ITV

Tag: Ravi Dubey

  • Sony SAB announces new show ‘Badall Pe Paon Hai’

    Sony SAB announces new show ‘Badall Pe Paon Hai’

    Mumbai: Sony SAB, renowned for its innovative and progressive narratives, especially those showcasing empowered female protagonists, is set to launch its much-anticipated new show, ‘Badall Pe Paon Hai’. An inspiring story of dreams and determination, the show features Amandeep Sidhu as the protagonist Baani and the show is brought to life by the powerhouse producer duo, Sargun Mehta and Ravi Dubey.

    ‘Badall Pe Paon Hai’ tells the story of Baani, a middle class, spirited girl with dreams as vast as the sky and a determination that knows no bounds. However, Baani’s ambition isn’t just for personal gain; her primary goal is to provide a better life for her family, pushing beyond the limitations life has imposed on them.

    As Baani’s aspirations grow, she ventures into the dynamic and often male-dominated world of stocks and trading. ‘Badall Pe Paon Hai’ showcases Baani’s relentless pursuit of success, highlighting her sacrifices, struggles, and the sheer willpower to turn her dreams into reality, one bold step at a time.

    Sony SAB business head Neeraj Vyas said, “Sony SAB goes beyond entertainment. We curate stories that are unique, and mirror the hopes, challenges, and aspirations of our audience. By presenting genuine and relatable characters, we forge a connection that resonates deeply. Television’s power lies in its ability to inspire, and that’s the cornerstone of our content strategy. Our upcoming launch ‘Badall Pe Paon Hai’ for example, is a testament to the unwavering pursuit of dreams, however unachievable they may appear. Through this show, we aim to inspire our viewers, urging them to believe in their infinite ability, embrace their dreams and persevere even when the path seems daunting.”

    Creator and producer of Badall Pe Paon Hai Sargun Mehta said, “Badall Pe Paon Hai stands apart from all the shows on television. It is a story that showcases an indomitable spirit. This is especially important for women who usually have odds stacked against them when it comes to achieving their ambitions. Shows like this play a vital role in dismantling those limitations. By amplifying powerful female narratives, we empower more women to dream fearlessly and believe in their own potential.  I believe these stories are essential on television and there couldn’t have been a better channel than Sony SAB to showcase this story of Badall Pe Paon Hai.”

    Tune in to Sony SAB to watch ‘Badall Pe Paon Hai’ from 10 June, airing every Monday to Saturday at 7:30 pm.

  • TCH 2022: Competition will drive TV to innovate its programming

    TCH 2022: Competition will drive TV to innovate its programming

    Mumbai: Two decades ago, when audiences wanted to consume entertainment in a video format, they had only two options – TV and cinema. Today, the modes of delivering video content have grown multi-fold. Content production, too, has seen a democratization with new technologies that have enabled every individual to become a creator. This has radically changed the dynamic of content consumption which is also affecting TV.

    At the sixth edition of Viacom18 presents The Content Hub Summit 2022 organized by Indiantelevision.com held recently, panellists discussed the topic ‘Mastering a New TV Language’ to get ahead of changing TV viewing habits and develop content to suit the audience preferences.

    The session was chaired by media and entertainment advisor Mansi Darbar and was joined by Fremantle India Television Productions managing director Aradhana Bhola, The Q programming head Ashutosh Barve, Endemol Shine India chief operating officer Gourav Gokhale, Sony Pictures Networks India business head – Sony SAB, PAL and Hindi movies cluster Neeraj Vyas, Dreamiyata Entertainment actor and producer Ravi Dubey, Atrangii founder Vibhu Agarwal, Beyond Dreams Group founder and managing director Yash A Patnaik.

    The discussion began by trying to understand what has essentially changed with the audience contrasting the 90s to the 2020s.

