Tag: Zindagi Gulzar Hai

Hope 2022 will see Zindagi also going back to its loyal TV audience: Zee’s Shailja Kejriwal

Zee Entertainment Enterprises (Zee) chief creative officer – special projects Shailja Kejriwal, and her brainchild Zindagi channel have had an equally unpredictable, yet exciting journey in the world of media and entertainment. As a visionary storyteller, Kejriwal, to her credit has critically acclaimed content brands and initiatives like Zindagi, Zee Theatre, Star Bestsellers, and an unconventional series of short films called “Zeal for Unity” on one hand, and the TRP-churning, K-series of Indian family dramas on the other.

Zindagi launched on television in 2014 with the Pakistani soap opera “Aunn Zara,” which ended in just 20 days, a rather ‘blasphemous’ occurrence in the pre-OTT days when TV serials ran into as many 2000+ episodes. With real characters who didn’t wear make-up to bed and finite storylines, the channel came in like a breath of fresh air. Becoming an instant hit, it went on to launch Pakistani stars like Fawad Khan, Sanam Saeed, and Mahira Khan with the popular dramas “Zindagi Gulzar Hai” and “Humsafar.”

However, post the 2016 Uri attack, Zindagi had to pull the plug on all Pakistani content. Eventually wrapping up on TV, it became a digital-only channel. Starting out on the Ozee app, and later as Zindagi Digital, the channel finally launched on Zee5 in 2020. In the same year, Zindagi began its Originals innings with Asim Abbasi–directed web series “Churails” (2020). It was followed by “Ek Jhoothi Love Story” – a romantic comedy directed by Mehreen Jabbar, the critically acclaimed series “Dhoop Ki Deewar” featuring Ahad Raza Mir and Sajal Aly, “Qatil Haseenaon Ke Naam” – a desi noir anthology helmed by British Indian director Meenu Gaur, and most recently (11 March) Kashif Nisar’s “Mrs & Mr Shameem” – featuring Saba Qamar and Nauman Ijaz.

Kejriwal’s constant endeavour through all the challenges has been to keep brand Zindagi alive and thriving. In a freewheeling interaction with IndianTelevision.com, she talks about “Mrs & Mr Shameem,” Zindagi’s digital journey, programming for the South Asian audience and diaspora, creating content from out of Pakistan, and her content philosophy.

Content, cause and creativity

‘Short-run programming,’ ‘Hindustani content,’ ‘content for cause,’ ‘alternative mainstream,’ while the content on Zindagi has been classified as all of these and more, the idea behind the brand is simply to tell stories that have a purpose, and hence says Kejriwal, the brief is always ‘why is this story being told,’ and ‘how it will impact those watching it.’

“There has to be a social comment in our stories; something which provides a different point of view. I believe that in today’s times when everything around us is changing, storytellers have to explore new ways of telling stories, new ways of talking about love and relationships,” she tells.

Zindagi’s latest release “Mrs & Mr Shameem,” for instance, questions ‘who is the ideal man,’ ‘does he always have to be aggressive,’ ‘can he be like Shameem who is seen as effeminate?’ “What I also like about Shameem’s character is that he doesn’t feel like a victim of this perception of him being ‘less of a man.’ I loved the positivity in the show, and the fact that it is inclusive,” she adds.

Programming for the South Asian audience

Programming for the South Asian audience

Zindagi began in 2014 with a clear roadmap of ‘curate, create and collaborate.’ The channel’s TV days comprised the ‘curation’ phase wherein it got a lot of Pakistani content to see how people liked/consumed it, and the response, shares Kejriwal, was phenomenal.

“I haven’t met anyone who doesn’t tell me that at least one person in their family watched Zindagi,” she says, adding that, “We also kind of expected that because a) Our shows were fresh, finite and meaningful, and b) there was a lot of curiosity about Pakistan among Indians. While our shared history, language and geographies were an important reason behind it, primarily it was the fact that we’ve not had any visual reference of Pakistan since the 80’s, except the news media. On the other hand, Pakistanis have grown up watching us through our films.”

