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At that time,Zee TV had successfully formulated the non-fiction genre with Antakshari and Sa Re Ga Ma,while Sony Entertainment Television already had cult hits with CID, Aahat and Boogie Woogie. Star broke new ground in this scenario with high-octane family dramas featuring revenge plots and marital tangles. Uday Shankar,CEO of Star India,says,“We’re proud that we’re the ones who popularised the ‘living room culture’ where a family sits and watches TV together.” However,the formula,replicated without much success by other channels,lost its appeal for viewers even on the mother channel. Actor Hiten Tejwani,who had a pivotal role in KSBKBT,points out,“There was no realism. Our characters would be talking big about their businesses worth Rs 90 crore,but we were never actually shown working.” Shankar himself admits,“We fell in love with a formula and stretched it too much. We realised that in hindsight.”

The other formula that served Star Plus well began with Bachchan hosting KBC. It was a phenomenon. “The whole country would come to a standstill. Theatres would do lax business and families planned their dinner around it,” says Shankar. This formula too was replicated by many channels. But only few achieved the kind of success that KBC did,which incidentally,also did not do as well once Shah Rukh Khan replaced Bachchan. However,the industry still seems to be pinning hopes on Bachchan’s KBC magic,with rumours rife about another channel resurrecting the show with its original host.

Today,the two formulae have been tweaked. Soaps have taken up social causes,with Zee TV leading the charge. Zee’s marketing head,Akash Chawla explains,“We took up the cause of discrimination against dark skin in Saat Phere and other issues that plague women in shows like Dulhan and Betiyaan. This was a major paradigm shift.” The trend was also adopted by other channels,most notably Colors,which telecast two hit shows about the girl child—Balika Vadhu and Na Ana Iss Des Laado.

As for non-fiction shows,the concept has been cleaved into two—voyeuristic reality shows and talent shows. The former began with a bang with Sony telecast the first season of Bigg Boss (based on the international show Big Brother). Talent shows had begun humbly with Sa Re Ga Ma and Boogie Woogie,but proliferated with shows such as Indian Idol and Dance India Dance. The celebrity anchor,however,bit the dust,with many like Govinda,Sushmita Sen and Anupam Kher failing to connect with the audience. The only one who had a modicum of success was Salman Khan with 10 Ka Dum.

The fallout of the proliferation of channels and the wide programming range is that the audience is no longer loyal. Actress Smiti Irani explains,“They know now when high drama is developing on a particular show and they switch to that.” It’s probably for this reason that channels now increasingly feel the need to strongly identify themselves. Colors prides itself on breaking the mould of soap operas. Programming head Ashvini Yardi says,“More men returned to viewing television thanks to our shows like Fear Factor. We introduced meaningful entertainment—something to really discuss over the dinner table after show was over.” Sony,which has always served a variety of genres now emphasises its experimental side more than ever. Programming head Ajay Bhalwankar states,“We’re leading the charge in experimentation with stories and formats,such as Powder and Mahie Way. Even if the numbers aren’t great at the moment,we take heart in the fact that the content is really being appreciated.” Zee TV,on the other hand,projects itself as the grassroots channel. Chawla says,“We were the first channel to set up a regular set outside Mumbai. We care for authenticity and with our shows like Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya Hi Kijo,we wanted to bring rural India into the spotlight.”

Star Plus,however,is going back to what it does best—defining the Indian family. Shankar explains that this is not a regression,but a new approach. “On our channels,you’ll now see women who’re strong and independent without being relegated to negative roles. They may be modern,but they’re accepted as they are by their families.”

The competition continues to be tough. At the moment,Star Plus seems to have gotten ahead in the ratings,but only marginally. As Irani points out,“The race has never been closer. One week Colors is at the top,the next it’s Zee,and then its something else. Hindi general entertainment channels are in fact,facing challenges not just from each other,but also from English and regional channels. Zee Marathi was in fact at one point the highest in ratings. Hindi channels will continue to dominate,just as long as they keep charging up the ante.”

Different takes
“The non- fiction genre,reality and format shows have a lot of scope to grow. The future will see fresher concept,more innovation and lots of surprises.”

Ashvini Yardi,programming head,Colors

“The Indian family will now go back to being the heart of programming. One need no longer look for a ‘big’ show like KBC or KSBKBT. Instead,the viewers will be given a variety of good programming.”

Uday Shankar,CEO,Star India Pvt. Ltd.

“The future of television channels have gone beyond television itself. The new platforms of Facebook and Youtube are proving to be useful in spreading the word about good shows.”

Akash Chawla,Marketing head,Zee TV

“The days when channels used to show soaps,movies and non-fiction on one platform will soon be gone. The era of specialized programming will be here,catering to every member of the audience.”

Ajay Bhalwankar,Programming head,Sony Entertainment Television

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