ITV

Tag: Ragini Khanna

  • Sony seeks ‘Pal’ in housewives

    Sony seeks ‘Pal’ in housewives

    MUMBAI: “I will be seeking the moon,” says Multi Screen Media CEO NP Singh, as he announced the launch of the network’s much talked about new Hindi general entertainment channel (GEC), Sony Pal. The network which had conceptualised the new channel last year is very confident about the channel, its offerings and the packaging. “Now we will see how viewers respond to it,” adds the optimistic Singh.

     

    Targeted at women, mostly housewives, in the age group of 15-34 years, in SEC BCDE, Sony Pal was a dream for Singh, which is now finally taking shape. The target audience was chosen after the result of the research which showed that 88 per cent of viewership for a GEC comes from housewives. “The new channel will complement our other offerings,” he says.    

     

    “Today’s women have started realising that they can not only contribute to the society, but also augment family income. Through Pal, we will celebrate these women,” says Singh.

     

    The network did an extensive research before deciding on the content, the channel packaging and the target audience. “Our research showed that there was latent demand for a content which was progressive and positive,” he informs.

     

    The channel is based on the theme ‘Yeh Pal Humara Hai’. “This is the moment to shine, to evolve, to excel and achieve. This moment belongs to her and her alone,” says Sony Pal and Sab senior EVP and business head Anooj Kapoor while adding that this is not a generic promise, but a personalised one.

     

    The channel will go live from 1 September, with actor Juhi Chawla as its brand ambassador and with content which is empowering and that showcases positive aspects of modern India, while presenting the traditional aspect. “We will showcase family togetherness and not strife, which is what most channels today showcase,” adds Kapoor.

     

    When asked the reason for roping in Chawla, the duo say, “She is a person who is empowered, successful and yet approachable. She was the first name that came to us, and we stuck with her.”

     

    The channel logo, which dons colours pink, purple and yellow and has diamonds, a woman’s best friend, has been designed by an Australian agency.

     

    Sony Pal for Kapoor is mature and the shows will help connect the audience with a life that is beautiful and not a struggle. The channel will initially go on air with three hours of original content, which will be aired from Monday to Saturday between 7:30 pm-10:30 pm. Also, it will have two hours of original programming on Sunday evening. “After a month, we will launch the Balaji Telefilms’ show at the 7pm slot, thus taking original content to 3.5 hours,” informs Kapoor. The slot for the Sunday programming has not yet been disclosed.

     

    The channel launches with nine shows, these include: Simply Baatein which is produced by GR8 Entertainment and  anchored by Raveena Tandon, Dil Hain Chotasa Choti Si Asha, produced by SOL Productions and hosted by Ragini Khanna and Jay Soni, Shashi Productions’ Ek Rishta Aisa Bhi, Miloni Films’ Khushiyon Ki Gullakh Aashi¸ Singhasan Battisi by Creative Eye, Pia Basanti Re by Rashmi Sharma and Pawan Kuma, Tum Sath Ho Jab Apne produced by Sphere Origins, Sister Didi by DJ’s Creative Unit and Yeh Dil Sun Raha Hain by Balaji Telefilms.

     

    All the series are infinite and the channel will take a call on the number of episodes based on its performance. While no advertisers have currently come onboard, the network is positive about its content. “We have showcased our product to them and they have responded positively. They first want to see the shows and the channel and then decide. And we are in no hurry too,” says Singh.

     

    The channel will look at afternoon slots later. “There is a lot of ground to be covered. This is just the beginning,” adds Kapoor. The shows while initially will be shot at outdoor locations of Patiala, Baroda, Lucknow and other HSM cities, will later move to sets.

     

    The soon-to-go air channel is not free to air and will be available on all the four major multi system operators, DEN Networks, Hathway Cable & Datacom, Siti Cable, Digicable and Fastway in Punjab and all the direct to home (DTH) operators.

     

    On the marketing front, a 360 degree campaign has been designed, which will go live from 10 August. “We have designed a five week campaign with a lot of fresh initiative. One of this is forming women’s club, through which women can identify their talent and can celebrate life,” informs Kapoor.

     

    Manjit Sachdev will be the programming head for the new launch. According to an industry source, the investment in the channel could be anywhere close to Rs 90 crore- Rs 110 crore, including marketing spends. As for the ad rates, a media planner says, “Considering all the shows have been brought in the prime time slot, the ad rate for a 10 second slot could be anywhere close to Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000.”

  • This one’s the Gags Gang!

    This one’s the Gags Gang!

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

     

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

     

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

     

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

     

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

     

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

     

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

     

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

     

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

     

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

     

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

     

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

     

  • ‘Bhaji in problem’ receives record price from distributors in Punjab

    ‘Bhaji in problem’ receives record price from distributors in Punjab

    NEW DELHI: With ten days to go for the release of the Punjabi comical relief, Bhaji in Problem from Akshay Kumar and Ashvini Yardi’s production house Grazing Goat Pictures, the company has been inundated with huge demands for the rights of the film from across cinemas in Punjab!

    Bhaji in Problem stars some of Punjab’s most reputed stars such as Gippy Grewal and Gurpreet Ghuggi who are joined by Sasural Ghenda Phool’s Ragini Khanna and veteran actor Om Puri as central characters.

    The film is directed by Smeep Kang who has delivered successful hits such as Carry on Jatta and Lucky Di Unlucky Story.

    The film also sees cricketer Harbajan Singh make a friendly appearance in the film. Akshay Kumar who is producing the film with Grazing Goat Pictures Co-producer Ashvini Yardi will feature in an extended role.

    Bhaji in Problem is Grazing Goat Picture’s second regional film production after the poignant Marathi film 72 Miles Ek Pravas. The film is being released on 15 November.

  • Bhaji in problem receives record price from distributors in Punjab

    Bhaji in problem receives record price from distributors in Punjab

    NEW DELHI: With ten days to go for the release of the Punjabi comical relief, Bhaji in Problem from Akshay Kumar and Ashvini Yardi’s production house Grazing Goat Pictures, the company has been inundated with huge demands for the rights of the film from across cinemas in Punjab!

     

    Bhaji in Problem stars some of Punjab’s most reputed stars such as Gippy Grewal and Gurpreet Ghuggi who are joined by Sasural Ghenda Phool’s Ragini Khanna and veteran actor Om Puri as central characters.

     

    The film is directed by Smeep Kang who has delivered successful hits such as Carry on Jatta and Lucky Di Unlucky Story.

     

    The film also sees cricketer Harbajan Singh make a friendly appearance in the film. Akshay Kumar who is producing the film with Grazing Goat Pictures Co-producer Ashvini Yardi will feature in an extended role.

     

    Bhaji in Problem is Grazing Goat Picture’s second regional film production after the poignant Marathi film 72 Miles Ek Pravas. The film is being released on 15 November.