GECs
GECs’ new big-ticket offering
MUMBAI: For couch potatoes, it’s time to rejoice as broadcasters are ready with treats for their viewers as the new year arrives.
The channel, which has over the years changed the way stories are told and made characters a household name, is once again set for a different take. The channel is back yet again with a detective series Private Investigator (PI). It had first experimented with the genre in 2011 with a show called Arjun which ran for good two years.
Produced by Fremantle India, the promos of the show have already hit the television screens. The series is about Raffe Roy Choudhary who is playing the central character, and has special powers like thinking at a lightning speed, with his guesses never going wrong. Choudhary is a 21-year old young college going student who helps the police in several crime cases such as kidnapping, suicide. Moreover, born with natural instincts and sharp problem solving skills to solve crime cases, he has the ability to see things which others cannot see. Vrajesh Hirjee is playing the police inspector, while Choudhary is played by Mrinal Dutt. The channel has roped in Colgate Plax Active Salt as the presenting sponsor and Garnier Black Naturals is the co-powered by sponsor.
To give viewers a non-stop dose of entertainment, the series will replace India’s Raw Star from 7 December and will occupy the 8pm slot every Sunday.
Keeping with the attempt to not single out the youngsters, the channel is breaking away from the saas-bahu dramas and is set to launch a comic love story christened Tu Mera Hero. The channel has teamed up with ace producers Shashi and Sumeet Mittal, who have produced popular shows like Diya Aur Baati Hum (Star Plus) and Punar Vivah (Zee TV).
The promos, which have been doing the rounds for quite some time now, start with the male lead, Titu, talking about his laziness. He believes that though people think he doesn’t do any work, he has conducted a research on unemployment in India. He reasons that unemployment in the country is existent because everyone wants to work and goes on to say that if more people didn’t want to work then unemployment would be eradicated from the nation.
It will hit the television screens from 22 December and replace the on-going Cinevistaa’s show Ek Hasina Thi at 8 pm.
Similarly, it’s going to be a power-packed start of the year for Colors. From Jhalak Dikhla Jaa to 24 to Bigg Boss to Comedy Nights With Kapil, Colors has consistently showcased path breaking shows that have redefined television. Early this year, after a gap of two years, it brought back adventurous reality show Khatron Ke Khiladi season five in a re-packaged avatar.
Now the channel is back with the sixth edition of the series that will make for an explosive entertainment viewing with 13 celebrity contestants.
This season, Khatron Ke Khiladi will transform into a ‘Darr Ka Blockbuster Returns’ where the popular celebrity contestants will endeavor to overcome their deepest phobias. Bollywood’s ace action entertainer Rohit Shetty continues to be the host for the season.
Produced by Endemol India, it will be shot in locales of Cape Town. Sources close to the development reveal that the shooting has already begun from 24 November and will go on till 20 December 2014. The reality show will start as soon as Bigg Boss eight ends. Pegged for a weekend property, as of now, it has been penned for close to six weeks.
The 13 celebrities who will fight with their fears are Sana Khan, Sagrika Ghatge, Archana Vijaya, Rashmi Desai, Ridhi Dogra, Asha Negi, Nathalia Kaur, Ashish Chaudhury, Chang, Harshad Arora, Iqbal Khan, Hussain Kuwajerwala, Rakesh Kumar, Siddharth Bharadwaj and Nandish Sandhu entering the show as wildcard entry.
On the digital front, the celebrities have already started tweeting about their excitement to be on the show with the hash tag #KKKonColors.
While last season the production of the non-fiction show was pegged at Rs 50-55 crore, this season media planners estimate it to be around Rs 60-65 crore.
Secondly, the channel is set to launch for the first time a historical period drama Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat. Produced by Contiloe Productions, it will captivatingly showcase the journey and life time of Emperor Ashoka, from his rise to power to his state of penance after the gory blood-bath in the historical battle of Kalinga that made him give up war to embrace Buddhism.
The compelling story of this Great Emperor has been written by the acclaimed and contemporary author Ashok Banker, who will be making his comeback on television after nearly two decades. Sources from the industry reveal that the production cost of a mythological show per episode is double the amount of what a daily fiction show costs. Thus, the production cost per episode ranges from Rs 13-14 lakh.
Though the launch date is not yet fixed, sources close to the development believe that it will be a weekday property and will air once Bigg Boss eight sees its curtains down at 9pm.
GECs
Z launches ‘Dilfluencer Moments’ to boost brand engagement across screens
New omnichannel format blends TV characters, storytelling and digital reach to boost engagement and affinity
MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (‘Z’) has unveiled ‘Dilfluencer Moments’, a new omnichannel media format designed to help brands cut through the clutter and turn audience attention into brand love.
With media access increasingly democratized, visibility alone no longer drives results. Shrinking attention spans and rising content noise have made memorability, emotional connection and action the real currency. Dilfluencer Moments addresses this by embedding brands into character-led, culturally resonant storytelling that travels seamlessly from TV to digital, social and creator ecosystems.
The format debuted with the “TumHoLovely” campaign on National Girl Child Day. Anchored in Hindi and Marathi shows, the campaign’s narrative extended organically across digital platforms, amplified by creators and community participation. A brand film featuring Sanya Malhotra further showcased how TV-originated cultural cues can spark broad engagement and virality. Within 24 hours, the campaign racked up 35 million total impressions, 20 million digital views, 2.5 million engagements and over 1,000 comments.
Laxmi Shetty, head – advertisement revenue, broadcast & digital, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd, said, “As consumers turn away from interruption-led communication, advertisers need moments that feel culturally earned and emotionally authentic. Dilfluencer Moments delivers reach at scale through character-first content systems that connect with audiences personally, transforming storytelling into brand love.”
Kartik Mahadev, chief marketing officer, ‘Z’ & Zee 5, added: “Access alone is no longer an advantage; affinity is. Affinity comes from storytelling, familiar characters and moments that stay with audiences across screens. Dilfluencer Moments lets brands participate meaningfully in moments audiences already love, travelling organically across linear, digital and social platforms at scale.”
By anchoring campaigns in high-trust television moments and extending them into digital and social ecosystems, Dilfluencer Moments enables brands to generate organic engagement, amplify virality and convert attention into long-term emotional equity.
With its national scale, deep emotional storytelling and character-first approach, Z is offering marketers a powerful new way to build affinity, cut through clutter and create culturally resonant brand moments that stick.
