All you wanted to know about Satyamev Jayate & Aamir Khan

“Aamir Khan on Television” we normally associate this phrase when we watch his movies on television or on some news channel. But this phrase will have a new meaning the moment his 1st Show on Television will be aired on 6th May at 11:00. Yes you read it right, it’s a Sunday. As mentioned in our previous post “Will “Satyamev Jayate” bring about change in the Indian Television scenario?” It was not difficult to understand that this Show will surely be a A win win situation for Channels and Audience.

iDubba tries to find out some of the reasons why “Satyamev Jayate” has the potential to change the Indian Television scenario:

• Satyameva Jayate will be first Indian television show to be telecast simultaneously by a private entertainment television channel and Doordarshan—the national broadcaster. Yes it will be shown on DD. Apart from Star Plus; the show will also have simulcast on STAR Pravah, STAR Jalsha, STAR Utsav, Asianet and STAR Vijay within the STAR Network
• The show is scheduled to telecast on Sundays at 11 A.M. Mr Khan wanted to telecast it on Sunday as this is considered as “family TV viewing” slot in Indian Television and also TV shows such as  Mahabharata and Ramayana were aired on Sunday mornings, and well, we all know how successful these shows were
• The title sponsorship has been signed at around 16 – 20 crore, while associate sponsors have paid 6 – 7 crore. WOW… This is huge…Right?
• There are reports that Aamir Khan is getting paid Rs 3 crore to anchor Satyamev Jayate. So is he the highest paid actor on Indian Television? Well here you go…Amitabh apparently got a fee of Rs 2 crore for his stint in Kaun Banega Crorepati 5, while Salman got reportedly around Rs 2 crore for lending his presence to Bigg Boss 5
• Aamir Khan along with Ram Sampath, (music director of Delhi Belly) has created 16 songs for the 16 episodes. This too is a first of its kind

Well these are just some of the facts about this show that make it a unique show even before it’s 1st episode being aired. As we all know the Marketing King of Films would definitely have one of a kind plan for his 1st Television show. So here are a few that might impress you.

– The teasers of the show have been all over YouTube

– Makers of show has booked around 2,000 slots for the broadcaster’s promos in 27 hours for an amount of 6.25 crore

– The theme song of the show will be shown in 300 theaters across India after the national anthem. Yes in Movie Halls, Only Aamir Khan can come up with such amazing idea

So are you all excited to watch this one of a kind show? Do you think this will be a win win situation for Channels and Audience?

Happy Viewing 🙂

Roadies 9 Journey – The Stunner ?

The word “Roadies” bring out the madness, craziness, enthusiasm, sob stories, fake-ness & a lot more amongst the youth of India. As the auditions for the show begin, people await & prepare for days. The D- Day is jam packed with people which starts with GDs, forms and more & ultimately facing the judges trio – Raghu, Rajiv & Ranvijay.

Roadies 9 Season started on September 16th and the telecast started few weeks back with much ho-la-ho. The auditions went on in major cities , also in Hyderabad from where the maximum number of Roadies got selected. In total, there were 13 people selected, with a majority of girls. In words of Raghu- It’s only getting BIGGER & this is the first time the show is going to USA.  The selected Roadies are :-

1. Diyali Chauhan , Kanaka Raju & Pratima Dagar – Delhi

2. Abhishek P. Shetty- Pune

3. Dimpy Yadav & Himani Sharma- Chandigarh

4. Manali Banerjee- Kolkata

5. Taranjeet Kaur, Vikas, Aarsh Sharif, Vinay Abhishek, Anirudh Sharma & Khushbu Mendoza- Hyderabad

The Roadies journey is about to begin from Tomorrow , i.e March 17th. The interesting part is that for the first time in Indian Television, a show has been premiered on the Big screen. Yes, you heard it right. The premiere was held in Delhi on the March 15th, which showcased the start of journey of Roadies 9. This season promises to be bigger and the start is grand in itself.

And it does not just end here. This is the first Indian reality Tv show to be shot in USA, says Rajiv. He claims that the audience would enjoy new culture since America is a unique place and everything is larger than life in that country. It will have a basketball task at San Francisco and  a man versus wild survival task at the Death Valley of California. The journey of ‘Roadies 9’ will kick start from Jaipur, then Delhi, and finally to the U.S.

