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Will Korea’s ‘Winter Sonata’ woo India?
NEW DELHI: Thus far, it has been Latin American telenovellas that have held Indian audiences in thrall. But the visiting delegations from Korea at the ongoing TV Showcase here would like to believe that the tide will change in favour of Eastern fare soon.
Winter Sonata, a beautifully woven love story that spans generations, has swept television viewers off their feet not just in home country Korea, but also in China, Taiwan, Japan and far flung African nations. Producers KBS are now hoping the hallyu, the tidal wave of Winter Sonata, will also Indian TV screens.
They may well be right. State broadcaster Doordarshan, represented by its international acquisition officials at the Showcase, have expressed their interest in buying the series for telecast. Satellite channels, though not many were present at the Delhi meet, could also be interested in the slow paced but emotionally tightly knit drama that traces the lives of two star struck lovers over the years.
But Winter Sonata is not all that Korea wants to export to India. As Korean Broadcasting Commission head Kyu Sang Cho estimates, the initial offerings that would be lapped up are the documentaries. Drama and innovation would follow later. Among the other offerings that KBS has on its menu for Indian broadcasters to sample is Forbidden Love, a love story between a Gumiho (a legendary creature) and a man, a series interspersed with a lot of futuristic effects.
KBS’ Loving You is about a man who falls in love with the woman who saves his life, and Oh! Feel Young is a wacky love story about a teenager trying to find himself. There are other interesting themes like KBS’ Second Proposal, which is about a woman divorcee who is trying to make a living on her own, after being dumped by her husband in favour of a younger woman.
Documentaries like Human Theater also form part of the repertoire that KBS is trying to interest the Indian market with.
What now remains to be seen is whether India bites the Korean bait.
News Broadcasting
WITT Summit 2026 concludes in New Delhi
Babar Azam’s comical diving attempt goes viral as league introduces anti-dew measures.
MUMBAI: The WITT Summit just wrapped up with enough big ideas to fill a policy playbook because when India’s leaders, thinkers and icons gather under one roof, even the conversations hit sixes. The eighth edition of TV9 Network’s flagship What India Thinks Today (WITT) Summit 2026 concluded on Saturday after two days of dynamic discussions at its New Delhi venue. India’s largest multi-domain public policy and culture summit brought together political leaders, policymakers, sports icons, artists and technology innovators to examine the forces shaping contemporary India and its global standing.
Prime minister Narendra Modi delivered the keynote address on the theme “India and the World” for the third consecutive year. In a wide-ranging speech, he addressed the ongoing conflict in West Asia, calling for restraint and compassion while highlighting India’s continued development trajectory despite global turmoil.
The summit featured candid conversations with state leaders. Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy articulated a people-first governance model and contrasted it with other development approaches. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav declared that Left-wing extremism had been effectively eliminated in his state and highlighted preparations for the upcoming Kumbh Mela. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann defended his government’s record, citing the closure of 19 toll plazas and creation of the Sadak Suraksha Force. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar expressed confidence in Congress prospects in Assam and addressed recent allegations against him.
On geopolitics and national security, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia outlined India’s ambition to become a builder of trusted digital infrastructure for the world, citing the rapid 5G rollout and village-level 4G connectivity.
Cricket received significant attention. Former India captain Sourav Ganguly praised player freedom and trust as hallmarks of great leadership and named MS Dhoni as the greatest captain due to his World Cup successes. India women’s team bowling coach Aavishkar Salvi credited the BCCI and Women’s Premier League for building a pipeline of world-class talent behind the team’s recent ODI World Cup triumph.
The summit also hosted the inaugural AI² Awards 2026, celebrating the convergence of human creativity and machine intelligence in storytelling and content creation. Poet and kathavachak Kumar Vishwas delivered a nuanced take on India’s concept of Dharma and criticised the recent arrest of an 80-year-old Shankaracharya. Veteran lyricist Sameer Anjaan and storyteller Neelesh Misra reflected on changing music trends and artistic responsibility in the wake of a recent controversy involving Nora Fatehi.
In a country where conversations often run as deep as the Ganges, the WITT Summit proved once again that when leaders, thinkers and storytellers come together, the real winner is public discourse lively, layered and refreshingly unafraid to tackle the big questions shaping India’s tomorrow.
