2013 - Shows to look forward to in Indian television

Entertainment can never cease on Indian television. And with the arrival of the year 2013, television buffs can now gear up for some brand new programming in all the top GECs. So what’s in store for the first quarter of 2013? Tellychakkar.com gives you a glance into the future. Let’s begin with Star Plus, the #1 channel across all GECs. Sherdill Shergill, a family drama coming from the stables of DJ’s A Creative Unit will be the first launch on the channel in the New Year. The promos of the show are presently on air, and the launch date is believed to be announced very soon. The show will depict the tale of generations and the way parenting plays a major role in the nurturing of the younger lots. Next, we come to the much-talked about show SaraswatiChandra produced by the ace director and producer of Bollywood, Sanjay Leela Bhansali. The unit as we know has already shot a schedule in Dubai and the shoot in Mumbai has finally commenced. After seeing a delay in finalizing the female protagonist, this show seems to be finally on track for a February launch. Jennifer Winget will make a comeback to fiction with this show, while Gautam Rode who is presently anchoring Star Plus’ Nach Baliye 5 will be the male lead. The show is based on the popular Gujarati novel of the same name. Ekta Kapoor is back on Star Plus after Tere Liye. And the Czarina of television is now making a fiction show which is loosely based on Manju Kapur’s novel Custody which talks about the story of a married woman who leaves her husband and children to be with another man. The story will take a major turn when a serious legal battle happens for the custody of the kids. Though the cast for the show has not been finalized yet, there are reports about Anupriya Kapoor being approached to play the female lead. For the male lead, big names like Harshad Chopda and Iqbal Khan are making rounds. Swastik Pictures’ Mahabharat seems to be finally happening, and the channel and production house we believe, are working extensively on this big ticket project. While this is the impressive line-up in terms of fiction, Master Chef India 3 will be the next big-ticket non-fiction launch for Star this year. It is believed that celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor has been roped in as judge. The channel also has plans of coming up with Junior Master Chef once the seniors culinary tussle ends. Moving to Colors, the next big launches in fiction are Sanskaar..Dharohar Apnon Ki produced by Swapna Waghmare Joshi is scheduled to take off this month. This is a tale which will give preference to the family values in people living in India as well as ‘pardes’.. Featuring heartthrob Jay Soni and Yashashri Masurkar, this show is expected to have a great opening. Next comes Sunshine Productions’ return to Colors with a Season 2 of the popular show Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha. The channel strongly believes that the show deserved a Season 2 after doing decently well in a non-prime time slot in its first season. Now placed at the prime time slot, all eyes are on Na Bole… yet again. Writer Damini Shetty is apparently entering the production zone and is planning a fiction show for Colors. Though nothing has been written about it in media till now, we hear that the show is tentatively titled Sanjha Chulha. In addition to this, Colors will attempt to show theatrical comedy on TV with their upcoming weekend show Nautanki. Colors has an equally strong non-fiction lineup with Anil Kapoor’s remake of the American series 24 lined up for a launch this summer. Also, Endemol India’s highly successful adventure series Khatron Ke Khiladi is said to spread its wings at some point of time this year. We now move to the promising shows that Zee TV has for the viewers. Ekta Kapoor’s nation-wide search to bring alive the historical love story of Jodha Akbar is apparently still on. Though reports say that Rajat Tokas and Paridhi Sharma might be close to bagging the coveted roles, there is no said movement when it comes to the show. DJ’s A Creative Unit are working on a family drama tentatively titled Kamla Bai for Zee TV which apparently has Bollywood face Shilpa Shirodkar as the lead. Ravi Ojha Productions, makers of the trend setter Sasural Genda Phool, are now remaking their Zee Bangla hit show, Khela into Hindi. This apparently will be the comeback vehicle of television beauty Sanjeeda Sheikh. Nandita Mehra and Bhairavi Raichura’s 24 Frames debuted as Producers with the thriller Chhal Sheh Aur Maat on Colors. And now they plan to bring to focus a show on extra-marital relationships for Zee TV. Sony Entertainment Television has the refreshing tale of Amita Ka Amit, produced by Swastik Pictures ready for launch. The tale is about a simple girl-next door girl Amita who is looking for her ‘Mr. Perfect’. Shashi-Sumeet Mittal Productions Pvt. Ltd’s much-awaited adaptation of ‘The Beauty and the Beast’ featuring Saumya Seth, Abhishek Malik and Rohit Khurana waits in the wings for a prime slot. Sony will be back with its new seasons of Kaun Banega Crorepati with Amitabh Bachchan taking centre stage as host yet again. Indian Idol the singing talent show will also return. Life OK has Savitri (earlier to be produced by Film Farm but taken over by Shabbir Ahluwalia’s Flying Turtle Films) featuring Angad Hasija, Yash Pandit and Ridhi Dogra ready for launch. Also, their weekend programming will get an addition soon with Shakuntalam Telefilms’ Rakshak launching. As part of the daily line-up, the channel takes a bold move of introducing a non-fiction cookery based show Welcome: Baazi Mehmaan-Nawaazi Ki which will be celebrity-studded. Devki, Endemol India’s family drama has Divyanka Tripathi and Mrunal Jain as leads, but the latest information we have got is that the show sees a further delay. SAB TV, the very popular comedy entertainment channel has Tota Weds Maina featuring Kavita Kaushik and Gaurav Gera as leads. Aso, the interesting concept Hum Aapke Hain In-Laws, with Karan V. Grover and Pooja Pihal as leads will take centre stage soon. Viewers, you have a varied collection of shows knocking at your doors. Take your pick and have a happy viewing this year..