GECs
Star One plans a turnaround; to bring back ‘Nach Baliye’, ‘Remix’
MUMBAI: Last year around this time, Star India’s young launch Star One was enjoying a successful run in the market.
Properties such as The Great Indian Laughter Challenge and Nach Baliye saw the channel making SET, the then number 2 in the Hindi GEC space, sit up and take note. However, the channel was derailed from its successful run due to a stern fightback from the competition. Certain distribution issues have also been bugging the channel in the Mumbai market.
Now, what has boosted the channel’s morale is the good ratings The Great Indian Laughter Challenge Dwitiya delivered. According to Tam, the two-hour finale episode, which aired on Friday, 23 June, delivered a rating of 7.94 on CS4+ and became the fourth highest ranked show amongst the Hindi General Entertainment channels.
Driving the turnaround plans for Star One would be two of its 2005 successes: Nach Baliye and Remix. While presenting a session on the journey of Star One at this year’s edition of Promax BDA 2006, Star India EVP Marketing & Communications Ajay Vidyasagar offered a glimpse of the plan of action.
“If you have strong products to woo viewers, distribution is never a challenge. The success of The Great Indian Laughter Challenge Dwitiya has proved this. Now, we are targeting December 2006 to win back the lost position. We will be launching the second seasons of Nach Baliye and Remix in the coming months. The plans will be unveiled in a couple of weeks. You can expect a lot of surprises in both the formats this time,” says Vidyasagar.
Vidyasagar also claimed that, the channel’s homegrown properties including Laughter Challenge and Nach Baliye created a lot of interest in the international market. “We have been getting lot of enquires from the global market. The players over there are very keen to buy these formats from us,” he says.
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.
