ITV

Tag: Sahara Manoranjan

  • K Sera Sera VP, strategic planning, Ajay Parmar quits

    NEW DELHI: Ajay Parmar, the hitherto vice-president (strategic planning) of K Sera Sera Productions Limited, has quit the Mumbai-based production house.
    Confirming the development, Parmar said, “I have decided to join stock broking firm Joindre Capital Services Limited. One of the early entrants in the retail business, Joindre is also into institutional activities. The company has around 300 BSE/NSE terminals spread across India.”
    In his new role, Parmar will head equity research division and will also work on the formation of Private Client Group.
    Parmar joined K Sera Sera in the mid-2002. He worked on corporate strategy and was responsible for corporate communications there.
    During his stint with K Sera Sera, Parmar worked on a major co-production deal with Bollywood’s leading production house Varma Corporation Limited. 
    Apart from movies, K Sera Sera has also produced TV content for general entertainment channels such as Sahara Manoranjan and Sony Entertainment Television.
    Citing example of K Sera Sera, Parmar felt that corporate entities will have a significant presence in Bollywood in future. On co-production, he said,”Movie making encompasses areas like planning, production, promotions and distribution. It is difficult for one to cover all the areas to make a movie a commercial success and continue to sustain the same success year after year or movie after movie. Co-production gives freedom to each co-producer to focus and specialise in their respective fields.”
    Prior to K Sera Sera, Parmar had worked with KJMC Capital (1998-2002), Mafatlal Securities (1995-1998) and Dolat Capital (1992-1995) as head of research.

  • Next addition to Sahara Parivaar: Sunny Deol

    Next addition to Sahara Parivaar: Sunny Deol

    MUMBAI: At this rate, Sahara Manoranjan should be having all the Hindi film stars moonlighting as television actors.

    Close on the heels of Bollywood stars Karisma Kapoor, Sridevi, Raveena and Mahima Chaudhary, Sunny Deol has signed a three-film contract with Sahara.

    The time-frame for making the films is two years. Sahara meanwhile has an innovative plan for its debut screening. It is planning to schedule the movie releases, first on the channel followed by a theatre release.

    Confirming the move, Sahara creative director Akashdeep Sabeer said to indiantelevision.com, “The theme of the films is likely to be patriotic or whatever Deol chooses it to be.”

    According to Sabeer, they are already in process of hearing scripts from Ken Ghosh (Ishq Vishk director), Manishankar (16 December director) and Armaan fame Honey Irani along with few others. Deol is also meeting and interacting with the directors.

    Deol apparently plays a vital role in zeroing on the project. Sabeer also offered that the talks should materialise soon.

    Looking at the television scenario, telefilm is unlikely to be a workable proposition, but Deol definitely has a mass appeal. What remains to be seen is whether after a television premier the movie manages to pull crowds in theater too.

  • Deepti Naval returns to small screen with Sahara’s ‘Mukkammal’

    Deepti Naval returns to small screen with Sahara’s ‘Mukkammal’

    MUMBAI: The 80s ‘chamko’ girl Deepti Naval will make a return to small screen this week. She will be joining the celebrated cast of Sahara Manoranjan with a new show titled Mukkammal. Debuting on 5 September, this weekly is scheduled to air every Friday at 8:30 pm.

     

    Produced by Sahara India Mass Communication Ltd (SIMCL) along with Samay Creations, Mukkammal is a woman-oriented serial. It will tell the tale of a woman’s search for the complete man.
     While Ravi Pandit and Ashok Pandit are the assigned producers, Raman Kumar, of Tara fame, will be the writer of the show. Drawing inspiration from Mahabharat, the show claims to be the story of a modern day Draupadi .

     

    The protagonist Sumeesha, played by Naval, is a woman strong in her values, yet vulnerable in her needs. The story is about how she is attracted towards different men, five to be precise, for their qualities, and of her struggle to change their views about platonic relationships. Besides Naval, the cast includes Lalit Parimo, Anup Soni, Rahul Vora, Amit Behl and Bharat Kapoor as the five men; and Achint Kaur, Kiran Juneja, Nilima Azim, Meghna Malik in pivotal roles.

     

    The theme song of the serial is composed and sung by Tauseef Akhtar and Nirja Pandit. Mukkammal will be replacing Bhagyashree’s Kagaz Ki Kashtti, yet another women oriented show, which has apparently completed its run. Although this isn’t her television debut, since the actor has previously worked in shows like Thoda Sa Aasman (as director-cum-actress) and as a lead in the first megaserial on AIDS Tanav, the show marks her return on the tube after a long time.

