MUMBAI: Sony Sab has slipped to fourth spot on pay platform in week 52 (Saturday 26 December 2020 to Friday 1January 2021) of Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) data. &TV for the third consecutive week has grabbed tenth spot on pay platform.
Pay Platform
In week 52 of Barc India ratings top ten channels on pay platform were Star Plus, Colors,Zee TV, Sony Sab, Sony Entertainment Television, Star Utsav, Sony Pal, Star Bharat, Dangal, and &TV
Urban Market
In the urban market, the top ten channels were Star Plus,Colors,Sony Sab, Star Utsav, Zee TV, Sony Entertainment Television, Sony Pal, Dangal, ColorsRistey, and Zee Anmol are in week 52 of Barc India ratings.
Rural Market
Star Utsav, Zee Anmol, Sony Pal, ColorsRishtey, Dangal,Zee TV, Star Plus, Sony Sab, Colors and Big Magic were the top ten channels in the rural market in week 52 of Barc India ratings.
Free Platform
On the free platform Star Utsav, Zee Anmol,Sony Pal, ColorsRishtey, Dangal, Big Magic, Shemaroo TV, DD National, DD Retro and DD Bharati were the top ten channels in week 52 of Barc India ratings.
MUMBAI: Since the turn of the millennium, television may have come to be defined by saas-bahu operas, but another genre that has recently struck gold is that of historical dramas. After the success of Maharana Pratap, Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat, Porus, and Peshwa Bajirao, among others, Sony Entertainment Television (SET) is all set to create magic with its new show Punyashlok Ahilyabai.
The historical drama set in the eighteenth century is based on the life of Ahilyabai Holkar, who with the support of her father-in-law Malhar Rao Holkar, defied the pre-defined norms of a patriarchal society. Produced by Dashami Creations and directed by Jackson Sethi, the serial will bring to life the courageous tales of Ahilyabai Holkar for the first time on Indian television. Child actor Aditi Jaltare plays the role of Ahilya, while Rajesh Shringarpure is seen as Ahilya's father-in-law, Malhar Rao Holkar. The supporting cast includes Snehlata Vasaikar, Krish Chauhan,Srijana Srj, Sukhada Khandkekar, Bhagyashree, Sameer Deshpande, Aryan Preet, James Naivedhya Ghadge, Harshit Kesharwani, Varada Patil and Sulakshana Joglekar.
The show will showcase the special bond shared between Ahilya and her father-in-law. The story traces Ahilyabai Holkar's journey from a village girl belonging to a shepherd community, to a queen of the Maratha empire who later went on to earn the title of Matoshree. It’s a little known fact that Ahilyabai Holkar was one of the finest women rulers in Indian history.
Punyashlok Ahilyabai started airing on 4 January from Monday to Friday at 7.30 pm. It will be interesting to see how it competes with other shows in the same time slot. Star Plus airs Shaadi Mubaraak concurrently, whereas Zee TV telecasts the very popular show Humari Wali Good News starring Juhi Parmar. The latest BARC India data (week 52) shows SET ranks fifth in the (U+R) market.
The show currently does not have any title or co-powered sponsors. However, the channel has lined up advertisers across categories, right from FMCGs, health and hygiene, to automobiles.
What sets Punyashlok Ahilyabai apart from other historical dramas on television, said Sony Pictures Networks India digital business and SET content head Ashish Golwalkar is its storyline that focuses on the protagonist’s individual journey rather than her married life. It is a story of bravery, and valour of a warrior woman, and it focuses more on the historical issue that we’ve not seen on television before. Unlike Jodha Akbar or other period dramas, there is no love story or war in the spotlight. Social issues that find mention in the show are still prevalent in our time – whether it is the education of a girl child or religious dogmas. Said he: “It is a journey of a woman who became the queen of Malwa and she was very ahead of her time. During that time, she thought about equality, she was a fundamentalist and a true reformist. She kept her kingdom before herself. It’s essentially a historical drama, but within the limits of drama, it is as authentic and real as we could make it.”
