NEW DELHI: Doordarshan director general Vijaylaxmi Chhabra has announced that steps are being taken to launch DD Kisan soon and to revamp the public service broadcaster’s international channel DD India.
Chhabra also highlighted other steps to revamp DD National, which now carries the tagline ‘Desh Ka Apna Channel.’
She said the main aim was to streamline DD National which is the primary channel of Prasar Bharati and has already adorned new colours of purple and pink with a fresh palette of programming. While getting set for competition with general entertainment channels, she stressed the channel will continue to focus on traditional family values – ‘Rishtey’, ‘Nation before Self’, ‘Rashtra Gaurav’ and ‘Trustworthiness – Dilon Mein Vishwas’.
When asked about the marketing plan for the revamp, she said DD was not averse to advertising on private news channels but had not yet commenced any commercials outside the DD network, newspaper campaigns and the social media.
Chhabra also said that programmes from the archives would be confined to DD Bharati.
She was speaking at a press meet which was addressed by representatives of all the new serials on DD, apart from additional director-general Deepa Chandra and V K Jain.
Interestingly, as reported first by indiantelevision.com, majority of the programmes are women-centric or women-oriented.
While eight programmes were launched in November, one is being launched this month and another next month – all at prime time.
One of the programmes commencing later this month is a talk show ‘Stri Shakti’ which will be aired on weekends on Saturday and Sunday and will revolve around women who have faced certain hardships and have come through successfully. Each show will also have a celebrity presence.
After ‘Fauji’ which launched Shah Rukh Khan, DD is telecasting an army-based show ‘Paltan’ commencing next month which will attempt to show the lives of the army officers even during peace time when they are called out to tackle internal emergencies such as floods etc. Producer Vijay Gopal said all the people he had approached for the show had been more than willing to come on board, and singer Shaan had rendered the title track.
‘Happy Homes – Khatte-Meethe Jeevan Ke Rang’ has been produced by Arun Govil (who acted as Ram in Ramayana) at 7.00 pm and is a light comedy of unity in diversity where people speaking different languages and from different regions live together in a colony. Govil said he is not playing any role in the series.
This is followed at 7:30 pm by ‘Khwabon ke darmiyan – Sach Aur Sapno Se Jhoojhti Zindagi’ produced and directed by Kailash Tuli and starring Kapil Soni in a stellar role highlighting the struggle to bridge the gap between dreams and reality for women in the fast-changing social context.
‘Khamosh Sa Afsana – Jidd Aur Armano Ka Fasana’ at 8:00 pm by Ritu Chauhan has a fine cast of talented stalwarts like Tom Alter, Roopa Ganguly, and M K Raina who are the central characters in a story depicting the struggle of a daughter fighting to balance her work and managing her speech and hearing impaired parents.
‘Zindagi Ek Bhanwar – Rajneeti Me Mahila Ka Raaj’ produced by actor Tej Sapru (son of the late veteran actor Sapru) at 9.00 pm is a political drama which aims at reaching out to the aspirations of society and desiring changes in quality of life, followed at 9:30 pm by ‘Dard Ka Rishta – Badalte Sambandhon Ki Kahani’ produced and directed by Vinod Kapoor. The story revolves around disregard of the senior citizens in today’s urbanized societies. Sushma Seth will make a comeback on DD National after almost 30 years with this show. Sapru said that the question he has raised is why four sons cannot support a woman in her old age when she supported them when they were young.
‘Jab Jab Bahar Ayee – Janmon Ka Bandhan Ya Bandhish’ by Dolly Sohi at 10.00 pm is a serial which touches upon a dilemma of husband and wife trying to keep their family together and finding happiness not withstanding their personal differences.
DD National is also building its weekend prime-time with two shows ‘Janmon Ka Bandhan – Insaani Rishton Ka Tana Bana’ produced by Sadhika Randhawa and directed by Prem Chopra which will air from Friday to Sunday at 7.00 pm. Randhawa said it is the story of the family of an honest Indian Administrative Service officer and shows various issues including the fight against corruption.
‘Prakriti – Kudrat Ko Bachane Ki Jung’ by the veteran actor filmmaker Parikshit Sahni tracks the story of an ideal woman forest officer who endeavours to save nature. It is set against the backdrop of scenic Jim Corbett Park. It is being aired every Saturday and Sunday at 8:30 pm. Sahni said he had taken the story under the banner of his father Balraj Sahni Films and would show the daughter of a forest officer not only taking up a profession not considered suitable for women but getting posted in an area that was not very women-friendly.
