ITV

Tag: Vishnu Shankar

  • Zing introduces short-format video property ‘Snaackz’

    Zing introduces short-format video property ‘Snaackz’

    Mumbai: Zing, one of the most popular youth entertainment channels, gets the pulse of its Gen-Z audience and strives to cater to their discerning taste. Whether it’s their distinctive fashion sense or love for Korean culture, Gen-Z does not shy away from expressing and embracing their life choices. They also take immense pride in being vocal about their stance on prioritizing mental health, navigating the complexities of modern-day love, and dealing with the ups and downs of their dating life. In a strategic move that proves Zing’s unwavering commitment to staying abreast with Gen-Z trends, Zing is set to launch ‘Snaackz’, a short-format video property tailored exclusively to the ever-evolving content preferences of the generation.

    At the heart of Snaackz are the topics that are a crucial aspect of Gen-Z’s life such as love, fashion, and culture. These videos will feature up-and-coming content creators who are experts in their respective domains. ‘With Love’ with Kuvelu Tetseo, who hails from Nagaland, will cover all things Korean which includes their culture and lifestyle. Kuvelu’s love and inclination for Korean culture makes her an ideal fit. ‘You & I’ with Ekta Khurana will delve into challenges faced by Gen-Z and help them navigate through the modern-day dating scene by providing tips, tricks, and love hacks. Ekta has been creating content in the space of love and mental well-being owing to her extensive work in the mental health domain. ‘Closet’ with Jumni Kamki will create fun and engaging content in the fashion space and dissecting the latest fashion trends for our audiences. Jumni, a popular fashionista from Arunachal Pradesh, has also been crowned as the first runner-up in the Miss Arunachal Pradesh pageant.  Zing has long been at the forefront of curating content that hits the right chord with the youth. Continuing that legacy, these content creators will only help the channel strengthen its connection with Gen-Z through Snaackz.  But that’s not all for Snaackz, stay tuned for more exciting updates to find out what Zing has in store for the audience with its latest offering.

    Reflecting on the launch of Snaackz, &TV and music channels business cluster head Vishnu Shankar shared, “Zing has consistently led the way in crafting content that deeply resonates with the Gen-Z audience. As an extension of our consumer-centricity, we have created Snaackz – a short format video property spanning relevant topics like Love, Fashion, and Korean Culture. As the go-to platform of Gen-Z, we are delighted to bring on-board extraordinary content creators to showcase their talent and continue to cater to the evolving content consumption needs of our audience.”

    So, don’t miss out on these fun ‘Snaackz’ between your favourite shows only on Zing!

  • Zing brings ‘Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya’ season 13

    Zing brings ‘Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya’ season 13

    Mumbai: Zing’s flagship show Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya, also popularly known as PTKK, is geared up for its season 13, which starts on 22 October. The show, with 12 seasons and over 200+ episodes under its belt, will continue building a strong legacy of romance with nuanced tales of love that resonate with gen-z.

    The theme for this season is “Har Love Hai Khaas,” which is aligned with the present-day dating landscape. This season brings together love stories from different perspectives, which will be a perfect blend of passion, emotions, complications, true love, and friendship.

    Zing, &TV & Big Magic chief cluster officer Vishnu Shankar said, “Love and its trials and tribulations” is what every young heart is well-versed with and connects with. Having a finger on the consumer’s pulse, or should I say, heart, is what led us to conceptualise Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya nine years ago, making it the longest-running show capturing real, young, Indian love stories. After twelve successful seasons, we are proud and excited to launch Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya Season 13. Through this season, we hope to take our viewers on an amazing journey of stories that celebrate the various unique hues of love and romance.”

    Since its debut in 2014, the show has gained traction with stories about young people dealing with various aspects of love and romantic relationships. Immersive storylines, relatable characters, and a new cast and story for each episode ensured that PTKK stayed in the hearts of its viewers.

    Popular TV stars such as Parth Samthaan, Surbhi Jyoti, Shivangi Joshi, Mohsin Khan, Priyank Sharma, Mansi Srivastava, and Niti Taylor have been part of this show over the years. The unmissable anthem of Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya, sung by singer Jubin Nautiyal, is the soul of the show, which has made it to the playlist of every PTKK fan.

