MxMIndia

Tag: Zee Entertainment

  • Ganga will document the journey of Dia Mirza through the many towns along the Ganges, starting from Gomukh in Himalayas to the Gangasagar delta where it meets the Bay of Bengal

    Dia Mirza gets on telly with Living Foodz

    By A Correspondent

     

    ‘When in doubt, travel’. Probably getting inspired by this quote, Living Foodz, the food and entertainment channel, launched its new travel show ‘Ganga- The Soul of India’. The target audience of the show is the urban youth, among whom solo trips are a huge hit. The show which is scheduled to star on May 1 will mark Dia Mirza’s debut on television.

     

    Speaking at the launch of the show, Amit Nair, Business Head, Living Foodz said this herald’s the channel’s “foray into factual entertainment”. “Our ambitions are bigger and showcase breakthrough concepts and ideas, keeping food as a strong component of our content. With this show we push ourselves further, we deliver a mesmerizing journey that will entertain, inform and inspire,” he added.

     

    Ganga will document  the journey of Dia Mirza through the many towns along the Ganges, starting from Gomukh in Himalayas to the Gangasagar delta where it meets the Bay of Bengal. It will give viewers a peek into the fascinating legacy that is shaped by the country’s longest river.

     

    A short promo at a press conference on Tuesday gave a quick preview of the host’s discovery of  all that the river has to offer, including the people, history, mythology, anthropology, adventure, music and of course the food.

     

    Said Piyush Sharma, CEO (APAC and India), Living Group, Zee Entertainment: “This show is the most ambitious and passionate project of the team till date. It takes us into a totally different domain.  You would need to watch the show to appreciate it. It raises the bar in terms of output, nothing like India has seen before”, when asked about how different is the show from other travel shows. A coffee table book has also been launched, having the same name as the show, featuring the details of the journey.

     

  • Launches 'Zee Sine', a dedicated Bollywood movie channel

    Zee Entertainment enters Philippines

    By A Correspondent

     

    After unveiling two Bollywood channels in the APAC region, namely Zee Bioskop in Indonesia and Zee Nung in Thailand, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) has announced foray into Philippines with its third movie channel.

     

    Amit Goenka

    Amit Goenka, CEO – International Broadcast Business, ZEEL said, “ZEE has been the cultural ambassador for Bollywood and Indian content in overseas markets. In line with our Vision 2020 goals, we have chalked out an aggressive international expansion plan, with APAC being one of the key regions. We already have 5 dedicated localized channels in APAC, comprising of GEC and movie genres, and our entry into Philippines will only further strengthen our presence. With the Pay-TV industry projected to grow at an average of 13% Y-o-Y in the next 5 years, we see huge potential in this market.”

     

    Zee Sine – Bollywood Na Tayo (‘Sine’ means ‘Cinema’ and ‘Bollywood Na Tayo’ means ‘Let’s Go Bollywood’ in Tagalog) is a 24/7 Bollywood movie channel customized and packaged for the local audience. The channel features Blockbuster movies from ZEEL.

     

    Sushruta Samanta

    Speaking on the launch of Zee Sine, Sushruta Samanta, Business Head – Asia Pacific, ZEEL said, “Both India and Philippines display strong affinity for music and dance. Our research shows that Indian Bollywood Films are relatable as the stories hit close to home, reflecting similar emotions and values shown in Filipino movies. While other content from around the world has entered Philippines already, we plan to bring a fresh and unique perspective by launching Zee Sine in Philippines. We felt it is the right time for us to enter this market and showcase our heart-warming and larger-than-life Bollywood movies to the Filipino audience.”

     

    “Maria Liza Ginting, who currently heads our Indonesia market, will also be heading the Philippines operations along with the local team in Manila,” Sushruta further added.