    Sony Pictures Networks’ Neeraj Vyas, who is a broadcast industry veteran with over 25 years of experience, observed, “Today, TV still has 60 per cent of penetration but there’s a variety of alternatives for video consumption. The environment is a lot more competitive with emerging formats like long-form, short-form, video-on-demand etc.”

    He contrasted the current state of TV to the transformation of cinemas post the 80-90s. He said, “The movies of the 80s and 90s were very similar. The movie industry had fallen into a rut until multiplexes opened up, where you could have different shows all screening at the same time. This choice infused a freshness in the movie business with new stories like ‘Lagaan’ and ‘Dil Chahta Hai’.”

    “TV is being tested with the variety of alternatives that are available. We need to balance between the TV ratings reality and finding out what the consumer actually wants,” he added.

    Fremantle India’s Aradhana Bhola, behind shows like Indian Idol, India’s Got Talent, said that “The biggest change has been the pattern of consumption on TV. There used to be a culture of co-viewing on TV where more than one viewer was in front on a TV set. Now, co-viewing has turned into individual viewing with personal devices such as iPads and smartphones.”

    TV producer Yash A Patnaik candidly said that he is as old as the TV industry in India. He is the producer behind the shows Veera for StarPlus, Sadda Haq for Channel V, Ishq Me Marjawan for Colors, Kuch Rang Pyaar Ke Aise Bhi for Sony Pictures Networks and Raksha Bandhan for Dangal.

    He noted that content has more of a voice today as compared to platforms. Earlier, the success of a show was dictated by how many episodes of content it aired. But, now, shows have different buyers for different formats and different audience cohorts.

    Endemol Shine India’s Gourav Gokhale agreed. “Philosophically speaking, technology has made us impatient,” he stated. “People want to see a finite series for the immediate gratification. The expected size of a show has come down as audiences want the climax to come earlier. Also, audiences are consuming content at any time, anywhere, whether during their lunch break or during their commute.”

    He remarked that the nature of TV content being 24-minute long shows airing at 9 p.m in the night needs to be reassessed.  

    The Q India is changing the language on TV by bringing popular digital formats to TV. Ashutosh Barve said that while consumption of content has changed over the years, the core TV programming has not. “It is the same five per cent of shows that are doing well, today, as they did years ago. The bulk of consumption on TV remains the same.”

    However, “there are all sorts of formats making inroads from digital on to TV and we’re leading the charge,” he added.  

    “The measurement reality of our country is not accurately reflecting the viewing reality of the TV audience as there has been a log of change in the last five years,” said Vyas.

    Vyas, who manages six channels under Sony Pictures Networks including Hindi GEC Sony SAB, said that in the future he does not see Sony SAB being just a channel but a differentiated brand that is available across platforms. “

    Vibhu Agarwal, who founded OTT platform Ullu and Hindi general entertainment channel Atrangii, said there’s an audience for all kinds of content formats. “When I watch on digital, discovery is a big problem, and by the time I settle on a piece of content, my dinner is finished!” he candidly shared. Highlighting that even with the emergence of digital media, traditional media such as print, radio and TV continue to see robust consumption. “Why did I, as a digital player, choose to launch a TV channel? Because people are just as interested in TV long-format series as much as they are interested in a finite web series.”

    Bhola affirmed that content producers are scrutinising which broadcast partner, target audience and genre/format works best to showcase their talent and story. She said that it’s the nature of the idea and duration of the series that dictates which platform it is made available on.

    Actor and producer Ravi Dubey recalled that the pioneering shows on TV arrived much before there was any research to back them up. He stated “As a creative person in the industry, I still believe in backing shows based purely on gut instinct.” 

    Watch the full session. 

  • Colors to launch new family drama ‘Swaran Ghar’

    Colors to launch new family drama ‘Swaran Ghar’

    Mumbai: Hindi GEC Colors is set to introduce a new family drama to its programming called “Swaran Ghar” starting on 28 February. The show will air every Monday to Friday at 8:30 p.m.

