BALIKA VADHU ALL GROWN up As It Crosses the 2000-Episode Milestone, Balika Vadhu Establishes Itself Firmly As the Torch Bearer of Social Dramas on TV
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October 16-31, 2015 Volume 4, Issue 10 `100 22 BALIKA VADHU ALL GROWN UP As it crosses the 2000-episode milestone, Balika Vadhu establishes itself firmly as the torch bearer of social dramas on TV. What is the secret of its longevity? 30 10 32 PLUS ZINDAGI Thinking Festive 14 OBITUARY J Mani 26 DISCOVERY KIDS-WWF INDIA 31 INTERVIEW ONLINE HOTEL CHAINS INTERVIEW Wild Wisdom Shashi Sinha Make Room Dinesh Gulati SONY ESPN ABC’s chairman on digital Leveraging technology the IndiaMart’s director believes 31 audience measurement. budget hotel segment way. in multimedia brand building. Sports Freaks (',725,$/ This fortnight... Volume 4, Issue 10 EDITOR wo years back, when Sony’s investigative drama CID completed 1,000 Sreekant Khandekar Tepisodes, we interviewed Shivaji Satam, the actor who plays ACP Pradyuman, PUBLISHER October 16-31, 2015 Volume 4, Issue 10 100 Prasanna Singh ` star of the show. DEPUTY EDITOR Recently, Colors’ flagship fiction show Balika Vadhu hit the 2,000-episode Ashwini Gangal milestone. In fact, the daily has completed 2,025 episodes over a span of seven years. SENIOR LAYOUT ARTIST That, we felt, warranted a Cover Story. Vinay Dominic PRODUCTION EXECUTIVE 22 One of the most important ingredients of success is timing. When Rajshri Andrias Kisku Productions released Hum Aapke Hain Koun in 1994, the film became an instant ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES BALIKA VADHU blockbuster; the saccharine-drenched story of a large, happy family, offered a welcome Shubham Garg ALL GROWN UP 81301 66777 (M); 0120-4077819 (O) As it crosses the 2000-episode milestone, Balika Vadhu establishes itself firmly as the torch bearer of social dramas respite from the hero-versus-villain routine, a reigning cliché at the time. on TV. What is the secret of its longevity? Apoorv Kulshrestha 9873824700 (M); 0120-4077833 (O) 30 10 32 PLUS Similarly, when Colors launched Balika Vadhu in 2008, the saas-bahu theme ZINDAGI Noida Thinking Festive 14 OBITUARY J Mani 26 was at a mind-numbing high. The show broke the monotony on Indian television and Pradeep Hegde DISCOVERY KIDS-WWF INDIA Wild Wisdom 31 INTERVIEW ONLINE HOTEL CHAINS INTERVIEW (022) 40429702-5 Shashi Sinha Make Room Dinesh Gulati SONY ESPN gave the audience something different to watch – and discuss. Suddenly, everyone had ABC’s chairman on digital Leveraging technology the IndiaMart’s director believes Sports Freaks 31 audience measurement. budget hotel segment way. in multimedia brand building. Mumbai an opinion on Avika Gor’s Anandi. So loved was this character, that the show lost viewership each time the track moved away from her. [email protected] MARKETING OFFICE During the course of researching this story, we were treated to several fascinating anecdotes. For instance, did B-3, First Floor, Sector-4, Noida-201301. you know that the genesis of Balika Vadhu can be traced back to the writer’s childhood? Purnendu Shekhar, Tel: (0120) 4077800. who grew up in Rajasthan, saw a 16-year-old girl feeding her child, one day. It was this disturbing visual that MUMBAI sparked the idea that, years down the line, led to the show. 501-502, Makani Center, 5th Floor, Off Linking Road, Bandra (W), Here’s another behind-the-scenes snippet – Over seven years, the on-set crew of Balika Vadhu has stayed Mumbai - 400050 Tel: +91-22-40429 709 - 712 the same, including the spot boy. Sample this trivia too – During its early years, the show, counter-intuitively SUBSCRIPTION ENQUIRIES enough, caught the attention of many a male viewer. They felt it was a lot more ‘inclusive’ than the K-serials. Akhilesh Singh (0120) 4077837 At present, the protagonist’s daughter Nimboli is, in turn, a victim of child marriage. While discussing the [email protected] future of this track and the show’s inevitable end, Raj Nayak, CEO, Colors, said, “Whenever we decide to Owned by Banyan Netfaqs Pvt Ltd and pull the curtains on the show, it will be the end of an era on Indian television.” Printed and published by Prasanna Singh, at 7-A/13, Ch. Ratan Singh Complex, Touché. Jawala Heri Market, Paschim Vihar, New Delhi-110 063. Printed at Cirrus Graphics Private Limited B-61, Sector 67, Ashwini Gangal Noida (U.P.), 201301 [email protected] Cover Photograph Colors CONTENTS 24 8 LUFTHANSA Indian at Heart This Diwali, Lufthansa’s digital campaign hopes to connect with one million Indians worldwide MARTIN SORRELL 6 14 26 The India I Love Why the WPP supremo is bullish on India. POINTS OF VIEW 16 Hybrid Drinks SHAZÉ FERRERO ROCHER NICKELODEON Even as Coke introduces Against Labels Golden Lining The Next Milestone Fuze Tea, is