     

    Maria Liza

    Sharing more details on the channel, Maria Liza Young - Ginting, Country Head, Indonesia & Philippines said, “Zee Sine will take you to a new world of entertainment with high-voltage Bollywood dramas, love triangles, comedies and song and dance. To reach out to the local audience, we have hand-picked movies from the library,dubbed in Tagalog, re-christened movie titles and character names in English while promos and special movie properties are being locally created. The channel is being distributed through one of the leading cable distributorsin the country, Cable Boss, and will soon be available on more platforms in the market.”

     

  • The channel is currently available on 5 platforms in Indonesia viz. ICTA, K Vision, Orange TV, First Media and Dili Timor Leste ETO Telko

    Zee Hiburan celebrates first anniversary in Indonesia

    By A Correspondent

     

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) announced that Zee Hiburan, its GEC in Indonesia, has successfully completed one year in existence. The channel caters to mainstream Indonesian audiences with a mix of popular Indian serials, Bollywood movies, Bollywood shows and cookery programmes, dubbed and subtitled in Bahasa Indonesia.

     

    Sushruta Samanta

    Speaking on the channel’s first anniversary, Sushruta Samanta, Business Head, Asia Pacific said, “The success of Zee Hiburan has been simply stupendous. The whole-hearted acceptance of Indian content in Indonesia, has helped the channel reach over 1.4 million pay TV viewers within a year of its launch. We look forward to build on this success and achieve greater heights in the future. As a part of its one-year celebrations, Zee Hiburan will add popular drama series, ‘Punar Vivah’ as well as kids’ content to its existing offerings.”

     

    Zee Hiburan meaning Zee Entertainment in English, was launched last March in Indonesia as a GEC with popular Indian series such as Sapne Suhane Ladakpan Ke,Kumkum Bhagya, Qubool Hai, Jab Love Hua, Rab Se Sona Ishq, Alladin, Ramayan, Khana Khazana and Fear Files. In September 2015, the channel added the popular comedy show Bhabiji Ghar Par Hai, and the hugely popular period dramas, Jodha Akbar and Razia Sultan.

     

    The channel is currently available on 5 platforms in Indonesia viz. ICTA, K Vision, Orange TV, First Media and Dili Timor Leste ETO Telko.

     

  • An interview with Priyanka Datta, Cluster Head (FTA channels and Zindagi) at Zee Entertainment for her sentiments post Anmol's amazing rise

    Jaldi 5 with Priyanka Datta: On how focus on the brand ensured Zee Anmol rise to #3 Hindi

    One of the highlights of the new BARC urban-cum-rural ratings is the rise in viewership of all free-to-air (FTA) channels. Particularly noteworthy has been the performance of Zee Anmol which attained the #3 slot, ahead of the network’s flagship Zee TV.  We spoke with Priyanka Datta, Cluster Head (FTA channels and  Zindagi) for her sentiments post Anmol’s amazing rise.

     

    01. Congratulations on the rise of Zee Anmol on the combined urban and rural (U+R) ratings roster as released by BARC earlier today. Would you say this is something you always knew but were looking at some ratification from a ratings agency?

    Thanks for the good wishes.  Zee Anmol has been a leader in the FTA genre for over one year now. It is indeed very heartening to see the rise in the U+R ratings roaster as released by BARC yesterday as well. The channel has truly lived up to its brand promise of “Dil Choo Jaye” and touched the hearts of many.

     

    1a. To what would you attribute the success of Zee Anmol?

    There has been complete focus on this brand and constant on ground initiatives taken, be it for sampling of the brand, engagement or visibility and that has given positive results. Add to it extremely engaging and entertaining programming which largely comprises of some excellent shows Zee TV has produced clubbed with shows from some other channels that we showcase on our channel. Earlier this fiscal, we launched our very first original reality show, Grihani No 1.

     

    02. Other FTAs like Star Utsav and Colors Rishtey have done well in the U+R ratings. Would you say this is a given for the entire genre, considering they are Free to Air and showcase reruns of popular content?

    We would however like to reserve our comment till we see the data of a few more weeks.

     

    03. Now that you have tasted success, will you prop up the channel with more current or even original content or will the mix stay the same?

