Singapore – BBC Worldwide India has announced the premiere of three new fiction and non-fiction productions for the Indian market.
Har Ghar Kucch Kehta Hai (House That Made Me) and Ek Boond Ishq (A Drop of Love) went on air over the recent long weekend in India, while Yeh Hai Aashiqui launched on August 25, 2013. All three series were produced by BBC Worldwide India’s production arm which licenses and produces BBC Worldwide formats in India and works with local networks to develop home grown formats.
Har Ghar Kuch Kehta Hai is the Hindi version of UK Indie, Nutopia’s format of The House That Made Me and is hosted by Indian actor and presenter, Vinay Pathak. Ek Boond Ishq, on Life OK, part of the STAR India network’s bouquet of channels, is BBC Worldwide’s first daily fiction series in India. Yeh Hai Ashiqui, is co-produced with Lost Boy Productions.
Har Ghar Kuch Kehta Hai takes celebrities from different walks of life back to their childhood and the homes and people that influenced them to unravel some of their most cherished memories. The series, sponsored by Asian Paints, premiered on September 7, 2013 on Colors, Viacom18’s flagship brand in the entertainment space in India.
Commenting on the show, Raj Nayak CEO – COLORS, said, “We are happy to partner with Asian Paints and BBC Worldwide India for this unique property that will enable us to showcase the emotional journeys that have shaped the lives of some of the country’s most successful individuals.”
A daily drama,Ek Boond Ishq centres around a girl who realises that she is set to tie the knot with a convict in a prison cell. The programme premiered on September 9, 2013.
Commenting on the new show, Ajit Thakur, General Manager, Life OK said, “We have made one promise to our viewers – to offer never-seen-before content. In Ek Boond Ishq, we have three strong characters narrating their own tales of circumstance. While Tara is a prisoner in a palace, Mrityunjay is a convict in prison. We also have Tauji or Kalavati, a unique personality never seen before on Indian television. Audiences will see each character differently with their own strengths and weaknesses. We are very excited to be working with BBC Worldwide India on this series, and are confident that our viewers will enjoy this unique storyline and will appreciate our efforts to provide quality entertainment.”
Yeh Hai Ashiqui, based on the theme of love against all odds, showcases unique love stories which prove that love is the strongest emotion and can indeed triumph despite facing the most daunting of odds. The show features stories of youngsters who have dared to pursue love that does not fit into societal norms, and have considered relationships that the society still finds unusual. Yeh Hai Ashiqui, co-produced with Lost Boy Productions, premiered on August 25, 2013 at 7pm on bindass, a youth entertainment channel from Disney UTV.
“bindass prides itself in creating content that is relevant for the youth. Our shows have themes that are close to the hearts of youth and depict life situations that they face today. Many of such situations and themes are not being discussed openly within the Indian society. Our endeavour is to showcase these through engaging storytelling that fosters conversations around these topics, enabling the youth to create their own opinions. Yeh Hai Aashiqui, much like the brand bindass, will bring many inspirational, frank and fearless stories rooted in real life experiences, and provide insights into the complexities of relationships that may not be ideal but echo the essence of true love”, said Indrajit Ray, Executive Director, Content, Media Networks.
“We are very pleased at that we have launched three very high quality series in quick succession,” said Myleeta Aga, SVP and GM of BBC Worldwide India. “All three shows are rating well. Yeh Hai Ashiqui, in its second week of launch, is already the number one youth show among the 15-24 year Hindi speaking market. Over 4.2 million people watch each episode.”
She continued: “On top of this, Jhalak Dikhla Jaa, which we have produced for Colors for three seasons now, has had its most successful season to date. The finale episode which aired on 15th September made many newspaper headlines all over the country. We expect it to do well in the ratings as well.”
In addition to Har Ghar Kucch Kehta Hai Yeh Hai Ashiqui, Ek Boond Ishq and Jhalak Dikhla Jaa, BBC Worldwide in India also produces Disney Q — The Family Mastermind. The series has been on air since February 2013.
