MxMIndia

Tag: Viacom18

  • Ropes in Deepak Rajyadhakshya as Head of Colors Marathi and Raj Kannan as Head of Programming for Colors Tamil

    Viacom18 beefs up top deck of regional play

    By A Correspondent

     

    Viacom18 has announced a series of senior level hires for its Regional TV cluster, bolstering its creative and content capabilities ahead of its plans to fortify its position across markets.

     

    Speaking about the new appointments, Ravish Kumar, Head – Regional TV Network, Viacom18, said: “Regional is a big growth driver for Viacom18 as a network. The challenge, as well as the opportunity, lies in the diversity that regional as a space demands. While the different businesses of the organization synergise to produce great content, each region and role require talented and committed people who understand the nuances typical to their regions. Each of the leaders who have joined our Regional Entertainment space, is a stalwart in his/her space and role. I am excited that together, we can further strengthen our offering to our discerning viewers.

     

    Rajyadhakshya who has been appointed Head, Colors Marathi, joins Viacom18 from the Zee Network where he headed the business for Zee Marathi before moving internally to spearhead the mainline Hindi GEC Zee TV.

     

    Colors Tamil sees the inclusion of Raj Kannan as Head, Programming and Radha Ramamurthy as Head, Ideation. Prior to joining Viacom18, he was working with the Vikatan Media Group as Brands and Themes Editor-in-Chief where he handled the entire gamut of business in print and visual mediums.

     

    Meanwhile, Aratrika Bhaumik has been appointed Head, Ideation – Colors Bangla. With 13 years of experience, Aratrika has worked for more than a decade at Star India at the national as well as regional bases. Jayanta Bhattacharya has come onboard as Head, OAP – Colors Bangla. With 16 years of experience, Jayanta moves in from Zee Bangla where he oversaw promo ideation.

     

    In the Kannada Entertainment space, Abhaya Simha has been appointed as Head – Digital, Kannada Entertainment. Simha is a film director and a screenwriter. At Viacom18, he will be responsible for incubating original concepts and shows in the Kannada language for Voot. He will report to Parameshwar Bhat, Business Head – Kannada Entertainment, Viacom18.

     

    Also, Dr Darshil Bhatt has joined as the Programming Head for Gujarati Entertainment. In his last stint, he was with 94.3 MY FM as Programming Head. At Viacom18, Bhatt will be responsible for increasing the visibility and perception of the Gujarati entertainment vertical of the network. He will report into Ravish Kumar, Head – Regional TV Network, Viacom18.

     

     

  • Colors Infinity to showcase over 1100 hours of fresh content

    Colors Infinity, Comedy Central to air on Jio TV

    By A Correspondent

     

    Colors Infinity has announced its plans to make a significant foray in digital with a multi-platform experience concurrently to an additional 250 million subscribers of Jio TV.

     

    Said Ferzad Palia, Head – Youth, Music and English Entertainment, Viacom18: “In a very short span of time, Colors Infinity has come a long way, unthwarted by the challenging environ in English entertainment. Aiming to continuously meet the expectations of our current viewers, while attracting new viewers at the same time, we’ve boldly experimented with our programming. This radical approach has established a distinct identity for the brand, which endorses our leadership position in the category. Proud to be a truly multi-platform brand, we are now making Colors Infinity and Comedy Central available for simultaneous viewing on Jio TV. A significant growth in the advertiser base and revenue, is testament to our solid performance.”

     

     

  • The show is a culmination of months of thoughtful curation of sessions and performances

    Second edition of MTV India Music Summit announced

    By A Correspondent

     

    The second edition of the MTV India Music Summit will happen in Jaipur next week (Oct 12-14), allowing attendees to discover interesting sounds, engage in exchange of ideas and savour music through a series of concerts and conversations.

     

    Said Raj Nayak, COO, Viacom18: “Our association with MTV India Music Summit is reflective of our brand promise to offer differentiated, enriching and relevant content to our audience. In its second edition as well, we intend to identify, experience and bring forth versatile artists and varied sound forms that are deserving of global acclaim. We are happy to have trusted sponsors on board who also believe in the transcending power of music. I urge any and every one with the slightest musical bent to be a part of MTV India Music Summit and have an experience of a lifetime.”

