ITV

Tag: Siddhartha

  • ‘Buddha’: Zee’s Sunday treat for its viewers

    ‘Buddha’: Zee’s Sunday treat for its viewers

    MUMBAI: A lot has been written and spoken about ‘the enlightened one’ but this is the first time someone has attempted to capture his life on screen. ‘It was my vision to do a conceptualised show like this on Indian television’, says Spice Studios founder and chairman and also producer of the show Dr BK Modi.

    Come 8 September, Sunday mornings are going to be much more informative and educational where the viewers will be taken to the life and journey of Buddha every Sunday at 11:00 am. The series will be an hour long and replacing Ramayan, which unfortunately has not been getting good ratings.
    Bharat Kumar Ranga Ranga feels that the epic is not only meant for Indians or Indians living abroad, but it will also have an international appeal to it as well

    Zeel and Essel group chairman Subhash Chandra exults: “We have been working with many researchers and experts on the subject. We are delighted to partner with Spice Studios to present a new series which is never-before-seen biopic on television on the life of Buddha.”

    The channel feels that the show is going to create waves around the country since the life of the Buddha would be shown for the first time on Indian television. Told in 52 gripping episodes, the series will be an entertaining action drama that will showcase the unexplored life of Buddha as Siddhartha.

    It was always Modi’s desire to showcase the life of Buddha. It is interesting to note that this was supposed to be made into a feature film. Modi had begun work on a film based on the same subject with filmmakers Shekhar Kapur and Ashutosh Gowariker helming the research and script development and was also in talks with Hollywood’s renowned scribe David Wault. But he has finally chosen the small screen to fulfill his wishful endeavour.

    He clarifies: “There is a lot to show on this subject and it was not possible for it to wrap up in just three hours. The scope of television today is larger than films and we wanted Buddha’s story to unfold in all its splendour and reach out to the largest denominator of people possible. Only TV can give us that reach, especially Zee, with its international reach spanning over 169 countries.”

    Asking whether this attempt to revive the morning slot for weekend work with the audiences, a top-placed media planner on the basis on anonymity answers: “Apart from the 90s when Ramayan and Mahabharat worked, nothing has really clicked in the Sunday morning slot. Star tried to relive it by getting Satyamev Jayate and it did work for it. Apart from that the slot is not very attractive.”
    Dr BK Modi and Subhash Chandra want Buddha’s story to unfold in all its splendour and reach out to the largest denominator of people possible

    Further adding: “But since no one has tried with Budhdha earlier maybe it will attract some eyeballs. But overall it is the treatment which matters. Let’s wait and watch if it will be able to relive the slot.”

    But on the other hand, Modi is quite confident that the historic epic will entertain the viewers. And the audience will get to learn a lot and the show will be the reference point for researchers.

    Adds Modi: “Ramayan and Mahabharat gained huge success when it started, but audiences started losing interest from the time it was repeatedly made by different channels. If one show is made in a different way by different directors, it obviously loses its charm and uniqueness. The reason these shows are not working well today is because people have already had enough of it and have seen the same thing but in different avatars.”

    The magnum opus has an international appeal with its grand scale, opulent sets at the Film City spread over a sprawling four acre plot. The promos which are already on-air are quite impressive with state-of-art 3D graphics being used to re-create the look and feel of a bygone era. Moreover, well-researched costumes have been bought out of Jodhpur and Jaipur. Customised jewellery has been sourced from Patna and will bring alive the majestic lifestyles of the royal family of that time.

    It has been more than two months that the entire cast and crew has started shooting and approximately 15-20 episodes have been canned at the time of writing.

    The channel has roped in Syska LED as the presenting sponsor and is powered by Crystal. On the promotions side, the promos are already on the television screens and one can see them focusing and promoting on the OOH platform as well.

    To top it all, Zeel chief content and creative officer Bharat Kumar Ranga feels proud to come up with such a huge show. He says: “We have concentrated in capturing the life of Buddha and the transition from prince Siddhartha to Gautama Buddha. But the life itself provides such a great dramatic possibilities that we have realised there is one story which is untold in India and worldwide and many people do not know about it. Therefore this will capture the attention because there is a value in this particular proposition.”
    The ensemble cast of Buddha

    He further adds: “Many years of research work has gone behind this. We knew that internationally there will be a lot of misconceptions so therefore we thought of not focusing on Buddhism instead we focused only on the life of Buddha. A lot of investments has gone behind the extensive research.”

    Zee and Spice are leaving no stone unturned when it comes to perfection and showing people the facts. They also wrote to Buddhists communities across the world largely in Asia pacific, asking for their valuable inputs. “The idea was to pre-inform them, so if at all somebody has some inputs they can provide it to us; otherwise we have done our research very thoroughly. Modi’s team has done a great job ensuring that every single thing is presented correctly as possible and factually as possible”, says Ranga.

    Ranga also feels that it is not only meant for Indians or Indians living abroad, but it will have an international appeal to it as well.

    Amongst the cast, veteran actor Kabir Bedi will be seen making a comeback to acting after a long hiatus. Others on the list are Samir Dharmadhikari, Nigaar Khan, Deepak Upadhyay, Gungun Uprari and Siddhartha Vasudev.

