GECs
STAR Plus launches ‘Nisha Aur Uske Cousins’
MUMBAI: With their new offering ‘Nisha Aur Uske Cousins’, Star Plus is bringing a relatable story of young India while showcasing the hitherto unexplored bond between Cousins; a relationship that forms the crux of everyone’s growing up years. Cousins are your blood relations but at the same time they are the friends you keep forever, the ones you share your childhood memories and growing up angst with. It is this very relationship that will be highlighted in the show. Targeted to the youth, the show also effectively captures the differences of opinion and friction caused by the generation gap between the elders of the family and the youngsters, especially when it comes to topics like careers, relationships, lifestyle and fashion choices.
Based in a joint-family set-up in Jaipur, Nisha Aur Uske Cousins brings to the viewers a bunch of interesting motley characters who are relatable and real – whether it is the shy romantic geeky cousin, the beautiful attention-seeking cousin or the cousin who is the natural leader and who everyone looks up to – each character has been beautifully etched and detailed out. The show has a good mix of both fresh and veteran faces, led by Aneri who plays the role of Nisha and Mr V M Badola who plays the patriarch of the family and the grandfather of the cousins. They are ably supported by the other cousins Suketu (Parv Kaila), Dolly (Purvi Mundana), Kirti (Heli Daruwala), Jwala (Barbie Jain), Umesh (Meherzan Mazda) and Bunty (Nikunj Padaya) and the very talented Vivek Mushran and Pubali Sanyal.
While none of the cousins’ fear dreaming big, their only terror is the fear of confronting the head of the family, Dadaji. The story revolves around how despite living in a patriarchal system, each one of them wants to break free to achieve what is unconventional and not stereotypical in a traditional family, which should surely resonate with today’s youth.
Mr. Nikhil Madhok, Sr. VP Marketing & Programming Strategy says, “In many ways Nisha and her cousins represent the Star Plus of today – young, energetic, wanting to break the mold and do something new. They respect Dadaji and their elders but don’t always agree with their stereotypical views. The show not only captures the unexplored but extremely interesting dynamic between cousins, but also deals with issues of today’s youth and their desire to challenge stereotypes”
Mr. Sukesh Motwani from Bodhi Tree Productions says, “Cousins hold a special place in our lives. They are our first friends, first play buddies, rivals and partners in crime. There are some episodes of our lives that only our cousins can relate to and hence to showcase the bond we’re here with our new show Nisha Aur Uske Cousins. We are very happy to bring forth this unique relationship in everyone’s lives.”
Pyaar, takraar, masti… Yeh hai Lifetimewali Dosti! Come meet Nisha Aur Uske Cousins starting18th August, 2014, every Monday to Saturday at 8:30 PM!
GECs
Zee scales syndication with global tie-ups, 350 plus channel MCN
Vertical, dubbed and audio formats boost digital reach
MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. is giving its content library a fresh passport. The company has stepped up its syndication push, signing global partnerships, experimenting with new-age formats and building a multi-channel network that now spans more than 350 channels.
With the newly secured MCN licence, Zee can manage, distribute and monetise content across leading digital platforms at scale, strengthening its presence in the fast-growing creator and short-form ecosystem.
To keep pace with changing viewing habits, the company is also reshaping its content into formats built for the small screen in your hand. In a tie-up with micro-drama platform Story TV, select titles are being reworked into vertical, short-duration episodes tailored for mobile-first audiences.
Beyond India, the syndication team is widening its global footprint with foreign-language dubbing and regional partnerships across Europe, Africa and Latin America, opening up fresh markets for Indian stories.
Zee is also tapping into the audio boom. It has begun licensing audio remake rights for legacy properties such as Zee Horror Show, with several more titles lined up for audio-first adaptations.
On the digital front, the company has made progress in monetising non-exclusive rights for library films, while converting select shows and movies from horizontal to vertical formats to improve discoverability on short-form platforms.
Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. business head syndication Vinod Johri, said syndication has emerged as a strong growth lever for the company. He noted that the combination of a large MCN network, global partnerships and new formats such as vertical video and audio is helping build a future-ready engine that extracts more value from the content library.
Together, these moves signal a platform-agnostic approach to storytelling, as Zee repackages, localises and redistributes its IP across geographies, formats and screens, ensuring its catalogue keeps working long after the first broadcast.
