MxMIndia

Tag: Amitabh Bachchan

  • Available across iOS, Windows and Android formats, Wakau is the gateway to a repository of original celebrity content

    Video-blogging app Wakau launched in India

    By A Correspondent

     

    Superstar Amitabh Bachchan unveiled the freemium celebrity video blogging app – Wakau. Starting 29th October 2015, theWakau app will provide original, candid videos of Mr. Bachchan and other celebrities across genres, be it films, sports, entertainment or music. Available across iOS, Windows and Android formats, Wakau is the gateway to a repository of original celebrity content.

     

    With an ever increasing repertoire of celebrities including the likes of Amitabh Bachchan, Sachin Tendulkar, Arjun Kapoor, AyushmaanKhurrana, Nirahua, Shaan,  Manju Warrier, Tamannaah Bhatia, Sophie Choudry, Arman Malik and Elli Avaramcontributing to the platform.Wakau will upload new content including landmark moments from the celebs lives, hobbies and interests and career stories,for subscribers on a daily basis. On Wakau fans can watch, share and comment on a wide variety of interesting videos categorised topically and by celebrity.The app, has a celebrity interface feature that enables celebs to upload premium video content, while allowing them to track fan comments on their videos and respond directly.

     

    Talking about his association with Wakau, Mr. Bachchan commented, “Social media is an integral part of my life today. I have always tried to stay connected with my fans and respond to them whenever possible through my blog and other social media platforms.  I am glad to be associated with an interactive platform like Wakau, through which I can share some of my candid moments from my day to day life with my fans and inch closer to them.”

     

    A joint venture between CA Media Digital and Jetsynthesys, Wakauis the first of its kind, freemium celebrity video blogging app that allowsusers to access unseen candid celeb moments to help them connect further with their favourite stars and celebs. Freely downloadable to users across India this ‘freemium’ app allows consumers to view celebrity videos for free, with the videos being interspersed with advertisements. The app also supports an ad-free experience via its subscription service.

     

    Speaking on the association, Rishi Negi, EVP Operations, CA Media India commented, “Wakau is a great opportunity for celebrities to connect with their fans and share personal stories, interests, sepia moments and cherished thoughts through their video blogs. The app is a celebrity hotspot that enablesconsumers to gain easy access to insightful videos of their favourite superstars and personal heroes on their phones.”

     

    Rajan Navani, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Jetsynthesys, added “Through constant and continuous innovation we at Jetsynthesys strive to offer the best in digital technology and Wakau is no exception. With a deep focus on creating a personal connect with the consumer through leveraging analytics, the Wakau experience will eventually pave the way towards many firsts for the world. We are excited to launch this unique world class Indian product that would become the social digital media screen of the 21st century.”

     

    A technically superior app, Wakau has an adaptive and predictive streaming technology that enables optimization of content to each specific device and dynamically adapts the video stream to the constantly varying bandwidth of carrier and Wi-Fi networks creating a quality experience for the users.Consumers can subscribe to the premium service on the app using their existing mobile connection, credit cards, net banking and e-wallets with multiple validity periods and price points available..

     

  • It is the first time that Amitabh Bachchan will be endorsing an automotive brand in the two wheeler space

    TVS Jupiter ropes in Amitabh Bachchan

    By A Correspondent

     

    Taking forward TVS Jupiter’s brand philosophy, “Zyada Ka Fayda”, TVS Motor Company announced that it has roped in Amitabh Bachchan as brand philosophy evangelist for TVS Jupiter, the second largest scooter brand in the country. It is the first time that Amitabh Bachchan will be endorsing an automotive brand in the two wheeler space.

     

    “Amitabh Bachchan is held in high esteem in the hearts of India. He embodies the fact that success comes from talent that is nourished with great diligence, character and the spirit of wanting to do ‘Zyada’. This is the philosophy behind TVS Jupiter, Zyada Ka Fayda, which we are confident will resonate across India, especially when it is propagated by Shri Bachchan himself. We are very happy to welcome him into the TVS family.” said K N Radhakrishnan, President and CEO, TVS Motor Company.