    “It should set a benchmark for the people, a point of reference. Our expectations are that people should truly enjoy this. We believe that it will add a lot to people’s lives and it will be beyond those TVTs and viewerships”, Ranga signs off.
    Though the channel has not yet thrown any light on who will portray the character of ‘the enlightened one’. We hope this Buddha brings a smile to the channel and its viewers

  • The science behind KBC’s theme

    The science behind KBC’s theme

    MUMBAI: Remember the “Unwanted” girl who goes on to win Kaun Banega Crorepati? The power of knowledge (Sirf Gyaan Hi Aapko Aapka Haq Dilata Hai) helped her reach the hot seat but imagine what would have happened if she had stopped there? Most of us tend do stop learning after we reach a certain position and certain stature. This year, viewers of Sony Entertainment have been watching the Big B Amitabh Bachchan coming on their TV screens, reminding them Seekhna Band…Toh Jeetna Band.

     

    Yes, that is the theme for this year’s KBC. Taking a step forward from last year’s theme, the show plans to motivate its viewers to continue learning through its campaign, which went on air a couple of weeks ago. Sony Entertainment Television senior VP and marketing head Gaurav Seth explains, “The theme ties in beautifully with the idea of KBC. In life and in KBC when you become complacent and arrogant that is when you understand that you have lost in both life and KBC.”

     

    From Koi Bhi Sawaal Chhota Nahi Hota to Seekhna Band…Toh Jeetna Band, the channel has come up with innovative messaging almost every year. And don’t be foolish to think that these just fall out of thin air. It takes four to five months of brainstorming, two-days of workshopping by all concerned entities (SET, Big Synergy, Leo Burnett) to weigh the pros and cons, before the theme is finalized.

     

    “Every year the mood of the nation changes, we need to be abreast with what is happening in the country and incorporate it in the brand message without losing out on the show’s uniqueness ,” says Leo Burnett’s executive creative director Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari who has been associated with KBC’s creative since it was first aired on Sony.

     

    The obvious question that everyone has on their minds is why have a theme? Isn’t it just a game show? “It is not a game, it is a life changer,” comes the unanimous response from Seth and Tiwari. Both go on to elaborate that the show connects with people and themes only go on to humanise the concept. “The theme is resonant with Indian society,” says Seth.

     

    The current theme works around inculcating the spirit of learning at every stage of life. Citing Big B’s example they both say, “Even today a great man like him doesn’t shy away from an opportunity to learn. So, why should we?” The same message has been very satirically incorporated in the two promos, directed by Amit Sharma of Chrome Pictures, which are on air right now.

     

    Tiwari elaborates, “Through the show’s brand campaign we are taking a righteous stand which will only go on to help our viewers who in some way or the other will pay heed to it because Big B is saying it.”

     

    Kicking in the buzz for KBC

     

    Almost a crore wannabe KBC-ers have registered themselves to get closer to the hot seat. And while the production house is busy finalizing the contestants, Sony Entertainment Television is working at devising ways to both attract and engage audiences.

     

    “KBC has transformed entertainment and we are working at creating the buzz,” says SET senior VP & marketing head Gaurav Seth. The channel is currently busy with designing online and on-ground activities to be relayed before and during the show launch. “A lot of play-along activities and apps are being designed. The apps will be launched by 15 August,” he informs.

     

    The channel is also working on its digital campaign for the launch of the show. “There will be huge engagement. We will ensure interaction through people writing back with their feedback. This time the audience will also get an opportunity to compete and challenge their peer groups. There will also be live play-along through twitter once the show launches. There are several ideas and these will be put across to the audiences in the weeks to come,” says Seth.

     

    KBC is initially being promoted through television promos. “We have shot four TV promos, two of which are already on-air. The rest will come in the next 10 days,” he informs. This will be followed by digital and radio promotions.

     

    “We will use the print medium on the day and a week post the show launch. The outdoor marketing will kick start a week prior to the launch,” he says.

     

    As far as below the line activation is concerned it is has quite a few promotions planned. Its marketing teams will host Aapke Sheher Hot Seat in 12 cities nationally. “Through this, we get viewers to sit in front of the computer and win prizes. Winners will be invited to a special event in that city which will have a proper sit down with a host. We will recreate the environment in the smaller cities, with Amitabh Bachchan asking the same questions on the television screen,” informs Seth.

     

    The OOH activity is still in the planning stage and will be handled by Madison Outdoor Media Services.

     

    Over the years, KBC has transformed the way people view television and understand entertainment in the country. Says Anita Kaul Basu (who can be labeled as the queen of the non-fiction format and the director of Big Synergy which is the production house for the show): “For a format which has been on television for over a decade, it has only strengthened itself. The viewers have changed and so have the viewing habits. In order to keep abreast with the changing times, the show which has a set format has always come back with an innovative theme to add to its freshness.”

     

    Last year, a new segment was added to KBC, wherein the background of the contestants (the backstory) who made it to the hot seat was shown. This was an effort to open a window to the aspirations of India and what India stands for. “Through this we tried to build a connect between the contestant and the viewers, who no matter what strata of the society they belonged to, aspire to be on the hot seat,” reiterates Kaul Basu.

     

    When asked about how does she and her team continue to engage people for over a decade, Kaul Basu says it’s not everybody’s cup of tea. “I have a special research team comprising 50 people (mainly in Delhi) who interact with experts like doctors, lawyers, academicians etc to come up with not only questions but also to know what people want to see.”

     

    As KBC enters its seventh season, we at indiantelevision.com foresee many more entertaining and informative seasons of the show. Basu, while hoping for this, laughs and says, “It is an incredible format and has its own life. It has worked in every language, across regions and hosts and will continue to do so, and know it will do so for many many more years. And we will continue to innovate in India to keep it engaging and fresh. And of course we cannot forget the trump card we have in Mr Bachchan. He deserves a bow. ”

     

    Indeed, come the first week of September (when the show is slated to air), many an Indian TV viewer is quite likely to give him one.