Special Report
More than just ‘Idol’ talk
The countdown has begun. Armed with a huge promotional blitz, Sony Entertainment channel‘s ‘big one‘, which makes its bow on the small screen Thursday (28 October), is an ambitious project that threatens to challenge viewing habits of the telly loyals.
Be it a lack of a hit since Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahi, or the obvious threat posed by the ‘youth-oriented‘ focus of several other general entertainment channels, SET has a huge amount at stake with the desi version of Fremantle Media‘s Pop Idol.
It is a show aimed at making television viewers forget everything. Armed with the tag line Sab Kuch Bhula De!, mega budget show Indian Idol is Sony Entertainment Television‘s bid to fortify its youth viewer base.
The move comes in the wake of a slew of channel launches in the youth and lifestyle genres that could grab away Sony‘s core audience that straddles the age group of 15-35.
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Presently, of the many hopefuls who turned up from every corner of the country to showcase their talent, about 136 aspiring Indian Idols have auditioned their way to Mumbai. India‘s number two general entertainment channel is all geared to unfold the drama that ensued from tomorrow at 9:30 pm. “Indian Idol is all about real people and their real emotions,” Katial says. Undeterred by the slew of reality talent hunts, SET has been charging ahead with its ambitious plans. “Ours is a reality show, it is as real as it gets,” says Katial. “Also, the majority of reality hunts are not a singing talent hunt like ours,” he adds. Can you woo the masses with reality?
The industry, however, is a little wary about the chances of success of another format show. But Katial has another argument the offer. “All the format shows that haven‘t worked well with Indian audiences either have a negative undertone or play on bad blood between players. But Indian Idol is all about hunting for exceptional talent and celebrating success.” In a bid to endear itself to the masses, Indian Idol has adapted quite a few changes to the basic format. One of the most pivotal adoptions: doing away completely with the sarcastic undertone. “All the three celebrity judges – Farah Khan, Anu Malik and Sonu Nigam – are just being themselves. In fact, the move seems to be towards humour. Not that there isn‘t any constructive criticism offered but it is in keeping with the Indian milieu,” says Katial. Charting the programming route:
While the judges will be pivotal in the initial rounds, after the final 30 are zeroed down, it will be completely an audience choice. The selection will be based on the basis of votes each candidate manages to garner. Talking about the technological aspect, Katial offers that the viewers will be reminded about the popularity of the characters and their numbers through a bug on the left side of the screen. In addition to that, SET will be ushering in a hoopla of promotional tools. First Take:
The blue look and feel (on the sets and everywhere else) and the easy banter of the judges clearly indicates that the show targets youth. A move that weaves itself in with the channel‘s current youth focus in programming. The big ad push:
The count down to the ‘big‘ launch has already been initiated on the channel via an animated bug that appears on the lower one-third of the screen. The channel has created some interesting 30-second promotional ads for the show as well. “The promotions either chart the emotional journey of the candidates that have actually made it or the funny moments on the show. It is targeted at the heart strings of the viewers,” says Katial. So be it the struggle of a school sweeper or the grit of a blind singer or simply the audacity of a wannabe, the effect is heart warming. Although ‘youth‘ in feel, the makers hope that the show will also be an aspirational watch for the interiors and the regional markets. The next round of promotions is planned for the regional media. Katial claims that the promotional tours like Aap Jaisa Koi and channel specials like Dhoom machade have been lapped up by audiences across the board. Will the gambit work for Sony? That‘s the million rating question… Here is the programming flowsheet:
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“We are bringing the choicest of programming to satiate the monumental hunger for talent that exists in the country,” says Sony Entertainment Television executive vice president, programming and response Tarun Katial.
Are talent hunts a workable proposition, especially since viewers haven‘t really lapped up such content? Sony has an additional problem: barring Jassi… none of the recent adaptations have worked for the channel. But Katial begs to differ. “We are working on a format show that has tasted nothing but success elsewhere. Barring the exception of adaptations of Russian Roulette (Sony‘s Bachke Rehna) and The Weakest Link (Star Plus‘ Kamzor Kadii Kaun), the rest all have done wonders. Look at Who wants to be a Millionaire? (Star Plus‘ Kaun Banega Crorepati).
In its debut week, Idol will air thrice (Thursday to Saturday). While on Thursday the programme will air from 9:30 to 10:30 pm, on Friday and Saturday it will air from 9 to 9:30 pm. In the second and third week, Idol will air on Thursdays for an hour. And from week four of launch, a half-hour ‘Winners Special‘ will air Fridays at 9 pm.
During a sneak preview of the talent hunt, what came through was the humour and the understated element of sarcasm. Adding the Indian hospitality feel to the show were the presenters Aman Yatan Verma and Mini Mathur, who took on the roles of mentors and friends, pumping up contestants and sharing their tears and smiles all the way.
After an elaborate pre-launch campaign, Sony will now push the show through cross-channel and on-channel promotions.
MUMBAI: Some friendships are made in heaven; others are coded in Mumbai. Hamara Vinayak, the first-ever digital original from Siddharth Kumar Tewary’s Swastik Stories, turns the divine into the delightful, serving up a story that’s equal parts start-up hustle and spiritual hustle.
Some tech start-ups chase unicorns. This one already has a god on board. Hamara Vinayak takes the leap from temple bells to notification pings and it does so with heart, humour and a healthy dose of the divine.
At its core, the show asks a simple but audacious question: what if God wasn’t up there, but right beside you, maybe even debugging your life over a cup of chai?
