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Tag: Nina Elavia Jaipuria

  • Colors launches new social drama, ‘Molkki’

    Colors launches new social drama, ‘Molkki’

    MUMBAI: All she ever wanted was her freedom: to learn, to dream, to study and to empower others, and to truly love someone. But all her dreams and aspirations shattered when she was tagged as a ‘sold bride’- a molkki. Colors presents yet another hard-hitting concept, a family drama, Molkki, that outlines how the skewed sex ratio led to the bride buying custom which is still prevalent in Haryana. It’s the story of 19-year-old Purvi, who is a mol ki dulhan, which means a bride bought in exchange for money. The show follows the relationship of Purvi and Virender Pratap Singh who are bound by this custom and find themselves in a transactional relationship. From the house of Balaji Telefilms, Molkki will premiere on 16 November and air Monday to Friday at 10 pm only on Colors.

    Viacom18 Hindi mass entertainment and kids TV network head Nina Elavia Jaipuria said, “At Colors, we have always believed in the power of storytelling and the impact that it can create. Over the years, through powerful stories like Balika Vadhu, Udaan, Shakti, Barrister Bahu, we have highlighted pertinent social issues. Taking forth this tradition, we bring to you a family drama series set against the lesser-known custom of bride buying. Molkki will chronicle the journey of Purvi, who falls prey to this custom, is married to a widower twice her age but fights it all in her stride.” 

    The story of Molkki revolves around Purvi (played by Priyal Mahajan), an upright girl with a strong moral compass, who is unknowingly sold as a bride to a sarpanch, a man twice her age, Virender Pratap Singh (played by Amar Upadhyay). Purvi is a self-sufficient, headstrong girl who has always made sure she paved her way in life. She paid for her education by tutoring kids and never footed for any privileges. On the other hand, Virender Pratap Singh is still overcoming his first wife's death and is soaked in the guilt of not being a part of his kids’ life while in their growing up years. But now that he has married for a second time to a bought bride, he does not view it as a real relationship. Transporting viewers to Haryana, Molkki reflects on how Purvi finds her space in society, wins the respect of the people around her, and manages to establish a relationship based on trust and mutual respect with her much-older husband. But will she be a wife, a mother or will she forever be just a bought bride? Will a relationship born out of a money deal, blossom into love?

    Viacom18 hindi mass entertainment CCO Manisha Sharma said, “With this show, the aim is to continue giving our viewers variety of entertainment with path breaking concepts and engaging story plots.”

    Balaji Telefilms producer Ekta Kapoor said, “At Balaji Telefilms, we have always worked on presenting stories that are realistic, relatable and have a high entertainment quotient. Molkki is one such show that puts the spotlight on the custom of buying brides that is prevalent in India even today. We are happy to be partnering with Colors who are known to present such hard-hitting and socially relevant topics, and I am sure that the viewers will admire this unique story.”

  • Diwali with a bang: Hindi GECs bet big on special programming

    Diwali with a bang: Hindi GECs bet big on special programming

    MUMBAI: Crackers may be banned, but television channels are making sure Diwali 2020 goes off with a bang for their viewers. With the outlook that viewers will stay at home rather than jostle with crowds in the age of Covid2019, Hindi GEC’s have taken up an aggressive stance programming-wise to maximize viewership in the run-up to the festival of lights.

    Festive fervour has taken hold of Zee TV. While ongoing shows like Guddan Tumse Na Ho Payega, Tujhse Hai Raabta, Qurbaan Hua, Ram Pyaare Sirf Humare will see drama spikes and highpoints, its latest fiction offerings – Apna Time Bhi Aayega and Hamariwali Good News will see significant milestones that are bound to keep audiences on the edge of their seats this Diwali week. There is a special festive event on the cards for fans of the channel’s top-rated shows Kundali Bhagya and Kumkum Bhagya. During the day, audiences can look forward to the telecast of special awards shows and events like Zee Cine Awards 2020, Zee Rishtey Awards 2019 and the film, Good Newwz. The network will also premiere its highly anticipated collaboration with Balaji Telefilms, Brahmarakshas 2, on the weekend after Diwali.

     

     

    Colors Bangla, too, has a treat in store for its viewers. “Focusing on the special days including Navratri and Dussera, Karva Chauth, and Diwali, we started airing special programming called Shandaar Ravivaar hosted by the comic duo Bharti Singh and Harsh Limbachiyaa from 25 October, 12 pm. It will culminate over the Diwali weekend. We will also launch a new show Molkki featuring Amar Upadhyay and Priyal Mahajan that highlights another custom prevalent in Haryana wherein brides are bought by people. It will air starting 16 November. Apart from this, we have planned festive special segments on Bigg Boss and a few other fiction shows,” said Viacom18 Hindi mass entertainment and kids TV network head Nina Elavia Jaipuria.

