 "Laughter is a challenge for Hindi channels")
Hindi general entertainment channels (GECs) have had a sketchy record with comedy shows. There have been fiction shows like Zabaan Sambhalke and Hum Paanch that stir up nostalgia, apart from the more recent Khichdi and Sarabhai vs Sarabhai. However, fiction comedy shows seem to be the weakest link for Hindi GECs.
The comedy genre has seen a resurgence on Hindi GECs, on the back of Color’s Comedy Nights with Kapil. Viacom 18’s Hindi GEC collaborated with the winner of Comedy Circus Ke SuperStars among others (on Sony), Kapil Sharma, to float a show that was a mix of stand-up comedy, gags, and skits. The other two leading GECs, Star Plus and Zee TV, have followed suit with their own versions. While Star Plus’ Mad in India bombed and was discontinued, Zee TV’s Gangs of Haseepur, launched in April, has had a lacklustre performance.
Raj Nayak, CEO, Colors, says, “Comedy is very difficult to crack as a genre. There have been successes in in the past. I think every channel will want to do comedy, some haven’t worked. But it is always on everybody’s radar.” Nayak cites the show that had not worked right before Comedy Nights, called Nautanki.
In Hindi entertainment, fiction has remained the dominant content form. Smita Jha, leader, entertainment & media practice, PWC India, says, “Despite digitisation and the forecast of niche formats taking over, Indian TV remains predominantly family-oriented and fiction-heavy. That is why major broadcasters invest in second and third GECs.”
While comedy non-fiction shows double as promotional platforms where celebrities take the couch to promote their latest ventures, comedy fiction has usually run low on such luck. It is not that the Indian audience does not have a penchant for it. Multi Screen Media’s channel, Sab TV, banks on it. Ever since it had positioned itself as a comedy channel, Sab has performed consistently at 24,000-26,000 GVT week on week (gross viewership in thousands). It is now ready with a show, reminiscent of 3rd Rock from the Sun, called Badi Door Se Aayein Hain.
Sab’s senior executive vice-president and business head, Anooj Kapoor, says, “All our top-rated shows have characters that have resonated, and being in linear story-lines, they have been able to consolidate their popularity, leading to a loyal audience. In terms of ratings, we have managed to perform consistently, so the advertisers are happy too.” Of course, not all its shows have been runaway successes, and experts say that it is Tarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chashma and Chidiya Ghar which continue to go strong. Sab has also built a second tier of shows, which continue to tie down viewers, such as Lapataganj and FIR. The channel has a total of 80 advertisers, for a predominantly male target audience. Colors, on the other hand, had launched a comedy fiction show called Pammi that did not work. Meanwhile, Zee has discontinued its recent B se Bhade…
The challenge, Nayak says, is getting good writers. He says, “I have been wanting to do a fiction comedy show for the last one year but am just not able to find the right script.” JD Majethia of Hats Off Productions, that produced Sarabhai and Khichdi, and now Badi Door, says, “Well-written, witty scripts and good actors increase the shelf life of comedy content.” SAB’s shows have sustained for 1,500 to 1,800 episodes. In contrast, the classic comedies on Indian television like Dekh Bhai Dekh, Office Office, Zabaan Sambhalke and Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi all ran for under 100 episodes. Nayak says, “Advertisers will go where the eyeballs are – comedy, sports, or even crime,” Jha of PWC says, “It does not matter which genre for advertisers, because they pursue viewership and target audience.”
Decoding the Kapil show
Nayak says, “Kapil is an extremely talented person. You can’t do a show without talent, especially comedy. With our programming team, we were able to work with him to create an original format. The show has kept on evolving. We started doing integrations with the best of stars that has became a high-point in the show. The choice of going with one judge (Navjot Singh Sidhu) and an audience have also helped.” Nayak says such live shows, with an audience and ensemble cast is 10 times more expensive than a regular fiction show.
