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Tag: Bigg Boss

  • Looking from the managerial point of view, BiggBoss is a great learning workshop, writes Sanjeev Kotnala

    BiggBoss Season 11: Watch it for your advanced learning & entertainment

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    On September 30, while people were busy celebrating Dassera, I was watching Salman Khan at the ‘Bigg Boss 11’ set in Lonavala sending 18 contestants to the BiggBoss House, where everyone of them will try to be the last one to leave. Today, it is two days old.

    There is no point hiding my addiction and love for Bigg Boss. It is a perfect voyeuristic peep-in into an adventurous sports called life.

    This year is no different. The overpowering host commands an unasked for respect from participants. He tries to maintain house decorum and the balance by questioning actions, expressions and behaviour of the participants.

    You can’t fault the participants, who in the absence of any entertainment, information and newness endup tracking their daily activity by following the Azaan from the nearby mosque, the trains whistling by the Lonavala station and the position of the sun.

    This absence acts as a catalyst and instigator for all the games we watch on the show.

    Participants have to create their own time-wasters. There is nothing new other than the differential tasks they have to do or a wildcard entry bringing in news from outside. All of them are in the lookout for the possible double bluffs that BiggBoss can run. The team at Colors and Endemol Shine is busy devising new ones. This act of Salman Khan being a temporary neighbour (audiences don’t believe it!) is one such surprise. The push for the four Padosi (neighbours) to create and master the story that they themselves are to weave around them is loaded with interesting possibilities and high entertainment potential.

    One cannot discount housekeeping tasks. They are the prime source of irritation and fights among the group. The barter system of favours and obligation develops in no time. The situation is already ripe with open nomination in ‘BiggBoss Season 11’. Soon predictably trading of blames will be replaced with beeps in the telecast. Every possible emotion finds its expression in the house. You just have to watch and follow it.

    This is the ripe ground for perceptions, biases, polarity, expectations and disappointment triggering the staple diet of volatile interaction that most of BiggBoss followers wait and die for. Opening the house to the commoner has added a new dimension; however, the channel has failed to exploit it. The commoners themselves have a kind of complex and the celebrity an air of unfounded superiority.

    The fun is in playing the strategic game of human understanding. People in HR, marketing, strategy and direct people interaction should concentrate here.

    The participants, celebrity or the commoner (as called by the channel, and I hate it) are not known to most of us. Definitely, we cannot claim to know them inside out, though we have our own perceptions that get further strengthened or weakened during the show, new ideas take shape, and we re-establish benchmarks. Our favourites change by episode and on the weekend show.

    If you watch it religiously which I believe you should, there is fun in knowing how well one can read the churn of a fluid social lab called the BiggBoss House. For example, if you were to recruit one of them, who will it be? Which participant can best replace you in the organisation? Don’t forget to provide your flimsy reasons for it. Remember BiggBoss always wants to know why. With which participant will you want to go out for a coffee? Play this as an icebreaker or a way to understand your teams. In fact, the channel if they want- can start an outside poll for this and even arranges to meet the participants in the activity area.

    The participant mix is standard. The teams need to think of the future possibilities in Indian context. The possibilities in the construct of the house, staying arrangements, newness of tasks, possible heightening glamour quotient across gender, punishment and the voting system are a hygiene factor. One is yet to see really disruptive creative thinking in the programme. I will be happy if the team soon proves me wrong.

    Every participant promises to remain true to himself or herself, be open in their conversations and being a no-nonsense person with dignity! My experience of 10 seasons says none of them will be able to maintain it- other than possibly Hiten and Hina Khan. It is being human. Just like me wishing to see the house from inside.

    The creative team is the indirect instigator of interaction between the participants. The opening night ‘Padosi Aarahey Bajane Baraha’ is an indication of the intent. However, at the end of the day, it is individuals who must decide how they will respond to the triggers. BiggBoss is where theory and practical class happen simultaneously.

    The fun is in taking stance and putting your judgement in line. Fun is in watching and correcting your choices and alignments. Fun is in reading and sometime reacting to the uncalled comments made the followers on social platforms. It is a space to study growth of with time and action. It is interesting to see how it soars, stabilises and dips. The fan club swiftly coming into existence on strong personal, cultural and regional lines. I would love to collaborate in a study that can focus on this aspect of BiggBoss.

    Looking from the managerial point of view, BiggBoss is a great learning workshop. The 90 cameras continuously capture every movement, but most of the audience take the purposive selected superbly edited 60 minutes of feed to base their judgement. There are few who watch the live feed too.

    Is it an apt representation of managerial problems? There is always a dearth of information and yet decisions have to be made, sides need to be taken and reaction needs to be served. There is no sound, camera, and action in the house. You only hear ‘Cut’ when you are being evicted from the house. Till them – the act must go on. Tune in at 1030 PM on weekdays and 9 PM on the weekend. Free classes for everyone on Colors TV. Do share your comments with #BiggBoss11 or #BB11 and converse with me on twitter at S_kotnala

    Meanwhile, I remain satisfied being a fan than a participant. Don’t think, the channel will call me after the brilliant experience at the last year auditions. Maybe this is one adventure I may miss out in. But then one can always hope….