     

     

    Dangal TV has shored up its primetime viewing with the debut of mythological series Devi Adi Parashakti on 9 November. The show has been produced by Swastik Productions and will be telecast Monday to Saturday at 9 pm.

    Ganga Deewali Carnival is BIG Ganga’s hot ticket property for this time of the year. The four-day multi-entertainment, multi-celebrity festivity will begin 10 November and culminate on 14 November.

    Promotional sparklers

    Besides special programming on the small screen, Diwali is always associated with contests and exciting games. Zee TV business head Aparna Bhosle mentioned that the channel has introduced Zee Wali Diwali contest for its loyal viewers, wherein they get a chance to win gold and special vouchers everyday through 2 November to 19 December. She added, “This contest will be promoted across digital, social media and PR where we will invite our viewers to share their experiences of making rangoli, mithai etc together as a family. We want to give our viewers another reason to make a fresh start, take a step forward, and make a shubh shuruwaat (auspicious beginning) with Zee TV through this contest and our on-going shows.”

     

     

    With Children's day and Diwali coinciding this year, Colors is going to run a campaign that will show the audience how to bring alive the Diwali spirit with children at the heart of it. The channel will host a #DIYwali party with the participation of notable characters and celebrities. The initiative will have a series of micro-videos that will teach DIY ways to do multiple festive rangoli, food, art & craft activities symbolic of the festival of lights.

    On the marketing side, Colors has designed a TV-focused campaign panning across network & non-network channels in all the Hindi speaking markets, along with print presence. The concept of bought bride or Molkki, the channel's newly launched show, will be brought to life with a promotional tie-in with Amazon, where customers will come across a unique buying proposition. In order to tap into the massive reach of 84.25 million people on its social media platforms, the ‘Colors golden petal club’ virtual event has flagged off ahead of Diwali.

    Ad spends rocketing too

    With market sentiments improving over the last few months, brands have started coming up with new and dynamic ways to connect with consumers. Experts observe that the festive season is the same every year – from consumer as well as advertisers’ perspective – enthusiastic and buoyant, even if celebrations may be a little toned down this time around. OMD Mudramax EVP & principal partner Navin Kathuria stated that if not all, most categories like e-commerce (Amazon, Flipkart, Pepperfry etc), cars, paints, white goods have started advertising.

    Jaipuria noted that gaming and edu-tech brands are also seizing the opportunity to invest big and have been receiving good traction for the last six months. She further added, “In the April-June quarter, most broadcasters gave attractive discounts to advertisers which helped the ad volumes to bounce back. However, ad rates were down due to the discounting. July to September quarter has witnessed a strong revival in pricing, with September discounting down to zero for movies and GEC genres.”

    According to both Kathuria and Madison Media Sigma CEO Vanita Keswani, the surge in advertising is more prominent on TV and digital. Meanwhile, print, radio, cinema, and OOH are nowhere close to their yesteryears’ inventory levels, though there also is a marginal increase in advertising. The only difference between last year and this year will be the scale of celebrations, advertising and spending / purchasing.

    Keswani also mentioned that ad spends started recovering since August and has almost reached the pre-Covid2019 levels in October, riding on the back of festive spending and the IPL. She said, “We expect ad-ex to recover in H2 2020 and grow at a dramatic rate of 60-70 per cent of the collapsed H1 half, or grow 6 per cent to 13 per cent versus H2 2019. This will lead to ad-ex in 2020 contracting by 14 per cent to 18 per cent.”
     
    Kathuria opined that advertisers will advertise only if they sense consumer demand. And many festive categories like cars, paints, e-commerce, electronic retail shops, home loans are advertising. In fact, a latest report indicated home purchase in October 2020 being higher than January this year – when the pandemic had not set in India. So all these signals point to consumer demand going up.

  • What’s exciting Nickelodeon India’s Nina Jaipuria this festive season

    What’s exciting Nickelodeon India’s Nina Jaipuria this festive season

    MUMBAI: Nickelodeon has been the undisputed leader in kid's TV space in India for several years now. It has created several iconic characters such as Motu-Patlu, Gattu Battu, Rudra, and Dadduji that have been immensely loved by children as well as the brands. With over 700 hours of content, the franchise today has the largest, immersive, and most versatile local content library in the category. The channel is aiming to increase 100 hours of content by the next fiscal year. 

