With Detective Didi, we are eyeing new viewers: Deepak Rajadhyaksha

Giving a new twist to the crime dramas on television, Zee TV has come up with a new show, ‘Detective Didi’, which will go on air from December 9. The show has been slotted for the weekends – every Saturday and Sunday at 8 pm. 

The titular character is played by Sonia Balani, who essays the role of detective Bunty Sharma, a crime fighter with a strong feminist streak. She fights against all odds to establish herself in a male dominated profession and also finds herself frequently at loggerheads with special agent Bhim Singh Bhullar (Manish Goplani) of the Delhi Crime Branch. Though the two can’t stand each other, they do dissolve their differences when it comes to fighting crime. The show is set in Delhi and the various locales of the National Capital also lend to the story development. 

“The show will tease the inner detective in all of us,” quips Deepak Rajadhyaksha, Deputy Business Head, Zee TV, adding, “The show is a racy, action-packed show that traces the journey of a razor-sharp girl detective who, with her own knack for sleuthing, has made a mark for herself in a domain otherwise dominated by men and considered unsafe for women.” 

He is confident that the dynamic character of Bunty Sharma will serve as an inspiration for many young girls who wish to strike the perfect balance between fulfilling their ambitions and staying rooted to their family values. 

Speaking to Adgully, Deepak Rajadhyaksha sheds more light on the show, its USP, inviting fresh audience to sample Zee’s content, the marketing strategy and more…

What is the show’s USP?
It’s the story of an evolving and emerging girl from a middle class family whose intent is to solve crime happening around her. She is a girl who takes care of her family as well. She also decides her own destiny. The USP of the show is the main character of Detective Didi, who encourages women of today’s generation to set themselves free from all the barriers and get hold of their own dreams and career choices. 

Why did you decide to slot ‘Detective Didi’ on weekends?
Zee has always loved experimenting with new things. We wanted something different for our audience to watch in the weekends. This detective show is unlike the other detective shows and the story is very interesting and engaging. So, we thought that this show would be something different on our weekend primetime. 

Who is the show targeted at?
Zee has always shown the kind of shows that can be watched by all members of the family. But for the very first time we have come up with a detective drama, adding variety to our offerings and inviting fresh audiences. 

What does the marketing strategy for the show involve?
Definitely, it’s a strategic call. The show is supported by multiple marketing campaigns across mediums like digital, print, radio and outdoor. 

Will ‘Detective Didi’ be a finite series?
At present we have not taken any call on whether or not it will be a finite series. We have not set a limit to the number of episodes. Depending on the quality and viewership of the show, we will take a call. Let us launch the show first. But definitely we are not looking at it as a finite show. 

How does Zee’s brand positioning and ideology of ‘Aaj Likhenge Kal’ resonate with the storyline of this show?
‘Detective Didi’ does personify our brand philosophy of ‘Aaj Likhenge Kal’. The story is of an evolving girl who is not dependent on her destiny and believes in writing her own destiny. It’s the story about a strong girl, who chooses a bold career in a male dominated world and encourages and motivates today’s women to write their own destiny. 

How does the channel plan on retaining the millennial and digital savvy viewers?
Television is a collective celebration of our day-to-day emotions. The Indian family structure is an ideal family structure in the entire world – it’s a joint family structure. Though it has changed a bit in the urban market, but if you look at the entire country, we still have faith in the joint family structure and in such a family each and everything is celebrated together. Likewise, while watching a TV show, all the family members watch together because they can relate it to their own lives. Till the time this togetherness is there, television is immortal. 

What does the road ahead look like? What are the shows in the pipeline?
The only strategy for Zee is to keep on experimenting, innovating new genres and motivate and inspire our viewers. 

Zee has quite a number of shows lined up, but it’s too early to reveal anything. People will get to know as we keep on unfolding. 

My show aims to alert people of crime around them: Ila Bedi Dutta 

‘Detective Didi’ has been produced by Ila Bedi Dutta, who had produced the immensely successful ‘Hitler Didi’ for Zee TV in the past. Elaborating on the show, Dutta said, “‘Detective Didi’ is not only a show packed with action and sleuthing, but it also deals with a lot of emotions and real-life instances. Bunty Sharma isn’t your typical professional detective, she is an amateur with an uncanny knack for spotting crime and arresting it in time. Being a family person herself, she closely understands the human angle behind the concerns of the common man in distress. It is often the emotional aspects of a situation that drive her to cracking a case and nailing the culprit.” 

She further said, “Given that the story is based in Delhi, we have shot the show extensively across real locations within the capital city to add a strong layer of authenticity to Bunty and Bhim Singh Bhullar’s many adventures.” 

Adgully caught up with Ila Bedi Dutta to know more about the strong comments it makes on women empowerment. 

What are your expectations from the show?
Unlike ‘Hitler Didi’, ‘Detective Didi’ is a crime show. I have, hopefully, successfully merged two genres within the show and I have got one hour’s time to tell that. So, my expectation is that the people will watch it, the women in the family will watch it and become aware of those heinous crimes happening nowadays. Crime against children and women has become very rampant. So, my show aims to alert the people of what’s happening around us. 

‘Detective Didi’ has been given a weekend slot. Do you think it might hamper the viewership?
No, not at all. In fact, I am so glad that we got the weekend slot. I got a full one hour to tell my story. We are hoping that the viewers will like our show and sample it and will get more engaged with it. 

The protagonists in your show reflect strong feminist values. Comment…
Isn’t that what television is all about? See, Detective Didi is the only woman in her family, living in a family dominated by men. So, that brings forth her strong personality. She has got a past which made her so strong and she feels that if a man can take it on, so can she. 

What is your message for your female viewers?
Through this show I would want my female audience to be absolutely alert and raise their voice against any kind of crime. They should come forward and fight and should not shrink back.