     

    P S:Do watch out for Akash Anil Dadlani, Hina Khan (saved from the nomination by the padosi– a great plus), Hiten Tejwani, Sabyasachi Satpathy, Sapna Choudhary and Shivani Durga. I think Arshi Khan and Bandgi Kalra, both nominated by padosi and not the housemates have started their stay on a wrong foot. I predict that Benafesha Soonawala, Luv Tyagi, Priyank Sharma, Shilpa Shinde (Nominated), Puneesh Sharma and Vikas Gupta will fail to live to expectations. And finally, unless they have some unexplored magic; Jyoti Kumari (Nominated), Lucinda Nicholas, Mehjabi Siddiqui and Zubair Khan (Nominated) will be lost in no time. Bet on Akash Anil Dadlani, Arshi Khan, Benafesha Soonawala, Mehjabi Siddiqui and Sabyasachi Satpathy to deliver entertainment.

     

    Sanjeev Kotnala is a senior marketing and strategy consultant, and an educator. The views here are his own.

  • The show will air on weekdays at 10.30pm and on weekends at 9pm

    Colors to start Season 11 of Bigg Boss on Oct 1 on

    By A Correspondent

     

    The promos have been on air for a few weeks, the social media and television press have been talking about it for a while, and so there was no real surprise that Salman Khan continues as host of Season 11 of mega reality show Bigg Boss. The show launches on Colors on October 1. It will air at 10.30pm Monday through Friday and on weekends at 9pm.

     

    The show details – save the names of the inmates – were revealed to the media in makeshift hangar created at the Tarapore Garden society in the heart of the television software production district in North West Mumbai. The presser happening in a housing complex was in line with the neighbourhood theme of the season.

     

    Billing it as the biggest reality show on Indian television, Raj Nayak, COO, Viacom18 was excited with the launch and the continuing patronage of its sponsors – Appy Fix, Oppo phones and CP Plus security devices. “We are happy to strengthen our partnership with Parle Agro’s Appy Fizz and Oppo Camera Phones for this season as the presenting and powered by sponsors respectively,” he said.

     

    “Voting this year will happen exclusively through Voot,” Nayak said on the sidelines of the media unveiling, adding: “This year has been wonderful for Colors with unique propositions like India Banega Manch and Rising Star and another successful season of Khatron Ke Khiladi.”

     

    Meanwhile it was a big thumbs up from the sponsors of the show, and host Salman Khan in his inimitable style did his bit to boost the equity of the three present. Said Nadia Chauhan, Joint Managing Director and Chief Marketing Officer – Parle Agro: “Bigg Boss, as a property, only seems to be getting bigger and better with every season.  Our association has not only helped us to cement a significant market position but also to create several innovative brand propositions.” This is the second year Appy Fizz has been presenting sponsor of the show.

     

    Will Yang, Brand Director, Oppo India, “This is our fourth year with Bigg Boss P’owered By’ sponsorship. We have continued our association as the results have been tremendous and the recall amongst our target audience has been remarkable. We believe this year’s alliance will create more buzz and reach out to more audience which is Young and Fashionable as our brand”

     

    Talking about the security of the Bigg Boss house, Yogesh B Dutta, COO – CP PLUS added: “CP PLUS is excited to be an integral part of the Bigg Boss house by Intelligently securing the show this time. This is our third consecutive year of participation with the reality show. “

     

    On the innovations that the show has lined up this year, Manisha Sharma, Programming Head – Colors said: “After the success of the last season with a common man taking the crown, this season we are adding another layer to the theme by giving the housemates ‘padosis’ for company. There are quite a few exciting and innovative elements like an ‘aakhara’ and a ‘kalkothri’. Viewers will be thrilled to see the way these spaces are going to be used.  You will also see Salman Khan in a new avatar in terms of a host. For the first time ever Salman will move around in the Bigg Boss neighbourhood and will be staying alongside the contestants.”

     

    Commenting on the format of the show, Deepak Dhar, Managing Director & CEO, Endemol Shine India said, “Last season, we experimented with a new format and put the commoners and celebrities inside the Bigg Boss house, which created history. This season we will add another interesting spin to the drama with the introduction of a ‘Padosi’. The journey gets more fascinating this year when the contestants face unpredictable situations, which will add to the entertainment factor that the franchise is synonymous with.”

     

  • … says CEO and MD Deepak Dhar in a freewheeling interview

    There’s more to Endemol than Bigg Boss & Khatron Ke Khiladi…

     

    While fiction shows have ensured the continuing success of general entertainment channel Colors, a significant contributing factor to its staying top-of-mind of viewers through the years is the popularity of reality shows Bigg Boss and KhatronKeKhiladi. While the new season for KKK is currently on, the announcements for Bigg Boss have started. The owners of both the format is EndemolShine India and CEO and Managing Director Deepak Dhar has been anintegral part of the global software major for the last 11 years after spending nine-odd years at Star India and MTV. Excerpts from a conversation.

     

    We are in the eighth season of KhatronKeKhiladi, and the 11th season of Bigg Boss is on the anvil. Given that general entertainment channels reflect popular cultureand if this popular culture reflects the times we live in, how would you say have things changed, from the firstKhatronkeKhiladiwith Akshay Kumar to Rohit Shetty now…

    We found a partner who was ready to take a position back in those days, and wanted to do stuff that the market was not ready to do, and we really created a market out of that, and those days it was Rajesh Kamatand AshwiniYardi. I used to be Rajesh’s deputy and I have had a fantastic equation with him. He said he needs a show from you and I assured him I would come back with an idea. So the following Monday or Tuesday made a pitch and a presentation.