This show promises a lot of adventure, back biting, plans & games, group-ism, over-the-top-drama, tasks, immunity, vote-outs, abusing & ultimately a winner with his/her Karizma bike. Ultimately, it will be a masala show ; living upto the name of reality shows. Only difference is that this one has major viewership of youth & children.

Let’s wait and watch if the show lives upto it’s promises of being the most grand season ever. Let’s see if the show makers are able to make it any different after so many seasons.

The episode telecasts on the television sets tomorrow at 7pm. So stay tuned & do let us know what’s your opinion regarding the first look at the journey of Roadies 9. 

Cheers to the spirit of Roadies 9 !!

 

Indian TV Screen coming off age – Really?

Were you ready to watch your first ever lip lock scene on Indian Television? Honestly I wasn’t, may be because I was watching it with family. Also it wasn’t just a lip lock but almost a 20 minute ‘love making’ scene which was way too bolder for Indian audience. Yes we are talking about the much hyped “love making” scene between Ram Kapoor and Sakshi Tanwar, the lead pair on a popular soap ‘Bade Ache Lagte Hain’ currently aired on Sony Entertainment television.

Sony tv had been airing steamy promos of this episode since last 2 weeks before they actually aired the episode and gave a shock to the ‘regular’ people, and by regular I mean family who sit together to watch something sensible and definitely less controversial. Many of you might not agree with us and call us hypocrites for not accepting something which is so natural. However I would definitely want to ask this question to our loyal audience that was it really necessary to show the on screen couple consummate their wedding by showing what actually happens between two people when they have sex. And that too with complete 20 minutes (that is whole one episode minus the advertisements) coverage just to show that how happily they accomplished their marital relationship. What are the channel’s producers exactly trying to prove here?

We really believe in progressing and strongly believe that Indian television is certainly coming off age breaking the shackles of monotonous soap opera concepts with same old saas-bahu sagas. But there are many other sane ways to do it rather than showing something on tv which puts you in an embarrassing situation in front of people with whom you watch it.

I have nothing against the show and definitely want to mention it that I follow the show ardently because of the freshness it brought from the usual soap operas of Indian television. Also I am not condemning the idea of showing ‘love making’ between the on screen couple, in fact I agree that it was the requirement of script and the show to take a major turn now. But what I am trying to prove here is that it could have been portrayed in a way which was more aesthetically comfortable for the audience.

As soon as the episode was over the next thing we knew was that the lead couple Ram and Sakshi were trending on the social networking site ‘twitter’. Mostly made jokes about the weight issues of Ram Kapoor which is more disheartening to see. Many poked fun asking for the link for the video of ‘Ram and Sakshi having sex’. Do we really need all this cheap drama or a good show which was admired anyway before this over hyped scene?

We will leave you with this thought and would definitely love to know your opinion about the same.

What makes FIR so special?

FIR…These 3 letters are known as “First Information Report” which the Indian police prepares for each case to be investigated. But the Indian Television audience might disagree with this. For them FIR is a super hit serial that has been aired on SAB TV since 2006. Yes it’s been on the television screen since 2006. And guess what? This sitcom was also nominated for the “Best Sitcom/Comedy Programme” category at the Indian Telly Awards in 2009.

Let’s get back to the main characters of the show that make it successful. Chandramukhi Chautala role played by Kavita Kaushik, the moment you take this name there is a sense of a no-nonsense cop. Well she is actually a no-nonsense cop but manages to play this fun-loving, romantic Haryanvi cop. She is young, educated, informed and well-built and not to forget beautiful. She plays the role of a police sub-inspector in the Iman Chowki and has a central role in solving the cases. She is known for her manly nature and bossy attitude towards her colleagues. Did you know Kavita Kaushik’s father was a police officer in real life? In the serial she is from Haryana who speaks with a Haryanvi accent.

The best part is that she never fails to solve a case. And does not miss a chance to boss around with her 2 juniors and not to forget her boss, the police inspector. This character is played by Aamir Ali who is known as Inspector Bajrang Pandey in the show. This character was earlier played by Ali Asgar for last 2 years. This character has a unique role as he is one who is interested in girls, but has to stay away from them as his guru told him that he would die if he got married. The police inspector’s role is later played by other actors as the inspectors keep on getting transferred to other police stations.

