ITV

Tag: Zindagi

  • Colors – the only gainer in TAM week 40

    Colors – the only gainer in TAM week 40

    MUMBAI: In the week 40 of TAM TV ratings, it was time for celebrations yet again for Colors that retained its number two position. Moreover, it was the only gainer this week and registered 433,419 GVTs, up from 430,913 GVTs.

     

    Amongst its fiction offering, Sasural Simar Ka witnessed a marginal rise and scored 5,874 TVTs, up from 5,783 TVTs and Shastri Sisters observed 2,011 TVTs, up from 1,773 TVTs.

     

    Rest all general entertainment channels (GECs) observed a drop in the viewership. Despite a significant drop, Star Plus continues to lead the pack with 549,108 GVTs, down from 593,187 GVTs. The channel’s chart topper Diya Aur Baati Hum recorded 7,780 TVTs, down from 8,171 TVTs, Saathiya Saath ranks number two with 7,136 TVTs, up from 6,730 TVTs and at number three stood Ye Hai Mohabbatein tracked 6,454 TVTs, down from 6,687 TVTs.

     

    At number three stood Zee TV with 401,002 GVTs, down from 427,091 GVTs. Its chart topper Jodha Akbar lost some eyeballs and recorded 7,217 TVTs, down from 7,817 TVTs, at number two – Kumkum Bhagya garnered 6,546 TVTs, down from 7,259 TVTs and Jamai Raja at number three scored 5,977 TVTs, down from 6,380 TVTs.

     

    Life OK continues to enjoy its strong hold at number four in the ratings chart with 299,054 GVTs, down from 306,656 GVTs. The channel’s most famous crime properties Shapath scored 1,707 TVTs, down from 1,830 TVTs and Savdhan India stood at 1,879 TVTs, down from 2,130 TVTs. Its stint with dance seems to lose some eyeballs as Dare 2 Dance witnessed a significant fall in the ratings and registered 1,504 TVTs, down from 2,314 TVTs.

     

    At number five stands Sab with 253,925 GVTs, down from 261,520 GVTs. Taarak Mehta continues to be the channel leader with 5,108 TVTs, down from 5,727 TVTs. For the rest, Chidiya Ghar observed 2,048 TVTs, down from 2,176 TVTs and Badi Door se Aaye Hai garnered 1,816 TVTs, down from 2,041 TVTs.

     

    Sony Entertainment Television (SET) continues to be at the bottom of the chart with 234,031 GVTs, down from 247,478 GVTs. CID – the crime property of the channel continues to be at the top of the chart with 2,860 TVTs, down from 3,376 TVTs and KBC ranks second with 2,545 TVTs, down from 2,847 TVTs.

     

    Amongst the new channels in the GEC space, Sony Pal observed 22,904 GVTs, down from 25,851 GVTs and Zindagi reported 20,405 GVTs, down from 25,711 GVTs respectively.

     

  • Most GECs see a fall in ratings in week 38

    Most GECs see a fall in ratings in week 38

    MUMBAI: The week 38 of TAM TV ratings witnessed no change in the ranking order of the Hindi general entertainment channels (GECs). However, on the viewership front, most of the channels saw a drop in the ratings.

     

    Thus, Star Plus continued to lead the pack with 579,978 GVTs, down from 594,923 GVTs. Diya Aur Baati Hum is back to its number one position and recorded 8,074 TVTs, up from 7,730 TVTs. At number two is Saathiya Saath which saw a significant drop in the viewership as it scored 7,062 TVTs, down from 7,708 TVTs, Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai ranks number three with 6,360 TVTs, down from 6,572 TVTs.

     

    At number two stands Zee TV, which reported 442,526 GVTs, up from 431,746 GVTs. Its new offering Bandhan has observed 4,366 TVTs. With this, Bandhan is the second highest opener show across GECs (September 2013 – September 2014), according to the statement by the channel. Other offerings which have seen a rise in the ratings are Jamai Raja which noticed 7,045 TVTs, up from 6,704 TVTs and Sapne Suhane scored 4,027 TVTs, up from 3,556 TVTs.

