ITV

Tag: Star One

  • Diwali rush for concepts, slots and TRPs

    Indian television‘s Hindi general entertainment space is at its aggressive best.As the market is about to enter its ‘harvest‘ season — with the big stakes game of Diwali placed just a month away — there is a thunderstorm brewing on the programming battlefront.

    Late last month, when Zee TV pointed a finger at Star India, making a serious charge of copyright infringement, the incident had given away the plot of the big fight coming up. Zee Telefilms issued a notice to Star demanding it withdraw all activities around its upcoming soap, tentatively titled Betiyaan, claiming ownership of the concept. Zee said it was in fact gearing up to launch its big ticket soap Ghar Ki Lakshmi Betiyann, produced by Creative Eye.

    Star dismissed Zee‘s charges, asserting that the show‘s writer Rekha Modi had registered the titles and the concept with various copyright bodies well before Zee made its own registration.

    According to market sources, the issue finally got resolved through an out-of-court settlement. Zee retained its original title Ghar Ki Lakshmi Betiyann title, whereas Star chose the name Betiyaan apni yaa…Paraaya Dhan.

    Now, compare the storylines, as offered by both the channels:

    Betiyaan apni yaa…Paraaya Dhan is the story of six daughters and one son born into a Zamindar family of Neelkanth Chanda Rana. It is the story of a father who rebukes his daughters because for him they are a burden. They have come into his life only for want of a son. Krishna, the eldest daughter and the protagonist, is based on Lord Krishna‘s character and personifies his depth of wisdom and understanding. A simple, honest and principled girl, she is the balancing factor amongst her sisters. Paraaya Dhan may be considered the story of many a home in India where it is believed that a son will take the family name further and a daughter is Paraya Dhan, states a Star India release.

    According to the Zee official communiqué, Ghar Ki Lakshmi Betiyann is Zee TV‘s steadfast attempt to address the ever-persistent issue of gender discrimination in our country. The show highlights certain myths that exist in our society today. States Zee TV programming head Ashvini Yardi on the Ghar Ki Lakshmi Betiyann, “With Ghar Ki Lahsmi… we are trying to highlight the serious issue of gender inequity that is prevalent in our society.”

    And it is again strategies and counter strategies. On 19 September, Zee TV conducted a press conference to announce its plans to launch Ghar Ki Lakshmi Betiyann — set in a Gujarati household — on 25 September. On 18 September, Star made the smart move of talking to the media about its October launch Paraaya Dhan well in advance. Apart from the plot, what was revealed was the time slot of 9 pm, Monday to Thursday. The result: Star could let the market know about the development a day in advance.

    What makes both these Betiyaan shows keenly fought properties? With Ghar Ki Lakshmi Betiyann, Zee TV is attacking one of the two most crucial time slots of Star Plus – 10 pm, where the long running soap Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki is playing. Letting the Zee TV do what it had done in the 9 pm – 10 pm slot (with success stories Saath Phere & Kassamh Se) would be suicidal for Star Plus and the channel understands that fact very well.

    “Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki is an old show with a dedicated viewership and we are confident of the soap overcoming any new challenge in its way. But we will make efforts to protect the show. I am not hinting that we will be doing stunts to keep the viewer glued. We will be taking liberties that the story line would allow and accordingly, we will be creating twists and turns in the plot to fight competition,” Star India senior creative director Shailja Kejriwal says.

    “The main strength of Ghar Ki Lakshmi… is its content and we have full faith in it. The soap is very important for us. Creative Eye is producing the show; it has been placed in the 10 pm time slot; and more importantly, we believe that the concept is very unique but very relevant. No counter strategy would be able to stop this soap,” retorts Zee TV‘s Yardi. She adds that Zee wouldn‘t be resorting to any exercise such as simultaneous premiere on its network channels to expand the viewership.

    And one show that will be making its best efforts for not getting caught in this exchange of fire would be Sony‘s brand new celebrity dance show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa. Reason: Jhalak.. again has been placed in the crucial slot of 10 pm, Wednesday and Thursday.

    It seems the leading channels are almost done with their key Diwali arrangements. With the introduction of Ghar Ki Lakshmi… in the 10 pm slot, Zee TV has revamped its 10 – 11 pm slot. L‘il Champs will now air Friday-Saturday at 10 pm. Shabaash India has been shiifted to the Monday -Tuesday 10.30 pm slot, while Johny Aala Re will now air on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 10.30 pm.