Who can miss the 2 craziest characters in the serial ie Gopinath Gandotra played by Gopi Bhalla. He plays the role of an aged constable and rarely plays an important role in solving the cases. He is often scolded by Chandramukhi upon his silly comments and mistakes while he tries to speak in very bad English.

Some of his most used phrases are-

“Ya this one”, “carry on” 🙂 Following are some of his crazy dialogues: “What is the problem is the, Delhi me airport palam is the”, “What is the matter is the, can I send you letter is the”, “Hame karni chahiye iski sahayata is the, warna phail jayega raita is the”, “What is the name is the, Kanpur me traffic jam is the” and many more.

 

The second constable is Mulayam Singh Gulgule, played by Kiku Sharda. He is the one who always ends up being slapped by Chandramukhi Chautala. As and when the serial progresses there are some of the most rowdy characters that enter the show and this in turn ensures that the audience have a laugh riot.

So what makes FIR so Special? Is it Chandramukhi Chautala or Inspector Bajrang Pandey or the 2 constables or the rowdiest characters? As always looking forward to your views on the same.

Happy Viewing!!!

Would you like to be a Gadget Guru….

Mobiles, Tablets, Laptops, Desktops, MP3 players, CD players, LCD, LED and so on…. The list of Gadgets is endless. Every week new gadgets make way to the market and one is tempted to try them out & buy them too. At times, it gets confusing and one just can’t decide what to buy and what to pass on. Well, don’t worry, Indian Television has some amazing shows that are here to solve this issue & help you decide on the best ones.

These shows are here to help and make life easy by offering you the reviews about the latest tech toyz that have been launched. They give you a first hand information about these new products and also ensure that they have tested the product before they rate them. These shows also try to give pros and cons about the gadgets and the technology used in these products. And the best part is that they also compare the gadgets with the closest competition in its category, which might help you to decide between the various options available in the market. So are you ready to enter the world of Gadgets and more 😉 

Following are the 3 shows that are currently running successfully :

Tech Toyz (CNBC)
Tech Toyz is a weekly show on personal technology on CNBC-TV18 and CNN-IBN. The show is anchored by Suresh Venkat, Ankit Vengurlekar, and Shruti Rajkumar. It’s high on entertainment quotient and pleasantly low on geeky jargon. The show offers a candid review of gizmos and gadgets and also gives a verdict on whether the technology is worth the consumers money. The humor and the strange choice of locations sets the show apart from other shows .They end up anchoring out of pubs, bars, mills, beauty salons, and even  swimming pools. Well to experience this, you will have to watch the show. 😉

Mobiles & Gadgets (Zee Business )
This show is very much for you if you are not a techie. No jargon’s, No complicated words. It makes you understand the most complex gadgets in the simplest terms. It makes sure that you are updated with all the latest releases in the world of gadgets. There are neither fancy locations nor fancy hosts. And hence somehow it seems mundane and also the humor quotient is missing.

Gadget Guru (NDTV)
It is one of the longest running and the most popular gadget shows on Indian Television. It has been on air for the last 3 years and takes a look at the coolest, funkiest gadgets out there, and gives a detailed insight into the world of gizmos. With Vikram Chandra and Rajiv Makhni as the anchors of the show, this show is highly enjoyable and informative. It covers what’s new in the world of gadgets, product tests, reviews, comparisons, shoot-outs and gadget gyan to use gadgets and technology better. The show has a great fan following too.

So are you ready to enter the world of gizmos? Are you ready to pick your favourite gadgets?  If yes, do watch these shows and as always looking forward to your views and reviews about these shows.

Happy Viewing.

What does Television mean to you?

For some of you this must be a very “Easy to answer” question while for some others it might be difficult. Fortunately or unfortunately no one has ever asked me this question. I often wonder, if someone came up with such a question -what my answer will be! At the very first instance you might end up saying that a TV is a TV (an idiot box is what it is also referred to). You switch it on; you switch it off, surf channels and then watch your favourite shows or movies. Some get glued to the News Channels, kids to their cartoon shows and some to the latest music channels. In short it’s an entertainment tool that helps you to pass on time.

What does Television mean to you??

