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Tag: SOL

  • Did Bitcoin Leave Without You? BYDFi Helps You Scout XRP, ADA, and SOL Before They Pop

    Did Bitcoin Leave Without You? BYDFi Helps You Scout XRP, ADA, and SOL Before They Pop

    As Bitcoin continues to dominate headlines with its dramatic price surges, institutional adoption, and volatile swings, many retail investors are left asking the same question: Did I miss the boat? For those who watched Bitcoin climb from hundreds to tens of thousands of dollars, it can feel like the golden opportunity has passed. However, the crypto landscape is far from limited to just Bitcoin. In fact, some of the most promising investment opportunities right now may lie in select altcoins like XRP, Cardano (ADA), and Solana (SOL).

    These alternative cryptocurrencies each bring unique strengths to the table and have the potential to outperform the market in the coming cycle. And for traders and enthusiasts eager to capitalize on the next big breakout, BYDFi (short for BUIDL Your Dream Finance) offers a powerful, user-friendly platform that empowers users to spot opportunities early—before they make the rounds on social media or mainstream news.

    The Altcoin Window: Why XRP, ADA, and SOL Still Have Room to Run

    While Bitcoin remains the flagship cryptocurrency, its large market capitalization makes exponential gains increasingly difficult. Many seasoned investors now turn to altcoins—smaller, newer cryptocurrencies with strong fundamentals—as a more accessible entry point with higher upside potential.

    XRP, the digital asset associated with Ripple Labs, continues to gain attention due to its ongoing legal battle with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The lawsuit, which revolves around whether XRP is a security, has clouded the asset’s future for years. However, any positive legal resolution could result in a flood of institutional capital and renewed confidence from retail investors. XRP’s vision to revolutionize cross-border payments by offering faster, cheaper, and more transparent international transactions remains a compelling narrative.

    ADA (Cardano) is another altcoin with a loyal following. Developed by Ethereum co-founder Charles Hoskinson, Cardano prides itself on being one of the most academically rigorous blockchain projects in the industry. With its emphasis on peer-reviewed research, energy efficiency, and scalability, Cardano is positioning itself as a blockchain that can support decentralized applications (dApps) and smart contracts at scale. The community surrounding ADA remains strong, and many long-term investors see it as a fundamentally sound project with real staying power.

    SOL (Solana), meanwhile, has quickly earned a reputation for speed. With blazing-fast transaction times and ultra-low fees, Solana is becoming a go-to platform for developers, NFT creators, and DeFi projects. Although it has faced network outages in the past, recent upgrades have improved its performance and stability. More recently, Solana has benefited from rising interest in the DePIN (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks) sector, further increasing its use cases and momentum.

    In short, these aren’t just speculative tokens—they’re the building blocks of robust, evolving ecosystems. Their potential is tied not just to hype cycles, but to real technological advancements and tangible use cases. Learn exactly how to buy ADA on BYDFi and start building your position today.

    Your Edge Starts Here: How BYDFi Helps You Stay Ahead

    In a market as fast-moving as crypto, timing and information are everything. Most retail investors end up buying altcoins after they’ve already pumped—when the majority of the profits have already been captured by early movers. BYDFi is designed to change that narrative.

    A globally trusted and rapidly growing cryptocurrency trading platform, BYDFi provides the tools, insights, and execution capabilities to help users get in before the breakout. Whether you’re new to crypto or a seasoned trader, BYDFi makes it easier to analyze trends, monitor market sentiment, and take quick action.

    Want to take a position in ADA before its next rally? BYDFi provides a simple and secure way to buy, sell, and hold Cardano. The platform supports spot trading for long-term investors and derivatives trading for those looking to amplify returns through leverage or hedge positions.

    Some of BYDFi’s standout features include:

    ●  Advanced scanning tools that identify trending coins before they become viral topics online 
    ●  Low trading fees and fast onboarding so you can act quickly when opportunity strikes 
    ●  A smooth and intuitive interface, suitable for beginners and professionals alike 
    ●  Access to leverage and derivatives markets for sophisticated strategies 
    ●  BYDFi offers spot trading for over 900 cryptocurrencies, as well as flexible leverage trading ranging from 1x to 200x

    It’s not just about having the right coin—it’s about having the right platform to act decisively.