    In its quest to continue its leadership position, the kids’ entertainment franchise announced the launch of its tenth indigenous IP Pinaki & Happy- The Bhoot Bandhus on Sonic. Produced by Delhi based Tavrohi Animations, the new 3D animated show is fast paced, entertaining, spooky – perfect to take the young viewers on an adventurous joy ride starting 9 November, Monday at 11:30 am on Sonic. The show will have three slots on the channel for the whole day. It is a ghost story mixed with comedy.

    Viacom18 Hindi mass entertainment and the kids TV Network head Nina Elavia Jaipuria highlighted that this project started 20 months ago and ever since that time, it was in the pipeline. Said she: “Any kids content requires a lot of time because it needs much planning in advance, animation and then you start producing episodes. In the middle of all this is the characterization, scripting and then eight language dubbing.”   

    In the meantime, Jaipuria along with the team actively looked at the market research, emerging trends in the kid's section and deep dived into their own portfolio. The channel is looking at white spaces that are untapped and have not been catered to the Indian animation industry. 

    New Storyline

    For Pinaki & Happy- The Bhoot Bandhus, the channel wrote down an entire hypothesis, worked on the characters, and in fact tested the show. The new property will portray an unusual family of ghosts, who adopt a boy, the titular character – Pinaki, and raise him as one of their own. Fun and chaos ensues when both the worlds collide. The show will illustrate daily adventures, familial love, the friendship of Pinaki and Happy as the fun unfolds when the ‘bhoot world meets the real world’. Directed by Ankur Chauhan, the lyrics of the title track have been penned by the legendary Gulzar, and the music composed by Simaab Sen.

    Elaborating more on the number of episodes and the overall plan for the show, Jaipuria shared that the number completely depends upon the viewership, ratings and ROI. Nickelodeon aims to expand the library for every single IP. –this is not what we are supposed to do…

    Viacom18 Hindi mass entertainment and the kids TV Network head Nina Elavia Jaipuria highlighted that work on the show  started 20 months ago, which is what animation projects normally take in India.

    Jaipuria along with the team undertook market research, emerging trends in the kid's section and deep dived into their own portfolio. The channel is looking at white spaces that are untapped and have not been catered to by the Indian animation industry.

    Nickelodeon enjoys strong viewership from rural areas as there are no FTA (Free to air) channels in the kid's category.

    Read more news on Nickelodeon

    Marketing Strategy

    The show launch will be supported by a robust promotion plan across all platforms, which will include an aggressive TV plan within the Viacom18 network and outside the network. In addition to the high blitz television promotions, the launch will be promoted on cable channels, DTH, OTT platforms, music streaming apps amongst others. There are various innovations lined up on the digital front, including tons of quirky communication on YouTube. There would be a high decibel influencer campaign reaching out to the digital audiences. The promotions will also extend to schools through an expansive virtual school contact program. Further adding to the experience will be fun Bhoot Bandhus inspired digital games, contests, AR filters, virtual dance face-offs, and a series of engaging and interesting on-line interactivity.

    Leadership Position

    Jaipuria shared that the channels’ prime focus has been to create a local IP that it could own and sweat it across platforms and revenue streams. She mentioned, “It was about creating a local IP in a manner where we created a portfolio and content library which expands in width and depth. It means we don’t only have the number of IPs we kept launching over the last 10 years but also the number of episodes we created for every IP. I think that has helped us to keep the pole position for Nickelodeon. The thing that keeps us on the rating front is also the fact that how we focus on our characters. So, story writing and scriptwriting is extremely important.”

    According to Jaipuria, it is extremely important for Nickelodeon to have a franchise and own IPs. Firstly from the ROI perspective, it helps to manifest it on various other platforms. The Nickelodeon IP exists in many avatars that include television, Voot kids, mobile games, product licensing, promotion licensing and consumer products. She pointed out that all the IPs have a long shelf life and start giving profits over a period of time. It keeps the channel ahead of the curve. Jaipuria mentioned, “Kids are early screen adapters and our strategy was to be present on every screen the kids want us to be. Owning the IP and having it for ourselves was very important. It is only then you can put your IP on any screen that the kid demands.”

    Brands Play

    Jaipuria didn’t hesitate to admit that the pandemic was brutal for the overall broadcast industry and the channel. Nickelodeon witnessed a dip in the adex by 20 per cent. The months from April to June were slow, but as the normalcy returns and products are back on the shelves, advertising has started to grow. Now, adex has gone back to the 2019 level. Starting October the ad volumes have been slightly more. She shared, “Market sentiment has improved, and advertisers are back. Several new categories have also come onboard like e-commerce, automobiles, Edutech, and e-wallet. These include brands like – Vedantu, Byjus, PhonePe, Amazon Pay and others. Some of the advertisers are also new like Lego and Mars. Currently, November and December look overfull. In fact, even during the lockdown, we did not give discounts on ad rates. We are operating on zero discount and I am hoping that the rates will go up.”