    Star One is meanwhile revamping its prime time band as well, with the entry of Nach Baliye 2 on 25 September (placed in the 8:30 pm slot) and the launch coincides with the Ghar Ki Lakshmi… launch in terms of dates. In October, two other soaps Saathi Re and Betiyaan apni yaa…Paraaya Dhan will mark the launch of new primetime programming band, with Saathi Re airing at 8:30 pm followed by Betiyaan apni yaa…Paraaya Dhan at 9 pm.

    After Jhalak.., Sony‘s Diwali plans would revolve around two upcoming properties: a prime time soap Kaajaal and a reality-based show titled Big Boss. Though the channel is yet to reveal its plans about these two shows, indications are that they will be placed in the 9 to 10 pm slot.

  • Star One to launch weekly show ‘Kadvee Khatti Meethi’ on 23 Oct

    Star One to launch weekly show ‘Kadvee Khatti Meethi’ on 23 Oct

    MUMBAI: Arriving fresh on Star One this October, Kadvee Khatti Meethi, is the new weekly show that takes off where Tu Tu Main Main left off. Returning with its sterling star cast with new additions to the family, the episodes present half an hour of non-stop comedy and dhamaal every week.

    Directed by Sachin Pilgaonkar, the show launches on Monday, 23 October at 8 pm on Star One.

    Moving away from traditional comedies, Kadvee Khatti Meethi deals with the chaos emerging between the three generations of women who are at constant loggerheads with one another. Saas Bhi kabhi bahu thi… the bitter truth in every woman’s life comes true with the jubilant ‘nak chadi’ Supriya Pilgaonkar in this brand new comedy. A twist to the tale – Supriya now essays the role of a daughter-in-law to Rima Lagoo and a mother-in-law to a new entrant on the show – Sucheta Pawshe. Sandwiched between the two, Supriya does not know whether to dictate or hear the dictum! 

    The principal characters of the show are Rima (Rima Lagoo), Rukmini (Supriya Pilgaonkar) and the new bahu – Madhu (Sucheta Pawashe). Noted television actors Ali Asgar and Swapnil Joshi join the stupendous star cast essaying the roles of Karan (Madhu’s husband) and Arjun (Karan’s brother) respectively, informs an official release.

    Announcing the launch of Kadvee Khatti Meethi, Star India EVP Content Deepak Segal said, “Tu Tu Main Main was an extremely successful show and we are very pleased to bring to our viewers on Star One in its brand new avtaar. Star One has redefined the genre of comedy on Indian television with shows like Naya Office Office, The Comedy Show, Sarabhai vs. Sarabhai, Instant Khichdi and The Great Indian Laughter Challenge in the prime-time band. The launch of Kadvee Khatti Meethi is in keeping with this tradition. Our aim is bring a big smile on our audience’s faces.”

  • ‘Banned’ channels allowed to go on air; some operators await decoders

    ‘Banned’ channels allowed to go on air; some operators await decoders

    MUMBAI: After Sahara One and Filmy, the weekend saw the return of the remaining seven “banned” channels to most cable TV networks in Maharashtra.

    However, these channels were still off air on networks of major multi-system operators (MSOs) like Hathway and In Cable (who hold sizeable chunk of connections in Mumbai) as well as Zee Group controlled Siticable, among those that had their equipment confiscated by the police in raids on 21 August, when reports last came in. These cable networks were expected to start beaming all the channels again once their decoders were in place.

    The first to get back on air was Zee Cinema, while the other six channels – Star Gold, Star One, Star Movies, HBO, AXN and Max – came back soon after.

    Zee Cinema, like Sahara One and Filmy, had claimed that it was telecasting U/A certified movies.

    Broadcasters of other channels also got the clearance to get back on air soon after with the Mumbai police social service branch granting permission to the channels to resume transmission late on Saturday.

    The permission came with a rider though: that the channels would follow the Mumbai High Court directives that they would not air uncertified as well as adult movies.

    The nine channels had originally been blacked from 21 August after the Mumbai Police confiscated the decoders of major cable networks and beaming equipment of channels on the charge that they had violated the law by telecasting uncertified movies. This followed orders from the Bombay High Court that channels showing adult movie content should be taken off off air.

    Meanwhile, the Cable Operators and Distributors Association (Coda) have decided to meet the information and broadcasting (I&B) minister Priya Ranjan Das Munshi to express their protest against the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai)’s support to direct-to-home (DTH) service providers for using multi-dwelling unit (MDU) technology.