  • &TV brings back family drama with a new show ‘Doosri Maa’

    &TV brings back family drama with a new show ‘Doosri Maa’

    Mumbai: &TV is all set to present its latest family drama Doosri Maa. The show will be produced by Zee Studios and co-produced by Imtiaz Punjabi.  

    The show will reintroduce the famous on-screen mother-son duo, Neha Joshi as Yashoda and Aayudh Bhanushali as Krishna, among other cast members. The show will premiere on 20 September at 8:00 p.m and will air Monday to Friday.

    &TV business head Vishnu Shankar said, “&TV is committed to telling human stories that connect deeply with our viewers, which is why we bring to you Doosri Maa. Mothers are the epitome of unconditional love and sacrifice and the bond between them and their child is unquestionable. But what happens when life throws a curveball? Our show Doosri Maa is a heart-tugging story of Yashoda’s struggle between her self-respect and maternal instincts, as she tries hard to accept her husband’s illegitimate young son. It is an emotional story of family, love, betrayal, and duty. We hope our viewers enjoy this new family drama and the phenomenal chemistry between Neha Joshi and Aayudh Bhanushali.”

    Doosri Maa is the story of a woman who lives in Uttar Pradesh with her husband, two daughters, and in-laws. When she and her husband unknowingly adopt his illegitimate child, their happy, peaceful family life comes to a halt. The show depicts Yashoda’s journey of coming to terms with her husband’s past as well as her conflicted, rocky relationship with her stepson.

    Zee Studios’ chief business officer Anshul Khullar, said “Doosri Maa is our most recent fiction offering produced by Zee Studios and co-produced by Imtiaz Punjabi. It is a family drama centred around our protagonist Yashoda, as she deals with her husband’s past and her conflicted relationship with her stepson, Krishna. The storyline beautifully depicts the dilemma of Yashoda – torn between the anguish of a wronged wife and compassion for the plight of Krishna, her stepson, who has lost his mother and is struggling for acceptance. We hope the audience will relate to this heart-warming story premiering on 20 September at 8:00 p.m on &TV.”

    Co-producer and Director Imtiaz Punjabi added, “Doosri Maa is a fascinating tale of a woman and a mother. The story, set in Uttar Pradesh, brings to life Yashoda and Krishna’s journey and the inherent drama will keep the audience engrossed in every scene. I am happy to be associated once again with &TV which has given viewers some of the most memorable shows. I previously loved working with Neha and Aayudh, and we are optimistic that we will create new magic with Doosri Maa.”

  • Zing revamps brand strategy and channel packaging to appeal to Gen Z

    Zing revamps brand strategy and channel packaging to appeal to Gen Z

    Mumbai: Youth entertainment channel Zing has unveiled a new logo, channel packaging, brand ambassador and campaign. The channel has roped in Siddhant Chaturvedi to drive its campaign messaging aimed towards Gen Z audiences.

    “Zing’s brand purpose stems from Gen Z’s feeling of perpetually not being understood, commonly expressed by them as ‘aap nahi samjhoge’,” said the statement.

    Zing’s revamped programming includes music slots that showcase Punjabi, Indie-Pop, foot-tapping party songs as well as evergreen hits. It will also bring popular Korean Dramas in Hindi for its young viewers. The channel is set to launch the 13th season of their popular show Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya that has completed 12 seasons in eight years. Also, returning will be the new season of Zing’s gamified chat show Game On which features popular cricketers. The first season featured elite cricketers like Yuvraj Singh, Harmanpreet Kaur, and Shikhar Dhawan amongst others. Zing is planning to launch an exciting line-up of digital-first content.

    “Zing is India’s foremost youth entertainment channel and we pride ourselves on having our finger on the viewer’s pulse,” said Zing, &TV and Big Magic chief cluster officer Vishnu Shankar. “Our extensive interactions with youth across metros and tier 1 and tier 2 cities revealed a common grouse – ‘Koi nahin samajhta hummein’; we are expected to understand without being understood. This feeling led us to our brand purpose and the latest campaign wherein we highlighted some of the key moments where they feel ignored or misunderstood. At Zing, we wish to create a mahaul where the youth feel this is truly my space, my vibe, my tribe.”