     

    The first TVS Jupiter Campaign with Amitabh Bachchan is built around the festive season and is directed by renowned director Shoojit Sircar.

     

  • The campaign showcases the Bollywood icon endorsing the brand’s new positioning

    Cycle Agarbathi rolls out latest ad campaign

    By A Correspondent

     

    Following the recent announcement of Cycle Pure Agarbathies bringing Amitabh Bachchan on board as a brand ambassador, the brand has rolled out its ad campaign ‘Prarthana ki shuddhata’ (Purity of prayer).

     

    Created by DDB Mudra South and East, the campaign showcases the Bollywood icon endorsing the brand’s new positioning ‘Prarthana ki shuddhata’ across a multitude of media vehicles nationally.

     

    Centered on the theme of purity, the campaign beautifully marries the functionality of the product to the core value of the brand. It takes a leap forward and stresses on purity of thought along with hope and optimism that the brand has always stood for. Through the campaign, Cycle Pure Agarbathies is planning to reinforce its position in the market and also to make in-roads into the hearts and minds of new customers.

     

    The theme-line has been translated as two 30 sec ad films which are the key element of the campaign. Produced by Rising Sun Films and directed by Shoojit Sircar, of the “Piku” fame, the television commercials are supported by radio spots and direct outreach programmes across the country. The campaign is also introducing the new packaging of Cycle Pure Agarbathies and incorporating Amitabh Bachchan as the face of the brand on the packets.

     

    Arjun Ranga, Managing Director, Cycle Pure Agarbathies said, “We are extremely proud to be associated with Mr. Amitabh Bachchan. He is an embodiment of honesty, transparency, ethics and dedication that Cycle Pure Agarbathies stands for making him the perfect fit to be the brand ambassador. His focus on hard work and persistent career innovations also resonates with optimism that we wish to evoke in the minds of our consumers. He is an icon that the nation reveres, the association with Mr. Amitabh Bachchan will be an ideal platform for us to connect with our audiences across the country.”

     

    Sonal Dabral

    Commenting on the campaign, Sonal Dabral, Chairman & Chief Creative Officer, DDB Mudra Group said, “Cycle Agarbathies is a 60 year old iconic brand of trust and heritage. It is built on values of sincerity and purity. Really, there is no one who can speak for the brand better than Mr. Amitabh Bachchan. The campaign at one level is a straight testimonial. But they are also personal stories of warmth that come from his heart. Of course, a perfectionist that he is, Mr.Bachchan was passionate about the stories and was fully involved in the crafting of the scripts. I’m sure the audience will feel the sincerity and purity of the brand in these simple heartfelt anecdotes.”

     

  • Approved, then disapproved: Amitabh Bachchan's ad firm on DD Kisan's endorsement fee

    The Curious Case of Amitabh’s Kisan Channel endorsement fee

    By Vasudha Venugopal

     

    Ad agency Lowe Lintas on Tuesday said that it had been authorized by the DD Kisan channel to negotiate with Amitabh Bachchan for endorsing the channel and the actor’s office had originally approved the fee.

     

    Meanwhile, senior officials at the I&B ministry and Prasar Bharti said they had no knowledge about the contract between DD Kisan with Bachchan and that it was not approved by the the Prasar Bharti board. “DD Kisan had formally authorised us on 31.03.15 to negotiate on their behalf with Bachchan’s office. After much negotiation, Bachchan’s office on 12.05.15, sent communication to Lintas on the fee approval. Post receipt of this communication from-Bachchan’s office, we sent the necessary paperwork to DD Kisan who then went ahead with the processing and release of the payment to Lintas,” a Lintas spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

     

    The spokesperson said on July 20, the agency was informed by Bachchan’s office that after reviewing the ‘work-in-progress contract’, the actor had taken a decision that he would not charge any fee on issues involving social and those in the best interest of the nation. “ … In light of yesterday’s development, we have initiated the process of refund ( which will be concluded today ) to our client, DD Kisan,” said the spokesperson., adding that payment was pending to Bachchan.

