MxMIndia

Tag: Star Network

  • There's more reason than one why there's much excitement about mega-show Satyamev Jayate that kicks off on May 6

    The Importance of Being Aamir Khan

     

    By Biswadeep Ghosh

     

    Do you know anyone who hasn’t heard of Satyamev Jayate, a Sunday show with which Aamir Khan will make his debut on the small screen? Impossible, unless your reclusive acquaintance inhabits a cocoon and has no access to the television, newspapers and the internet. The most intelligent strategist in the Hindi film industry, Aamir has emerged from behind an impenetrable veil to discuss the show with the media. He has discarded his aura of exclusivity that makes him unreachable so often, the result being that journalists are relishing each and every moment in the company of the superstar. They are reporting on his first ever serial faithfully, making Satyamev Jayate, a forthcoming Aamir Khan event many Indians are waiting for.

     

    Those who have followed Aamir’s career with detached objectivity know a few things about the man. He has manufactured an image of being ‘serious about what he does’, as if his counterparts in the entertainment industry are a bunch of flippant characters for whom life is one big joke that never ends. As part of his image-building exercise, he has highlighted his social activism, a quality he seemed to have developed after being in the industry for a long time. He is his own USP, using the power of which he is giving veiled hints about what Satyamev Jayate will offer to the viewer.

     

    A ‘thinking man’s actor’ and a ‘perfectionist’, Aamir has given countless interviews while humming a tune of mystery-heightening ambiguity. ‘It’s about connecting people, touching human hearts. It’s about human stories, coming to understand what life is like. For me, the show has been a kind of a personal journey,” he told the Indian Express. Please read the excerpt again. What exactly is he saying? Actually, very little, but that is the idea anyway. He has been categorically clear that he doesn’t want to discuss the specifics. It is as if Satyamev Jayate is an Alfred Hitchcock thriller whose plot will give the criminal away before the film begins.

     

    The show that has been dubbed in many languages will be telecast on the Star network and Doordarshan. The Star-Doordarshan tie-up will ensure viewers everywhere, whether they live in a Vasant Vihar mansion in New Delhi or in a village named Hatgamariya in Jharkhand. That it is being shown on an early morning Sunday slot implies that everyone, right from hardcore Aamir Khan fans to reluctant TV watchers, will be tempted to check it out. Cricket being the only area in which satellite television channels have shared network space with Doordarshan in the past, Satyamev Jayate will inevitably get the maximum number of viewers of a non-cricket show in the initial stages at least.

     

    Not that promotion of films or television serials is a new phenomenon. In today’s times when nobody can ensure a film’s success, even Salman Khan who hardly ever promoted his films till recently has changed gears to talk about his releases before they hit the marquee. The strategy has worked. Always the most active channel-hopper, Shah Rukh Khan’s marketing of Ra.One redefined the way in which a film is being sold by the Hindi film industry. Of course, Ra.One did not succeed the way it was expected to. But SRK tried.

     

    The master strategist, however, isn’t SRK: and certainly not Salman. It is Aamir. While both SRK and Salman have had their share of flops, facts prove that Aamir has had the least number of failures at the box-office. Even a mediocre film like Ghajini rocked, its success story partly written by viewers who went to watch Aamir’s eight packs: a fact that was marketed very smartly through his interviews and other promotional campaigns. When he produced Delhi Belly, he went all out to discuss the film’s ‘language’: one big reason why many viewers hit the halls to watch it.

     

    The big satya is that Aamir is better at the game that everyone plays. Not that his approach makes the success of Satyamev Jayate, a hundred percent certainty. Major film stars have hosted hyped shows, many of which have flopped. Amitabh Bachchan created history with the success of the first edition of Kaun Banega Crorepati, but Shah Rukh Khan failed to make the sort of impact his diehard fans believed he would. SRK did experience some success as the host of KBC’s third edition, but his decisions to host Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tezz Hain? and Zor Ka Jhatka: Total Wipeout had disastrous consequences. Govinda as the host of Jeeto Chappar Phaad Ke made zero impact. The Salman Khan-steered show Dus Ka Dum started off really well. By the time the second season came to an end, however, its popularity had withered away. Akshay Kumar experienced success with Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi. Yet, few bothered to see him in MasterChef India: Season 1.

     

    Aamir’s well-disguised expressions have spun a lot of curiosity about Satyamev Jayate. The show’s reach is far wider than that of others hosted by film stars so far. If it succeeds, it will write an extraordinarily significant chapter in the history of Indian television. If not, the story of its failure will be discussed for a long time: more so, because it has been made by a man who owns a magic wand which nobody else does.

     

    The star is at the centre of a shrewdly developed promotional campaign. But once Satyamev Jayate hits the small screen, it won’t be long before hype gets jettisoned by the people’s acceptance or rejection of the real thing. The suspense around the show will guarantee a full house on the opening day inside each household. Having been there, done that, Aamir surely knows that is not enough.

