By Shailesh Kapoor
The prevailing humdrum in the Hindi GEC category has been the pet peeve of this column, especially since mid-2014. But this weekend, specifically this Saturday, that complaint will be forgotten. In a rather interesting clash, The Kapil Sharma Show (TKSS) will be launched on Saturday, April 23 at 9pm on Sony, at exactly the same time as the television premiere of blockbuster film Bajirao Mastani on Colors.
There isn’t much strategic value to this clash. The two channels are not locked in a close battle for a category rank. The fortunes of either channel won’t be dictated by who wins this little contest. Neither will the fortunes of TKSS depend on its first episode alone. Yet, the clash has excitement written all over it.
The primary reason for this excitement is that the clash is evidently orchestrated. TKSS announced its arrival details well in advance, and Bajirao Mastani was slotted against it a couple of weeks later. We know that all didn’t go well between Sharma and Colors, and his parting wasn’t exactly smooth. Colors’ decision to slot Bajirao Mastani against TKSS can be seen as inspired mischief. And why not! Who minds a little harmless fun, after all?
It’s a clash of an apple and an orange though. A single-event like Bajirao Mastani will always aggregate audiences better than an episode of a show. Bajirao Mastani is one of the most decorated films in recent years, and in more ways than one too, and its premiere has recorded excellent buzz and has been tracking at par with the biggest movie premieres over the last decade. PK, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Bahubali and Prem Ratan Dhan Payo have set high rating benchmarks, and Bajirao Mastani would like to enter that bracket, though its last hour (post 11pm) may be its undoing. An 8pm slotting would have helped end the film early, but 8pm vs. 9pm is not half as much fun as 9pm v/s 9pm.
In its first hour, Bajirao Mastani will be against the most popular comedian Indian television has ever seen, in a launch event of sorts. For many viewers, the first 15 minutes of this show could decide which way they swing for the rest of the hour. TKSS has its task cut out. Bajirao Mastani has a solid first hour, after all.
All the usual tactics of audience aggregation will come into play. I will be surprised if either of the two properties takes an adbreak while the other is on. That could mean at least one hour of breakless viewing for audiences. Let’s see if that actually happens tomorrow night.
They both will have IPL to contend with as well, though the Punjab vs. Hyderabad game is not the threat a Mumbai or Delhi game would have been. Even though Sharma hails from Punjab, King’s XI has not been a viewership-generating team over the last decade.
A 3+ rating for TKSS and a 5+ rating for Bajirao Mastani will be a win-win scenario. To know if that happens, we will have to wait for 12 long days, till May 5. Where are daily ratings when you need them?
When content innovation is tough to find, it’s clashes like these than can generate interest in what is a huge but creatively stagnant genre. Let’s hope we have more such inspired mischief on our way in the coming weeks.