Special Report
Channels aim at lifestyle programming pie
Feeding off a booming economy, India‘s “Dil Mange More” generation is growing by leaps and bounds. A growing consumerist culture and two income families mean that the urban upscale Indian is not afraid to work hard and party harder (to use a cliché). With “Young and Happening” being the buzz word, along with the money to buy the lifestyle they want; Indians are becoming increasingly savvy to leading a way of life that enhances his/her experience at any given point; be it entertainment, lifestyle or shopping. Globetrotting Indians want to live it up with style, as they plan their vacation to virgin beaches across the world, shop for hi-tech gizmos and designer wear, and aspire for that latest cool car that has been launched in the market.
As market experts put it, “with lifestyle taking a centre-stage in the entertainment economy, it‘s all about aspiration across industry segments.” In psychographic terms, it is this segment that television channels are targeting for niche viewing, by creating and customizing lifestyle programming. Not necessarily drawn by appointment viewing, it is these young turks with active interests in ‘funk and style‘; craving a peek into their favourite celebrity‘s wardrobe and Page 3 gossip that channels targeting the lifestyle space are chasing.
As Rohit Bhandari, SET‘s assistant V-P marketing, aptly puts it, “Lifestyle is all about what you believe in and living your life with style. So, lifestyle programming could span across adventure sports, or it could be normal cricket on streets or about wild destinations across the world.”
Commenting on the shows Hot & Wild, and Who Dares Win on AXN, he adds, “We are looking at AXN as a lifestyle brand. And watching a lifestyle show has to be an experience for the viewer, who should feel a part of the show at the end of the day. There is a very niche audience, young upwardly mobile, with a different mindset for this kind of programming.”
Though channels realized the potential of this segment, not many were interested in putting in the monies to develop the segment. So, a few years ago one saw cable and satellite viewers were just fed on small doses of lifestyle programming over the weekends; as channels just dabbled with a bit of cookery show, travel show, a home décor show or just an interview based celeb show. Remember the The Good Home Show or the Simi Garewal one that was earlier on Star Plus. The idea was to blend in these programmes (mostly targeted at the SEC A B) with the rest of the C & S population in the channels‘ viewership matrix. But in recent times, many have taken a conscious decision to spruce up lifestyle programming. A fresh look at the lifestyle genre, newer concepts, good packaging has resulted in compelling viewing.
A look at the various shows across the channels reveal that channels are trying to evolve the genre as per their target audience and of course in the Indian context. So, Channel [V] has had its share of lifestyle programming with Cool Stop, Get Gorgeous shots, [V] Style Junkie. MTV has a show called Style Check, Desi RaJ and the Page 3 Style Awards. NDTV India has Night out, a late night show positioned for the upper class showcasing all the celeb parties happening around the country. For AXN, which now calls itself a a action and adventure and lifestyle channel the line up has been Who Dares Wins, The Amazing Race and Are You Hot.
Recently, Zee‘s fashion channel Trendz has launched its fashion and lifestyle show Diabolical. The show anchored by ex-Grasim Mr India Vivan Bathena is a guide to the best hangouts in cities all over the country. They showcase food, fashion, décor, music, celeb clientele with a hope to capture the pulse of urban nightlife. Then there are other channels who haven‘t tried lifestyle programming but are now aiming to go full throttle with it. Sahara Manoranjan now rechristened SaharaOne will also have a host of lifestyle shows.
Market experts predict that the fight earlier restricted to other genres will now slowly move on to the Lifestyle genre. With the recently launched Zoom from the Times Group banner, being positioned as an entertainment and lifestyle channel and the soon to be launched Discovery Networks‘ Travel and Living; Lifestyle seems to be the flavour of the season.
Research conducted by the Discovery channel reveals that there is a fundamental shift in the consumption pattern of the Indian consumer. There are today 10 million credit card holders; disposable income in the country has risen over 270 per cent since 1990; dual income families are now a widespread urban phenomenon. Dawn L McCall, president of Discovery Networks International, has gone on record to say, “With this emerging middle class the time has come for this type of a channel in India.”
