Channel V recently launched a security mobile application to promote the third season of their show Gumrah. The channel’s GM Prem Kamath chatted with Iknoor Kaur on guiding the youth and creating awareness
Dandy shoes and sloppy attitude come to mind when we talk of Gen Y. But defining youngsters’ attitude and behaviour in specific words is a difficult task. They can easily get triggered and some teenagers often get on the wrong track, reasons can be many — love, lust, obsession, peer-pressure, ego, money. Channel V’s show Gumrah talks about what can lead youngsters to the wrong path. The channel recently launched the third season of the show with the host Karan Kundra and actress Chitrangda Singh. The channel also introduced an Android application called ‘Vith U’.
“It is the fact that no one can imagine life without the cell phone today. We are promoting safety through cell phones, especially for the teenagers,” commented Prem Kamath, General Manager of Channel V.
The recently launched app allows users to register four phone numbers of people they would call during an emergency. The app can be used by pressing the power button two times which sends text messages to the four registered contacts along with the user’s GPS location.
“Our aim is to promote Gumrah as a brand. We want to promote the show as a series that guides and spreads awareness. Considering the recent events taking place in the country, the concept of the show is more relevant now and the app is what we need to give safety options to the youngsters. We are also in talks with writers who can write a book on Gumrah incidents to take the movement ahead,” added Kamath.
Channel V recently changed their identity — from music entertainment to youth fiction entertainment. The team at Channel V felt that the myth of reality television being the sole source of entertainment for the youth needed to be done away with. “People were stuck to the fact that only reality drama can get the youth to watch television, but I feel that youngsters need to relate to the content. Dil Dosti Dance was the first show we introduced that gave the youth a chance to connect to situations. Gumrah works as a mirror for the youth, giving them a chance to learn from their mistakes,” shared Kamath.
Started two years back, Gumrah successfully completed two seasons supplementing the growth rate of the channel immensely. “Youth crimes are on a rise and we wanted to grab the root of this. We give the viewers a glimpse of what leads children towards the crime. There are episodes where we don’t show the crime at all but only suggest it because we don’t want to promote the crime,” he said.
Kamath continued, “The moment a show like Gumrah becomes preachy, the youth will stop watching it. That is why for the first season we wanted somebody who could connect to the show and Karan was perfect as the anchor. In the last few years he has become the face of Gumrah. We can’t even think of a season without him. He shows his flaws and lets out his emotions which helps gaining the attention of today’s generation.”
Karan Kundra, believes the present generation needs guidance. “They don’t think enough before acting. Family plays an important role. Google can’t explain things the way parents can,” he said.
Chitrangda Singh, who is the face of the app, will also be co-hosting the first episode of season three with Karan Kundra. She said, “Safety of women is the most valid concern in the country at the moment. The media attention it has got in the recent months is good because people have realised how grave the issue is. The app empowers you to be able to feel safe and comfortable.”
The actress hopes she can help promote the app among the youth. She shared, “In the past I made a mistake which made me lose a friend and I feel horrible about myself. When we are teenagers we are immature and what we think is right is never so. Gumrah has led people to at least take informed decisions about their lives.” Season three of Gumrah is reportedly going on air from July 7.