None of the TV channels were airing fresh content after the shoots were suspended by FWICE and CINTAA on March 16th.
MUMBAI: In a major relief for the viewers of daily soaps, the TV production fraternity — broadcasters, producers and workers — has resumed shooting after resolving issues that were holding back new shoots.
There was a deadlock between the parties on issues related to payments, insurance and accommodation of workers.
With the agreements in place, Star India, Sony Pictures Networks and Zee Entertainment Enterprises will start airing fresh episodes of selected shows starting from July 13th.
Gaurav Banerjee, President and Head - Hindi and English Entertainment at Star India, said that the company will start with 2 to 3 hours of original content on Star Plus and Star Bharat, and gradually build up over the next month.
“We have had detailed discussions with production houses to ensure shoot protocols are being followed keeping in mind the safety and comfort of our artists and the crew. Also, it is important for us to have a good bank of episodes so that there is no pressure to rush on the shoot floor. Based on our planning, we will be ready by 13th July,” Banerjee said.
However, Viacom18-owned Colors, has decided to start airing a couple of shows from July 6th.
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The move has been keenly watched by the other broadcasters as most of them have resumed shootings of 4-5 shows each and have agreed to create a bank of episodes before they start airing fresh content. Viacom18-owned Colors, has decided to start airing a couple of shows from July 6th. “All the broadcasters have agreed to start from July 13th except one channel despite ours and producers’ request. We need to have a healthy bank and no one should hurry into it. But they have decided to take a different route,” said a top executive at a rival channel. “There are so many guidelines to be followed. We don’t want to make any wrong decisions in desperation.”
However, a source in Viacom18 said that Colors is telecasting content from a pre-existing bank that is “quite robust” for a few of their shows.
“We do not intend to rush into anything new that could risk the health and safety of all concerned. And we have kept everyone informed about our plan,” the source said.
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None of the TV channels were airing fresh content after the shoots were suspended by FWICE and CINTAA on March 16th.
“The Indian Film and TV Producers Council (IFTPC) convened all the parties together and broadcasters have agreed to most of the demands, including a special Covid-19 related insurance cover, reduction in 95-day payment cycle and accommodation for the workers near the sets,” said Nitin Vaidya, founder of Dashmi Productions and member of IFTPC governing council.
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As per the new agreement, broadcasters have agreed to provide a special Covid-19 related insurance, which will include cover of up to Rs 2 lakh for hospitalisation and Rs 25 lakh in case of death.
Also, the credit period of 95-days has been reduced to 30 days for three to six months starting July.
Producers will also provide accommodation on or near sets to the workers to allow easy access and provide safety and security.
ET had reported on June 25th that the TV broadcasters, producers and workers’ associations were huddled in meetings to arrive at a consensus by the weekend.
Quarantine And Chill: From ‘Money Heist’ to ‘Parasite’, Shows & Films You Can Watch During Lockdown
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The Covid-19 pandemic has brought the world to a screeching halt. With a large chunk of the global population locked up indoors, a considerable number of people are turning to OTT platforms and streaming their favourite content to make the most of their quarantine.
We have prepared a comprehensive list of all the shows and films (both on OTT platforms and television) that you can watch during the lockdown to keep yourself entertained.
The Covid-19 pandemic has brought the world to a screeching halt. With a large chunk of the global population locked up indoors, a considerable number of people are turning to OTT platforms and strea..
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‘Ramayan’, an old classic from the yesteryears that kept the audience back in ‘80s hooked to their television sets, returned to Indian TV amid Covid-19 lockdown in 2020 and took the TRP charts by storm. According to an Economic Times report, the three-decade-old saga by Ramanand Sagar earned a massive 170 million viewers in just four shows.
As viewers re-lived some of their favourite moments from the epic saga like Sitaharan and the iconic moment when Lord Rama defeated Ravana, the TRPs of Doordarshan skyrocketed.
DD National said on April 16, 7.7 crore people across the globe watched the show, making 'Ramayan' the highest watched entertainment program globally.
The last episode of ‘Ramayan’ aired on Doordarshan on April 20. If you didn’t get a chance to catch up on ‘Ramayan’ fret not. DD is now airing ‘Uttar Ramayan’ from 9 am to 10 am and 9 pm to 10 pm every day, which is an official follow up to the original show and chronicles the journey of Luv Kush.
‘Ramayan’, an old classic from the yesteryears that kept the audience back in ‘80s hooked to their television sets, returned to Indian TV amid Covid-19 lockdown in 2020 and took the TRP charts by sto..
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Thanks to ‘Ramayan’ and ‘Mahabharat’, Doordarshan had become the most-watched Hindi entertainment channel in the lockdown period. Soon, it was announced that Pogo and Prasar Bharti had joined hands to air ‘Chotta Bheem’ on DD National.
One of the most popular kids series, which features Bheem and his friends in the fictional town of Dholakpur, airs on DD National every afternoon at 2 pm.
Needless to say, the show received a warm welcome from the audience, which consisted mainly of kids who enjoyed their favourite Bheem going on fun-filled adventures with his friends.
Thanks to ‘Ramayan’ and ‘Mahabharat’, Doordarshan had become the most-watched Hindi entertainment channel in the lockdown period. Soon, it was announced that Pogo and Prasar Bharti had joined hands t..
