Adgully Exclusive | Channels plan an extravagant Diwali

As the sound of fire crackers goes abuzz and as lights like million fireflies glimmer on every window, the festival of Diwali will be welcomed across homes. The festival of lights as it is called is also asymbolic to Godess Laxmi, who brings prosperity to everybody.

Diwali not only gets the sweet tooth in every person active, but it is a time when a family is visited by friends and family and they all exchange gifts and pleasantries over chat and food. The festival is also a reason for many to enjoy an extended holiday from their work or academic institutions.

Diwali sees a lot of shopping extravaganza and a lot of upto(s) and flat(s) that follow big labels with asterisks smiling at the consumers. But a lot of programming across various channels are also planned so as to give a treat to the viewers. The channels this time around have also designed special programming for the festival of Diwali.

Adgully spoke to a few leading channels across genres to know more about the special programming initiatives.

This Diwali, 9XM is geared up with a series of special programs and contests to celebrate Diwali with its fans and viewers. 9XM has created a special Diwali song with all the popular animated characters of the channel. Titled 9XM Musical Pathaka, this is a special Diwali treat created by the team that has the ensemble cast of the channel wishing the viewers for a Happy and safe Diwali. This exclusively created song also presents the viewers with a chance to takeaway a Wynncom mobile phone every hour by participating in the 9XM Musical Pathaka contest and completing the lyrics of the specially created 9XM Diwali song.

Besides the 9XM Musical Pathaka contest the viewers will have numerous other opportunities to win super cool prizes including LCD television sets, Holiday packages and 9XM merchandise autographed by Bollywood super star Akshay Kumar.

Besides these initiatives the channel has also planned 9XM Vacation Ka Location, 9XM - 70's Ka Jhatka contest in association with the forthcoming movie - Action Replayy.

Speaking of the Diwali initiatives Amar Tidke, Head of Programming, 9XM said "Diwali is all about celebrating and bonding with family and friends. 9XM's family and friends are all the loyal viewers and fans who shower their affection on the channel each day of the year. We want to celebrate this special festival with them by offering loads of opportunities to win prizes like paid holidays, free mobile phones and LCD's. Along with these contests we will encourage viewers to have a safe Diwali with their very own special Diwali edition of Bakwaas Bandh Kar."

Starting 30th October 2010, 9XM will also air a special Diwali Bakwas Greetings which will showcase the popular jodi of Bade and Chote wishing the viewers with a special Diwali edition of Bakwaas Bandh Kar.

On the other hand, Colors will present a special celebration ' Dabur Chyawanprash presents Dilwalon ki Diwali on Sunday, November 7, 2010 from 12 noon & 8 PM. This show will have the lead actors of the popular soaps and the cast of the much awaited movie Golmaal-3 including Ajay Devgn, Arshad Warsi, Mithun chakraborty, Tushar Kapoor, Shreyas Talpade and Rohit Shetty.

The special programming Dilwalon ki Diwali will air on Sunday, November 7 at 12.00 pm and 8:00 pm.

The channels have announced their celebrations and the audiences are awaited, so as to be carried away in the joy ride. However the only determining quotient being how many will actually hit the button on their remote controls to turn off the sound of fire-crackers and turn on the sound of entertainment. | By Prabha Hegde [prabha(at)adgully.com]