    Timing Is Everything: Don’t Wait for the Headlines

    By the time an altcoin makes it to the front page of Reddit or appears in a viral YouTube video, it’s often too late. The early adopters have already taken profits, and retail investors are left chasing diminishing returns.

    That’s where BYDFi shines. With its early alert systems, strong liquidity, and in-depth analytics, BYDFi allows users to spot trends before they become mainstream. Its real-time data and community-driven insights can help you identify a coin that’s building momentum—before the rest of the market catches on.

    Whether you’re tracking news on XRP’s legal situation, analyzing ADA’s smart contract deployments, or watching Solana’s growing presence in the NFT and DePIN space, BYDFi gives you the tools to take action at the right time.

    Conclusion: You Didn’t Miss Out—You’re Just Getting Started

    Bitcoin may have been the pioneer, but it’s far from the end of the crypto story. The next chapter is being written by innovative altcoins like XRP, Cardano, and Solana. These projects each have unique value propositions and active communities backing their growth.

    If you’re looking to capitalize on the next wave of crypto momentum, now is the time to start scouting promising altcoins—and BYDFi is the ideal partner to help you do just that. With its suite of advanced tools, low fees, and user-friendly interface, BYDFi empowers both new and experienced traders to navigate the altcoin market with confidence.

    Don’t sit on the sidelines. The next breakout may already be brewing. Dive into the world of altcoins with BYDFi, and position yourself for the opportunities ahead.

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    The content provided is solely for informational and awareness purposes. 
     

  • Caratlane unveils celestial-inspired Sol and Luna festive collections

    Caratlane unveils celestial-inspired Sol and Luna festive collections

    MUMBAI: Caratlane – A Tata Product, has launched two celestial-inspired festive collections, Sol & Luna, capturing the essence of new beginnings with stunning craftsmanship in gold and diamonds. Timed perfectly for regional new years and Akshaya Tritiya, these collections symbolise prosperity, transformation, and timeless elegance.

    Caratlane, CEO & MD Saumen Bhaumik, shared his excitement, “At Caratlane, we’re committed to making stunning jewellery. This festive season, we’re bringing 2 distinct collections – Sol and Luna, deeply symbolic of blending celestial grandeur embraced with prosperity and auspiciousness. Sol, the dawn of your brilliance is a tribute to new beginnings and endless possibilities. Inspired by the moon’s ever-changing beauty, Luna is a tribute to every phase of you. These collections perfectly reflect our vision of high-jewellery craftsmanship and everyday elegance, designed to be effortlessly wearable at accessible price points.”

    Sol – Crafted in 18KT yellow gold, SIFG diamonds, and special-cut yellow gemstones, Sol draws inspiration from the golden hues of sunrise, symbolising the brilliance of fresh opportunities.

    Luna – Reflecting the ever-changing phases of the moon, Luna’s intricate diamond-studded 18KT gold designs embody elegance, resilience, and transformation.

    Caratlane  is ensuring a high-impact debut for Sol and Luna, leveraging its IPL associate sponsorship with Star Sports HD and JioHotstar to showcase its designs to millions. The campaign is further amplified through strategic OOH placements and newspaper ads across The Times of India network.

    Starting from Rs 20,000, the Sol and Luna collections are now available online at Caratlane  stores, and via the brand’s Try-at-home service. As part of a limited-time festive offer, customers will receive a 0.5gm gold coin on every Rs 30,000 purchase.

    With its celestial-inspired brilliance, Caratlane’s Sol and Luna collections are set to redefine festive jewellery this season.

  • Zaeden unveils new SOL fragrance ‘Unchained’ in collaboration with Siddartha Tytler

    Zaeden unveils new SOL fragrance ‘Unchained’ in collaboration with Siddartha Tytler

    Mumbai: SOL, the revolutionary fragrance brand launched by Indian pop icon Zaeden this year, has  announced the launch of ‘Unchained’, the much-awaited addition to their esteemed fragrance collection. The new variant is born out of the dynamic partnership between SOL and leading fashion designer Siddartha Tytler, setting a new standard in olfactory artistry and style fusion.

