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Tag: Bade Achhe Lagte Hain

  • The first in a series of six decade-ender lists by Shailesh Kapoor

    The Most-Defining Hindi TV Shows of the Decade

     

    By Shailesh Kapoor

     

    This is the first in a series of six decade-ender lists in this column. Read the prologue here.

     

    It’s been a decade where regional GECs have thrived, even as the Hindi GEC category has struggled to fight stagnation, especially in the second half. But this list is based on Hindi language TV shows only, and hence, does not cover regional shows. The list also does not cover shows that launched in the previous decade (2009 or earlier) and found their peak recognition in the previous decade itself, i.e., several Colors’ shows like Balika Vadhu, Naa Aana Iss Des Laado and Uttaran, as well as other top shows like Pavitra Rishta and Saath Nibhana Saathiya.

    Honorable mentions must be made for three shows that just missed making it to this list of 10: Star Plus’ Yeh Hai Mohabbatein and Mahabharat, and Life OK’s Devon Ke Dev Mahadev.

     

    10. Kumkum Bhagya (Zee TV)

    The Balaji love story launched in 2014, and has been a top-rated show since then, though its consumer perceptions peaked in the 2015-17 period and have thereon been mixed. The show is arguably one of the best renditions of the tried-and-tested Balaji love story template of star-crossed lovers who have little in common except their undying love for each other. Kumkum Bhagya has managed to keep Zee TV in the running for a top position in the category through the last five years, and also given the channel a quasi spin-off in the very successful Kundali Bhagya (2017).

     

    9. Bigg Boss (Colors)

    Bigg Boss has managed to last through the decade, battling the odd weak season among quite a few strong one. Salman Khan took over as the host of the show at the start of this decade, in Season 4, and the parallel rise in his stardom over this period has benefited Bigg Boss too. The show has now become the standard reference for all task-based reality shows, including many on Colors’ network channel MTV. While Bigg Boss’ ratings may be modest at times, the social media buzz and online consumption (Voot) it garners speaks about its cult status today.

     

    8. Bade Achhe Lagte Hain (Sony)

    Balaji’s 2011 launch single-handedly turned around Sony’s fiction fortunes. From being a channel that was known and watched only for crime and reality content, Sony suddenly had a 3+ rating show in its kitty, literally in a matter of weeks. This is how good and effective Bade Achhe Lagte Hain was. The Ram Kapoor-Sakshi Tanwar casting lent unmistakable punch to the show, reminding us how good acting can be a gamechanger in itself. The show’s peak following was short-lived, to less than two years. But in that short time, it was arguably the most special thing on Indian television.

     

    7. Naagin (Colors)

    If you are counting Balaji shows in this list, this is the third, and the last one too. Naagin’s huge success in a weekend slot surprised many. Weekends were traditionally known for non-fiction content, and a supernatural drama wouldn’t get too many bets as a top-show contender. But Naagin became that, not just for the weekends but across the entire week. The show’s fourth season launches this December. The second and third seasons have not been able to build on the first season’s magic, but the franchise has even firepower to keep it going. There’s enough and more to write about this show, and this 2016 article written in this column may be a relevant read for those interested in more.

     

    6. Crime Patrol (Sony) & Savdhaan India (Life OK/ Star Bharat)

    The crime reconstruction genre has thrived through these ten years, and it would have been unfair to pick the show that pioneered it over the one that has taken the baton ahead, or vice versa. Hence, Crime Patrol, which had an amazing run in the 2012-14 period, and Savdhaan India, which gave its channel a lifeline in the most-troubled times, share this spot. The two shows actually have very different presentation styles, but between them together, they have created a genre that carries such immense viewer appeal that even fatigue with the overdose of such content has not managed to dampen it beyond a point.

     

    5. Diya Aur Baati Hum (Star Plus)

    Shashi-Sumeet Productions’ show on a woman’s journey to become a cop, with her husband by her side all along, ruled the ratings charts and the audience’s hearts alike for almost four years in the first half the decade. Diya Aur Baati Hum is a rare show that actually led to visible social change, triggering off interest among young girls to join the police force, and enabling their parents’ acceptance of this idea. Sandhya’s journey has been a source of inspiration for many women in small-town India in particular. Even as the Hindi GEC category continues to be attacked for its negative and regressive portrayal of today’s India, this show continues to remind us of the progressive social change television has the power of bringing about.

     

    4. Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai (Star Plus)

    Rajan Shahi’s show launched in early 2009, and was an instant hit for its resonating portrayal of the life of an Indian woman through the various positive emotions and challenges she has to face, especially in a post-marriage scenario. Almost 11 years later, the show continues to thrive, staying true to its core idea of being a positive and uplifting portrayal of the great Indian family culture. The lead Akshara has been now replaced by her daughter Naira, but unlike many other fiction shows that lose the plot over time, Yeh Rishta… shows how a long-running show is still possible in today’s age if you have a strong idea at the heart of it.

