MUMBAI: Sukesh Motwani, the programming head for fiction at Zee TV, has decided to move on.

"I have resigned. I will be taking a break before moving to my next venture," Motwani told Indiantelevision.com

Earlier in September 2012, Zee TV non-fiction programming head Ashish Golwalkar had quit to hold a similar position at Star Plus. He has yet not been replaced at Zee TV. Both Golwalkar and Motwani used to report to Zee TV programming head Ajay Bhalwankar.

Motwani, who was behind successful shows such as Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya Hi Kijo, Chhoti Bahu and Jhansi Ki Rani, had joined Zee in June 2007 to head content at Zee Next. But Zee?s experiment with a second Hindi general entertainment channel failed and it closed down.

He moved to Zee TV in August 2008 as creative director. In October 2009, he finally settled down as Zee TV?s programming head for fiction.

Prior to joining Zee Network, Motwani has worked with companies like Nimbus and UTV.

MUMBAI: Zee TV is launching a Muslim social drama for the first time to take on the 9.30 pm time slot.

Titled ?Qubool Hai?, the daily show will air from 29 October between Mondays to Fridays.

The show is replacing ?Phir Subah Hogi? which will now air at 11 pm slot. With this, the channel is extending its prime time offering till 11.30 pm.

?Qubool Hai? explores the lives of three individuals Zoya, Ayan and Asad who are very different from each other and yet their lives are entwined by the threads of destiny. The show is an attempt to remove certain misconceptions that people have about Muslim culture.

?Qubool Hai? is being produced by Four Lions Production.

Set in a Muslim milieu, ?Qubool Hai? is a family saga that will cut across generations. It is a story of a culture which is so rich and yet misunderstood the most. The show reveals the fine distinction between modernity and traditionalism. The show is going to be very atypical of the archaic and old school thinking.

"The manner in which Zoya embraces the codes of her culture and yet does not get tied down by the extremities that the society imposes will surely make her unique and very relatable to the audiences. To ensure that we use Pavitra Rishta?s leadership position, we have placed Qubool Hai at a 9.30 pm slot and created an alternate slot for Phir Subah Hogi at 11pm," Zee TV fiction head Sukesh Motwani said.

The marketing campaign around Qubool Hai will launch around Eid and will aim at changing the perception of Muslim women in contemporary times through the eyes of Zoya (the lead character).

The show is also being promoted heavily on digital. The channel has developed a focused IVR platform for the viewers to have a personal dialogue with Zoya who shall help them solve their problems in her inimitable style. The focus of the campaign has also been to highlight Zoya?s modern sense of fashion and style.

MUMBAI: Taking a cue from Star Plus, Zee TV is now gearing up to offer original content in the Sunday morning slot.

Starting 12 August, Zee TV will air mythological - Ramayan every Sunday at 11 am.

Ramayan, produced by Sagar Arts, will directly compete with Star Plus? Lakhon Mein Ek, which is being launched on 5 August in the same time slot.

Zee TV wants to reach out to the young viewers who had not watched the Ramanand Sagar-produced Ramayan aired decades ago. It also aims to foster family viewing of television programmes.

Interestingly, this is for the fourth time that Ramayan will be aired on television and second time on Zee TV. After its epic run on DD, Zee TV tried with a remake of Ramayan with BR Chopra. However that did not work well with the audiences then.

Later, in 2008, Imagine TV (then NDTV imagine) was launched with Ramayan as one of its flagship primetime properties.

Ramayan and Lakhon Mein Ek will be the only original shows to air in the Sunday morning slots on Hindi GECs. Lakhon Mein Ek will replace Aamir Khan?s Satyamev Jayate, which highlighted social issues ranging from corrupt doctors to female foeticide. The last episode of Satyamev Jayate was aired on 29 July.

Earlier, Colors had launched All Is Well with Dr. Ahluwalia for Sundays but had failed to attract viewers. This programme was aired at 12.30 pm every Sunday.

Zee TV head-fiction programming Sukesh Motwani said, "As a story, Ramayan is timeless and will never lose its relevance. It is rich in the core values, ideals and principles that form the crux of the Indian culture and upbringing."

"We have roped in the only team in India truly equipped for the task, the Sagars. Ramanandji (Sagar) did it brilliantly once. Moti ji and Minakshi, who have inherited Ramayan as a part of their core DNA, are all set to recreate the classic," Motwani added.

It is learnt that Colors will launch a mythological programme based on Goddess Durga, which is also being produced by Sagar Arts. However, the launch date and time slot is not known.

