As stay-at-home period runs into its sixth month, viewership tracking firm reveals Dil Bechara, Special Ops have emerged most popular film and show
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; August 26, 2020)

In a domino effect of sorts, the Coronavirus lockdown caused a shift in the entertainment consumption patterns of the Indian population. A country that has had more than its fill of dramas about shape-shifting serpents and family feuds turned to digital entertainment, thus discovering the grim journey of Hathoda Tyagi or rooting for Sushmita Sen as the unlikely queen of a drug cartel. As we enter the sixth month of lockdown, it is only fitting to determine which series and direct-to-web releases grabbed maximum eyeballs and dominated the mainstream consciousness.

Refusing to divulge numbers, Shailesh Kapoor, CEO, Ormax Media, reveals that direct-to-web releases, though a recent phenomenon in the Hindi film industry, found an eager audience. "Dil Bechara has been the top film by a wide margin, followed by Gulabo Sitabo, Extraction, Shakuntala Devi and Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl, in that order. These are based on estimates," he says. The results are arrived at basis the social media buzz generated by each offering, its reach and appeal.

Even as Paatal Lok captured the imagination of the country post its May 15 release and Jitendra Kumar sealed his position as an Internet star with the endearing Panchayat, Kapoor reveals that it is, in fact, an espionage thriller that tops the list of the most-watched Indian web series. "Disney+ Hotstar's Special Ops fared the best. Amazon Prime's Paatal Lok comes second, followed by Voot Select's Asur." Amazon Prime's Panchayat and Disney+ Hotstar's Aarya round off the top five shows.

He observes that TV consumption increased by 40 per cent during the lockdown, with viewers tuning in to news on a daily basis. The top five television offerings between April and June, when old shows were being rerun, were Ramayan (Doordarshan), Mahabharat (Doordarshan), Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah (Sony SAB), Mahabharat (Star Plus) and Shri Krishna (DD). "With fresh episodes being aired from July, Kundali Bhagya has become the most-watched show followed by Taarak Mehta..., Anupamaa, The Kapil Sharma Show and India's Best Dancer."

Prashant Singh (HINDUSTAN TIMES; June 10, 2020)

Clearly, gods are reigning supreme during the lockdown. At least, that’s what TV viewing pattern — during the Coronavirus induced shutdown — seems to indicate. So, while reruns of Ramayan and Mahabharat topped the TRP charts at the start of the lockdown [around March-end], the ‘religious reign’ continues even now. As per the latest data by Broadcast Audience Research Channel (BARC), Doordarshan’s Shri Krishna is the most watched TV show for second consecutive week. The top five shows also include Mahima Shanidev Ki, Mahabharat [new version] and Ramayan on various channels.

“To start with, people have been feeling low for the last three months, and so, these classic shows make them feel good, and also give them a sense of emotional strength. Plus, you can watch these shows with the entire family, and there’s a lot of nostalgia involved, too,” says TV producer Shashi Mittal.

Besides reruns of Ramayan and Mahabharat, a number of gods-based shows as Karmaphal Daata Shani, Uttar Ramayan, Paramavatar Shri Krishna, Vighnaharta Ganesh and Mere Sai - Shraddha Aur Saburi among many others have been running successfully on television during the lockdown.

“If you notice the pattern during the lockdown, people have gone back to not just old TV shows but also classic movies. As for out-and-out religious shows, it’s like going to back your comfort food when you are upset or angry about something. The sheer universality, relatability and the joyful nostalgia involved with such shows make people turn to them,” says exhibitor-distributor Akshaye Rathi.

Money-wise, too, mythologicals worked their magic. Apparently, six new TV commercials of a top dairy brand were launched during lockdown with the shows. “For any brand, this was the best time because of great viewership. The investment in Ramayana and Mahabharat was like a lottery. We got 100X back,” R S Sodhi, managing director of the dairy brand has said in an interview.

Lastly, a 47-year-old homemaker, Swati Paliwal puts things in perspective: “Watching religious shows give me a lot of mental peace, and it alleviates my tension during such stressful times. It gives me a feeling that all will be fine.”

Tanvi Trivedi (BOMBAY TIMES; May 20, 2020)

Ramayan and Mahabharat had witnessed unprecedented popularity when they were first aired on Doordarshan in the 80s. The situation was no different when their reruns were aired recently on the national channel during the lockdown. In fact, these shows have now started airing on satellite channels as well.