Well, to answer this question, I will have to take you back in time when there used to be just 1 or 2 television sets in our entire building. I mean just imagine just 1-2 TV set and we all used to try our best to get a glimpse of it. There was only one channel “Doordarshan”. Trend  that time was that people used to finish their work well in advance just to ensure that they don’t miss their favourite show (the culture of repeat telecast was not present in those days). Especially on Sundays the entire family and the neighboring kids used to just spend their mornings in front of the television. Somehow I feel that there was a sense of emotional attachment towards television. It was a proud moment for the families who used to buy a television and specially if it’s a color TV then one was considered super cool ;). And people would actually visit once to see what it looks like. It was more like a family member than just being an idiot box (as it is considered today).

Television in those days was a medium to bring the entire family under one roof and have a gala time (My personal opinion)

Today, things are totally different, television is a common thing in every household. You can also see an army of Dishes on the terrace and balcony’s, as Cable Television / Satellite has completely changed the viewing experience. Now at the touch of a button, you can order a Movie on your screen, watch news 24/7, enjoy your favourite shows with repeats. Some how I feel that the importance and the value of television is lost as there are so many options available in terms of content. Now you will not find that excitement and emotional quotient towards television. Also you might find that families and kids like to watch television in their separate rooms. The culture of watching it together is somehow lost. Well as times have changed, we too have to move on with it.

What are your views on this, what does television mean to you…. Looking forward to your wonderful and golden memories that you had for television in those days, or for that matter in the present times too.

 Happy Viewing.

Where is the humor? (Comedy shows drying up on Indian TV)

If you are also not able to find humor in our comedy shows then you are definitely in the category where people are waiting for good and ‘clean’ comedy on Indian television and if you have already find it then please share what I am missing. Oh yes… and if in case you ask me to switch on to latest shows on SAB TV then I agree there are two or three good shows which are worth giving time like Taarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chashmah and recently launched R.K. Laxman Ki Duniya. However all the remaining shows fail to impress even a bit.

Apparently the Indian Television industry was expected to grow over 500 billion by the end of 2011 and currently it has over 500 channels broadcasted. But I still find dearth of substance in our tv shows. For example comedy shows which are my all time favourite are definitely way too below the level of good comedy or sitcom shows. Let us take a look at the journey of Indian television in terms of comedy shows in last 28 years.

Yeh Jo hai Zindagi was India’s first sitcom aired in 1984 on Doordarshan. The show written by comedy writer Sharad Joshi was such a huge hit that even box-office openings in cinemas were affected due to the airing of the show because it aired on Friday nights. Then came the ‘era’ in 1993 of two most widely admired comedy shows ever in the history of Indian television: Dekh Bhai Dekh and Zabaan Sambhalke. I am sure that these two names certainly brings a big smile on everyone’s face and those unforgettable characters like Balraj Diwan (Navin Nischol), Samir Diwan (Shekhar Suman), Gareema (Deven Bhojani), Mohan Bharti (Pankaj Kapoor) and many other became an integral part of our lives. Within two years Doordarshan launched another hilarious comedy Srimaan Srimati in 1995 that gave India one of its favourite characters ‘Dilruba’. Simultaneously Zee TV launched its most popular comedy show till date Hum Paanch in 1995. Another hit show Padosan was launched on DD Metro in 1998. All these have left a legacy behind them and I can’t find any show matching up to their level currently or in these all years.

In modern day classics i can count Office Office easily which was launched in 2001 on SAB TV. This hugely popular and admired sitcom was based on corruption and bribery in public offices. The story revolved around Mussadilal (Bollywood actor Pankaj Kapoor) who was often harshly greeted by the corrupt officials. “Mussadilal” was the favourite character of viewers for a very long period and we remember him fresh as ever even now.

Now coming back to today’s topic of this post “Why comedy shows are drying up on Indian television”? Honestly after all these years finally in 2005 I thought that there is a chance that Indian comedy can get back to track when a new reality comedy show “The Great Indian Laughter Challenge” was launched. The Star One’s laughter show won millions of hearts and before we knew there were four seasons in their kitty. The laughter challenge gave way to all these shows on “Comedy Circus” that are aired on Sony TV regularly. However the quality of the comedians and their so called “punches” has deteriorated immensely. In terms of another blogger whose post I read the other day “the contestants of these shows grew up with time and became big-time perverts”. The reality comedy shows today are nothing but a sign toward the hypocrisy of Indian television that call these laughter shows full of double-meaning jokes family shows.