    “In India, Gen Z comprises the largest population segment and with our new identity we want to reinforce that we are an extension of their tribe,” said chief channel officer – music cluster Arghya Roy Chowdhary. “We are a channel that mirrors their life and lets them be themselves. With our new positioning in place, all we needed was the right brand ambassador, and given his personality, swag, and ability to connect with the youth, there is no one better than Siddhant Chaturvedi. He is the perfect brand fit! With the campaign kicking off this week we can’t wait for our viewers to experience the all-new Zing.”

    “The aspect of Gen Z not being understood is very real and I felt the same while starting out,” said Siddhant Chaturvedi. “It was my tribe that helped me keep my head in the game through that phase which is why I instantly connected with Zing’s campaign. It’s great that youth have a safe space that celebrates and vibes with them. My own introduction to the world of music was through Zing which makes this partnership even more personal and I’m super excited to be a part of Zing’s tribe!”

    Zing will kick start its campaign on 25 May with the launch of the brand film featuring Siddhant Chaturvedi.

  • &TV’s to premiere new mythological show ‘Baal Shiv’ on 23 Nov

    &TV’s to premiere new mythological show ‘Baal Shiv’ on 23 Nov

    Mumbai: Announced in August this year, &TV’s brand-new mythological “Baal Shiv” is all set to premiere on 23 November. The show depicting the eternal bond between the mother and son – Mahasati Anusuya and Baal Shiv – will air every Monday to Friday at 8 p.m.

    Produced by Zee Studios, “Baal Shiv” features Aan Tiwari as Baal Shiv, Mouli Ganguly as Mahasati Anusuya, Siddharth Arora as Mahadev, Shivya Pathania as Devi Parvati, Krrip Kapur Suri as Asur Andhak, Praneet Bhatt as Narad Muni, Danish Akhtar Saifi as Nandi, Dakssh Ajit Singh as Indra, Anjita Poonia as Indrani, Ravi Khanvilkar as Archarya Dandpani, Rajeev Bhardwaj as Rishi Atri, and Pallavi Pradhan as Maina Devi, amongst others.

    Lord Shiva had taken several avatars but never experienced childhood and mother’s love. Even though his marriage to Parvati helped him in finding a balance between his detached and householder self, his hermit nature often concerned Parvati as she felt that he lacked an understanding of domiciliary duties. To fulfil this wish, Lord Shiva took the Baal Roop (child form), becoming the dutiful son of Mahasati Anusuya, said the channel in a statement.

    Commenting on the show launch, &TV business head Vishnu Shankar said, “Indian mythology is a treasure trove of extraordinary tales and our fascination with them is limitless. Among these are the legends of Lord Shiva and his various avatars. However there is one ‘roop’ which is rarely spoken about and that is his ‘Baal Roop’. At &TV we are proud to present for the first time on Indian television this untold, unseen story through our show ‘Baal Shiv’. We invite all our viewers and Lord Shiva’s ardent devotees to watch and enjoy it wholeheartedly.”

  • &TV to premiere ‘Baal Shiv’ on 31 August

    &TV to premiere ‘Baal Shiv’ on 31 August

    Mumbai: Hindi GEC &TV is set to launch its new mythological show “Baal Shiv” on 31 August. The story of Lord Mahadev’s ‘Baal Roop’ will air every Monday to Friday at 8 p.m.

    Produced by ZEE Studios, the show will depict the untold mythical story of the mother and son, Mahasati Anusuya and Baal Shiv and their eternal bond.

    Baal Shiv features Aan Tiwari as Baal Shiv, Mouli Ganguly as Mahasati Anusuya, Siddharth Arora as Mahadev, Shivya Pathania as Devi Parvati, Krrip Kapur Suri as Asur Andhak, Praneet Bhatt as Narad Muni, Danish Akhtar Saifi as Nandi, Dakssh Ajit Singh as Indra, Anjita Poonia as Indrani, Ravi Khanvilkar as Archarya Dandpani, Rajeev Bhardwaj as Rishi Atri, and Pallavi Pradhan as Maina Devi, amongst others.