    Produced by Sargun Mehta and Ravi Dubey, the show, set in Chandigarh, features Sangita Ghosh, Ronit Bose Roy and Ajay Singh Chaudhary.

    “Colors has remained ardently committed to bringing the best of fiction and non-fiction concepts on Indian television,” said Viacom18 head Hindi mass entertainment and kids TV network Nina Elavia Jaipuria. “With a promise to keep the audiences engaged and entertained, we are pleased to launch a new heart-warming family drama ‘Swaran Ghar’. This show will present the various nuances of parenthood backed by a splendid storyline and an endearing cast. It will further strengthen our prime-time slot at 8.30 pm and we look forward to this new adventure.”

    “The current times have certainly brought families together and family dramas on television have once again earned a special place in the hearts of our viewers,” said Viacom18 chief content officer Hindi mass entertainment Manisha Sharma. “Our new show ‘Swaran Ghar’ represents one such story of Swaran who is abandoned by her children in the most trying times and how she comes stronger out of it. After the immense success of Udaariyaan, we are once again delighted to join forces with Sargun Mehta and Ravi Dubey. With a robust lineup of cast including Ronit Bose Roy, Sangita Ghosh and Ajay Singh Chaudhary, we hope to create magic with the new venture.”

    “Swaran Ghar stems from the various real-life stories and experiences we see around us,” producer Sargun Mehta. “We are delighted to present a show that will give a new perspective on parenthood and shed light on the innumerable struggles they go through.”

    “We began our partnership with Colors with ‘Udaariyaan’ and aim to continue this successful stint with ‘Swaran Ghar’,” said Ravi Dubey. “We could think of no other channel better suited to helm this refreshing concept and we have complete faith in our talented cast and crew to make this journey a sensation among Indian households.”

    The channel has planned an extensive 360-degree marketing and digital campaign for the launch of the show.

  • Colors explores Punjabis’ Canada dreams with new show Udaariyaan

    Colors explores Punjabis’ Canada dreams with new show Udaariyaan

    MUMBAI: Colors is all set for an action-packed 2021.The beginning of the year witnessed the finale of its successful nonfiction property Bigg Boss. Post the conclusion of its tentpole programme, the channel has strengthened its weekend slot with the launch of dance reality show Dance Deewane Season 3. New fiction serial Bawara Dil, an adaptation of Colors Marathi’s ongoing popular show Jeev Zala Yeda Pisa, soon followed to shore up its primetime line-up. 

    Now, the channel is gearing up for the premiere of yet another fiction show, Udaariyaan – a story of hope, love, aspiration, and dreams. Udaariyaan is powered by Colgate and Suhana Masala and will hit the airwaves on 15 March and will air Monday – Saturday at 7 pm. The show is produced by television’s power couple Ravi Dubey and Sargun Mehta under the banner of Dreamiyata Entertainment and marks their first foray into creating a Hindi GEC show.

    Udaariyaan is about the journey of the Sandhu family, who lead their lives in the heartland of Punjab, and nurse the dream of moving to Canada. The Sandhus’ unfulfilled dream from generations now lies in the hands of their daughters. The two protagonists of the show, Tejo (Priyanka Choudhary) and Jasmine (Isha Malviya) are like chalk and cheese. While the elder one Tejo is deeply rooted in her Punjabi culture and wants to be a professor one day, Jasmine feels like she belongs elsewhere. She is determined, strong-willed and will make destiny bend to her will. Fiercely ambitious, all that Jasmine wants is to move to Canada and will only marry someone who makes this dream a reality for her. This blazing ambition on Jasmine’s part affects the dynamics of the Sandhu family and eventually shapes their destiny. Enter Fateh (Ankit Gupta), an absolute romantic who is head over heels in love with Jasmine but does not know how to convey his feelings to her. As Tejo, Jasmine and Fateh’s lives become intertwined, so begins their journey of achieving their dreams. It remains to be seen how Jasmine’s dreams pan out and what happens when Tejo gets stuck in the middle of Jasmine and Fateh’s ambitions. 