The phase Zindagi is in right now on Zee5 is phase two of ‘Creation.’ Moving a step ahead from launching Pakistani actors, the channel began involving writers and directors in creating content for its South Asian audience. That’s when the ‘Originals’ happened. The third phase of collaboration where it hopes to be in the coming years will invite talent from both sides of the border to work together.

Zindagi’s digital journey

According to Kejriwal, the biggest advantage OTT as a medium offers is the freedom to tell stories that could not have been told on television.

Sharing some snippets from what she calls “a fantastic journey on digital.” “It gave us the chance to work with a new wave of filmmakers like Asim Abbasi and Meenu Gaur. Even though Gaur is not into making Pakistani dramas, her work has a distinct South Asian approach that reciprocates with our TG. OTT provided us the platform to experiment and create content that is truly international in its making, and aimed different cohorts,” Kejriwal notes.

“So, while ‘Churails’ caters to the upmarket or niche and younger audience, ‘Dhoop Ki Deewar’ is meant for family viewing in tier 1 cities. ‘Qatil Haseenaon Ke Naam’ is a metro-centric content piece. ‘Ek Jhoothi Love Story’ and ‘Mrs & Mr Shameem’ are suited for family viewing for audiences across tier 1 and 2 cities,” she further adds.

Kejriwal says that she is most excited about bringing back Fawad Khan and Sanam Saeed with a new show and a completely new genre and concept of ‘magic realism’ – a first on Zindagi. “We could not have done this on TV where people are used to seeing them in a ‘Zindagi Gulzar Hai.’ That’s the fun of creating for OTT,” she states.

And there’s the math too! “We programme for the South Asian audience and South Asian diaspora. When we talk of OTT, we don’t talk of India alone, but the global market. There is a huge Pakistani diaspora that does not have a truly dedicated OTT platform of its own. Therefore, it becomes a low-hanging fruit for us. Our shows have a tremendous fan following among them,” she asserts.

Back to TV?

Kejriwal observes that even though OTT allows the freedom to experiment, the audience is becoming increasingly concerned about not getting lost in discovering content and surfing through it.

“Content discovery can be an overwhelming task, and I propose to make the discovery of Zindagi simpler. That’s where television comes in for me,” she notes. “This is not to take away from the medium, but while the independence OTT gives is amazing, the loyalty on TV is great. OTT has kind of consolidated our viewership across demographics. I hope that 2022 will also see me going back to my loyal audiences on TV.”

March 16, 2022
Zindagi to bring new show from Turkey

MUMBAI: Living up to its brand philosophy of ‘Jodey Dilo Ko,’ Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited’s (ZEEL) Hindi premium entertainment channel Zindagi is all set to bring a new tale from Turkey.

Starting 15 September, the channel will launch its first Turkish show titled Feriha that will be aired from Monday to Saturday at 7 pm.

Feriha is a Turkish television drama series produced by Med Yapim. The series is about the life of a young and beautiful girl named Feriha Yilmaz, a doorkeeper’s daughter, who gets into a university through full scholarship. Ever since her first day there, Feriha poses as a rich girl with a very wealthy father. There she meets a handsome and rich boy called Emir Sarrafoglu. Feriha lies about her whole life and background. Emir falls in love with her not knowing who she really is. Unfortunately, she also falls in love with him and is trapped in her own lies.

So far known for its content from Pakistan, the channel in August, had forayed into a new territory by coming up with its first original non-fiction show titled as Shukriya. Produced by Frames Production, the show was launched in keeping with the channel’s aim to give its viewers varied content experience.

It can be recalled that in May 2015, Zindagi also launched two shows of US origin, dubbed in Hindi-Urdu. While the first show Simply Beautiful was a health and beauty tips based programme hosted by Roni Proter, the other was a cookery series by Chef Nirmala Narine titled Nirmala’s Spice World.

Zindagi which completed its successful one year in June 2015 has so far aired some memorable drama series from Pakistan including Zindagi Gulzar Hai, Aunn Zara, Mera Saaya, Khwahishein, Maat, Kitni Girhain Baaki Hain and Noorpur Ki Ran among others.