The show’s tagline, “God isn’t distant… He’s your closest friend” perfectly captures its quirky soul. Across its first two episodes, screened exclusively for media in Mumbai, the series proves that enlightenment can come with a good punchline.
The series follows a group of ambitious young entrepreneurs running a Mumbai-based tech start-up that lets people around the world book exclusive virtual poojas at India’s most revered shrines. But as their app grows, so do their ethical grey zones. Into this chaos walks Vinayak, played with soulful serenity and sly wit by the charming Namit Das, a young man whose calm smile hides something celestial.
He’s got the peaceful look of a saint but the wit of someone who could out-think your favourite stand-up comic. Around him spins a crew of dream-driven youngsters – Luv Vispute, Arnav Bhasin, Vaidehi Nair and Saloni Daini who run a Mumbai-based tech start-up offering devotees across the world the chance to book “exclusive” poojas at India’s most sacred shrines. It’s a business plan that blends belief and broadband – and, as the story unfolds, also tests the moral compass of its ambitious founders.
“The first time I read the script, I found the character very pretty,” Namit joked at the post-screening interaction. “It’s a beautiful thought that God isn’t distant, he’s your closest friend. And playing Vinayak, you feel that calm but also his cleverness. He’s the friend who makes you think.”
The reactions to the series ranged from smiles to sighs of wonder. Viewers were charmed by the show’s sincerity and sparkle, a quality that stems from its creator’s belief that faith can be funny without being frivolous.
Among the cast, Luv Vispute shines brightest, his comic timing adding sparkle to the show’s more reflective beats. But what keeps Hamara Vinayak engaging is the easy rhythm of its writing – one moment touching, the next teasing, always gently reminding us that spirituality doesn’t have to be solemn.
Luv spoke fondly of his long association with Swastik. “Since my first show was with Swastik, this feels like home,” he said. “Every project with them is positive, feel-good, and this one just had such a different vibe. I truly feel blessed.”
Saloni Daini, who brings infectious warmth to her role, added that she signed up the moment she heard the show was about “Bappa.”
“We shot during the Ganpati festival,” she recalled. “The energy on set was incredible festive, faithful, and full of laughter. It’s such a relatable story for our generation: chaos, friendship, love, kindness, and faith all mixed together.”
Vaidehi Nair and Arnav Bhasin complete the ensemble, each representing different shades of ambition and morality in the start-up’s journey. Their camaraderie is easy and believable, a testament to how much the cast connected off-screen as well.
This clever fusion of mythology and modernity plays to India’s two enduring loves, entertainment and faith. Mythology has long been the comfort zone of Indian storytellers, from the televised epics of the 1980s to the glossy remakes that still command prime-time TRPs. For decades, gods have been our most bankable heroes. But Hamara Vinayak tweaks the formula not by preaching, but by laughing with its characters, and sometimes, at their confusion about where divinity ends and data begins.
Creator Siddharth Kumar Tewary, long hailed as Indian television’s myth-maker for shows like Mahabharat, Radha Krishn and Porus, explained the show’s intent with characteristic clarity, “This is our first story where we are talking directly to the audience, not through a platform,” he said. “We wanted to connect young people with our culture to say that God isn’t someone you only worship; He’s your friend, walking beside you, even when you take the wrong path. The story may be simple, but the thought is big.”
That blend of philosophy and playfulness runs through the show. “We had to keep asking ourselves why we’re doing this,” Tewary added. “It’s tricky to make something positive and spiritual for the OTT audience, they’ve changed, they want nuance, not sermons. But when the purpose is clear, everything else aligns.”
For the creator of some of Indian TV’s most lavish spectacles, Hamara Vinayak marks a refreshing tonal shift. Here, Tewary trades celestial kingdoms for co-working spaces and cosmic battles for office banter. Yet his signature remains: an eye for allegory, a love for faith-infused storytelling, and an understanding that belief is most powerful when it feels personal.
Hamara Vinayak, after all, feels less like a sermon and more like a conversation over chai about what success means, what faith costs, and why even the gods might be rooting for a start-up’s Series A round.
As Namit Das reflected during the Q&A, “Life gives us many magical, divine moments we just forget to notice them. Sometimes even through a phone screen, you see something that redirects you. That’s a Vinayak moment.”
The series also mirrors a larger cultural pivot. As audiences migrate from television to OTT, myth-inspired tales are finding new form and flexibility online. The digital screen lets creators like Tewary reinvent the genre, giving ancient ideas a modern interface, without losing the emotional charge that’s made mythology India’s storytelling backbone for decades.
In a country where faith trends faster than any hashtag, Hamara Vinayak feels both familiar and refreshingly new, a comedy that’s blessed with heart, humour and just enough philosophy to keep the binge holy.
For a country where mythology remains the oldest streaming service, Tewary’s move from TV to OTT feels both natural and necessary. Indian storytellers have always turned to gods for drama, guidance and TRPs from Ramayan and Mahabharat on Doordarshan to glossy mytho-dramas on prime time. But digital platforms allow creators to remix reverence with realism, and in Hamara Vinayak, faith gets an interface upgrade.
The result is a show that feels like a warm chat with destiny, part comedy, part contemplation. And in an age of cynicism, that’s no small miracle.
As Tewary put it, smiling at his cast, “The message had to be positive. We just wanted to remind people that even in chaos, God hasn’t unfriended you.”
With 5 episodes planned, Hamara Vinayak promises to keep walking that fine line between laughter and light. It’s mythology with memes, devotion with dialogue, and a digital-age reminder that even the cloud has a silver lining or perhaps, a divine one.
If the first two episodes are any sign, the show doesn’t just bridge heaven and earth, it gives both a Wi-Fi connection.