And, it’s not just Ramayan and Mahabharat. Gauging the audience’s response, many channels have juggled their programming over the last two months to give prominence to mythological shows like Jai Shri Krishna, Vighnaharta Ganesh, Sankatmochan Mahabali Hanuman, Devon Ke Dev Mahadev and Radha Krishna. In fact, channels even stopped airing reruns of some of their family dramas, comedy shows and some reality shows, too. So, what is it that makes the mythological genre the most-watched in these times?

PEOPLE WATCH THESE SHOWS AND TAKE AWAY SOMETHING MEANINGFUL FROM IT EVERYTIME: TV CHANNELS
According to Manisha Sharma, Chief Content Officer of a channel, “Mythological shows have laid the foundation of our television ecosystem and continue to hold prominence in our daily lives. The shows provide a wide scope in terms of the narrative, characters and entertaining plots that strike a chord with the audience. People find immense value in epics as they provide comfort and calmness. In these times, when we are seeking relief and hope, they are proving to be a perfect reminder of the golden times and guiding light for how we wish to lead life from here on. The combination of purpose, nostalgia and the great narrative keeps bringing people back to watch these shows and take away something meaningful from it every time.”

Marketing head of another channel, Arpit Macchar, adds, “Mythological content appeals to viewers very strongly as they connect with these shows at a personal level. Historically, mythological shows, and especially Ramayan has always had a great appeal. We started a rerun of Ramayan (the show that was made in 2008) during the lockdown and soon extended it to one hour a day because of the viewership. Within the first week itself, the slot grew by 45% indicating people’s interest and enthusiasm.”

THESE SHOWS ARE LIKE A CRUTCH THAT PEOPLE CAN HOLD ON TO: PSYCHOLOGISTS
Psychologists, too, agree on the calming effect of these shows. Clinical psychologist Varkha Chulani says, “People have always depended on mythology and various aspects of religion to calm their nerves. This is a time of unprecedented uncertainty, and emotional management is sought in different ways. So, you will see people praying harder than they must have ever done. These shows ask you to trust a higher power. So, there is an element of hope in mythology, and everybody now is clinging to the hope that life will change sooner rather than later. It’s like a crutch that people can hold on to.”

VIEWERS ARE IN NO MOOD TO WATCH SHOWS FOCUSSING ON KITCHEN POLITICS OR UNNECESSARY FIGHTS
Viewers feel that mythological shows give them hope during these trying times. Reena Thakur, a 28-year-old banker, said, “Over the past two months, there has been a change in what we have been viewing on TV. My family is hooked to mythological shows. The technical effects may not be up to date, but that doesn’t matter. Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, most viewers don’t want to watch kitchen politics on daily soaps and unnecessary fights on reality shows.”

For some, these shows are a way to help their children connect with their roots. Sumalini Salian, a homemaker, said, “Earlier, my 10-year-old son knew only Arjun, Bhishm and Bheem from Mahabharat. Now, he knows the entire epics of Ramayan and Mahabharat. Kids these days are into video games and cartoons, so the reruns have helped them understand their roots.”

Tanvi Trivedi (BOMBAY TIMES; May 13, 2020)

The ongoing lockdown has redefined our lives in many ways. It has revamped our TV viewing patterns, too. Over the past few weeks, the concept of ‘prime time’ has undergone a drastic change on Indian television. While prime time (a slot that sees maximum viewership) for GECs used to be from 7 pm to 11 pm in the pre-Coronavirus days, it has taken on a new meaning now. Since almost everyone is home-bound, the small screen enjoys good viewership throughout the day, which means anytime is prime time.

‘SURGE IN VIEWERSHIP IN DIFFERENT TIME BANDS’
B R Chopra’s Mahabharat and Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan, the epic shows of the 80s, are garnering the highest ratings and they are telecast in the morning. Reruns of comedy shows and other daily soaps are aired in the day and at night.

Producer Siddharth Kumar Tewary, whose Mahabharat rerun at 8 pm is also enjoying high ratings, says, “Due to the lockdown, people are consuming content throughout the day. Hence, we are witnessing a surge in viewership in different time bands.”

‘PRIME TIME HAS BECOME FLEXIBLE NOW’
Ashish Golwalkar, Head of Content Sony, Digital Business and SET at Sony Pictures Networks India, adds, “During the lockdown, when everyone is at home, there is no specific time to watch television. Hence, our previous concept of prime time doesn’t hold here.”

