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Tag: Pavitra Rishta

  • #Throwback2020: The year of reruns

    #Throwback2020: The year of reruns

    MUMBAI: Covid2019 was undoubtedly the biggest story of 2020, but it also gave new life to several well-loved stories of the past – more precisely, vintage TV shows. As productions came to a halt with the announcement of lockdowns, television broadcasters had to quickly come up with ways to fill up their time slots. As well as find ways to keep those at home engaged enough so as to not step out and possibly expose themselves to the novel Coronavirus.

    With no fresh episodes being churned out, successful TV shows went off air. TV programming executives started going through their back catalogue deciding what series and programmes to put on air once again. Doordarshan boss Shashi Shekhar Vempati took the high ground and made some audacious bets. He brought back the classics of the eighties – Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan and BR Chopra's Mahabharat.  The difference: unlike in the past when the episodes aired on Sunday mornings, Vempati put the two mythologicals on air every evening and in the afternoons. His decision worked like a charm.

    The Indian public, fearful of the havoc that Covid was wreaking on all and sundry, found solace in the two shows. The viewers swelled into millions and it seemed like all of India had connected with the story of a king and his exile and the victory of good over evil, and that of five brothers who fight adversity from their own family, go into exile only to come back and regain their rightful kingdom.

    Doordarshan regained its lost glory;  after nearly three decades of ceding ground to cable TV, it became India's most-watched channel again.

    In its heyday, the streets would be empty during showtime, and people formed queues outside shops to watch their favourite show on the pubcaster. Some people would even garland their TV sets in awe. In fact, the actors playing Ram and Sita would often be treated like  gods in public. The tables turned with the launch of satellite television in the mid-90s, and the explosive growth of private channels that followed.

    But bringing back Ramayan and other old favourites like Shaktiman and Buniyaad – created when DD monopolised TV broadcasting – forged an inexplicable and instantaneous connection with audiences. BARC has attributed the telecast of Ramayan and Mahabharat as the reason for DD’s climb to the top of the ratings chart. 

    Not only did Doordarshan succeed in chalking up record viewership, but it also generated online chatter – from memes to nostalgia posts from viewers. For many, it was a trip down memory lane.

    During an interaction, BARC India CEO Sunil Lulla remarked, “[Repeat telecasts of] Ramayan and Mahabharat, in my view, is a stellar move. It’s a nostalgia moment for people who are born in the 80’s. Because the entire family is sitting together with elders at home, it was the best thing to watch on TV. But shockingly, younger audiences were also watching the show. More of the urban audience, rather than rural, tuned in.”

    The buzz around these shows has led to an increased brand recall for Doordarshan. India’s iconic dairy brand Amul also went retro and re-released its old advertisements on the channel. 

    According to SEMrush (an online visibility management platform), ‘Ramayan’ became India's most searched term in the entertainment category in April 2020.

    Nielsen and BARC had reported that in the initial weeks of reruns, Ramayan episodes got 42.6 million tune-ins and garnered 6.9 billion viewing minutes on average.

    On 17 April, Prasar Bharati (the parent body of DD and All India Radio) announced in a tweet that Ramayan was the highest-watched entertainment programme globally, recording a viewership of 77 million. Even though the show attracted many advertisers, it irked viewers who wanted uninterrupted content. Some, bizarrely, even accused Doordarshan of streaming the show from a Moser Baer DVD.

     

     

    Certain sections of the public appealed to the government to curb the TV spots. In response, Vempati in a tweet said, "Would request everyone's patience with the advertisements. Brands reaching out to a large audience spurs consumption and economic activity at this critical juncture. Also, every rupee of commercial revenue to DD is a rupee of taxpayer money saved."  

     

     

    When I&B minister Prakash Javadekar posted a photo of himself watching Ramayan reruns during the lockdown, he was immediately panned for his “let them eat cake” moment while millions were struggling to make ends meet.

    But in the weeks that followed, public sentiment changed. Following the runaway success of the two shows, the state broadcaster went beyond mythological shows and tapped into its programming archive.  Buniyaad, Byomkesh Bakshi, Gora, Circus (starring a baby-faced Shah Rukh Khan), Shrikant (starring the late actor Irrfan Khan), Shaktimaan, Dekh Bhai Dekh, Shrimaan Shrimati, The Jungle Book, and more were back on telly – and viewers were hooked.