    Inspired by Tytler’s vibrant palette and daring couture, ‘Unchained’ embodies a sensorial journey mirroring his iconic design philosophy. The fragrance is a testament to Tytler’s journey through fashion, encapsulating his signature elements of sharp cuts, vivid hues, and exquisite crystal applications.

    ‘Unchained’ is composed of a symphony of fragrance notes – at its peak, bursts of orange, amalfi lemon and calabrian bergamot top notes with an alluring scent of Madagascar vanilla and mixed fruits accompanied by white musk and amber forming the base notes, creating an irresistible and empowering aroma. The packaging of the enchanting fragrance is also inspired by Tytler’s visionary creations, boasting bold colours and modern aesthetics, inviting consumers into the realm of daring sophistication.

    Sharing his excitement around the launch, Zaeden said, “With the launch of ‘Unchained’, we bring together the worlds of fashion and fragrance. After the successful launch of ‘Mystic Voice’ and ‘Sweet Sea’, our third fragrance represents the evolution and diversification of SOL as a brand, while staying true to our philosophy of capturing ‘Stories Of Life’. Siddartha Tytler’s creative boldness resonates with our commitment to provide our users with unique sensory journeys. Personally, this fragrance reflects my values as an artist of freedom and self-expression, and is sure to leave a blissful mark. This launch is just an indication of our continued efforts towards innovation and our commitment to think out of the box in order to create the most distinctive aromas.”    

    Tytler added, “As a person who has been obsessed with fragrances since childhood, it has always been a dream to create one myself.  Thanks to ‘SOL’ and Zaeden, to ignite my imagination and for making this dream come true. Hopefully it continues in the future. The fragrance ‘Unchained’ is absolutely divine and evocative — I’m simply obsessed.”

  • Top TV producers weigh in on OTT challenge, formats & IP rights

    Top TV producers weigh in on OTT challenge, formats & IP rights

    MUMBAI: Content creators today cannot rely on daily soaps to attract viewers. With OTT looming large, production houses have to broaden their content nexus. Indiantelevision.com’s The Content Hub hosted a session – ‘The TV production Story: Reality, Non-fiction’, with the panellists Contiloe Pictures producer and founder Abhimanyu Singh, Endemol Shine CEO Abhishek Rege, SOL India – Banijay Group founder and MD Fazila Allana. The session was moderated by Bodhitree Multimedia co-founder and director Mautik Tolia. 

    The panel discussed the hot topic of IP rights, whether it should be given to the broadcaster or kept with the creator. To this, Singh said that it is valuable for every production house to hold its IP rights, where one can syndicate and get certain revenues on a recurring basis. "If the ecosystem thinks of it then I think the law needs to protect creators just as the musicians are protected," he said and Allana agreed with him.

    Rege said that retaining IPs means financial risks for the producer. He further explained, "If we have commissioned a show in Hindi, why would you have the IP of all the languages go with the network? But while we think all this to happen, are we ready to take all the risk?”

    Discussion on the potential of content, Rege said that scripted shows are platform-agnostic. He said that the challenge here is making attractive content for the viewers and targeting the right TG. "With OTT, I don’t think it’s easy to do as many talents shows that we do on linear," he added.

    The new tariff order will bring about a change in content creation, according to Rege. With customers choosing individual channels, broadcasters need unique content to attract people. “This fight is based on non-scripted or premium scripted property," he said.  

    Allana said that non-fiction producers have a bigger challenge as opposed to fiction producers because there has been a saturation of ideas. But she added that non-fiction content is going to evolve in the OTT platform but the future belongs to scripted shows. “On OTT there will be a lot of social experimentation as well as lifestyle programming.  Earlier we all used to chase formats now we chase stories,” she said.

    The deluge of daily content has thwarted premium content from growing. Rege said, "In creating premium content, you will have to spend time in writing. Apart from that, as far as production is concerned, you will have to have the discipline of pre-producing the series and this doesn’t exist on our television. The whole ecosystem needs to move in this direction." 