     

    The proposed Rs 6.89 crore payment to Bachchan for appearing in a promotional campaign for the DD Kisan channel, which was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi two months ago to mark the first anniversary of his government had become controversial with the I&B ministry issuing a probe into the matter and the PMO also making enquiries. I&B officials and the Prasar Bharti board said the Bachchan deal was not approved by the board.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2015, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

    Licensed to republish

     

  • Amitabh Bachchan to be seen in an all new avatar in the first ad campaign by the baby and kids space expert FirstCry.com

    Amitabh Bachchan endorses new campaign for FirstCry.com

    By A Correspondent

     

    FirstCry.com, Asia’s largest baby and kids store, has announced that Amitabh Bachchan will be the face of the brand. Firstcry.com is already the leading baby and kids player with its online, mobile and 125+ offline store presence. With the campaign, the brand aims to accelerate the growth and take the brand to a much larger parent base.

     

    Supam Maheshwari

    Speaking about the campaign, Supam Maheshwari, CEO and founder of Firstcry.com said “Over the last 4 years we have built an omni-channel business model that serves the largest variety of baby and kids products in express time. It is now time for us to scale up the model by raising awareness of FirstCry.com and building a brand that parents love”. The campaign, which has been conceptualized by Lowe Lintas Mumbai, works on the insight that parents feel great about having worked hard for their children, including shopping. The category is a high involvement category and FirstCry.com makes sure that parents have the best choices available both in types of products as well as numbers of products. On the one hand it means that parents are assured of finding the right product on Firstcry.com, but at the same time it makes ‘choosing one, not so easy.”

     

    Vasudha Narayanan, Executive Creative Director at Lowe Lintas Mumbai, said, “Mr Bachchan has never played the role of an indulgent grandpa. And that’s why he is a perfect fit for FirstCry.com. The magic in the films comes from the silliness and love between a grandpa and his granddaughter. He finds it easier to take care of her than indulge her. Because he knows ‘bachchonki shopping, bachchonkakhelnahin’.” The campaign has a series of films which will have Mr. Bachchan in a never seen before avatar. The child-like fun that he had while shooting the films reflects in some of the most endearing grandfather-granddaughter moments. He is a perfect fit for the brand because he is known to be a doting grandfather, he has been a trendsetter in adopting social media and technology and, last but not the least, he brings credibility that comes with his stature.”

     

  • To ensure that the country at large is given a grand invitation for the second season, Star Sports has roped in superstar Amitabh Bachchan

    Amitabh Bachchan lends his voice to Kabaddi league

    By A Correspondent

     

    Come July 18 and the country will be treated to the fast-paced action of Star Sports Pro Kabaddi. The best of Indian and global Kabaddi talent will take centrestage at NSCI, Mumbai where the caravan style league commences. To ensure that the country at large is given a grand invitation for the second season, Star Sports has roped in superstar Amitabh Bachchan.

     

    Star Sports’ marketing blitzkrieg for the upcoming league reaches another level as the iconic film actor with an inimitable voice takes to the mike as well as composes for the latest commercial of Star Sports Pro Kabaddi.

     

    Uday Shankar, CEO, Star India, said, “Star has a deep and abiding commitment to growing the sport of Kabaddi. The inaugural season introduced the sport in an aspirational and cool avatar. We are delighted to partner with Mr. Amitabh Bachchan for the second season of Star Sports Pro Kabaddi, to help galvanize the sport across the nation.”

     

    The promotional film for Star Sports Pro Kabaddi, takes forward the #LePanga narrative in the form of a peppy, energetic and fast paced song composed and sung by Amitabh Bachchan. The underlying visuals have superlative game and in action portraits of the heroes of the sport.  What better booster than the baritone the country adores? This was the thought that motivated the very words of the film penned by India’s leading adman Piyush Pandey from Ogilvy.