    Other broadcast networks followed suit. Viacom18-owned Hindi GEC Colors brought back shows such as Balika Vadhu, Jai Shri Krishna, Mahakali, Ram Siya Ke Luv Kush, Dance Deewane, Bigg Boss, Comedy Nights with Kapil, Sidharth Shukla-Rashami Desai-starrer love story Dil Se Dil Tak and comedy series Belan Wali Bahu.

    Zee TV played reruns of Jamai Raja, Pavitra Rishta, Jodha Akbar, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li’l Champs 2017 and Hum Paanch, Kumkum Bhagya, Kundali Bhagya, Ram Kapoor's Kasam Se, and Brahmarakshas.

    The classic sitcom Office Office was being broadcast on Sony SAB and Star Plus’ Mahabharat and Siya Ke Ram were back on TV too.

    Star Sports started showing historic cricket matches like India’s 2011 World Cup win, India vs Pakistan series, previous editions of the IPL, Formula 1 races, football and kabbadi.

    The audience's retro romance continued for three months. Almost every channel saw spikes in viewership; sadly, advertisers stayed away as overall economic and consumer sentiment had sunk to a new low.

    Came end July and governments gave the go-ahead to productions to start again under strict operating procedures. Shoots commenced and viewers rejoiced that fresh programming was back. However, none regretted the joy that reruns gave them for the three months of the initial period of the lockdown.

  • Zee collaborating with African countries to remake Indian content

    Zee collaborating with African countries to remake Indian content

    MUMBAI: Gone are the days when Indian producers were busy Indianising foreign content. Not that it’s not done still, but now made-in-India fare is being adapted into other languages in various countries. Zee, for example, is re-adapting popular Hindi soaps for other markets, especially the African ones.

    Zee TV’s flagship show, `Pavitra Rishta’, which worked well with Indian audiences, is now ready to fly in countries like Kenya, Nigeria and Senegal that have taken a fancy for Indian kitchen politics. Zee Telefilms has partnered with Multimedia Group (a broadcaster with two entertainment channels, Joy Prime and Adom TV) from Ghana and a Nigerian investor, MACE, to remake `Pavitra…’ as `Deceptive Measures’ with local actors.

    The filming is taking place across Kenya, Ghana and Nigeria and the first season will have 52 episodes of one-hour each. Popular actors from Kenya, Ghana and Nigeria, who will star in the series, include local stars like Michael Godson and Joy Jasmin Aygeman apart from actors from the three countries. The series will be directed by Nigerian film producer and director Uduak Obong.

    Zee Telefims Ltd regional head for Middle East, Africa, Turkey and Pakistan Nitin Michael told indiantelevision.com that over the past few years popularity of Indian content amongst African audiences has grown significantly.

    According to Michael, last year Zee produced `Khwaabon Ke Darmiyaan’, in collaboration with RTI from Ivory Coast, giving it a local flavour. The Indian drama series produced in the UAE had an African actor as part of the cast. A few of the scenes from the drama were also shot in Africa as well. “This series turned out to be a huge success and, hence, the next logical step was to explore a full local production,” Michael explained the reason for Zee venturing into remakes.

    However, getting into a full-fledged conversion of an Indian theme with foreign actors for specific markets was not just a thought out of the blue. The idea to get into local flavor came after lot of brain-storming and data analytics relating to popular soap operas that did well in Africa in the past.

    ‘Pavitra Rishta’, for example, was a story that had worked well both on Zee channels in Africa as also on other TV channels from countries like Kenya, Nigeria and Senegal when telecast in original Hindi and dubbed/sub-titled in English and French languages, Michael said.

    The partnership amongst African broadcasters, local investors and Zee is a unique initiative with the objective being collaboration with FTA broadcasters from across Africa and using local talent to create engaging content with production values that were better than what was already being done in the African entertainment industry. According to Michael, the price of creating such re-purposed content was similar to what was already being done.

    The project involving remaking Indian content for audiences across regions has “opened the eyes and minds” of broadcasters to create more such high-quality content, which could work well with the audiences there in Africa.