    At this stage, all I would like to say is that the channel team will continue to focus on the channel as always. There are a lot of things planned, which will be put into action or even newer ways crafted, after we analyse the data of a few more weeks of BARC ratings.

     

    04. Pardon our ignorance, but how is Anmol doing in terms of advertising? Will you now push the channel a lot more with advertisers?

    The channel has a dedicated sales team and has been in the mind space of advertisers since its inception & the BARC ratings only further substantiate that their investments have been right. I am positive that they will continue to patronise and support Zee Anmol.

     

    05. Zee Anmol has crossed the flagship Zee TV. Any sentiments on this, or are we in the media making much about it?

    It is a very encouraging and proud moment for Zee Anmol. Largely, the content that is shown on Zee Anmol is the rich quality shows produced by our Zee TV team and that makes us collective winners.

     

  • Present across 196 countries worldwide, Zee Entertainment has a viewership of over 960 million viewers globally

    Zee channels launch on YuppTV across the Middle East

    By A Correspondent

     

    YuppTV has announced the launch of the rich repertoire of channels from Zee Entertainment in the Middle East. Middle East viewers will experience the gamut of entertainment offered on key Zee channels like Zee TV Middle East, Zee Cinema International, &TV Middle East, Zee Telugu, Zee Bangla Movies, Zee Living, Zee Bangla, Zee Marathi, Zee Kannada, Zing, Zee News, Zee Smile and many more channels which will be added to the bouquet soon.

     

    Present across 196 countries worldwide, Zee Entertainment has a viewership of over 960 million viewers globally. The bouquet of channels launched in the Middle East will give viewers access to popular Zee serials in Hindi and in regional languages, news coverage, health and living programs as well as movies in multiple Indian languages. Zee TV Middle East and Zee Cinema International are already leaders in their respective genres as per the television ratings released by Ipsos Stat in UAE.

     

    Making a commendable move to embrace the Middle East in its ambit and scope takes YuppTV from strength to strength, in being the only provider delivering 200+ Indian TV Channels worldwide in 13 languages, as Live TV, and 10 days of revolutionary Catch-up TV, along with unlimited Movies via YuppTV App on Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Google App, LGTV, Opera, Panasonic, Samsung TV, WD, Android and iPhone. Presently languages being offered in Middle East include Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Telugu and Kannada.

     

    Uday Reddy

    “Middle East provides a prime viewership base with unlimited potential for Indian television with Hindi and regional languages all set to capture a huge following. Taking Zee Entertainment, one of India’s largest television broadcasters to host its channels on YuppTV for viewers in the Middle East gives us as much pleasure as it will bring to the eager viewers. The increasingly vast South Asian population in the Middle East can now watch their favourite Zee content on our platform. They can now enjoy the shows of their choice on Zee channels whenever and wherever they choose to,” said Uday Reddy, Founder and CEO of YuppTV.

     

    Manoj Mathew, Chief Content and Creative Officer for Zee Entertainment MENAP said, “We are also the only network to offer varied local flavour in our programming for south asian viewers. Our first locally produced drama series for middle east viewers called Parwaaz got us record viewership last year. Similar experiments for content with a local connect is what differentiates us from the other south asian broadcasters and makes us the preferred choice of our viewers. We manage to capture the attention and elicit delight and interest from every segment of viewers, with offerings in every genre. News, Entertainment, Infotainment, lifestyle, we cover it all comprehensively. Our alliance with YuppTV to offer Zee bouquet of channels to subscribers in the Middle East is both exciting and enriching. Availability of YuppTV on various internet enabled devices enhances Zee’s reach multi folds. It is our firm belief that our offerings will be highly appreciated and viewers will enjoy the channels and their content as we create programmes of specific interest to please our various segments of audiences.”