    The channel has both kid and non-kid advertisers. Kid advertisers are normally FMCG brands like Nestle, Britannia and likewise. But there are non-kid clients also that are targeting the gatekeepers or the co-viewers of the channel. These include e-commerce, automobile, insurance etc. Jaipuria thinks that kids are very good negotiators and have a lot of decision-making power and they are taken into consideration for a lot of household decisions. Brands that are advertising are also aware of the fact that there will be a lot of pester power. Kids now are so tech-savvy that they dominate the discussion on buying decisions – be it household items, groceries, electronics, which paint to apply or which car to buy. Jaipuria opined that this is one of the main reasons why so many advertisers choose Nickelodeon to reach out to these influencers and induce them to buy popular brands.

    She concluded, “We have grown on the top line by 12 to 15 per cent last year. We have grown our ad-rates by that much because 12 minutes is all we have to sell. So, all the increase that we get every year comes from value and rates. We are looking at growing and having a fair share in the ad-rate and considering that we are so under indexed at three per cent and considering the genre share at 7 per cent, we do want to take our ad-rates up every year."

  • Nick announces 10th indigenous IP, ‘Pinaki & Happy – The Bhoot Bandhus’

    Nick announces 10th indigenous IP, ‘Pinaki & Happy – The Bhoot Bandhus’

    MUMBAI: Continuing the rich legacy of being India’s leading kids’ entertainment franchise in the category, Nickelodeon has sustained the number one rank for the sixth year in a row. After achieving immense success with other home-grown IPs like Motu Patlu, Pakdam Pakdai, Shiva, Rudra, amongst others, Nickelodeon is all set to venture into yet another untapped space. Post the resounding success of nine IPs, the franchise is now set to introduce the first ever spooky-comic series in the category with the launch of their tenth Indigenous IP -Lego presents Pinaki & Happy- The Bhoot Bandhus on Sonic.

    Produced by Tavrohi Animation, the show is fast paced, entertaining, spooky, combined with comedy which will take the young viewers on an adventurous joy ride starting 9 November at 11:30 am.

    Taking the kids into a new world of fun, the show will portray an unusual family of ghosts, who adopt the central character of the show – Pinaki and raise him as one of their own. The high-octane comedy combined with some “Bhootbaazi” will take the viewers on a laughter ride with mysterious and hilarious stories of Pinaki & Happy- The Bhoot Bandhus. The show will illustrate daily adventurous of Pinaki & Happy as the fun unfolds when the bhoot world meets the real world. The show is directed by Ankur Chauhan. Legendary lyricist Gulzaar has once again scripted lyrics for the title track of the show and the music is created by Simaab Sen. The unique spooky-comic, home-grown animated show from the house of Nickelodeon will further strengthen the franchise’s diverse content portfolio. With over 700 hours of content the franchise today has the largest, immersive and the most versatile local content library in the category. The coming year will see further scaling of the content library with over 100 + hours of content, expected to be added through new episodes and made for television movies.

    Viacom18 Hindi mass entertainment and kids TV Network head Nina Elavia Jaipuria said, “Kids are at the center of our universe and understanding their evolving preferences and catering to their diverse entertainment needs is at the core of all our initiatives. With each passing year, we have identified white spaces and brought alive clutter breaking and pioneering series that have gone on to be category game changers and favorites amongst all our stakeholders -kids, parents and advertisers ensuring that we are the most loved No1 kids entertainment brand in the country. With the launch of our new show Pinaki & Happy- The Bhoot Bandhus on Sonic, we are set to once again enthrall our young viewers with an immersive and unmatched entertainment experience.”

    Viacom18 Kids TV Network content head Anu Sikka said, “With the launch of our new show Pinaki & Happy- The Bhoot Bandhus, we are expanding our already popular programming catalogue to keep our young audience entertained. Each character and their traits are so carefully crafted that I’m confident that the Bhoot Bandhus will be thoroughly loved by the kids. The show promises to take kids into a new world of fun bringing to them first of it’s spooky-comedy series which takes them on a laughter ride when the bhoot world meets the real world. Over the years our adorable toons have formed an unbreakable bond with kids through the stories they tell and we are confident that our young viewers will surely embrace the new characters  and make them a part of their daily lives.”

