GECs
Zee makes Choti Maa a daily
There’s a glut of daily soaps. Here’s another joining that rash. Choti Maa Ek Anokha Bandhan, a remake of the super successful Tamil soap Chithi (it is running in its 440 episode), is slated to become a five-day-a-week affair (from the current thrice a week telecast now) come 17 September. Choti Maa is touted as the big driver in Zee TV’s struggle to charge ahead in the programming and viewership sweepstakes.
Choti Maa, portrays the life of a woman of strength and extraordinary substance who seldom uses tears as a crutch, who decides a future for which she can write her own script , which she does with amazing success.
It is a co-production between Chithi producer Radaan Mediaworks India (chaired by Radikaa & M.R.Mohan Ratha) which is looking after the creative and production aspects, and United Television (promoted by Ronnie Screwvala, Zarina Mehta and Deven Khote), which is handling the marketing, communication and promotion of the show. Schedules for shooting take the cast to Bangalore, Pandharpur,and Satara .
Chithi has achieved phenomenal viewership and consistently makes its appearance in the top three shows in all India ratings across channels C& S homes.Zee is hoping to get the same results with Choti Maa. in the Hindi version. The channel will need all of Choti Maa’s blessings to get the results that are envisaged.
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.