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Way before the battle between Marvel and DC Comics started, Indian kids had only one superhero to look up to, Shaktimaan. The show which originally aired on Doordarshan from 1997 to 2005, made its way back to India TV amid the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown.
The superhero television show had producer Mukesh Khanna playing the role of ‘Shaktimaan’, who acquired superhuman powers via meditation.
‘Shaktimaan’ airs on DD National on weekdays at 8 pm.
Way before the battle between Marvel and DC Comics started, Indian kids had only one superhero to look up to, Shaktimaan. The show which originally aired on Doordarshan from 1997 to 2005, made its wa..
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No conversation about classic TV shows from the yesteryears is complete without talking about the iconic ‘Sarabhai v/s Sarabhai’. The show is about the Sarabhais, a family living in the posh area of Mumbai. The show is filled with witty dialogues, tongue-in-cheek humour and, of course, the constant bickering between Maya and Monisha over the latter’s ‘middle class’ ways.
Those who have seen the show can vouch for its fresh humour and that it was way ahead of its times. Watch it for Maya’s sass, Monisha’s retorts and more than anything, for Rosesh’s poems!
‘Sarabhai v/s Sarabhai’ airs on Star Bharat every day at 10 am.
No conversation about classic TV shows from the yesteryears is complete without talking about the iconic ‘Sarabhai v/s Sarabhai’. The show is about the Sarabhais, a family living in the posh area of ..
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‘Khichdi’ and ‘Sarabhai v/s Sarabhai’ are two shows whose names are often taken in the same breath. ‘Khichdi’, like Sarabhai, reached cult status and got a massive fan following years after it finished airing. From Hansa’s comical translations from Hindi to English to Praful’s dim-witted demeanour, the show has fun characters, each with their own quirks.
Much like its contemporary ‘Sarabhai v/s Sarabhai’, ‘Khichdi’ is one show which is perceived to be ahead of its time in terms of humour and plot.
You can catch up on ‘Khichdi’ on Star Bharat every day at 11 am.
‘Khichdi’ and ‘Sarabhai v/s Sarabhai’ are two shows whose names are often taken in the same breath. ‘Khichdi’, like Sarabhai, reached cult status and got a massive fan following years after it finish..
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‘Money Heist’, originally, ‘La Casa De Papel’, is a Spanish heist crime drama that premiered in 2017 and is currently streaming on Netflix. The show is about a mysterious man named ‘Professor’ who recruits a group of eight people to rob the Royal Mint of Spain. Each of these eight people have city names and their own character traits which make them interesting.
As the crew takes over the Royal Mint of Spain, they face a series of challenges from rebellion among the hostages to the tactics of the elite police force. They end up stealing 2.4 billion euros and return in the next season to rob the Bank of Spain.
‘Money Heist’ is streaming now on Netflix.
‘Money Heist’, originally, ‘La Casa De Papel’, is a Spanish heist crime drama that premiered in 2017 and is currently streaming on Netflix. The show is about a mysterious man named ‘Professor’ who re..
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‘Panchayat’ is one show that enjoyed massive success, thanks to the lockdown. Starring the talented Jitendra Kumar, veteran Neena Gupta and Raghubir Yadav in titular roles, the web series is the story of an engineer, Abhishek, who, due to the lack of a better job option, joins a remote panchayat office as the secretary.
‘Panchayat’ received critical acclaim and widespread recognition upon its release. While critics appreciated it for its simple yet layered narrative, the audience loved the show because of its humour.
You can watch ‘Panchayat’ on Amazon Prime Video.
‘Panchayat’ is one show that enjoyed massive success, thanks to the lockdown. Starring the talented Jitendra Kumar, veteran Neena Gupta and Raghubir Yadav in titular roles, the web series is the stor..
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It’s not common to see a streaming giant, with the stature as high as that of Netflix, come up with a reality television game show. ‘Too Hot To Handle’, is one show, which thanks to the lockdown, was binge-watched by several Netflix subscribers.
The reality show is hosted by ‘Lana’, a virtual assistant that sets the rules which need to be followed by the contestants throughout the season. The show follows an original group of ten singles who are taken to a special villa to find love and earn $100,000. However, soon, the contestants are told that the prize money will be deducted if anyone on the island engages in sexual activity.
‘Too Hot To Handle’ became the #1 television program on Netflix in the week of April 20 and sparked a series of meme trends on social media platforms.
All episodes of the show are streaming now on Netflix.
It’s not common to see a streaming giant, with the stature as high as that of Netflix, come up with a reality television game show. ‘Too Hot To Handle’, is one show, which thanks to the lockdown, was..
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Starring Vir Das, Manoj Pahwa, Ranvir Shorey and Ravi Kishan, ‘Hasmukh’ is a dark comedy web television series which premiered on Netflix on April 17,2020. The story follows a small-town man who also happens to be a serial killer.
‘Hasmukh’ landed in controversy after the High Court sought Netflix response to a lawsuit alleging that the show maligns the image of lawyers. The suit alleged that episode 4 of the first season alleges lawyers to be thieves, scoundrels and goons.
All episodes of ‘Hasmukh’ are streaming now on Netflix.
Starring Vir Das, Manoj Pahwa, Ranvir Shorey and Ravi Kishan, ‘Hasmukh’ is a dark comedy web television series which premiered on Netflix on April 17,2020. The story follows a small-town man who also..