    Michael said following `Pavitra Rishta’ initiative, Zee is exploring the option with other broadcasters from across the region for remaking other successful Indian scripted and unscripted formats that could travel across Africa and could include the likes of ‘Dance India Dance’ and ‘Punar Vivah’. 

  • Zee Smile set for a revamp; Shailja Kejriwal to head

    Zee Smile set for a revamp; Shailja Kejriwal to head

    MUMBAI: Zee Network’s dead channel, Zee Smile is all set to ‘smile’ again. After more than a decade of its launch (September 2004), the network aims to get the channel up and running again.

     

    According to sources close to the development, Zee Smile is set for a revamp in the coming months and Zeel chief creative head – special projects Shailja Kejriwal will head the project. She can also be credited for launching general entertainment channel (GEC), Zindagi last year for the Indian diaspora. 

     

    With the revamp, the channel is trying to move away from tear jerkers. It aims to bring the fraternity of television and theatre together. Sources from the industry say, “The channel, with the revamp, aims to grab attention of niche audience. Owing to that fact, Zee Smile will be televising plays.”

     

    Shot like a TV series, the channel will have plays across languages dubbed in Hindi. A source within the network further confirms the development and reveals that the planning for the channel’s revamp had begun in December 2014. 

     

    Moreover, the theatre groups are also planning to travel across states like Punjab and Orissa amongst others to bring in visibility. “The artists have been rehearsing for close to three months before going on-floors. The shoot is likely to take place in the month of April. Research has also taken place parallely,” reveals a media planner. 

     

    “It is a good initiative taken by the network. Additionally, it aims to tap into the international markets, which is a plus point for theatre artists. They will get a good platform to showcase their talent across which they otherwise fail to get,” says a senior executive from a production house.

     

    Kejriwal was unavailable for comment when contacted.

     

    At present, the channel has no original shows in its baskets. It only airs reruns of popular drama series of its sister channel Zee TV such as Yahan Main Ghar Ghar Kheli, Hitler Didi, Tumhari Disha, Woh, Pavitra Rishta and Hum Paanch.

  • 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!

  • ‘Pavitra Rishta’ to be replaced by Ekta Kapoor’s ‘Kumkum Bhagya’

    ‘Pavitra Rishta’ to be replaced by Ekta Kapoor’s ‘Kumkum Bhagya’

    MUMBAI: Two decades ago, Ekta Kapoor started her association with Zee TV with the popular sitcom – Hum Paanch.

     

    And since then there is no looking back. The queen of television especially the primetime slot is back with a new show on the channel.  The new offering will be replacing her own successful and popular show ‘Pavitra Rishta’.

     

    The show ‘Kumkum Bhagya’ will once again see Kapoor’s blue-eyed boy Shabbir Ahluwalia who has shied away from facing the camera since 2012, essaying a role of Rockstar with a cult following on the show. The lead actress of the show is played by Sriti Jha who will play the elder amongst the two sisters on the show loosely based on Jane Austen’s classic ‘Sense and Sensibility’.

     

    The Indian interpretation follows the life of a mother who runs a marriage hall and lives with the hope of seeing her two daughters – poles apart in bearing, outlook and disposition, happily married some day. Known for making shows that are women-centric, the pivotal characters of the show are a bunch of strong, feisty women, living together in an all-female, matriarchal family.

     

    On her new show, Kapoor said, “All I can say is that it’s a very passionate story of love …!”

     

    But does this spell ‘The End’ for the former show?  Not really, ‘Pavitra Rishta’ will now be aired Monday to Friday at 6:30 pm on the channel.

     

    Talking about the time shuffle amongst her projects, Kapoor said, “Pavitra Rishta has been on-air for over four years now and the journey has been most gratifying for me as a maker. After ‘Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhie Bahu thi’ if there is any other show which is close to my heart, then it is ‘Pavitra Rishta’. The characters of Manav, Archana, Arjun, Purvi and now Ankita-Naren have endeared themselves to the audience, so much so that they are an inseparable part of their lives. While the audiences who are hooked on to ‘Pavitra Rishta’ will continue to enjoy the show at 6:30 pm, the new show ‘Kumkum Bhagya’ will open at 9 pm, drawing maximum eyeballs.”

  • Zee to launch one more GEC?

    Zee to launch one more GEC?