Producer Rajan Shahi agrees, “My show Bidaai is now being aired in the afternoon slot and we are hoping that viewers will enjoy it. Currently, prime time is flexible — be it morning, afternoon or evening. The real test will begin when the lockdown ends, and people start following a normal routine.”

‘NEWS VIEWERSHIP HAS SEEN THE MAXIMUM INCREASE DURING THE LOCKDOWN’
The definition of prime time has changed not just for entertainment channels, but also for genres like sports and news. As Vivek Srivastava, President — Strategy and Business Head, English Entertainment Cluster, Times Network, says, “News viewership has seen the maximum increase during the lockdown period. Viewers are keen on fact-based and accurate reportage, and that has resulted in increased viewership. Prime time (8-11 pm) continues to be the most viewed, but we have seen a significant increase in pre-prime (5 pm to 8 pm) and the morning day-parts too.”

Prashant Singh (HINDUSTAN TIMES; May 2, 2020)

It’s a known fact that due to lockdown, various classic TV shows such as Ramayan, Mahabharat and Shaktimaan etc, have got a new lease on life. And as the past hits do well all over again, reportedly, a few actors such as Arun Govil, Dipika Chikhlia (Ram and Sita of Ramayan), Mita Vashisht (featured in Circus) and Pallavi Joshi (starred in Buniyaad), have spoken about how they deserve to get royalty after the successful re-runs of their shows.

Makers, on their part, feel the subject [of royalty] can be discussed but the “timing is probably not right”. “What we are going through is a ‘difficult, adjustment time’ wherein there’s a question of survival. And the same [business] model has been there from the start. Re-runs of shows have been happening forever. It’s all a part of a broadcasters’ long-term investment plan. However, talks about royalty are a healthy sign. But maybe, the timing of monetary benefits talk isn’t right,” says TV producer Sumeet Mittal.

Chikhlia has reportedly said that “money doesn’t harm anybody”, and how Ramayan actors “were [originally] paid peanuts”. While Joshi apparently feels “it should have been introduced long back”, Vashisht says the “industry is not thoughtful in terms of royalties”. TV director-producer Rajan Shahi adds, “If an actor has pointed anything, it must be respected, and discussed with the industry as a whole. It can’t be decided upon in isolation since there are various stakeholders involved.”

Experts feel everything also boils down to the contracts. “Vis-à-vis royalties, it’s all about a contract’s finer details,” says trade analyst Taran Adarsh. Shahi concurs and says, “Yes it all depends on the contract. But don’t forget that makers also take a lot of risk because only two out of 10 shows do well. But there can be a democratic discussion on it.”

Satyajit and Sandip Ray

Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 2, 2020)

March 30, 1992, was a red-letter day as Satyajit Ray became the first Indian filmmaker to be awarded an honorary Oscar for his contribution to the cinematic universe. And the much-coveted award actually travelled to a Kolkata hospital and his bedside because by then, the auteur was too ill to travel to Los Angeles, even though he so desperately wanted to.

“The timing was unfortunate. Baba was slipping in and out of consciousness, barely coherent most of the time. One day, when he was slightly better, Dr Bakshi suggested we take a chance and rush the team, that was already in the city, into the hospital. The ICU is a restricted area, so we kept it quiet, with only a few people present, successfully managing to elude the media. Baba graciously accepted the statuette, calling it the best achievement of his moviemaking career. He had grown up on American films and admitted to having learnt his craft through them. I was close to tears listening to him speak,” reminisces Ray’s filmmaker son, Sandip.

Soon after, the master slipped into a coma, and couldn’t even read the congratulatory telegrams from Audrey Hepburn and Billy Wilder, among others, which Sandip da carried into his hospital room. He didn’t even see the televised show, quietly slipping out of the world on April 23. However, almost three decades later, Satyajit Ray remains unforgettable, the popularity of his films growing with every year, and not just back home.

“Pather Panchali continues to fascinate Americans even though it’s a world apart while Jalsaghar has attained cult status in France despite being a very Indian experience, rooted in Bengal and its now-defunct zamindari culture. It confounded even baba in his lifetime, but I guess it was his humanitarian vision and the simplicity of his story-telling that struck a chord with audiences across the world and made these subjects universal. He never followed trends, yet his films have stood the test of time, and remain relevant,” reasons the younger Ray, who filmed his father’s last screenplay, Uttoran, after his untimely demise. “His dream of turning the dice-playing portion in the Mahabharat into a film however didn’t materialise and nor did The Aliens, with Marlon Brando and Peter Sellers,” Sandipda rues.