    The channel was not even launched, there was nothing called Colors, there was no logo, there was no look-style-feel, and I went sat across the table, with Ashwini and Rajesh, and said I’ve got Fear Factor. And they said everybody has seen it on AXN, how does it become primetime 9 o’clock? Rajesh said he wanted something spectacular.

    I told him I have a different take on Fear Factor, so he asked me what it was. And I said it’s an all-female version of Fear Factor, so they said okay, and then Ashwini got a little exited and said:Tell Me More. So I said imagine what my mother or my masi is thinking while watching the show and saying ‘dekhoaajkalkiaurateinkya-kyakarrahinhain’. That was the thought and they kind of loved it. This was taking a usual route but in a very unconventional way.

     

    So how have things changed from then to now. Has your value system changed with the show being bolder now?

    Yes, with every season, things have gotten bolder, especially in Bigg Boss we have introduced a lot of tricks and things. There are some who have loved them, and there are a few who havn’t, but the TG really loves it. Like for instance when we put Sunny Leone in the house at one point of time and everybody was shocked and surprised. A show like Big Brother Bigg Bossalways throws up a lot of surprises – like we had Dolly Bindra and we also had the Great Indian Khali.

     

    And you had Jade Goody in Season 2

    Yeah, that was the headline story of the day. With ShilpaShetty as the anchor, and everyone wondered if Shilpawould do to Jade what she did unto her. But of course Shilpa took the ‘AtithiDevoBhavo’ route and and that was like super-energy, great storytelling at its peak.

     

    Now there’s Salman Khan…

    Yes, Salman Bhai is so emotionally invested in the property. He really plays the producer of the show. He loves something and he dislikes something, and he makes something, and to an extent he would go and say, this is the last season of the show, now I am pretty tired of the show, and we kept it the way it is. Because we really don’t want to script the show. I don’t know what he is going to say next, he might bash me (laughs).

     

    He ensures the buzz every season…

    The buzz starts the fact on whether Salman is doing it or not doing it and then who are the people who are going to be in the house. There are lot of people who self-proclaim they are going to be in the house. And the feeling when we produce it is that this could well be your neighbour’s house from 9-10pm or 10.30-11.30pm, whatever be the time slot.

     

    Although Endemol does a lot of content through the year, but it’s known essentially for Bigg Boss, KhatronKeKhiladi

    It’s not a compliment at all and while I would love to believe it’s a compliment, but it’s not a compliment, because we do so much outside of that. Big Brother is also such a big project at a global level for us and in India too it is such a big property now. It has gone to regional markets as well – Kannada, Bangla and Tamil with Kamal Haasan Sir as the host.

     

    We have seen that in the past that Amitabh Bacchan had come in too and while he did create a buzz, he didn’t fit in very well. Was that in the back of your mind with Kamal Haasan.

    No, not really, Kamal Hassan Siris as wicked and wacko as Salmanis really pushing us as well.

     

    How much is the pressure on you to offer new, out-of-the-box solutions. Like Colors came up with Rising Stars which took music reality shows to another level. How much do broadcasters push for your innovations?

    The pressure is enormous. Because you know everybody is trying to build a big idea, but having said that, every now and then we pull a rabbit out of the bag, and we manage to do something.

     

    And how about a Made in India format?

    So many years back (and we will come back with that very soon), we created the Great Indian Laughter challenge, which was something as disruptive, but at the same time very primetime, holistic family viewing kind of thing. It was the first time many men came to watch television and it was such a runaway success and after that the entire genre of comedy opened up.

     

    But these days laughter shows aren’t quite family, right?

    Yeah, now people forget that while pushing boundary or evolving you still want to keep it family.Having said that, we want to go back to the conventional standup comedy.

     

    So will there be an Endemol India format that you could take abroad?

    There will be soon.A lot of energy, work and thrust in the development pipeline is on that. So I feel there we might take again possibly a very unconventional route, maybe we will look at fiction to travel abroad, because you know internationally people are now wanting stories that feel earthy. Given the way Dangal and Bahubali caught everybody’s fascination internationally, and not just the Indian diaspora, there’s a learning there.

     

    And fiction is what you have gotten into, right after the funding came in but that has not grown as much as one thought it would?

    Well I would say yes, and no, but the pressure has been there almost every year, to deliver one or two things, can we go from one or two to three to four. I mean that’s the learning curve for us, right now we have got fantastic show called the Test Case, that is something as disruptive as it could be, and that has been a fantastic opportunity. So every year we do a couple of shows which are very-very disruptive and the market may not pick it up, but we find it as an opportunity.

     

    Do you OTT is possibly the next big platform for disruptions?

    I think so, given the way the landscape has changed, a lot of people will go there, and we are also thinking of engaging with digital audience.For instance, I got a call from Voot, and they said give us something on Fear Factor. A year back, I didn’t think I would get that kind of a call.

     

    While most of your revenues may be from television right now, do you think that could skew in future?

    I am not seeing skewing but amplifying and contributing at a very healthy rate, and in the next two years, we have also projected some growth in various segments of ours.

     

    What could be the kind of projection?

    I think it will double or triple up in that space, because the number of platforms that are coming up.

     

    So in double digits?

    Yeah, because the amount of content that the new platforms  are looking at… because you are not programming for just one slot, or one or two weekend slots across 13 episodes.They are looking at, say, 30 hour of content from Endemol, or anybody else. And that’s an opportunity for us…

     

    What about regional television? How has that been growing for you?