    MUMBAI: Indiantelevision.com has learnt that there is more in the offering from the Zee Network. Zee, which is known for its pioneering initiatives in the broadcasting space, soon plans to add one more general entertainment channel (GEC) to its kitty.

    According to highly placed sources in the industry, the network is preparing to launch the channel under the ‘&’ franchise. “The network is planning to launch yet another GEC which will have all original shows. In the coming six to eight months, viewers will have a clear picture,” reveals the source.

    The network launched their first interactive movie channel titled, ‘&pictures’ on 18 August. And within a few weeks, on 1 September, the network launched another channel – a GEC christened ‘Zee Anmol’ that airs re-runs of the best of Zee TV shows like Dance India Dance, Pavitra Rishta, Kasam Se among others.

    At the recently held Mipcom event at Cannes, the network announced that it has acquired 20 programs from Geo TV, a Pakistan based television channel.

     

    And if the source is to be believed, all the shows may be aired on this soon to be launched new GEC. “Right now, they are masking it all by saying it is for Zee Anmol but eventually it will be aired on the ‘&’ franchise sister GEC,” remarks the source.

    When we contacted the channel officials, they refused to comment. But with the recent developments, it seems something interesting is brewing up at the network.

  • Zee to launch one more GEC?

    Zee to launch one more GEC?

    MUMBAI: Indiantelevision.com has learnt that there is more in the offering from the Zee Network. Zee, which is known for its pioneering initiatives in the broadcasting space, soon plans to add one more general entertainment channel (GEC) to its kitty.

     

    According to highly placed sources in the industry, the network is preparing to launch the channel under the ‘&’ franchise. “The network is planning to launch yet another GEC which will have all original shows. In the coming six to eight months, viewers will have a clear picture,” reveals the source.

     

    The network launched their first interactive movie channel titled, ‘&pictures’ on 18 August. And within a few weeks, on 1 September, the network launched another channel – a GEC christened ‘Zee Anmol’ that airs re-runs of the best of Zee TV shows like Dance India Dance, Pavitra Rishta, Kasam Se among others.

     

    At the recently held Mipcom event at Cannes, the network announced that it has acquired 20 programs from Geo TV, a Pakistan based television channel.

     

    And if the source is to be believed, all the shows may be aired on this soon to be launched new GEC. “Right now, they are masking it all by saying it is for Zee Anmol but eventually it will be aired on the ‘&’ franchise sister GEC,” remarks the source.

     

    When we contacted the channel officials, they refused to comment. But with the recent developments, it seems something interesting is brewing up at the network.
    Keep watching this space for more!

  • Sony back at no five; Star continues to lead the pack

    Sony back at no five; Star continues to lead the pack

    MUMBAI: The war for ‘the best among the rest’ continues even as the top three positions see no change in week 35 of TAM TV ratings. In week 35 of TAM TV ratings, most of the GECs saw a good amount of growth in its viewership. 

     Sab, a sister channel of Sony Entertainment Television maintains its stability on the number four spot with 319,158 GVTs (295,176). On the other hand, Sony which was at the sixth position last week props up to fifth position this week with no major difference in the ratings: recording 291,074 GVTs (292,684). Life OK is at sixth position this week with 269,927 GVTs (293188). 

    Star Plus continues to lead the pack when it witnessed a rise and reported 495,509 GVTs (470,197). Colors also saw growth in its ratings when it generated 452,921 GVTs (435,673). Zee TV holds the number three slot notching up 395,024 GVTs (377,685). Sahara One continues to be at the bottom scoring 29,645 GVTs (30,527).
    Let us take a look at the leader, Star Plus channel’s popular show Diya aur Baati Hum saw a huge rise in its ratings and rated 10,175 TVTs (9,483). Another prime time show, Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai saw a slight fall taking its score to 7,024 TVTs (7,124). Pyar Ka Dard Hai reported 6,515 TVTs (6,482) and Saathiya registered 6,127 TVTs (5,374). Reality show Junior Master Chef witnessed a drop and rated 2,671 TVTs (2,804).