     

    Colors ranks number three with 412,405 GVTs, down from 416,675 GVTs. The major loss for the channel was its comedy non-fiction property, Comedy Nights With Kapil. It witnessed a major drop in the viewership and rated 3,996 TVTs, down from 6,020 TVTs. On the fiction side, Balika Vadhu too saw a fall and reported 5,067 TVTs, down from 5,443 TVTs.

     

    Despite a drop in the viewership, Life OK continues its hold at number four with 294,679 GVTs, down from 313,012 GVTs. The channel’s biggest non-fiction property with Akshay Kumar as the host – Dare to Dance garnered 2,510 TVTs, down from 2,933 TVTs. Mahadev also witnessed a drop in the ratings and stood at 1,478 TVTs, down from 1,650 TVTs.

     

    Sab at number five registered 269,045 GVTs, down from 292,474. The channel’s most popular property – Taarek Mehta tracked 6,142 TVTs, down from 7,278 TVTs. Chidiya Ghar too lost its viewership and scored 2,343 TVTs, down from 2,618 TVTs and Balveer noticed 2,267 TVTs, down from 2,574 TVTs.

     

    Sony continues to be at the bottom of the chart with 263,802 GVTs, up from 262,507 GVTs. Its crime property CID garnered 3,453 TVTs, up from 3,174 TVTs. Maharana Veer Pratap registered 3,033 TVTs, up from 3,013 TVTs.

     

    As for the new entrant GECs, Zindagi and Sony Pal have witnessed a rise in the viewership. Zindagi noted 31,528 GVTs, up from 30,016 GVTs and Sony Pal is not far with 24,234 GVTs, up from 20,881 GVTs. 

  • GEC is not Disney’s priority, says Siddharth Roy Kapur

    GEC is not Disney’s priority, says Siddharth Roy Kapur

    MUMBAI: The more the merrier seems to be the chant of all networks, these days.

     

    It was in 2011 that Star India launched its second general entertainment offering, Life OK. The sister channel of Star Plus, which replaced the defunct youth-oriented channel Star One, made headlines for its bold steps and differentiating content from the usual melodrama shown on the leading ones.

     

    Soon, Zee, the number two channel as per TAM TV ratings, plunged into already congested market with Zindagi. The second GEC from the network brought in popular shows from across the border to please the niche premium audience.

     

    If the two big networks had ventured into second GEC place, how could Sony stay behind? With Sony Pal, launched on 1 September, the Multi Screen Media (MSM) network added one more channel to its kitty.

    However, Disney, which has created content for channels, has popular television channels as well as numerous successful movies in different genres in its bag, still doesn’t have a GEC on its mind.

     

    “With kids’ channel we have presence among 4 to 14 years old, with bindass offerings we will be strongly placed for 14 to 34 years old and movie channels capture all across the age segments,” says Disney MD Siddharth Roy Kapur. The network will soon launch bindass Play, a music channel, which will take forward the philosophy and brand values of its most revenue generating channel, bindass.

     

    So will we see a GEC coming from the network’s stable? “We want to only concentrate on categories which are profitable and work with our core strengths,” he replies while elaborating that though everyone expects it to come up with a GEC, the network is not even thinking about it.

  • GECs retain positions in week 37 of TAM ratings

    GECs retain positions in week 37 of TAM ratings

    MUMBAI: In the week 37 of TAM TV ratings, the ranking order of Hindi general entertainment channels (GECs) remains undamaged.

     

    Talking about the gainers, Colors which ranks number three turned out to be the highest gainer this week taking its tally to 416,675 GVTs, up from 399,182 GVTs. Reason: a significant rise in its fiction properties. Thus, Balika Vadhu noted 5,443 TVTs, up from 5,168 TVTs, Meri Ashiqui Tumse Hi recorded 3,949 TVTs, up from 2,940 TVTs and Madhubala tracked 4,722 TVTs, up from 4,526 TVTs.