Golwalkar, who belongs to Indore, wanted to make this show for a very long time. He was keen on telling stories that are relevant in today’s time and believes in being authentic in approach. He avoided glamourising the characters as it will not be relatable to the audience.
“The shows that we have done, whether it was Mere Dad Ki Dulhan, Patiala Babes, or Indiawaali Maa speaks at length about partnership. So Punyashlok Ahilyabai is a very unique story of a partnership where a father-in-law mentored and helped his daughter-in-law, he chose ability over societal norms. The norm is the son will become the king but he chooses his daughter-in-law as an heir," he elaborated.
Apparently, over 1,000 girls auditioned over eight months for the part of Ahilyabai. Later, child actor Aditi Jaltare was roped in to essay the lead character. The auditions were highly rigorous as shortlisting was performed about five or six times and then backed up by mock photoshoots by the production team. The creators had a very particular vision of how the persona of Ahilyabai would be represented on screen. The artist portraying her should at all times show a childlike innocence and playful energy when delivering intense dialogues.
The show is written by multiple writers, while Purnendu Shekhar – who also wrote Balika Vadhu and several other shows – was the script consultant. Shirish Latkar is working on the script and veteran writer Usha Dixit joined the team to pen the dialogues. There are many books which offer a glimpse into the life and times of Matoshree Ahilyabai Holkar, but the makers sought the help of renowned researcher Sanjay Sonawane, who pitched in the scripts, dialogues, factual details, and tried to highlight intricate details about Ahilyabai.
The showrunners are going all out to ensure authenticity. Dashmi Creations partner Ninad Vaidya mentioned that the entire set replicating the Malhar Palace was created in a studio near Naigaon. Construction started in March but due to lockdown it was put on hold, and they could finally finish it in the month of August when shooting resumed. He shared, “We visited Maheshwar a couple of years back, so we have designed it keeping that in mind. It is also very similar to Shirdi. We have also re-created Chondi village, which will later be redesigned into some other village in Malwa. On the studio wall, we have mounted the exterior of the palace and inside the studio, there is a working place.”
The production house is relying on graphics, chroma and VFX to add the pomp and grandeur to crowd scenes, while also keeping budgets under control. They have created a background that could reflect that era. The graphics are done by Chirag Rajveer, who created the design even before the shooting took place to have clarity on the background. It is more like a virtual production where the background is created beforehand and then the location is decided. Most of the outdoor sequences in the background are constructed in graphics. As the worker capacity cannot go beyond 65 people, Vaidya is filming with a minimal crew.
Preparations for the show combined research with an imaginative retelling of the eighteenth century. “We got to know about how they live, what they look like, their language and other details like costumes which is very important for historical dramas,” the producer explained. The costume and the art team travelled all the way to Maheshwar, met local people, did multiple recces to understand the nuances, look, and feel. Costume designing is done by Rohini, who has in the past done six shows for the production house. Her expertise lies in making costumes for historic shows. She designs the costume layout on paper followed by getting the exact fabric before making the costume. Vaidya highlighted that it is challenging to maintain colour code and design costumes for so many people.
Music in historical shows transports audiences back to that era, so it is a very vital part of the show. For this period piece, the score has been composed by Devendra, who is also the music director for another show on the channel – Mere Sai. Besides narrating Ahilyabai and her father-in-law’s unique partnership, the historical drama not only subverts the norms but also redefines them.
MUMBAI: Star Plus, Colors and Sony Sab continued to remain in the top three channels on both pay platform and urban market in week 51 (Saturday 19 December 2020 to Friday 25 December 2020) of Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) data. For the second week running, &TV was at number 10 on pay platform.
Pay Platform
In week 51 of BARC India ratings, the top ten channels on pay platform were Star Plus, Colors, Sony Sab, Zee TV, Sony Entertainment Television, Star Utsav, Sony Pal, Star Bharat, Dangal, and &TV.