    Pivoting the media mix to the new normal, the marketing campaign will leave no stone unturned in reaching out to kids through all possible screens. The show launch will be supported by a robust promotion plan across all platforms, which will include an aggressive TV plan within the Viacom18 network and outside the network.In addition to the high blitz television promotions, the launch will be promoted on cable channels, DTH, OTT platforms, music streaming apps amongst others. There are various innovations lined up on the digital front, including tons of quirky communication on YouTube. There would be a high decibel influencer campaign reaching out to the digital audience. The promotions will also extend to schools through an expansive virtual school contact programme.  Further adding to the experience will be fun Bhoot Bandhus inspired digital games, contests, AR filters, virtual dance face offs and series of engaging and interesting on-line interactivity that will transport kids into a world of escape.

    With a perpetual spirit to innovate, Nickelodeon has always identified white spaces and launched characters that are kid’s favourite today. With the launch of Pinaki & Happy- The Bhoot Bandhus, the Nickelodeon franchise has been true to its repute of being a pioneer and has plugged another entertainment white space in the spooky-comic genre.

  • COLORS returns as the principal sponsor for Mumbai Indians

    COLORS returns as the principal sponsor for Mumbai Indians

    MUMBAI: Cricket frenzy is all set to unlock as the entire nation waits with bated breath to cheer for their favorite teams at the upcoming cricket carnival in the UAE starting, 19 September. For the second consecutive year, Viacom18’s flagship Hindi general entertainment channel, COLORS, will be seen furthering its brand footprint through the biggest cricketing phenomena of the year by partnering with one of the best performing teams, Mumbai Indians. Having established itself as one of the leading channels in the urban Hindi general entertainment category, COLORS will strengthen its association as the ‘Principal Sponsor’ for the Mumbai Indians. Mumbai Indians will don the COLORS logo on the back of their jersey during the much awaited 2020 season.

    Viacom18 Hindi mass entertainment and kids TV Network head Nina Elavia Jaipuria said, "Mumbai Indians as a team is much loved across the nation and we are delighted to be associated with them. In India, cricket has the power to bring families together, something that is also COLORS' core philosophy.  Through our content, we always aim to bring alive interesting storylines while ensuring a cohesive viewing experience. The synergy between the two brands and the unbeatable combination of cricket and entertainment makes our association with Mumbai Indians a perfect proposition.”

    Mumbai Indians spokesperson said, “We are pleased to continue our association with COLORS as the Principal Sponsor for Mumbai Indians. The continuation of our partnership reflects the similar ideologies of both brands. We look forward to yet another successful campaign with COLORS as we take the field to entertain the audience across geographies in this challenging hour."

    Setting the tone for the upcoming season, COLORS will enhance the thrill manifolds through an engaging TVC featuring players Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Jasprit Bumrah. This association will also witness promotions via engagement on digital platforms and will be further amplified through PR and on-ground branding.

  • ‘Bigg Boss’ S14 returns to Colors

    ‘Bigg Boss’ S14 returns to Colors

    MUMBAI: Bigg Boss 2020 is back on Colors and will prove to be the perfect antidote to this dreadful year. The show will now also premiere on video-on-demand service Voot Select.  In an unprecedented move, Voot Select will offer unlimited access with 24-hour LIVE feeds from the BB house on weekdays and stream the episode before TV and ad-free at Rs 99 per month and a special introductory price of Rs 499 per year.

    Bollywood actor Salman Khan will once again don the role of host and add his midas touch of wit and inimitable style to the show.

    Viacom18 Hindi mass entertainment and kids TV network head Nina Elavia Jaipuria said, “Bigg Boss today has grown to become a phenomenon in the country. The following and viewership the show receives continues to grow each year and it is truly the fans that make it happen. The last season was a tremendous success, trending on social timelines while also creating new viewership records in the category. While this year has been tough on everyone, we believe that it is only fair to the shows fan’s and our viewers that we return with a brand-new season 14 that will heighten spirits and delivers on an unmatched and thrilling entertainment experience. We look forward to launching yet another milestone season thus keeping our viewers engaged and happy as always.”

    Viacom18 Hindi mass entertainment chief content officer Manisha Sharma said, “Bigg Boss is not just a show but an extravaganza that drives pop culture and conversations in this country.  The show has every year garnered unparalleled patronage from our viewers and partners, each seeking to be a part of the category-defining show.  This year we know that our audience had to face many challenges.  But the new season of Bigg Boss will serve as a perfect antidote and give a fitting retort to 2020 – Ab Paltega Scene, Kyunki BB dega 2020 ko Jawaab being the intent. Like every year we intent on bringing to life a winning mix of concepts, celebrities, and stress buster entertainment – A sensational show that each of our true blue Bigg Boss fans will not want to miss any moment of.” 