     

    3. Kaun Banega Crorepati (Sony)

    Sony brought back the iconic show in 2010, after a three-year gap since the previous season on Star Plus. I often wonder if KBC would have ever come back on air if Sony did not need a disruptive gamble to revive its dwindling GEC fortunes in 2010! But on air it was, and for eight seasons over the decade, all but one of which have been hugely successful. Every season brings with it something new, and yet, the idea of the family sitting together and watching KBC has remained intact. As has the show’s impeccable host, who exemplifies excellence in television hosting.

     

    2. Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah (Sab)

    The Asit Modi-produced show started off as a light family entertainer in 2008, and was initially dismissed as a “regional” success, given the heavy skew in its ratings from the Gujarat market. But over the decade, the show has managed to break this geographical barrier inch by inch, through its wholesome, family-inclusive and clean comedy. The show’s lead character Jethalal is also the most popular Hindi GEC character of the decade (Ormax Characters India Loves). Many comedy shows over the decade have attempted to recreate Taarak Mehta…’s success. But nothing has come even close. And that tells us how special this one has been.

     

    1. Comedy Night With Kapil (Colors) & The Kapil Sharma Show (Sony)

    If there was a title of the Person of the Year for the media & entertainment industry for this decade, Kapil Sharma would get my vote for it. By virtue of being a top comedian on Sony’s Comedy Circus, Sharma got his opportunity to get a show of his own, and that’s when his came into his own. Starry tantrums, co-star issues, channel issues and many other such controversies have come in the way, but Sharma has managed to stay afloat, and is back with renewed energy over the last year or so. May he have another decade, and more, of ruling the small screen. Because when it comes to comedy for the masses, he’s running a solo race.

     

     

  • Three years and more than 600 episodes later, Ekta Kapoor's Bade Achhe Lagte Hain bid goodbye to its audiences

    Shailesh Kapoor: Bade Achhe Lagte Thhe: A Goodbye

    By Shailesh Kapoor

     

    Circa May 2011. In a stressful television primetime, where most hit shows were either about “smart” women trying to adjust in a challenging household, or about social issues dominant in small-town and rural India, came Ekta Kapoor’s Bade Achhe Lagte Hain (BALH). Last night, three years and more than 600 episodes later, the show bid goodbye to its audiences.

     

    BALH’s premise, of late marriage between a couple as different as chalk and cheese, was only mildly unique. But as episodes unfolded, it was the treatment of the subject that captivated millions across India. The show provided a mix of ingredients that made for an irresistible offering: Imaginative lead casting, a well-etched out ensemble, assured performances, crackling chemistry between the leads, lavish yet tasteful production and a lightness of treatment that was striking in the middle of countless other shows that were beinghandled with a heavy hand.

     

    The results were instant. The show jumped to being one of the top shows on television within weeks of its launch, with blockbuster performance in the metropolitan markets. Audiences who had actively sworn off primetime Hindi fiction went back to it, and Ram-Priya, or RaYa as they are called on social media, were the talk of the town.

     

    In my book, BALH remains the most influential TV launch in the last decade, along with Balika Vadhu. (Co-incidentally, the title ‘Bade Achhe Lagte Hain’ is derived from a song from the film ‘Balika Badhu’!) Its impact on primetime television was evident in the way the proportion of ‘mind fresh’ (read light-hearted) content increased across channels. Happy moments and fun side-characters were incorporated even in serious subjects, to deliver to what was commonly referred to the industry in 2011-12 as ‘BALH audiences’.

     

    The show also did well for the careers of many of its cast, especially Ram Kapoor. He started getting important roles in films, though his latest and most significant outing (Humshakals) was an embarrassment on all counts. Sakshi Tanwar (Priya) has been the most prominent brand endorser from the television industry over the last three years. Sumona, who played Ram’s sister, bagged the prestigious role of ‘Kapil ki biwi’ in Comedy Nights With Kapil.

     

    Like many other successful shows, BALH overstayed its welcome. The first generation leap it took, in mid-2012, was the start of the descent, though the introduction of a new child character (Pihu) postponed the inevitable for a few weeks. But eventually, the show lost its audience, as it began to lose the very lightness of touch it initially won the audience’s hearts for. The farewell, hence, was only a foregone conclusion.The show ends to make way for Amitabh Bachchan’s Yudh.

     

    Yet, in its golden period that lasted about a year, BALH gave us many memorable moments, including a delightful honeymoon schedule in Australia. It also gave us the first real kiss on primetime television in India, an event that took the social media by storm, even as the audiences struggled to come to terms with the shock of seeing a lip-lock in the primetime.