     

    At number five, Sab was the second highest gainer this week as it recorded 292,474 GVTs, up from 287,945 GVTs. It seems that the track of Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah is going in the right direction as it witnessed 7,278 TVTs, up from 6,143 TVTs. Chidiya Ghar also saw a growth in the viewership and noted 2,618 TVTs, up from 2,300 TVTs and Badi Door se Aaye Hai observed 2,669 TVTs, up from 2,414 TVTs.

     

    At number one stood Star Plus which was the third highest gainer this week. It reported 594,923 GVTs, up from 591,045 GVTs. Diya Aur Baati Hum continues to remain the chart topper as it scored 7,730 TVTs, up from 6,951 TVTs, Pyar Ka Dard saw a hike in the ratings and garnered 5,505 TVTs, up from 4,724 TVTs and Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai observed 6,572 TVTs, up from 6,174 TVTs.

     

    On the other hand, other GECs witnessed a drop in the viewership. Despite a drop, Zee TV continues to hold its number two position strongly. Most of its offerings have seen a drop in the ratings. Thus, its chart topper Kumkum Bhagya reported 8,439 TVTs, down from 8,573 TVTs, Jodha Akbar scored 7,898 TVTs, down from 8,131 TVTs and Qubool Hai garnered 5,805 TVTs, down from 6,087 TVTs. Its non-fiction property India’s Best Cine Stars Ki Khoj seems to have lost audiences as it scored 1,454 TVTs, down from 1,569 TVTs.

     

    Life OK which ranks number four in the ratings chart observed 313,012 GVTs, down from 326,081 GVTs. Despite a significant drop, the channel’s non-fiction property Dare to Dance turned out to be the best show for it. It noted 2,933 TVTs, down from 4,532 TVTs. Other fiction offerings which observed a drop in the ratings are Savdhan India with 2,309 TVTs, down from 2,465 TVTs and Shapath with 2,154 TVTs, down from 2,448 TVTs.

     

    Last but not the least, Sony Entertainment Television (SET) at number six garnered 262,507 TVTs, down from 286,594 TVTs. Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC), the chart topper of the channel observed 3,637 TVTs, down from 3,863 TVTs, CID witnessed 3,174 TVTs, down from 3,181 TVTs and Hum Hain Na stood at 1,665 TVTs, down from 3,181 TVTs.

     

    Zindagi reported 30,016 GVTs, down from 34,888 GVTs. Ishq Gumshuda tracked 216 TVTs, down from 342 TVTs and Kini Girhain Baki Hai recorded 222 TVTs, down from 230 TVTs.

     

    Sony Pal saw a huge growth in the viewership and garnered 21 million GVTs, up from 11 million GVTs. Almost all its offerings have seen a rise. Thus Sinhasan Battisi reported 366 TVTs, up from 190 TVTs, Ek Rishta Aisa Bhi noted 203 TVTs, up from 103 TVTs and Hamari Sister Didi got 184 TVTs, up from 74 TVTs.

  • Sony Pal gets 11 million GVTs in opening week

    Sony Pal gets 11 million GVTs in opening week

    MUMBAI: The week 36 of TAM TV ratings witnessed a new entrant in the general entertainment channel (GEC) category from MSM’s stable, Sony Pal. Launched on 1 September, it opened at 11 million GVTs.

     

    On the other hand, week 36 also saw GECs going back to the same ranking order as a week ago. Life OK which recorded number six position last week is back to number four. It noticed 326,081 GVTs, up from 266,952 GVTs. Reason, its new offering in the non-fiction space – Dare to Dance. It seems like the charm of Akshay Kumar has worked wonders for the channel as it opened at 4,532 TVTs. Other popular properties have also witnessed a growth in the viewership. Thus, Shapath garnered 2,448 TVTs, up from 1,827 TVTs and Savdhan India registered 2,465 TVTs, up from 2,253 TVTs.

     

    Other gainers for the week are Star Plus which maintains its number one position strongly. It noted 591,045 GVTs, up from 561,897 GVTs. Talking about its fiction offerings – Saath Nibhaana Saathiya leads the chart with 8,016 TVTs, up from 7,334 TVTs, Diya Aur Baati Hum ranks second with 6,951 TVTs, up from 6,666 TVTs and Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai at number three scored 6,174 TVTs, up from 5,267 TVTs. The channel’s music reality show – India’s Raw Star garnered 4,316 TVTs, down from 4,521 TVTs.