  • The Content Hub 2019: Creators discuss digital adaptation, creativity and originality

    The Content Hub 2019: Creators discuss digital adaptation, creativity and originality

    MUMBAI: Indiantelevision.com on Wednesday wrapped the third edition of its popular event The Content Hub in presence of some of the biggest names from the TV, digital, and the movies industry. Spanned across several panel discussions and fireside chats, this edition of The Content Hub discussed ‘the new era of content creation’ with a focus on the digital boom, need of good content creators, the synergy between creators and producers, and creating properties that can travel globally.

    Starting the day was a panel discussion on ‘The TV Production Story: Reality, Not Fiction’, moderated by Bodhi Tree Multimedia co-founder and director Mautik Tolia. In discussion were some of the most successful and prominent names in the TV industry – Contiloe Pictures Pvt Ltd founder and producer Abhimanyu Singh, Endemol Shine India CEO Abhishek Rege and SOL India – Banijay Group founder and MD Fazila Allana.

    The distinguished panel discussed the opportunities and challenges fiction and non-fiction formats today face in the TV and digital world. They also shed some light on the prospects premium content has in the Indian industry.

    The panel agreed that non-fiction producers face bigger challenges in creating content as compared to those investing in fiction and dramas. Allana noted that while earlier people were chasing formats, now they are chasing stories. However, she quipped that there is a vast opportunity for non-fiction shows on OTT platforms citing examples of TV shows like MTV Troll Police.

    Singh reflected the same sentiments as he noted that this is a very good time for the content creators. He said, “I feel it is a great time to tell stories. I think we as an industry haven’t delivered premium content because the nature of delivery has always been daily content. So, this is an opportunity to deliver premium content.”

    Rege mentioned, “Scripted becomes a little easier to tell stories more across TV, OTT or across multiple platforms. The challenge here is making attractive content for the viewers and targeting the right people. With OTT I don’t think it’s easy to do as many talent shows that we do on linear.”

    The second session was a fireside chat between Indiantelevision.com founder, CEO and editor-in-chief Anil Wanvari and Swastik Productions  & One Life Studios founder and chief creative officer Siddharth Kumar Tewary.

    Tewary, based on his extensive experience of industry work, reflected upon many aspects of content creation and production including formats, IP rights, and disruptors in the industry. He noted while most of the people believe that longer formats don’t work internationally, the reality is not the same.

    Speaking about IP rights of content, Tewary made some relevant points saying, “IP creation is a scientific thing related to the socio-political situation in the country and the world. We need to know where the world is heading. If you are going to add value and bring something unique for the TV, then you will get the IP.” He also announced the foray of his group in the animation category at the platform.

    The next session was a discussion on the animation industry with an esteemed panel of Discovery Kids head Uttam Pal Singh, Golden Robot Animation head of business development RK Chand, Paperboat Animation co-founder and chairman Soumitra Ranade and Bioscopewala Pictures managing partner Nishith Takia. The session was moderated by Kinsane Entertainment Inc chief marketing officer Pranab Punj.

    The panel highlighted the vast opportunities OTT platforms are offering them right now. Takia shared that his company is in talks with several big digital players to create content for them. Another point that the panel highlighted was that Indian audience is not very keen to visit theatres to consume animated content and that closed their avenues of creating content for a wider audience and not just the kids.

    Answering a question on why there aren’t more female-led animated shows in India, the panel shared a similar tone as they mentioned that in most of their shows, the female characters have an equal prominence as the mail lead, they are inclusive to the storyline. They added that male-led shows are doing well in the market and from a business perspective they are focusing on that aspect as well.

    The next session was an interesting and insightful chat on ‘The Syndication Opportunity’ between Sony head networks—licencing Malvika Prabhu, Go Quest Media Ventures MD Vivek Lath, Swastik Productions and One life studio producer and managing director Rahul Kumar Tewary, MX Player head of content acquisition Mansi Shrivastav and ANM Global co-founder partner Nidhish Mehrotra. Moderating the panel was Wanvari.