    Viacom18 Hindi Mass Entertainment and Kids TV Network head Nina Elavia Jaipuria said, “At Colors, we always strive to create memorable and relatable stories to provide our audience wholesome entertainment. With a strong line-up of fiction and non-fiction shows across genres, we continue to provide premium variety content and the next endeavour in this direction is our new show Udaariyaan. The Punjabi flavour, the relatable characters and the reflection of Indian dreams will certainly enthral the viewers.”

    Dreamiyata Entertainment producer Sargun Mehta shared that after a successful innings as actors, she and Ravi are thrilled to give flight to their little dream of turning producers and the couple couldn’t have asked for a better show than Udaariyan to make that into a reality.

    "It is a very special feeling as we have been putting our heart and soul into this project for months and it is finally coming to fruition. We have worked very hard to create some really amazing characters and are now glad that the viewers will get to witness them,” said Mehta.

    Dubey, on his part, loves collaborating  with his wife, but finding talent to work with is a big challenge that he faces as a producer. In an interaction with a news portal, he mentioned, “I think getting a great team together is the only big challenge. When you know that you have the best people doing their respective jobs, then it takes a lot of loads away from your shoulders. The right kind of director, the right script, the right writers are crucial to churn out good content."

    When asked if he feels that being both an actor and a producer puts him under tremendous pressure, he quipped, “The responsibility of an actor and a producer is similar. I want to give people the right content to live by. It’s not just about making aspirational stuff, it’s also about what you project to people and how you do it. Of course, the responsibility on our shoulders in order to do this has increased but we know that this will help us grow.”

    The couple is eager to experiment with various formats and modes of content delivery. First on the agenda is making more content in Hindi and Punjabi. Whether it is OTT, television or movies, the duo wants to focus on giving viewers the content that will engage them. 

    Colors has designed the show’s campaign hinged on the well-known phenomenon of Punjab’s love for Canada and the aspiration of people from the region to migrate there. In an attempt to uniquely introduce the three lead characters – Tejo, Jasmine and Fateh – in an entertaining musical way, the channel has roped in rap maestro Badshah for a music video. Featuring him alongside the cast of the show, the music video has garnered eight million views across digital platforms. The channel has also planned a nine-day TV campaign across Hindi news, Hindi movies, Hindi music, kids and regional genres. A special focus is being put on the Badshah‘s music video as a part of the TV plan to give people a flavour of Punjab, and a sneak peek into the fun aspects of the show.

    Additionally, for the true fans and members of Colors’ Golden Petal Club, a special digital event is planned on launch day showcasing the show’s cast and some behind the scene moments from the sets of Punjab.  On the digital front, along with influencer outreach, a three-part video series will also be showcased which will include testimonial stories of real people and their dreams.

     The channel already has a show named Chhoti Sarrdaarni which is also set against the backdrop of Punjab, it would be interesting to see how audiences react to Udaariyaan.

  • Ariel marks Women’s Day with Captain Marvel screening for all the Superwomen

    Ariel marks Women’s Day with Captain Marvel screening for all the Superwomen

    MUMBAI: This Women’s Day, Ariel partnered with PVR to host a special screening of the movie, Captain Marvel.  Ariel’s latest campaign Sons #ShareTheLoad emphasises on the need for sons to #ShareTheLoad when it comes to household chores. This partnership encourages all men (sons and husbands) to treat their Supermoms and Superwives to a superhero movie, Captain Marvel, because they will #ShareTheLoad and do household tasks together.

    Popular television actors and real-life couple – Ravi Dubey, Sargun Mehta along with Ravi’s Mom Sudha Dubey were present at the special screening in Delhi and even interacted with consumers, bloggers, and media. They emphasised on the need for gender parity in a relationship and having an equal household. Sargun and Ravi also thanked Ravi’s mom Sudha for instilling in him at a young age the importance of doing household chores like laundry and cooking hence enabling them to be a Super Couple today as they #ShareTheLoad.