Urban Market
In the urban market, the top ten channels were Star Plus, Colors, Sony Sab, Star Utsav, Zee TV, Sony Entertainment Television, Sony Pal, Dangal, Colors Ristey, and Star Bharat in week 51 of BARC India ratings.
Rural Market
Star Utsav, Zee Anmol, Sony Pal, Colors Rishtey, Dangal, Star Plus, Zee TV, Sony Sab, Colors and Big Magic were the top ten channels in the rural market in week 51 of BARC India ratings.
Free Platform
On the free platform, Star Utsav, Zee Anmol, Sony Pal, Colors Rishtey, Dangal, Big Magic, Shemaroo TV, DD National, DD Retro and DD Madhya Pradesh were the top ten channels in week 51 of BARC India ratings.
MUMBAI: Sony Sab has regained its position by replacing Zee TV on the third spot on pay platform in week 50 (Saturday 12 December 2020 to Friday 18 December 2020) of Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) data. For the first time in many weeks, &TV has made it into the list of top ten channels on pay platform. Star Plus, Colors and Sony Sab have continued to remain top three channels on both pay platform and urban market.
Pay Platform
In week 50 of BARC India ratings, top ten channels on pay platform were Star Plus, Colors, Sony Sab, Zee TV, Sony Entertainment Television, Star Utsav, Sony Pal, Star Bharat, Dangal, and &TV.
Urban
In the urban market, the top ten channels were Star Plus, Colors, Sony Sab, Star Utsav, Zee TV, Sony Entertainment Television, Sony Pal, Dangal, Colors Ristey, and Star Bharat in week 50 of BARC India ratings.
Rural Market
Star Utsav, Zee Anmol, Sony Pal, Colors Rishtey, Dangal, Star Plus, Zee TV, Sony Sab, Colors and Big Magic were the top ten channels in the rural market in week 50 of BARC India ratings.
Free Platform
On the free platform, Star Utsav, Zee Anmol, Sony Pal, Colors Rishtey, Dangal, Big Magic, Shemaroo TV, DD National, DD Retro and DD Uttar Pradesh were the top ten channels in week 50 of BARC India ratings.
MUMBAI: Zee TV has pipped Sony Sab for the third spot on pay platform in week 49 (Saturday 5 December 2020 to Friday 11 December 2020) of Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) data. Sony TV has slipped down to sixth place on in urban market. Colors has continued to retain the second position on both pay platform and urban market.
Pay Platform
In week 49 of BARC India ratings, the top ten channels on pay platform were Star Plus, Colors,Zee TV, Sony Sab, Sony Entertainment Television, Star Utsav, Sony Pal, Dangal, Star Bharat, and Colors Rishtey.
Urban Market
In the urban market, the top ten channels were Star Plus,Colors,Sony Sab, Star Utsav, Zee TV, Sony Entertainment Television, Sony Pal, Dangal, Colors Ristey, and Star Bharat in week 49 of BARC India ratings.
Rural Market
Star Utsav, Zee Anmol, Sony Pal, Colors Rishtey, Dangal, Star Plus, Zee TV, Sony Sab, Colors and Big Magic were the top ten channels in the rural market in week 49 of BARC India ratings.
Free Platform
On the free platform Star Utsav, Zee Anmol,Sony Pal, Colors Rishtey, Dangal, Big Magic, Shemaroo TV, DD National, DD Retro and DD Bharati were the top ten channels in week 49 of BARC India ratings.
MUMBAI: Sony Sab has regained its position on pay platform, replacing Zee TV on the second spot in week 47 (Saturday 21 November 2020 to Friday 27 November 2020) of Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) data. Dangal has slipped down to ninth place on pay platform.
Pay Platform
In week 47 of BARCIndia ratings, the top ten channels on pay platform were Star Plus, Sony Sab, Zee TV, Colors, Sony Entertainment Television, Star Utsav, Sony Pal, Star Bharat, Dangal, and Colors Rishtey.