In such a short span of time Zindagi has appealed to the audiences of all age groups. According to the week 34 of TAM Media Research ratings, the channel garnered 10 GVTs.

September 2, 2015
Eros Now inks content acquisition deal with Pakistan’s Hum TV

MUMBAI: Eros Now has inked an exclusive content acquisition deal with Pakistan’s on air and digital content company, Hum TV.

The deal gives Eros Now users access to Hum TV’s entire library, including the current shows at no extra subscription cost. The deal also gives Eros Now subscribers in India an exclusive opportunity to view the content 48 hours prior to its telecast on any other platform.

Hum TV is a 24-hour entertainment TV channel in Pakistan, which provides programming across a wide spectrum of genres. Eros Now users will be privy to some of Hum TV’s television shows like Zindagi Gulzar Hai, Humsafar and Dastaan.

Eros Now CEO Rishika Lulla Singh said, “We are extremely happy to introduce Pakistan’s popular soaps to a new digital generation of South Asians globally and add to our roster of content. The partnership with a leading channel like Hum will give our subscribers an opportunity to view the much sought after and varied Pakistani content.”

Hum Network president Sultana Siddiqui added, “This association enables us in reaching out and providing some of our best Pakistani content to millions of keen internet users across the globe.”

June 9, 2015
Zindagi: Catering to the progressive woman in you!

The two countries were divided, thousands were left homeless, and since then many wars have been fought between the two nations as well. But there still remains that minute thread which continues to join the chords amongst us all.

Border, Veer-Zaara or the latest Google ad plays on those emotions. We might be divided by a line but culturally we still share the same nuances. And taking a cue from this media powerhouse, Zee, which goes by the corporate philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – The world is my family’, recently launched a Hindi general entertainment channel (GEC), Zindagi.

The channel’s proposition ‘Jodey Dilon Ko’ is based on the fact that even if the people from various parts of the world are culturally different, the stories of their lives are universal. Maybe that is why all women want a husband like Zaroon and men looked for a perfect wife in Zara.

The channel showcases four shows every night from 8 pm narrating stories of various characters torn between relationships, duties and work. The stories are set in natural locations giving a true-to-life portrayal to not just the characters but also storyline.

However, one element common between all these shows is that they have strong women characters dealing with issues. Be it a woman hesitant to trust a man after her father left her mother for another woman or two estranged sisters vying for a man’s attention. The portrayals are relatable and tell a story of woman’s struggle.

Remember Shanti, Rajani or Udaan? The popular shows on Doordrashan in the eighties and nineties before the heavily-makeup saas-bahus took over the entertainment space. The characters in the shows on Zindagi remind of that era where life happened beyond the four walls of a set.

The channel’s business head Priyanka Datta recalls the strenuous hours spent scrutinising content and then selectively handpicking drama with a lot of care, such that they were relatable to the viewer’s emotions and fulfilled the channel’s proposition.

She points out that there was no conscious effort in choosing woman-centric shows, but since Pakistani television industry is known to highlight social issues amongst others that are prevalent in their society which are mostly woman centric, it happened naturally.

Through the pragmatic content, the channel aims to cater to the new-age woman, for whom the primary concern is work-life balance and not solely entertainment. “She is the woman with a progressive mindset. The women in the dramas on Zindagi are regular ordinary women like you and me. Their emotions, feelings and day-to-day issues that they deal with are very similar to what women in our society go through. Unlike serials on other GECs, women on Zindagi’s shows do not wake up in the morning loaded with make-up and jewellery. Their lives do no revolve around conspiring against each other. There are many more relationships explored besides just saas-bahu on Zindagi,” elaborates Datta on the differentiating programming lineup.

The content on Zindagi which includes storylines, script, language, natural acting, fashion, apart from just the good looks of the actors have become the most talked about in India. The social media is buzzing with millions of impressions online.