    Ariel also invited men to record a personal message for their Superwoman, which Ariel will send out on their behalf. To further normalise men doing household chores like laundry, Ariel has put up eye-catching installations at PVR theatres across Delhi and Mumbai. A special screening has been arranged in both cities for Ariel’s #MyCaptainMarvelous online-contest winners, bloggers and other marvel enthusiasts. The men in the audience were also taught how to do laundry, so they can go back home and #ShareTheload – EVERYDAY!

    The newly-released edition of #ShareTheLoad raises yet another pertinent question in the direction of household inequality – Are we teaching our sons what we are teaching our daughters? The film that urges mothers of today’s generation to raise a generation of equals has resonated with many parents, newly married couples, influencers and has already received tremendous support and commendation from audiences across India. The film that released on 24 January 2019 garnered 25 million views in 1 month, and they have just begun! Ariel continues to have this conversation by making laundry the face of the movement against inequality within households, because with Ariel, anyone can get best results no matter who does the laundry. 

  • When talent took over: Presenting the winners of the Indian Telly Technical Awards

    When talent took over: Presenting the winners of the Indian Telly Technical Awards

    The 15th edition of Adobe presents IndianTelevision.com’s Indian Telly Technical Trade and Programming Awards was held on 28 October at Hotel Sahara Star. The awards recognize the talent in various technical categories like production, editing, writing, direction, distribution, and others.

    The event saw an array of popular television celebrities like Divyanka Tripathi, Vivek Dahiya, Ravi Dubey, Deepika Singh, Sneha Wagh, Donal Bisht, Hunar Hali, Vikas Gupta, Anjali Anand, Ankit Bathla, Karan V Grover, Taher Shabbir, Eijaz Khan, Sushant Singh, Mahesh Thakur and many others who came out to support the heroes who work relentlessly behind the scenes.

    The celebrities were all praises for the initiative and spoke about the importance of honouring technical crew.

    The hosts of the night, Nakuul Mehta and Mohena Kumar Singh, were charming and enthralled the audience by their witty and thought provoking remarks.  

    Here’s presenting the complete list of the winners!

    Special-Visual Effects for Television: Indranil Roy, Bharat Mistry, and Nishikant Mohapatra for 21 Sarfarosh Saragarhi 1897

    Special Visual Effects for Television: One Life Studios for Porus

    Art Direction (Fiction): Sandesh Gondhalekar for 21 Sarfarosh Saragarhi 1897

    Art Direction (Fiction): Sanjay Bairagi for Ishqbaaaz

    Art Direction (Non-Fiction): Omung Kumar for Bigg Boss Season 11

    DOP (Fiction): Abhishek Basu for 21 Sarfarosh Saragarhi 1897

    DOP (Non-Fiction): Kumar Subramaniyan for Special Operations India – Pathankot

    Costumes for a TV Programme: Ketki Dalal for Porus

    Make Up Artist: Preeti Sheel Singh for Qayamat Ki Raat

    Stylist: Shweta Korde for Karmphaldata Shani

    TV Show Packaging (Non-Fiction): Rangrez Media Pvt Ltd for Raja Rasoi Aur Andaz Anokha

    TV Channel Packaging (Including Channel Ids and Generic Promos): Sanjay Ramachandran for Blockbuster

    Editor (Fiction): Vishal Sharma for Kumkum Bhagya

    Editor (Non-Fiction): Mahesh Ranjan and Dweerad Mahapatra for Special Operations India – Pathankot

