ITV

Tag: Shri Ram

  • Sony’s Shrimad Ramayan and the future of cable TV

    Sony’s Shrimad Ramayan and the future of cable TV

    MUMBAI: Can the recently launched Shrimad Ramayan give a shot in the arm to the struggling pay TV sector, especially cable TV? The jury is out and opinions are mixed, but there’s some movement afoot. One cannot forget that the earlier Ramyan on Doordarshan in the eighties resulted in India’s streets being deserted and during its rerun during the pandemic it attracted 76 million viewers on DD on 16 April 2020.

    According to some cable TV operators, the signs are positive.

    “I am glad that the show has launched as it has,” says Nagpur-based MSO UCN director Ajay Khamankar. “Shrimad Ramayan is only showing on TV which is good. I see a lot of potential in it slowing down the cord-cutting that has been plaguing the pay-TV sector.”

    Mumbai-based MSO and OTT aggregator Sabot promoter  Atul Saraf, however, disagrees. “We are getting some calls, but it’s not ground shifting. One show can’t change the fortunes of the cable TV sector. “

    Khamankar contradicts this by saying that his company’s helplines have seen a lot of traction since 1 January when Shrimad Ramayan premiered with viewers asking for their cable TV connection to be restored. “We have been getting an unusual number of calls from subscribers who had earlier cancelled their subscriptions. It cuts across age groups, which is a good sign,” he highlights.

    Saraf points out that he would like to monitor the situation for a few more weeks before concluding on Shrimad Ramayan being a standout for the cable TV sector. “Normally, we are seeing disconnections daily,” he reveals. “We will have to see whether the signups are more than the sign-outs over time.”

    Shrimad Ramayan has been produced by the Siddharth Kumar Tewary-run Swastik Productions and airs at the premium 9 pm slot Monday to Friday. It stars Sujay Reu as Shri Ram, Prachi Bansal as Sita, and Basant Bhatt as Lakshman.  It premiered on 1 January to rave reviews about its quality of production as well as story-telling. This is why it has been enamouring TV viewers at home. In just its first week, it zoomed up to No. 2 on the Sony ratings chart just behind Wagle Ki Duniya (1.1 TVR, TSV 15 minutes) and on the same rank as Pushpa Impossible (0.9 TVR; TSV: 18 minutes) with a TVR of 0.9  and TSV of 31 minutes.  

    “Obviously, the content is keeping viewers engaged and it can only grow from here,” says a media observer.

    Shrimad Ramayan has also got an IMDB rating of 9.3 which shows a high audience approval. Critics too have given it a thumbs up with some like Tellychakkar mentioning “that the deep commitment to authenticity, cultural reverence and a contemporary sensibility is what makes the show a must-watch. “

    Will the audience reciprocate as the show builds up in the coming weeks?

  • Zee Jagran to launch pilgrimage show ‘Jahan Jahan Ram Charan Chali Jahin’

    Zee Jagran to launch pilgrimage show ‘Jahan Jahan Ram Charan Chali Jahin’

    MUMBAI: Zee Jagran will launch a pilgrimage-based show Jahan Jahan Ram Charan Chali Jahin on the occasion of Ram Navmi, on 6 April.

    According to an official release, the pilgrimage will have none other than Shri Arun Govil as the guide. The pilgrimage covers two countries, 10 states, 72 districts and 250 places. The program will be anchored by veteran actor Arun Govil.

    Jahan Jahan Ram Charan Chali Jahin gives its viewers a unique chance to explore and know in detail, about all the places visited by Shri Ram during his journeys – first with Rishi Vishwamitra and Rishi Vasishta as a child, and then the famous 14 years spent in exile. They can experience the divinity of all the places blessed by the footsteps of Shri Ram but lost and forgotten over a period of time, states an official release.

    Viewers will discover places like ‘Makhauda’ a small village 20 Kms from Ayodhya where Raja Dashrath performed the Putrayesthi Yagna, and where the Havan Kund in which this yagna was performed is still present, the release adds.

    Says Zee Jagran channel head Anil Anand, “A sense of divine history discovery & exploration, an intrinsic urge to understand one’s roots and an opportunity to be at one with God will make viewers respond to this program.” He further states that “The Channel has spared no cost to make this program special and meaningful for its viewers. The program has been shot – on location – all 250 of them; many of these places are inaccessible by modern means of transport. We have also specially composed over 400 Chaupies which will feature in the program. The title song has been very soulfully given voice by Shri Pankaj Awasthi. The program also gives travel advice to its viewers, should they want to visit any of these places. To involve and reward the viewers, we have an interactive format wherein viewers can win special gifts by sending answers to questions asked by Shri Arun Govil during the program.”

    The program is being promoted heavily on the Zee Network and other TV Channels, apart from viewer contacts being made through van activities across North Indian States.