     

    Speaking about the show Sahara Manoranjan, vice president (publicity and PR) Priya Raj says, “After award-winning serials like Kadam and Draupadi, Mukkammal, is yet another meaningful serial with a woman’s theme which our discerning viewers can really look forward to.”

  • Five new launches on tube this week

    MUMBAI: Good news for couch potatoes. With five new shows slated for a launch this week, there is something for absolutely everybody.
    Already, with the ‘guess who’s Jassi’ drama tickling the viewers’ curiosity, the serial Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahi , — an Indianised version of the Hispanic Yo Soy Betty La Fea — has become one of the most awaited launches in the coming weeks. The show will be telecast in Sony.


    Also airing next week is Sahara’s Arzoo Hai Tu, Star Worlds’s new season of That 70’s Show, MTV’s Khamosh and NDTV’s World This Week..
    Sony’s Jassi…, a drama on life in the fashion world, is a story of a plain Jane with an extraordinarily good sense of humour, who learns to deal with and triumph over the glitzy world of fashion.


    The show targeted at the average female audience launches on 1 September at 9:30 pm. A special one hour preview show has been scheduled for 31 August.
    According to the Sony sources, Jasmeet ‘Jassi’ Walia’s strong values will appeal to the middle class while her career goals will draw the modern Indian woman. The reworked Cinderella is likely to offer tough competition to the Sahara’s big ticket Karishma – The Miracles of Destiny, which airs in the same time band.
    Meanwhile, Sahara Manoranjan is ready with its next launch Arzoo Hai Tu. The show, produced by Sahara India Mass Communication Ltd in association with Sagar Entertainment, will launch on 1 September at 10 pm.


    This daily boasts of big names in the television industry like Mohnish Behl, Aman Verma, Mrinal Kulkarni, Lata Sabharwal, Uday Tikikar, Sheetal Thankkar and Suddha Shivpuri. Based on a story about family values, conflicts of ideals, ambitions, aspirations, jealousy and hate, Arzoo… is essentially a dramatic love story.
    Next in the pipeline is Star World new season of That 70’s Show. Set in the era of Led Zeppelin 8-tracks, Tab colas, and Farrah Fawcett posters, the nostalgic and funny flashback to the “Me” decade, starts on 1 September at 8 pm.
    Set in the Wisconsin suburbs, That 70s Show is about 18 year old Eric Forman (Topher Grace), who lives with his parents — Red (Kurtwood Smith) and Kitty (Debra Jo Rupp) and yearns for his independence. Also in the frame is Eric’s ex-girlfriend and neighbour, Donna (Laura Prepon), a knock-out who’s been forced to deal with her parents’ recent split and her dad Bob’s (Don Stark) new life as a swinging single.


    Beside there are his friends, who spend most of their time hanging out in the Forman basement and pondering their lives, their parents and their future.
    The gang includes Kelso (Ashton Kutcher), a good-looking but gullible guy, especially when it comes to dealing with his controlling on-again, off-again girlfriend Jackie (Mila Kunis); Hyde (Danny Masterson), a conspiracy theorist who thinks Xerox will take over the world; and Fez (Wilmer Valderrama), a foreign exchange student who’s soaking up American culture like a sponge.
    This season finds the gang maturing during their senior year of high school as they prepare to graduate and head off to college. Eric and Donna are back together again, while Jackie and Kelso have finally split up for good.
    Kelso meets a new California girl, played by guest star and pop singer Jessica Simpson, while Jackie finds comfort in the arms of Hyde, much to the gang’s dismay. Fez even finds true love when he shifts into high gear and falls for an older woman who works at the DMV.


    As for MTV Roadies , they are still roaring on the road, making some good television coverage. Viacom’s music arm has dished out yet another music band to their programming line up Khamosh , which launches on 1 September. Khamosh will replace MTV Bolti bund from Monday to Friday at 9 pm.
    Last on the list is NDTV’s flagship show The World This Week, which was previously scheduled to launch on 29 August at 9:30 pm. After exactly a week’s delay, it will finally be out on 5 September in the same time slot.
    Voted as one of the five all-time best shows in India, the original anchor Dr Prannoy Roy will make a comeback on NDTV 24×7. The show, back on popular demand, will take a look at international events from a clearly Indian perspective.

