A world removed from the kitchen politics of garish women, meaningful social dramas occupy the afternoon slots on a leading entertainment channel. Ankita Jain reports
Unadulterated entertainment is the key to high TRP ratings. Bearing this in mind, Star Plus channel will be launching four soap operas in the afternoon slot after a gap of eight years. Then the channel once ruled the afternoon slot with shows like Bhabhi and Kumkum. “We believe that it is compelling stories which will draw viewers to the channel in the afternoon. We have seen this with several breakaway hits in the past where we have changed viewership habits by offering cutting edge and differentiated content,” said Gaurav Banerjee, president and head of Content Studio of the channel.
So what led towards the afternoon slotsIJ “There is a sizeable television viewing audience in the afternoon. Currently the only options available to these viewers are repeat telecasts. Our aim is to present viewers with a spectrum of original content thereby growing the entire category,” elaborated Narayan Sundararaman, general manager of the channel.
A Turkish show that has been winning hearts of viewers worldwide with its emotions transcending geographies, Fatmagul will be adapted in India titled Kya Qusoor Hai Amala KaIJ
The story tackles complex emotions and a sensitive subject of violation of the innocence of a woman. The show is set in Dharamshala and is being remade with Indian sensibilities by Purnendu Shekhar, Nandita Mehra and Bhairavi Raichura. “The original show was the story of a young woman Fatmagul, who finds love in the most unexpected manner. It dealt with the turbulence that becomes a constant in Fatmagul’s life after she is gang-raped. In the Indian version, we are trying to convey the message that a girl isn’t impure after rape and she deserves a respectful life even after that incident,” said writer and producer Purnendu.
Besides the Turkish show, there are three other new shows, which will be part of the afternoon segment. The sequel to Diya Aur Baati Hum, titled Tu Sooraj Mai Saanjh Piya Ji which will be completely based on Kerala. Remaining two shows are — Ek Aastha Aisi Bhi, which is the story about an atheist girl, and a Balaji Telefilms serial titled Dhhai Kilo Prem. This show highlights the issue of body shaming and is influenced by the real life story of the creative director and also first time producer Sandiip Sikcand.
Asked about its resemblance from the film Dhum laga k Haisa, Sandiip clarified, “My story is completely different. Though the issue is similar, it is a love story of Deepika and Piyush. While Deepika chooses to weigh herself with the scale of confidence, Piyush chooses to weigh himself down with the insecurities of his imperfection.”
Being given the afternoon slot, Sandiip further added, “I was even comfortable with early morning slot. I believe, content pulls the audience and I am confident about my story.”