    Outside of Hindi primetime entertainment, the next big contributor to us, is regional, and there are six different markets there. So if you crack three of those markets, you are really well ahead of the game. We are the only producers who operate in all the languages, and we operate across genres, non-fiction to fiction, within non-fiction also, all the segments we operate in, so for us, the opportunity immediately multiplies, and amplifies, and that is where it.

    Bigg Boss, for instance, has gone from Hindi to Kannada, Bangla and Tamil and we will add a few more languages towards the end of this year. Then there’s this show called ‘Deal or No Deal’ which didn’t do well in Hindi, but has been a big success down south for Sun TV in all the foursouthern languages, with more than 500 episodes. So that was a big regional success for us. Also  a big success has been Million Dollar Minute, so right now we are doing it  in three languages, we have actually loved a lot of these.

    Is English a big frontier for you? And what else?

    Well, it is a little slow there, but I see things opening up maybe on the OTT side. Outside of regional we do a lot in the youth and lifestyle spaces, because that’s one big market for us – Nat Geo, Fox Life, History, MTV.Scripted is fairly strong and big for us, and as is regional, but it would be interesting for you to know that last year we actually produced Big Brother China in India, on our facilities, and who would have thought a Chinese version of China outsourcing to India. I have actually seen people in the house having roti and sabzi with chopsticks, and I was amazed at the way we got that show together…

     

    There’s of course the regular Hindi entertainment content… anything new there?

    Bigg Boss, KhatronkeKhiladi, MasterChef is another big one and waiting to go into various other languages. Food is such a territorial thing in India, and everybody loves to show their food and their kitchen, so MasterChef is one. KhatronKeKhiladi will also now go into other Indian languages. We have exploited Big Brother, Deal or No Deal, Million Dollar Drop, Minute to Win It… I mean there are others that are now waiting to explode into other markets. Many years back when Rajesh was here, I had told him: Sir, let us go regional and he said there is no money there, we might not even recover our flight costs. I said we will just go, and we went on well ahead of time, and really built that capability.

     

    A show that may have disappointed you? Something that you were backing hugely, but it did not work?

    I did a show called Yudh, and we were really emotionally invested in that show, but it just didn’t fire at all. I don’t know why, we thought it got it all covered up, with legendary MrAmitabh Bachchan. It was great story, a very family drama, but I think the learning out there was that maybe it was too dark.

     

    Huge expectations given there was Amitabh Bachchan, I guess

    Maybe it was an OTT kind-of a show, and not a primetime TV show.

     

    Possibly the channel at that point of time was not right?

    Yeah, possible. So that was something in which I had personally invested a lot of energy into it, to get that going, but having said that these are learnings

     

    With the going so good on most fronts, is there something that worries you? Anything that gives you sleepless nights?

    I would say two things that really worry me are unhappy clients if any and the next big idea. The clients need to be happy with the content or the way we are going about it, and the fact is that one constantly loses sleep thinking of the next big idea. It might be an idea which may not work, but I am constantly dreaming of ideas all the time. These are also the two things which keep me going. For us the fun part is we are the kitchen of a restaurant, a lot of things are being tried and tested. Many things work, somedon’t, but the fun part is we are constantly rolling up our sleeves to get something going.

     

    And if you are in the kitchen you should be ready to face the heat?

    Absolutely, all the time the pressure in terms of revenue pressures, the external rating pressure, you know what is the next big ground you are breaking, I mean it’s hot in here, but it’s very exciting…

     

  • The success of commoners in Season 10 could well see the standout reality show be not driven by celebs, writes Shailesh Kapoor

    An ‘Uncommon’ Bigg Boss Season

     

    By Shailesh Kapoor

     

    For a decade, now, Bigg Boss has been the standout reality show in the Indian TV space, especially for its differentiation. Almost every other non-fiction show we have seen in India is about “talent” of some kind or the other, dominated by singing, dancing and comedy. Also, all such shows are aired on the weekend. Bigg Boss, when on air (about 15-16 weeks every year), has at least seven hours of original content every week, twice more than any other non-fiction show and more than any fiction show too.

     

    The Bigg Boss brand has huge traction in the online community and among the advertisers. It provides for product placements and integrations in a way that’s natural to the format. It also has immense talk value, fueling organic press coverage around it.

     

    Yet, the ratings have not been easy to come by. Colors, who have aired nine of the 10 seasons, have tried every possible slot. But there’s an evident upper limit to how much a show that is essentially metro-skewed and not exactly family-inclusive can deliver. The format has seen its own share of innovations over the years in the attempt to boost the ratings. While some of these have helped, the larger picture is that Bigg Boss has acquired the status of a “cult niche show” over time, with a relatively small but diehard fan base.

     

    This season, which culminates on Sunday, January 29, saw a bold attempt by the channel and the producers (Endemol Shine) to disrupt the format more significantly than ever before. The season featured commoners (called ‘Indiawaale’) along with celebrities. This well-thought decision (call-for-entries promos broke a year ago at the end of Season 9) was a brave gamble to play. If they lost even a part of a niche loyal audience base, it would have meant an abrupt spiral downwards.

     

    But that didn’t happen. The season started weak, and hovered around the rating levels of Season 9, which itself was not a high scorer, in the same 10.30pm slot, which faces a challenge given the abrupt drop in TV viewership in India 11pm onwards.