    “We are planning to meet the I&B minister for placing our case against MDU. DTH is to home and not direct-to-building,” says CODA president Ganesh Naidu.

  • HC’s U/A ok sees Sahara One, Filmy back on air

    HC’s U/A ok sees Sahara One, Filmy back on air

    MUMBAI: Sahara One and Filmy are back on the cable TV networks in Maharashtra while the ban on the other seven channels for showing adult movie content continues.

    “Sahara One and Filmy were banned due to a confusion on U/A certificate. We have certain movies with U/A certificate and mistakenly it was included in the A category. But yesterday’s High Court ruling brought the clarity that U/A certified movies don’t come under the purview of the ban. Hence, our two channels are now back on air,” says Sahara One Media & Entertainment CEO Shantonu Aditya.

    B’casters to meet I&B ministry to convey views
    Broadcasters are planning to meet the information and broadcasting (I&B) ministry to represent their views. They are willing to obtain certificate from the censor board before they air any movies. But they feel the entire process of certification of their movie library would require time. “The certification board needs to beef up its infrastructure to clear a huge pile of movies. We want to be given time for carrying out this process,” says a senior executive of a leading movie channel.

    The channels which are still to come on air are Star Gold, Star Movies, Star One, Max, Zee Cinema, AXN and HBO. These channels will continue to remain off air at least till the next hearing of the case.

    DTH providers continue to show banned channels
    Direct-to-home (DTH) service providers, however, continued to show these banned channels as they were yet to be served notice. Tata Sky Ltd and Dish TV executives were not available for comment. The Bombay High Court yesterday ruled that DTH service providers and broadcasters were bound by the 21 December, 2005 order banning the telecast of movies with `A’ certificates.
    “Nobody has received the High Court order as yet. This could be the reason for these channels being still available on DTH,” an industry observer says.

    Out of the list of 122 movies given to the High Court, 84 have U/A certification. “We are happy that the order includes broadcasters and DTH operators. If DTH is showing the channels today, that may be because the fine print of the High Court order has not reached anybody,” says Ravi Singh, a distributor of Wire and Wireless India Ltd (WWIL).

    The cable TV service in pockets of Malad and Borivli, located in the western suburbs of Mumbai, are yet to resume following the police raid and sealing of amplifiers. “We are taking up the matter with the court tomorrow for restoration of signals. Seven sub-operators are affected in this area,” says Singh.

    Broadcasters have recently been cautious in buying Hindi movies from producers. In acquiring new adult movies for telecast rights, they are insisting on re-censoring it for television. Sahara, for instance, acquired Gangster, an `A’-rated movie after asking the producer to re-censor it for TV viewing.

    “In case we buy A movies in future, we will re-censor it,” says Aditya.

    Film producers, however, feel that re-censoring is an unnecessary headache and will occupy bureaucratic procedures. The editing may also make it less attractive for TV viewing if the content is essential to the plot of the movie, they say.

    Meanwhile, the Film & Television Producers Guild Of India has sought clarity from the I&B minister Priya Ranjan Das Munshi over the confusion prevailing “in respect of film certification and broadcast content regulation.”

    Guild president Amit Khanna said the entire entertainment fraternity would be grateful if the I&B ministry could take issue of ‘censorship’ holistic in the spirit of a self-regulating code and take appropriate steps to make suitable legislative amendments in this regard at the earliest.

  • Star One announces prime time soap ‘Betiyaan apni yaa…Paraaya Dhan’

    Star One announces prime time soap ‘Betiyaan apni yaa…Paraaya Dhan’

    MUMBAI: Star One is all set to launch one more soap to complete its prime time revamp. The soap Betiyaan apni yaa…Paraaya Dhan, slotted for Monday-Thursday 9 pm, will launch in October.

    Announcing the new programming block, Star India senior creative director Shailja Kejriwal said, “We are delighted to bring a whole new entertainment experience to our viewers. With the new season of Nach Baliye 2 coming soon, we are all set to revamp primetime viewing with the two new shows that boast of a combination of intense family and social drama. Paraaya Dhan and Saathi Re will also see fresh content and some exciting new faces on Star One. ”

    Betiyaan apni yaa…Paraaya Dhan is the story of six daughters & one son born into a zamindar family of Neelkanth Chanda Rana. It is the story of a father who rebukes his daughters because for him they are a burden. They have come into his life only want of a son. Krishna, the eldest daughter and the protagonist, is based on Lord Krishna’s character and personifies his depth of wisdom and understanding. A simple, honest and principled girl, she is the balancing factor amongst her sisters. Paraaya Dhan may be considered the story of many a home in India where it is believed that a son will take the family name further and a daughter is Paraya Dhan, says an official release.