    Viacom18 chief operating officer digital ventures Gourav Rakshit said, “At Voot Select, we have ensured that our viewers are engaged and entertained with content that is a premium, exclusive, and diverse. Bigg Boss is one of India’s most-watched shows and commands a following and fandom that is unmatched. Taking our digital-first strategy a step forward and keeping in sync with our viewers growing demands, viewers and Bigg Boss’ Asli Fans will have access to daily episodes before it airs on television. With a watch first, watch non-stop& watch super-exclusive proposition, we look forward to showcasing yet another exciting and larger than life season of Bigg Boss for all our premium subscribers.”

  • Colors’ Naagin 5 will premiere on 9 August

    Colors’ Naagin 5 will premiere on 9 August

    MUMBAI: COLORS brings the fifth season of the fantasy fiction franchise Naagin 5. It will be presented by Dabur Amla Hair Oil.An illuminating exploration of the world of Naagin, the series will be fueled by hatred, revenge and unrequited love as the Sarvashresth Adi Naagin will return to avenge her enemies. As the story progresses, she will conclude her epic battle that began centuries ago in Satyug and will fight to fulfill her journey of love. The new season of the show will Hina Khan, Dheeraj Dhoopar, and Mohit Malhotra in the leading roles. Produced by Balaji Telefilms, Naagin 5 will premiere on Sunday 9 August 2020 and will air every Saturday and Sunday at 8:00 pm only on COLORS.

    Several years ago, in Satyug, began the tale of the predecessor of the Naagin clan, Sarvashrestha Adi Naagin. She is fiercely in love with Naag Hriday but even before their love story could reach its happy ending, destiny rips them apart. At the same time, Cheel Aakesh obsessively falls for her, but his love remains unrequited and thus begins the tale of love and hatred. While Naagin’s love remains unfulfilled, she swears revenge as her dying wish. In Kalyug, she is reincarnated and this time is determined to fulfill her journey and also avenge the past. Will she be reunited with her love? Or will fate bring another twist to their story? Only time will tell.

    Speaking about the launch Viacom18 Hindi mass entertainment and Kids TV network head Nina Elavia Jaipuria said,“At COLORS, we are proud to keep the ball of entertainment rolling and are extremely delighted to be back in full force. On the heels of our latest offerings, Ishq Mein Marjaawan and Khatron Ke Khiladi Made In India, we are excited to launch a brand new season of our most popular and television’s biggest fantasy fiction franchise, Naagin. The aim is to enhance the magical portrayal of Indian folklore and take forward the legacy of extraordinary entertainment with the fifth edition of the show."

    Commenting on the concept of the show,Viacom18 CCO Hindi Mass Entertainment Manisha Sharma  said,“Season after season, Naagin has fortified its position as one of television’s biggest fantasy fiction franchise with its exceptional storytelling. As the legacy continues, we are delighted to present another historic season of the show featuring the very talented star cast that includes  Hina Khan, Dheeraj Dhoopar, and Mohit Malhotra. Naagin 5 will narrate a fascinating tale of love, revenge, and passion and is a visual spectacle with a promising storyline, cutting-edge special effects, and finely etched characters that are sure to enrich viewers’ experience. While strengthening our association with Balaji Telefilms, we are looking forward to embarking on an exciting new journey.”

    Elaborating further, Balaji Telefilms producer Ekta Kapoor said,  “We set out on this fascinating journey of recreating Naagin folklore five years ago and today, we will turn a new chapter with Naagin 5. It will further the intrigue around the mystical world of Naagin as she returns to reclaim her love and ravage her enemies. Enhancing the mysticism, Naagin 5 will be packed with a myriad of emotions ranging from resentment, hatred, unrequited love to revenge coupled with great visuals and extraordinary cast. I would like to welcome Hina Khan, Dheeraj Dhoopar, and Mohit Malhotra to the Naagin universe and I hope that with our partnership with COLORS, we will create history once again.”

    Naagin 5 will be extensively promoted on COLORS and Viacom18 network channels. As a part of the digital promotions, the channel will be unveiling a video of a hand-sketched Naagin Saga coffee table book. Leveraging on Naagin fan clubs, an activity was carried out wherein a  mysterious love letter was sent to them on behalf of the Naagin. Each fan club received a piece of the love letter and they were to scout for the remaining pieces to complete the puzzle. 

