MUMBAI: The auspicious occasion of Durga Puja is not just a festival, but a celebration of life. While this year, in the new normal, Pujo will be different, what will not change is the zest for Durga Pujo amongst Bengalis. Keeping in mind the five days of festivity, COLORS Bangla is all set to treat its viewers with two special festive programs, starting 22 October to 26 October 2020.
Sree Sree Sarodiya Durga Pujo which will air at 10 a.m. will provide viewers with a spiritual experience by giving an essence of the various rituals associated with Pujo while the evening show Golpe Gaane Pujor Adda which will air at 5 p.m., will be an “adda” with singers and actors entertaining the viewers with popular music and memories. Presented by Hellman’s Mayonnaise and Powered by Brooke Bond Red Label, both these shows aim at celebrating the fervor of Durga Puja.
Colors Bangla business head Rahul Chakravarti said, “At COLORS Bangla, we have always believed in redefining the entertainment quotient with innovative and meaningful content. For Bengalis, Durga Puja stirs different feelings, emotions and memories. Since Pujo will be different this year due to the ongoing pandemic, we thought of bringing the festive mood at home for our viewers by lining up programs with the best names in the industry. In addition to this, we have a special movie line up in store for the movie lovers. In our effort to provide wholesome entertainment, we are delighted to have on-boarded advertisers across categories. Further, keeping in mind the new normal, we have also launched a Durga Puja campaign to encourage our viewers to celebrate this Pujo responsibly.”
The morning program hosted by popular anchor Rini Ghosh will dwell on the lore of Pujo and the mythos of Maa Durga, bringing alive the divinity and the richness of the rituals and traditions associated with the festival. Durga Pujo celebrations are incomplete without those long Adda sessions which give an adrenaline rush like no other. Keeping this in mind the evening program hosted by popular singer Jojo will be a musical chat show with popular celebrities from Bengal. The star-studded evening will have Ronita, Souptik, Aneek, Haimanti Shukla, Surojit, Abhishek Dutta and Rupankar Bagchi to name a few.
The entertainment doesn’t stop here. Keeping in mind the movie lovers and the channel’s wide repertoire of 200+ Bangla titles; Colors Bangla has dedicated each day of the Pujo to a superstar. From Saptami being dedicated to fans of Jeet to Ashtami being dedicated to Mithun Chakrabarty, special movies of superstars will be showcased.
Colors Bangla has launched a Durga Puja campaign which urges everyone to celebrate this Pujo responsibly in this “new normal”. The Pujo campaign dwells on the fact that the divine mother will be welcomed with usual devotion minus the revelry of Durgotsav. With discussions on various rituals, traditions to adda, music associated with Pujo, Colors Bangla plans to evoke nostalgia and provide wholesome entertainment.
MUMBAI: Durga Puja, that time of the year when an entire city descends into wholesome chaos. The fervour sets in days ahead, and during the five-day celebration the streets are teeming as revellers go pandal-hopping, bhog sampling, throng anondo mela (fun fair), indulge in shopping sprees, and a dozen other fun-filled activities. But due to Covid2019, pujo festivities are a lot more toned down this year, with the risk of public gatherings looming large on people’s minds.
With the outlook that folks will stay at home rather than jostle with crowds, Bangla entertainment channels have taken up an aggressive stance programming-wise to maximise viewership and ad revenue during the pujo period.
How Bangla channels are wooing viewers
Sony Aath is trying to dial up the celebrations with a slew of fresh programming. As part of Sunday Funday, the most popular slot on the channel, it will air special Durga Puja-themed episodes of hit family shows – Gopal Bhar, Nut Boltu and NIX. With the recent premiere of new show Baalveer during this festive season, the channel’s also lined up six Honey Bunny movies. A Sony Pictures Networks India Sony Aath and English cluster business head Tushar Shah said, “We are witnessing tremendous interest from the advertisers and a few of them, including Cadbury and Colgate, have already signed up.”
Colors Bangla, too, has a treat in store for its viewers. “There will be a special morning programme titled Sree Sree Sarodiya Durga Pujo. It will provide the audience with a spiritual experience by giving an essence of the various rituals associated with pujo. Evening show Golpe Gaane Pujor Adda is a show with singers and actors entertaining our viewers with popular music and memories. Both the shows are presented by Hellman’s Mayonnaise and powered by Brooke Bond,” said Colors Bangla business head Rahul Chakravarti.