     

  • Punit Goenka, MD and CEO, Zee Entertainment on his association with Melt 2015 and his focus on curating the event with Kyoorius

    No gyaan, only learning

     

    This interview was conducted around Melt 2015 was announced in April this year, but the views Punit Goenka, MD and CEO, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited are still valid and relevant given Melt (or Zee Melt 2015, to be precise) starts today (May 21) and Zee Mindspace, the conference for CMOs, happens tomorrow. We asked Mr Goenka on why he associated himself with Kyoorius, will it impact his linkages with Goafest, on how speakers have been chosen for the event and finally with Rajesh Kejriwal, founder and CEO of Kyoorius.

     

    This is fourth edition of Zee Mindspace. What have been the learnings so far and what made you switch to a much larger scale?

    In this fast changing world, our own teams feel that the learning for the changing world is not happening at the pace that it needs to happen. We have got that feedback from our Mindspace series that we’ve been running so far. And when Rajesh [Kejriwal] approached me for Melt, I was of the opinion that we need to scale up Mindspace to a bigger level and why not put it as part of the industry initiative, which means it will be created for the industry by the industry. Normally, we do a half- day session, but this time we are extending it to the full day. Instead of just two speakers, we’re targeting many more to come in and speak up on different aspects of marketing and challenges and their learnings from other markets and bring it on the platform for the CMO world at large.

     

    There are quite a few events such as these which keep happening and apart from the likes of

    Goafest you have CII which does a marketing summit and there is AIMA etc. So how is it different from the others that you’re looking at?

    So, first and foremost the clear differentiation that attracted me to this was that I’m not just a sponsor here, I’m actually curating the content along with the Kyoorius team with learnings from my own professional space and what industry professionals are facing whether it be in the media or advertising or content world. So when people leave the venue, they should leave with the feeling that they have learnt something new which will help them in their day-to-day running of their professional life. And it should be clearly beneficial for to them, rather than it being a marketing conference where I talk about how great Zee is and what great thing Zee has done in the past. I want to actually make it a learning experience not just for my own team but for the industry at large.

     

    What made you choose on Kyoorius?

    I’m very happy to be partnered with Kyoorius because I have seen their benchmark in events that they have created and I don’t want to partner anything less than that. I want only improvement in that if at all, and I said yes to the partnership because I know Rajesh will deliver great standard of quality and best practices. And of course, why would I not want to associate my brand with something at that pinnacle of creation and implementation?

     

    You aren’t associated with the Awards though

    No, the Awards are not part of Melt. That’s an independent activity. It’s the culmination of Melt. So, by that definition we are not associated with the Awards as a partner or anything. But of course, I would love to be there and see who wins this year.

     

    With Goafest being an industry event and all creative and media agencies backing it, are you worried of a negative impact your association with Kyoorius can have on business?

    I’m not comparing Goafest with Melt. I know what Melt is all about and I know what it’s going to deliver for the industry, and that’s why I have chosen to partner here. I’ve been associated with Goafest in the past and will continue my association with them. Frankly the difference is that in the case of Melt, I’m working on creating the content for this festival. Whereas in Goafest, I’m not involved at. So I would not want to consider what’s good in Goafest and what’s not good in Goafest? Would those agencies look at Zee in a negative manner because I’ve associated with Melt, well, that’s their business, I can’t tell them what they should do and they should not do. We do so many events and that does not mean we make enemies with competing events.

     

    (Rajesh Kejriwal who was alo present while the interview was on steps in: Just to clarify this case, Melt has no sponsors. Melt has only partners. So, Zee is a principal partner, GroupM is a strategic partner, D&AD is a strategic partner, then there are other partners who are bringing in content in some way or the other. Everybody is a partner at Melt… there are no sponsors.)

     

    You’ve been associated with Kyoorius Designyatra for a while and I find it interesting that that you are actually not part of the event at all in the form of making a speech, presenting awards etc. We’ve also heard stories that Rajesh Kejriwal has told a sponsor that a certain logo doesn’t look very good in the creative, etc etc. Would you say he’s a tough guy to be associated with as an event curator?