However, half a century later, his father’s fantasy adventure comedy, Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne, remains a favourite with children of successive generations, even though the animated psychedelic dance of the ghosts was shot on camera because back in the ’60s, the term VFX was largely unknown. “Baba didn’t even live to see DVDs and VCDs, but was enchanted that a small CD disc could hold an entire symphony,” recounts Sandipda, admitting that one of his biggest regrets is that despite prancing around with Rabi Ghosh and Tapen Chatterjee in Bilaspur and Birbhum, he could not go for the film’s Rajasthan schedule because of school.

He imagines the miracles his father could have worked with computer graphics with a series like Feluda, even though the Indian Holmes, to this day, remains tech-unsavvy. “That’s how his fans want it — that Feluda should know how to use a cell phone but not carry one-and I wouldn’t dare disappoint them,” says Sandip da, who like any Bengali boy, grew up on the adventures of private investigator Prodosh Chandra Mitter, and went on to film his favourite Feluda story Royal Bengal Rahasya. He is happy that children, even today, are reading these short stories and novels, the first of which appeared in the Bengali children’s magazine, Sandesh, in ’65.

Prod him on his favourite Ray films, and apart from the Apu trilogy and the musical Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne , Sandipda lists out his father’s first colour film, Kanchenjungha, which like the mountain range takes on new interpretations with every viewing, his last film, the sublime, deeply personal Agantuk, along with the multilayered Aranyer Din Ratri and Jana Aranya. “Of course, like baba often said, Charulata was his least flawed film, a jigsaw puzzle where every piece fit beautifully and perfectly,” says Sandip da, and you can almost imagine him smiling in his Kolkata home.

Today, Ray’s birth centenary year kicks off. It comes at a time when the Coronavirus pandemic has locked us in our homes, slowed down our lives and made us think and reflect on concerns like environment and public health. A time when a film like Ganashatru, made way back in 1990, still seems so topical. “Baba was struggling with health problems at the time, having suffered a heart attack and undergone a bypass surgery. When he was finally allowed to get back to making movies, the doctor insisted he shoot only indoors. Disappointed, because he loved the great outdoors, baba zeroed in on his favourite Henrik Ibsen play, An Enemy Of The People, which he believed could be transplanted to an Indian setting and contemporised. Today, it’s alarming how he could forsee the future, three decades ago,” Sandipda marvels.

That’s the magic of Satyajit Ray, a man who saw tomorrow, whose films, a 100 years from now, will continue to speak to us.

OTT PLATFORMS, TELEVISION WITNESS A SPIKE IN VIEWERSHIP

Film is a powerful medium and is widely consumed by people across the country. A major chunk of this population regularly watches movies in cinemas. Sadly, theatres have been shut since more than a month due to lockdown and amid rising Coronavirus cases. Most of the people are locked up in their homes and to tide over their boredom, they have started watching more of television and OTT. As a result, their ratings have increased substantially.

Talking of television, the shoots have come to a halt because of obvious reasons. The channels have therefore started to air old episodes of popular daily soaps. Yet, they are getting good viewership. Meanwhile, a masterstroke was pulled off with the decision to have the re-run of successful mythological shows like Ramayan and Mahabharat. These were aired on Doordarshan, just the way it was done in the late 80s. The response was mind-blowing. Doordarshan emerged as one of the top channels in terms of viewership, which has not happened in a long time. Their other shows like Buniyaad, Shrimaan Shrimati etc too have made a comeback and have been lapped up.

Meanwhile, the movie screenings too have recorded an increase in viewings. Last year’s biggest hit War had its television premiere during lockdown and got a huge 2 crore impressions approx, one of the highest ever. The other films like Housefull 4, Total Dhamaal, Pati Patni Aur Woh etc too are doing very well, more so because of the lockdown.

As for OTT, it too has taken advantage. The subscribers of almost all streaming platforms have increased. Some popular series released new seasons of their shows like Money Heist, Four More Shots Please etc and the response has been very encouraging. Also, viewers have been discovering many more shows and movies which they previously missed because of lack of time. Amusingly, a 2011 film, titled Contagion, became one of the most watched films worldwide. It tells the story of a disease that goes out of control and is eerily similar to the current Coronavirus pandemic.

