MUMBAI: Colors is all set to kick off the second season of Anil Kapoor and Ramesh Deo Productions 24 after a two-year hiatus. Keeping the action going, the channel has roped in Maruti Suzuki’s S- Cross as the presenting sponsor for 24: Season 2. It replaces Tata Motors, which was the title sponsor in 2013. Estimates are that Maruti has agreed to ante up close to Rs 23 crore for the title sponsorship. The channel’s sales team is also in conversation with agencies and brands to come on as powered by and associate sponsors.
Like in its first season, the Indian adaptation of the US series 24 is being co-produced by Anil Kapoor Film Co and Ramesh Deo Productions and directed by Abhinay Deo & Rensil D’Silva. Filming is slated to commence from 1 November, most of it in India, with parts of the show being shot overseas.
Colors CEO Raj Nayak is quite happy about the Maruti Suzuki S-Cross association. Says he: “Maruti has been with us for many years now. We have associated with them in our other shows including India’s Got Talent, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa and IIFA Awards. Also we wanted to have an association with an automobile firm which has a variety of vehicles because the show format demands that and Maruti Suzuki fits that bill. Additionally, we have a clause with Kapoor as he endorsing S-Cross for all practical purposes on Indian television for months now.”
Maruti Suzuki executive director R S Kalsi too is pretty satisfied with partnering with Colors. Says he: “It’s all about the trust and faith we have with the channel. Colors have always delivered more than what they promise. S-Cross is a premium offering from Maruti Suzuki. The target audience that 24 caters to and its genre allows us to draw synergies between the brands of S-Cross, 24 and Colors. 24: Season 2 is the perfect platform for us to integrate and showcase the premium crossover S-Cross to consumers while strengthening our expanded brand reach.”
Colors launched the first poster of the show on 20 October in Mumbai and it features an intense Anil Kapoor sporting a rugged look raising the intrigue levels about Jai Singh Rathod’s challenges in season 2. While season one saw Anti Terrorist Unit (ATU) chief had Rathod saving a Prime Ministerial candidate from being assassinated, in Season 2, audience will see him taking the bigger responsibility of saving the nation.
The first season of 24 aired Friday-Saturday at 10 pm. Nayak told Indiantelevision.com that the “time slot is something which we haven’t decided yet. 24 is a very expensive show so we have to put it in the prime time slot. As we are the number one channel therefore slotting is a huge problem but our team is working on it. Based on the research of last year’s time band we will come back with the slot that grabs more eye balls.”
Like in season one, a video game based on the show is being planned to be introduced before the first telecast.
Nayak is cock-a-hoop with delight that 24, a show he invested in a couple of years ago, is making waves globally. Says he: “At Mipcom in Cannes this year for the first time we saw people from international industry talking about 24. All international format owners wanted to meet us and it has never happened before and it only happened because of 24. People are aware that in India we are one of the biggest buyers of the international format and we spend money on our non – fictions shows. It’s only after 24 there is feeling of different respect that we have received.”