The reason why it is creating a buzz especially among urbanites is the fact that there is a certain section in viewers who desire for something different, something better that could enhance their television-watching experience. Datta points out that through the various researches the network did before launching the channel, it found out that the attention span of viewers has only decreased over the time with the use of multiple screens and it has become a bigger challenge than ever to excite the audience and keep them glued. “We knew that we had to break the monotony-and so attempted to bring – content with depth and reliability. The saas-bahu sagas have been there since years and will continue to coexist parallel. While such shows cater to viewers with traditional mindsets, the likes of dramas that are on Zindagi will cater to viewers with progressive mindsets,” she says.

If that wasn’t enough, there is stark difference between the longevity of shows as well. In the era when shows are competing with each other to cross 1000 plus episodes, the series on Zindagi lasts only for 20-25 episodes. The dramas aired have finite plots written by reputed authors and literary stalwarts. The numerous researches show that the viewers want to move away from long running shows that air for years at stretch. “However, the early adopters will be the people with progressive mindset followed by others. Viewers will surely take some time to adapt to this kind of format,” believes optimist Datta.

When asked how are male audiences reacting to the channel? Datta answers, “The content on Zindagi seems to be going down well with the men. Celebrities like Subhash Ghai, Kunal Kohli, Jaaved Jaafferi are amongst the few from the industry who have been very appreciative of the content and it’s encouraging that our dramas are not restricted to any gender in specific. We understood that we had to break the monotony and showcase quality of content that was not similar to that associated to the Hindi GEC industry. The saas-bahu sagas have reigned for years and are mainly targeted towards female audiences. Content is king and all shows that have been shown on Zindagi since its launch have appealed to audiences (males and females) of all ages.”

Media observers too agree with the fact that though the channel may not have got the ratings it expected, but has surely created enough noise in the market because of its content. “Kitni Girhain Baqi Hain is very popular amongst women in my office as well as outside,” says a woman media planner.

The strong content has even got insight teams of competition talking. “The washroom talks rotate around the shows and the handsome men,” laughs an insights manager from a top-ranked GEC.

Most of the shows airing on the GEC were previously broadcast on Hum channel which is run by a woman, Sultana Siddiqui. And what’s interesting to note is that the channel, which is a window to see how life is at the other side of border, creative and business heads too are women. “It’s just a mere coincidence,” laughs Datta.

August 9, 2014
Zindagi: A bet that worked

MUMBAI: “I have always gone by my gut feeling and that is the most important for me,” is what Zeel MD & CEO Punit Goenka had said when he first announced the launch of a new GEC, Zindagi, from the network’s cadre.

And seems like, Goenka’s gut feeling has once again hit the bulls eye.

Zindagi, the mass premium channel, was launched on 23 June with just four shows – Zindagi Gulzar Hai, Aunn Zara, Kash Mein Teri Beti Na Hoti and Kitni Girhain Baqi Hain – from Pakistan with a promise of ‘Jodey Dilon Ko.’

The shows were an instant hit amongst viewers especially the urbanites who went gaga over them on the social media. They struck a chord with viewers and the word of mouth had the social networking sites abuzz with tweets, wall posts and blog posts. The impact was such that the channel in a short span already has more than 4500 followers on Twitter and approximately 2.2 lakh likes on Facebook.

The same was reflected in the TAM TV ratings, which were finally released after several weeks of waiting, as the newbie took over even the 14 year old channel, Sahara One. The channel witnessed 28,700 GVTs in week 29 and 27,013 in week 28.

It has received an overwhelming response from viewers across all age groups as it broke away from the stereotypes of ‘traditional TV viewing in India’. The media analysts believe that the numbers received by the channel are decent for a new entrant in the already cluttered and highly competitive market of Hindi general entertainment channels (GECs).

“If we look at the highly marketed show of megastar Amitabh Bachchan on Sony, Yudh, it was able to generate 1,199 TVTs. Going by this for a niche channel like Zindagi, there is nothing to worry about,” says Havas Media Group India and south Asia CEO Anita Nayyar.

The planners weren’t even expecting big numbers from the channel in the initial weeks, since according to them it is still in the nascent period wherein both the channel and the audience are sampling the content.

