GECs
Lights, camera, action: The hunt is on again
MUMBAI: Not everyone is born with a silver spoon in their mouth, but when has that ever stopped anyone from dreaming big?
One look around ourselves and there are enough and more examples of people who rose above and broke the various shackles which restraints one to fly high. Take one-time rice packer from Haryana Subhash Chandra, for instance, who was written off by many but rose from the ashes like a Phoenix to prove his critics wrong.
Maybe that is why the country’s largest Media & Entertainment powerhouse he built from the scratch believes in giving people a platform to make their dreams, a reality. The country which has unlimited talent pool has suddenly discovered it all thanks to non-fictional shows. Today everyone can dance, sing or act!
From Sa Ra Ga Ma Pa years ago to recent Dance India Dance, Zee has launched numerous platforms for people to awe the world with its gift. But the ultimate goal for many who come here is to be seen not only on the small screen but the big screen as well. In a country where films are churned out every Friday, everyone wants to be a Shah Rukh Khan or a Madhuri Dixit.
So, get your act together, Zee is back with Cinestar Ki Khoj. The non-fiction show will once again see the actor in all come to life as millions will be auditioned across the country to get the big ticket.
The show which has had two seasons earlier in 2004 and 2006 (this one, not so successful) will give a break not only to the channel but people as well who have had an overdose of DID. “We wanted to bring something new to the platform which was/is homegrown and part of our DNA,” says the channel’s programming head Namit Sharma.
Agrees a media planner who says that it was a good decision by the channel as the viewers had enough of dance and singing on the small screen.
One had to go through four layers of filtration at the auditions, which took place in 18 cities across the country, only to be selected as top 16 and judged by Vijay Krishna Acharya aka Victor and Sonali Bendre. The new judges on the show will have a helping hand with a new mentor or ‘Bollywood buddy’ from the industry. The first ‘buddy’ is none other than Parineeti Chopra who will be seen in the first two episodes followed by Ayushman Khurana.
The actors revealed so far by the channel were chosen because of their non-filmy background. Interestingly, Khurana was rejected on the same platform in 2003 when he auditioned to enter the world of glamour.
On his being rejected then, Khurana says, “Today’s Bollywood is very different from that of 10 years ago. It’s experimenting not only with scripts but star cast as well. It’s the golden era and there are a lot of opportunities for the talent.”
The winners who will have to showcase their talent in comedy, drama, dancing etc will get a chance to appear as lead actors in a film for which the channel is already in talks with various production houses.
“We want to shape the talent and give it a future,” says Sharma.
The marketing of the show is divided into three phases. The first promos reveal the judges and the two mentors. The next will be to reveal the 16 contestants.
The show is a big property for the channel and hence, is demanding a high ad rate as well. As per sources, the channel is asking for a premium rate (around Rs 2 lakh) for a 10 second ad slot whereas its other offerings have gone for a lakh or so. “Although, one would think that the long gap and Zee’s fresh approach will help it rake in the moolah but that may not be the case. Given the current slot ratings, I don’t think advertisers will be ready to shell out so much especially during mid-season,” says a planner.
Cera Sanitaryware is the title sponsor whereas the show will be powered by Glam-Up. We Chat is the technology partner while a couple of associate sponsors have also come on board. The channel aims to generate around 60-80 crore from the property.
“The format has to be interesting enough for people to watch. Even though Ankita Lokhande came into limelight with Cinestar Ki Khoj, people don’t really remember the show, but know of Ankita because of the work she did post the talent hunt. So, the channel needs to keep this in mind,” opines the media planner while stating that the show should be able to get the ratings the channel is expecting from it.
The show which will run for 13 weeks will go on air from 5 July, every weekend at 9 pm.
GECs
Z launches ‘Dilfluencer Moments’ to boost brand engagement across screens
New omnichannel format blends TV characters, storytelling and digital reach to boost engagement and affinity
MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (‘Z’) has unveiled ‘Dilfluencer Moments’, a new omnichannel media format designed to help brands cut through the clutter and turn audience attention into brand love.
With media access increasingly democratized, visibility alone no longer drives results. Shrinking attention spans and rising content noise have made memorability, emotional connection and action the real currency. Dilfluencer Moments addresses this by embedding brands into character-led, culturally resonant storytelling that travels seamlessly from TV to digital, social and creator ecosystems.
The format debuted with the “TumHoLovely” campaign on National Girl Child Day. Anchored in Hindi and Marathi shows, the campaign’s narrative extended organically across digital platforms, amplified by creators and community participation. A brand film featuring Sanya Malhotra further showcased how TV-originated cultural cues can spark broad engagement and virality. Within 24 hours, the campaign racked up 35 million total impressions, 20 million digital views, 2.5 million engagements and over 1,000 comments.
Laxmi Shetty, head – advertisement revenue, broadcast & digital, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd, said, “As consumers turn away from interruption-led communication, advertisers need moments that feel culturally earned and emotionally authentic. Dilfluencer Moments delivers reach at scale through character-first content systems that connect with audiences personally, transforming storytelling into brand love.”
Kartik Mahadev, chief marketing officer, ‘Z’ & Zee 5, added: “Access alone is no longer an advantage; affinity is. Affinity comes from storytelling, familiar characters and moments that stay with audiences across screens. Dilfluencer Moments lets brands participate meaningfully in moments audiences already love, travelling organically across linear, digital and social platforms at scale.”
By anchoring campaigns in high-trust television moments and extending them into digital and social ecosystems, Dilfluencer Moments enables brands to generate organic engagement, amplify virality and convert attention into long-term emotional equity.
With its national scale, deep emotional storytelling and character-first approach, Z is offering marketers a powerful new way to build affinity, cut through clutter and create culturally resonant brand moments that stick.