     

    Yeah, he can be a pain, but nothing that can’t be fixed over a drink (laughs). There is no problem that you can’t fix over a drink, so let me just keep it at that.

     

    Zee has been associated with several industry events over the years. Is working with him different various others with whom you have dealt with in the past?

     

    As I said, normally people just put an event together and ask you for money and for a sponsorship logo on top of it. Beyond that, there is no value addition that one gets. Here, I’m being part of the team working on what should the event be all about. Rajesh came with certain ideas, my team then looked at the kind of speakers they should invite. What they should talk about. And we are actually considering all that before we take a speaker onboard, because I don’t want people to come and give us gyaan as to how good they are and how they have done great stuff, and what their great companies do. At the end, it has to be learning for the people who attend it, that here is the problem, and here are potential solutions, now debate.

     

     

     

  • The film's roll-out will be supported by a print ad as well as intensive promotion on YouTube and other social media platforms

    Zee Entertainment launches new corporate brand film created by FCB Ulka

    By A Correspondent

     

    You hear Prime Minister Narendra Modi talk of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ in most of his addresses internationally. Just last week, speaking to the Indian diaspora in Shanghai, China, the Prime Minister spoke of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam which can be translated from the Sanskrit as The World is My Family.

     

    Interestingly, Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam is also the corporate credo of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL).  Now building on its global positioning of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – The World is My Family’, ZEEL has announced the launch of its new corporate brand film. Currently reaching over 959 million viewers across 169 countries, the film reiterates Zee’s role as a global brand, a cultural ambassador, uniting people in India and across the world through its wide network of 33 domestic and 36 international channels.

     

    Zee Entertainment had unveiled its corporate brand positioning and identity,‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – The World is my Family’, in 2013.

     

    Roland Landers
    Satbir Singh

    Speaking on the new brand film, Roland Landers, Head – Corporate Brand, ZEEL said, “In its journey of 22 years, Zee has made a significant place in the hearts and minds of millions of viewers across the world. Through this film, we not only cherish their presence, but also welcome the world to be a part of this family.”

     

    Satbir Singh, Chief Creative Officer, FCB Ulka, the communications agency that created the film said, “Zee is today this massive family with millions of family members around the world, connected through highly engaging television and movie content. We are celebrating this inclusive value of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, or the World is a Family, with this film.”

     

    The film will be aired on all Zee Entertainment and Zee Media channels starting today (May 18). The film’s roll-out will be supported by a print ad as well as intensive promotion on YouTube and other social media platforms.

     

     

     

  • General Entertainment channel localized for the Indonesian audience

    Zee Entertainment launches Zee Hiburan in Indonesia

    By A Correspondent

     

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) announced the launch of Zee Hiburan in Indonesia. ‘Zee Hiburan’, which means ‘Zee Entertainment’ in English, is a GEC that features popular Indian serials localized for the mainstream Indonesian audience.

     

    Speaking on the launch of Zee Hiburan, Sushruta Samanta, Business Head – Asia Pacific, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (ZEEL) said, “Zee Hiburan in Indonesia is our 3rd launch in the APAC region in the last 14 months, following Zee Bioskop and Zee Nung. Zee Hiburan will consolidate our position and market share in Indonesia, which is one of the fastest growing Pay-TV markets in the region. Our initial interaction with the distributors was very encouraging, which propelled us to launch a GEC Channel within a year of launching our Bollywood channel, Zee Bioskop in the market. Indian content has created a huge wave in the local FTA space and with Zee Hiburan, we believe that we will be able to take it to the next level.”

     

    Sushruta Samanta

    Sharing more details on the channel, Mariaa Gint Lizing, Country Head, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (ZEEL) said, “With Indian stories narrated like never before, Zee Hiburan promises to engage the viewers with shows that travel from the eras of the kings and queens to the modern world. The channel is positioned as ‘Color Your Life’ showcasing every emotion in the most colorful fashion. Inspired from paper puppets & paper quilling art forms, the channel packaging is artistically designed to merge the Indonesian & Indian cultures.”

