Special Report
Zee Sports delivers cricketing goods
The Boys in Blue head into battle against Sri Lanka, the match to be played in Ahmedabad tomorrow, on a high note as regards the form book.
And if they can keep the brouhaha over l‘affaire Saurav Ganguly from getting to them, would be expected to come out on tops in this, the last of the three-Test series. So how has it been thus far for Subhash Chandra‘s first significant foray into serious India cricket broadcast?
What the telecast of the three Tests offered Zee was the opportunity to MAKE A STATEMENT OF INTENT to viewers and the industry. What those who matter (as in those who put in the advertising rupees) would have been curious to see is what Zee was able to bring to the table in terms of broadcast quality, innovative presentation and the like. On the other hand, for many viewers it would have been a first look at the new sports kid on the block.
The first Test, even if it hadn‘t been severely curtailed by the rain gods, would in any case have offered too short a notice to get any kind of action plan in place. So, it was effectively from the second match on that the real test of Zee‘s capabilities vis-?-vis sports broadcast were on show.
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In terms of presentation and look and feel, the channel has come through clearly as on par with the best that an ESPN Star Sports or Ten Sports could dish out. In fact, one refreshing part of the studio presentation is that the sports jockey (as the channel has chosen to call their studio show presenters) is actively participating and in fact moderating the flow of conversation that the expert panel is involved in. Her presence therefore, is not a bimbo quotient add on but intrinsic to the show‘s presentation style and composition. And what about revenues? On the money part, however, there is not too much that Zee can hope to write home about from this series. And we for one do not think that Chandra is really looking at it from that perspective at all. Still, just how much Zee might make and what this series will generate in total ad sales deserves a closer examination. What could have been the maximum that this series would have generated in ad sales? Well, if ESS had the rights we estimate that it would have pulled in just under Rs 200 million from a full three-Test series. National broadcaster Doordarshan, on the other hand would have been expected to pull in somewhere in the region of Rs 330 million (click here for detailed break up). In-stadia ad sales would have got in another Rs 100-120 million. The total in ad sales therefore that a full series would have generated is Rs 630-650 million. However, it is pertinent to note here that barely one-and-a-half days of play were logged in for the Chennai Test. DD will therefore probably rake in somewhere in the region of Rs 250 million when the accounts are tallied after the Ahmedabad Test is over. So how much is Zee likely to make out of this cricket series, for which it paid Rs 195 million for satellite rights? Add in another Rs 2.3 million as production and marketing costs that means a little under Rs 220 million that Zee will have paid out for the full telecast. Looking at the credit side, the new sports channel is unlikely to have had any worthwhile takings out of the first Test, so it is more likely that it was offering spots gratis to those who committed a reasonable rate for the remaining two Tests. What is a reasonable rate? Well, since Zee is just starting out, even Rs 25,000 per 10-second spot would be tough to sell. So one would assume that a mean of Rs 15,000-20,000 would about be what the spots have gone for. If that assessment is correct, Rs 60-80 million would be the revenues that Zee generates from this series. But it has to be reiterated here that it is not money as much as awareness of its channel that Zee will be looking to achieve with the telecast. So, how much money it makes is not really the point of issue. After all, Chandra has always believed in being the long distance runner rather than champion of the 100 m dash. |
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.