  • TV channels undecided on apology scrolling

    TV channels undecided on apology scrolling

    NEW DELHI: The Indian government made it clear to TV channels yesterday that those guilty of breaching advertising code would have to publicly apologize, though channel managements are still undecided on future course of action.

    The ministry of Information and Broadcasting has issued a warning to 43 channels directing them to carry a scroll for three days regretting airing surrogate advertisements of liquor and tobacco products in violation of rules.

    The scroll to be aired reads thus: “Ministry of information & broadcasting issues a warning to X channel for telecasting surrogate advertisements of liquor/tobacco products in violation of advertising code. X channel regrets this and apologies for the same. We assure to be more careful in future.”

    A gaggle of broadcasters, under the aegis of the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF), met ministry officials on Friday in an attempt to seek a resolution to, what a broadcaster described as, “uncalled for public humiliation.”

    The broadcast industry contention was that the government is unnecessarily objecting to ads of products and companies, which may have other legitimate businesses apart from tobacco and liquor products.

    Moreover, with the ASCI now given more teeth to regulate ads put out by companies, broadcasters argued, running a scroll of apology for three days would amount to financial setback and space loss for important news alerts too.

    However, the ministry officials were firm on their stand as, according to one of them, “too much pressure” was being exerted on the I&B ministry from parliamentarians who have criticized the ministry for inaction against surrogate advertising publicizing liquor and tobacco products on TV channels.

    The channels issued show-cause notice will be required to carry the warning scroll round the clock for three consecutive days on their respective channel from 18-21 August 2006.

    Still, the channels are undecided on future course of action and, according to information available, are also seeking legal advice on the matter.

    The channels that have been issued the warning are Aaj Tak, Animal Planet, B4U, Balle Balle, Channel V, CNBC TV-18, Discovery, ESPN, ETV Bangla, ETV Kannada, ETV Marathi, ETV-2, HBO, Headlines Today, India TV, MTV, National
    Geographic, NDTV 24X7, Raj TV, S S Music, SABe TV, Sahara Bihar, Sahara One and Sahara Samay.

    The list also includes Set Max, Sony Entertainment, Star Gold, Star Movies, Star One, Star Plus, SUN TV, Tara News, Ten Sports, TEZ, TV-9, Zee Bangla, Zee Café, Zee Gujarati, Zee Marathi, Zee News, Zee Sports, Zee Studio and Zoom.

    Rule 7(2)(viii)(A) of the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994 states that “no advertisement shall be permitted which promotes directly or indirectly production, sale or consumption of cigarettes, tobacco products, wine, alcohol, liquor or other intoxicants.”

    In an official statement issued today, the I&B ministry said apart from liquor and tobacco ads, certain objectionable and indecent advertisements of undergarments were also found to have been telecast, which should be stopped immediately.

  • News Corp net profit up 9% at $ 2.3 billion for 06 fiscal

    News Corp net profit up 9% at $ 2.3 billion for 06 fiscal

    MUMBAI: Rupert Murdoch’s media powerhouse News Corp has reported record numbers with full year net profit standing at $ 2.314 billion. This marks an increase of nine per cent over the $ 2.128 billion it achieved in fiscal 2005.

    Net profit for the quarter ended 30 June 2006 was $ 852 million, an increase of 19 per cent over the $ 717 million achieved in the corresponding quarter of 2005.

    Revenues for the year stood at $25.3 billion, up 6 per cent from last year’s $23.9 billion.

    The full year operating profit growth reflects increased contributions from nearly every operating segment led by 23 per cent growth at cable network programming and a $212 million improvement at Sky Italia.

    On the television side, the stellar performers were the Fox network in the US and Asian arm Star Group. Star’s fourth quarter and full year operating profit increased by 10 per cent and 12 per cent respectively versus comparable periods a year ago. Ad revenues, mainly from India, drove total revenue growth. Ad gains were led by weekend programming initiatives at Star Plus and by the growth of Star One and Star Gold.

