ITV

Tag: Sobo films

  • Zee strengthens early primetime with ‘Rajaa Betaa’

    Zee strengthens early primetime with ‘Rajaa Betaa’

    MUMBAI: After launching four new shows last year in the primetime slot, Zee is adding another feather to its cap by launching yet another show named Rajaa Betaa in the early primetime. It will premiere on 15 January, Monday to Saturday at 6.30 pm and is produced by Sobo films.

    Zee TV business head Aparna Bhosle said, “Zee was pretty set in its prime time and the next strategy that we wanted to tackle was to strengthen our pre-prime slots." Therefore, Raabta, Guddan and Man Mohini were launched last year.

    She added further that a good show is time agnostic. A good show will attract viewers even at the last hours of 4pm.

    As far as content strategy is concerned during big events like IPL and the country's main election, "Zee actually grew in IPL last year. When your content offering is strong, viewership invariably follows," she said.

    The recent TRAI tariff order will have given a jolt to broadcasters where they are likely to lose chunks of viewers. But Zee is unfazed. Zee's strong primetime viewership, says Bhosle, is testimony to its good content that people will demand for.

    However, she expects significant changes in viewing patterns to take place. According to her, people consume at max 130 channels when surfing. So, some channels may not make it to a viewer's list.

    Zee, on the other hand, seems ready to tackle challenges head on.

  • Colors to launch second season of ‘Mission Sapne’ on 17 January

    Colors to launch second season of ‘Mission Sapne’ on 17 January

    MUMBAI: After the successful first season of Mission Sapne, Colors is all set to launch the second season starting from 17 January at 11 am every Sunday. 

    Produced by Sobo Films, Mission Sapne Season 2 will feature 10 celebrated entertainers who will showcase their talent as they work their magic to learn the professional ongoings and tricks of the trade to raise funds in support of a deserving commoner.

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com about the second edition of Mission Sapne, Sobo Films director Smruti Shinde said, “I think television is a very strong medium to highlight causes which are read about in the newspapers or seen on news channels. The reason I want to do this show on a GEC was because of the show’s strong entertainment quotient. It doesn’t drag or get boring when you talk about social causes and through entertainment you are able to help that one person or highlight good causes, which needed that kind of attention.”  

    Mission Sapne provides dramatic entertainment with a strong social message as entertainers from different industries willingly live the common man’s professional life for a day. Talking about the research done for the show, Shinde informed, “We did three months of research before going on air. We have a research team, which systematically goes through a lot of cases. We interview people from different walks of life. India is a place where you have many such cases and we cannot help each one of them but with our small initiative we can at least highlight such cases.”

    The first season of Mission Sapne was launched on 27 April, 2014 on Colors. The show was aired at 8 pm every Sunday. This time round, the 10 episodes series will see some changes as the production house will focus more on creating awareness than raising funds for the people.

    “After the first season, we realised that there are many people that we need to help through the show. We decided that we should also talk about the different causes besides helping the individuals. We need to highlight social issues as well. Therefore, this season will have a few important causes, which need to be talked about. We are creating awareness and sending messages through celebrities on issues like farmer suicides, HIV and molestation. We are trying to highlight social causes this season rather than helping individuals. Also, this season we will have lot of women star power on the show,” she informed.

     

    The second season will also see some important issues like women empowerment. Talking about the selection process, Shinde said, “We picked up the cases, which are relevant in today’s time. There was no particular criteria as such for selecting people. We come across some people that really need help, so we help them.”

     

    Sharing her experience of working with Colors CEO Raj Nayak, Shinde shared, “A couple of years back we launched this show Bole Toh Malamaal in Marathi on Mi Marathi. Raj Nayak had wanted us to bring it on Hindi GEC so that we can create more awareness through the show. It’s been superb working with him. He has been a big support throughout the journey of Mission Sapne. Viacom, Colors and Raj Nayak supported it to a great extent and I think it’s their own CSR initiative to come on the show and not taking any money.”

  • When the stars become one of us!

    When the stars become one of us!

    MUMBAI: Much as we love and admire our film and television celebrities, how would we react if we saw them as one amongst us, leading a life as mundane as ours!

     

    Well that’s something viewers may soon find out for coming to drawing rooms in April is a show that brings together celebrities and commoners even as famous people attempt to live the life of an aam aadmi for a day.

     

    Mission Sapne, produced by Sobo Films and slated to premiere on Colors next month, is rooted in the belief that in order to make a difference, one needs to go out there and understand the trials and tribulations of the common man. The proceeds will go towards helping the cause of the less fortunate.

     

    10 names from showbiz will grace the show in avatars quite unlike their usual selves. Karan Johar will turn photographer at the Gateway of India; Salman Khan a barber; Varun Dhawan a coolie; Siddharth Malhotra a vegetable vendor; Ranbir Kapoor a vada-pav seller; Harbhajan Singh a namkeen seller; Mika Singh a chaiwallah; Ram Kapoor a taxi-wallah; Drashti Dhami a nimbu-mirchi vendor; and Ronit Roy a cosmetic seller. Sonali Bendre will play the host.

     

    Says Colors CEO Raj Nayak: “With everything that our audiences have given us in making Colors a household name, Mission Sapne is our endeavour to give back to the society by bringing the life of a common man to the limelight and sharing his/her story for the world to behold. We thank all the celebrities associated with the show for extending their support and helping us lighten the burden of a tough life from some less fortunate shoulders by raising funds for their welfare.”

     

    Each episode will feature a common man and his problems. His favourite actor/actress will step into his shoes for a day and try to solve his difficulties. For instance, Salman will extend support to Qurban Ali, a barber who lost both his legs in an accident. The money earned will be multiplied and donated to someone in need.

     

    Apparently, Sobo Films had created a similar concept in the Marathi language called Bole to Malamaal. Realising its potential, the producers thought of adapting it into mainstream TV. “We had done this in the regional space before and it was a huge success. We thought we could take this to the Hindi GEC space and see how it worked,” says Sobo Films director, Smruti Shinde. “I think, though it hasn’t been aired yet, it has been very well received by all the celebs,” adds Shinde.

     

    Of the 10 episodes, seven have been shot at locations such as the Gateway of India, Seven Bungalows and Crawford Market in Mumbai while the remaining three have been shot at Chandigarh, Lucknow, and Delhi.

     

    Speaking of the actual shoot that was completed within eight days, Shinde says, “We knew what the show was all about so it did not take us much time to get it on the floor. We just had to format it in the Hindi GEC space and slight alterations were made from the Marathi space. In a month’s time, we had finished planning and shooting for the show.”

     

    Did the celebrities take some convincing to come on-board the show? “There was no difficulty in getting the celebs on-board. When we approached them, they loved the concept and were ready to accommodate the dates. Normally, celebs perform in front of the audience, but in this show, they are one amongst the audience. They actually go on-ground and earn money for the common man,” reveals Shinde.

     

    Ask them and media professionals will call it a PR gimmick on the part of Colors. “What will the channel show for that duration? The success of the show completely depends on the treatment. If they can make it entertaining enough, people will watch it. At the end, a viewer wants entertainment and that is what sells. If they are able to find enough entertainment footage, then it can work wonders for the channel,” opines Helios Media managing director Divya Radhakrishnan.