GECs
Zee revving up its programming
Zee TV is quietly putting together some fresh programming ideas that it hopes will connect with audiences that have yet to take to what the channel is offering in any great numbers.
A new daily soap Tu Kahe Agar… begins telecast tonight and will be airing Monday to Thursday in the 10:30 pm slot. One thing Tu Kahe Agar… will have to do and fast is get off the blocks with all guns blazing because it is pitted against the top soap in Hindi entertainment television today – Star Plus’ Kyunki Saas Bhi Bahu Thi.
Tu Kahe Agar… follows on the back of what definitely looks to be a winner for the channel – Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai – a celebrity talk show hosted by noted actor Farooque Sheikh and produced by Prannoy Roy’s New Delhi Television (NDTV). Jeena… aired its second episode last Friday.
The first episode of Jeena… featured Bollywood hearthrob Shah Rukh Khan while the second had ex-beauty queen and now filmstar Aishwarya Rai in the spotlight.
Jeena… is seen as a chance for celebrities to catch up with those they knew in their past. It offers a glimpse into what the stars were like in their childhood and formative years before becoming household names.
Coming back to the two episodes that have aired thus far, while the Shah Rukh episode was witty, intelligent and entertaining, Aishwarya Rai’s simpering sweetness grated on the nerves somewhat.
Expectedly, friends and acquaintences have nothing but nice things to say and that can get rather cloying. In all this “goody two shoes” kind of refrain from the guests, the role of anchor Sheikh becomes that much more crucial to holding the show together by keeping the mood light.
Sheikh might want to look at doing a Whoopi Goldberg (remember the Oscars?) and putting in some irreverence into the show.
On the plus side, the effort put into tracking down teachers, school principals, fellow actors and other old friends and acquaintances shows. And that is likely to work as far as getting the viewers in is concerned.
‘AMANAT’ TO FAST FORWARD 20 YEARS: One sign that an idea is working is if someone else cottons on to it. And by that yardstick Star Plus Kyunki… is on a good wicket because Zee TV is doing the same thing for its long running soap Amanat.
One sign that an idea is working is if someone else cottons on to it. And by that yardstick Star Plus Kyunki… is on a good wicket because Zee TV is doing the same thing for its long running soap Amanat.
A new director Mukul Abhyankar has been roped in. Anupama Mishra will do the dialogues and Vandana Oberoi will be responsible for the screenplay. Fresh faces among cast members include Mohit Chaddha.
Reports indicate that Zee was keen on keeping the show going as it is still popular in North India although the show’s producer Sapna Bhattacharya has said that she wanted to wrap things up.
GECs
EPIC Company unifies all brands under single EPIC identity
IN10 Media rebrand aligns TV, digital and films into one ecosystem
MUMBAI: The EPIC Company, formerly known as IN10 Media Network, has announced a sweeping brand consolidation, bringing its television channels, digital platforms and content IPs under a single identity, EPIC.
The move is aimed at simplifying the company’s structure while creating a more connected content ecosystem spanning television, digital and films. By aligning multiple verticals under one umbrella, the company is looking to present a sharper, more cohesive face to both audiences and partners.
As part of the transition, several channels have been rebranded to align with the EPIC identity. EPIC will now operate as EPIC TV, while Nazara becomes EPIC Bharat, Filamchi is now EPIC Bhojpuri, Gubbare transitions to EPIC Kids, and ShowBox is reintroduced as EPIC Music. Ishara will continue under the identity EPIC Parivaar, maintaining its core positioning.
The company has also refreshed EPICON, its streaming platform, to reflect a more unified and modern brand experience. The overhaul is designed to improve content discovery and create a seamless experience across platforms.
This consolidation follows the recent launch of EPIC Studio, a unified production arm that brings together Juggernaut Productions and MovieVerse Studio, as the company expands its footprint across films, OTT and television.
The EPIC Company managing director Aditya Pittie said, “As our scale has grown, it has become important to simplify how we operate and how we present ourselves to the ecosystem. This consolidation gives us a clearer, more future-ready structure to partner, invest, and build at scale, while ensuring that for viewers, the experience is more seamless and intuitive.”
With the rebrand, The EPIC Company is positioning itself as a platform-agnostic content network, focused on scale, simplicity and integrated storytelling. By bringing everything under one banner, it is aiming to make its content universe easier to navigate and harder to ignore.