This year a lot of devotees will be offering pujo “virtually”, a trend that had started a few years ago, wherein viewers could do darshan and pushpanjali and get pronami too. TV and digital channels can broadcast these events and let worshippers enjoy the festivities from the safety of their homes. Bangla celebrities and influencers are also being roped in to familiarise their fans with the concept of virtual celebrations along with AR/VR darshans from their apps.
Zee Bangla and Zee Bangla Cinema cluster business head Samrat Ghosh notes that the broadcast industry has pinned its hopes on advertisers. The festival holds immense potential for all stakeholders, especially in the eastern states of West Bengal, Orissa, Assam and Bihar where the arrival of Mother Goddess Durga is celebrated with a lot of pomp and gaiety.
Ghosh said, "The viewership is definitely soaring high and the ad-ex market has also started picking up. I am hopeful that during the festive season advertisers will also help us to revive the ad-ex market. Apart from the usual categories that advertise, we will see a lot of automobile, consumer durable brands doing promotions. The local retail brands are also reviving and have started advertising." He is optimistic about the retail market bouncing back in terms of ad spends.
Apart from special programming on the small screen, Durga Puja is always associated with big ticket movie releases. Keeping movie lovers in mind, Colors Bangla is tapping into its wide repertoire of 200+ Bangla titles and dedicated each day of pujo to a superstar. From Saptami being devoted to fans of Jeet to Ashtami being Mithun Chakrabarty’s day, special movies of superstars will be showcased on the channel.
Brands & advertisers shift focus to safety
With market sentiments improving over the last few months, brands have started coming up with new and dynamic ways to connect with consumers. Advertisers across categories are looking forward to pujo. Wavemaker India managing partner Mansi Datta sees this as a wonderful opportunity for brands to capitalize on buyers’ upbeat sentiments and resonate with them. Durga Puja, traditionally a good time for channels to increase their ad revenues, will help them to make up for losses incurred during the pandemic period.
“This is the time of year for ‘NEW’… Children are told to wait for pujo to get new things. People splurge and indulge. Retail sector claims that for West Bengal, 30-45 per cent of annual sales happen during Durga Puja. This is the reason pujo period marks the highest media activity,” said Datta.
There’s a marked shift in consumer patterns too, and in response, brands have also adapted their seasonal messaging to showcase and promote hygiene, safety and social distancing – while remembering to have a jolly good time, of course.
For instance, the state government has issued a 17 point guideline, with most Durga Puja associations following it strictly and even deploying more safety features. In keeping with these measures, Colors Bangla has launched a special campaign urging viewers to adhere to social distancing norms. Chakravarti shares: “While our faces may be masked, our hearts will be filled with joy and our eyes will reflect our happiness. This is a message that we are amplifying through our special pujo campaign.”
State of the market during pujo 2020
Estimating the size of the Durga Puja economy has mostly been a fraught prospect, although a 2013 Assocham report pegged it at Rs 25,000 crore, growing at about 35 per cent CAGR. The report projected its size to be Rs 40,000 crore by 2015. If that figure were to be extrapolated to 2018 and 2019, the size would be at Rs 1.12 lakh crore and Rs 1.5 lakh crore respectively. As per the estimate, the pujo economy contributes a little over 10 per cent to West Bengal’s GDP.
Sujata Dwibedy, trading director for Dentsu International’s Amplifi India group, observes: “If we add up the Puja economy of Odisha, Bihar and Jharkhand – which also celebrate the festival with equal fervour, if not more splendour – the economy of each of the states get a contribution of about 7-10 per cent to the their GDP during Puja. However, 2020 is an exception and the growth will dip extensively because all the outdoor activities, pandals, melas and markets – where traditionally a huge amount of spending takes place – would be restricted.”
She further adds though there was a huge drop in consumption of products in the April-May-June quarter, from July onwards many businesses are back to last year’s levels. Brands diversified and started producing health and hygiene-related products and survived. Media consumption was high, but advertising spends dropped and businesses other than a few categories saw a huge dip.
