiative will see the light of day at the National Sports Club of India (NSCI)’s spanking new stadium in Central Mumbai. On stage will be the biggest names from Bollywood, the Bachchan family – it’s quite likely that the Bachchan bahu Aishwarya will get on stage after a long hiatus, Salman Khan, Madhuri Dixit, AR Rahman, Lata Mangeshkar, Ayushmann Khurana, Akshay Kumar, Pritam, Shankar Ehsaan Loy, Ajay Devgn, Kajol and Prasoon Joshi, among many others.
    The event titled Saath Hain Hum Uttarakhand will be telecast live on a clutch of channels of the Star India network – Life OK, Star Plus, Star Jalsa, Star World, Star Utsav, Star Movies, Star Gold, Star Pravah, Movies OK, Channel V and Star Plus.
    So what’s so great about doing another multi-starrer event with film and TV performers? Have we not seen many of them and felt like going ho-hum? The difference this time is that this one has very noble intentions. Every paisa that Star India earns courtesy ad revenues and sponsorship during the telecast will be donated to NGOs working in the Uttarakhand. The telecast is slated to run for seven hours from 12 noon to 7pm. Estimates are that Star is likely to give away Rs 20-30 crore which it will rake in courtesy the telecast.
    The biggest names from Bollywood have been roped in for the event titled Saath Hain Hum Uttarakhand
    Amitabh will lend his mesmerising voice to recite couplets from Prasoon’s magical poetry that’ll be set to Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy’s music. The enthralling musical act will weave Prasoon’s event anthem – Mera Desh- into an enchanting song performance by acclaimed classical singer Shankar Mahadevan and a spellbinding poetic rendition by Amitabh. At the time of writing, several other stars like Rani Mukerji and Karan Johar were also approached.
    Says Star India CEO Uday Shankar, “Mera Desh is an invocation by India’s most revered artists with a simple and clear message to fellow citizens — to look at tragedy squarely in the eye and overcome it by joining hands. Star India is humbled to receive support from Hindi cinema’s biggest icons.”
    “The noble initiative is an opportunity for the entire Hindi film industry to stand by the very people who have showered us with unconditional love and have made us who we are,” says Bachchan. “We have come together to ease the pain of fellow men who suffered the agonising pain that this unprecedented calamity brought with itself.”
    All the anchors and stars will be urging audiences at home to open their wallets and donate funds for Uttarakhand
    This apart, anchors will be rotated every hour. Among some of the names from the TV industry which are being talked about include: Deepika Singh (Sandhya), Anas Rashid (Sooraj), Karan Mehra (Naitik), Mahadev fame Mohit Raina and Pooja Bose. “The show will be loaded with entertainment,” says a source close to the production. Wizcraft has had the experience of raising funds through greenathons and long-format events. But they have left the fund-raising to Star which is setting up payment gateways online. All the anchors and stars will be urging audiences at home to open their wallets and donate funds for Uttarakhand.”
    The main choreographer for the event is Sanjay Shetty who has become the darling of most live event organisers in recent times. The creative inputs will come courtesy Star India senior vice president programming Anil Jha. Wizcraft TV head Namit Sharma is the creative head and Asim Sen has been roped in as the TV director, Anurag Dingra will be the director of photography, while sets are being done by designer Varshai Desai. Wizcraft sound firm Performance Audio has been signed on for the sound while Atul Sonpal is responsible for the lights design with the help of lights from SFX and Ulhas will look after lights. Tech gear, cameras are being supplied by Real Impact.
    Technical and production crew disclosed that they were either working free of cost or at concessional rates for the event. “We are doing it for a cause,” says one of them. “Star has been reaching out to all who have been working with it on shows in the past to come in at really discounted rates.”
    Star India has emerged as one of the front runners on the corporate social responsibility (CSR) front amongst media firms ever since Shankar took over as CEO four years ago. This initiative should take the network even further still.