Broadcasters pep up festive menu with exclusive line-up this Diwali!

As the country ushers into the festival of lights and joy, the media and entertainment industry also gears up to offer the best of entertainment to one and all.

Keeping this mind, we sourced information and caught up with a few broadcasters like Ajit Thakur, EVP & GM - Life OK , Gaurav Banerjee – GM-STAR Plus, Swati Mohan Chatterjee - VP (Content & Programming) - FOX International Channel, Punit Goenka - MD & CEO – ZEEL and Ferzad Palia, Executive Vice President and Business Head, English entertainment, Viacom 18 to know what is on their menu this Diwali.

Thakur informs that Life OK started this Diwali quarter with Dare 2 Dance and aim to take to it to another level with Ajeeb Dastan Hai Yeh which is a bold and finite series and are set to reinvent comedy with Comedy Classes. “These shows will be followed by our first big premiere, as since launch we’ve not done film premiere and so we’ll be premiering 2 states on 18th October followed by big event meant for Diwali on 21st Ocotber, we also have project line up with Vipul Amritlal Shah, an action show with RanVijay in lead. All these we’ll lead on to a show with Sooraj Barjatiya who’ll be doing his first show with Life OK for the first time followed by another big mythological show coming on Indian Television which will be the next level to Mahadev in this December. Vipul Shah’s and Sooraj Barjatiya’s shows are scheduled for this November”, added Thakur.

Leading the TAM charts, Star Plus has launched a new fiction show title Everest, produced by filmmaker Ashutosh Gowarikar. Apart from that, Banerjee shares that Star Plus has had a viewer-base which is always interested in which films have been the most popular and who the stars are etc. “We are happy to have partnered with Box Office India magazine to come up with the first ever STAR Box Office India Awards. These awards are the first to be primarily based on Box Office Collections. In essence it’s really people’s votes in the form of their hard earned money which sets the box office register ticking. The first Star Box Office India awards will have the most iconic Bollywood names on stage and provide for a perfect Diwali celebration for all Star Plus viewers”, informed Banerjee.

“Fox Life has been to create franchises that appeal to our viewers with a unique content promise and international quality. ‘Twist of Taste', has been our longest standing and most successful franchise, and has been delighting viewers, creating conversations and also providing much opportunity for sponsors for over 3 years now. This festive season Vikas Khanna takes on a 'sweet' adventure in Twist of Taste and the Sweet Life will make you fall in love with Indian methais, with a twist! from 13 October 2014, only on FOX Life”, shared Chatterjee.

ZEEL honcho Goneka briefed that, “This Diwali ZEE TV is introducing Dil Se Naachein Indiawaale, a Diwali extravaganza and an all-new genre of dancing. The core idea is to spread happiness across the country through dance. We are pleased to partner with Shah Rukh in bringing this proposition alive. True to Zee TV’s positioning of Umeed Se Saje Zindagi, the show brings hope into the lives of countless dancers across the country who haven’t had the privilege of formal training. You don’t need to be flawless and technically brilliant in order to be appealing as a dancer, sometimes all it takes is a lot of heart!”

Channels like Movies Ok is set to reward its viewers this Diwali with the launch of ‘Karo Diwali Share’ contest. Television viewers have the opportunity to win Snapdeal e-vouchers worth Rs. 10,000/- and buy exciting Diwali gifts daily. Share celebrations and happiness with loved ones by participating in Movies OK’s ‘Karo Diwali Share’ contest, from 8th October – 24th October at 8 pm.

Star Gold, which is the recent past known to be showcasing blockbuster Bollywood premieres offers a Diwali MAHA Bonus, giving viewers a chance to daily win exciting prizes. Star Gold will ask three questions every Monday-Friday during the 8pm film from 6th – 24th October. Starting October 6th, the prizes amplify as Diwali approaches. The channel kick-started the festive week with the World TV Premiere of Singham Returns on 19th October at 8pm only on Star Gold. In 2013, superstar Ajay Devgn signed off a dream with Star India for exclusive satellite rights to all his upcoming Bollywood releases until 2017. The actor is the second star, after Salman Khan to associate in such a momentous deal with Star India.

Comedy Central presents some sizzling entertainment on your television. To celebrate Diwali with all its pomp and flare Comedy Central presents 48 hours of laughter with its Special Line up on 23rd and 24th October. The special lineup has the best of Comedy Central shows to make this family time fun and cheerful.

The special programming has been deliberated keeping in mind that Diwali is a family merriment and the shows that  will  appeal to the whole family from the youngest ones to the grandparents.  Sponge Bob and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for the little ones, Citizen Khan and Are We There Yet? are about outrageously hilarious family dynamics that everyone experiences. Sean Saves the World is about a loving father who is juggling busy work schedules and a teenage daughter, followed by Whose line is it Anyways? At last, a dose of innocence dipped in the funniest comical situations and About a Boy wherein a boy is desperate to date his neighbor.

Ferzad Palia said “This festive season on Comedy Central, we promise more fun, laughter and entertainment as we launch varied formats of entertainment." 

This Diwali, Vh1 will bring the contemporary chartbusters with a hand-picked compilation of a golden Playlist. This playlist will feature the best international videos to cherish the festive season. For this, watch Diwali Special Vh1 Gold, Oct 23rd & 24th onwards, 8 AM onwards.

SONY PIX and AXN make way for the Ultimate Shiny reboot of the classic, future-shocker with Joel Kinnaman as the critically wounded Detroit detective who is rebuilt by the global OmniCorp as a crime-fighting cyborg this festive season. The channels from the MSM bouquet shall offer an enthralling evening of action packed entertainment with the simultaneous telecast of the legendary ‘Robocop’ airing Sunday, 19th October on SONY PIX along with a simultaneous telecast on AXN at 1.00 PM and 9.00 PM.

Gather your family and friends close and have a blast this Diwali with your favorite destination for love and laughter – Romedy NOW. Starting Saturday 4th October 2014, celebrate the joy of family and togetherness with Diwali Sparklers - a heartwarming line-up on Romedy NOW featuring The Family Stone, The Notebook, Guess Who, Madagascar, Monster-in-Law, Horrible Bosses, License to Wed, 17 Again, America’s Sweethearts, 28 Days, What’s Your Number and 27 Dresses. 

From the looks of it, this Diwali entertainment surely will be a crucial part of the menu in Indian homes!