Traditionally, multinational brands across industry verticals rode on the Puja sentiment through a mix of above-the-line and on-ground activation. “Since this year, the on-ground activations and pandal related events might not be possible, brands should think of innovative ways of reaching out to the consumers. Food, garments and household purchases are the themes of this festival. So, tying up with the food techs, e-commerce and gifting companies could be innovatively used,” suggests Dwibedy.
The duration of Durga Puja to Diwali (or Kali pujo) is a jackpot for brands and consumers. Moreover, advertisers are using every medium to attract eyeballs – from newspapers, billboards, bus/local trains, activations to OTT, social, search of locations, food-spots and pandals in digital. It is a great time for payment apps and BFSI to focus on electronic payments and making things lucrative as well as simpler.
MUMBAI: COLORS Bangla is all set to telecast ‘Robi Thakurer Golpo’, a series of adaptations of short stories and novels written by Tagore himself.
Commemorating Rabindranath Tagore’s 159th birth anniversary, COLORS Bangla will pay a tribute to the first Nobel Laureate by presenting three of his most celebrated and timeless stories like Dena Paona, Samapti and Chokher Bali starting on Rabindra Jayanti, which is on May 8th till May 22nd at 11 am every morning. Set in a modern context, “Robi Thakurer Golpo” is sure to engage and enrich viewers with some of the most cherished and critically acclaimed stories.
Widely spoken and discussed about in almost every Bengali household, Tagore was known to have reshaped Bengali literature and music as well as Indian art. His stories have been celebrated and cherished for generations across India. Although written over a century ago, Tagore’s stories continue to be socially relevant even today. His stories primarily focussed on social issues like poverty, illiteracy, marriage and gender disparities. The series will start with the masterpiece Dena Paona followed by Samapti and Chokher Bali.
On bringing back Robi Thakurer Golpo for its viewers, Rahul Chakravarti, business head, COLORS Bangla & Odia, said: “Rabindranath Tagore is a name to reckon with and his stories are ageless and, in his literature, lies his magic. ‘Robi Thakurer Golpo’ is a tribute by COLORS Bangla to his literary work. The series which kickstarts on Rabindra Jayanti is an adaptation of some of his classic short stories and novels which is sure to take our viewers on a magical journey with stories that are relevant and characters that are relatable.”
MUMBAI: It is believed that a mother can defy even death to safeguard her child. Nishir Dak is one such story that showcases immense courage and undying will of a mother who will go to any lengths to save her daughter from the evil spirit – Nishi.
Nishir Dak or Call of the Night spirit is a very common paranormal belief in Bengal. A spirit that lures its victim into the unknown by calling out to him in a familiar voice. Tethering between reality and the paranormal world, the show promises to send shivers down the spine with its near-to-life storytelling. Starting Monday, December 3 at 8:30pm, the show will keep viewers on the edge of their seats and jolt them through this journey.
Commenting on the new show, Rahul Chakravarti, Business Head – COLORS Bangla & Odia said, “Supernatural shows have a well-established fanbase amongst viewers, but the poignant storyline and mystical elements in Nishir Dak, will go beyond the conventional fanbase, appealing to all viewers. At COLORS BANGLA, quality content has always been our focus, and we continue to push the boundaries by bringing in only the best to our viewers. Bringing Nishir Dak at the 8:30 pm slot, the channel presents viewers a refreshing storyline that will appeal to all thrill seekers.”
Talking about the show, Sahana, Creative Director, SVF Television said, "Nishir Daak is a story of war between good and evil. It is the story of Tara, the blessed child and her fight against the Dark Force, Nishi. The spooky look of Nishi has been worked upon for months as has been the details of each character. The show will unravel elements of fear, suspense, supernatural incidents and ultimate win of good over evil and dark spirit that will keep viewers hooked.”
Nishir Dak narrates the story of the five-year-old abandoned and scared Tara played by Guddi who finds protection in the caring arms of Sreemoyee. Played by Tumpa Ghosh, Sreemoyee’s maternal instincts cajole her to adopt Tara and protect her from all that may come to harm. Unknown to the world, Tara’s fate is eclipsed by the curse of evil spirits as a necromancer – Agharnath is determined to sacrifice Tara to attain immortality. Making a grand return to the small screen, Sauriti Banerjee portrays the role of Nishi, is Agarnath’s evil myrmidon tasked to bring Tara to him. Completing the blockbuster ensemble cast of the show, Subhankar Saha plays the role of Rudra.