     

    Speaking about the Summit, Prasoon Joshi, who is playing the role of a mentor to the summit: “Right from its inception, Musiconcepts has been working hard to create a platform to bring India’s diverse musical heritage together – a showcase like no other which allows for free-flowing conversations, debates, exchange of views and a joint celebration of our musical heritage. Raymond presents MTV India Music Summit is the culmination of months of thoughtful curation of sessions and performances. A truly immersive musical experience, the summit promises to have everything from Sunrise concerts, to Baikthakis, to Jugalbandis, to riffs and jams, Sundowner alaaps and much more!”

     

    Added Mala Sekhri, co-founder of Musiconcepts: “The richness of the content that we have for Raymond presents MTV India Music Summit is evident from our pick of topics, genres and artists. Each session has been carefully curated to highlight a particular aspect of Indian music. I’m sure the audiences will appreciate our effort as they get to witness the likes of Shujaat Khan, Usha Uthup, Kailash Kher, Dr. L Subramaniam, Shankar Mahadevan, Bhimsen Joshi, Suresh Wadkar… and many more stalwarts of Indian music, performing life and engaging in lively discussion and debate about music.” A spokesperson for the organisers clarified that in the case of Bhimsen Joshi, who passed away in 2011, it will be a tribute.

     

    Said Gautam Hari Singhania, CMD, Raymond Group: “Our long-term partnership with India Music Summit strategically binds in our vision of nurturing, promoting and curating different forms of national art and craft in diverse fields like khadi, sports, music and cinema.”

     

     

  • The event will be live-streamed on Voot

    Viacom18 and Nodwin bring digital gaming festival ‘DreamHack’ to Asia

    By A Correspondent

     

    E-sports pioneer Nodwin Gaming and Viacom18 have come together to bring leading gaming festival Dreamhack to India. The Dream Hack India event will take place from 21-23 December 2018, at NESCO, Mumbai.

     

    Sudhanshu Vats

    Speaking about the network’s endeavours into e-sports, Sudhanshu Vats, Group CEO and Managing Director Designate, Viacom18 said: “Viacom18 has never been one to shy away from experimenting with new concepts, ideas and formats. Given the strong affinity youth audiences have with our content, brands and experiences, we think this is the right time for us to dip our toes in the fast-paced, thrilling world of e-sports. The world is changing fast and lines are blurring between different content genres. Given the abundance of data that has been unleashed by Jio, it is only natural for the fandom around e-sports to grow by leaps and bounds in India. As the country’s youngest full-play media organisation, we want to stay ahead of the curve and tap into tomorrow’s big passion points today. Our association with DreamHack is a step in this direction.”

     

    Dream Hack is a digital festival where gamers and digital natives come together for a three-day weekend which features a 24-hour-a-day Local Area Network (LAN) party, e-sports gaming competitions; Bring Your Own Computer (BYOC). The festival will be jam-packed with players/gamers who will be invited for a gaming championship in pro e-sports tournaments, collegiate matches, world famous LAN party, cosplay championship, panels, activities, expos, music concert, art and more. Till date, DreamHack has organised multiple events in the North America and European regions.

     

    Akshat Rathee,

    On bringing Dream Hack to India, Akshat Rathee, Founder and CEO, Nodwin Gaming said: “Dream Hack has always been the epitome of the celebration of gaming and esports globally and we are delighted to partner with Dreamhack on their Indian journey. India with its dynamic youth and famed hospitality is a great beachhead into bringing the Dreamhack experience to Asia. NODWIN Gaming has been working hard on providing the best for our community of gamers across the country. This places the love for gaming right at the centre of our ecosystem. Partnering with Viacom18 brings the synergy full circle. Their reach to the youth of our country is unparalleled and we look forward to the convergence”

     

     

  • Workshop to be conducted in Kolkata from November 15 to 22, 2018

    Viacom18 partners with Film Heritage Foundation for Workshop

    By A Correspondent

     

    Celebrating a century of Bengali cinema, Viacom18 and Film Heritage Foundation (FHF) announces the fourth edition of the Film Preservation & Restoration Workshop India 2018 (FPRWI) in Kolkata. After partnering with the FHF for the past three years, supporting the workshop in Mumbai, Pune and Chennai, the objective of FPRWI 2018 is to create awareness on the urgent need to preserve the moving image heritage in the Bengali film industry thereby, making it accessible to global audiences.