     

    Highlighting the concept, Piyush Pandey, said, “The idea was to combine the martial energy of the great India sport with the great Indian tradition of ‘Veer Ras,’ one of the nine emotions or ‘Navrasas’ of our culture. With a sense of fun and fire, that is how I wrote this song. Thereafter Mr. Bachchan took over. He composed the music, sang the song and created a legendary track.”

     

    Star Sports Pro Kabaddi starts July 18 with the action live on Star Sports 2 and Star Sports HD2 in English; Star Sports 3, Star Sports HD3 and Star Gold in Hindi; Maa Movies in Telugu; Suvarna Plus in Kannada and Star Pravah in Marathi.

     

  • "I have not received any notice yet. So I cannot make any comment. If it (notice) is received, my lawyers shall attend to it. It would be inappropriate to comment on a matter that is subjudice," said Amitabh Bachchan

    Is it right to indict celebs for endorsing FDA-approved products?

    By Nandini Raghavendra & Ravi Teja Sharma

     

    With a Bihar court directing police to file an FIR against Maggi brand ambassadors Amitabh Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit and Preity Zinta, celebrity endorsers are in a tizzy.

     

    Many celebrities refused to comment on record, but said that they have become a soft target in this fiasco. “It’s sad and true that known faces get targeted for the wrong reasons and agendas just to seek attention. It’s unfortunate because it becomes like a cry wolf syndrome; the day there will actually be someone with a justified reason and cause, it will not be given the importance it possibly deserves,” said actor Arjun Kapoor, who recently faced public ire over his participation in the AIB Roast. “Fame is a double-edged sword,” said actor and singer Ayushmann Khurrana.

     

    Madhuri Dixit’s lawyer Anand Desai, who is managing partner at DSK Legal, said the actor had not received any Food and Drug Administration (FDA) notice. Asked if a star could be arrested for such an offence, Desai said that an arrest is made only to prevent a star from not co-operating or not perpetuating the crime further. Custodial investigation definitely reveals more than non-custodial, but what are the stars going to contribute here, he asked.

     

    “I have not received any notice yet. So I cannot make any comment. If it (notice) is received, my lawyers shall attend to it. It would be inappropriate to comment on a matter that is subjudice,” said Amitabh Bachchan.

     

    So have stars really become soft targets? The fact that such a big MNC has been accused does not seem as important to people as discussing the brand association with film stars, said social commentator Santosh Desai. “The primary responsibility lies with the FDA, who have still not been able to figure out what is wrong. Then how do you expect the stars to do it?” he asked.

     

     

    “If a product has been passed by the FDA, why would a celebrity not believe that all is in place? Yes, it merits an investigation but in the case of anything being amiss, the primary responsibility lies with the FDA not the stars. It is a completely irrelevant fact, it is just that everyone feels important by association with the stars,” Desai added.

     

    “Celebrities are protected by their contracts,” said Indranil Das Blah of celebrity and sports management firm Kwan. He found the situation grossly unfair. “You cannot hold a celebrity responsible or liable for something that’s not in their hands, they are not in charge of the product development in the first place. They are not going to get into the R&D of a product or the brand promises that it makes,” said Blah.

     

    Bunty Sajdeh, CEO of Cornerstone Sport and Entertainment said that it is unfair and opportunistic and the stars are being targeted just because they are celebrities. “If it’s a reputed brand, if it is FDA approved, legally approved and legally in the market, we will take it on its face value. Besides, we protect our celebrities very stringently in our contracts, wherein we are completely indemnified from any such untoward incidences and we also have the right to terminate,” says Sajdeh.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2015, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

    Licensed to republish

     

  • … and King Khan Shah says that being a professional actor, he sees no issues with endorsing competing brands at different times

    Unlike @SrBachchan, Shah Rukh says he will not deride brands he’s endorsed

    By Krishna Kumar

     

    Shah Rukh Khan
    Amitabh Bachchan

    Shah Rukh Khan said that he will never make fun of any brand he has once endorsed, taking a sideswipe at Amitabh Bachchan’s recent ‘poison’ comment on Pepsi.