     

    At number three, Colors is the next gainer this week. It noticed 399,182 GVTs, up from 388,017 GVTs. Sasural Simar Ka ranks number one with 6,333 TVTs, up from 6,002 TVTs followed by Comedy Nights with Kapil with 6,281 TVTs, down from 6,967 TVTs and Balika Vadhu with 5,168 TVTs, up from 4,648 TVTs.

     

    Sab which maintains its fifth position strongly stood at 287,945 GVTs, up from 281,456 GVTs. Its popular series Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah witnessed a significant growth in the viewership and noted 6,143 TVTs, up from 5,860 TVTs and Badi Door se Aaye Hai observed 2,414 TVTs, up from 2,382 TVTs.

     

    Talking about the GECs which witnessed a drop in the viewership, Zee TV got 451,717 GVTs, down from 462,476 GVTs but still continues to stand strong at number two. Most of its offerings have registered a fall in the ratings. Thus, Kumkum Bhagya noted 8,573 TVTs, down from 8,610 TVTs, Jodha Akbar got 8,131 TVTs, down from 8,926 TVTs and Jamai Raja recorded 6,445 TVTs, down from 6,620 TVTs.

     

    Sony Entertainment Television (SET) is back at the bottom of the chart with 286,594 GVTs, down from 317,093 GVTs. The channel’s new fiction property Hum Hain Na opened at 3,181 TVTs. Its non-fiction properties have failed to grab eyeballs. Thus, CID reported 3,181 TVTs, down from 3,485 TVTs and Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) garnered 3,863 TVTs, down from 4,412 TVTs.

     

    Zindagi seems to grab more eyeballs as it witnessed a significant growth in the viewership. It secured 34,888 GVTs, up from 28,987 GVTs.

  • First Look: Humsafar starring Fawad Khan on Zindagi

    First Look: Humsafar starring Fawad Khan on Zindagi

    MUMBAI: Here’s the first look of Humsafar, Zindagi’s upcoming show premiering on the channel soon. The show marks the comeback of popular Pakistani actor Fawad Khan on the channel after his hit show Zindagi Gulzar Hai. Humsafar will also mark the debut of Pakistani sensation Mahira Khan who is a popular VJ, actor and model. Also debuting on Indian Television with this show is Naveen Waqar, famous VJ, actor, model and RJ.

     

    Straight from across the border, Humsafar is a beautiful story about the trials and tribulations in married couple’s life and how the same are overcome. Humsafar was a huge hit in Pakistan and the winner of many awards for acting, direction, OST, etc.

     

    Humsafar will soon hit your television screens on Zindagi channel. Block your date to meet your beloved star Fawad Khan along with two talented actors, Mahira Khan and Naveen Waqar.

  • Zee TV’s ratings fall, all other GECs rise

    Zee TV’s ratings fall, all other GECs rise

    Updated:7.00 PM

     

    MUMBAI: In the week 32 of TAM TV ratings, Zee TV is the only channel that witnessed a drop in the viewership by recording 414,540 GVTs, down from 438,207 GVTs. However, there was no change in the ranking order of the other channels this week.

     

    Maximum of Zee’s properties witnessed a drop in the ratings. Thus, the channel’s most famous historical property – Jodha Akbar observed 7,332 TVTs, down from 8,580 TVTs, Qubool Hai recorded 5,428 TVTs, down from 5,550 TVTs. On the other hand, the properties that gained are – Doli Armano Ki that got 4,398 TVTs, up from 3,510 TVTs and Kumkum Bhagya scored 7,560 TVTs, up from 7,467 TVTs.