     

    The channel will showcase popular ZEE shows and dramas like Ramayan, Jhansi ki Rani, Jodha Akbar, Kumkum Bhagya, Pavitra Rishta, Kasam Se, Sapne Suhane Ladakpan, Jab Love Hua, Fear Files and many more.

     

    Zee Hiburan – Warnai Hidup Anda (Zee Entertainment – Color your life) is currently available as a pay channel on ICTA – Indonesia Cable TV Association and K Vision (DTH platform) and will soon be available on more platforms in the market. After the successful launch of Zee Bioskop in Indonesia last year, Zee Hiburan is geared up to woo the local Indonesian audience with popular Indian daily soaps.

     

  • Zee Entertainment denies news on TV programming veteran Shailja Kejriwal holding the reins of Zee Smile's revamp programme

    ZEEL sources deny news on Shailja Kejriwal heading Zee Smile revamp

    By Sandeep Puraname

     

    One wouldn’t expect an IndianTelevision.com news to be incorrect. Its sources are impeccable.

     

    So even as Zee Entertainment honchos dismissed the IndianTelevision.com report that programming veteran Shailja Kejriwal was to head Zee Smile’s revamp, we wouldn’t rule it out completely. It’s perhaps work in progress, it’s possible that she will lead the effort on the channel’s revamp and may not be the business head. Currently, Priyanka Datta heads Zee Smile along with Zindagi and the rest of the free-to-air Hindi cluster.

     

    Watch this space for more.

     

  • With only five-and-a-half measurable days as per the TAM measurement cyle, newly launched flagship Hindi GEC &TV from the Zee Entertainment stable has opened at 90612 GVTs

    &TV opens with 90612 GVTs

    The numbers are out. &TV has opened at 90162 GVTs in the first week of its launch.

     

    With only five-and-a-half measurable days as per the TAM measurement cyle, newly launched flagship Hindi GEC &TV from the Zee Entertainment stable has opened at 90612 GVTs. The launch happened with roadblocks across the Zee network of channels as well as very visible outdoor and print campaign.

     

    Detailed ratings of the various shows including Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘India Poochega – Sabse Shaana Kaun?’ are awaited

     

  • The move is aimed at chalking a clear path for ZEE to achieve its goals set for the year 2020

    Zee engages Interbrand for its Corporate Brand Valuation Study

    By A Correspondent

     

    To take its vision forward, ZEE has associated with Interbrand to further strengthen, study and analyze its corporate brand. Along with the corporate brand, six key channels under the mother brand form a part of this brand study, aimed at chalking a clear path for ZEE to achieve its goals set for the year 2020.

     

    Roland Landers
    Ashish Mishra

    Roland Landers, Head – Corporate Brand, ZEE Entertainment, said, “Corporate Brand ZEE has grown stronger, with its presence in over 169 countries. With our engaging content, which entertains over 800 million viewers worldwide, we envision to be ranked amongst the top brands in India by the end of 2015 and top global brands by the year 2020. Interbrand’s association will certainly add immense value to this journey, in terms of valuating the brand’s contribution to the enterprise value and in navigating the brand to achieve its qualitative goals.”

     

    On the ZEE partnership, Ashish Mishra, MD, Interbrand India said “Our purpose as Interbrand India is to help Best Indian Brands navigate their ambitions to be Best Global Brands. We are delighted to be entering into a long term partnership with ZEE which is a Best Indian Brand contender and has the potential to emerge as a strong global brand too.”