     

    “Having worked with someone, should I ever deride it? No. I have been an employee of someone,” the film star said on Monday. Khan’s comment comes just about a month after Bachchan said that he stopped endorsing Pepsi after a girl asked him why he was promoting something her teacher had termed as “poison”.

     

    Speaking at the sidelines of a brand event in Mumbai, Khan said, “People sometimes even question why we are endorsing XYZ product. My logic is, if it is legal, if it is available in the market, then there is nothing wrong in endorsing that particular product.”

     

    At the same time, Shah Rukh Khan said that being a professional actor, he sees no issues with endorsing competing brands at different times. “I was endorsing the brand you just mentioned (Pepsi), now I endorse Sprite, and now I do Frooti. You have different considerations. The accountability of a celebrity is as much as you know about the product,” Khan said.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2014, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

    Licensed to republish

     

  • The megastar told IIM-A students that he had stopped endorsing Pepsi after Jaipur girl called it 'poison'

    For Amitabh Bachchan, endorsing Pepsi is not the right choice!

    By Vishal Dutta & Ratna Bhushan

     

    Egging on other celebrities to do a due diligence before endorsing brands, Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan told an audience on Thursday that he stopped endorsing Pepsi after he was confronted by a little girl who wondered why he promoted the soft drink that her teacher had branded as poison.

     

    Mr Bachchan said the girl tossed the question to him during an event at a school in Jaipur. He said he could not reply immediately, but it made him feel “this impression is on the mind of the people…” “So I stopped endorsing Pepsi,” he told the audience at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, comprising IIM-A students, faculty members and officials of Gujarat Tourism – a brand that Mr Bachchan promotes.

     

    Mr Bachchan said he did his due diligence before endorsing any product. “I look into it… I meet the client and ask them about it… I don’t endorse tobacco or alcohol because I don’t have them…then why I should endorse them?” he said.

     

    “I tell this to my son Abhishek and to daughter-in-law Aishwarya also…if you have to endorse a product then you have to conduct your life in such a manner that it does not affect others’ lives,” Mr Bachchan said. His comments came at the end of the interactive session on celebrity endorsement when an IIM-A student asked him about how he decided on brands.

     

    A spokesman for PespiCo, which owns the soft drink brand Pepsi, refused to comment on Mr Bachchan’s remarks. The actor had featured in the Pepsi campaigns between 2002 and 2005. Chandra Bhushan, deputy director general of environment think tank Centre for Science & Environment, said that Mr Bachchan’s comments should serve as an example for a lot of celebrities who endorse brands that are not healthy and make children obese.

     

    “Most celebs have been associated with one cola brand or the other. They should be responsible for what brands they endorse,” said Mr Bhushan, whose organisation had spearheaded a campaign against soft drinks such as Pepsi and Coca-Cola a few years ago after reports that they contained pesticide residues.

     

    Cola brands are one of the biggest spenders in the advertising markets and any association with the top brands is considered a badge of recognition in tinsel town. Pepsi’s current brand ambassadors include Ranbir Kapoor and Indian cricket team captain MS Dhoni while Deepika Padukone endorses Coca-Cola, a brand that also boasts of Sachin Tendulkar, who appears in its social messaging ads.

     

    Bollywood’s highest-paid star Shah Rukh Khan endorsed Pepsi for over 10 years while Mr Bachchan’s daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai endorsed brand Coca-Cola during her heydays in Bollywood. Harish Bijoor, social commentator and brand consultant, however, felt Mr Bachchan needed to be more careful before airing such views.

     

    “After endorsing a brand for so many years, he cannot de-endorse it. Any brand endorsement deal by a celebrity is an informed choice. They cannot be repenting it at a later stage,” he said.

     

    Mr Bachchan, who has been described as ‘the angry young man’ and ‘one-man industry during his blockbuster years in Bollywood in the 1970s and 80s, started his association with Pepsi in 2002.

     

    His current endorsements include Maggi, Kalyan Jewellers, Parle Goldstar Cookies, Binani Cement and Gujarat Tourism. At least one commentator we spoke to wondered what Mr Bachchan would have to say about his continuing endorsement of Maggi, a convenience food targeted at children that is high on calories.