  • Rani Mukerji’s 1st TV production ‘Pratima’ set to roll

    MUMBAI: Just under seven months after they first conceived the idea, Bollywood actress Rani Mukerji and brother Raja Mukerji’s TV production is set to start rolling.
    As reported by indiantelevision.com on 21 January 2003, Raja Mukerji’s soon-to-be launched serial for Sahara Manoranjan is titled as Pratima.
    The shooting for Mukerji’s dream project gets underway from 1 September. Ashok Gaikwad who is currently wielding the baton for producer-actress Aroona Irani’s Des Mein Niklla Hoga Chand will don the director’s hat.
    While speaking to indiantelevision.com, Gaikwad informs: “Actually, Rani and Raja will be the joint producers. Raja’s wife Jyoti Mukerji, who has earlier featured in Gharana on Zee, would play the main protagonist. It’s a family drama. As per the plan, it should go on air in the first week of November.”
    Based on a woman’s struggle, the serial has a Bengali backdrop. It draws a parallel between a woman who revolts after being pushed too far and the transformation of the peace loving goddess Durga into a vengeful Mata Kali.
    The serial also stars big screen and television actors Anang Desai, Vivek Mushran and Kunika amongst others.

  • Sahara Manoranjan claims to have crossed 100 GRP points

    MUMBAI: The Karishma imbroglio notwithstanding, Sahara Manoranjan has been gaining viewership for its entertainment programmes.
    As per the recently released TAM media report for Hindi speaking markets in Cable & Satellite households with viewers from all age groups, Sahara Manoranjan has recorded viewership ratings of 103 GRPs.
    Sahara’s publicity and PR VP Pria Raj says, “It is interesting to note that three metro cities in the Hindi speaking markets have contributed 44 per cent to the total viewership. The West Zone has contributed 68 per cent followed by the North Zone with 21 per cent and the East with 11 per cent.”
    Zindagi… Teri Meri Kahani with a TVR of 1.6 followed by Ankhen with 1.5. Hindi blockbuster movies like Pyaar Diwana Hota Hai and Shararat have also contributed to the gain in viewership. It is also giving the three major broadcasters Star, Sony and Zee a beating in the kids segment. Just Kids, the popular children’s programme on Sahara Manoranjan anchored by Yash Pathak, currently showing animation series Jungle Book and Simba, the Lion King, is the most watched children’s programme, way ahead of Star Plus, Sony and Zee, says the channel, quoting Tam data for the week ended 21 June c&s homes 4-14 Hindi speaking markets.

  • Aruna Irani to make ‘Zameen Se Asmaan Tak’ for Sahara Manoranjan

    MUMBAI: Sahara Manoranjan’s penchant for Bollywood names and top producers in the television arena continues. After Asha Parekh and Saira Banu, it is Aruna Irani who is making a serial for the channel.


    Titled Zameen Se Aasmaan Tak the soap which is slated to be a daily, is expected to go on air in September, according to sources.
    “The soap has a very interesting theme, something quite different from what the viewer has been used till now. It is based on human emotions,” says Aruna Irani, refusing to divulge further details.
    With Des Mein Niklla Hoga Chand , on Star Plus scaling high on the popularity charts , only time will tell if Aruna Irani will be able to caste a similar spell for Sahara Manoranjan as well.
    ‘Des Mein’ ousts ‘Kyunki..’ & ‘Kahaani..’ from No. 1 position

  • Saira Banu’s ‘Kise Apna Kahein’ on Sahara from 26 May

    MUMBAI: Sahara Manoranjan, the entertainment channel’s fascination for Bollywood continues. With the fate of its magnum opus – Karishma,The Miracles Of Destiny still on tenterhooks, the channel has announced the launch of Kise Apna Kahein, produced by Saira Banu, the popular Bollywood actor of yesteryears.
    The daily soap which debuts on 26 May 2003, will be presented by the living Bollywood legend Dilip Kumar. It will air Monday to Thursday at 10 pm.
    According to an official release, the soap is a social drama which revolves around Noor- a beautiful, educated wealthy girl. The story starts from the conjuncture where Noor gets married to Arshad. Noor like any other girl steps on a journey of love, hate, pain and humiliation with the advent of this new life, where she is face-to-face with the realities of this selfish world.
    Noor discovers that the man she chose as her husband, does not care much for her but is only concerned with the wealth she is going to inherit. It is a triangular relationship of love and hate between Noor , her husband Arshad and her husband’s friend Danish.
    The soap has been directed by Inderjit of Amanat fame. It’s music has been composed by Lalit Sen and title song has been sung by Alka Yagnik, the release adds.