     

    Star Plus continues to be the chart leader. It witnessed a huge hike and clocked 711,648 GVTs, up from 676,578 GVTs. Almost all its offerings have seen a tremendous rise in the ratings. Thus, the channel’s chart leader Diya Aur Baati Hum scored 10,024 TVTs, up from 9,311 TVTs, Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai noted 7,326 TVTs, up from 6,958 TVTs, Ye Hai Mohababtein recorded 6,380 TVTs, up from 5,814 TVTs and Saath  Nibhana Saathiya reported 7,150 TVTs, up from 6,930 TVTs.

     

    At number three, Colors clocked 403,053 GVTs, up from 375,025 GVTs. Sasural Simar Ka noted 5,699 TVTs, up from 5,153 TVTs, Balika Vadhu got 4,974 TVTs, up from 4,713 TVTs. Talking about its non-fiction series, Comedy Nights with Kapil also observed a huge hike in the ratings and stood at 8,556 TVTs, up from 6,787 TVTs and The Anupam Kher Show reported 1,864TVTs, up from 1,575 TVTs.

     

    Life OK continues to enjoy the number four position in the ratings chart. It garnered 311,640 GVTs, up from 311,423 GVTs. Thus, Shapath recorded 2,779 TVTs, up from 2,087 TVTs, Savdhan India reported 2,690 TVTs, up from 2,676 TVTs, Gustakh Dil generated 1,829 TVTs, down from 2,033 TVTs and Laut Aao Trisha stood at 1,654 TVTs, down from 1,744 TVTs.

     

    Sony Entertainment Television (SET) retained its fifth position with 278,432 GVTs, up from 275,107 GVTs. Thus, CID, the channel’s leader scored 4,328 TVTs, up from 3,886 TVTs and Maharana Veer Pratap rated 3,446 TVTs, up from 3,054 TVTs. The much hyped show – Yudh, failed to grab eyeballs as it saw a significant drop in the viewership and stood at 703 TVTs, down from 737 TVTs.

     

    Last but not the least, Sab noted 277,018 GVTs, up from 265,377 GVTs. Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah continues to remain the chart leader as it scored 6,552 TVTs, up from 5,343 TVTs and Badi Door se Aaye Hai rated 2,283 TVTs, up from 1,943 TVTs.

  • Star studded week for ‘Kitni Girhain Baaki Hain!’

    Star studded week for ‘Kitni Girhain Baaki Hain!’

    MUMBAI: Zindagi made its sensational debut on Indian television with four hit shows from Pakistan recently, one of which was its marquee show Kitni Girhain Baaki Hain (KGBH). KGBHis a series of telefilms based on real life situations and addresses issues related to women. With Kitni Girhain Baaki Hai,the channel brought the trend of telefilms back on Indian Television. This week on KGBH telefilms featuring some of the established faces of Pakistani TV industry will be aired.

     

    Starting tonight, Zindagi will air ‘Dekh Kabira Roya’ featuring Ayeza Khan (KahiUnkahi fame) & Imraan Abbas (to be seen in MeraNaseeb). Dekh Kabira Roya is the story of Kabeer, a young ice cream vendor raised by his widow mother with a lot of hardships. Kabeer goes through a testing time when he has to find the courage to tell his mother that he will marry a girl of his choice and not someone chosen by his mother.

     

    Adnan Siddiqui, who has been acclaimed for his performances in Maat and Mere Qatil Mere Dildaar will be seen in telefilm titled ‘Pehli si Mohabbat’. The telefilm traces the lives of man and woman who revisit their old friendship post a chance meeting after years. Peh.li Si Mohabbat will air on Friday, August 15th.

     

    Another telefilm ‘Bissat’ featuring  Mehwish Hayat (of Mere Qatil Mere Dildaar fame)will be airing on Sunday, August 17th. This telefilm is about how a brother raises his younger sister after their parents pass away. The story meets a turning point when the brother gets married and sister does not share a very cordial relationship with the new bride.

     

    KGBH is based on the ironies and harsh realities of a woman’s life, but also gives hope to, and creates awareness among women.

     

    Tune in to ‘KitniGirhainBaakiHain’everyday, Monday to Sunday at 10:15 PM only on Zindagi!

  • Zindagi: Catering to the progressive woman in you!

    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. 

  • Zindagi: A bet that worked

    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…