    Zee TV‘s reality dance show DID Super Moms witnessed a huge drop in its viewership and rated 4,653 TVTs (5,664) on Saturday and 4,490 TVTs (5,635) on a Sunday. Its fictional offering Qubool Hai scored 6,492 TVTs (6,618). Pavitra Rishta generated 5,078 TVTs (4,990).  It’s long running series Sapne Suhane Ladakpan Ke scored 4,785 TVTs (4,361). The channel’s historical show Jodha Akbar seems to attract audiences by its interesting track taking its tally to 4,785 TVTs (4,361).
    Colors‘ popular celebrity dance reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa is on the losing side this week when it generated 5,979 TVTs (6,869) on Saturday and increased marginally reporting 5,730 TVTs (5,540) on Sunday. Long running fiction series Balika Vadhu registered 6,127 TVTs (6,294), Madhubala – Ek Ishq Ek Junoon rated 5,329 TVTs (4,646) and Uttaran scored 5,069 TVTs (4,736). The comedy show Comedy Nights with Kapil seems to enjoy good viewerhip when it generated 7,072 TVTs (6,988).

    Fourth placed, Sab‘s fiction show Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah continues to be the channel leader with 7,094 TVTs (7,048). Chidiya Ghar lost its audiences when it scored 2,777 TVTs (3,069). Lapataganj reported 2,093 TVTs (2,318). Other fictional shows witnessed marginal rise and fall as well.

    Fifth placed, Sony’s long running crime series CID scored 4,758 TVTs (5,061) and Crime Petrol saw a healthy rise when it rated 4,783 TVTs (3,500). On the other hand, Comedy Circus ke Ajoobe Mahabali maintained its stability and reported 3,070 TVTs (3,071). The channel‘s historical show Maharana Pratap generated 2,993 TVTs (3,068). Other fiction shows either held on to their viewership or dipped marginally during the week. Sony‘s Indian Idol Junior had a good viewership on Saturday and reported 4,751 TVTs (4,064) but lost its viewership when it rated 4,348 TVTs (4,617) on Sunday.

    Sixth placed, Life OK’s top series Mahadev rated 2,995 TVTs (3,020). Do Dil Ek Jaan stood at 1,721 TVTs (1,554), Savdhan India rated 2,271 TVTs (2,526), whereas Shapath generated 2,455 TVTs (3,330) and the new entrant Gustakh Dil rated 1,372 TVTs (1,238).

    In the movie channel‘s genre: Zee Cinema reported 246,750 GVTs (248,031); Star Gold witnessed a fall with 194,992 GVTs (207,543) and Movies OK rated 118,643 GVTs (131,215). On the other hand, Max witnessed a rise with 223,692 GVTs (218,449).

    Well, it seems the GECs are having a good roller coaster ride. Let’s see what is instore for the GECs in the coming weeks.

  • Diya aur Baati hum: Two years on, the flame continues to burn bright

    Diya aur Baati hum: Two years on, the flame continues to burn bright

    MUMBAI: An educated girl with big aspirations is married off to an illiterate boy from an orthodox family is not something out-of-the box. We all have heard, read or seen such stories year after year. But what is it about Star’s primetime show – Diya aur Baati hum – that has caught everyone’s fancy?
     

    Prompt comes the reply from Star’s programming head (fiction) Danish Khan that there are various aspects which have led to the success of the show that completes two years on 29 August. “The most important thing about the show is that even though it is set in a small town, it has broken the stereotype that one cannot pursue his/her dreams after marriage.”

     

    Khan goes on to give the credit to the strong and evolving story and the actors for integrating well with all the elements, “The writers and producers have been able to keep the horse running for us. The story is so simple yet day-after-day it has been able to connect with its audience. Even the actors have portrayed the characters so well. They are reliving their lives as those characters.”

     

    Agreeing with Khan, Shashi Sumeet Productions (which is producing the show) founder director Sumeet Mittal adds, “As an inspirational story of a halwai (sweet shop owner) wanting to make sure his wife becomes an IPS officer, it was amazing how the audience accepted our show. Furthermore, the extremely relatable characters have helped give this show a sense of realism to which our audiences can connect.”

     

    And the numbers are proof enough of that. The drama series, which is based in Pushkar (Rajasthan), has been a consistent No 1 for nearly a year and a half for Star Plus. Its launch ratings of 1.9 TVRs (the metric used nowdays is TVTs) were not oo impressive. But it grew on its audience which took a fancy to it as reflected in the ratings climb to 6.7 TVR (week 34 of last year). A year later in 2013 in week 33, Diya aur Baati has reported TVTs of 11,166 TVT, which is way higher than any other primetime show on the competition. Rival Zee TV’s Pavitra Rishta which airs at the same time slot has a relatively leaner TVT of 4,959 TVTs for the same week, while ratings of shows on other channels don’t even merit a mention.
     

