GECs
Star India debuts ‘mobisodes’ with Star One show
MUMBAI: Star India is introducing the concept of mobile-enabled episode (mobisode) to Indian television. The company has associated with Hutch to create ‘mobisodes’ of the successful Star One comedy show The Great Indian Laughter Challenge (TGILC).
A ‘mobisode’ is a brief episode of a video programme designed to be viewed on a mobile phone. Starting 10 October, Hutch subscribers across the country will be able to download video clips of the most intriguing moments of the programme through HutchWorld on their GPRS enabled Hutch phones.
Hutch’s GPRS customers will be able to download the ‘mobisodes’ of 20 seconds duration while Edge customers can have the luxury of watching 40-seconds ‘mobisodes’, according to Star India senior vice president Interactive Services Viren Popli. Hutch will be charging Rs. 10 per download. Subscribers can also call 7827 to listen to the TGILC jokes at a cost of Rs. 6.
Apart from ‘mobisodes’ and jokes, Star will also launch caller tunes on TGILC. Jokes figured in the show will be available to Hutch customers as caller tunes.
Speaking to indiantelevision.com about the new initiative, Star One programming head Ravi Menon stated the success of TGILC as ‘mobisodes’ would decide the company’s future strategies on mobisodes. “Presently, we are testing the waters with TGILC. We have plans to launch ‘mobisodes’ of some of our successful shows and the TGILC experiment will decide our future plans,” Menon said.
In a June 2005 interview with indiantelevision.com, Star India CEO Peter Mukerjea had spelt out ‘mobisodes’ as one key area Star India was looking to tap for growth. “At Star, we’ll have to explore how this ‘mobisode’ theme could be exploited for revenue. Probably, we’ll make one-minute mobisodes of the most popular serial of Star Plus. Definitely there is an opportunity,” he had said.
GECs
Vikram and Ajinkya Gandhe win Masterchef India season finale
Chef Sanjeev Kapoor joins judges for emotional MasterChef finale
MUMBAI: The latest season of MasterChef India concluded on a high note, with brothers Vikram Gandhe and Ajinkya Gandhe crowned winners in the grand finale aired on Sony Entertainment Television.
The duo from Nagpur lifted the coveted trophy and donned the show’s signature golden apron after a season that celebrated India’s diverse culinary traditions under the theme “Pride of India”.
This edition of the popular cooking reality show introduced a new jodi format, with 50 pairs from across the country competing in the Masterchef kitchen. Contestants brought personal stories, regional flavours and family bonds to the competition.
The grand finale featured the final three pairs: Vikram and Ajinkya Gandhe (brothers), Saisree and Chanda (mother and daughter), and Anju and Manju (sisters).
The finale was attended by celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor, who joined the show’s judging panel comprising Vikas Khanna, Ranveer Brar and Kunal Kapur.
Kapoor said the show has long served as a platform to celebrate India’s rich culinary heritage and provide passionate home cooks with a national stage. He noted that the current season reflected a confident India that takes pride in its roots while embracing new culinary ideas.
Judge Vikas Khanna said the contestants’ journeys and the memories created during the season would remain with the team long after the show’s conclusion. Ranveer Brar described the show as a family that continues to grow with every season, while Kunal Kapur praised the contestants’ creativity and determination.
With the finale now concluded, the latest season of MasterChef India once again highlighted how food can reflect identity, heritage and storytelling, inspiring home cooks across the country to pursue their culinary ambitions.
