MUMBAI: Colors, the Hindi general entertainment channel from the Viacom18 stable, has roped in Balaji Telefilms creative head Prashaant Bhatt as the head of fiction.

He will be responsible for driving the fiction properties on the channel and take key decisions on new show productions.

Bhatt will join the channel on 1 December and will be reporting to Colors CEO Raj Nayak.

Nayak commented, "Given Prashaant‘s experience in delivering compelling content for multiple successful fiction properties over the years, we are confident that he will take the Colors‘ fiction shows to a new peak. I am proud to have him on the team, and look forward to co-creating new frontiers in fiction programming on Colors."

Bhatt added, "I have tremendous appreciation for Colors‘ constant attempts towards providing new and innovative content to the viewers through their shows. I am looking forward to working with this incredibly talented group of people and apply my knowledge and experience and contribute to the fiction programming."

Bhatt has over 16 years of experience as a writer and creative director of various fiction properties. In the last few years, he has also been involved in conceptualising shows and creatively heading them for various production houses, which include Rajshri Productions, Cinevistas, Creative Eye, AK Films, UTV and Shreya Creations among others.

MUMBAI: Colors is shifting three of its primetime shows to create an afternoon band, increasing its evening primetime and stretching Veer Shivaji to weekdays as it plans to regain the second spot with the launch of its big-ticket reality show Bigg Boss.

"With a strong fiction lineup during the week, we bring in Bigg Boss 5 to the 10.30 pm time slot this season. Na Aana Is Des Laado, which currently occupies this slot, will be moved to the 1 pm to build our afternoon band. On weekends, Bigg Boss 5 will air at 10 pm which will include the eviction episode on Saturdays (with Aakhri Farmaan) and some unseen tidbits from the show on Sundays (Undekha Action). This is being done with the aim to build up viewership on weekends and keep everyone tied to their seats with their fingers crossed in anticipation about who will be leaving the Bigg Boss house," says Colors head - programming Ashvini Yardi.

Apart from Laado, the channel is also shifting Hamari Saas Leela and Laagi Tujhse Lagan to build its afternoon slot.

As per latest Tam ratings, Laado clocked an average TVR of 2.8 while Hamari Saas Leela and Laagi Tujhse Lagan recorded 0.9 TVR and 1.6 TVR respectively.

The other changes include pulling the curtains on Mukti Bandhan and shifting Veer Shivaji from weekend band (Friday-Saturday, 8.30 pm) to weekday (Monday-Friday) 8.30 pm band.

"As part of our new scheduling, we have a new show Havan at 7 pm, followed by Sasural Simar Ka and Balika Vadhu, which are getting good ratings. Shivaji is a good and different show, which we think will get even better response on weekdays. Post that, we have shows catering to more urban audiences and finally Bigg Boss," Yardi explains.

On shifting of shows to afternoon band, she adds that it serves two purposes. "We will increase the original programming hours in afternoon; it also will help us get more viewership in the afternoon band," Yardi adds.

The channel is also going to premiere the Salman Khan-starrer Ready in the month.

Meanwhile, the Viacom18 channel is focusing all its energies on Bigg Boss. As the show will see two hosts Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt for the first time, the channel has big promotion plans.

"We have a high-intensity 1200 GRP TV campaign, where apart from network channels we have extensively promoted the show on cross network channels. We have created 10 promos and a music video of the show. We have an impressive 20 city outdoor plan and in print, on 2 October, 100+ publications in 50+ cities will carry Bigg Boss cover. On radio, Big FM is our partner where they will also have multiple on-ground activities around the show," Colors AVP marketing Rajesh Iyer said.

Bigg Boss 5 will start on 2 October at 8 pm, while subsequent episodes will be aired from Monday to Friday at 10.30 pm and Saturday to Sunday at 10 pm on the channel.

Vodafone is continuing its partnership with the show for the third year in a row as presenting sponsor, while Garnier Men, Sony Cybershot, Tata Motors, HRI (Streax), Havells, Dollar (Baniyan) and Bisleri are seven associate sponsors.

MUMBAI: Sony Entertainment Television (SET) is opening up the 8 pm slot with an adaptation of the Pakistani television drama, Dhoop Kinare.

Launching on 3 October, the new daily fiction will replace the poor performer Krishnaben Khakrawala.

Kuch To Log Kahenge will air Monday to Friday at 8 pm. Sony is already strongly entrenched in the 8.30 pm-10 pm slot with the Amitabh Bachchan-hosted Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC), while Bade Ache Lagte Hai is doing well in the 10.30 pm time band.

Said SET SVP and business head Sneha Rajani, "We are confident Kuch To Log Kahenge will open the 8 pm slot for us and additionally build up our fiction portfolio on weekdays. With Bade Acche Laggte Hai and Saas Bina Sasural strengthening our band of fiction properties and KBC having reached the length and breadth of the entire nation, ?Kuch To Log Kahenge? will further strengthen our position as the second most popular general entertainment channel in India."

Kuch To Log Kahenge will have to contest against Balika Vadhu on Colors, the leader in this time zone. Star Plus has Is Pyaar Ko Main Kya Naam Doon while Zee TV airs Shobha Somnath Ki.

Based in the locales of Bhopal and the backdrop of a hospital setting, Kuch To Log Kahenge highlights the nuances of a complicated relationship when two people with a huge age difference fall in love.

Kuch To Log Kahenge is a love story between people from two different generations -- mature Dr. Ashutosh and young Dr. Nidhi Verma.

The show will mark the return of Mohnish Behl in a lead role on small screen. Kritika Kamra will share the screen space with Behl as a lead opposite him. The show will also features actors such as Alok Nath, Vijay Kashyap and Rukhsar and new actors.