MUMBAI: Another big ticket Sony show bites the dust. Naam Gum Jaayega, launched two months ago amid much fanfare by the channel, will air its last episode on 28 August. Killed abruptly, the Shobhna Desai production was supposed to be one of the major launches on the channel this year.
An innovative theme about changelings belonging to different religions whose families discover the swap 20 years later, the concept initially broached sensitive communal feelings. The channel dropped the communal angle when it did not find favour with audiences and shifted focus on to the romantic liaisons of the protagonists. That track did not work either, admits Sony’s online programming head Anupama Mandloi.
With the TRPs of NGJ keeping the show out of the top 100 shows on satellite channels in the country as well as the top shows of Sony, the channel has decided to kill it in infancy. Sony did this earlier this year with Balaji Telefilms’ Kahaani Terri Merri replacing another Balaji show Kutumb. Ektaa Kapoor’s TV take on the film Devdas however, did not set the ratings on fire. KTM was dropped and NGJ brought in its place. Now NGJ makes way for Jassi Jaissa Koi Nahin, an Indianised version of Yo Soy Betty La Fea, the Latin American show that has captivated a reported 80 million viewers in 25 countries.
Sony had got NGJ lead protagonists Shilpa Kadam and Gauri Pradhan to sign a year long exclusivity contract, which will now be utilised on some other programming, says Mandloi.
In April, SET India executive vice president Sunil Lulla, when queried as to whether the show would be given an extended run unlike the fate that befell two earlier attempts at being different Dhadkan (a medical drama) and Hubahu (about twins switching identities), had said the series was planned with an extended duration in mind. Careful background work had gone into the creation of the show keeping all issues in mind, he had said at the time. Today, he maintained that keeping up with the competition had caused the closure of NGJ.
While KTM launched on 20 January and ended on 15 May, NGJ started on 19 May and had a run of 60 episodes. Jassi, according to director Tony Singh, will have a run of over 300 episodes. “The series has a set script and hence a finite number of episodes – it should not go on for over a year and a half,” he says.
It is to be hoped that Jassi completes its run as per the current plan. This continuing chop and change must be leaving the viewers rather confused.
Tag: Shobhna Desai
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‘Naam Gum Jaayega’ to exit after 28 August
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‘Ek Mahal Ho Sapano Ka’ crosses 900-episode mark
Ek Mahal Ho Sapano Ka, the precursor to the tide of saas-bahu sagas that swept Indian television in the last two years, has just crossed the 900 episode milestone on Sony.
A product from the Shobhna Desai Productions stable, the original nightly soap that follows the happinesses and tragedies of a Gujarati joint family, Ek Mahal… claims to be the longest running soap on Indian satellite television. It still has some way to go though if it wants to catch up with the Marathi series Damini which completed 1,000 episodes on DD Sahyadri on 16 May.
Produced by Shobhna Desai, directed by Vipul Shah and scripted by Aatish Kapadia, Ek Mahal… is a bilingual serial, the Gujarati version – Sapana Na Vavetar – ran on DD Gujarati.
Ek Mahal… started its run on Sony in 1998, according to an official release. The serial, claims the release, commands a wide Indian audience in the UK and USA and has been a launch pad for more than 200 Gujarati theatre artists thus far.
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‘Ek Mahal Ho Sapano Ka’ crosses 900-episode mark
Ek Mahal Ho Sapano Ka, the precursor to the tide of saas-bahu sagas that swept Indian television in the last two years, has just crossed the 900 episode milestone on Sony.
A product from the Shobhna Desai Productions stable, the original nightly soap that follows the happinesses and tragedies of a Gujarati joint family, Ek Mahal… claims to be the longest running soap on Indian satellite television. It still has some way to go though if it wants to catch up with the Marathi series Damini which completed 1,000 episodes on DD Sahyadri on 16 May.
Produced by Shobhna Desai, directed by Vipul Shah and scripted by Aatish Kapadia, Ek Mahal… is a bilingual serial, the Gujarati version – Sapana Na Vavetar – ran on DD Gujarati.
Ek Mahal… started its run on Sony in 1998, according to an official release. The serial, claims the release, commands a wide Indian audience in the UK and USA and has been a launch pad for more than 200 Gujarati theatre artists thus far.
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Sony launches ‘Kaun Apna Kaun Paraya’ as part of fresh afternoon menu
Sony Entertainment Television yesterday announced the launch of a new daily soap Kaun Apna Kaun Paraya, part of an initiative on SET’s part to repackage its programming in the afternoon band which becomes effective 4 June.
When asked about the logic behind placing a new serial in the afternoon band, Rekha Nigam, senior VP programming, says: “As we rule the weekend slots, we also want to capture the afternoon band and for that we will be providing a new bunch of programming.” Nigam made her comments at a press conference to announce the new drive in south Mumbai’s Oberoi hotel.
Kaun Apna Kaun Paraya is produced by Shobhna Desai, who has a number of popular serials like Ek Mahal Ho Sapno Ka, Alpaviram (afternoon slot on Sony) and Sony’s new prime time serial Hum Pardesi Ho Gaye, to her credit.