    Wanvari started the discussion by asking the panellists whether the demand for Indian content in the global market is going up or declining. To this, the panel stated that it has probably reduced over time. However, the Indian creations are performing well at markets like Thailand and Sri Lanka.

    The panel mentioned that genres like romance, drama, horror, and good animation has a lot of markets overseas. They also added that premium content will also attract a lot of traction towards Indian creations. Kumar stated that we need to relook at the type of content we are creating and invest more in subjects that have the potential to travel. He also said that Indians do not value their content enough.

    Lath said, “We have to think like a programmer and not from a sales perspective,” as he elaborated on the right approach to sell content overseas. He predicted that India has the potential to make around Rs 400-500 crore with content syndication (minus the movies) because it is still young in the market and has a lot of potential to improve in the coming times. Kumar added that in the next few years Indian premium content will find a lot of audiences globally.

    Taking the insightful day ahead was the next panel of digital producers including Addatimes Pvt Ltd managing director Rajiv Mehra, The Viral Fever (TVF) global head of business and content Rahul Sarangi, Viacom18 EVP and head content Monika Shergill, MX Player chief content officer Gautam Talwar and One Digital Entertainment COO and co-founder Gurpreet Singh. The panel was moderated by industry veteran and Hungama Digital Media Entertainment executive producer Sanjeev Lamba.

    While the panel agreed that there is a great influx of male-oriented and sexually-oriented content performing on OTT platform, they all are looking beyond that. They all mentioned that the industry is currently focusing on good writing talent and meaningful stories. Sarangi said that TVF is not looking towards creating violent or sexual content at all, at least for the next four to five years. Its focus is on stories like Pitchers and Yeh Meri Family that touch the hearts of the people.

    Shergill shared that Voot is looking at ideas that bring new and original voices to the stories. Unless platforms experiment, she believes they will lose their audience.

    Talwar shared that the focus of recently launched MX Player is on creating content that can be watched on a 5-inch phone screen rather on a 50-inch TV. The TG for the player is 18-30-year-old male and it wants the platform to be genre-agnostic.

    The next event was a fireside chat between Wanvari and Applause Entertainment CEO Sameer Nair. The duo discussed ‘The New Studio Model’.

    Nair started with launching an amazing showreel of upcoming programmes from the Applause banner. They included a wide variety of content ranging from humour to political to drama. It also included the Indian version of the very popular The Office series.

    Nair stated that he did not want to start a company which goes on to become just a production house but he rather wanted to invest in good content. He thus worked with some amazing directors, writers, and actors like Ronit Roy, Pankaj Tripathi and Swara Bhaskar to create the first instalment of the Applause shows. One of the flagship series, Rasbhari-starring Swara Bhaskar and written by Shantanu Shrivastava—has in fact already been selected for ‘Series Mania’ festival in France. Warning them of slacking in content, he said, “If the content industry is not careful right now, it will end up becoming a replica of TV.”

    The day continued with a panel discussion on how new Hindi film producers are making their mark and what business models they are drawing up. Part of the discussion were Essel Vision (Zee Studios) CEO Shariq Patel, Viacom18 Studios chief operating officer Ajit Andhare, Alliance Media and Entertainment owner Sunil Doshi and Fox Star Studios India CEO Vijay Singh. Moderating the panel was film reviewer at Film Companion Suchitra Tyagi.

    The panel was a light-hearted but with insightful discussions on the current trends of the Indian movie industry, the need for well-written scripts and content that performs. The panel agreed that today is an amazing time for good storytellers and content creators. They forced upon the fact that literature is the sibling of cinema. The panel also discussed on creating avenues to make the system more approachable to the budding writers who want to reach out to the studios.

    The evening was concluded by an overview of the MIP platform by MIP China Hangzhou director of market development Ted Baracos, who in an interactive session apprised the gathering of various opportunities this global content-sharing platform brings and how they can leverage on that.

  • Colors plans advertising blitzkrieg for new 7 pm show ‘Thapki Pyaar Ki’

    Colors plans advertising blitzkrieg for new 7 pm show ‘Thapki Pyaar Ki’

    MUMBAI: Colors is planning to go all out to promote its new show Thapki… Pyaar Ki, which will launch on 25 May. The show will be aired from Monday to Saturday in the 7 pm slot, thus pushing the existing 7 pm show Shastri Sisters to 6:30 pm.