Zindagi Gulzar Hai, that generated a lot of buzz on social media, reported 346 TVTs, down from 415 TVTs, Noorpur Ki Rani scored 197 TVTs (week 29), Kaash Main Teri Beti Na Hoti stood at 262 TVTs, up from 252 TVTs and Kitni Girhain Baqi Hai noticed 209 TVTs, up from 167 TVTs.

Like the current shows on Zindagi, even in the 80s, Pakistani series Dhoop Kinare, Tanhaiyaan, Ankahi had caught Indian viewers’ fancy. “The content from across the border is very different from the one showcased here, thus it has always made people notice it,” points out Nayyar.

The shows’ timings too are different from the pattern the Indian shows follow. The first show starts at 8pm, followed by the next at 8:55 pm, then 9:45 pm and last, at 10:15 pm. However, media observers believe that it will take viewers some time to get used to the new pattern and over time, will become a part of everyone’s routine. In return, adding more GVTs to its kitty.

On the other hand, a planner from down south says that though the channel was launched pan-India, the distribution needs to improve in the region which will give a push to the ratings. “A lot of money has been spent in marketing and slowly the numbers will show as well. But a little more push is needed in the area,” he says while agreeing on the fact that it’s too early to judge the channel’s performance by these numbers alone. “It takes time to form a trend,” he adds.

While media analysts agree that the ratings are very low as compared to the big players in the genre, they also feel that it’s a good start. The early report card will not impact the deals the channel has with its current main sponsors: Fogg, Askme.com and Fortune- Edible Oils and Foods. And with the festive season just around the corner, the channel will have reasons to rejoice.

While others (media reports) have already jumped the gun and declared the fate of the channel, we at indiantelevision.com feel that the channel’s content has won many hearts and will continue to do so. ‘Zindagi’ Gulzar Hai…

July 26, 2014
Zindagi brings two new shows –Noorpur Ki Rani and Maat

MUMBAI: Zindagi, which launched with shows from Pakistan in the first phase, will treat audiences to new shows every month. The channel is merely three weeks old and is already gearing up to launch two new shows as its hugely acclaimed shows Aunn Zara came to an end yesterday and Zindagi Gulzar will end on 18^th July. And, keeping its promise to offer fresh programming every month, Zindagi has two new show launches this month – Maat& Noorpur Ki Rani – in place of both the shows.

On 13^th July at 8:55 PM, Noorpur Ki Rani, replaced the refreshing rom-com Aunn Zara and is a story of paradoxes brought out by contrasting characters of Noorie and Princess Rania. Orphaned at a young age, Noorie comes from an impoverished background and goes through turbulent times before her life takes a magical turn and she finds a new life in the palace. On the other hand, Princess Rania, the owner of the palace, is brought by fate to circumstances she never imagined possible. The gorgeous Sanam Baloch will enact the character of Noorie and it also stars the veteran actor, Naumaan Ijaz in a central role.

Maat, which will replace the mature love story Zindagi Gulzar Hai will air at 8:00 PM slot starting July 19th, is the story of two sisters, Aiman and Saman who are poles apart. Aiman is generous and Saman is the mean sister who always tries to snatch whatever her sister has. The story takes a turn when Saman claims her right on something that is very dear to Aiman giving rise to very interesting twists and turns. With viewers raving about the natural talent and irresistible good looks of Fawad Khan, Sanam Saeed, Osman Khalid Butt and Maya Ali, the new show, Maat will bring to Indian Television, two of Pakistan’s most talented actresses– the beautiful Aminah Sheikh and the vivacious Sabah Qamar.

Tune into to Zindagi every day, Monday to Sunday 8:00 PM onwards!

July 14, 2014
Zee to go the whole hog on Zindagi

MUMBAI: There is no dearth of channels to choose from in India. Even with nearly 400 general entertainment channels (GECs) in various languages currently operating, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) believes that its new offering – Zindagi –that goes on air from 23 June, will be a league apart from the existing Hindi GECs including its own Zee TV.