But then there are others who believe the launch of these channels is based on a hypothesis that will be tested over a period of a few years. Marketers also feel the genre would really be for a very small niche audience which could still take years to pick up. So, will the gambit work?
Says Initiative Media associate vice-president Manas Mishra “We have seen that lifestyle as a brand has worked in the print medium, so what has worked in print will also work in TV and there‘s a market for it.”
It‘s a demand thing really. Many believe that in the given scenario, advertising of lifestyle brands does not reach out to the target audience due to lack of focused programming. Going by that logic, the splash in the lifestyle genre is what is expected to provide that dynamic media vehicle to reach a well targeted and defined viewership profile.
Putting the whole thing in perspective, Starcom Worldwide general manager Investment and New Initiatives Manish Porwal, says, “Right now the total adspend on lifestyle programming across print and Television is less than even 10 per cent of the total advertising pie.”
Reveals, Madan Mohapatra, media director, The Media Edge, “As of now, the estimated advertising across the Media (TV and Print) of lifestyle brands is not more than 2 billion. This genre will be commanding a very niche share of viewership. Also, how much advertising revenue these channels will garner and how much viewership they will get remains to be seen. But I feel the market has still to evolve.”
As of now, many believe that most of the channels are testing the waters with a minimum of risk. So, you have a Zoom who call themselves an entertainment and lifestyle channel. Then there are those like StarOne that would be targeting the same set of people, with more of fiction and a bit of lifestyle programming.
The kind of content generated and the treatment of the show is what will really determine the target audience, is what some believe. Explains, Vice-President, TAM Media Research Atul Phadnis, “A lot of it would depend on what you call a lifestyle show. Most of it is targeted at the upscale audience; but then if it‘s an automobile show then you‘re talking to the upscale male audience. A travel show across the globe, then you‘re talking to an upscale 30+ audience. So, it‘s the kind of content that is being offered that will decide the viewership and in turn advertising. But lifestyle channels will attract specific categories of lifestyle brands. Let‘s say adventure sports, then products like watches, sports wear, or style and fashion items, would fit the bill.”
Referring to a study conducted by TAM India, Phadnis adds, “There is definitely a increase in the viewership contribution of SEC A B in the time slots that had lifestyle programming.”
Channel offerings:Zoom
The channel has a whole line-up of celebrity anchors and offers a peek into the lives of the celeb crowd. Currently it has, The Manish Malhotra show, Simone Singh and Sunita Menon doing The Kosmic Chat, Not Just Page 3, Dance Divas and a mix of international E! True Hollywood Stories, E! Celebrity Homes. Some of the other celebrities who have been roped in to add the Page 3 element are Vir Das, Dipannita Sharma, Kamal Sidhu, Rohit Roy and the Indian cricket wizard Navjyot Singh Sidhu who has a show of his own.
Sights are firmly fixed on the metro markets, the Times Group is targeting aspirational brands such as auto, lifestyle, MNCs, fast moving goods, etc.
Discovery Travel and Living:
A new channel for the upper-middle class audience, Discovery Networks Travel and Living will start beaming officially by the end of the month. As reported earlier by indiantelevision.com, India would be the first country where the idea of Discovery‘s lifestyle portfolio would be incubated for replication in other global markets in 2005.
Some of the programmes that are likely to be seen on the new channel include Celebrity Travelogues, Globetrekker, Floyd‘s India, Cooking for Love (a blind date show blended with cookery), Date Patrol, Biker Build-Off, He‘s Gotta Have It, Great Vacation Homes, Superhomes, Other Peoples‘ Homes, While You Were Out, The Chris Lowell Show, Tim Brooke-Taylor‘s Golf Clubs and World Poker Tour.
The channel is being targeted at the upscale and young adults with active interests in the age group of 18-45. Discovery aims to attract advertisers who have traditionally been advertising in the print medium, and will aim to provide a focused platform for TV advertisers. The treatment of the channel would be aspirational, glamorous and smart.