MUMBAI: Viacom 18’s Bengali channel Colors Bangla, which mirrors cultural ethos and progressive values, is coming up with a new show based on some societal issues. Being a family entertainment channel, it has brought about a revolution in Bengali television and matches the distinctiveness of the state’s culture with qualitative and contemporary programming.
Produced by Surinder Films, this new show of Colors Bangla, Aloy Bhubon Bhora, will focus on the much-needed attention to one such grave concern of acid attacks.
With Roshni Bhattacharya in the lead, the show is about Shruti, a charming and bubbly girl who becomes the victim of an acid attack by an unknown assailant. After the incident, the girl’s life changes over night. Like any other real-life victim, she has to face social stigma due to the scars but Shruti begins to pick up the pieces of her life and starts her journey of rediscovering herself despite all the adversities.
Colors Bangla and Colors Odia business head Rahul Chakravarti said, “As a society, we are at a very delicate juncture with more and more sinister crimes are being committed, and the public attention to these acts being short-lived. At Colors Bangla, we have decided to get the blinders off and focus the spotlight on one such grave misdeed, that needs to be dealt with swiftly and rightly. Through Shruti, our protagonist in Aloy Bhubon Bhora, we narrate a story that needs to be heard by all, of an innocent girl that becomes victim to an unchecked crime, yet finds a way to survive and thrive. We are certain that the show will not only engage with viewers but also rouse consciousness in them.”
Aloy Bhubon Bhora will premiere 14 May and will air every day at 8pm.
National April 26: What do you think will happen when the boss of the house becomes the subordinate at the workplace? And the senior at work is the deputy at home? A spectacle of endless comedy and laughter, that’s what! COLORS Bangla brings to its viewers SATYAMEVA JAYATI – Shinghi Shasurir Baaghini Bouma a sitcom that guarantees to tickle the funny bone. Starting Monday, April 30th, 6pm, COLORS Bangla will fulfill your daily dose of laughter and become the complete family entertainment time for all members of the house.
Revolving around the lives of the Mother-In-Law (Satyapriya) and Daughter-In-Law (Jayati) duo, who see their roles reversed at work when Satyapriya – a constable reports to Jayati – a sub-inspector. Satyapriya played by Subhadra and Jayati played by Rupsha, bring to life the eccentric realities of the relationship. What entails is a series of hilarious encounters between the Sasuri & Bouma, as they juggle between their roles at home and at the police station while trying to solve crime.
Commenting on the unique concept of the show, Rahul Chakravarti – Business Head, Colors Bangla and Colors Odia said, “At COLORS Bangla we are constantly looking for new mediums and refreshing content to engage and entertain viewers. Comedy is a generic form of family-entertainment, however adding a tinge of novelty and innovation to comedy with SATYAMEVA JAYATI, Shinghi Shasurir Baaghini Bouma we believe to strike a chord with our viewers. The bitter-sweet yet hilarious relationship between the Sasuri & Bouma in the show’s quirky background makes for a laughter-riot for all viewers.”
Dealing with crime in their unique and hysterical methods, occasionally the duo rope in their family to assist in the job, with Godai Singha Roy (Shankar Debnath) playing Satyapriya’s husband, Raj Singha (Raja) playing Jayati’s husband, Lojjaboti Goldar (Sudipa Basu) as Godai’s mother and Binayak Bagh (Subrata Guha Roy) playing Jayati’s father.
Produced by Eyewash the show promises to become the favorite laughter destination for every Bangla household.
Starting April 30th, meet the hilarious family of SATYAMEVA JAYATI- Shinghi Shasurir Baaghini Bouma every Monday to Sunday at 6 pm only on COLORS Bangla
ABOUT VIACOM18
Viacom18 Media Pvt. Ltd. is one of India’s fastest growing entertainment networks and a house of iconic brands that offers multi-platform, multi-generational and multicultural brand experiences. A joint venture of TV18, which owns 51%, and Viacom Inc., with a 49% stake, Viacom18 defines entertainment in India by touching the lives of people through its properties on air, online, on ground, in shop and through cinema.