“People’s tastes are evolving and so we have to create a standard for our offerings. There is a need for categorisation in Hindi GECs too. Many audiences in SEC A, SEC B and metros want good shows but don’t get them. This number represents about 40 per cent of the total audience but their time spent is less than 20 per cent to 25 per cent because they don’t get such good shows back-to-back. Zindagi seeks to create a new category here,” says Zeel chief content and creative officer Bharat Ranga.

The channel is the brainchild of Zeel chief creative special projects Shailja Kejriwal who has spent close to two years viewing and handpicking global content that can resonate with Indian audiences. “I was bored with what I was creating myself,” she says. “This channel is a great opportunity to see another culture which isn’t much different from ours. We will begin with the best shows from Pakistan because it has the greatest language affinity and then go on to co-producing our own shows depending on viewer feedback,” she adds. The channel will soon also telecast Pakistani movies.

Content on the new channel isn’t limited to our neighbouring country. Shows from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Latin America and Iran are also in the pipeline. Unlike the now extinct channel from Sahara-Firangi – that aired dubbed international content, Zee will be recreating international shows with Indian and Pakistani talent. The shows that have story affinity but not language will be remade and not dubbed. “So we will buy the licences for these shows and co-produce it using Indian and Pakistani producers, actors, directors, writers etc. Alongside we will also produce telefilms in a similar manner,” informs Kejriwal.

According to Kejriwal, telefilms are a necessity whether or not they get TAM ratings. “It will give an opportunity to new talent and new stories to be shown. When serials run for more than three or four years, they don’t leave space for new talent,” says she.

Zee also has plans for commissioned shows that will be created in both India and Pakistan. “So while we will have some Pakistani production houses making shows exclusively for Zindagi: shot, written and directed in Pakistan, there will also be shows that will be created here in India,” adds Kejriwal.

The channel aims at tapping those viewers who are open to variety in the content they consume. “It is not a homogenous viewing nation anymore. Many people want to see limited series and we will cater to them,” reveals Kejriwal.

The show timings are different from the usual ones. If one sees the channel profile, while Zindagi Gulzar Hai begins at 8:00 pm, Aunn Zara will go on air at 8:55 pm and Kaash Main Teri Beti Na Hoti at 9:45 pm every day of the week. While some shows will be weekly, a few will be dailies. The other shows in the channel programme bouquet include: Kitni Girhain Baqi Hain and Mera Naseeb.

Kejriwal states that she purposely wanted play with the usual time slots on existing channels. “I was tired of the same 9:00 pm, 9:30 pm, 10:00 pm slots. Life isn’t clockwork, it is between all this. It isn’t that at 9:35 pm there is no life,” she says. All the shows on the channel are periodic with about 45 shows to be aired every year.

The channel is available on all major DTH and cable TV platforms except for Sun Direct. The Rs 100 crore marketing plan entails a lot of outdoor, digital and print across the country in upscale areas with the concentration being in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab and Haryana.

Says Ranga, “& Pictures has taken six to seven per cent channel share within eight months post launch. We believe Zindagi will do the same especially with digitisation setting in. Rather than be a victim of fragmentation we want to lead it. Before viewers go to Star Plus, we want to capture them on Zindagi.”

Speaking at a press conference, Pakistani TV actor Imran Abbas who will be seen as a lead in the show Mera Naseeb highlighted that Indian shows are very popular in Pakistan but awareness about Pakistani lifestyles is limited in India. “You will see something about Pakistan which you don’t see on news channels. People think that women in Pakistan only wear burqas which isn’t true. In fact even films don’t show the real side,” he says.

During the launch phase, the channel is looking at targeting premium brands to associate as brand partners. Askme.com and Fogg have already been roped in as sponsors.

How do media planners view the channel? Says Maxus managing partner for north and east Navin Khemka, “Historically, Pakistani content was always popular in India and vice versa. Viewers will get to sample a fresh channel with fresh faces. It will be a breath of fresh air and if they like it they will get hooked to it. Whatever the channel does later on will depend on the mark it makes with the Pakistani shows. If the channel manages 70-80 GRPs in the beginning, that’s good news, but if it garners 100 GRPs then that’s great news!”