Kaun Apna… will be telecast at 1:30 PM and will replace the popular dance-based programme Boogie Woogie, which is being advanced to the 12 noon slot.
“Sony is specifically targeting the 12 noon to 3:00 PM time band,” Nigam says. According to Nigam, marketing research indicates that this was the peak viewing time in the afternoon band where the viewership essentially comprise housewives and school and college going kids.
The programming is also organised accordingly. Boogie Woogie‘ therefore targets all age groups but essentially looks at youngsters while the later programmes focus more and more on housewives.
Along with the Kaun Apna..., Ek Mahal Ho Sapno ka, another popular daily soap which currently airs at 10:15 PM, will air in the rescheduled afternoon band at 1:00 PM to make it more attractive for the viewers.
Reruns of recently launched prime time serials Kkusum and Kahin Diyaa Jale Kahin Jiyaa are also been scheduled for the band. However, old shows Alpaviram, Ajanabi, Aurat, Ghar Ek Mandir and Itihaas will remain in their current slots between 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Alpaviram will be getting over by first week of June which will be replaced by Chhoti Si Asha
“We will be pushing the afternoon band. The packaging and promos will be specially done through newspapers, hoardings and on the channel,” says Nigam. She refused to give details on the budget Sony had set aside for the promotion.
Nigam would not be drawn into a debate on ratings. “We will be providing completely fresh entertainment and we will be pitching hard, so I am confident that we will grab the afternoon band also. As far as TRPs go, I dont believe in it, in the sense that our priority is to try and identify the concept which strikes a chord with viewers. The soul of any programme is the concept and TRPs follow that. So it is too early to talk about that.
As far as advertising goes, the rates per 10 second slot for Kaun Apna … and Ek Mahal Ho Sapno ka has been kept at Rs 80,000 and for other shows has been kept at Rs 60,000.
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Sony launches ‘Kaun Apna Kaun Paraya’ as part of fresh afternoon menu
Sony Entertainment Television yesterday announced the launch of a new daily soap Kaun Apna Kaun Paraya, part of an initiative on SET’s part to repackage its programming in the afternoon band which becomes effective 4 June.
When asked about the logic behind placing a new serial in the afternoon band, Rekha Nigam, senior VP programming, says: “As we rule the weekend slots, we also want to capture the afternoon band and for that we will be providing a new bunch of programming.” Nigam made her comments at a press conference to announce the new drive in south Mumbai’s Oberoi hotel.
Kaun Apna Kaun Paraya is produced by Shobhna Desai, who has a number of popular serials like Ek Mahal Ho Sapno Ka, Alpaviram (afternoon slot on Sony) and Sony’s new prime time serial Hum Pardesi Ho Gaya, to her credit.
Kaun Apna… will be telecast at 1:30 PM and will replace the popular dance-based programme Boogie Woogie, which is being advanced to the 12 noon slot.
“Sony is specifically targeting the 12 noon to 3:00 PM time band,” Nigam says. According to Nigam, marketing research indicates that this was the peak viewing time in the afternoon band where the viewership essentially comprise housewives and school and college going kids.
The programming is also organised accordingly. Boogie Woogie‘ therefore targets all age groups but essentially looks at youngsters while the later programmes focus more and more on housewives.
Along with the Kaun Apna..., Ek Mahal Ho Sapno ka, another popular daily soap which currently airs at 10:15 PM, will air in the rescheduled afternoon band at 1:00 PM to make it more attractive for the viewers.
Reruns of recently launched prime time serials Kkusum and Kahin Diyaa Jale Kahin Jiyaa are also been scheduled for the band. However, old shows Alpaviram, Ajanabi, Aurat Ghar Ek Mandir and Itihaas will remain in their current slots between 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Alpaviram will be getting over by first week of June which will be replaced by Chhoti Si Asha
“We will be pushing the afternoon band. The packaging and promos will be specially done through newspapers, hoardings and on the channel,” says Nigam. She refused to give details on the budget Sony had set aside for the promotion.
Nigam would not be drawn into a debate on ratings. “We will be providing completely fresh entertainment and we will be pitching hard, so I am confident that we will grab the afternoon band also. As far as TRPs go, I dont believe in it, in the sense that our priority is to try and identify the concept which strikes a chord with viewers. The soul of any programme is the concept and TRPs follow that. So it is too early to talk about that.
As far as advertising goes, the rates per 10 second slot for Kaun Apna … and Ek Mahal Ho Sapno ka has been kept at Rs 80,000 and for other shows has been kept at Rs 60,000.
The new Schedule for Afternoon band from 12:00 to 3:00 on Sony.
Time Name of the show 12:00 Boogie Woogie 12:30 Kahi Diyaa Jale Kahi Jiyaa 1:00 Ek Mahal Ho Sapno ka 1:30 Kaun Apna Kaun Paraya 2:00 Kkusum 2:30 Ghar Ek Mandir