     

  • I guess he wants to re-create 'appointment viewing' which Ramayana and Mahabharata used to enjoy in the late eighties/early nineties

    Anil Thakraney: Aamir wants to play God

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    In 2007 when I met Aamir Khan for an interview (Mumbai Mirror), we brought up the issue of his glaring absence from television. Every single big Bollywood hero was busy raking in big bucks from the small screen. The actor appeared quite closed to the idea of television. He said various channels keep approaching him with proposals but they don’t interest him. And added that maybe he will do TV one day when something substantial comes along.

     

    Well, that day has arrived, May 6 to be precise. When Satyamev Jayate goes on air. Aamir has pulled all stops in ensuring that the show gets a roaring opening. Mind blowing marketing budget. Loads of talent in the production team. Simultaneous broadcast on Star and DD. Dubbing in four southern languages. And lots more. Not to speak of the content itself, which going by Khan’s movies, is likely to be both, entertaining and engaging. The challenge for the Star Network would be to recover the huge costs and make some profits. Not sure how that will pan out. What makes their work even tougher is that the show will have just 13 episodes.

     

    However, what caught my attention is the slot chosen for Satyamev Jayate. 11am, Sunday. This is very interesting because it demolishes the popular definition of prime time television. Clearly this is Aamir’s brain child. Guess he wants to re-create ‘appointment viewing’ which Ramayana and Mahabharata used to enjoy in the late eighties/early nineties. This is a big gamble. UrbanIndiahas totally changed in the last two decades. In those days we in the cities had nothing much to do on Sunday mornings. Now we have shopping malls, pubs, dates, multiplexes, Facebook, Twitter and many other distractions. So appointment viewing is going to be a tall task. And this explains the team’s decision to use good ol’ Doordarshan. So that if the urban audiences ditch them, the numbers garnered through DD’s terrestrial broadcast will save the day. Smart thinking.

     

    Anyways, like many other Indians I will be glued to the TV on May 6. 11am. And will also keep looking out at the streets from my window. To check if they are deserted. Like it used to happen when the gods descended into our living rooms on those lazy Sundays.

     

    Can Aamir match the gods? That’s the billion dollar question.

     

    ***

     

    PS: Too, too brilliant for words. This is the sort of stuff naukri.com and other employment portals ought to be doing. It takes a rare advertisement for me to want to the join the ad world again. This one does.

     

  • The satellite rights for the movie have been snapped up by Star Network for a record Rs48-50 crore for 11 years

    Salman Khan sets a Rs50cr record by selling satellite rights for Dabangg sequel

    By Nandini Raghavendra

     

    If you have been wondering whatever happened to Chulbul Pandey, news is that the Dabangg star – Salman Khan – will be back this Christmas in a sequel of the 2010 hit. And even before Khan begins shooting for Dabangg2 next week in Mumbai, the satellite rights for the movie have been snapped up by Star Network for a record Rs 48-50 crore for 11 years, according to a trade source closely associated with the deal. Also the music rights have been acquired by T-Series for over Rs 10 crore, said the same source.

     

    Though Hemal Jhaveri, senior vice-president at Star Gold confirmed the deal, he refused to share the details of the deal or the price. Jhaveri is responsible for acquiring the satellite rights for Star’s Hindi network, which includes Star Plus, Star Gold and Life OK.

     

    Just like his box office record, Khan’s satellite ratings have been trailblazing. Bodyguard, another of Khan’s blockbusters, registered a record television rating points (TRP) of 10.3 when it was aired on Star Gold in December 2011. The channel expects nothing less, if not more from Dabangg2, said Jhaveri.

     

    TRP, given in percentages, is a measure of what percentage of people in a defined time band and a defined profile watched a particular programme, a number which is keenly followed by the advertising industry and ads allocated accordingly to the one garnering the higher numbers.

     

    A film is considered a success on TV if it can manage to garner an average 2.5 TRP through the year, apart from the high number it garners on premieres. For example, the ICC Cricket World Cup final between India and Sri Lanka last year garnered a TRP of 21 (on three channels – Star Sports, Star Cricket and Doordarshan).

     

    Over the past few years, satellite prices have been playing a key role in bank-rolling films with at least a third of the movie’s cost of production coming from selling these rights prior to even beginning production.

     

    A Win-Win Situation for Channel

    It is also a win-win scenario for the channel, which generates both eyeballs and revenues by exclusively broadcasting a successful movie over a number of years. Competition among TV companies wanting to acquire the rights of hit movies has, as a result, led to an increase in the acquisition price of many recent big films.

     

    Hrithik Roshan’s Krissh3 and the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Don2 was said to have been sold to Sony for Rs37 crore each, while Aamir Khan’s Talaash and Karan Johar’s Agneepath went for Rs40 crore.

     

    Channels usually spend an average of Rs 200-300 crore a year to acquire film titles for their library. “Increase in satellite prices for big-ticket films has a direct linkage to maximising gross rating points (GRPs), for the channels,” said Rakesh Jariwala, film segment leader, Ernst & Young.

