GECs
Sa Re Ga Ma Pa to make a comeback as DID takes a sojourn
MUMBAI: Are you an avid Dance India Dance fan? Well, then get ready to wait as the most rated non-fiction property of Zee TV will come back with a new season after a good one year.
The show which has caught on to the audience’s heart with jaw dropping performances for more than seven years, has decided to take a break and come back next year with an all new, refreshing and exciting new season.
Confirms the maker himself, Essel Vision Productions producer Nitin Keni, “With back-to-back launches, there is too much of DID happening.” From introducing the Indian audiences to dance forms like locking and popping, hip hop moves to ‘slo-mo’ style, to making dance popular among all age-groups, DID has done it all. And through the DID sub-franchisees (DID LiL Masters, DID Super Moms and DID Doubles), the channel has ensured that all the age groups have been explored to the optimum.
“Whether it’s Cinestars ki Khoj or otherwise, DID needs to be given rest,” adds Keni. Replacing the dance reality programme is Zee’s talent hunt show – Cinestars ki Khoj. Come 28 June and the channel is all set to revive its popular format every weekend at 9 pm. The mega auditions is slated to start from 20 June at RK Studios.
“Zee TV has always stood for celebrating the talent of India’s common man. In 1995, the channel created the Mecca of singing talent in the country with Sa Re Ga Ma Pa and introduced the entertainment fraternity to some of its leading singers. The year 2009 saw a landmark in the history of Indian television when we launched Dance India Dance, giving hope to a million dance enthusiasts across the country. The show not only emerged as one of reality television’s biggest successes but opened up several new career avenues in dance for its participants,” says Zee TV programming head Namit Sharma.
So while the currently running DID will be replaced by Cine Stars ki Khoj, post that the channel and the makers (Essel Vision) are planning to get back Sa Re Ga Ma Pa on-board.
Reveals Keni, “We are thinking of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa again, although it has not done really well in the past few seasons, considering people no longer are classically oriented, but we are thinking about it now.”
A media planner believes that though it is a good decision to take a break from Dance India Dance, but considering the show’s popularity, the viewers might take some time to digest. “Undoubtedly, it has been a wonderful journey for the channel with DID. The show not only helped them in getting good numbers but also a large number of advertiser’s, season after season. Getting Sa Re Ga Ma Pa on-board is a good move, but the challenge for the channel is to make it competitive, bigger and better than the previous seasons.”
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.