With the launch of Zindagi, the network is fully focusing on its tagline ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ meaning ‘The World is my Family.’ As Abbas puts it, “People need Visas to travel, stories don’t.”

June 16, 2014
I go by my gut feeling: Punit Goenka

MUMBAI: Carrying forward Zee Entertainment Enterprises (ZEEL) brand positioning statement, ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – The World is My Family’, the country’s oldest entertainment network, is launching a new GEC, Zindagi, on 23 June. The third GEC offering from the Zee stable will showcase soaps and telefilms from across the border. That the network had acquired Pakistani shows during Mipcom 2013 had been reported by indiantelevision.com.

According to Zeel MD & CEO Punit Goenka, “The focus will not be on the negativity but to bring out positivity between the two countries.” The two countries are separated by borders but the emotions and lifestyle of people on either side remains the same. “We want to join the two hearts,” he adds while emphasising on the tagline of the channel, Jodey dilon ko.

Replying to a question about whether the move will go down well with the Indian audiences, Goenka says, “I have always gone by my gut feeling and that is the most important for me.” Apparently, the network spent close to two and a half years on the process before making the announcement.

The channel did a lot of homework; so much so, that the channel roped in research agency AC Nielsen, to know what people want and what was their reaction when the promos of the shows was shown to them.

About Urdu posing a barrier, Goenka feels that like Hindi, Urdu too has undergone a change with the changing times. “Actually, the USP of the channel is the language. People are tired of the colloquial language and want that sophistication,” he says, adding that the channel caters to the classes and not the masses.

On one more GEC’s launch, BPN India CEO Suresh Balakrishnan feels that there is never too much of entertainment and more the merrier. As for the content from across the border he feels that a few years back Pakistani content was very popular amongst Indians. “But whether it will be able to work in today’s time is a little doubtful and one will have to wait and watch to see what happens next,” he says while applauding Zee’s attempt.

“News faces, new stories are bound to capture people’s attention and maybe down the line, the channel will be able to create a special niche of audience for itself,” he adds.

Shows like Zindagi gulzar hai, Aunn zara, Humsafar, Ishq ghumsguda promise to break the studio set-up of Indian daily soaps and promises to take one to the outer surroundings, as shown in the channel’s promotional video.

A separate team was created for the channel which the network doesn’t want cast in a similar mould as it other GECs. The team comprises Priyanka Datta as business head, Rahul Sharma as national sales head, Vanita Jain as programming head, Sumona Roy Sen as brand head, Shailja Kejriwal as the chief creative head for special projects and Akash Chawla as national channel marketing head.

Chawla has big plans for the channel’s pan-India launch. The marketing campaign teaser went online on 5 May and will spread to other mediums from 10 May onwards. A mix of 40-45 channels will soon start showing the brand film created by Kai Po Che director Abhishek Kapoor. Network channels too will put across the new channel’s message in their content. “The marketing campaign is going to be very innovative, be it print or otherwise. We are focusing a lot on OOH as well, this time,” said Chawla. Talks are on with various OOH players and more than 500 hoardings will be bought across the nation.

The channel’s creative duties will be handled by FCB Ulka while MEC is the media agency.

A staggering Rs 80-100 crore is expected to be invested on the campaign. “This is the first time a channel is being launched across the country, otherwise one focuses on the Hindi speaking markets (HSM) and then forgets about other markets,” Goenka points out.

In the near future, the plan is to get content from other countries (Middle East) as well if the content connects with viewers. At the same time, Zee will not shy away from creating original content for Zindagi either.

South East Asia is the main focal point for the channel and soon after its launch in India, Zindagi will go abroad. Talks are already on for output deals with Pakistan to simulcast content especially that created in India.

As of now, the channel is available only on SD and is priced much higher than other GECs at Rs 25.81. It will be available on both analog and digital platforms in the country.

May 19, 2014