     

    Industry sources say that adverising commercial air time on Diya aur Baati comes at a high sticker price thanks to its continuing stellar performance and connect with its loyal viewers. “The premium attached to the show is almost 30-40 per cent more than the second ranking show, as per ratings,” says a source.

     

    Any other channel worth its salt would love to replicate the prime time series success. What is that makes Diya aur Baati tick? It’s all about staying true to your roots and understanding why you are making a show and for whom, feels Mittal.  “Having an audience connect doesn’t just mean making a show with good television ratings, but also creating a beautiful amalgamation of what we want and what the audience wants,” he elaborates.

     

    Star Plus vice president (marketing) Nikhil Madhok avers that effective marketing during the show’s high points and brand integrations are something that have worked well for it. “When Suraj went for the ‘Top Chef Competition,’ we got the entire nation to give their best wishes to him. If you look at the recent activation, we got Shahrukh Khan to the show in the ‘Master Quiz’ episode. We do such activities regularly to connect to people,” states Madhok.
     

     

    The producer of the show doesn’t think retaining stickiness is a cakewalk . “Today, people are spoilt for choice and one has to maintain the connect with audiences for them to keep coming back every day,” says Mittal.

     

    Fiction show audiences on GECs expect high drama. Some of the tools programming and creative folks in channels have been using to keep viewers hooked are generation leaps and unexpected twists and turns in the story plot. “The idea is to the audience guessing and looped-in otherwise there is always another show where they can find drama. Also, it helps the show to stay fresh, all the time,” says a media observer.

     

    To keep freshness going after 500-plus episodes isn’t a difficult task if the entire team is driven to make each episode work, believes Mittal. “We have to treat every episode as a whole and give it equal importance. Each department, from writing to direction to actors, to camera persons each and every member of the crew has to work with the same amount of passion and that’s what will translate into a beautiful episode on screen. I strongly believe that in a daily soap, where your interface with the audience happens every single day, the philosophy that small parts make a whole applies aptly here. We have to see that imagination and execution go hand in hand.”

     

    Lodestar UM’s general manager Hema Malik agrees but adds that it is impossible for a show to keep reigning forever; unless of course the team is able to continually come up with interesting and entertaining elements. “Overall, if a show has been getting good ratings, it means it has a strong storyline and characters which one can relate to. And if at a certain stage the storyline becomes boring or predictable, people will take even less time to get off it than they took to get hooked on to it. It is here that one needs to take up the challenge and bounce back.”

     

    Malik goes on to say that the show portrays the channel’s philosophy Rishta Wahi Soch Nayi perfectly. “Star’s values are very much in the storyline of the show. Hence, it’s a perfect match.”

  • Zee’s digital plan: Apps for all

    Zee’s digital plan: Apps for all

    The title of Zee TV’s latest primetime offering – Connected Hum Tum – inadvertently spells out the predicament most general entertainment channels (GECs) find themselves in today.
    Indeed, be it a Sony Entertainment Television, Star Plus, Colors or Zee, given the increasingly competitive TVT scenario, every channel today faces the continual challenge of staying connected to stay in the minds of its audience.

    Zee TV has differentiated its digital presence based on the kind of shows on air. Right from religious, musical, self-help to horror programmes, says Akash Chawla

    So, how do channels go about cracking this rather tough nut? How do they perfect the science of understanding viewer habits amidst the growing clutter of GECs? Apparently, they’ve found the perfect solution in social media.

    True. From being just an informal platform for friends to chat and share pictures, social media has evolved into the most preferred medium to stay connected and TV channels are no exception to this norm.

    In fact, indiantelevision.com kick-started its digital series in a bid to understand the individual digital strategy of each television channel within our purview. After a close look at the digital strategies adopted by the likes of Sony Entertainment Television, Star Plus and Colors, we now take a sneak peek at the digital approach of Zee TV.