     

    Speaking about the Film Preservation & Restoration Workshop, Sudhanshu Vats, Group CEO and Managing Director Designate, Viacom18 said: “India is a country of epic tales that weave through every aspect of our life. Our cinema has been one of the foremost tools of bringing these stories to form our nation’s collective consciousness, across regions and languages. For close to two and a half decades, starting circa 1950, Bengali cinema moulded this collective conscious as it saw a galaxy of talented directors, actors and musicians shape not only the region’s cinema but also setting the narrative for progressive Indian cinema. Personalities like Satyajit Ray, Ritwick Ghatak, Mrinal Sen, Uttam Kumar, Aparna Sen, Sharmila Tagore et al not only were revered throughout the world as film personalities but also shaped the discourse of socio-political culture both within and outside of India. Their works define our times and as such it is imperative that we preserve and restore them so that the generations to come appreciate our rich cultural heritage. It is this single philosophy that prompted us to partner Film Heritage Foundation through the last three years and after Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, bring the Film Preservation & Restoration Workshop to the Bengali film industry.”

     

    The workshop will take place in Kolkata from November 15 – 22, 2018.

     

     

  • Nayak will be recognized for his excellence in leadership, vision and distinguished services of leaders in the IAA

    IAA to felicitate Raj Nayak with ‘Champion Award’

    By A Correspondent

     

    Viacom18 COO Raj Nayak is being felicitated at the global level. At the annual International Advertising Association (IAA) Inspire awards to be held at Bucharest next week (on October 2) with advertising and marketing leaders from all over the world in attendance, Nayak who is also a past president of IAA India,will be felicitated with the ‘Champion Award’. Nayak will be recognised for his excellence in leadership, vision and distinguished services of leaders in the IAA and his contributions to advancing the IAA and communications in the worldwide marketing communications industry.

     

    Janak Sarda

    The IAA Inspire award will also recognise Janak Sarda, Joint Managing Director Deshdhoot Group of Publications with the Young Leader Award for excellence in contributing leadership and services in the IAA Young Professionals arena and creating dynamics in marketing communications.

     

     

    Raj Nayak

    Speaking about the felicitation of Raj Nayak, IAA India Chapter President, Ramesh Narayan said: “I am really overjoyed to announce this news. Having worked closely in the IAA with Raj Nayak I have been a witness to his dynamism, his receptivity to ideas, and his capacity to contribute to anything that furthers the cause of marketing communications in India. He drove and launched the prestigious IAA “Lighting a Billion Lives Campaign” which set the tone to provide solar lighting in millions of dark homes across the country. He also played a major role in the rolling out and nurturing the prestigious IAA leadership Awards for marketing and business excellence which has grown enormously over the last six years. This award is an honor not just for Raj but also for the entire communications industry in the country.”

     

    On Janak Sarda receiving the award, Narayan added: “Janak Sarda has played a solid role in spreading the message of marketing and communications to the younger generation of professionals which he himself represents so well. His contribution is actually a sign of the larger role one can expect from him in the years to come. I wish him well.”

     

  • This is the network’s second regional launch in 2018, after COLORS Tamil

    Viacom18 reinforces Kannada dominance, to launch movie channel on Sep 24

    By A Correspondent

     

    Viacom18 announced the launch of its second movie channel – Colors Kannada Cinema. This is the network’s second offering in the movie broadcast space, after Rishtey Cineplex in 2016. The channel will launch on September 24, 2018.

