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Katial says the main focus for Star is to rework the storylines
of shows on air rather than introduce any new stuff at least till
the year is out. The new year would see some new launches, among
them the two most high-profile being an Amitabh Bachchan hosted
show and the Indian version of the smash hit Pop Idol. Katial
clarifies that still a final call has to be made as to whether to
introduce a new series of KBC or launch a new format show
for Bachchan.
As for the immediate plans that Star has on the programming front,
Katial says the plotlines of some of the top shows will see a big
shift in course, with the central protagonists being swapped around.
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| Gautami
Shroff, the protagonist in Kehta Hai Dil |
Among the shows that will see plotline tweaks are the hour-long
weekly dramas Kehta Hai Dil (airing Tuesdays at 9 pm), which
will see changes in November, and Sanjivani (Wednesdays 9
pm), set to see a seismic shift in the plot by mid-October.
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| Gurdeep
Kohli, who plays Juhi in hospital series Sanjivani |
What is exciting Katial the most though is the ratings battle currently
on between entertainment television's
Number 2 and 3 shows - the daily soaps (both from theBalaji stable)
Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki and Kasauti Zindagi Kay. Kasauti
might even surge ahead of Kahaani is his reading, and
this climb has been due to the strengthening of the storyline that
Kasauti is witnessing, says he. Kahaani is also undergoing
changes but nothing near as drastic as the 20-year leap that the
ratings queen Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi witnessed recently,
he avers.
On the gameshow front meanwhile, the successful karaoke show hosted
by Sonu Nigam, Kismey Kitnaa Hai Dam, begins a new
season from 10 October. The show, which has been loosely modelled
on Night Fever that airs on Channel 5 in the UK, is about
to see a change in format for the fresh series. This time round
the show has taken strands from Furore, a popular Spanish
gameshow that offers "musical comedy mayhem."
Queried as to what Star was serving up on the movies front, Katial
says the next new release that will air on the channel is the Bobby
Deol, Akshay Kumar starrer Ajnabee. Asked as to how Star
hoped to counter Zee's reported plans to mop up the rights to all
new movies, Katial is quite emphatic. "We're not going to get into
that game. That's being reactive. We will continue to buy films
the way we've been doing so far."
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