MAM
Mixed debut for Hrithik’s Just Dance
MUMBAI: Hrithik Roshan shines on Indian television but not as much as the other Bollywood stars have done. And while his debut performance on flagship Hindi general entertainment channel Star Plus has been commendable, audiences on Star One and Marathi regional GEC Star Pravah have just not hooked on to the dance reality show.
Just Dance‘s debut episode on Star Plus earned a TVR of 3.7 while the Hrithik-powered show clocked 0.5 TVR each on Star One and Star Pravah (simulcast).
Collectively, the show has mopped up a TVR of 4.7, according to TAM data for Hindi speaking markets (C&S, 4+).
The debut episodes of other reality shows, with popular actors as hosts or judges, have rated higher on the Hindi GECs. Amitabh Bachchan’s return as anchor of game show KBC 4 on Sony Entertainment Television clocked a 6.2 TVR on debut, while Abhishek Bachcan’s entry on Bingo National Nights (Colors) got a TVR of 5.1. Khataron Ke Khiladi 4 with Akshay Kumar got 3 TVR (ratings was much higher in the earlier editions with Kumar as host), while the third season with Priyanka Chopra got a 5.5 TVR on the opening day.
“Hrithik has opened weaker on TV but this may not be a fair comparison. In the other reality shows, the Bollywood stars were right at the centre as hosts. Hrithik is part of the jury in this show. Besides, this is a weekend show. When Khataron Ke Khiladi 4 moved to the weekends with Kumar, the ratings were lower,” said a media analyst.
Star India COO Sanjay Gupta believes the strategy of simulcasting the show on three network channels has worked well. “Just Dance has demonstrated its combined impact in the 4.7 TVR that it has collected. It is the highest show opening for any non-fiction property in 2011. For instance, on Star Pravah the slot rating doubled versus the normal average, demonstrating the power of the content to transcend language and geography,” he said.
Several media observers, however, feel that Just Dance has to do much more on Star One and Star Pravah to make it a network success show. “Star One, for instance, has gone up by a single GRP to end the week at 38 GRPs. There has to be a stronger pull for the show on Star One and Star Pravah to term it as a success,” a media analyst said.
As for Star Plus, the show added 20 GRPs (gross rating points) to the channel’s kitty. For the week ended 18 June, Star Plus took its total GRPs to 284, up from 247 GRPs in the trailing week.
“We created high sampling of the show with a record 25.9 million viewers in the opening episode supported by a high decibel marketing campaign across multiple touch points and an augmented reality experience event. As the show progresses, we are sure it will attract a lot more interest and involvement, thereby making it the ultimate dance reality show on Indian television,” Gupta said.
The show on Star Plus has attracted 21.6 million viewers. The remaining 4.3 million viewers have come on Star One and Star Pravah.
“The show was aired just once in the week ended 18 June. We will have to give it more time to see where it settles,” said a media observer.
A peep into the other GECs: Zee TV, ranked No. 3, added 20 GRPs to its last week’s tally and came threateningly closer to Colors. Zee TV closed the week with 228 GRPs while Colors lost 9 GRPS to end with 230 GRPs.
For Zee TV, Pavitra Rishta did the trick once again. It stayed as the top-rated show with 6.2 TVR, according to TAM data.
Sony Entertainment Television remained stable with 161 GRPs (last week 163) while Sab reported 138 GRPs, a loss of 10 GRPs from the previous week. Imagine TV remained at No.6 with 89 GRPs (from 90 GRPs).
Sahara One fell by four points to end the week with 28 GRPs.
Brands
Hiili names Sanjay Hemady as country manager India
Media veteran to drive digital decarbonisation push
MUMBAI: Climate tech firm Hiili has announced its entry into India, appointing industry veteran Sanjay Hemady as India country manager to steer its growth in one of the world’s fastest-expanding digital markets.
Hemady, a familiar name across India’s media and consulting circles, will lead Hiili’s India operations from Mumbai. His mandate is clear: help Indian companies measure, manage and reduce the carbon emissions generated by their digital services.
Hiili offers a scientifically validated platform, certified by the UC3M-Santander Big Data Institute, that enables businesses to improve the efficiency of their digital infrastructure while cutting emissions. As organisations race to meet ESG targets, the company positions itself as a practical bridge between climate pledges and measurable action.
“I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as country manager, India at Hiili,” Hemady said in a LinkedIn post, adding that the company aims to move beyond broad sustainability promises towards precise, science-based decarbonisation.
Hemady brings more than three decades of experience spanning print, television, radio and digital media. He has previously served as chief executive officer at HIT 95 FM, assistant general manager at CNBC TV18, and held leadership roles at MTV India and The Indian Express, among others. Most recently, he worked as an independent business consultant advising firms across media and technology.
With India’s digital economy expanding at pace, the environmental cost of data, streaming and online services is climbing quietly in the background. Hiili’s bet is that carbon efficiency will soon sit alongside cost efficiency in boardroom conversations.
For Hemady, the move marks a shift from selling airtime and ad inventory to championing climate accountability. If successful, Hiili’s India play could make digital growth not just faster, but cleaner too.