  • Colors to air fresh episodes of key shows from tonight

    Colors to air fresh episodes of key shows from tonight

    MUMBAI:  Hindi GEC Colors has announced its content resumption strategy by presenting fresh episodes of marquee shows. Soon after Khatron Ke Khiladi last week, the channel will air new episodes of Shakti Astitva Ke Ehsaas Kii and Barrister Babu starting 6 July at 8 pm and 8.30 pm respectively. Subsequently, Choti Sarrdaarni, Shubharambh, Naati Pinky Ki Lambi Love Story, Pavitra Bhagya’s new episodes will air from 13 July at 7.30 pm, 9 pm and 9.30pm 10:00pm slot respectively. On the heels of the lineup of all-new episodes, Colors will also launch a new romantic thriller, Ishq Mein Marjaawan slated to go on air on 13 July 2020 at 7pm. 

    Viacom18 Hindi Mass Entertainment and Kids TV network head Nina Elavia Jaipuria said, “During the lockdown, viewing habits have undergone a change. With the situation slowly normalising, we are delighted to be back in action after a brief hiatus and present viewers with fresh content of their favorite shows. While we focus on entertaining our viewers, we are making sure that the recommended safety norms are being adhered to and strictly followed.”

    Viacom18 Hindi Mass Entertainment chief content officer Manisha Sharma said, “During the lockdown, we innovated and adapted to the new environment by coming up with interesting content ranging from erstwhile hit shows to curating special programming vignettes. We are delighted to yet again be ahead of the curve to satiate viewers’ entertainment needs and air new content starting with Shakti… Astitva Ke Ehsaas Kii and Barrister Babu followed by Choti Sarrdaarni, Shubharambh, Naati Pinky and Pavitra Bhagya. Along with this, we will also be launching a new show Ishq Mein Marjaawan adding a romantic thriller to our existing show lineup. With renewed energy and excitement, we hope to continue to entertain the audience and reconnect them to their favorite characters.”

  • Colors Cineplex aims to be in top 3 Hindi movie channels list in 2020

    Colors Cineplex aims to be in top 3 Hindi movie channels list in 2020

    MUMBAI: Viacom18’s Hindi movie channel Colors Cineplex is strategically attracting eyeballs by offering cricket with road safety series and world television premieres of big movies of the year like Brahmastra and Dostana 2. The aim is to enter the top three movie channel list in 2020. 

    The channel currently has a movie festival, Hindi movie premiere, south dubbed movies, movies review show with Atika Farooqui and now it has added a cricket league as an annual property.

    Viacom18 Hindi mass entertainment and kids TV network head Nina Elavia Jaipuria says, “Our target is to ensure to get into the top three list. We want to make sure that we make Colors Cineplex a robust platform. It is by far the fastest growing movie channel on pay platforms and we want to continue with all the efforts that we are making on an everyday basis which has been consistent with the catalogue that we open up, with the kind of festivals, with the kind of engagement and entertainment that we have with Teetar mausi and with the kind of chat shows Atika brings to the table and with the kind of world television premieres. And then there will be the annual league of cricket that will ensure that we get an additional dose of viewers and footfall on the channel.”

    The programming strategy of the channel focuses on partnering with movies for at least two festivals in a month. The channel partnered with Love Aaj Kal for loveria film festival from 10-14 February where it aired movies Monday to Friday at 7.30 pm and it also tied-up with Dabang for BangBang film festival from 16 -20 December 2019 at 7.30 pm.

    The movie genre is the second biggest genre after Hindi GEC and the viewership on movie channels is growing with the curated world television premieres. Jaipuria says, “From Viacom18's perspective as a wholesome broadcaster and entertainer it is very important for us to be in the movie business. So, Colors Cineplex is the frontrunner and our representation in the movie genre. We are here to stay and invest in it and hope to see it moving from mid-tier to top five. The beauty of Viacom18 is that we have motion pictures in the house therefore there is absolute integration that works from that perspective from where we get our annual dose of premieres. We have a studio that makes it and we have a platform that broadcasts it. It's a very important genre.”

    The channel is also excited about the premiere of road safety series. Jaipuria says, “We have been exploring the white spaces and India is obsessed about Bollywood, cricket and food, now with the launch of series we have two out of three on the same platform.”

    She further says, “Both Bollywood and cricket evokes emotion that nothing else can. So it's a great fit for us to bring cricket on the movie channel. We have done Nidahas Trophy in the past on Rishtey Cineplex which was a great success and we are hoping to replicate that with the Road Safety Series this year. We want to make the series a winning annual property for us. We are leaving no stone unturned to make it larger than life with the legends like Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara coming back on the field.” 

    For the series the channel is selling its ad inventories on the cricket rates i.e., in lakhs per ten sec and not on the movie channel rates. 

    “The movie market is title-driven and it's investment heavy. It's expensive to be in and we have to ensure that it makes business sense for the organisation and we get the deserving ROI on the business. I think that is the biggest challenge,” said Jaipuria.