     

    Speaking on the occasion, Sudhanshu Vats, Group CEO, Viacom18 said:“Colors Kannada Cinema is an important addition to our offering and a first in genre expansion in the Regional space. This demonstrates our strategic commitment to deepen and widen our presence as we drive Regional growth aggressively. This move would help us to increase our market share, both in terms of viewership and revenue, in the country’s third biggest regional market. Finally, as we look to leverage synergies across our brands, COLORS Kannada Cinema complements our portfolio play across our forays into filmed entertainment production and filmed entertainment broadcast.”

     

    Ã…dded Ravish Kumar, Head – Regional Entertainment, Viacom18:“At Viacom18, our strategy has always been to make significant inroads to achieve market leadership, especially with our regional portfolio. Movies contribute about 11% of the total television viewership in Karnataka and ColorsKannada Cinema is launching at the opportune time with the regional cinema industry witnessing an exponential growth in consumption, across screens. While we continue to strengthen our regional bouquet with strategic channel launches in multiple languages, we are also committed to expanding vertically to offer a more segmented and wholesome entertainment to our loyal viewers.”

     

    The launch also reinforces Viacom18’s foray in Karnataka, after the success of the GECs Colors Kannada and Colors Super.

     

    Speaking about the proposed channel, Parameshwar Gundkal, Business Head – Kannada Entertainment Cluster, Viacom18 said:“With a robust library of over 450 films, we have strategically curated our movie line-up to appeal to a wide range of audience. Going by the Brand philosophy – Mane Maneya Chitramandira (Har ghar ka theatre) the family entertainment movie channel will usher a fresh in-home cinematic experience for Kannadigas as it celebrates 84 years of the Sandalwood film industry with iconic classics, blockbusters, award-winning and latest films making it a premiere movie destination.The vast library catering to all, encompasses films across genres like romance, action, comedy, mythology, thriller, drama, etc. Backed with strong programming and promotion strategy, the channel will also air unique content around Kannada cinema like behind the scenes, film reviews, interviews and more, thus creating a stronger appeal for movie buffs.”

     

     

  • Viacom18 COO Raj Nayak talks to us about the new season a day after Colors made a big bang announcement of the mega-show

    ‘Bigg Boss sponsors see value…’

     

    On Monday, Colors announced that Season 12 of its mega-show Bigg Boss will premiere on September 16 (at 9pm) and subsequent episodes will be aired at 10.30pm on weekdays and at 9pm on weekends (Saturdays and Sundays). The theme for this year’s edition is ‘Iss bar aa rahi hai interesting Jodi’. Assorted couple jodis will battle it out to survive 100 days under the constant glare of multiple cameras and host Salman Khan’s supervision. At the press conference held in Goa, presenting sponsor Parle Agro’s Joint MD and CMO Nadia Chauhan and Will Yang, Brand Director of Oppo India were present along with Colors programming head Manisha Sharma, Non-fiction head Shital Iyer and Abhishek Rege, CEO, Endemol Shine and of  course the host and actor Salman Khan, amongst others. Let’s hear more on the 12th season of Bigg Boss from Raj Nayak, COO, Viacom18 in this exclusive interview…

     

    It’s the 12th edition of Bigg Boss, the 11th on Colors and the eighth since you’ve been helming Colors… tell us a bit about the journey the show has taken. From then to now?

    From being an all-celebrity show to the common man being able to get into the house has been the biggest transition. In hindsight, it looks like a no-brainer but it was also a huge risk ‘cause there were certain expectations. The question everyone asked was who wants to watch a commoner? Thankfully, it worked for us big-time and has broadbased our reach.

     

    So are there things that you would do then and you don’t do now… what exactly have been the learnings from each edition?

    Bigg Boss is a format and certain things are constant… the fact that we keep reinventing with every season means that we learn from our previous seasons and experiment with the current season. The biggest task for our creative team is to decide on the theme and once that is done, to get the casting right. This is the complete reality and nothing is scripted, so it is that much more important to get the casting right. The show hinges mainly on the contestants with interventions through tasks by the creative team.