Urban Market
In the urban market, the top ten channels were Star Plus,Sony Sab, Colors,Star Utsav, Zee TV, Sony Entertainment Television, Sony Pal, Colors Ristey, Dangal and Zee Anmol in week 47 of BARCIndia ratings.
Rural Market
Star Utsav, Zee Anmol, Sony Pal, Colors Rishtey, Dangal, Zee TV, Star Plus, Sony Sab, Big Magic and Colors were the top ten channels in the rural market in week 47 of BARCIndia ratings.
Free Platform
On the free platform, Star Utsav, Zee Anmol,Sony Pal, Colors Rishtey, Dangal, Big Magic, Shemaroo TV, DD National, DD Retro and DD Bharti were the top ten channels in week 47 of BARCIndia ratings.
MUMBAI: Sony Sab has replaced Colors on second spot in the urban market in week 46 (Saturday, 14 November 2020 to Friday, 20 November 2020) of Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) data. Dangal has slipped down to ninth place on pay platform.
Pay Platform
On Pay platform, Star Plus, Zee TV, Sony Sab, Colors, Sony Entertainment Television, Star Utsav, Sony Pal, Star Bharat, Dangal, and Colors Rishtey, were the top 10 channels in week 46 of BARC India ratings
Urban Market
In the urban market, the top ten channels were Star Plus, Sony Sab, Colors, Zee TV Star Utsav,Sony Entertainment Television, Sony Pal, Dangal, Colors Ristey and Zee Anmol in week 46 of BARC India ratings.
Rural Market
Star Utsav, Zee Anmol, Sony Pal, Colors Rishtey, Dangal, Zee TV, Star Plus, Sony Sab, Big Magic and Colors were the top ten channels in the rural market.
Free platform
On the free platform, Star Utsav, Zee Anmol, Colors Rishtey, Sony Pal, Dangal, Big Magic, Shemaroo TV, DD National, DD Retro and DD Bharti were the top ten channels in week 46 of BARC India ratings.
MUMBAI: Sony Entertainment Television (SET) is all set to unveil season 12 of its popular vocal talent hunt programme, Indian Idol. Produced by Fremantle Media, the show has successfully completed its first-ever digital auditions – Ghar Se Manch Tak Ka Safar – in the new normal, and will begin airing from 28 November, every Saturday and Sunday at 8 pm only on SET.
Just like Kaun Banega Crorepati, the makers of Indian Idol 12 have decided to take the digital route amidst the coronavirus pandemic. Auditions were conducted virtually, thereby making it easier for aspirants to participate from the safety of their homes. Taking on the mantle as judges will be singers and musicians Neha Kakkar, Himesh Reshammiya and Vishal Dadlani, while Aditya Narayan will host the show.
SET and digital business content head Ashish Golwalkar said, “Indian Idol’s successful run for over 15 years and 11 seasons is a testimony to the fact that music lovers and TV audiences love watching it and listening to the variety of voices every year. Our theme this year Ab Mausam Phir hoga Awesome -Indian Idol 2020ke Saat truly embodies the need for a change in mood of the people and what is a better way than an amalgam of music and entertainment.”
This year, Indian Idol season 12 is co-presented by Maruti Suzuki and Colgate. The show is co-powered by Patanjali Kesh Kanti, Nestle Munch, Macho Hint and Firstcry.
The show is supported with robust marketing initiatives, a 360-degree integrated communication, all of which would be rolled out to drive the brand experience across locations. According to Golwalkar, Indian Idol is an impact property that attracts lots of eyeballs on its own. The main USP of the show is its unique talent. He shared that the marketing team is leaving no stones unturned to create enough opportunities in order to bring viewers. A lot of preference is given to digital mediums. The network is utilising SonyLiv as a platform to create buzz. Sony TV is also looking at conventional mediums like print and outdoors.