    “Indian mythology is a treasure trove of extraordinary tales and our fascination with them is limitless,” said &TV, business head, Vishnu Shankar. “We have all grown up hearing them so many times and yet we never miss a chance to revisit them. Among these are the legends and tales of Lord Shiva and his various avatars. However, there is one ‘roop’ which is rarely spoken about and that is his ‘Baal Roop’.”

    “At &TV, we are proud to present for the first time on Indian television this untold, unseen story of ‘Mahadev’s Baal Roop’ through our show ‘Baal Shiv’. Through this show we want to narrate the tale of his childhood and the beautiful relationship he shares with his mother Anusuya. We invite all our viewers and Lord Shiva’s ardent devotees to watch and enjoy it wholeheartedly,” he added.

    ZEE Studios business head, Anshul Khullar shared, “We all have grown up listening to stories of Lord Shiva, but this endearing story of ‘Baal Shiv’ is a welcome change in the mythological space of Indian Television. The energy and the excitement with which this project is being worked upon are unprecedented.”

    “I am very happy to be a part of the show and play Baal Shiv’s role. Lord Shiva is my most favourite deity, and I worship him. I know his ‘stutis’ by heart and can recite them effortlessly,” shared Aan Tiwari.

    “Anusuya’s character is one of the most prominent roles in the show. She is the perfect balance of compassion and determination. As the head teacher of Gurukul, Anusuya takes care of its children as her own, imparts the best of her knowledge and cultivates discipline in them,” commented Mouli Ganguly. “She did not have any children of her own. So, she performed severe penance and received the boon to be Tridev’s mother. Her unwavering faith and devotion in her husband earned her the title of Mahasati.” 

    Siddharth Arora said, “I have this eternal belief that one doesn’t choose the role of Lord Shiva. It comes to them as a blessing from him! It is obvious how blessed I feel to have been chosen to essay Lord Shiv’s character. It is not the typical depiction of what the audience has seen before. Viewers will get to see a different side of him in the show. I hail from Banaras, the land of spirituality, and Shivji has been a huge part of my life. I have grown up listening to his tales and he is undoubtedly one of the most revered Gods on my side of the family and also personally for me. I could not have asked for anything more significant than essaying his character on screen.”

  • &TV’s latest ‘Ghar Ek Mandir – Kripa Agrasen Maharaja Ki’ premieres 10 August

    &TV’s latest ‘Ghar Ek Mandir – Kripa Agrasen Maharaja Ki’ premieres 10 August

    Mumbai: &TV on Wednesday announced the launch of its latest offering ‘Ghar Ek Mandir – Kripa Agrasen Maharaja Ki’ set to premiere on 10 August. The socio-mythological show will air every Monday to Friday at 9 pm only on &TV.

    The show is a never-seen-before socio drama on Indian television built around the context of the legendary king, Agrasen Maharaja, who was the founder of the Agrawal community of traders. His teachings and principles hold relevance even today and serve as a guiding force for leading life. The story will depict Agrasen Maharaja’s core principles through his ardent ‘bhakt’ (devotee) and the show’s lead protagonist, Genda, said the statement.

    The cast comprises Shrenu Parekh as Genda, Sai Ballal as Kundan Agarwal, Sameer Dharmadhikari as Agrasen Maharaja, Akshay Mhatre as Genda’s husband, Varun Agarwal, Vishal Nayak as Manish Agarwal, Kenisha Bhardwaj as Nisha Agarwal, Yamini Singh as Santosh, Archana Mittal as Anuradha Agarwal.

    Commenting on the launch, &TV, business head, Vishnu Shankar, said, “In challenging times what helps us stay afloat are our principles, our beliefs and most importantly, our family. We are proud to bring to the television screen for the first time ever, a socio-mytho show around the legendary Agrasen Maharaj, whose principles and teachings are relevant even today, centuries later. While he may have been the founding father of the Aggarwal community, his teachings are universal. ‘Ghar Ek Mandir – Kripa Agrasen Maharaja Ki’ is a captivating tale of faith, family, and life.”