Jai Jai Jai Bajrangbali (Sahara One) and Devon Ke Dev... Mahadev (Life OK) are the other mythological shows currently running on Hindi GECs.

MUMBAI: Zee TV, the flagship Hindi general entertainment channel (GEC) from Zee Entertainment Enterprises (Zeel) stable, is gearing up to launch a new fiction show, Rab Se Sona Ishq.

The show will go on-air on 16 July, though the channel has not finalised the time slot yet.

It is being produced by Jay Mehtaa Productions who have earlier associated with Zee TV to produce Sindoor.

Rab Se Sona Ishq is a coss-continental love story aimed at today?s "global" Indian.

The show is filmed in picturesque interiors of Punjab and will be shot in London over the next three months.

Zee TV head - fiction programming Sukesh Motwani said, "Its first-of-its-kind cross-continental love story on Indian television. It?s a story about people?s dreams and convictions and how they chase them. The canvas of this love story is expansive and our treatment of the show will be nothing short of grand."

Mehtaa added, "You will be able to appreciate the sheer effort and our minute attention to detail only once you see the episodes. To capture the essence of rural Punjab and retain the authenticity in its depiction, we?ve had a 25 day rigorous outdoor schedule in villages near Chandigarh and Patiala such as Nabha, Baroli, Banur, Majri and Basi Pathana. We have stunning visuals of our leads in Punjab."

The show?s soundtrack is the four new songs composed and recorded for it. The soundtrack also recreates some of the most beautiful Sufi compositions of Bulleh Shah, Reshma and Abida Parveen. Additionally, the show will feature a rock band wandering through the streets, performing songs pertinent to the situations developing on the show.

Rab Se Sona Isshq is story of Saahiba (played by Ekta Kaul), who deserted by the man of her dreams on the day of their wedding, follows her heart and chases him across continents. Her journey of hope rests on her conviction that their love is real and will last forever. The show also captures the "larger-than-life" illusions and tells the story of starry-eyed migrant Indians who land up in London with a million dreams, the channel said.

Mumbai: Hindi general entertainment channel Zee TV will launch a new fiction property, Punar Vivah, on 20 February.

Produced by Shashi-Sumeet Mittal, the show captures the journey of a man and a woman, who, having faced a debacle in their first attempts at marriage, are brave enough to give life a second chance.

The show delves into the dynamics of remarriage, showcasing the trials and tribulations that are a part of readjusting to a second life partner.

The show will air Monday-Friday at 10.30 pm slot. It will be replacing Bhagonwali - Baante Apni Taqdeer that goes off-air on 17 February.

Zee TV head- fiction programming Sukesh Motwani said, "In keeping with Zee TV?s recently launched brand positioning of ?Umeed Se Saje Zindagi?, we are proud to present a new show that resonates well with the spirit of enduring hope.

"Punar Vivah is all about being brave, giving life a second chance and making new beginnings in search of love and happiness. The treatment of the show is positive, progressive and mature. It?s not a preachy show that aims to propagate remarriage or drive in a serious, social message. It?s an intelligent, sensitive look at all that two people go through in readjusting to a new partner after already being used to the ways of one. It is as much about how their children cope with the upheaval."

At present, Sony Entertainment Television?s fiction show Bade Achhe Lagte Hain is leading the 10.30 pm slot on weekdays.

Motwani added, "There have been many good shows that have run well on different channels in the same time slot. Pavitra Rishta and Bidaai have run simultaneously at 9 pm slot and both were loved by the audience. So, it depends on the show?s concept. If it?s good and will interest audience, they will come along."

The channel plans to launch Punar Vivah with an aggressive, interactive marketing campaign that will stir up discussions amongst the viewers about the issue of remarriage through a judicious mix of outdoor, print and electronic media.

Gurmeet Chaudhary and Kratika Sengar are the male and female protagonists in the show.

MUMBAI: Hindi general entertainment channel Zee TV is launching a new fiction show Afsar Bitiya on 19 December.

The show will throw light on the importance of female education and issues surrounding their education. It will air Monday-Friday at 7 pm.

Zee TV fiction head Sukesh Motwani said, "Afsar Bitiya is a story of a girl who makes a mark in her life and becomes someone to reckon in the society only through sheer hard work and dedication towards studies. I hope audiences will be inspired and inculcate the zest to study and become ?someone? whom others will want to emulate. Zee TV has a longstanding commitment of addressing social concerns." 

Afsar Bitiya is produced by Rakesh Paswan under the banner Village Boy Productions.

The channel has lined up extensive BTL activities across many schools and colleges in India to spread the message of female education and women empowerment.