GECs
Sony ushers in new programming with ‘Dil Ki Baatein’
MUMBAI: It has been struggling to regain lost ground in the Hindi general entertainment space for quite some time now. But, undeterred, the MulitScreen Media owned Sony Entertainment Television is taking another shot at attracting hordes of viewers to its prime time fare. In its first step towards that, the channel has launched a show called Dil Ki Baatein starring the popular TV actor Ram Kapoor in the lead.
“Sony has always prided in telecasting innovative shows. In the next 100 days we will be launching five new shows with interesting concepts as we believe there is an audience out there that exists for such content,” says SET senior executive vice president and business head Nachiket Pantvaidya.
Dil Ki Baatein will be Kapoor’s come back to TV. He will be seen opposite Gurdeep Kohli. The show also stars Pankaj Dheer as Kohli’s father, whereas Mahima Makhwana and Ratna Shinde will essay the roles of the couple’s daughter and son respectively.
Dil Ki Baatein has been helmed by filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt and SET together. Sony took note of Bhatt’s narration about the concept a year and half ago.
Talking about the concept of the show, SET senior vice president and marketing head Gaurav Seth says, “It is an unusual love story that brings out the struggle and various emotions of the family to the fore. It questions how far one can go for a loved one and to what extent? The show explores the complexities of human relationships and one’s emotional downfall when fate intervenes.”
According to Seth, the biggest USP of the series is the role essayed by Kapoor. He will be portraying the role of a supportive husband to his cancer stricken wife, who faces a blood cancer relapse after two years. The programme has been produced by Guroudev Bhalla and Dhaval Gada from Bhatt’s production house, which also produced the show Udaan for Sony previously.
“We have shot five different promos where Ram Kapoor is essaying a different role and emotion. In the first promo, for instance, he is seen conversing with God about his problems,” informs Seth.
The promo was first launched on digital media, where along with active engagements from fan clubs, it trended at the top spot for five to 10 minutes. “For the first time, the promo itself registered one million views on YouTube,” says Seth.
A robust marketing campaign has been planned across 35 Indian cities along with active OOH campaigns. Seth informs that the communication showing Kapoor along with a bald headed Kohli, has generated the necessary buzz. It has also generated 21 crore digital impression so far across various social media platforms. On Twitter, SET invited reactions from fans of how far would fans go for their loved ones.
The show has LIC as the presenting sponsor and advertisers such as Otriven, Cadbury, KFC, Samsung Galaxy among others on board.
Dil Ki Baatein, which went on air on 23 March, will be telecast from Monday to Thursday at 9:30 pm on Sony.
GECs
Vikram and Ajinkya Gandhe win Masterchef India season finale
Chef Sanjeev Kapoor joins judges for emotional MasterChef finale
MUMBAI: The latest season of MasterChef India concluded on a high note, with brothers Vikram Gandhe and Ajinkya Gandhe crowned winners in the grand finale aired on Sony Entertainment Television.
The duo from Nagpur lifted the coveted trophy and donned the show’s signature golden apron after a season that celebrated India’s diverse culinary traditions under the theme “Pride of India”.
This edition of the popular cooking reality show introduced a new jodi format, with 50 pairs from across the country competing in the Masterchef kitchen. Contestants brought personal stories, regional flavours and family bonds to the competition.
The grand finale featured the final three pairs: Vikram and Ajinkya Gandhe (brothers), Saisree and Chanda (mother and daughter), and Anju and Manju (sisters).
The finale was attended by celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor, who joined the show’s judging panel comprising Vikas Khanna, Ranveer Brar and Kunal Kapur.
Kapoor said the show has long served as a platform to celebrate India’s rich culinary heritage and provide passionate home cooks with a national stage. He noted that the current season reflected a confident India that takes pride in its roots while embracing new culinary ideas.
Judge Vikas Khanna said the contestants’ journeys and the memories created during the season would remain with the team long after the show’s conclusion. Ranveer Brar described the show as a family that continues to grow with every season, while Kunal Kapur praised the contestants’ creativity and determination.
With the finale now concluded, the latest season of MasterChef India once again highlighted how food can reflect identity, heritage and storytelling, inspiring home cooks across the country to pursue their culinary ambitions.