StarOne:
Though not a pure lifestyle channel but targeted at the aspirational young urban professionals (SEC A-B, 25 to 34-year-olds). StarOne defines itself primarily as high-end fiction but the difference being its five lifestyle shows on Sundays. The lifestyle band on Sunday late mornings will have five shows : Har Ghar Kuch Kehta Hai (all about good homes), Mind, Body and Soul, Exotica(travel show), Cook na Kaho(tips for men who can‘t cook) and Men Mange More(latest gadgets, trends).
E! Entertainment:
Though nothing has been officially announced, we may well see the Indian launch of the US headquartered E! Networks, which operates E! Entertainment, the channel dedicated to the world of entertainment and style. While E! officials say an India launch is in the offing, they are unwilling to put a date to E!‘s entry into the country. The first half of 2005 is a distinct possibility.
Conclusion
The splash of lifestyle programming is only indicative of the times to come. With a dynamic TV market and entertainment industry; an emerging affluent class, opening of the economy and above all where English is the language of the urban viewer; India seems to be among the most significant markets for lifestyle channels.
The launch of these channels should mean an ideal vehicle for advertisers of upmarket products and a threat to niche channels targeting the young and the affluent. Viewers would generally be in the age group 18 to 39 with a higher disposable income, educated and early adopters of new trends. A very attractive demographic audience for advertisers provided the international channels localize their content through language and local programming.
Read more….
“Fragmentation is going to come in the TV industry in a far larger way than has happened so far,” says Apurva Purohit, Times television Network, COO
MUMBAI: Some friendships are made in heaven; others are coded in Mumbai. Hamara Vinayak, the first-ever digital original from Siddharth Kumar Tewary’s Swastik Stories, turns the divine into the delightful, serving up a story that’s equal parts start-up hustle and spiritual hustle.
Some tech start-ups chase unicorns. This one already has a god on board. Hamara Vinayak takes the leap from temple bells to notification pings and it does so with heart, humour and a healthy dose of the divine.
At its core, the show asks a simple but audacious question: what if God wasn’t up there, but right beside you, maybe even debugging your life over a cup of chai?
The show’s tagline, “God isn’t distant… He’s your closest friend” perfectly captures its quirky soul. Across its first two episodes, screened exclusively for media in Mumbai, the series proves that enlightenment can come with a good punchline.
The series follows a group of ambitious young entrepreneurs running a Mumbai-based tech start-up that lets people around the world book exclusive virtual poojas at India’s most revered shrines. But as their app grows, so do their ethical grey zones. Into this chaos walks Vinayak, played with soulful serenity and sly wit by the charming Namit Das, a young man whose calm smile hides something celestial.
He’s got the peaceful look of a saint but the wit of someone who could out-think your favourite stand-up comic. Around him spins a crew of dream-driven youngsters – Luv Vispute, Arnav Bhasin, Vaidehi Nair and Saloni Daini who run a Mumbai-based tech start-up offering devotees across the world the chance to book “exclusive” poojas at India’s most sacred shrines. It’s a business plan that blends belief and broadband – and, as the story unfolds, also tests the moral compass of its ambitious founders.
“The first time I read the script, I found the character very pretty,” Namit joked at the post-screening interaction. “It’s a beautiful thought that God isn’t distant, he’s your closest friend. And playing Vinayak, you feel that calm but also his cleverness. He’s the friend who makes you think.”
The reactions to the series ranged from smiles to sighs of wonder. Viewers were charmed by the show’s sincerity and sparkle, a quality that stems from its creator’s belief that faith can be funny without being frivolous.
Among the cast, Luv Vispute shines brightest, his comic timing adding sparkle to the show’s more reflective beats. But what keeps Hamara Vinayak engaging is the easy rhythm of its writing – one moment touching, the next teasing, always gently reminding us that spirituality doesn’t have to be solemn.