    Other highlights include
    • Formed Fox Interactive Media and acquired several rapidly growing internet properties, including MySpace.com, whose traffic has more than doubled since the acquisition in September 2005.
    • Completed sale of investments in Innova, a Mexican DTH platform, for $285 million, TSL Education Ltd business for $395 million and Sky Radio for $215 million.

    Commenting on another powerhouse performance from his media conglomerate, chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch said, “Our fiscal 2006 financial performance once again demonstrates News Corporation’s ability to deliver superior near-term results while keeping our eye firmly focussed on the long-term with smart, strategic investments that we expect will accelerate our growth well into the future. We generated our fourth consecutive year of record operating profits with increases at nearly every one of our diverse segments; at the same time, we leveraged our strong balance sheet by investing in businesses uniquely positioned in the expanding digital world.

    “The success of our existing businesses was highlighted by Sky Italia’s first full year of profits — adding 513,000 subscribers over the past 12 months the broadcast network’s improved financial position — translating another ratings title into higher advertising revenues; the continued rapid growth of our established and burgeoning cable channels; and finally, by the considerable increase in contributions from DirecTV.

    “Longer term, we are intently focussed on developing ways not only to monetise our acquired internet assets, but also on how to exploit our vast content libraries as broadband access proliferates. From aggressively growing advertising across MySpace’s now nearly 100 million registered users to providing on-demand content to DirecTV consumers, we are keen on maximizing whatever opportunities technology provides. Our proven ability in taking advantage of new platforms and the momentum we continue to generate at our established businesses gives us great confidence as we head into fiscal 2007.”

    The television segment reported fourth quarter operating profit of $403 million, an increase of $59 million, or 17 per cent, versus the same period a year ago, and full year operating profit of $1.0 billion, an increase of eight per cent over fiscal 2005. Both the quarter and full year primarily reflect higher contributions from the Fox and Star, while the quarter also includes growth at the Fox Television Stations.

    At the Fox Broadcasting Company (FBC), fourth quarter and full year operating results improved dramatically versus fiscal 2005 as ratings momentum and higher pricing drove primetime advertising revenue growth. The fourth quarter results also included lower programming and promotion costs versus a year ago which included the launch of Family Guy and American Dad. For the full year, programming costs increased on higher license fees for several returning series, including American Idol and 24, which, along with House, led FBC to finish as the top-rated network among Adults 18-49 this past broadcast season. Additionally, fiscal 2005 included a loss associated with the broadcast of Super Bowl XXXIX.

    Fox Television Stations’ (FTS) fourth quarter operating profit increased slightly from the same period a year ago as FTS delivered record market share on primetime ratings strength and the continued success of local news.

    For the full year, operating profit declined by four per cent versus fiscal 2005, primarily as a result of higher production costs from the local news expansion. Despite softness in the overall advertising market, lower political spending and the benefit a year ago from FBC’s broadcast of Super Bowl XXXIX, revenues for the year were in-line with a year ago as FTS generated market share gains with a stronger prime-time line-up and continued success in local newscasts.

    The film segment reported fourth quarter operating profit of $200 million, up 83 per cent from the $109 million reported in the same period a year ago and record full year operating profit of $1.1 billion, up slightly from 2005. The current quarter results primarily reflect strong worldwide theatrical and home entertainment revenues, while full year results primarily include increased worldwide theatrical, pay-TV and free-TV contributions as well as higher syndication and home entertainment contributions from Twentieth Century Fox Television (TCFTV).

    Fourth quarter film results were largely driven by the worldwide theatrical success of Ice Age: The Meltdown, which has grossed over $640 million in box office to date, and by the home entertainment performances of The Family Stone, Big Momma’s House 2 and Cheaper By the Dozen 2. The current quarter also included the initial results and releasing costs for several successful theatrical releases including The Devil Wears Prada, which has grossed over $110 million in the US to date, and X-Men: The Last Stand, which opened to the highest domestic box office ever for a Memorial Day weekend and has grossed over $440 million in worldwide box office to date.

    For the full year, record film results were primarily driven by strong worldwide theatrical releases including Ice Age: The Meltdown, the Oscar winner Walk the Line, Fantastic Four and X-Men: The Last Stand and by the worldwide home entertainment performances of Robots, Walk the Line, Fantastic Four, Hide and Seek and Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith.

  • Star One revamps Friday prime time

    Star One revamps Friday prime time

    MUMBAI: Star One has revamped its Friday prime time, adding two new properties to its line up. The erstwhile Sab TV show Office Office takes a re-birth in Star One as Naya Office Office. On the other hand, the channel is re-launching its detective serial D.O.N on 14 July.