    “The story is an emotional journey of Genda and how she conquers every challenge in her life through her faith,” added ZEE Studios, business head Anshul Khullar.

  • &TV presents the story of ‘Yeshu’, a first for a Hindi GEC

    &TV presents the story of ‘Yeshu’, a first for a Hindi GEC

    MUMBAI: To highlight the virtues of compassion, kindness, hope, love and forgiveness in these times of crisis, &TV will present the inspiring tale of Yeshu. &TV has bagged Priya Gold Lite Biscuits as sponsor.

    The show features a stellar cast — Vivaan Shah portrays the role of young Yeshu, Sonali Nikam is Mary, Aarya Dharmchand plays Joseph, Darpan Srivastava is King Herod and Rudra Soni as Herod Antipas, along with others. Produced by Arvind Babbal Productions, the serial will premiere on 22 December at 8 pm on &TV and will air every Monday to Friday. 

    Yeshu is the story of an exceptionally benevolent child who only wants to do good and spread happiness all around him. His love and compassion for all is a stark contrast to the dark, evil forces prevalent during his lifetime. Witnessing the various atrocities on his family and in society has a deep impact on him. His attempt to help others and ease their pain often leads to situations where he inevitably ends up being hurt and condemned, by not just the oppressors, but also people at large. But even that does not stop Yeshu from continuing on his path. 

    Born in a cowshed, Yeshu, in his growing up years, has profound knowledge and understanding of spirituality and religion, which shapes his core beliefs of love, compassion, forgiveness and peace. While he is blessed with miraculous powers, he is unaware of them. Through his childhood, Yeshu is nurtured and guided towards his life purpose by his mother. 

    &TV business head Vishnu Shankar said, “We have always been successful in presenting interesting and unique characters like Bhabiji, Daroga Happu Singh, Gudiya and most recently, the father of the Indian Constitution, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar. Today we are ready to launch yet another remarkable show titled Yeshu. While it is one of the most iconic stories, it is untold and unheard in the Hindi GEC space. This story is relevant for audiences across geographies and age groups and we are confident that Yeshu will resonate positively with all our viewers.” 

    Producer and series director Arvind Babbal said, "The ongoing pandemic has impacted everyone’s lives, leaving them distressed and helpless. Through Yeshu, our attempt is to spread compassion, happiness, and positivity in the minds of our viewers. It gives out a message of hope, selflessness, empathy, love, compassion, forgiveness, generosity, and kindness. These are all important human virtues. I am confident that viewers will be receptive to the show and I carry immense pride to present a show like Yeshu along with &TV in front of a very eager audience.”

  • &TV to re-air ‘Ramayan’ this Ram Navami

    &TV to re-air ‘Ramayan’ this Ram Navami

    MUMBAI:In the spirit of Ram Navami, a festival that signifies the birthday of Lord Rama, &TV is all set to present (Shri Ram Charit Manas Adharit) ‘Ramayan’ on television. The show features popular actors like Gagan Malik, Neha Sargam, Shikha Swaroop, Rucha Gujarathi, Sachin Tyagi, Divyanka Tripathi amongst others essaying pivotal characters. The viewers will get to watch this iconic tale of ‘Ramayan’ starting 2 April 2020, every Monday to Sunday at 8 am only on &TV. 

     &TV business head Vishnu Shankar said, “Ramayan undoubtedly is one of the greatest and timeless Indian epic tales, read and loved by all. What better day to celebrate this eternal saga of Lord Ram than Ram Navami itself? Knowing the devotional fervour with which families across India celebrate this day, this year amidst the countrywide lockdown, we chose to bring Lord Ram closer to our viewer's hearts and homes through this show. As the entire country unitedly fights the threat amidst us, there’s nothing better to bring the entire family together than this epic battle between good and evil."

