&TV draws curtains on 2018 in a khaas andaaz

The year 2018 opened doors of endless opportunities for makers to experiment with content. The revolution in consumption patterns not just challenged the Hindi GECs, but inspired them to re-invent themselves and present refreshed identities. While supernatural ruled the roost this year, progressive concepts and live reality remained at the top of the list. From launching its first Live reality show for kids to introducing supernatural in a new style, &TV presented its khaas andaaz with not one but many pieces of content that were rolled out. A look at the year gone by… 

What was khaas? 

Having entertained the audience for 3 years with exciting content and characters, &TV presented a new channel ideology in the most khaas manner. Saluting the spirit of every Indian who dons multiple personas, while also paying an ode to their desire to keep adding an ‘&’ to their lives, the channel presented a new campaign, ‘Hain Khaas Har Andaaz’. With this aspect of the new &dian, &TV introduced a refreshed show line up along with a brand film depicting its core proposition. 

About big faces on small screen… 

From bringing the world’s favourite Punjabi pop sensation on a Live reality show, to introducing the modern-day mother-in-law with a Bollywood veteran; 2018 was a year of television debuts for &TV and a comeback on the medium for others. While ‘Gabru’ Guru Randhawa spread his charm as a debut judge, singer Neha Bhasin also made her entry as a judge with ‘Love Me India’. Veteran actress Jaya Prada swayed the audience with her flawless elegance, while attempting to change the stereotype around mothers-in-law with her debut show, ‘Perfect Pati’. Joining the debut league was former Miss Universe and Bollywood actress Lara Dutta, who showcased dance ka naya andaaz on ‘High Fever…Dance ka Naya Tevar’. The year also saw the return of Makarand Deshpande on television after 20 long years with ‘Vikram Betaal ki Rahasya Gaatha’. 

The Unconventional Saas (‘Perfect Pati’) 

Offering a fresh and contemporary concept, ‘Perfect Pati’ aims to answer the most relevant yet much ignored question of whether an ideal son can also be a perfect husband. Challenging the stereotypical avatar of the Indian saas that is portrayed on television, veteran Bollywood actress Jaya Prada (Rajyashree Rathod) made her small screen debut with this character. 

Love with supernatural twist (‘Laal Ishq’) 

Series of passionate love stories with a supernatural twist, ‘Laal Ishq’ is a unique amalgamation of two different genres – romance and supernatural. This series was put together by not one but multiple storytellers (production houses) and every story had an inimitable supernatural touch of its own. Giving love stories an unusual take and building on the level of intrigue, ‘Laal Ishq’ provided a fresh new genre for the viewers on weekends. The highlight of this unique show that follows an episodic format is the line-up of popular television faces and couples starring in every story. 

Reliving childhood stories (‘Vikram Betaal Ki Rahasya Gatha’) 

With the idea to present a traditional yet contemporary take on one of the most loved childhood fantasy tales, &TV launched ‘Vikram Betaal Ki Rahasya Gaatha’. The show brings forth the untold story of Betaal (Makrand Deshpande) and Bhadrakaal (Sooraj Thapar) and the difference in their ideologies. Depicting the larger than the life perspective and the tussle between good and evil, the show takes viewers through the quest of the intelligent King Vikramaditya (Ahem Sharrma) to find the wise ghost Betaal as challenged by the evil Bhadrakaal. 

The mysterious Daayan (‘Daayan’) 

Ending the year with a bang, &TV joined forces with Ekta Kapoor’s Balaji Telefilms to spook the viewers with an unconventional horror-mystery show – ‘Daayan’. With its gripping yet eerie narrative, the show transports the audience into an alternate world raising several questions around the identity of Daayan. Building suspense at every stage with interesting characters, the show will leave the audience with a mysterious question, ‘Daayan hai kaun?’ 