    Titled Naya Office Office, the new version of the popular sitcom Office Office will launch on 21 July and has been placed in the 8:30 pm slot. The Great Indian Laughter Champions Dwitiya will air at 9 pm, followed by the new D.O.N at 10 pm. Mano Yo Na Mano retains its 11 pm slot.

    Announcing the launch of Naya Office Office, Star India senior creative director Shailja Kejriwal said, “Our success with comedy continues and once again we have looked at fresh concepts that we believe will appeal to our viewers. In its previous avatar, the show has won many hearts and many accolades and we are confident of the continued success with Naya Office Office. Our march to the number two position will be strengthened with a show of this caliber.”

    Star One has adopted the strategy of launching the second seasons of its successful programmes in order to win back its lost position in the Hindi GEC space. As already reported, following Naya Office Office and D.O.N in the launch schedule would be the new versions of its celebrity talent hunt property Nach Baliye and the youth-oriented serial Remix.

  • Star One plans a turnaround; to bring back ‘Nach Baliye’, ‘Remix’

    Star One plans a turnaround; to bring back ‘Nach Baliye’, ‘Remix’

    MUMBAI: Last year around this time, Star India’s young launch Star One was enjoying a successful run in the market.

    Properties such as The Great Indian Laughter Challenge and Nach Baliye saw the channel making SET, the then number 2 in the Hindi GEC space, sit up and take note. However, the channel was derailed from its successful run due to a stern fightback from the competition. Certain distribution issues have also been bugging the channel in the Mumbai market.

    Now, what has boosted the channel’s morale is the good ratings The Great Indian Laughter Challenge Dwitiya delivered. According to Tam, the two-hour finale episode, which aired on Friday, 23 June, delivered a rating of 7.94 on CS4+ and became the fourth highest ranked show amongst the Hindi General Entertainment channels.

    Driving the turnaround plans for Star One would be two of its 2005 successes: Nach Baliye and Remix. While presenting a session on the journey of Star One at this year’s edition of Promax BDA 2006, Star India EVP Marketing & Communications Ajay Vidyasagar offered a glimpse of the plan of action.

    “If you have strong products to woo viewers, distribution is never a challenge. The success of The Great Indian Laughter Challenge Dwitiya has proved this. Now, we are targeting December 2006 to win back the lost position. We will be launching the second seasons of Nach Baliye and Remix in the coming months. The plans will be unveiled in a couple of weeks. You can expect a lot of surprises in both the formats this time,” says Vidyasagar.

    Vidyasagar also claimed that, the channel’s homegrown properties including Laughter Challenge and Nach Baliye created a lot of interest in the international market. “We have been getting lot of enquires from the global market. The players over there are very keen to buy these formats from us,” he says.

  • Endemol India to produce Star One show TGILC Dwitiya

    Endemol India to produce Star One show TGILC Dwitiya

    MUMBAI: Endemol India will produce the upcoming Star One show The Great Indian Laughter Champions Dwitiya. Launching on 14 July, the show will attempt to showcase the best talents from both Season one and two of Laughter Challenge.

    In it’s second avtaar, The Great Indian Laughter Champions has become snazzier and is spruced up with unimaginable comical histrionics and a host of film stars, claims an official release. If Hritik Roshan, Bipasha Basu, Priyanka Chopra, Soha Ali Khan, Dia Mirza and Suniel Shetty enthralled the viewers on The Great Indian Laughter Challenge Dwitiya, celebrities like Riya Sen, Isha Koppikar, Mahesh Manjrekar and Udita Goswami amongst others, will team-up with Shekhar and Sidhu on The Great Indian Laughter Champions Dwitiya. The show has also been revamped as Shekhar and Sidhu judge the contest separately, adds the release.

    Announcing the launch, Endemol India MD Rajesh Kamat said, “We are glad to team-up with Star One and present The Great Indian Laughter Champions Dwitiya to the viewers in India. As a production house we have tried our best to present a dose of whacked-out humour with panache and flamboyance to cure Friday night blues with experimental laughter therapy! We intend to successfully develop some more path-breaking shows and be an integral part of this sunrise industry in the country.”

    Endemol has already delivered formats like Fear Factor India, Deal Ya No Deal and Heart Beat, besides producing shows like The Great Indian Laughter Challenge Dwitiya.