     

    I can’t say I will miss Bade Achhe Lagte Hain, because that will need going back to 2012. But I hope we see more of its ilk – shows that can shape the future of primetime television in India for the better.

     

    Bade Achhe Lagte Thhe!

     

    TV Trails is a weekly column written by Shailesh Kapoor, founder and CEO of media insights firm Ormax Media. He spent nine years in the television industry before turning entrepreneur. The views expressed here are his own. He can be reached at his Twitter handle @shaileshkapoor

     

  • Will the KBC magic help MSM’s Man Jit and N P Singh turn kings of the Hindi GEC arena?

    Can Sony be GEC #1?

     

     

    By Dhara Salla

     

    It could well be time for Multi Screen Media CEO Man Jit Singh and COO N P Singh to get Sony Entertainment Television Channel to reach the numero uno spot. Sony has been giving a consistent performance over the past five weeks by being No 2 with 271 GRPs this week. With this success they plan to be No 1. Says Ms Sneha Rajani, Senior EVP and Business Head, SET, “It’s heartening to see the growth numbers and we are thrilled to see the amazing audience response to Sony.”

    SET is ahead of Colors with a difference of 52 GRPs and is coming close to the No 1 slot with a difference of 21 GRPs. SET remains on top in the primetime with 165 GRPs, leading by 27 GRPs over Star Plus which scored 137 GRPs. The four-day week primetime average is 153 GRPs, 17 GRPs better than the next best Colors with 133 GRPs.

    According to TAM data, Sony claims their dream run to continue with KBC being the No 1 show on Indian television with an average TRP of 5.4 followed by Bade Achhe Lagte Hain as the slot leader with 3.9 TRPs, Saas Bina Sasuraal averaging at 2.3, CID with 3.1, Crime Patrol at 3.2 and the recently launched Prayaschit averaging at 2.1 GRPs.

    Is Sony’s content beyond KBC now fully capable to lead them to the top spot? Mr Danish Khan, Senior Vice President, Marketing, SET, explains, “Our growth is not only because of KBC; it started before that and it is across all categories. KBC has definitely boosted the growth but other shows have also been on a continuous upward performance.” He further adds, “I can see a steady growth of the channel with the current lineup of shows and also adding to it our new show, Kuch Toh Log Kahenge.”

    What do industry pundits feel about Sony’s eye on the top spot? MXM finds out.

     

    Ms Anita Nayyar, CEO, MPG South Asia, says, “Yes definitely Sony can be on the number one position but for how long they sustain it is a questions to ask. Star has been there since ages and Colors had taken over but then Star took a great leap ahead of Colors again. Sony has proved that audiences can be won over with the content but for how long, that time will only tell.”

    Ms Anamika Mehta, COO, Lodestar UM, is in agreement with Ms Nayyar, “As we have seen in the last couple of years, positions change hands in the GEC war very often and a couple of good shows can play a significant role in the weekly ranks. Yes Sony is gearing towards the No 1 slot on the back of KBC’s mass appeal and a few other soaps that are favoured by the audiences. Among the top 10 programmes in the GEC space it’s a stiff fight amongst Sony, Star Plus, Colors. What’s working in Sony’s favour is KBC, the old favourite CID and Bade Achhe Lagte. And now with another prime time launch of the famous Dhoop Kinare in two weeks, Sony is a strong contender for the top slot. However what will be tough is to sustain the ratings and position once KBC goes off air and other players come up with their quarter lineup like Bigg Boss etc.”

    Mr Uday Mohan, Vice President, MPG, also feels that KBC is the winner as far as Sony is concerned: “Sony has adopted a very smart strategy of using KBC as a launch platform to introduce/ promote shows which are contextual and more relevant to urban Indians (shows like Bade Achhe Lagte Hain, Saas Bina Sasural). This seems like the current genre of interest and as long as Sony ensures that their other new shows also have the same level of freshness, they should be able to maintain this momentum.”

    After reaching this kind of success, the advertisers’ perspective has definitely changed, Ms Mehta says, “Sony with its programming (eg CID) always enjoyed a certain loyal audience base and therefore advertisers; however with KBC and the success of other soaps it will soon become a part of more media plans.”

    Mr Mohan remarks, “With the healthy numbers that Sony is currently showing, it will definitely be in the high-consideration set in the GEC space.”

    It certainly seems that Sony has set its sights on the top. The channel certainly seems unstoppable – whether it can sustain the momentum is still to be seen.

    File photograph of KBC4 launch by Fotocorp

    From l to r: N P Singh, Amitabh Bachchan, Man Jit Singh