About COLORS Bangla
A family entertainment channel that brought about a revolution in Bangla Television, COLORS Bangla (Erstwhile ETV Bangla) matches the distinctiveness of the rich Bangla culture with qualitative and contemporary programming. The channel mirrors the cultural ethos and the progressive values of the Bengalis’ through innovative and relevant content. Some of our flagship shows have been programmes like Resham Jhanpi, Mahaprabhu Sree Chaitanya, E Amar Gurudakshina, Bindass Dance, Abbulish, Byomkesh, Shonge Srijit, Benebou, amongst others.
MUMBAI: Week 1 on the BARC ratings chart has brought in good news for COLORS Bangla. According to the last BARC report Week 01’18 (30th Dec’17 – 5th Jan’18) Colors Bangla has soared to the No.3 spot with 139 GRPs keeping behind Jalsha Movies (85 GRPs). This is the highest ever that the Channel has achieved under the BARC measurement system. The channel launched a new show SUBHO DRISHTI on 1st Jan 2018 which opened with 2.2 Rat% and weekly avg. of 1.7. In the West Bengal Rural Market, the show launched with Rat% 2.9 and AVG Rat% 2.0.
For the last 11 weeks COLORS Bangla has been maintaining 100+ GRP’s and has maintained an average rating of 132 GRP’s in the last 4 weeks. The channel had planned extensive marketing, PR activities for the launch of new show SUBHO DRISHTI which propelled the reach to 42.6% Week 01’18 (30th Dec’17 – 5th Jan’18) this week from 39.2 % (last week).
Among the top-rated shows of COLORS Bangla Subho Drishti @ 19.30 Hrs (1.7 Avg. Rat%) lead the flock followed by Kajallata @ 18:00 Hrs (1.5 Avg. Rat%) and Mahaprabhu Shree Chaitanya @ 18:30 Hrs (1.5 Avg. Rat%). COLORS Bangla viewership has also increased by 13%.
COLORS Bangla continues to be the fastest growing channel in the Bangla genre (across GEC, News, Music, etc) and has recorded a growth of 3.8X in terms of GRP’s (April’17 to January’18). The official Facebook platform has a total fanbase of almost 2 million with a reach of 1.07 million.
Talking about this Colors Bangla and Colors Odia, Business Head – Rahul Chakravarti said, “While our endeavor is to keep pushing the numbers, we are delighted to have become the No 3 channel. Our hard work has paid off and viewers have appreciated our new show, SUBHO DRISHTI. This admirable performance can be attributed to the team’s efforts to get our loyal viewers constant innovations in concepts and an engaging programming line-up. Our aim is not only to entertain but to also bring the best of content to viewers, and we are committed to continue this endeavor.”
The channel has an exciting line-up of stories and concepts for the coming months. A show on Goddess Manasa will be launched on 29th January which certainly promises to be a visual treat for the audience with outstanding VFX and a gripping storyline.
MUMBAI: Bring in the new year celebrations with Abir, Drishti, Subho and Antara in ‘Subho Drishti’, as they share with you their happiness and felicity on COLORS Bangla. Adding to its elaborate line-up of shows, COLORS Bangla will kick off 2018 in style with a captivating drama Subho Drishti – a bitter sweet tale about sibling revelry that premiers on Monday, January 1, airing Monday to Sunday at 7:30pm. A riveting story, a stellar cast and the spellbinding script will make for complete entertainment experience for the viewers of the show.
Following the journeys of two pairs of siblings – Abir-Drishti and Subho-Antara, the show encapsulates their intertwined destines as Drishti and Subho cross paths time and again leading to series of explosive coincidences and happenstances. Their story doesn’t seem to have a happy beginning nor a happy ending when the protagonists must face many trials and tribulations from the most unexpected avenues, as the twists in their story promises to take you on an eventful ride.
Ecstatic on the launch of the extravagant drama, Colors Bangla and Colors Odia, Business Head – Rahul Chakravarti said, “At COLORS Bangla we are always looking to entertain our viewers with unparalleled content that has the potential to make their time spent watching worthwhile. With Subho Drishti we are celebrating the new year with a very unconventional romantic-drama, that promises to encapsulate viewers’ attention through a vivid storyline set against a backdrop of love and family ties. This visual extravaganza is an unique collaboration of stalwarts from the television industry and we are excited to bring the best of family entertainment to our viewers.”