     

    But somewhere in the middle of this season, the numbers began to look up. The one week when host Salman Khan said he will not blame the audiences if they changed the channel during the show, because the way a particular housemate (one Priyanka Jagga) was conducting herself was repulsive, was ironically the start of the minor but significant upswing. Over the last month, the show has settled at a rating level that’s about 20% higher than Season 9.

     

    The presence of commoners did not provide the pull factor initially. But as the season progressed, some of them emerged stronger and more watchable than the celebrities in the house. The raw passion to give it their all seemed to be the point of difference. Over the last three-four seasons, celebrities in the show have played the guessing game, trying to out-think the producers on their next move. There has been too much “this will show on the cameras” talk, which can confuse, even disillusion, viewers.

     

    But most commoners did not bring any of that baggage, of maintain or nurturing an image, with them. Over the first six weeks of the show, Bani Judge (popular as VJ Bani) was the most popular housemate on the show on Ormax Characters India Loves. In the second half of the show, Manu Punjabi took that position from her briefly, before it passed on to another commoner, ManveerGurjar.

     

    This shift in popularity balance coincided with the increase in ratings. There is high chance that Gurjar could win this season, though Bani and he are close contenders for the title. But irrespective of whether he wins or finishes second best, he, along with Punjabi, have set the template for the show for the coming years. They have given the makers the confidence that it can be a show driven by the commoners. Some celebrities may be needed, at least for the next few years, but over time, it can even be a commoners-only show.

     

    This helps the production cost significantly. It also makes running the show easier, with celebrities, some of them merely so, bringing their own share of problems with them. And if these benefits come with additional ratings, it’s a masterstroke.

     

    Will Season 11 push the envelope even further? We will know in due course of time.

     

  • There have been rumours that Salman Khan was being re-considered for the endorsement given the need for a younger star like Ranveer Singh

    Salman will not endorse Thums Up any longer

    By A Correspondent

     

    Salman Khan will no longer be endorsing Thums Up. On Wednesday evening, the Coca-Cola India, owners of the Thums Up brand, and Salman Khan issued a joint statement noting: Salman Khan was committed to an existing relationship with a daily TV show, which this year happens to be sponsored by a brand that competes with the Coca-Cola India product portfolio In light of this, both parties have mutually decided not to renew their current contract.

     

    There have been rumours that Salman Khan was being re-considered for the endorsement given the need for a younger star like Ranveer Singh.

     

    The rival brand that the Coca-Cola India statement hints at is Appy Fizz which is one of the key sponsors of Bigg Boss, the nightly reality show on general entertainment channel Colors.

  • Snapdeal, OPPO smartphones and Maruti Swift are key sponsors of the show that will now air at 10.30pm Monday through Friday and at 9pm on weekends

    It’s Salman Khan again on ninth edition of Bigg Boss

    By A Correspondent

     

    India’s biggest reality show, , is getting set for its ninth edition. Set to premiere on on Colors on October 11, Bigg Boss Nau will see Salman Khan play host again. While the opening show will air at 9pm, the subsequent airings on weekdays (Monday through Friday) will be at 10.30pm and on weekends at 9pm.

     

    Even before the unveil of the show, the channel has roped in sponsors Snapdeal, OPPO Mobiles, Maruti Swift, Garnier Men Powerlight, CP Plus CCTV Cameras etc.

     

    Speaking about the show, Raj Nayak, CEO – COLORS, said, “The brand Bigg Boss today has transcended television screens and has become a phenomenon engaging kids and families to artists and musicians, sportstars, movie stars, fashion designers, social media mavens and even the nation drivers. This is the show where stars are made. With a volley of inimitable personalities even this year, Bigg Boss Nau is going to enhance family viewing with the promise of double entertainment. We once again welcome Snapdeal and OPPO on-board as sponsors for the second season in a row along with Maruti Swift. And of course, megastar Salman Khan who has become synonymous with Bigg Boss as the host for the sixth season.”

     

    I Srinivas Murthy, Senior Vice President Marketing Snapdeal, said, “Big Boss is only getting bigger and better with every season. We are very excited to partner with Big Boss Nau and look forward to great response from the viewers this season too.”

     

    Said Mike Wang, CEO, OPPO Mobiles India: “We are pleased to renew our association with the immensely popular show Bigg Boss this season.  There is no platform better that entertainment in India and we wish the show a huge success.”

     

    In his inimitable style, superstar Salman Khan who will host the show for the sixth time said, “This season with Double Trouble being the flavour, the contestants have no choice but to double up and face the trouble, or remain disconnected and invite trouble!”

     

    Revealing what Bigg Boss Nau contestants will be in for, Manisha Sharma, Programming Head – COLORS said, “The return of Bigg Boss each year marks the return of the ‘family viewing nights’ for the viewers. The addition of the show at 10.30 pm along with our other thriving prime time properties will only bolster the viewership further on Colors.”

     

  • With a lot riding on the megastar – some 10 national brands and some films, the May 8 decision will be the decider

    Will Brand Salman lose sheen post conviction?

     

    By Ratna Bhushan & Nandini Raghavendra

     

    Almost all brands that Salman Khan endorses have started looking for ways to limit or withdraw their association with the Bollywood superstar soon after the Bombay High Court sentenced him to five years in jail for ‘culpable homicide’ in a 2002 hit-and-run incident.