    Background Music (Fiction): Kartik Shah for 21 Sarfarosh Saragarhi 1897

    Director (Soap and Drama): Siddharth Kumar Tewary for Porus

    Director (Sitcom): Kedar Shinde for Kya Haal Mr. Paanchal

    Director (Thriller): Rajesh Ranshinge for Kaun Hai

    Director (Non-Fiction): Trevellyn Fynn for Fear Factor KKK – Pain In Spain

    Director (Non- Fiction): Prabhu asgaonkar and Maneka Asgaonkar for Special Operations India – Pathankot

    Screenplay Writer (Drama Series & Soap): Medha Jadav & Siddharth Kumar Tewary for Porus

    Dialogue Writer (Drama Series and Soap): Vinod Sharma for Karmphaldata Shani

    Screenplay Writer (Sitcom Comedy): Hemant Kewani for Kya Haal Mr. Paanchal

    Screenplay Writer (Sitcom Comedy) for Sanjay Kohli, Shashank Bali, and Manoj Santoshi for Bhabi Ji Ghar Par Hai!

    Dialogue Writer (Sitcom Comedy): Virat Basoya for Kya Haal Mr. Paanchal

    Story Writer: Shashi Mittal, Vaishali Naik, and Nageen Mirza for Yeh Un Dinon Ki Baat Hai

    Scriptwriter (Non-Fiction): Iqbal Malhotra for Netaji Bose – The Lost Treasure

    Sound for Fiction Show: Raghu Hegde for Porus

    Sound for Non-Fiction Show: Ashhar Farooqui for The Last Drop

    Title Song: Rajiv Chilaka for Kalari Kids

    Singer: Shaan for Haasil

    Lifestyle and Fashion: Small Budget Big Makeover Season 2

    Talk Show: The Kapil Sharma Show

    Cookery Show: Raja Rasoi Aur Andaaz Anokha

    Travel Show: Great Escape with Kunal and Cyrus

    Spiritual Show: Inside Tirumala Tirupati

    TV Production House: Swastik Productions

    Animation Studio Of The Year: Green Gold Animations

    Creative Leadership and Excellence in Original Content: Arun Thapar

    Best Sales Team: Zee TV

    Best Marketing Team: Colors

    Best Cable Operator: S N Sharma

    Best DTH Operator: Dish TV; Videocon D2H

    Digital Team: Hotstar

    Innovative Brand Integration: Drop Out

    Best CSR Initiatives: Ride The Van

    Best Communication Team: Viacom 18

    Best Sports Show: Umeed India

    Editor's Choice Best Director Sitcom: Shashank Bali for Bhabi Ji Ghar Par Hai

    Editor's Choice Best Dialogue Writer – Sitcom: Raghuveer Shekhawat and Manoj Santoshi for Bhabi Ji Ghar Par Hai

    All in all, there was not a single dull moment throughout the event, as Nakuul had the audience in splits with his sense of humour! Kudos to everyone who was a part of this unique initiative.

  • DigitalF5 acquires Google specialist AdClear, aims for Delhi dominance

    MUMBAI: DigitalF5, the leading digital innovator with vast expertise in the domains of Design & Content, Marketing and Technology, recently acquired AdClear, a Google Partner Company specializing in the domain of performance digital marketing. Incepted in February 2017, AdClear, despite being a new entrant, has equipped itself with an emphatic understanding of the performance marketing domain and has established a strong foothold in the market of New Delhi.

    AdClear founder member Ajay Anand’s 14+ years of industry experience and the organization’s domain specific expertise will definitely help to widen the reach of DigitalF5 in New Delhi, where it aims to augment its market share.

    Ajay Anand, a Google certified professional, GNIIT and an M.B.A from Sikkim Manipal University, has utilized his core technical as well as marketing knowledge impeccably over a vast and illustrious professional career spanning more than 14 years. He has served as Director of Digital Marketing at DAMAC Properties, UAE where he was responsible for the entire digital functioning such as sales channel, lead generation from paid and organic online media, e-commerce, analytics and social content marketing.