     

    Elaborating on his endorsement strategy, Mr Bachchan said he took up Gujarat government’s tourism campaign by sheer accident after a conversation with Chief Minister Narendra Modi. During the production of his movie ‘Paa’, he had met the CM to request waiving of entertainment tax for the film.

     

    During the conversation, Mr Modi told Mr Bachchan that Gujarat had the largest number of archeological sites in the country. “I suggested it should be talked about,” Mr Bachchan said. Within a week, Gujarat Tourism Secretary Vipul Mittra called Mr Bachchan up regarding a new campaign for Gujarat Tourism. “I suggested Ogilvy & Mather’s Piyush Pandey, and members from the tourism department joined in, thus creating an initial team for the Gujarat Tourism ad campaign,” he said.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2014, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

    Licensed to republish

     

  • Digital services network 'To The New' releases Bollywood Twitter Index where @SrBachchan is numero uno followed by @IAmSRK

    Amitabh Bachchan is ‘Shahenshah’ of Twitterverse

    By A Correspondent

     

    Amitabh Bachchan has been crowned the king of Twitter among his Bollywood counterparts, as per the ‘Bollywood Twitter Index’, a social media analytics report released by To The New, a digital services network in India (which has Ignitee Digital in its fold). The report is based on research by ThoughtBuzz, the social media analytics’ arm of To The New. The Bollywood Twitter Index reveals that Amitabh Bachchan continued to reign over the microblogging site with the highest number of followers, clocking a growth of 87% over the last year. He is followed in the list by the Khan-brigade – Shahrukh Khan, Salman Khan and Aamir Khan. Making an appearance at #5, Priyanka Chopra is the only actress in this top five Indian movie celebrities’ list.

     

    Despite gaining the maximum number of followers over the last one year with 151% increase, Madhuri Dixit narrowly missed making it to the list this year. She was nudged out by the fashionista of B-town, Sonam Kapoor, who hung on to the Number 10 position with an 87% increase in followers since last year. Other significant gainers include Akshay Kumar with a 99% increase and Deepika Padukone with an 82% increase in the number of followers over the last year.

     

    It is interesting to note that with virtually no activity in the year, Aamir Khan has continued to gain significant numbers, having amassed nearly 2 lakh new followers in the last 2 months alone. Aamir’s only tweets in the current calendar year are about narration of his experience of meeting David Cameron, Prime Minister of United Kingdom and #ThankYouSachin during the cricketer’s last test match in Mumbai.

     

    The majority of conversations (around 27%) that Bollywood celebrities indulge in are about promoting their work or films. Stars also like to share their personal experiences or interact with their fan base using Twitter, about 24% of the tweets are contributed towards both of these activities. The rest of the Twitterverse discussions are based around promoting their own brands (9%), favourite quotes (7%), opinions about specific issues (6%) and social causes (4%).

     

    Commenting on the Bollywood Twitter Index, To The New managing director Puneet Johar said, “Movie stars have always been held in awe and treated as demi-gods by Indian audiences. The rise in popularity of social media platforms, particularly Twitter, has broken down barriers allowing fans to gain personal access into the lives of the stars that they may never have had the opportunity to interact with otherwise. Bollywood stars, who have taken to micro-blogging to engage with their fans, have gained millions of followers and emerged as powerful social influencers.”

     

  • The jackpot increases to Rs 7 crore for the new 13-week season that will play out every Friday to Sunday at 8.30pm

    KBC innovates for new season starting Sept 7

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sony Entertainment Television has launched the iconic Kaun Banega Crorepati 2013 with some innovations. While Amitabh Bachchan will continue to host the show and it will indeed by produced by Siddhartha Basu’s Big Synergy Media, KBC 2013 will have a 360-degree multimedia stage and a jackpot prize of Rs 7 crore.

