ITV

Tag: Sanjay Chhel

  • ‘Hum Sab Baraati’ heading for premature end

    MUMBAI: Zee has decided to pull its Sunday-Wednesday 8 pm comedy show Hum Sab Baraati off air around mid-August due to faltering TRPs.

    About three-and-a-half months ago, 4 April to be exact, we thought Zee had done everything right to tickle the funny bone when it launched Sanjay Chhel Telefilms Pvt Ltd’s maiden television venture Hum Sab Baraati (starring Dinyar Contractor, Tiku Tulsania, et al). The show was described as a light and frothy sitcom with ‘a touch of soap opera,’ revolving around a family of wedding planners. Now it looks like show is coming to an premature end.

    To mark the launch of HSB, Chhel had hired a music band, palmists, mehendiwali and flower sellers, among others. Speaking about the venture at that time, Chhel had said, “It’s a feel-good comedy with integrally woven songs and dances.” In addition to the dialogues, Chhel had also penned songs for the show.
    When contacted, Zee programming head Ashwini Yardi confirmed the news.”We always keep on introducing new formats and are replacing Hum Sab Barati,, which has already run the stipulated number of episodes, with a new serial.” This is despite the fact that Zee had affirmed at the time of its launch that HSB had been commissioned for a year.

    When contacted, Chhel, however, said, “This is news to me. Zee has not sent me any intimation in this regard. I am shooting the episodes as usual.”

     

    A leading actor from the serial (requesting anonymity) also confirmed, “Yes, I have heard this rumour. But I think that the channel should observe patience. Comedies take a long time to register and grow.”

     

    We also remember Chhel telling us, the road to its telecast has been easy. “I spoke to other channels as well about this show, but somehow thought that Zee TV was the least interfering of all.” Well?

  • Comedy power to buttress Zee’s 8 pm

    Comedy power to buttress Zee’s 8 pm

    MUMBAI: Zee seems all set to tickle that funny bone. The next big launch to buttress the line-up is Sanjay Chhel Telefilms Pvt Ltd’s Hum Sab Baraati, which will launch on 4 April 2004.

    Zee’s latest sitcom, airing Sunday-Wednesday at 8 pm, is a light and frothy sitcom with ‘a touch of a soap opera’ revolving around a family of wedding planners.

    A quirky look at marriages in India- complete with the sangeet- mehndi- shaadi- bidaai (wedding specials-wedding-farewell) routines, never-ending dahej (dowry) problems- Sanjay Chhel’s maiden television venture has its heart in right place.

    Launched at a media meet in Juhu Hotel organised by the production house, the event started unsually late, but the opulence had to be seen. The host Chhel had hired a music band, palmists, mehendiwalli, flower sellers, all that and more in addition to the overflowing bar.

    Speaking about the venture Chhel said, “Every story will be split into either two or four episodes. It’s a feel good comedy with integrally woven songs and dances.” In addition to the dialogues, Chhel has also penned songs for the show.

    What did strike the eye at the event was actor Delnaz Paul’s optimism. She said that Hum Sab Baraati Hai would be as big as her last release, Karan Johar’s blockbuster Kal Ho Na Ho!

    Starring Dinyar Contractor, Tiku Talsania, Bhavna Balsaver, Dilip Joshi, Sulbha Arya and Raju Kher, besides Paul, in main roles, the show has been commissioned by Zee for a year.

    In a release issued by Zee, Zee Telefilms president Sunil Khanna was quoted saying, “Hum Sab Baraati has all the ingredients of being a successful comedy show. Keeping in mind the multi-combination of the audiences we cater to, we plan to very carefully built and expertise on multi-genre programming. Hum Sab Baraati is filled with spicy characters, which are interconnected with each other, and they create lot of possibilities for a hilarious comedy to tickles the ribs to no end. Join us with the Baraati parivar and keep smiling always.

    However, quite a few goof-up were noticed in the dialogues. Something that is definitely not expected from veteran television script-writer Chhel.