So what is the exact reason? Are we short of good comedy writers, or we are short of good character artists who can do good comedy or it is just the mindset that is not able to accept some clean and good talent? Tell us your views if you have answer to these questions. 🙂

New Genres Being Targeted for Television

The times are changing for Indian Television not just in terms of shows based on particular genres but brand new channels being introduced targeting specific genres and categories like age group etc. It is becoming imperative for the producers and the heads of various channels to bring fresh ideas to survive and create a niche for themselves in this competition scenario. With this new avatar of all the channels the television heads are already trying to transform people’s opinion about regular channels.

Today we will give a short glimpse of channels that have been introduced recently or will be launched with such genres and categories.

Sonic (Nickelodeon) – This channel will be introduced shortly by Viacom18 productions. It is based on action loving generation that targets 13-18 year old teenagers. The channel clearly states three main ideas behind the shows’ theme and they are ‘Thrills’, ‘Guts’ and ‘Glory’.

UTV Action – The channel was launched some time back and airs English action genre movies from Hollywood dubbed in Hindi. Even this idea is new and has gained popularity with specific viewers group. This channel is the ultimate Action destination for any fan!

UTV Stars – “Stars” as the name suggests was launched recently that features shows based on Bollywood only. All the gossips, movie reviews, interviews with celebrities etc are the popular sections of this channel.

History – Introduced in collaboration with Network18. The channel roped in one of the highest paid actors “Salman Khan” for the initial promotion of the channel. It is a masala filled version of documentary and lifestyle genres as it features some really cool shows like “Sliced”, “America: The Story of The US” and “Food Tech“.

India’s audience has evolved in terms of TV and its daily dose of entertainment. Many channels realized this fact and shows for every age group, genre etc are on air!!

So which one are you Tuned into?

D3 Commando Force

D3 Commando Force is a new reality TV Show on Bindass TV. D3 Commando Force on UTV Bindass is a courageous reality TV Show in the sequel of Dadagiri series. Bindass D3 Commando Force Dadagiri Against Terrorism starts from 8th May, 2010 at 7 PM in India.

D3 Commando Force is anchored by Vivan Bhatena. He has been seen in the special recruitment episode of D3 Commando Force on UTV Bindass .

Bindass D3 Commando Force Auditions:

UTV Bindass has called the youth of the country to participate in the D3 Commando Force auditions. Bindass D3 Commando Force had given an online registration form also to participate in the Show.

Bindass D3 Commando Force Dadagiri Against Terrorism audition was held in Delhi, Lucknow and Mumbai. The Show had announced an audition date also. Auditions of D3 Commando Force were announced by an advertisement.
Participants had to carry a photo ID and age proof. They had to participate with the comfortable sports shoes and sports wear.
Currently, Bindass D3 Commando Force auditions are over. The Show starts with the auditions episode on Bindass TV.
Bindass D3 Commando Force Recruitment Officers are:
Capt. Kshitij Sharma

Capt. Dharamveer Singh

Capt. Albert Louis

Dadagiri specialist – Vishal Dada also participates in the team of recruitment officers in Bindass D3 Commando Force – Dadagiri Against Terrorism TV Show.

I can be a reality TV Script writer :)

Okay! You might question me – are you obsessed with reality? The truth is- NO.

I’m obsessed with the stupidity of people who make us watch reality shows. Well I should not simply bad mouth the word “Reality” here, because there is some good reality content over TV too. Some of the shows which I like in their original form are “So you think you can Dance”, “Chotte Miyan”, “Mindfreak” etc. But, I’m not here to talk about such shows, otherwise you’ll lose patience and browse off my guest author page :-).

What about shows like “Lux- The perfect Bride”? Or more interesting one “Raaz Pichle Janam ka” on NDTV Imagine? Now, I got your attention, right? I don’t want to describe what happens in such shows, as you’re more educated about these than me. What I want to talk about is “Reality TV Shows”. What exactly is a “Reality Show”? To what extent one can go in the name of Reality? And all this from a very common man’s perspective. continue reading..