Nachiket Pantvaidya, GM of Star Plus, shares how the channel’s shows focus on aspirations, changing mindsets and relationships in modern families
One reason Gopi bahu and Kokila from Saath Nibhana Saathiya or Naitik and Akshara in Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai got popular, is they bucked the norm, which usually presented mothers-in-laws as monsters-in-laws and daughters-in-laws, plotting to create family rifts. Couples were either too mushy or the other extreme. The shows presented characters that appeared real. “Breaking stereotypes and setting trends has always been our aim,” shared Nachiket Pantvaidya, General Manager of Star Plus. He commented that through shows they always tried to present people’s changing mindsets.
“We aim at redefining relationships and an aspirational India, open to different challenges, by accepting relationships positively. We have seen these through shows like Saathiya, where a mother-in-law supports her daughter-in-law, encouraging her to study. Through Diya Aur Baati Hum, we depict how a husband supports his wife, to realise her dreams and encourages her to study. Similarly, in our forthcoming show, Meri Bhabhi, we deal with how sisters-in-law support each other.”
He added, “We believe there are issues beyond relationships that India deals with. We try to bring them out and set example for people to shed inhibitions and reveal their talent. In MasterChef India Kitchen Ke Superstar, we had a contestant, Khoku Patra, who worked as a cook in homes. She was distributing prizes during IPl, after being popular on the show. We present many success stories.” Three sections the channel will focus on are: lifestyle (“all about new India”), education and health. “Education is what we are showing through Sandhya in Diya Aur Baati Hum. She is determined to complete her studies. Health is about issues or circumstances that change families. For example, when Naitik went into coma, Akshara took charge of the home. It was another way of getting close to real situations,” he said. Determining that interior Indian starts watching TV early, the channel is trying to make a shift in its time band. “We have a show called Ek Ghar Banaunga which airs at 6.30 pm. We understand that rural India goes to bed early, so we consider different habits,” he said, adding, “We will focus on socio-economic changes. In the non-fiction format, we will stick to cooking and dance, which emerged successfully on the channel.”