     

    Perhaps an unfair ask: but how much of the success of Bigg Boss would you attribute to the presence of Salman Khan?

    The fact that we have continued with Salman Khan for the last nine years demonstrates that we see him as a valuable asset to the show. I think Bigg Boss is tailormade for him. He has a knack with the way he deals with the contestants, he does his own improvisation on the sets and, most importantly, he is  emotionally and mentally invested in the show. Our viewers, our advertisers love him and so does our entire team.

     

    Every year, we see a new high in the risqué department. For instance, last year, one remembers two inmates in intimate moments and whenever such a scene was aired, there was an advertisement of a contraceptive in the form of a super? Are there concerted efforts made to effect these to drive viewership or it’s just that it happens given the kind of inmates you have?

    Actually it’s the other way around. We see Bigg Boss as a Parivarik (family) show. We made that switch a couple of years ago… if we want to cast the net wide, then in primetime you want the whole family watching it. Salman Khan’s appeal cuts across all age groups. So it is important for us to ensure that the show is inclusive of everyone. Besides, as a responsible broadcaster, we have strict Standards & Practices, headed by our legal team, that goes through every inch of footage to ensure that we also follow the laws of the land.

     

    Talk to us about the Bigg Boss Company, if one can call it that. How many people physically present at the venue when the show is on, how much time spent on planning it, building the ‘house’, how many people considered for the final set of inmates?

    On an average, there would be about 250 people working on the project 24×7 for the entire season that lasts more than three months. The house is planned approx six months in advance and it does take time for construction. There is no hard-and-fast rule on the final set of contestants, I think it all depends on who gets voted out and who remains. Normally, if you go by previous seasons, four to five contestants remain till the very end.

     

    Given the time, effort and monies that are invested on Bigg Boss, would you say that it is commensurate with the returns in terms of ratings and revenue, esp vis-à-vis a fiction show? Also, commensurate with the risks involved in achieving the ratings and revenues?

    There is no other show that gives you the PR and buzz like Bigg Boss. There is no other show that gives you the ability to do integrations like Bigg Boss. The ratings have always been very good  and more importantly it is more or less consistent through the season. Actually it picks up after three or four episodes once the viewers identify with the contestants. Sponsors spend top dollars to be associated with it. The fact that most of our sponsors whether it is Appy Fizz, Oppo, L’oreal and others have come year after year demonstrates that they see value in the partnership.

     

    Last question: Since Bigg Boss 12, like last year, will also be aired on Voot (other than MTV), given that there is greater scope for airing of sex and promiscuity on the OTT platform, can one expect to witness a lot of that on Voot as against that on Colors?

    We don’t necessarily believe that sex or promiscuity is a must-have for content to sell. If the content is good, people will watch it. Whatever content of Bigg Boss we have shown on MTV and Voot has been extremely popular with the young audience. People who were not able to catch the linear telecast go to Voot to do a catch-up. This is one show which is discussed in the corridors of the office, in beauty parlours and any social gathering and almost 24×7 on social media. So you have to be up to speed to know what’s happening. Our viewership on Voot has grown phenomenally and just as we envisaged, this growth hasn’t come at the cost of TV. It’s additional viewership and thereby adding our overall reach of the show and hence opening up another stream of advertising revenue. Having said this, on Voot, you will get to see some undekha action,  behind the scenes and other footage you don’t get to see on Colors.

     

     

  • The OTT platform goes on an overdrive with originals, regionals and an overseas play

    Viacom18 ups ante on Voot

    Sudhanshu Vats, MD, Viacom18, Ajit Andhare, COO, Viacom18 Motion Pictures, Ravish Kumar, Head- Regional Entertainment, Viacom18, Akash Banerji, Head- Marketing & Partnerships, Viacom18 Digital Ventures and Monika Shergill, Head- Content, Viacom18 Digital Ventures along with the cast and creators of the upcoming 18 Voot Originals

     

     

    By A Correspondent

    Viacom18 wasn’t among the first of the entertainment conglomerates to hop on to the OTT bandwagon. Star was around as was Zee and Sony, though Zee has relaunched its offering ats Zee5 recently.