     

    The following changes have been implemented:

    • The Money Tree will now consist of 15 questions
    • There will be four questions in the ‘Sapta Koti Sandook’ a brand new feature, that will give the contestants a chance to win from Rs 1 crore to 3 crore, 5 crore and ultimately 7 crore
    •  ‘Fastest Finger First’ round now becomes a ‘Best out of three’ and the winner at the end enters the Hot Seat
    • More choice of lifelines – ‘Flip the question’ (Alat Palat) returns in place of ‘Ask the expert’ and ’50:50′ comes back in place of ‘Double Dip’
    • A new lifeline called ‘Power Paplu’ has been introduced. This lifeline will aid those who seek to revive any already used lifeline
    • In the entire gameplay however, a hot seat contestant may use only 4 of the 5 lifelines on offer
    • Yet another feature is the ‘Play SAlong’ for the ‘Fastest Finger First’ contestants who do not make it to the hot seat. These contestants can now play along with the hot seat contestant and the one who answers the maximum number of questions in the minimum amount of time gets to win Rs 1 lakh at the end of the episode

     

     

    The Ghar Baithe Jeeto Jackpot feature continues to engage home viewers. The central theme of KBC this year is ‘Seekhna Bandh Toh Jeetna Bandh’ thereby reinforcing the need for the continuous process of learning in life.

     

    Speaking on the launch, N.P Singh, COO, Multi Screen Media said: “There are brand new elements in KBC this year that will thrill viewers across India. This year’s theme encourages a renewed outlook towards learning.”

     

    SnehaRajani, Senior EVP and Business Head added:, “The new features will make the journey to become a crorepati even more exciting. The magic of Mr. Bachchan takes the show to another level altogether and will surely entertain the nation for the next 13 weekends.”

     

     

  • The crorepati show is getting set to enter living rooms for a seventh season, and the consensus is that it is Amitabh's charisma which keeps viewers watching. Will it work for this season too?

    KBC7: Hit or Miss?

    By Meghna Sharma

     

    The registration promos for the seventh season of Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) have begun, and Indians from all over the country are queueing up in the hope of hearing the magic words “Aur aap jeet gaye hain!”

     

    The question however is whether KBC this year will be able to garner the same amount of interest amongst its audience and receive ratings on par with previous years’ or will it show signs of the seven-year itch. “It will open below last year’s rating, more close to 4.5 to 5.0 TVR. In any case fragmentation is happening which will cause a drop in viewership. For instance, the IPL may reach more people, but there has been a drop in actual TVRs. Also, there is some amount of boredom that has set in on KBC, which will be the main reason for a drop in viewership,” feels Hariharan Vishwanath, National Trading Director, MEC.

     

    Mohit Joshi

    However, others feel that host Amitabh Bachchan’s charisma is enough to draw people to the show, apart from being a format which everyone – young or old, male or female – can relate to.

     

    “This year will be similar too. Amitabh Bachchan is the key reason for these ratings and his charisma will continue this year as well,” says Mohit Joshi, MD, Havas Media.

     

     

    Neel Kamal Sharma

    Agreeing with Mr Joshi, Neel Kamal Sharma, COO – Buying, Madison Group adds, “KBC continues to be the channel driver and I am confident that it will be the channel driver this year as well. The real challenge for channel will be to bring some element of freshness for viewers so that it continues to attract them in an engaging manner.”

     

    Media planners feel that the format captures the viewers’ imagination by letting them be in the contestant’s shoes as they try to answer the questions. It is this that keeps them hooked to the show. And that is the reason for the show’s adaptation in various regional languages, too. After Kannada, Tamil and Malayalam, KBC was recently launched in Marathi as well.

     

    “Regional is the next big national. Let’s draw a parallel regional daily print titles (Tamil, Marathi, etc) have more readers in the regional markets than English (or even Hindi in these markets ) which clearly tell that there is an audience who will watch and they want to see content in their local language. Therefore, KBC does make sense in regional languages,” explains Mr Vishwanath.

     

    On the other hand, Mr Joshi feels that nobody can match AB’s magnetic personality. “The effort is always to get the regional celebrity to host it which is good. “I would say they do moderately well.”