    With a slew of social media initiatives including mobile apps and missed call theory incorporated into its reality shows, Zee TV has tried to stay on top of its game as far as remaining connected with its audiences. Let’s take a look at what’s on offer…

    A finger in every digital pie

    Zee TV’s tryst with the digital space began in 2009 when it launched its official channel on YouTube.

    Today, the YouTube channel boasts 613,650 subscribers, with over 428 million views of the 30,950 videos, making it one of the most viewed channels on YouTube.

    Episodes of daily soaps like Qubool Hai, Pavitra Rishta, Jodha Akbar and Punarvivaah as well as reality shows like Connected Hum Tum and Dance India Dance Super Moms are regularly uploaded on the YouTube channel. These apart, “Episodes of previously aired popular soaps like Chhoti Bahu, Star Ya Rockstar, DID Li’l Masters 2 and Yahan Main Ghar Ghar Kheli are also made available on it,” informs Zee marketing head, national channels, Akash Chawla.

    The mainstay platform of Zee has web exclusive content, photo galleries, polls, full schedule of the shows and much more

    Apparently, “Qubool Hai – the sweet, light-hearted love story of Asad and Zoya and their families leads the pack on the Zee YouTube channel,” reveals Chawla, adding, “We get an average of 1,60,000 views per episode of Qubool Hai uploaded on our YouTube channel.” Pavitra Rishta follows suit with an average of 50,000 views per episode

    Apart from the YouTube channel, Zee TV keeps its viewers updated about the cast of its shows, teasers of upcoming episodes, and show launches through its official Facebook page that boasts 422,915 likes and more than 23,500 fans in constant discussion.

    “Even our shows have a huge following with pps that engage the audience. Dance India Dance for instance has 503,700 likes with 13,000 plus active followers,” gushes Chawla, adding, “The last season of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa attracted 0.15 million likes, and the number of active users went up to 8,000 while the show was on-air.”

    Hum, tum aur social media

    Zee’s latest primetime offering Connected Hum Tum is the latest in its endeavours in the digital space.

    Even before the show premiered on television, Zee created original parallel online content to promote it.

    Short comic videos were created with the central theme of ‘Men Who Understand Women’ Society. They all had a crew turning up during scenarios where the man is clueless about what has upset his woman and provide him with remedial measures. Parodies of real-life situations, the videos all but left the audiences in splits.

    A month prior to the show launch, Zee created a wave of curiosity around it through daily teaser posts on Facebook and Twitter. These built intrigue around the show’s novel concept and the identity of its celebrity host.

    Ultimately, “When Abhay Deol was revealed as the host, the social media space kept buzzing with pictorial posts of the actor with his tongue-in-cheek commentary about women and how he just cannot understand them! The title song of the show – a fresh, catchy video featuring the actor, was launched on YouTube and all other video platforms alongside its on-air launch,” Chawla informs about Zee’s social media strategy during the launch of this show.

    He points out that on the anvil are live chats with Abhay on Twitter, Google hangouts with the participants and live tweeting during the telecast of an episode with an on-air twitter feed – all to drive increased viewer interactivity and participation.

    Zee TV has also created a YouTube gadget, which serves as the primary engagement platform for audiences to consume Connected Hum Tum online. It has episodes, uncut videos, a discussion forum on the themes of daily episodes, and video biographies of the six protagonists – all updated on a day-to-day basis.

    Going a step further, Zee TV has differentiated its digital presence based on the kind of shows on air. “Right from religious, musical, self-help to horror programmes, we have apps for all,” informs Chawla. “When Ramayan was first telecast on Zee, the channel launched a virtual Ram Mandir app on Facebook. This helped people to perform virtual aarti. We got an impressive 10,000 page views for this app, within the very first week,” he says.

    Similarly, when Sa Re Ga Ma Pa 2012 was launched, Zee TV introduced the Call and Sing app, allowing fans to record their songs and post their recording either on their own walls or friends’ walls. “This was a way to engage people, as they could now showcase their singing prowess to their friends and Zee TV followers alike,” Chawla reveals.

    It doesn’t end there. Zee TV’s Twitter handle, @ZeeTV, has nearly 73,233 followers. Interactions are usually driven by the channel and picked up by followers. Fans who are interested in behind-the-scenes gossip are kept updated through live tweets.