     

    Colors has chalked out a robust 360-degree marketing blitzkrieg to generate optimum buzz for Thapki… Pyaar Ki across all key Hindi speaking markets. Each medium including print, radio, cross channel, cable, mobile and Direct-to-Home (DTH) will have a customized message to publicize the launch of the campaign.

     

    For high-octane visibility on the launch day, the radio campaign will see the lead character Thapki (played by actor Jigyasa Singh) engage with listeners across all major stations. The tune-in ads will encompass all major publications in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, PHCHP and Madhya Pradesh.

     

    Additionally, an outdoor campaign will include large format billboards and announcements at railway stations. Promos of the show will also run across select cinema halls along with some persuasive BTL activities. Contextual promos will be played during the Indian Premier League (IPL) in the Hotstar and Star Sports mobile apps.

     

     

    The central character of Thapki… Pyaar Ki shows how survival is not just of the fittest but also of the most resilient and optimistic and no one knows this better than Thapki. The show revolves around Thapki’s journey of an aspiring, persevering girl, who is conscious of her strengths and confident that she will be able to face the world, drawing force from her conviction and self-assurance.

     

    Thapki’s life is steered by her hem and haw but she chooses to move forward unperturbed notwithstanding the challenges that life throws at her in every conversation. While the encouraging pat on her back or a ‘thapki’ that makes her break her stammer and speak fluently becomes her namesake, the name christened by her parents, Vaani, never even registers with the society and only heightens the irony in her life.

     

    Colors programming head Manisha Sharma says, “Thapki is a light-hearted yet touching story, which will motivate viewers to think that they can go beyond their limitations, and not give up on their dreams. Thapki’s mission in life is to not just survive but to thrive with passion, compassion and humour. The way Thapki’s story progresses and the conversations she has in each episode will evoke viewer empathy while strengthening their emotional connect with her. Through the journey the audience will also applaud the determination with which Thapki moves ahead optimistically to fulfill her dream of becoming a television journalist.”

     

    Sharma added, “Thapki’s storyline will move viewers away from the stress of their daily routine, tug at their heartstrings and lead them to be inspired all at the same time! As Shastri Sisters moves to the 6:30 pm timeslot and Thapki takes over, we are confident that our audience will love Thapki’s outlook towards every small and big thing in life.”

     

    This is yet another show from the Colors, which is a joint production by two companies – SOL and Shoonya Square Productions. Apart from Singh, who essays the title role, the show will showcase Pratiksha Lonkar as Poonam (Thapki’s mother), Shakti Singh as Krishnakanth (Thapki’s father) and Sheena Bajaj as Aditi (Thapki’s sister) amongst others.

     

    Speaking about their first production for Colors, Shoonya Square Productions’ Ved Raj said, “We have shot extensively in Agra for this show as the Taj Mahal forms a very intrinsic part of Thapki’s life. Her approach towards life will only make you question the harsh ways of the society and how heartless we are towards people with shortcomings.”

     

    Elaborating further, co-producer and writer, Dheeraj Sarna said, “Thapki…Pyaar Ki is an attempt to applaud and admire those people who don’t succumb to defeat due to their shortcomings but win over them and move forward in life.”

     

    It now remains to be seen whether Thapki gets a pat on the back or not from its discerning audience when it launches on 25 May.

     

  • Comedy man Kapil now gets tax notice

    Comedy man Kapil now gets tax notice

    MUMBAI: Bad news continues to dog India’s funny man Kapil Sharma. The set of his show Comedy Nights with Kapil got burnt to nothing on 25 September, with losses being estimated at between Rs 1 crore to 8 crore.

    Now the standup comic who has put Colors on the comedy show map has been slapped with a service tax evasion notice of Rs 65 lakh by the service tax department.

    Kapil is the creative producer of the show that bears his name along with the Zodiak Entertainment group company SOL Productions and the service tax department says that his production house has collected the tax but not deposited it with the authorities.