     

  • Q&A with Zindagi Business Head Priyanka Datta as the channel boasts of high impact, despite the low ratings

    We knew Zindagi won’t be in league of Zee, other GECs

     

    Okay, okay, this is for the second consecutive day that we are doing a big story on a Zee channel, but that’s a coincidence. No motive… no quid pro quo 🙂

     

    So should a Hindi general entertainment channel necessarily score big on the weekly ratings roster to be termed a success? Not if you are Zindagi, launched in June 2014, which hit upon the winning concept of airing Pakistani television shows at primetime. The concept has worked, carving a unique ‘premium’ niche for the Zee Entertainment channel. Pradyuman Maheshwari spoke with Priyanka Datta, Business Head of Zindagi. Excerpts from an interview:

     

    For India and Indians, Pakistani and everything Pakistani is perceived as Enemy #1. Did the seven-month run of Zindagi see any unsettling moments given the various issues we’ve had with our neighbour?

    When we launched the channels we too thought along these lines. In fact we had security outside our office and were ready for any possible backlash. But the response has been amazing. There is no negativity whatsoever, in fact there’s only appreciation from all quarters.

     

    The channel was launched with much fanfare on June 23, 2014. How has the year been for you?

    The response has been overwhelming. It wasn’t a mass channel to deliver major ratings like you see in the Hindi general entertainment channel (GEC) space. We launched keeping the content for an ‘X’ mindset and we’ve reached that audience remarkably well. Now we intend to innovate and grow.

     

    If there’s one thing to differentiate the mindset of a ZeeTV versus that of Zindagi, what would it be?

    Zindagi very clearly caters to an absolutely progressive mindset. A person who can stand for her right, it has female audience-based shows, away from the melodrama, more in the realistic realm of things. That’s the content we offer and the audience we target.

     

    For an organisation which has a channel where ratings are always in three figures, it must’ve taken some to get used to this double-figure rating for a GEC?

    That’s all in the mind because in this very network you have English channels which also have a single figure rating but are doing very well in their genre. We knew Zindagi won’t be of the league of Zee or other Hindi GECs because the content differs widely. We felt it could’ve done a little better than what it’s delivering now, but we were not very way off.

     

    You haven’t caught the bug of reality or song-and-dance shows yet?

    We don’t intend to, this isn’t a typical Hindi GEC. I don’t think there’s any need for a reality show or non-fiction. For example, a DID doesn’t fit into it.

     

    No Pakistani DID?

    Zindagi isn’t a Pakistani channel. Currently, the content is all from Pakistan, primarily because the language affinity is there. In India, we don’t have finite shows in the Hindi space. That will take time to come on air here. We are already talking of regional productions as we go on, along the year.

     

    But, as of now, it is Pakistani…

    Yes, the content that you have is Pakistani. We’re looking at exploring content from various places like Turkey and Egypt from the second phase of this year.

     

    How have you done in adsales ?

    This channel is being received well. I’m sure we’ll do better as we go along.

     

    Are you able to attract any premium because of the kind of audience you have?

    Honestly speaking, whatever we are doing is the premium we are getting and selling on. We definitely can’t sell on ratings, seeing them as they are. It’s all on premium and the brands have only been growing. It’s faring pretty well. The mindset is also changing from an advertising standpoint. In the Hindi space, people so far are not used to buying content on premium. It’s all very CPRP- and GRP-linked. English channels, for instance, are bought on premium and perception, not ratings. Hindi channels haven’t been bought on perception because none existed to buy.

     

    The sentiment in Pakistan in the television industry is very popular towards Zindagi. It’s more money for them too. Are you cashing in on that in any way?

    We’re looking at getting more. We’ve already procured most of the cream they have produced so far. The good thing is, it’s not just the content that’s bringing the freshness. All their best actors and directors are into television. They are far more natural actors… they go to bed in nighties, not zari-lined sarees! That appeals very well to our audiences.

     

    Some of the Pakistani stars are quite a rage here, right?

    Yes, it’s working for them. Now, many Zindagi stars are getting into Hindi films. Like Fawad Khan was signed on for a film much earlier, but became a household name only after he was on Zindagi. Everywhere he went for the promotion of his film Khoobsurat, he was being asked about Zindagi Gulzar Hai and asked to sing, talk of his TV show etc.

     

    A version of this appeared in dna of brands dated January 19, 2014