    Also, a lot has changed since Voot launched first in 2016. Netflix and Amazon Prime are on an overdrive and suddently all attention is on Originals. Sacred Games has change the rules of the game, and there’s clearly a new energy in the thinktank of all entertainemtn companies with an OTT play.

    On Thursday, Viacom18’s Voot showcased the first bundle of its upcoming Originals – 18 multi-lingual premium web series cutting across genres. Leveraging its prowess of out-of-the-box cinema, Viacom18 Motion Pictures, the network’s movie studio, will now be producing web series for Voot, under the banner of Tipping Point Films. Furthermore, the regional broadcast cluster of Viacom18 will be producing multi-lingual Originals. Meanwhile, Voot will also add news to its increasingly varied content offering, starting with a partnership with – you guessed it right – Network18. Also, Voot is ramping up its content and product play as it sets sight to take the platform international, beginning with the United Kingdom, in November 2018.

    Said Sudhanshu Vats, Managing Director, Viacom18: “Voot is integral to our strategy as we gear up for a future-ready Viacom18 that is screen, platform and pipe agnostic. We are building a digital-first brand to harness Viacom18’s strengths across its brands, creative franchises and businesses in multiple Indian languages. Furthermore, the inherent synergies with Reliance Jio, both as a platform for showcasing content and as a carrier of our service, have only dialled up the business roadmap for Voot.”

    Added Monika  Shergill, Head – Content, Viacom18 Digital Ventures: “The digital medium brings us close to the consumer at a very personal level. Owing to the last mile measureablity that the medium provides, our entire content strategy is based on a deep data backed analysis of the needs and desires of our consumers and their consumption preferences and patterns. Thus our play across a diverse bouquet of genres and languages. At an execution level, we have been extremely lucky to be partnering with a galaxy of very talented and committed actors, writers and directors to bring forth our second bundle of VOOT Originals, starting with 18 multi-genre and multi-lingual series.”

     

  • The campaign will further be amplified through radio announcements and on ground camps across the country

    Colors celebrates ten years with a humanitarian drive

    By A Correspondent

     

    Colors has extended its brand philosophy – Chuno Apne Rang – from reel to real with the ‘Roshni – Andheron Mein Rang Bhariye’ drive. This initiative by the channel encourages viewers to take a pledge and donate their eyes to brighten the lives of the visually impaired.

     

    To bring alive this vision, COLORS has partnered with the Eye Bank Association of India. The drive is positioned to peak during the Eye Donation Fortnight from 25th August to 8th Sept.

     

    Said Raj Nayak, COO, Viacom18: “Colors has always ushered in positive change in society through its progressive and socially relevant storytelling. We continue to bring this ideology to life with our association with the Eye Bank Association of India. Roshni is an attempt to include our viewers in the social change we aspire to bring through and make a difference to the lives of the visually impaired. It’s time to spread colour in a world that is dark for many.”

     

    The campaign will be amplified through radio announcements and on-ground camps across the country.

     

     

  • The first award is supported by egta, ACT (Association of Commercial TV)

    Rohit Gupta and Sapangeet Rajwant on jury of Venice TV Awards

    By A Correspondent

     

    Rohit Gupta, President, Sony Pictures Network and Sapangeet Rajwant, Senior Vice President, Viacom18 Media are on the jury of the inaugural Venice TV Awards. The award, notes a communique, been launched “as a tribute to television at a time when broadcasting is being challenged by multimedia. It will bring national and international recognition for quality content”.

     

    The first award is supported by egta, ACT (Association of Commercial TV). Categories are Documentary, News, Light Entertainment, Program Promotion, Branded Entertainment, Sport, Children/Youth, Comedy, Performing Arts, Reality TV, Best Of Technical High Quality, Cross-Platform Programming, Best Series, Best TV Movie. A Grand Prix will be given for the best production.