     

    Khan, one of the most popular actors in the country, endorses about 10 national brands including Thums Up cola, Suzuki two-wheelers, HUL’s Wheel detergent, energy capsule Revital and online travel firm Yatra.com. He has over  Rs 200 crore riding on him and is known to charge Rs 4-5 crore a day for endorsements. While the court granted the 49-year-old actor two days’ interim bail late in the day, it is seen as only a temporary reprieve. “If on May 8, Salman does go to jail, we will certainly begin withdrawing television commercials and outdoor hoardings,” said an official of a top brand that Khan endorses.

     

    Atul Kasbekar, promoter of celebrity management firm Bling Entertainment that represents Sonam Kapoor and Farhan Akhtar, said, “Almost all endorsement contracts include riders that if either the celebrity or the brand does something unacceptable, the contract can be terminated. Either the brand can terminate the contract or the celebrity can decide to end the contract – it works both ways.”

     

    The court on Wednesday found Khan guilty of culpable homicide, saying he was driving under the influence of alcohol in a 2002 run-over accident that killed a man sleeping on the pavement. For most brands Khan is their most visible and expensive ambassador, and his sentencing will force most of them to completely change their advertising plans. Thums Up, for example, will have to withdraw Khan’s advertising just in the peak beverage season of summer months. A spokesperson of Coca-Cola, which owns Thums Up, said, “We hold the court verdict in the highest regard. We are evaluating the next steps.” Thums Up’s contract with Khan ends next year and it is most unlikely to renew the contract Spokespersons of HUL and Sun Pharma-owned Revital declined comment on whether they would continue their association with Khan. Suzuki couldn’t be reached for comment.

     

    The CEO of a top talent management firm said, “There’s no way that multinational brands could continue with a convicted person. These firms are also answerable to their international teams and contracts clearly spell out clauses under which anyone with questionable conduct has to be dropped.”

     

    ‘Bigg Boss’, the reality television show that Khan hosts on Colors channel, could also see a new host, an official close to the production house said. Khan has been hosting the show for the last five seasons and the viewership his presence got for the channel saw his asking price rise from  Rs 30 crore when he began in 2010 to Rs 50 crore or more. “The channel could very likely to change the host, post the verdict,” said the official.

     

    Salman Khan Ventures and Eros International’s Bajrangi Bhaijaan and Fox Star Studios and Sooraj Barjatiya’s Prem Ratan Dhan Payo are to be released this year.

     

    Khan also has an exclusive deal with Star TV for the satellite rights of all his films for five years starting from 2013. So far, Khan has only done two films – Jai Ho and Kick – since this deal was signed for approximately  Rs 450-500 crore. If Khan goes to jail, he stands to lose a hefty part of that deal since he might not be doing any other films in the said period.

     

    Shares of Mandhana Industries, which has the global licence to design, market and distribute Khan’s Being Human clothing brand and charity foundation, tanked as much as 4.1% in intraday trade. “Given that Salman has huge following, there is every likelihood that the business will continue to grow,” said Manish Mandhana, MD at Mandhana Industries. Industry sources said smaller brands that Khan endorses, such as PN Gadgil jewellers and Dixcy Scot innerwear, are likely to continue with him. Other small brands associated with Khan include Astral Pipes, Image eyewear and Splash Fashions.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

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

    Licensed to republish

     

  • Saath 7 is the new tagline of the show as promos on for Salman Khan-hosted reality show

    Colors gets act together for Bigg Boss Season 7 with Salman Khan as host

    By A Correspondent

     

    Over the last six years, Bigg Boss has earned the reputation of being Indian television’s biggest reality show. It’s the most controversial and creates a buzz like no other TV programme, is huge in terms of scale and resources deployed and there is an effort made to raise the bar every year.

     

    Leading general entertainment channel Colors has announced Season 7 of Bigg Boss, unveiling a glimpse of what is in store with Salman Khan as host yet again.

     

    The concept planned is of ‘Heaven or Hell’ with the megastar seen in the guise of an angel personifying the pleasures of heaven, as well as in the garb of a devil, representing the negative world of hell.

     

    Speaking on the promos, Rajesh Iyer, Marketing Head, Colors said: “The message is simple – pleasure or pain, both are inevitable and there is nothing to be taken for granted this season.”

     

    The television campaign has been created by Orchard Advertising in association with Prashant Issar of Tubelight Films. It comprises a series of creatives with fun stories enacted by Salman on the theme of the show this season.  Said Hemant Kumar Sivan, Executive Creative Director, Orchard Advertising on the effort: “We worked with the simple truth of life that, Heaven and Hell are of man’s own making. It all depends on how one deals with what life has to offer.”

     

    To add to the fun element, the promo lines have been improvised by Salman himself as he says ‘By God’ in his inimitable style

     

    There have been rumours of the actor being paid Rs 5 crore per episode, but sources close to the channel say that the actual amount is not even close to that figure. Industry sources suggest the amount is more in the region of a crore and each episode will be shot live on Friday. But what if Salman is indicted in the 2002 Mumbai car accident case (popularly referred to as the hit-and-run case, but Salman and his family strongly contest the reference saying he did not run away)? The actor’s camp is hopeful that he will not be indicted.

     

    The format stays the same with 14 strangers in the house over 90 days and captured by 70 cameras in the Bigg Boss house.

     

  • With KBC travelling to several Indian states and Bigg Boss following suit, regional adapts of popular Hindi shows seems to be a trend.