    He further said, "At &TV, we are committed to keeping our viewers entertained, especially during this time. From stomach-clutching comedy to inspirational stories to devotional kathas, there will be something for everyone. Not to forget the exciting, heart-thumping weekend line-up of fantasy-horror and thrillers. We have a reasonable bank of one-hour specials of our cult shows – ‘Double Dhamaka’ (Happu Ki Ultan Paltan), ‘Sangharsh Ki Kahaniya’ specials (Ek Mahanayak – Dr BR Ambedkar), ‘Gajab Kisse’ (Gudiya Humari Sabhi Pe Bhari) and Bhabiji Ghar Par Hai Poore Ek Ghante, which will ensure our fans have access to non-stop entertainment. The weekends will get even more exciting with original episodes of the edge-of-the-seat thriller, Raat Ka Khel Sara and new stories of our spine-chilling Fantasy-Horror, Laal Ishq. During this period of social distancing, we at &TV are determined to ensure our shows act as the primary glue to hold families together.”

  • &TV’s Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hain wins 5 awards at the 18th ITA Awards

    &TV’s Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hain wins 5 awards at the 18th ITA Awards

    &TV’s Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hai team has done it yet again! The show bagged not one or two, but five metals in all at the 18th Indian Television Academy Awards. Along with winning the ‘Best Comedy Show’ award, they scored a double whammy with both Rohitashv Gour and Aasif Sheikh bagging the Best Actor in Comedy award. They have entertained audiences through their unique characters – Rohitashv who pretends to be a big garment businessman is a kaccha-baniyan seller, while Vibhuti who pretends to be a hot shot insurance agent with a beautiful wife is a ‘nalla’ in reality! Rewarded for playing the sweet and innocent Angoori Bhabhi, Shubhangi Atre Poorey took home the Best Actress in Comedy award. It was an extremely proud moment for the director of the show, Shashank Bali who bagged the most coveted trophy of Best Director. Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hain has won several awards in the last two editions of the ITA awards and struck a hattrick this time around as well as it took home top honours for the third time in a row!

    Speaking about this achievement, Vishnu Shankar, Head &TV said, “We are both, humbled and proud that Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hain has received such an overwhelming response from the audience and that too consistently for three years. Very rarely do we see characters on Indian television reaching such heights and having such a positive impact on viewers, coupled with an equally different plot. We are fortunate to have had the opportunity to back such a game-changing show and I’m sure it’s on its way to reaching many more milestones. Heartiest congratulations to the entire team for all the dedicated work that they passionately put in to give this show the rightful success that it deserves.”

    Commenting on the show’s consistent success, Producer Binaifer Kohli said, “Every bit of appreciation & award is always a big moment for us and we are thankful to all our beloved viewers who have tremendously supported us and "Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain" for all these years. It takes a lot to be unconventional and create stories that are out of the box and extremely different from the usual. &TV has been a great partner, rather we are one family, in this lovely journey! As we move forward, we promise to make our viewers laugh more and keep the entertainment alive.”

    Delighted at yet another win, actress Shubhangi Atre a.k.a Angoori Bhabhi said, “No amount of victories can dilute the winning moment that each of us have when we are greatly applauded for our hard work and efforts for Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hain. I am extremely honoured by the love our viewers have showered upon us and I hope they continue do so with each milestone. Angoori Bhabhi is extremely dear to me and her approach to life has taught me a lot of things too. She is undoubtedly one of the most enjoyable and vivacious characters that I have played until now.”

    Adding to the joy, actor Aasif Sheikh a.k.a Vibhuti Narayan Mishra shared, “It’s truly an overwhelming feeling to see the consistent adulation and support that has come by in the last three years. Every bit of appreciation is an inspiration for us to stay true to our characters. From being inspired by Vibhuti to actually living his life, it’s a long journey and I hope the love for him keeps coming. Rohitashv is a fabulous actor and it’s an honour to share this victorious moment with him.  It may be yet another win for us on Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hain, but the feeling is always just like it’s the first.”

    Launched in 2015, Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hain is a rib-tickling comedy that takes viewers through the lively lanes of Kanpur, portraying the naïve follies of the two couples – The Mishras’ and The Tiwaris’ who are neighbours. It humorously depicts the human tendency of being smitten with the neighbor’s wife and celebrates the universal phenomenon of married couples for whom the grass is greener on the other side. It’s said that laughter is the best medicine and nothing better than Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hain to give you a generous dose of it! In a span of 3 years, the comedy caper has created a national hysteria, making a special place for itself in the hearts of the audiences.