     

    Other than Gupta and Rajwant, the jury comprises leading international TV experts, judging the entries of their peers André Takada, Vice President Creative Services Fox Network, Igor Tavares, Producer TV Globo Brazil; Anke Greifeneder, Director Original Productions, Turner Central and Eastern Europe; MalinHäger, TV 4 Sweden, President of egta; Ute Biernat, Head of UFA Germany; Lothaire Burg, Creative Director, ARTE and Paul Black Independent Director.

     

     

  • The channel has never shied away from innovating… clearly not a fad that blew away, writes Shailesh Kapoor

    Colors: Ten Years of a Glorious Journey

     

    By Shailesh Kapoor

     

    It will be 10 years, to the day, tomorrow (July 21, 2018) from the launch of Colors in India. To say that the launch of Colors has been the most significant TV channel launch in India since satellite TV came in would be stating the obvious. The launch was that and a lot more. Let’s rewind.

     

    The 90s were the fledging decade for Hindi GECs, with a low consumer base restricted to the top urban centres. In 2000, when Star Plus brought in Kaun Banega Crorepati and (what came to be known as) the K-serials, they ‘massified’ television, making it relevant to a wider audience set pan India. By 2005, however, fatigue was setting in fast. Audiences K-serials of the times were fueling negativity in the name of drama. Incidents of marital tension in real-life couples because of what they saw in these serials were not uncommon. Neither were stories about broken remotes.

     

    In 2006, K-serials (and non-K ones of their ilk) widened their net to Zee TV, but it was still more of the same. The ground was getting prepared for a change that will shake up the category. Ideally, one of the top existing players of the time should have done it. But they didn’t, paving way for a new entrant to disrupt and rule.

     

    There was a lot to like about Colors when it launched. The first, and the most memorable, visuals in my mind are from the first week of Balika Vadhu. The show looked nothing like the K-serials. K-serials were generally red-hued and ornate, set indoors, and had a lavish but claustrophobic feel to them. Balika Vadhu was earthy in its tone and hue, its characters spoke a language that was authentic, and unlike anything you saw in the K-serials, its visuals were open and refreshing, even in the indoor scenes. That the protagonist was a child multiplied the differentiating factor further.

     

    Khatron Ke Khiladi (KKK), the tentpole launch vehicle, did its job. In the four weeks it was on air, it set the ground for viewers to sample Balika Vadhu and Jai Shri Krishna, aired back-to-back in the 8-9 PM slot, creating a base of loyal fiction audiences very early in the channel’s life.

     

    But KKK was only the start of the channel’s long and successful journey with non-fiction content. The channel quickly launched Bigg Boss to follow it up. Over this decade, Bigg Boss has emerged as the channel’s flagship non-fiction show. If it was not for Colors, one may have never seen Bigg Boss on Indian television again after the first season on Sony in 2006-07.

     

    With Balika Vadhu, the channel found a content space that it could bank on. It was a curious mix of social issues and child protagonists. Uttaran was the next big success, with some of the episodes touching 7-8% TVR, an unreal number even in those times. While there were other successes too, like NaaAanaIss Des Laado, the channel went a little overboard in trying to replicate its success formula in the 2009-10 period, after it had become a clear No 1 in early 2009. So, when Star Plus came up with its ‘RishtaWohi, SochNayi’ proposition in late 2010, it managed to cease the initiative back.

     

    But Colors was not a fad that would go away. Through the eight years since then, the channel has managed to keep the category leaders Star Plus and Zee TV on their toes, topping them on viewership in several weeks, including currently. This performance has largely come on the back of content outside the traditional fiction space, driven by reality shows and weekend series like Naagin, now in its third season. The channel has never shied away from innovating, and the launch of a live prime-time format Rising Star in 2017 is a testimony of that.

     

    The Colors’ journey is one of many glorious achievement, though there have been the odd disappointment here and there too. I often wonder how this category would have shaped up if this channel had not launched. The answer is that the category would have poorer without Colors. Less differentiated, less vibrant.

     

    Congratulations to everyone at Viacom18 and Colors, who has been a part of this journey, including the founding team, that has moved on since. Hope the next decade is even more remarkable, even more colorful.