    Reality goes Regional… and how!

     

    By Ananya Saha

     

    Kaun Banega Crorepati might have been adapted from the international Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, but that is not where the adaptations stop. Suvarna TV, the Kannada general entertainment channel, has adapted the reality show into Kannadada Kotyadhipati, Vijay TV in Tamil Nadu has a version in Neengalum Vellalam Oru Kodi, and so does Asianet, which has the Malayalam version of KBC – Ningalkkum Aakaam Kodeeswaran. ETV Marathi has launched the Marathi adaptation recently. And it is not only KBC. Bigg Boss was recently launched on ETV Kannada and an announcement has been made for a Bangla variant of the show with Mithun Chakraborty as host. Many reality shows in the past have been adapted into regional languages and channels, and the trend seems set to grow.

    MxMIndia spoke to industry professionals for their view on regional adaptations of reality shows.

     

    Dhruv Jha, GM- Content & Experiences, Lodestar UM

    The regional adaptations do well, and they open well. It is to do more because of the kind of buzz that is generated on national scale – they are able to replicate it in some manner, and then it’s more like ‘we are not far behind’ and ‘if you can have a Bigg Boss, so can we’. And there is an aspirational level at the state and regional level that the channels also feel ‘our stars also deserve a Bigg Boss’. I believe the initial ratings were good, though I am not sure of the ratings now.

     

    I am sure that there are brands buying into it. If initial TRPs are generated, if there is a buzz, then regional adaptations are able to monetize. Strong national brands that are strong regionally, they are able to look at this option. I know of brands who are looking at AFP (advertiser funded programming) model and they are looking at programming in region – if it the format that is going to work, then there will be brands investing into it.

     

    All said and done, most of the reality shows on national GECs are also adaptations. Truly adapted, it can be as good – in any language or market. And the channel or programme would have to consider local culture, sensitivity and sensibilities while adapting.

     

    Anuj Poddar, AVP and Business Head – Regional Channels, Viacom18

    KBC is a proven format that continues to be successful; audiences have not tired of watching six seasons in Hindi. So why should the Marathi audience (even if they have watched it before in Hindi) not watch KHMC when it is tailormade for them? Format shows are adapted all the time, across the world, across regions.

     

    But let me also give you a specific fiction example: “Uttaran” from Colors has been remade as “Asava Sundar Swapnancha Bangla”. For that I asked the team to answer 2 questions: “How will we make it different enough and more relevant so that viewers who have seen the Colors version will yet watch the remake on ETV Marathi?” and “How will we make it as similar or true to the original Colors version so that the elements that made it work in the first place are not lost in the remake?” We made sure we had the answer to both these questions and a healthy balance on both these seemingly opposite aspects. If you get that right then the viewers will come. And if the viewers come, the advertisers will follow.

     

    KHMC (Kon Hoeel Marathi Crorepati) is completely tailored for the Marathi audience. The questions, while being based on overall general knowledge, are inclined towards the culture and history of the Maharashtrian heartland. Our objective with this show is to also create awareness of the rich heritage and history of this Maha – Rashtra amongst people. The contestants are naturally Marathi-speaking people. The auditions have been done across Maharashtra. So in every way, the show is adapted to the regional audience. Having said that, the grandeur and the magic of the original format is all there – no compromises on that!

     

    The KHMC format is hugely back-end intensive. I must admit that before getting into it I did not realise how much logistical work goes into the show. And what we have achieved is probably the fastest ever mounting of this format so far, because we had a specific time-window that we had to catch. So my full compliments to my team and to Big Synergy for having pulled this off. The challenge of course is that such formats come with well-established quality benchmarks that the audience expects – if you compromise on that, they would feel cheated. And yet, the resources available to a regional channel are fewer than to a national channel – so it is a tight balancing act. Having said that, I am confident that the Marathi and other regional markets will scale up further.

     

    Harneet Singh Rajpal, Vice-President – Marketing, Domino’s Pizza India

    For any brand, particularly a mass brand that is present across the country, it is very important to have a regional connect. While presence on national television gives a wider reach across the country, to engage a consumer at a regional level it makes sense to advertise on regional properties, especially for the brands that have regional presence through regional channels on the shows that have been adapted and already follow on the success of national shows.

     

    Domino’s spends close to 20 percent of our total media and television ad budget on regional channels. This would mean the 7-8 markets that we are present in.

     

    Anilkumar Sathiraju, AVP & Head South, DDB Mudra Max

    The adaptations of big ticket shows are being accepted by many, be it audience or advertiser for that matter and the response is, in my opinion, a positive one. Not sure about whether the channel is able to make profits, but yes, they are investing heavily and the channel dependence on that particular show is becoming very critical and important

     

    Challenges as such that the show should be accepted by the audience regionally/locally, else its no point, cos it might just not work. Therefore channels are obviously looking at what kind of content appeals to the local audiences and thereon adapting the same

     

    KBC in Tamil did ‘average’ in 1st season, later on seasons it’s doing pretty ok. In Malayalam, KBC did quite well, in Karnataka it was a bigger success than Tamil Nadu. May be it’s because the audiences were used to a personality such as Big B that nobody else was accepted. In today’s scenario if you look at what a Big Boss has done in Karnataka, we have something to talk about. The original Big Boss in Hindi was accepted anyways but when it came to adapting it to Kannada, initially am sure people couldn’t accept it, but now the program as such is doing well in the market place.