Redefining Reality 

Kids Live singing with ‘Love Me India’ 

Showcasing the magic of young musical talent from every corner of India, while bringing an unconventional and unique voting format in the reality space, &TV launched the first ever Live singing reality show for kids – ‘Love Me India’. From being able to vote for their favourite young star right from the audition phase, to securing them with several heartbeats during their live performance with a higher weightage of votes, ‘Love Me India’ raised the bar of interactivity with its innovative format. Divided in different zones, yet united with music, each zone consisted of kids aged 5-15 years, who were mentored and captained by popular singers – Abhijeet Sawant (West), Bhoomi Trivedi (East), Anusha Mani (South) and Navraj Hans (North). Hosted by ex-reality contestant, Meiyang Chang, the show marked the debut of Guru Randhawa and Neha Bhasin as judges, along with Himesh Reshammiya. Bangalore’s Guru Kiran Hegde was crowned as the winner of the first season and awarded a cheque of Rs 5 lakh. 

High Fever… Dance Ka Naya Tevar 

Creating an edge for itself, &TV introduced a first of its kind dance reality show that gave unique pairs of jodis a chance to showcase their ‘Dance ke naye tevar’. Hailing from distinct parts of India, each jodi had a unique pairing that was tied together for the love of dance. While a ‘Jeth-Bahu’ jodi stunned the audience with their unusual pairing and flawless moves, the Guru-Shishya jodi mesmerised the audience with their graceful classical moves. The show that marked the television debut of Lara Dutta was also judged by an eminent panel, including Ahmed Khan, Esha Gupta and Salman Yusuf Khan. Contemporary performers and close friends, Tara Prasad and Nisha Raseilly, took home the coveted trophy of the first season. 

What continued ruling hearts? 

While &TV unveiled new content, which untethered the audience from the conventional line-up in the space, the already popular ones in the bouquet continued ruling hearts. Popular comedy show, ‘Bhabiji Ghar Par Hai’, completed a milestone of 1,000 episodes and continues to win hearts with their characters’ impeccable comic timing and amusing scenarios. Launched last year, the bold concept of ‘Meri Hanikarak Biwi’ changed the stereotypes surrounding a man’s masculinity, by addressing a sensitive topic like vasectomy in a lighthearted yet enlightening manner. With a 5-year leap and a daughter to Akhilesh (Karan Suchak) and Ira (Jiyaa Shankar), the show promises to take the entertainment level a notch higher. The famous hate story of ‘Siddhivinayak’ gradually turned into a beautiful love story that witnessed several ups and downs in Siddhi (Farnaz Shetty) and Vin’s (Nitin Goswami) life. While the tales of Natkhat Kanha in ‘Paramavtar Shri Krishna’ continued to be the most loved amongst the viewers, they also got a chance to see the fighter in him as he struggles to protect Vrindavan from Kans’ evil traps and his demons. ‘Agnifera’ manages to keep the viewers engaged with a 20-year leap presenting a role reversal of Ragini and Srishti and portraying them as Agni (Yukti Kapoor) and Sakshi (Simran Kaur). In complete contrast to their perfect bahu roles, the two are now seen in much more bold and courageous avataar. 

Ending the year on a high note 

Shaam Shaandar  

As the year 2018 draws to a close, &TV has lined up a Shaam Shaandar Party, which will witness a bevy of favourite &TV stars along with popular faces from the television industry – including Arjun Bijlani, Angoori Bhabhi (Shubhangi Atre), Asha Negi and Bharti Singh, among many others. The highlight of the evening will be Angoori Bhabhi dancing to the tunes of late actress Sridevi’s songs. Arjun Bijlani and Surbhi Jyoti will set the stage ablaze with their sizzling chemistry on popular tracks of the recently married Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh. Popular TV actors Dheeraj Dhoopar and Ayush Anand will perform on the mashup of some popular desi tracks. 

Welcoming 2019 

Main Bhi Ardhangini 

&TV will start the new year with a new show, ‘Main Bhi Ardhangini’. Set against the picturesque backdrop of Rajasthan, the show brings together a love story with a supernatural twist that will further delve into the life of Madhav (Avinash Sachdev) and his best friend turned second wife Vaidehi (Aditi Rawat).Depicting an invaluable bond between a husband and his better half, ‘Main Bhi Ardhangini’ will give a true glimpse of the selfless effort and unconditional love that Vaidehi showers as a true ‘Ardhangini’. On the other hand, showcasing the eternal love of the spirit of Madhav’s first wife, Chitra (Anjali Priya), the story will portray the endeavours that she takes to keep them together and shield them against any source of evil even after death.