Makeover time for Indian telly

Makeover time for Indian telly

HT Style

Mumbai, May 22, 2006

All our ducklings-turned-style divas and neighbourhood brats like Jassis and Miilees are out. The couch potato can sit back and relax in the fresh new breeze blowing over channels.

After almost two years of playing it safe with hackneyed ideas at prime time, the channels have finally decided to give viewers a break from overdone makeover shows and never-ending sad tales of saas-bahus.

Served fresh It's not just new faces that we are going to see at prime time, there are new genres, too, to replace the kitchen politics.

And, after flogging the weekend slot to death, the channels are now targeting weekdays. Come June 12 and Star Plus will launch Virasat, a new drama that will replace the successful show, Miilee.

Directed as well as produced by Ravi Chopra, Virasat boasts a big cast — Sangeeta Ghosh and Rohit Roy play the romantic lead; Amarr Upadhaya, Aman Verma and Kiran Kumar appear as other prominent characters.

It traces the travails of a business family with romance as its prop.

Says Shailja Kejriwal, senior creative director, Star India, "Priyanka Kharbanda, the female protagonist of this show, is romantic and tough at mind." On May 29, Sahara One is set to launch Sati - Satya Ki Shakti.

Channel officials decline to give out details right now. Mushy moods The small screen is not shying away from trying out the love theme at prime time.

Bani's shy love tale, Kassam Se (Zee TV), is already on air to give competition to the innocent romance of Rusty in Aisa Des Hai Mera (Sony).

And with Virasat, TV's original romance queen Sangeeta Ghosh will add oomph to the 9 pm slot.

According to Ashish Kaul of Zee TV, "Though romance has always been an intrinsic part of tele-tales, this is after a long time that channels are dedicating prime time to out-and-out romantic soaps."

Just got younger Whether it's Kittu of Kittu Sab Jaanti Hai (Sahara One) or Chandini of India Calling (Star One), the female protagonist of the new shows no more come draped in saris, worrying about their husband's second wife.

Naughty characters like Radha of Pyaar Ke Do Naam-Ek Radha Ek Shyam (Star Plus) and Ananya of Jab Love Hua (Zee TV) are more likely to strike a chord with the viewers with fun loving fizz than Dr Simran of Astitva or Jassi.

Says Kavita Barjatya of Rajshree productions who've made Pyaar..., "The youthfulness of the character helps it grow and live for long."