    Prior to that, he served as General Manager- Digital Marketing at Times Internet, the largest online group in India, which deals in a plethora of digital services ranging from online news, e-commerce, music, video, daily deals and location-based services. This role was a huge learning curve for him as he was responsible for the entire SEO, SEM, Mobile App Marketing, App Store Optimization, Web Analytics, Mobile Analytics, Social Media Marketing, Online Media Buying, Affiliate Marketing etc. for various verticals of Times Internet.

    Commenting on being a part of DigitalF5, Ajay said, “Digital F5 is an established brand with a proven track record & an impressive digital footprint. Furthermore, it brings acceleration to AdClear which is an early stage startup. I am very excited to be a part of Digital F5 and look forward to leading its growth in Delhi.”

    Post the acquisition, Ajay will be designated as a Founder and Business Head-Delhi and will be one of the partners, the others being Barin Mukherjee and Ravi Dubey, the founders of DigitalF5.

    Ravi Dubey said, “We believe mutual cooperation and understanding brings out the best results when two solid entities merge and that is exactly what we are looking forward to by joining forces with AdClear. With the clear goal of the next 1 year being allocated to widen the reach of DigitalF5 in New Delhi, together we will build a talented and efficient team and acquire new business while enhancing our skill and resource strength.”

    Some of AdClear’s key clients will also be a part of the acquisition. These include Indian Express, LivPure.in, MyDreamHoliday.in, Cybex.in and Translabinnovations.com. With the coming together of DigitalF5 and AdClear and the accretion of their respective strengths and deep insights, the digital marketing arena can surely expect a major powerhouse in the making.

  • Zee TV slots ‘India’s Best Dramebaaz’ season 2 at 9.30 pm

    Zee TV slots ‘India’s Best Dramebaaz’ season 2 at 9.30 pm

    MUMBAI: Come 12 December and Zee TV is all set to launch the second season of kid’s reality series India’s Best Dramebaaz. The show will be aired on Saturday and Sunday in the 9.30 pm time slot. 

    The channel has roped in Surf Excel as the presenting sponsor and Patanjali Dantkanti as the co-powered by sponsor for the show.

    This time round, director Sajid Khan joins Sonali Bendre and Vivek Oberoi on the judges’ panel. The show will be hosted by Rithvik Dhanjani and Ravi Dubey.

    Speaking about the format of the show’s second season, Zee TV business head Pradeep Hejmadi said, “The new season of India’s Best Dramebaaz looks out for children with an ability to diffuse any tension and instantly brightens your mood with their ability to entertain. The format will be same with minor changes. This time we are giving them feedback in a very nice manner. We are calling them for homework and also helping them on how they can make it better.”

    He further added, “Through this season, we have a special concept of piggy bank (Gulak) wherein as they perform their points will go to the bank. If they leave the show at any point, they will have the opportunity to encash the money and take it back with them. There will never be a sad moment for the kids. Besides starting with Lil Champs itself, we made sure that the kids get exposure to the main industry. Even here our aim is to get as many guests on the show as possible so that we can give the kids more exposure.”

    The channel has even taken into consideration feedback from the last season and made changes in the show. One major change was to tone down the bold content. “We have cut down the shooting schedules. Also, we have seen to it that kids don’t face any parental pressure and perform the way they want to,” Hejmadi said.

    In first season, Zee TV aired the show in the 9 pm time slot. Speaking about the time shift, this season he informed, “We have seen that 9:30 pm is a good time because family aggregates more nicely post this time. We got enough views and feedback for the 9.30 pm time slot. That’s the reason we brought the non-fiction time to 9:30 pm.”

    India’s Best Dramebaaz is meant to bring alive the kids talent in the most endearing manner to the audiences.

    The key TG of the show is women, kids and teens and both the communication as well as the touch points have been arrived at keeping the nature of the show and the TG and target markets in mind.

    The audio – visual blitzkrieg will be further amplified via the digital, print, on ground and radio platforms. Digital will not merely be restricted to promos but will have customised Dubsmashes created by Zee stars that will take them to their ‘dramebaazi’ days as kids. This will be amplified through the Zee TV social media clout.