Golwalkar revealed that the channel has already shot six episodes which includes three days of auditions and three days of mega auditions. The team is extensively looking at the safety guidelines. He added, “We are strictly adhering to government protocols, we are not only following norms but also ensuring that when kids are coming back from travel, they are tested for Covid2019. We all know that this pandemic is extremely unpredictable, hence we regularly sanitise and fumigate our set, shooting premise, location where contestants are staying.” He also added that the team is strictly maintaining social distancing norms, with there being a proper partition between the three judges. Instead of a live in-studio audience, viewers will get to participate through digital mediums.
Host Aditya Narayan shared that crew member and contestants have been given hand sanitisers, gloves, masks and face shields. In fact, it is mandatory for people present on the set to wear PPE Kits. According to him, it was the most difficult phase of the shooting.
Fremantle MD Aradhana Bhola said, “2020 has had its set of challenges on various fronts. We are delighted to bring irresistible entertainment to the audience with season 12 of Indian Idol and hope that it will touch the right chord with them, yet again. It is our sincere hope that this season’s mix of talented singers with their inspiring human spirit will eventually lead to the people of India choosing their most loved idol. A feat that would make the entire Indian Idol team’s toil worthwhile.”
Indian Idol has always been a big-ticket property for Sony Entertainment and as per media reports, the opening week of season 11 clocked 6.63 million impressions. There were a slew of advertisers for the season including Colgate, Ceat, Firstcry, Dairy Milk, Bikaji, and Lotus Herbals.
MUMBAI: Star Plus, Zee TV and Sony Sab have retained their hold as the top three channels on pay platform in week 45 (Saturday 7 November 2020 to Friday 13 November 2020) of Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) data. Sony Sab has held on to the third position on pay platform. Dangal has climbed up to the eighth rank on pay platform and Zee TV has replaced Star Utsav to be on fourth spot in urban market.
Pay Platform
On Pay platform, Star Plus, Zee TV, Sony Sab, Colors, Sony Entertainment Television, Star Utsav, Sony Pal, Dangal, Star Bharat and Colors Rishtey, were the top 10 channels in week 45 of BARC India ratings.
Urban Market
In the urban market, the top ten channels were Star Plus, Colors, Sony Sab, Zee TV Star Utsav,Sony Entertainment Television, Sony Pal, ColorsRistey, Dangal, and Zee Anmol in week 45 of BARC India ratings.
Rural Market
Star Utsav, Zee Anmol, Sony Pal, Colors Rishtey, Dangal, Star Plus, Zee TV, Sony Sab, Big Magic and Colors were the top ten channels in the rural market.
Free platform
On the free platform Star Utsav, Zee Anmol, Sony Pal, Colors Rishtey, Dangal, Big Magic, Shemaroo TV, DD National, DD Retro and DD Uttar Pradesh were the top ten channels in week 45 of Barc India ratings.
MUMBAI: Zee TV has retained the second spot on pay platform in week 44 (Saturday 31 October 2020 to Friday 6 November 2020) of Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) data. Sony Sab has replaced Colors in the top three on pay platform. Star Utsav has slipped down to sixth spot on pay platform and on fourth position in urban market. Sony Pal has climbed up to third position in both rural market and free platform.
Pay Platform
On Pay platform Star Plus, Zee TV, Sony Sab, Colors, Sony Entertainment Television, Star Utsav, Sony Pal, Star Bharat, Colors Rishtey, and Dangal were the top 10 channels in week 44 of Barc India ratings.
Urban Market
In the urban market, the top ten channels were Star Plus, Colors, Sony Sab, Star Utsav, Zee TV, Sony Entertainment Television, Sony Pal, Colors Ristey, Dangal, and Zee Anmol in week 44 of Barc India ratings.
Rural Market
Star Utsav, Zee Anmol, Sony Pal, Dangal, Colors Rishtey, Star Plus, Zee TV, Big Magic, Sony Sab and Colors were the top ten channels in the rural market.
Free platform
On the free platform, Star Utsav, Zee Anmol, Sony Pal, Dangal, Colors Rishtey, Big Magic, Shemaroo TV, DD National, DD Retro and DD Rajasthan were the top ten channels in week 44 of Barc India ratings.