    Viacom18 Colors Cineplex head Rohan Lavsi says, “We will be the only channel who will do positive EBITDA in year one. We are very cautious about our cost and spending on catalogues and premieres. Even our FTA channel Rishtey Cineplex had a breakeven in year one. So in that sense we are very conservative.” 

    Jaipuria further adds that they won't be leaving anything on chance. "Whatever rightful investment is required for the rightful deserving ROI we will continue to do. I am sure in year two and three it will start getting the right ROI. It is an expensive proposition but we are not shying away from our investment either making movies at Viacom18 motion pictures or in broadcasting them on the channel and buying movies as well.”

  • Experimentation, innovation, risky moves enable Colors to top the charts: Viacom18’s Nina Elavia Jaipuria

    Experimentation, innovation, risky moves enable Colors to top the charts: Viacom18’s Nina Elavia Jaipuria

    MUMBAI: What's the secret sauce that has been adding flavour to Hindi GEC Colors lately? For the past few weeks Viacom18's Hindi GEC Colors has been seen in the leading position in the urban market and pay platform of BARC India’s weekly ratings. The channel has been leading with 22 per cent market share and 26 per cent market share in the primetime slot. According to Viacom18 Hindi mass entertainment and kids TV network head Nina Elavia Jaipuria, experimentation, innovation and bold moves have helped Colors in becoming the number one channel.

    Jaipuria says that the credit goes to the channel's selection of both fiction and non-fiction. If anyone thought that Colors depended only on Bigg Boss, she says, "We can’t sustain a number one position only on one reality show. We have been bold, we have taken risks and we have experimented with fiction shows too. We've been a pioneer in white spaces; we've told stories that have never been told in the past.”

    The channel will continue to invest in content and in properties that deliver reality, but at the same time, it will also ensure that it has a strong primetime line-up in fiction. Right now in the primetime slot the channel is running drama series like Vidya at 7 pm; Choti Sarrdaarni at 7.30 pm; Shakti at 8 pm; Barrister Babu at 8.30 pm; Shubhaarambh at 9 pm; Naati Pinky… at 9.30 pm; Bepanah Pyyaarr at 10 pm (the slot will be replaced by new show Pavitra Bhagya from 2 March) and Mujhse Shaadi Karoge at 10.30 pm. Colors also has the long running strong  offering  Naagin running on weekends' primetime.

    Bigg Boss 13 has witnessed unprecedented success with 200 million viewers on TV, two billion views on social media and 1.5 billion views on VOOT. Japuria says, “Success is not always measured with one metric. I feel it can only be a success if it is a win-win for all stakeholders and to me Bigg Boss is one such property. Not only did it get us the viewers, the relation that viewers had with the show was unprecedented, it also had a phenomenal success on social media and it took the show from television to digital.”

    She adds, “The other metric was that in this disruptive NTO phase it ensured that consumers choose Colors over any other channel. And the last stakeholder is our advertiser and this year was unprecedented from that perspective too. We had the largest advertiser support not just on the main show but even on the extension. We had a fabulous top line on the show and a very profitable show and therefore it made sense from the business perspective. Therefore, Bigg Boss to me, was a complete unprecedented success for all stakeholders.”

    Taking the baton from one reality show to another, Colors will be lauching Khatron Ke Khiladi season 10 from 22 February. The show garnered 222 million viewers last year and became its biggest reality show in FY 2019.

    The advertiser interest despite the economic slowdown bodes well for broadcasters. “Even though there is a slowdown in the economy and it's been sluggish, advertisers are ready to put their money in winning properties. But the biggest example was in the extension of the show where most of the advertisers who had come with us in the original came back for the extension as well. Which means that advertisers are willing to pay for properties that are winning despite an economic slowdown,” says Jaipuria.

    “And that is a simple reason why Maruti Suzuki has come back with us from last year to this year as a presenting sponsor. We also have Mountain Dew this year and I don't see any better brand fit for Mountain Dew because the whole DNA of the brand is about taking risk and Khatron Ke Khiladi is nothing but that, so that's a super brand fit. And of course we have Balaji wafers as well now joining the gang, and I'm pretty sure that when the show goes on air on Saturday we will have lots of advertisers. Our team is in Delhi right now signing the deals,” she opines.

    With regards to brand integration, Jaipuria says that some of the shows have a challenge on that front because it depends on the kind of integration. "So every show has its own set of challenges and integration. So of course we will try and add value and clutter break as much as we can. But will it be as much as we did for Bigg Boss is a question," Jaipuria concludes.

    With the upcoming new fiction and non-fiction shows in primetime slots on weekdays and weekends, the channel wishes to sustain its leading position.