the Indian palate Join the Labellion, says the The chocolate brand has a Nick’s third made-in-India ready for fusion drinks? lifestyle brand. new logo and packaging. animated series is ready. afaqs! Reporter, October 16-31, 2015 5 $'9(57,6,1* SHAZÉ Against Labels opposed to select brands. Zaveri informs that the brand sources its collection mainly from Europe. “Consumers buy from all over the world as they believe in uniqueness. In order to fulfil this need for unique products, we source exclusive products depending upon the specialty and the USP of the area,” he says. Apparently, it is this belief in its products that inspired the brand to talk ‘against labels’. According to Zaveri, the model has been successful and even though Shazé does not operate in the luxury space, consumers perceive it as a luxury brand. “We create products that appeal to the major segment of the market. Today, brands are about self-expression. They are not built solely by fulfilling consumer’s need, but also by creating one. We have a positioning that appeals to consumers from around the country, such as the conscious North Indian or the aspirational West Indian,” he states. In its new campaign, titled ‘Join the Labellion’, lifestyle brand Shazé BOLD TALK? makes a bold statement by challenging political and social ethos. opa Kumar, vice president, Isobar India, By Ashee Sharma and Saumya Tewari Gfinds the execution of the campaign hey are against boys in pink, against men who love men, against privacy, freedom Tand animal lovers, and we are against people who label,” says a voice-over in a bold and unapologetic video by lifestyle brand Shazé. Conceived by Grey Group India, the campaign - titled ‘Join the Labellion’ - comes in the wake of the recent bans on porn sites, the rage against open letters and similar events, thus making it more of a rhetoric than a promotional video. Shazé - in its second year of existence - intends to make a bold statement with this video, with fashion and ourselves and stand our ground. It is a motive that “unconventional and bold” and that, he says, will lifestyle in the backdrop. is finding increasing relevance today,” he states. help in getting the brand noticed. Kumar is also On the need for such positioning, Dheeraj The campaign has been slightly tweaked for the impressed with the timing of the ad, but the one Sinha, chief strategy officer, Grey Group - South print and outdoor mediums, where the creatives thing that is missing, according to him, is the call and South East Asia, says, “The mood of our times have been designed based on the insight that to action. “The ad does evoke curiosity, but the last is such that brands need to have a point of view ‘when people label someone, they unknowingly mile is missing. What is Shazé and why are they on what’s going on in the society. This allows us label themselves’. For instance, the ad featuring taking this stand remains unanswered,” he rues. to place a fashion/luxury brand such as Shazè into celebrity hairstylist Sapna Bhavnani reads: ‘If On using the oft-repeated rebellion theme, something deeper and meaningful. The line-up of I’m manly, you’re sexist’. Others stand out with he opines that while it has been exploited by a Shazè adds to this uniqueness.” similarly irreverent statements like - ‘If I’m dark, number of brands, what matters is the execution. Clearly, the brand is leaving no stone unturned you’re racist’ and ‘If I’m a slut, you are a prude’. Rajiv Dhingra, founder and CEO, WAT to achieve this transformation. The stark visuals Shazé claims to be a premium lifestyle and Consult, believes that because the ad touches used in the video, released on the digital platform, gifting brand with stores across India. It serves as a upon the social undercurrent of bans, biases and are aimed at Shazé’s core TG which includes platform that curates creative works in the fashion cultural stereotypes that exist in the country, it will people above 25 years of age who “have a strong and lifestyle segment from all across the world, as attract viewers’ attention. However, he agrees with sense of individuality, are experimental and seek Kumar about the lack of necessary information quality.” about the brand that will make someone want to While advertising is often considered a window buy it. to the society and culture of a country, India, “I think it’s a great piece of content and it could with all its complexities, has responded to it in have been for any brand. I could easily see Cafe random and impulsive ways. Whether or not an Cuba fit into this or even a new-age clothing brand ad achieves the socio-cultural aim it sets out to, like Wrogn. It does not do anything for Shazé the ‘rebel’ formula certainly guarantees a brand its specifically,” he points out. ‘two minutes of fame’ (or notoriety).