    Sharma is reported to have said that he will make good the payments at the earliest after a five hour grilling at the service tax office in Mumbai.

  • Life Ok’s big Bachelorette bet with Mallika

    Life Ok’s big Bachelorette bet with Mallika

    MUMBAI: The City of Lakes just got more famous. The popular tourist destination is where the opening episode of The Bachelorette India – Mere Khayalon Ki Mallika, Life OK’s brand new non-fiction series featuring Mallika Sherawat of Murder fame has been shot.

    The 27-episode series, produced by SOL Productions, will see the actress hunt for the perfect mate, a la Rakhi Sawant and Rahul Mahajan in NDTV Imagine’s Swayamvar, from among 30 suitors, including an older man – all of whom will try every trick in the book to woo the sexy siren.

    The battle to win Mallika’s heart starts on 7 October and while the channel hasn’t fixed a time slot, it will be a week day property.

    The filming of this war of love has begun since mid-August. The entire maiden episode was shot at the Lake Palace in Udaipur and nine to ten episodes have already been canned at exotic locations including the Taj Mahal, Chittorgarh and Fatehgarh for the most part. Hosting the show will be the dashing and handsome Rohit Roy, who has played several roles in his career on camera and also behind it as a producer for shows on Zoom TV.  

    Speaking about the new show, Life Ok general manager Ajit Thakur says: “We want to become more visible and talked about as a channel. I want people to know that we also have drama apart from Mahadev and Savdhan. We want to create buzz and hence, we’re coming out with The Bachelorette.”

    Apparently, Mallika wasn’t the channel’s first choice and they had approached celebrities like Ekta Kapoor and Salman Khan but couldn’t get them on board.
    So why her then? “We thought she would be very appropriate for this kind of a show. She has the spunk and has achieved a lot. She has come from a small town and is a role model for many girls. It is not easy what she has achieved in her life, and we wanted people to know her journey through this show,” reasons show producer Fazila.

    According to Thakur, there were two reasons. “Firstly, when you are doing a public wedding, desirability is very important. So it had to be a very desirable male or female character, and she fits in perfectly. And of course, all men would like her to be a part of their life,” he explains. Apart from her desirability quotient and star value, Life OK also wanted to showcase her epic journey.

    Says show director Rishi Tyagi excitedly: “There is nothing much to direct when it comes to reality shows. For me, it’s an exciting and challenging task to direct Bachelorette because it’s difficult to bring realism in such a show.”

    Indeed, the channel is betting big on its upcoming series and despite Mallika’s presence, wants it to be a family oriented one. Thakur feels the series will definitely inspire young men and women and create buzz for the channel. And so, a lot is being invested in the series.

    “By far, it is the most expensive show for the channel”, says Life OK marketing head Pratik Seal, adding that the entire cost of the show including setup, but excluding marketing and other activities would be around Rs 30-40 crore. An aggressive promotion through outdoor, digital and traditional media is on the cards. “We are planning to come out with a unique initiative where we will be running buses across UP and Gujarat across more than 37 towns. Though this will take some time to execute, the dates are locked for post 15 September,” says Seal. While the names of the sponsors haven’t been revealed yet, Life OK says it has managed roped in seven to eight of them, and the hunt is on for more.

    But there are negatives riding against the basic concept of the show of a celebrity looking for a partner on air it, say media observers. Previous participants on the franchise – apart from Rahul and Dimpy Mahajan – did not end up getting hitched; in fact, they split up post the series.

    “The franchise has been witnessing dropping ratings over the previous seasons on Imagine because viewers had begun to view it as a gimmick as fake or tamasha; they had felt cheated when marriage was not the end result,” says a veteran creative director. “The challenge for Life Ok is to remove this sense of disbelief from audience’s minds. Or maybe the team should just play up on the fun element of the search for a partner, rather than on the marriage vows. Let the channel executives remember that the viewer is not a moron, she is your wife. If the team finds this fine balance, then TV viewers might tune in, but in how many numbers we don’t know.”

    With so much riding on Bachelorette, let’s just hope Mallika finds her match…