The lockdown or rather the restrictions are expected to go on till a long time. And if you feel, OTT and TV channels will continue to benefit, then you might be mistaken. There’s a fear that viewers will soon reach a saturation point and might move away from these mediums. At a webinar recently, a speaker remarked that many have consumed the material that they would have otherwise consumed in 3 years in just 3 months! Also, OTT platforms, after a point, won’t have anything new to offer as their productions have halted as well. So a few months down the line, they too will feel the pinch as they’ll struggle to bring out new content. There’s similar fear about re-runs of TV shows as well.

Ultimately, the hope is that the curve gets flattened soon and things get back to normal.

After airing for around three weeks, the show has been replaced by Dance Deewane Season 1
Tanvi Trivedi (BOMBAY TIMES; April 15, 2020)

Most TV channels are currently airing reruns of their old hit shows because of the Coronavirus lockdown. Given the immense popularity that the recently-concluded Bigg Boss 13 enjoyed, it was naturally chosen for a repeat telecast. While the makers were confident about garnering good ratings yet again, that was not to be. The show, which started airing from March 23 in the 10 pm slot, was abruptly discontinued from April 13. It has now been replaced by Dance Deewane Season 1.

A source said, “Bigg Boss 13 had enjoyed massive viewership a few months ago and hence was brought back, but things haven’t been the same this time around. Viewers’ preferences keep changing and given the current situation, the channel would like to understand what the audiences want to watch. They aired Bigg Boss as an experiment and the coming weeks will see many old shows returning, including Balika Vadhu.”

Meanwhile, BT also spoke to some viewers about why Bigg Boss 13 hasn’t worked for them this time around. Shalini Sen, an advertising professional, said, “The show is about a bunch of contestants locked up inside a house. While it is entertaining otherwise, it’s not an ideal watch during the lockdown. The contestants somehow remind you of your own situation.”

Rita D’Souza, a banker, agrees. “The entire country is in a sombre mood now. A show like Bigg Boss has a lot of intense and emotional moments, and given the current situation, I prefer watching light-hearted dance or music reality shows instead.”

Mahesh Duggal, a businessman, says, “These days, I like watching Ramayan and Mahabharat. We are all in a different state of mind right now.”

The actor talks about the controversy over his recent comments about Sonakshi Sinha’s knowledge of Ramayan
Tanvi Trivedi (BOMBAY TIMES; April 14, 2020)

Senior actor Mukesh Khanna recently took a dig at Sonakshi Sinha, saying that the rerun of Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan on TV would help young people like her, who lacked knowledge about the epic. The comment was triggered by an episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati last year, where Sonakshi didn’t know the answer to a question on Ramayan. Mukesh, who had played Bhishma Pitamah in BR Chopra’s 80s’ iconic TV show, Mahabharat, also lashed out at Ekta Kapoor for making a ‘modernised’ version of the epic on TV. BT questioned him about his controversial statements and here’s what he had to say. Read on...

After your comment on Sonakshi, her father Shatrughan Sinha, without naming you, questioned why is ‘someone’ trying to be the ‘guardian of Hindu religion’...
People have blown my comment out of proportion. I have known Shatruji for long and have immense respect for him. I took Sonakshi’s name as a mere example. It does not mean I was trying to demean her or question her knowledge. However, I am shocked to see how the current generation is not aware of many things. I am not claiming to be the guardian of Ramayan and Hindu literature, but as a citizen of India, I do feel that it is our duty to introduce our literature and history to today’s generation because they are more interested in TikTok and Harry Potter. Once again, if Shatruji feels that taking Sonakshi’s name was a mistake, then yes, it is. But, it was not intentional.

Nitish Bharadwaj has also lashed out at your comments, saying ‘Seniors seem worthy of respect, if they walk the path of empathy’ towards the younger generation. Your take?
Should I not say anything just because today’s generation will stop respecting me? I have never minced words and have always been honest about my thoughts, but Nitish Bharadwaj is diplomatic. He has also said that the current generation will never know about Ramayan and Mahabharat because our school textbooks don’t have any chapters on the epics. Well, there are no chapters on Harry Potter either, but the young generation knows about it. When we were growing up, our textbooks didn’t have chapters on the epics, but our parents introduced us to them.

Puneet Issar, too, has condemned your comments and feels that as you age, you should show some grace...
Puneet is just trying to promote his play, which glorifies Duryodhan. He feels that it is his interpretation of Mahabharat and Duryodhan’s character. He also feels that Ekta Kapoor’s Mahabharat was her interpretation of the epic. Well, Ekta’s Mahabharat looked like Greeks were playing Hindustanis. I do have the right to say that these versions are not based on the original, and they should watch the reruns of Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan and B R Chopra’s Mahabharat.