GECs
BCCC directs ‘Pehredaar Piya Ki’ to late night slot with disclaimers
NEW DELHI: The Broadcasting Content Complaints Council (BCCC), a self-regulatory body under the Indian Broadcasting Foundation umbrella, has asked Sony Pictures Network India to move its fictional serial Pehredaar Piya Ki, aired on one of its channels, to the 10 pm slot and simultaneously run a scroll that it doesn’t promote child marriage.
The soap opera, with a story-line where a minor boy is shown married to a young-adult woman, who also doubles up as his security guard, had come under criticism for allegedly promoting regressive ideas like child marriage, which is an offence under Indian laws.
The BCCC directive to Sony Pictures Networks India, which came on Wednesday, was the first one chaired by its new chief Justice (retd) Vikramajit Sen, according to news agency IANS.
“We had a monthly meeting and the channel officials were called for a discussion, which went on for quite long. After everything, they were directed that the timing of the show should be shifted to a late night slot of 10 pm and that they must run a disclaimer. They (Sony Pictures Networks India) will have to comply,” a BCCC executive was quoted by IANS as saying.
Indiantelevision.com could not independently reach out to SPNI for its comments on the BCCC directive till the time of writing this report, which is based on what news agency IANS has filed.
Since the last BCCC meeting, the body received around 138 fresh complaints against `Pehredaar Piya Ki’, which is produced by Shashi Sumeet Productions and went on air last month. The makers had been defending it, saying viewers must understand the circumstances in which the girl has to marry the boy child, the news agency report stated.
Earlier, some media reports quoted the minister of information & broadcasting (MIB) Smriti Irani, when asked about the controversy surrounding the Sony Pictures Networks India serial, saying that her ministry has asked the BCCC to look into the issue.
The serial stars Tejaswi Prakash Wayangankar as Diya Ratan Singh and Afaan Khan as her husband Prince Ratan Singh.
Set up in June 2011, BCCC is an independent self-regulatory body for non-news general entertainment channels under the Indian Broadcasting Foundation, an apex body of a large number of general and factual entertainment TV channels operating in India. IBF website states its members manage 350+ channels and about 90 per cent of television viewership across country.
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MUMBAI: Lights, camera… connection because this time, the game isn’t just about winning, it’s about who’s with you. Sony Pictures Networks India is gearing up to launch a new reality game show, Tum Ho Naa, expanding its unscripted slate with a format that promises both emotion and engagement.
The show will premiere soon on Sony Entertainment Television and stream on Sony LIV, with Rajeev Khandelwal stepping in as host. Known for his measured screen presence and selective choices, Khandelwal’s return to television adds a layer of familiarity and credibility to the upcoming format.
While specific details of the gameplay remain under wraps, the positioning suggests a reality format that leans as much on emotional resonance as it does on competition, an increasingly popular blend in Indian television, where audiences are gravitating towards content that offers both stakes and storytelling.
Khandelwal, reflecting on his return, noted that his choices have often been guided by instinct rather than convention, describing Tum Ho Naa as a project that feels “close to the heart”. His association also signals Sony’s continued focus on anchoring new formats with recognisable faces who bring both relatability and depth.
The launch comes at a time when broadcasters are doubling down on original non-fiction formats to drive appointment viewing, even as digital platforms expand parallel reach. By placing the show across both linear television and OTT, Sony appears to be aiming for a dual-audience strategy capturing traditional viewers while engaging digital-first consumers.
As the countdown to premiere begins, Tum Ho Naa positions itself not just as another game show, but as a reminder that sometimes, the biggest prize on screen isn’t the jackpot, it’s the journey shared along the way.