     

    Movies contribute as high as 30 per cent to a channel’s GRPs. The channels also generate revenue from syndication and overseas subscriptions for the films they buy.

     

    Over the past two years, it’s been a close race between Star and Sony, with each raising the stakes with every new film. For Star, with films like Bol Bachchan, Son of Sardar, Ghayal Returns and Housefull 2 all snapped up, the slate for this year looks full while Sony has Aamir Khan’s Talaash and YRF’s Ek Tha Tiger among others.

     

    “We have built on the content game and we are confident of the returns as well as its ability to garner TRPs beyond the premiere,” added Mr Jhaveri. While Dabangg, produced by Arbaaz Khan Productions, was acquired by Ashtavinayak Cinevision, the sequel has so far not been sold to any corporate house, although almost every film corporate, including Hollywood studios in India, have been very eager to have it on their slate. Prices offered have ranged between Rs100 crore and Rs130 crore, though industry sources say in all likelihood the brothers will release the film themselves, after the success of Johar’s Agneepath.

     

    Star Network’s recent track record with Bodyguard, Singham and Ra.One, all notching up record TRPs, has also worked hugely in its favour. And with Star also holding a strong portfolio of Salman Khan’s films – Dabangg, Wanted, Ready, Bodyguard, Tere Naam, Pyar Kiya Toh Darna Kya- for 7-8 years, backing a Khan package may help garner more eyeballs.

     

    Source: The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2012, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

  • With Puneet Rajkumar as host, there's much riding on the Kannada KBC to be a game-changer

    Will Kannadada Kotyadhipati make Suvarna #1 GEC?

     

    By Tuhina Anand

     

    Kannadada Kotyadhipati (KK), or Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) in Kannada, is all set to make its debut on Suvarna, the Star Network’s Kannada general entertainment channel. The show, which will debut in the end of February and will run from Monday to Thursday, is being touted as the biggest format show in Karnataka.

     

    For the channel, the show will play a pivotal role and people behind Suvarna are hoping that the numbers delivered would do the magic of upstaging the leader Udaya TV. Interestingly, what was unthinkable three years ago can be seen as achievable now, going by the way Suvarna is placed today.

     

    Anup Chandrashekaran

    As Anup Chandrashekaran, Business Head for Suvarna explained, “In an IMRB tracking, the perception that came about Suvarna was that we deliver fresh ideas and differentiated content and are seen as a young vibrant channel.”

     

    To reach this level has not been easy, it has taken a strategic shift in the channel’s programming to get newer audience into its fold. This was done by introducing format shows which, according to the channel, is nothing less than social experimentation because of the content of the shows.

     

    “Of late, only 60 per cent of our GRPs come from fiction. While the format shows ensure that we get newer audience to experience Suvarna, we flank these shows with good fiction that resonates with audience. Ours is a holistic family entertainment channel that includes fiction, non-fiction and movies, and shows what Kannada GEC stands for. We have a healthy mix in terms of SEC demarcation. We have reworked our fiction where we got young protagonists and stories that resonate with the Kannada audience. Our production value is of superior quality and there is a freshness to what appears on Suvarna. This change also shows in our numbers,” added Mr Chandrashekaran.

     

    Despite the fall in Kannada GE (KGE), Suvarna has grown by 5 per cent in Q4’11 and by 24 per cent in Q3′ 2011. Also Suvarna contributed 48 per cent of KGE’s growth in Q3’11. (TG :CS 4+, Karnataka market. Data updated till wk 53’11). Also Suvarna was the leading prime time channel inBangaloremarket and beat Udaya TV (CS 4+, Wk day19:00-24:00. Wk 41 – 53’2011).

     

    Even in weekday prime time in Karnataka market, the difference is of 50-60 GRPs and that’s where Suvarna hopes that Kannadada Kotyadhipati will play a major role.

     

    Considering that KBC has been a successful show in Hindi, especially in 2011, Suvarna is hoping the same magic will work in Kannada.

    The channel has roped in Kannada film star Puneet Rajkumar as the show’s host, and is aggressively marketing the show.

    Talking about the marketing plans, Anil Narang, Head-Marketing and Strategy, Suvarna said, “We have planned to reach out to Karnataka markets in 3 phases. The first is the audition phase and the communication is on how you can register for the show. The response has been better than what we expected and got representation from entire Karnataka. We also have a Facebook page to reach out to new audiences.”

     

    Mr Narang added, “In the second phase, we will be launching 100 hoardings across Karnataka to ensure visibility. We also have mobile vans that will cover 13 districts and will have a mock KBC set where people can play KBC with a host who will wear a Puneet Rajkumar mask. The third will be the sustenance phase, once the show gets on air, to maintain that the audience.”

     

    There will be also be print, cinema and TV advertising. The advertising revolves around the idea that ‘knowledge is the key quotient and with basic common knowledge one can win a crore’. The estimated budget could run into Rs10 crore.

     

    Suvarna is also planning to launch a historical soap along with KK.