Majethia says, “The current ad-driven market does not allow experimentation. Maybe once digitisation sets in properly, genres like comedy can get more experimental and play in the niche market with subscription revenue.Then the genre will become more streamlined.”
The comedy genre has seen a resurgence on Hindi GECs, on the back of Color’s Comedy Nights with Kapil. Viacom 18’s Hindi GEC collaborated with the winner of Comedy Circus Ke SuperStars among others (on Sony), Kapil Sharma, to float a show that was a mix of stand-up comedy, gags, and skits. The other two leading GECs, Star Plus and Zee TV, have followed suit with their own versions. While Star Plus’ Mad in India bombed and was discontinued, Zee TV’s Gangs of Haseepur, launched in April, has had a lacklustre performance.
Raj Nayak, CEO, Colors, says, “Comedy is very difficult to crack as a genre. There have been successes in in the past. I think every channel will want to do comedy, some haven’t worked. But it is always on everybody’s radar.” Nayak cites the show that had not worked right before Comedy Nights, called Nautanki.
In Hindi entertainment, fiction has remained the dominant content form. Smita Jha, leader, entertainment & media practice, PWC India, says, “Despite digitisation and the forecast of niche formats taking over, Indian TV remains predominantly family-oriented and fiction-heavy. That is why major broadcasters invest in second and third GECs.”
While comedy non-fiction shows double as promotional platforms where celebrities take the couch to promote their latest ventures, comedy fiction has usually run low on such luck. It is not that the Indian audience does not have a penchant for it. Multi Screen Media’s channel, Sab TV, banks on it. Ever since it had positioned itself as a comedy channel, Sab has performed consistently at 24,000-26,000 GVT week on week (gross viewership in thousands). It is now ready with a show, reminiscent of 3rd Rock from the Sun, called Badi Door Se Aayein Hain.
Sab’s senior executive vice-president and business head, Anooj Kapoor, says, “All our top-rated shows have characters that have resonated, and being in linear story-lines, they have been able to consolidate their popularity, leading to a loyal audience. In terms of ratings, we have managed to perform consistently, so the advertisers are happy too.” Of course, not all its shows have been runaway successes, and experts say that it is Tarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chashma and Chidiya Ghar which continue to go strong. Sab has also built a second tier of shows, which continue to tie down viewers, such as Lapataganj and FIR. The channel has a total of 80 advertisers, for a predominantly male target audience. Colors, on the other hand, had launched a comedy fiction show called Pammi that did not work. Meanwhile, Zee has discontinued its recent B se Bhade…
The challenge, Nayak says, is getting good writers. He says, “I have been wanting to do a fiction comedy show for the last one year but am just not able to find the right script.” JD Majethia of Hats Off Productions, that produced Sarabhai and Khichdi, and now Badi Door, says, “Well-written, witty scripts and good actors increase the shelf life of comedy content.” SAB’s shows have sustained for 1,500 to 1,800 episodes. In contrast, the classic comedies on Indian television like Dekh Bhai Dekh, Office Office, Zabaan Sambhalke and Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi all ran for under 100 episodes. Nayak says, “Advertisers will go where the eyeballs are – comedy, sports, or even crime,” Jha of PWC says, “It does not matter which genre for advertisers, because they pursue viewership and target audience.”
Decoding the Kapil show
Nayak says, “Kapil is an extremely talented person. You can’t do a show without talent, especially comedy. With our programming team, we were able to work with him to create an original format. The show has kept on evolving. We started doing integrations with the best of stars that has became a high-point in the show. The choice of going with one judge (Navjot Singh Sidhu) and an audience have also helped.” Nayak says such live shows, with an audience and ensemble cast is 10 times more expensive than a regular fiction show.
Majethia says, “The current ad-driven market does not allow experimentation. Maybe once digitisation sets in properly, genres like comedy can get more experimental and play in the niche market with subscription revenue.Then the genre will become more streamlined.”