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Tag: Anupamaa

  • Shailesh Kapoor appraises the first quarter of the fiscal year was hit big time by the Second Wave of the pandemic

    June Diaries: Entertainment in Covid Times

     

    By Shailesh Kapoor

     

    Shailesh KapoorGoing by official numbers at least, the worst of the second Covid wave in India is now behind us. The wave has scarred many families forever, and with a vaccination programme that is struggling to gather momentum, a third wave is not ruled out by experts. But for now, life goes on, and different states are cautiously opening up in phases.

     

    The April-May period has impacted the Indian entertainment business considerably. Those dependent on advertising revenues suffered more, with even digital advertising showing a sharp drop, judging by industry estimates. But it’s the content side that has been impacted across the board.

     

    With Maharashtra announcing a stringent lockdown, Hindi GEC content production was impacted. Unlike last year, channels could travel to states that have less stringent lockdowns and record there, which they indeed did. At one point in early May, about six Hindi GEC shows had their stories set in a resort. This includes the two big hit shows in the category currently: Anupamaa and Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah. Many others played out of hotels and resorts, but passed them off as homes and kept the story running as normally as they could. Not an easy task, given that almost all shows had a part of their cast unavailable because of a Covid infection.

     

    In the entire months of April and May, there was only one show launch in the Hindi GEC category (Sasural Simar Ka 2 on Colors), an unprecedented low by a wide margin. Regional languages had about four to eight show launches per language over the two months, but that’s lower than their running average too. Under normal circumstances, the IPL cancellation would have been a great opportunity to launch new shows, especially those on the weekend. But then, there would have been no IPL cancellation to begin with, if there was no second wave.

     

    The theatrical business has bled the most over the last 14 months. Theatres will re-open in the coming weeks, though it remains to be seen how many single screens have permanently shut down. The first quarter of this calendar year had seen huge footfalls for the marquee films in Telugu and Tamil languages, and one hopes that sentiment is reflected in the Hindi markets too this summer.

     

    It may seem that all’s well with the streaming category, with more audience locked down at home. But if you notice carefully, the number of launches on the top platforms have reduced. This impact of the constricted content pipeline will continue to be felt over the next six months in both streaming and theatrical sectors.

     

    June has got off to a good start, with a smasher of a show in The Family Man S2. One hopes that it’s a sign of things to come in the coming weeks. The other big event this June is the final of the World Test Championship, where India plays New Zealand from June 18. The event has not been hyped up by the media so far, but wait for another week and you will see it becoming the big distraction from the pandemic, especially if India wins the title.

     

    But keeping nationalism aside, World Test Championship is a great idea, and though the first edition has been curtailed because of the pandemic, it’s great to see it find a logical conclusion, and to see India featuring in the final. One would have liked to see the game being played at a full house at Lord’s, but in these difficult times, an empty stadium at Southampton will do just fine.

     

     

  • With all its problems and a few silver linings, the Hindi GEC category is at a crucial phase, writes Shailesh Kapoor

    Post-Lockdown Blues for Hindi GECs

    Oximeter Check: Screengrab from a recent episode of Taarak Mehta…

     

    By Shailesh Kapoor

     

    It’s been a month since original episodes of Hindi GEC shows started airing again. The genre that survived primarily on mythology during the lockdown is now moving back to its old staple fare.

     

    The results of the first four weeks have not been very encouraging. Given that there are Covid-related restrictions still in place in large parts of India, and the overall TV viewing time is higher than pre-Covid, the Hindi GEC category (pay channels) has lost about 10% of its pre-Covid viewership levels despite the return of original episodes. Drop in the ratings of the top shows is particularly striking. Except Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah (TMKOC), which opened at pre-Covid levels upon its return, most other top shows have struggled, with some being less than 60% of their pre-Covid numbers. Long-running shows like Kundali Bhagya, Kumkum Bhagya and Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai have not got a section of their audience back, who were probably continuing only because of habit. Star Plus’ recent launch Anupamaa has emerged as the joint category leader in Urban HSM, along with TMKOC.

     

    The signs were ominous. During the lockdown, Ormax Media’s data suggested that only 42% of regular Hindi GEC audience are missing their favourite shows “a lot”. The category will soon face severe headwinds with IPL in the next quarter, and will have to look upto reality shows like KBC and Bigg Boss to uplift it from the precarious position it finds itself in.

     

    Having said that, the early success of Anupamaa is a positive development. It shows that the category discontent is not so high that a well-crafted new show that’s relevant and authentic will not find an audience. But we need more Anupamaas, and some of the upcoming launches look promising too. But the category urgently needs to shed its flab. Channels’ obsession with long-running family dramas that have long outlived their purpose is still a major villain in the 2020 Hindi GEC story.

     

    The other element of curiosity was to see how fiction shows integrate (or ignore) Covid in their plots. It’s been a mixed bag so far. While some shows have stayed completely clear of it, others have used token references, and a few have integrated Covid into the running plot, though not always in a way that’s sensible. To give an example (and there are a few), earlier this week, a plot point in Star Plus’ Yeh Hai Chaahatein involved the female antagonists plotting to get the protagonist out of the housing society by proving that she’s high-risk for a Covid infection. The society’s management committee comes to the protagonist’s house to insist she’s taken to a hospital or a quarantine centre. In this highly charged Covid discussion with half a dozen people, not one is wearing a face mask, making a potentially topical scene come across as fake, if not bizarre. It is this half-hearted attempt at depicting reality that creates emotional disconnect with many Hindi GEC shows.

     

     

    In sharp contrast, TMKOC has integrated Covid masterfully. For a show rooted in topicality and social reality, not recognising the Covid reality would have been a definite compromise. But it’s easier said than done. If they would have based the entire show in a Covid world, there would be limitations, related to society gatherings, functions, festivals, shop scenes, etc.

     

     

    What the makers have achieved is a fine balance, through a tried and tested device: Protagonist Jethalal’s dreams. In the three weeks on air so far, he has had two dreams (cumulative play-out of about five episodes) which tell a free-from-Covid story, while the rest of the episodes consciously recognise Covid and create genuine entertainment around it. This is how it should be done!

     

    With all its problems and a few silver linings, the Hindi GEC category is at a crucial phase. Something tells me the next six months may shape its future decisively.