    According to Chhel, the road to its telecast has been easy. “I spoke to other channels as well about this show, but somehow thought that Zee TV was the least interfering of all.”

    Present at the meet was also BAG Films films division head Mejoo Khan and actor Rajiv Paul escorting his wife Delnaz. In addition to Hum Sab Baarati, Zee will also be premiering next edition of 64 Panne on the same day at 8:00 pmLavanya , starring Shilpa Saklani, Rohit Bakshi and Gaurav Chopra is journey of a young adolescent girl to a matured woman completely in control of a situation.

    Speaking about Lavanya Khanna said, “Lavanya is another feather to our popular slot, 64 Panne, the prime time band which has offered captivating heart tugging stories like Dil NA Jaane Kyun, Mansha and Aandhi, which has captured tremendous response from viewers. Lavanya portrays a riveting saga of the protagonist caught between a non-committed love and fulfilling the wishes of her parents. Lavanya also exhibits the thinking of an independent woman from the new generation who is looking forward to her Mr. Right, who will get into terms with the new paradigm.”

    The show is jointly produced by Rajiv Mehta’s Dream Team Software and Moving Pictures Company.

    Lets see if April launches bring any luck to Zee’s flagship Hindi entertainment channel.

  • Qalam 2003 – annual writers workshop starts 9 Jan

    MUMBAI: The countdown to Qalam 2003 – the second annual scriptwriter’s workshop and forum has begun. After the grand success of Qalam 2001, it is back to score another first by holding “Writers Pitch”, a golden opportunity for participants to present their concepts directly to the channel executives and representatives of production houses.
    Qalam 2003 will be a comprehensive workshop and will cover everything to do with scriptwriting for television: such as the fundamentals of scriptwriting; the essence of a script’s concept, story, screenplay, dialogue and characterisation.
    The Indian scriptwriting community and budding aspirants will gather at Time & Again banquet hall in Mumbai’s Lokhandwala complex, Andheri, from 9 January to 11 January 2003 .
    Qalam 2003 will also have individual instructional sessions on writing for the various genres of television programming such as daily soaps, comedies, thrillers, game shows as well as writing for news.
    “For the first time in India, writers – some of them first-timers – will get an opportunity to present their story ideas and concepts to creative professionals from major production houses and television programming executives who will be part of a judging panel at the “Writers’ Pitch”. It is quite possible that that some of the work may be picked up if the writing measures up to the requisite standards,” says Indian Television Dot Com founder and chief executive officer Anil Wanvari.
    The cr?me de la cr?me of India’s TV scriptwriters will participate in the panel discussions and training sessions over a three-day period. The list includes stalwarts such as : Atul Tiwari, Anurag Kashyap, Ishan Trivedi, Kamlesh Pandey, RD Tailang, Rajesh Joshi, Rekha Nigam, Sanjay Upadhyay, Sanjay Chhel, Shishir Joshi, Sutapa Sikdar, Vinta Nanda and Vinod Ranganath.
    The Qalam initiative has got the kudos from senior scriptwriters who are part of the forum-cum workshop. Says Sutapa Sikdar: “Qalam is a very nice platform. It will help writers to actually understand what contemporary writing for television involves.”
    Ace comedy writer Sanjay Chhel has this to say about the effort in his inimitable style: “Writing is a taxing job. I welcome participants to the heart attack club. I look forward to doing an open heart surgery on scriptwriting at Qalam 2003.”
    Indiantelevision.com is coordinating its Qalam efforts with leading production houses and television channels. Sony TV has given its consent to be the principal sponsor. The event has also got participation support from UTV, Balaji Telefilms, Cinevistaas, BAG Films, Nimbus, InHouse Productions, Creative Eye, Siddhant Cinevision, Contiloe Films, Firework Productions, Tracinema, TV18. Several programming executives from television channels such as Star, Sony Entertainment, Zee TV, Sahara, B4U, MTV will also be attending Qalam.