GECs
Colors’ new prime-time Bhaag Bakool & Savitri Devi shows from 5pm
MUMBAI: Narrating stories that evoke a multitude of emotions, India’s leading Hindi General Entertainment Channel, Colors, is extending its programming to an early evening band starting 5pm onwards. Offering viewers diverse entertainment, the channel will be adding two new genres to its mix – Bhaag Bakool Bhaag and Savitri Devi College and Hospital.
While Bhaag Bakool Bhaag, produced by Edit II Productions, will be a light-hearted sitcom highlighting the various dilemmas faced by the lead protagonist, Bakool after getting married to two women, Savitri Devi College and Hospital, produced by Rashmi Sharma Telefilms Ltd, tells the story of a young medical intern, Saachi Mishra who strives to fulfil her mother’s dreams while unwittingly furthering her hidden motives. The extended entertainment extravaganza begins on 15 May, 2017 with Bhaag Bakool Bhaag to air every Monday to Friday at 5:30 PM and Savitri Devi College and Hospital to air as an hour-long show every Monday to Friday at 6:00 PM. Thapki Pyaar Ki will move to the 5PM time band.
Commenting on the launch of the two shows, Manisha Sharma, Programming Head – Colors said, “Bhag Bakool Bhag and Savitri Devi College and Hospital are the two new shows which will continue to increase the width of variety entertainment for the viewers on Colors. Bakool is an out an out comedy and we all need a dash of comedy in our lives apart from serious soaps. Savitri Devi… is a drama set against the backdrop of a hospital and is aspirational in nature. Both concepts are new if one looks at the offerings across the Hindi entertainment space currently and form a nice new mix in our current bouquet of shows. We really hope that the viewers enjoy the etched out characters and storyline.”
Bhaag Bakool Bhaag is a slice of life sitcom highlighting the plight of a Gujarati man, Bakool Vasavda (Jay Soni) who is torn between his two wives Jigna (Shruti Rawat) and Sheena (Hiba Nawab). Adding more hilarity to Bakool’s over-complicated life of keeping both his wives separate and happy, are his overdramatic mother Kokilaben (Purvi Vyas) and his best friend-cum-confidant Harishankar Upadhyay aka Harry (Hardik Sangani). Both wives have drastically different personalities, with Jigna being more traditional while Tina has a modern outlook towards life. It is this disparity which often puts Bakool in catch-22 situations that make for many laughter-inducing moments, promising to make Bhaag Bakool Bhaag a complete family entertainer.
Commenting on the show, producer Sanjay Kohli from Edit II Productions said, “Over the past two decades, we at Edit II have built our expertise in creating endearing award-winning comic content; Bhaag Bakool Bhaag explores this genre further by delving into the dilemmas of a simple man who, by the twist of fate, finds himself married to two contrasting women. Making viewers laugh is quite a difficult task, making the entire production process for Bhaag Bakool Bhaag a tough proposition. This is our first association with Colors and the support we have received from the channel gives us confidence that we have a winner on our hands.”
Savitri Devi College and Hospital traces the journey of a young medical intern Saachi Mishra (Swardha Thigale) who aims to fulfil her mother Jaya’s (Shilpa Shirodkar) dream of becoming a doctor. As she forays into medicine, Saachi will encounter various people who will add complications to her life, the toughest being Dr. Anand Malhotra (Mohan Kapur), the hospital’s head and a leading cardiac surgeon. As the story unfolds, every character’s hidden motives will come to the fore, stringing their lives together in many unexplainable ways. Along with Mohan Kapur, Shilpa Shirodkar and Swardha Thigale, Savitri Devi College and Hospital will feature an ensemble cast including actors Neha Bagga (Pragya, fellow intern), Varun Kapoor (Veer, fellow intern), Vikram Sakhalkar (Saachi’s mentor Dr. Kabir), Jignesh Joshi (Dr. Malhotra’s brother Dr. Bharat), Kishwer Merchant (Aunt), and many more.
Speaking about the show, producer Rashmi Sharma from Rashmi Sharma Telefilms Ltd said, “Savitri Devi College and Hospital is our attempt at narrating a different kind of story which speaks not only of interpersonal relationships but also the many motives that drive human beings on a whole. Given that it’s an hour-long show, we are shooting it on a very large scale to ensure that the authenticity of its backdrop is maintained at all times. Savitri Devi College and Hospital also marks our fourth venture with Colors following grand successes like Sasural Simar Ka, Shakti…Astitva Ke Ehsaas Kii and Swaragini. We hope to keep the trend going and deliver another blockbuster!”
To promote both, Bhaag Bakool Bhaag and Savitri Devi College and Hospital, Colors has devised an extensive 360-degree integrated marketing campaign incorporating different mediums and touchpoints. The channel will also be promoting both shows across digital and social media platforms to generate positive conversations amongst the target audience.
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.