    The show launches at the cusp of the holiday season and mall activations will be used to get the kids and parents live the ‘dramebaazi’ quotient by a simple ‘wheel of dramebaazi’ game. Additionally, radio promotions will ensure that a complete 360 surround is created to ensure maximum tune-ins.

    Speaking about the role that rural data will play in content creation, Hejmadi asserted, “We used to go to small areas and test the content. We always make sure that our content is acceptable across the nation. Having that is an  acknowledgement of rural popularity. We will continue to look at the patterns. So, the content creation will remain the same.”

  • Akshay Kumar forays into TV production with Zee’s ‘Jamai Raja’

    Akshay Kumar forays into TV production with Zee’s ‘Jamai Raja’

    MUMBAI: In the world of evil in-laws, it is the petite and innocent bahus who have been made to do household work as well as tortured enough. But, it’s time to put an end to it.

     

    Zee with its new property aptly titled Jamai Raja will break the stereotype and ask – if the bahus have done it all along, why can’t the son-in-law?

     

    Come 4 August, the channel will convey the message ‘enough of the women, let’s go on men now’. The new series will replace Do Dil Bandhe Ek Dori Se, which has been struggling to get numbers, and air on weekdays at 8:30 pm.

     

    The son-in-law, without a doubt, has enjoyed great importance in Indian culture, but the upcoming show will show the male protagonist proactively take on what has been otherwise considered a woman’s prerogative, and embark on a journey of setting right the discord between his wife and mother-in-law, after marriage.

     

    “I don’t think there has ever been a moment where Zee has been afraid of taking risks,” says the channel’s programming head Namit Sharma while elaborating that the channel never shied away from experimenting with content, be it any genre.  From Rishtey, Gubbare, Jhansi Ki Rani to Qubool Hai and Cinestars Ki Khoj, the shows have tried to capture all aspects of human emotions.

     

    The show is produced by Ashwini Yardi and actor Akshay Kumar who will make his debut as television producer under the banner Grazing Goats Pictures. The duo is co-producing it along with Sagar Pictures.

     

    The new offering is set against the swish backdrop of south Mumbai’s upscale Cuffe Parade and will star Ravi Dubey (Siddharth), Nia Sharma (Roshni), Achint Kaur (DD) playing the sophisticated mother-in-law and Apara Mehta as the uber cool naani. Popular faces like Delnaz Irani and Shruti Ulfat will be seen play significant parts in the show.

     

     “We are always trying to do something new with various producers, directors, writers and actors. There is no dearth of support when you want to take risks at Zee because our management really believes in that. Until we don’t innovate, we are not living up to our reputation,” believes Sharma.

     

    He recalls the moment when he had joined Zee in February, this year, the show was his first project in the channel. “I have lived the journey with this show since its inception. Yardi came up with the brief; we approved and started working on it.”

     

    According to Yardi, who makes her comeback on TV after two years, believes the small screen will always be her first priority and then the big screen. “It’s been a while since I was associated with TV, but Zee gave me an opportunity to narrate this beautiful drama and take it to various homes.”

     

    She believes that there are different ways of seeing the same story and will touch every member of the family. “We are not targeting men with this show. We are targeting the entire family including housewives. We want the women to catch hold of their husbands and sons and make them watch,” laughs Yardi.

     

    The set is located at Naigaon with 10-12 episodes already canned.

     

    The new offering will have a cut-to-cut competition with the best performing shows like Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah on Sab and Mahabharat on Star Plus.

     

    “Every slot is important for us. For me as a programmer, the main challenge is to deliver good quality of content rather than look at numbers,” highlights Sharma.

     

    Though the makers and channel are confident about its new property, planners believe it is ‘just another show’. “Every show and every broadcaster claims it to be a different concept, but how well the story unfolds is important,” says a media planner.