Produced by Vandana Films, Subho Drishti will see Aishwariya Sen (Drishti) and Gourab Roy Choudhary (Subho) play the lead roles. Recreating the magic of the silver screen, the sweetheart couple of Tollywood Rituparna Sengupta and Prasenjit Chatterjee will be seen together for the first time on television. Adding to the charm of the show, the soulful music will be scored by the award-winning film music-director Anupam Roy, who marks his television debut with Subho Drishti, while the vibrant and grand sets have been designed by Shyam Dey.
MUMBAI: Colors Bangla is returning with another explosive season of Pran Litchi Drink presents Bindass Dance Season 2 powered by Shyam Steel.
Bindass Dance has scoured every corner of the state and auditioned over 2500 aspiring dancers before handpicking the top 25 contestants. These talented dancers little patakas will get an opportunity to flaunt their skill before a celebrated panel of judges – Sayantika, Raj Chakraborty and Baba Yadav.
Hosted by Sourav Das, Bindass Dance season 2 will enliven your television screens starting 2 September, 2017, every Saturday and Sunday at 9:00pm.
Colors Bangla and Colors Odia business head Rahul Chakravarti said, “We are constantly focused on creating content that is not only enjoyable but also inspiring. Presenting a platform for these spunky and spirited kids, we hope to nurture their talent and hone their skills just as professionals.”
Yadav brings his showmanship to the show. He said, “I have had an incredible time on the show.”
Sayantika said: “I thoroughly enjoyed being part of the first season, I cannot wait for the journey of Bindass Dance season 2 to begin.”
Director-producer Raj Chakraborty added, “These kids are a powerhouse of talent and with the right direction, they are proving to be potential superstars.”
Bringing the house down with his trademark one-liners and punch lines, Sourav Das makes for the perfect host.
MUMBAI: Summers in Kolkata is about to get cooler, as Colors Bangla is all set to rejuvenate your evenings, with a line-up of refreshing content. Starting May 1st, be prepared for some power-packed entertainment with the launch of 3 new shows on Colors Bangla, Mahaprabhu Sree Chaitanya on May 1 at 6:30pm, Roopkatha on May 2 at 7pm and Jhumur on May 3 at 7:30pm.
Commenting the new line-up of shows Rahul Chakravarti, Business Head, Colors Bangla and Colors Odia said, “At Colors Bangla we are always looking to entertain the viewers with unparalleled content that has the potential to make their evenings worthwhile. The upcoming set of shows have been handpicked keeping in mind our viewer’s need for quality and variety content. Filling in the gaps in the bouquet of offerings on television, we are proud to present Mahaprabhu Sree Chaitanya – a tale of a highly regarded spiritual leader, Roopkatha – a fantasy-fiction show and Jhumur – a very intimate story on friendship and love. Starting May 1, prime time on Colors Bangla will come with a new promise.”
Mahaprabhu Sree Chaitanya traces the life of spiritual leader Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who inspired and influenced the outlook of his family and followers through his wisdom and miracles. Playing the lead role, Ishaan will portray Chaitanya, spreading love and propagating the path to achieve perfection in life. Produced by Rana Sarkar, the soundtrack of the show is composed by critically acclaimed music director Indradip Dasgupta.
Roopkatha – a fantasy drama based on the princess of Rupnagar, Bhumi, who grew up in the jungle instead of a palace. Motivated to reclaim her rightful place in the kingdom, Bhumi is faced with the impossible task of journeying across the seven seas and thirteen rivers to prepare for her ultimate task of facing her nemesis Mohini – the queen of darkness. The show is produced by Surinder Films brings together a powerful ensemble cast including Mainak Banerjee, Rimjhim Mitra.
Jhumur is a story of unfading friendship between Jhumur and Nayanika, hailing from different backgrounds, separated by economic stature but intrinsically bound by fate forever. Personifying Positivity, Hope, Happiness and an undeterred spirit, Jhumur finds happiness in the simplest things. Adapted from the super-hit show Udaan on Colors , Jhumur is produced by Blue Water Pictures, and has veteran television actor Kaushik Chakraborty, and Lopamudra Sinha essaying key roles.
