MUMBAI: A change of face will mark a change of programming strategy on Marathi GEC channel Star Pravah. Jayesh Patil has been roped in as the new programming head for the channel, filling in the shoes of Shrabani Deodhar who has been elevated to a higher position which is yet unknown.

Patil was previously with Reliance Big Productions for nearly two and a half years where he led the programming as fiction head. Prior to that, he has been a writer for several popular shows starting off with Ek Mahal Ho Sapno Ka and continuing with trend setters such as Kumkum, Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahi, Laagi Tujhse Lagan and more recently with Bade Achche Lagte hain.

Taking charge on 26 August, he has already got to work to study the market and to strategise new plans. "Marathi space is very attractive. There is lots of scope for experimentation and there will be a lot of focus on events," says Patil. He says he has had enough of writing and now it is time for him to reinvent himself as well as the programming strategy of Pravah.

As far as competition is concerned Patil says that it is always good to have competition. Marathi as a genre has been lagging as compared to other regional genres but Patil says that this was the case a few years ago, but not anymore.

Pravah faces competition from Zee Marathi and E TV Marathi but as of now it is leading in the genre.