     

  • The Kannada version of Bigg Boss netted 6.3 TVR on eviction day on ETV

    Bigg Boss scores high on ETV Kannada

    By A Correspondent

     

    ETV Kannada’s Bigg Boss that has Kiccha Sudeep as host has opened with a 6.3 TVR on the eviction day over the weekend. It has maintained an average TVR of 4.4 for the week. With Bigg Boss, ETV Kannada has strengthened its position this week by witnessing a 46% growth and touched 279 GRPs, the highest the channel has touched in the last three years.

     

    Talking about this development, ETV Kannada Programming Head – Parameshwar Gundkal said, “Pitching a show such as Bigg Boss in the competitive 8pm prime time slot against other big format shows was a risk, but we are very happy that the risk has paid off very well. Bigg Boss as a format encapsulates entertainment as it is the perfect blend of emotions, drama and unscripted reality. Sudeep has a strong fan following and has brought in a lot of mass appeal and energy to the show keeping the audience enthralled. With a spectacular opening for the show, we hope to keep the graph growing as the season unfolds.”

     

    Commenting on the TRPs, the host of the show, Southern superstar Sudeep said, “I do not give much importance to the TRPs but I am thrilled by the response that the show has garnered. Most important and encouraging is the fact that we have been able to connect with our audience and keep them captivated”

     

    Deepak Dhar

    Deepak Dhar, Managing Director, Endemol India further elaborated saying, “Bigg Boss is one of our most successful shows that has been appreciated globally. The response we have received from the Kannada audiences with our first foray into the regional space is very encouraging. We hope to continue having our audience hooked for the rest of the season as well”.

     

    Produced by Endemol India Private Limited, Bigg Boss Kannada has 14 celebs like Arun Sharma, Narendra Babu Sharma, Chandrika etc who will be locked in a house… just like Bigg Boss in Hindi on Colors.

     

  • If the team desires a continued, healthy run of this Big Brother clone, they need to be very picky in their choice of housemates, writes Anil Thakraney

    Anil Thakraney: Gh***a Alag Chhe!

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    I cannot claim ownership of the headline to this article, though wish I could. This is the crisp and to-the-point response from my tapori pal from Colaba, when asked of his views on Bigg Boss Season 6, which (mercifully) ended last week. Yes, it was that bad.

     

    Now, I am aware the show is targeted at the low brow audiences, but that’s no excuse for packing in ultra dull people inside the madhouse. This season’s collection was an all-time low, a group of completely uninteresting and unappealing participants. My guess is the producer and the channel suspected this to be the case along the way, and in a desperate last act, dispatched the totally lunatic Imam Siddiqui to this horrible party, to salvage some viewership. In fact, had it not been for this loon, the show would have been a complete disaster.

     

    If the team desires a continued, healthy run of this Big Brother clone, they need to make one big change for the future. They need to be very picky in their choice of housemates, as the viewing junta gets stuck with these sods for months together. I think there should be only one yardstick in the selection process: Either the person is highly engaging or he/she is fabulous to look at. Or is a really funny individual. Anyone who does not pass this criteria must be kicked out of the reckoning immediately.

     

    The complete flop show that was the ‘Grand Finale’ aired last weekend told me another thing: Mr Salman Khan is the real Bigg Boss of this show. Although I have no proof of this, I strongly suspect it’s the hunk, more than the voters, who decides the eliminations and the choice of the winner. The absolute power vested in the man means there’s no one from the team who has the guts to blow the whistle when things aren’t working. The finale was such a grand bore, it was a real challenge just to stay in. Yes, Salman Khan brings in his charisma to the proceedings, but his role should be restricted to anchoring it.

     

    Finally, to return to my tapori pal’s cutting-edge feedback, the ‘Alag Chhe’ promise was a blatant lie. It was back to street fights, juvenile tasks and a bunch of failed TV actors. If they had at least called it ‘Same Chhe’, my tapori friend might have been a tad kinder in his analysis.

     

    ***

     

    PS: Fantastic marketing innovation for an air conditioner brand. Very smart way to get the public enthused, and the media excited. Millions of dollars of free publicity using a simple device: Big Nose. Superb!

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElmEcfPEw2Y[/youtube]

     

    Anil Thakraney is a senior journalist and commentator. He is also Editor-at-Large, MxMIndia. The views expressed here are his own

     

  • Bigg Boss continued to be on top in the Whats-On-India rankings for Hindi GECS in Week 50. Wanted topped the Hindi Film genre

    Bigg Boss, Wanted top Whats-On-India rankings in Week 50

    By A Correspondent

     

    With the delay in the release of the TAM Media Research ratings, we look at how Whats-On-India rankings look like for Week 50 (December 9-15)

     

     

    TV Trends has been built using specialist and proprietary algorithms that collate, analyse and compute millions of observations across multiple platform. It provides cues and powerful insights on the potential consumption and intention-to-view of content by Indian TV viewers. The sources from where observations are aggregated include What’s On India platforms like: Web, Mobile portal, Apps (Android, iPhone, iPad, Blackberry, Windows Mobile, Nokia Ovi), EPG-on-the-Cloud (MobileTV and IPTV).

     

    The report gives the Top 5 Programmess of the Week for the following genres: English Movies, Hindi Movies, English TV Shows, Hindi TV Shows, Regional TV Shows, Regional Movies, Sports and Kids, Documentaries, Lifestyle & Food.