    Exults Chawla: “Our comprehensive digital presence is further topped by the official website www.zeetv.com. This being our mainstay, we use all other platforms to drive traffic towards the website, which is complete with a picture gallery, video uploads, trends, show trivia, news and discussions and much more.”

    During the audition of Dance India Dance 3, Zee TV went to the extent of allowing online entries. “We recorded a whopping 50,000 participants registering for auditions with votes reaching a cumulative figure of 1.75 lakh,” says Chawla.
    Mobile’s the way to go

    With Ditto TV, users can watch movies, television shows, sports and latest news and updates, at their own convenience, even when away from home says Manoj Padmanabhan

    The launch of Ditto TV on 29 February 2012 marked the channel’s foray into the mobile space. Ditto TV was unveiled as an Over-The-Top TV (OTT) distribution platform offering live TV channels and videos-on-demand (VOD) to consumers on their mobile phones, tablets, laptops, desktops, entertainment boxes and connected TVs.

    About Ditto TV, Zee business head, new media, Manoj Padmanabhan, says: “With Ditto TV, users can watch movies, television shows, sports and latest news and updates, at their own convenience, even when away from home.”

    The platform has a Movies-on-Demand section with close to 500 Hindi, English and regional movies, and a vast library of videos-on-demand from popular TV shows such as Hum Paanch, Saath Saath, MTV Coke Studio, MTV Bakra and Comedy Nights with Kapil as well as online content. 

    “What’s exciting is that users can watch missed episodes of their favourite on-air shows from Zee TV, Colors and other regional channels on Ditto TV within a few hours of their telecast on television,” Padmanabhan informs.

    With a presence across mobile platforms such as Android, iOS, Symbian, Windows 8 and Blackberry, Ditto TV has 65,210 likes on Facebook and 1,420 active followers on its Twitter handle – @ditto_tv.

    Padmanabhan reveals that they recently launched an innovative teaser campaign on the Zee YouTube channel comprising interactive videos to give a fresh twist to the concept of ‘anytime viewing’. He is quick to point out that though currently, most of their traffic is from India with only 10 per cent of their base being international users they plan to expand their international presence this year.

    Zee’s YouTube page has all the popular shows and gets more than 40,000 average video views per episode

    Zee’s next big initiative in the mobile space came with the launch of the Dance India Dance (DID) mobile WAP site and mobile app, which coincided with the third season of the show. This made DID the first ever reality show on Indian television to be present as an application on all mobile and digital platforms.

    In March 2012, within three days of unveiling it, the app reported more than 10,000 downloads and rated 4.5 out of 5 on the Android app store – a very competitive score, considering the Android store is an open platform and the reviews therein are all user-generated.

    About the overwhelming response, Chawla says: “The interactions with popular judges and contestants of the show made the mobile application go viral in the digital space, setting new benchmarks with 2,12,852 WAP site page hits, 18 lakh page views and 14,642 comments in the ‘live comments’ section within months of its launch.”

    Not only did the DID 3 app become a major hit in India but also in 25 other countries including the US and the UK. “It reinforced the fact that mobile marketing is the best way to capture the youth and the tech-savvy generation of smart phone and feature phone users,” points out Chawla.
    Riding on the success of the DID 3 app and following the overwhelming response to the initial episodes of DID L’il Masters, the app was converted to its DID l’il Masters avatar in May 2012. This actually made users come back for more.

    Zee TV constantly updates its Facebook profile with pictures, polls and snippets

    “Features like live chats and personalised dance tutorials with masters and skippers were introduced along with regular updates. A built in missed call feature allowed users to vote for their favourite contestants,” says Chawla, adding, “There was an increase in the number of users with the official download count crossing three lakh downloads across all four platforms.”

    To top it all, the app won accolades from the marketing fraternity when it won a Gold and a Bronze at the Smarties 2012 and MMA Global for being the best mobile app and the missed call feature, respectively.

    “The missed call feature recorded a landslide 56.1 million votes just through DID Li’l Masters 2,” informs Chawla. Overall, Zee recorded a one million download mark among Hindi GECs for its non-fiction shows, demonstrating the success of its mobile app revolution.

    While it may be safe to say Zee has been pressing all the right buttons digitally speaking, let’s see what does the channel comes up with next considering creativity never ends in this space