 "Anil Kapoor is trying to transform the 10 pm TV slot")
A few weeks before24 went on air, actor Anil Kapoor was nervous about his television debut. While he had confidence in his product, he kept on wondering whether this television serial would wow viewers. Was the Indian audience ready for a crime thriller show? The crime genre isn't new to the small screen, in fact, one of the longest-running shows on Indian television is CID which keeps on clocking impressive ratings week after week.
However, with 24, it was a different ball game. It is an adaptation of a highly-successful series of the same name in the US. Kapoor stars in the lead role among a collection of highly credible actors like Tisca Chopra, Anupam Kher and Shabana Azmi, among others. So expectations were high - and it's fair to say that so far the show has lived up to the billing and has even been characterised by some reviewers as a game-changer for Indian television.
The first episode of 24 was seen by as many as 3.4 million viewers across the country and almost a third of the viewership came from Delhi and Mumbai. While the numbers are low compared to Bigg Boss (5 million), shows like 24 grow on the audiences. A Mumbai-based media planner says, "It has the potential, at least in the metros to become huge. It's a new concept in terms of production and big names. The audience numbers should grow."
Over the last few years, the landscape of Indian television has been dominated by reality TV shows (Bigg Boss, MTV Roadies), song-and-dance shows like Indian Idol, Sa Re Ga Maa, Dance India Dance and domestic dramas like Balika Vadhu, Bade Acche Lagte Hain. 24 comes as a refreshing change because it deals with a completely different theme, has superior production values, a strong script and edge-of-the-seat drama.
Kapoor worked on the international series with Hollywood star Kiefer Sutherland and loved it so much that he paid around ~100 crore to get the show to India. The Bollywood veteran has taken a bold gamble, staking his reputation as an actor as well as a producer. But such has been the scarcity of good television in recent times, that 24, even though far from being perfect, has easily caught the attention of the audience.
Getting script writers like Rensil D'Silva (writer of films like Rang De Basanti, Kurbaan) and Bhavani Iyer (Lootera, Black) has certainly helped 24's cause. The narrative, coupled with the interesting split-screen visual style works and is distinctive.
The show is about Jai Singh Rathore (Kapoor), heads of the so-called Anti Terrorist Unit, and how he tries to save a prime ministerial candidate from being assassinated. To inject more drama in the storyline, the incidents hint at the political dynasty of the Nehru-Gandhis. The dialogue writing appears tacky at times, but overall, the show manages to grab your attention. It helps that Kapoor is extremely believable as an officer caught between professional and personal lives.
It's early days, but Kapoor's show has the ingredients to reinvigorate Indian television. One minor quibble though: a show sponsored by Tata Safari Storme has the lead actor driving a Mahindra XUV 500!
However, with 24, it was a different ball game. It is an adaptation of a highly-successful series of the same name in the US. Kapoor stars in the lead role among a collection of highly credible actors like Tisca Chopra, Anupam Kher and Shabana Azmi, among others. So expectations were high - and it's fair to say that so far the show has lived up to the billing and has even been characterised by some reviewers as a game-changer for Indian television.
The first episode of 24 was seen by as many as 3.4 million viewers across the country and almost a third of the viewership came from Delhi and Mumbai. While the numbers are low compared to Bigg Boss (5 million), shows like 24 grow on the audiences. A Mumbai-based media planner says, "It has the potential, at least in the metros to become huge. It's a new concept in terms of production and big names. The audience numbers should grow."
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Most importantly, 24 is a welcome change from the over-the-top family dramas, the staged "wars" on music shows and the hideousness of reality shows. Kapoor must be credited for adapting an international series to fit into the Indian environment. 24 looks like a show that will improve each week as things get more interesting in the plot line. When asked how he would measure the success of his show, Kapoor says, "If the channel offers me a slot for the second season."
Over the last few years, the landscape of Indian television has been dominated by reality TV shows (Bigg Boss, MTV Roadies), song-and-dance shows like Indian Idol, Sa Re Ga Maa, Dance India Dance and domestic dramas like Balika Vadhu, Bade Acche Lagte Hain. 24 comes as a refreshing change because it deals with a completely different theme, has superior production values, a strong script and edge-of-the-seat drama.
Kapoor worked on the international series with Hollywood star Kiefer Sutherland and loved it so much that he paid around ~100 crore to get the show to India. The Bollywood veteran has taken a bold gamble, staking his reputation as an actor as well as a producer. But such has been the scarcity of good television in recent times, that 24, even though far from being perfect, has easily caught the attention of the audience.
Getting script writers like Rensil D'Silva (writer of films like Rang De Basanti, Kurbaan) and Bhavani Iyer (Lootera, Black) has certainly helped 24's cause. The narrative, coupled with the interesting split-screen visual style works and is distinctive.
The show is about Jai Singh Rathore (Kapoor), heads of the so-called Anti Terrorist Unit, and how he tries to save a prime ministerial candidate from being assassinated. To inject more drama in the storyline, the incidents hint at the political dynasty of the Nehru-Gandhis. The dialogue writing appears tacky at times, but overall, the show manages to grab your attention. It helps that Kapoor is extremely believable as an officer caught between professional and personal lives.
It's early days, but Kapoor's show has the ingredients to reinvigorate Indian television. One minor quibble though: a show sponsored by Tata Safari Storme has the lead actor driving a Mahindra XUV 500!