Luv spoke fondly of his long association with Swastik. “Since my first show was with Swastik, this feels like home,” he said. “Every project with them is positive, feel-good, and this one just had such a different vibe. I truly feel blessed.”
Saloni Daini, who brings infectious warmth to her role, added that she signed up the moment she heard the show was about “Bappa.”
“We shot during the Ganpati festival,” she recalled. “The energy on set was incredible festive, faithful, and full of laughter. It’s such a relatable story for our generation: chaos, friendship, love, kindness, and faith all mixed together.”
Vaidehi Nair and Arnav Bhasin complete the ensemble, each representing different shades of ambition and morality in the start-up’s journey. Their camaraderie is easy and believable, a testament to how much the cast connected off-screen as well.
This clever fusion of mythology and modernity plays to India’s two enduring loves, entertainment and faith. Mythology has long been the comfort zone of Indian storytellers, from the televised epics of the 1980s to the glossy remakes that still command prime-time TRPs. For decades, gods have been our most bankable heroes. But Hamara Vinayak tweaks the formula not by preaching, but by laughing with its characters, and sometimes, at their confusion about where divinity ends and data begins.
Creator Siddharth Kumar Tewary, long hailed as Indian television’s myth-maker for shows like Mahabharat, Radha Krishn and Porus, explained the show’s intent with characteristic clarity, “This is our first story where we are talking directly to the audience, not through a platform,” he said. “We wanted to connect young people with our culture to say that God isn’t someone you only worship; He’s your friend, walking beside you, even when you take the wrong path. The story may be simple, but the thought is big.”
That blend of philosophy and playfulness runs through the show. “We had to keep asking ourselves why we’re doing this,” Tewary added. “It’s tricky to make something positive and spiritual for the OTT audience, they’ve changed, they want nuance, not sermons. But when the purpose is clear, everything else aligns.”
For the creator of some of Indian TV’s most lavish spectacles, Hamara Vinayak marks a refreshing tonal shift. Here, Tewary trades celestial kingdoms for co-working spaces and cosmic battles for office banter. Yet his signature remains: an eye for allegory, a love for faith-infused storytelling, and an understanding that belief is most powerful when it feels personal.
Hamara Vinayak, after all, feels less like a sermon and more like a conversation over chai about what success means, what faith costs, and why even the gods might be rooting for a start-up’s Series A round.
As Namit Das reflected during the Q&A, “Life gives us many magical, divine moments we just forget to notice them. Sometimes even through a phone screen, you see something that redirects you. That’s a Vinayak moment.”
The series also mirrors a larger cultural pivot. As audiences migrate from television to OTT, myth-inspired tales are finding new form and flexibility online. The digital screen lets creators like Tewary reinvent the genre, giving ancient ideas a modern interface, without losing the emotional charge that’s made mythology India’s storytelling backbone for decades.
In a country where faith trends faster than any hashtag, Hamara Vinayak feels both familiar and refreshingly new, a comedy that’s blessed with heart, humour and just enough philosophy to keep the binge holy.
For a country where mythology remains the oldest streaming service, Tewary’s move from TV to OTT feels both natural and necessary. Indian storytellers have always turned to gods for drama, guidance and TRPs from Ramayan and Mahabharat on Doordarshan to glossy mytho-dramas on prime time. But digital platforms allow creators to remix reverence with realism, and in Hamara Vinayak, faith gets an interface upgrade.
The result is a show that feels like a warm chat with destiny, part comedy, part contemplation. And in an age of cynicism, that’s no small miracle.
As Tewary put it, smiling at his cast, “The message had to be positive. We just wanted to remind people that even in chaos, God hasn’t unfriended you.”
With 5 episodes planned, Hamara Vinayak promises to keep walking that fine line between laughter and light. It’s mythology with memes, devotion with dialogue, and a digital-age reminder that even the cloud has a silver lining or perhaps, a divine one.
If the first two episodes are any sign, the show doesn’t just bridge heaven and earth, it gives both a Wi-Fi connection.
