News Broadcasting
Aaj Tak brings back ‘Vande Mataram’ with Shatrughan Sinha
MUMBAI: India’s premier Hindi news channel Aaj Tak is all set to launch the second season of its successful show Vande Mataram which will be hosted by veteran Bollywood actor and parliamentarian Shatrugan Sinha. Eminent actor Om Puri will be seen lending his voice to the show.
Through the 12 episodes, the channel plans to enlighten viewers about untold tales of bravery and valour of India’s freedom fighters. For example, the channel says little do people know that Amar Shaheed Bhagat Singh was an avid reader and by the young age of 24 years he had read all the books of over 34 eminent authors.
The saga will feature never seen before footage and stories of freedom fighters right like Subhash Chandra Bose, Chandra Shekhar Azad, Bhagat Singh and many more. It will be telecast on the channel every Saturday and Sunday at 10 pm and will commence from 23 August
Aaj Tak managing editor Supriya Prasad says, “The first season of Vande Mataram set benchmarks in news programming showing India’s wars after independence. Season two will feature stories of India’s war for independence and each episode will cover the struggle and the story of a revolutionary.” Season one was anchored by Kabir Bedi in 2013.
Prasad praised Sinha’s oratory skills and exemplary command over Urdu Shayari and Hindi poetry. “His screen image of a patriotic star, his aggressive image and deep baritone voice added to his choice as preferred face for the show,” he adds.
Meanwhile speaking to indiantelevision.com, the actor says he wanted to do the show because he found it energetic, youthful and uncompromisingly patriotic. He also carefully explains his previous stints on the small screen. “I did the Shotgun Show. Then I also hosted the Bhojpuri version of KBC. But this show defines me and I feel it is absolutely necessary for every Indian to watch it, to know our history.”
The channel is going all out to promote the show extensively with a special emphasis on northern India.TV promos are being telecast on all the channels networks to woo audiences. Radio jingles are being aired across seven radio stations and ads have been placed in the newspaper Mail Today. Plans are afoot to place hoardings across Delhi in 30 to 40 major outdoor locations. Hoardings too will be put up in Mumbai the coming week. A source from the channel pegs the marketing cost to be between Rs 90 lakhs to Rs one crore.
Prasad also says that the shows on patriotism have helped the channel build a strong bond with the viewers and the first season of Vande Mataram won critical acclaim by winning awards in three categories for best show, best producer and best editing.
News Broadcasting
Rajesh Sundaram joins NDTV Profit as senior editor, assignment
The 32-year newsroom veteran has launched channels on three continents and covered everything from 9/11 to South African television
MUMBAI: NDTV Profit has bolstered its newsroom with a hire who has done rather more than most. Rajesh Sundaram, a journalist with over three decades of editorial, managerial and consultative experience across India and international markets, joins as senior editor, assignment, tasked with sharpening the network’s newsgathering and real-time response.
Sundaram’s career reads like a tour of Indian media’s most formative moments. He began at Businessworld in 1994, moved to Zee News as bureau chief across Mumbai and Chennai, then joined NDTV in 2002 as part of its political bureau during a particularly febrile period in Indian politics. A stint as India correspondent for Al Jazeera International followed, where he covered key geopolitical developments and got his first serious taste of the global newsroom.
What sets Sundaram apart, however, is his serial channel-launching habit. At NewsX, he helped get the operation off the ground. At Headlines Today, part of the India Today Group, he served as editor. At News Nation, he helped launch the Hindi news channel and its digital ecosystem. He then crossed continents to lead the launch of ANN7 in South Africa as editor-in-chief, overseeing both television and digital. Back in India, he launched Tamil news channels News7 Tamil and Cauvery News, and later served as principal consultant for the launch of Marathi channel Lokshahi. Most recently, he helped build and lead the Press Trust of India’s video service and content studio, before stints consulting for Business Today and The Himalayan Times.
Rahul Kanwal, chief executive and editor-in-chief of NDTV, left little doubt about what Sundaram is expected to deliver. “The assignment desk is where a newsroom’s intent becomes action,” he said. “Rajesh brings a rare combination of field experience and leadership in building news operations at scale.”
Sundaram has reported from across India and the world, covering elections, civil conflicts, the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks and the 2008 US presidential election.
At NDTV Profit, he will lead the assignment desk, driving editorial coordination and real-time response across markets and breaking developments. For a business news network sharpening its focus on speed and multi-platform delivery, it has hired a man who has built newsrooms from scratch on three continents. The assignment desk is in good hands.