  • Sahara moves SC; seeks to take legal battle back to Calcutta HC

    NEW DELHI: The Subrata Roy-promoted Sahara India Media Company has decided to fight it out in the court “on merit” and not give up on the Rs 600 million serial on Sahara Manoranjan channel, Karishma – The Miracles of 
    Destiny.
    Today (Monday, 19 May), Sahara moved the Supreme Court seeking to take the legal battle back to the Calcutta High Court to fight a suit filed by New York-based novelist Barbara Taylor Bradford alleging that mega serial Karishma ..was an unauthorised copy of her popular novel A Woman of Substance.
    Sumit Roy, head of Sahara’s media and entertainment business, refused to comment on today’s developments saying the case was “sub-judice”. But sources close to the company told indiantelevision.com, “Sahara has decided to fight the case on its merit and it is highly unlikely that it would go in for an out of court settlement with Bradford.”
    The mega serial, starring Bollywood actress Karisma Kapoor, has been off-air despite airing its first episode on 12 May 2003. The serial has been touted as one of the biggest and costliest serials of Indian television that had the potential of turning round the fortunes of Sahara Manoranjan, a la KBC and Star Network in India.
    On 14 May, the Supreme Court had confirmed the stay on the telecast of the mega serial Karishma on the allegation of Bradford that the serial was based 
    on her novel, A Woman of Substance.
    The Supreme Court decision on the Special Leave Petition filed by Taylor challenging an order of the Division Bench allowing telecast of the TV soap, 
    is still pending, a Press Trust of India report said today.
    The PTI has reported that a vacation Bench comprising Justice N Santosh Hegde and Justice Shivaraj V Patil, before whom the application seeking permission for going back to the Single Judge Bench was mentioned today, posted the matter for hearing on Thursday.
    The report adds that the Sahara’s application today used the plea – “on mature consideration and on legal advice” – while stating that it should have accepted one of the suggestion of the Bench on May 14 to go back to the Single Judge Bench of the High Court, which, on 7 May, had restrained the channel from telecasting the serial.
    Sahara also suggested that the 12 May order of the Division Bench of the High Court, allowing the airing of the serial, could also be set aside and the Single Judge Bench be requested to decide the matter expeditiously.
    Rejecting Sahara Manoranjan’s pleas for vacation of the 12 May interim order staying the telecast of the serial, the Supreme Court, on 14 May, had continued the stay on airing the serial and also stayed all proceedings 
    before the Kolkata high court, the PTI report stated.
    The apex court on 12 May had stayed the high court order giving the go-ahead for telecast of the mega serial on Sahara Manoranjan. The serial was telecast on that day but was suspended a day later.
    On Monday, 12 May, a single judge bench of the high court refused to vacate the may seven injunction order restraining the TV channel from airing the serial. The TV channel, then, moved the division bench of the high court in the afternoon and got stay of the injunction order.
    Not giving up, Barbara, through her solicitor Mondal, filed an appeal before the vacation bench in the evening and the bench of Justices Hegde and Patil heard the special leave petition at home late in the evening and in an 
    ex-parte order stayed the airing of the serial.

  • ‘Karishma’ off air – Sahara, Bradford await SC hearing on 14 May

    MUMBAI: Despite airing the first episode, Sahara Manoranjan had to take a break and not air the second episode of Karishma – The Miracles of Destiny, billed as the small screen blockbuster. The future course of action will be decided after the the Supreme Court hearing which is scheduled to take place on on Wednesday, 14 May 2003.
    On Tuesday night, the channel aired Kadam (starring Divya Dutta) at 9:30 pm and Zindagi Teri Meri Kahani at 9 pm.
    The Supreme Court will be hearing the arguments of the two affected parties – Sahara TV and novelist Barbara Taylor Bradford.
    New York based Barbara Taylor Bradford, through her solicitor Fox Mandal, had filed an appeal before the vacation bench of the Supreme Court on late Monday evening. The bench heard the Special Leave Petition and in an ex-parte order stayed the airing of the serial despite the previous order of the Kolkata High Court division bench issued earlier during the day.
    The Kolkata High Court had vacated the stay brought on by a copyright infringement suit against Karishma – The Miracles of Destiny on 12 May. Sahara had got an ad interim injunction filed against it from a division bench after an earlier unsuccessful attempt which involved moving a single judge of the Kolkata High Court. After this ruling, the first episode had been telecast on Monday night.
    Barbara Taylor Bradford, the author of A Woman of Substance had obtained a stay from the Kolkata High Court last Thursday, claiming the story of Karishma – The Miracles of Destiny had been lifted without authorisation.
    Media reports indicated that the novelist was considering moving the court with a contempt petition after Sahara Manoranjan went ahead with the telecast of the first episode.

    Also read:
    ‘Karishma’ to keep its date with viewers tonight 
    Will Karishma be the miracle to turn television viewership on its head?