KOLKATA: Sarthak TV from the Odisha-based Sarthak Entertainment Group has two aces up its sleeve in terms of reality shows this season.
One - Mu be Heroine Hebi, will be aired August or September onwards, while dates of the other – Sadhaba Pua hasn’t been finalized yet.
According to Sarthak Entertainment Group marketing manager Debi Prasad Padhi, Mu Be Heroine Hebi is a one-of-its-kind show that has never been attempted before either in the Odiya or the Hindi industry. It is meant to be a stepping stone for actresses aspiring to make a mark on the silver screen. Whereas, Sadhaba Pua is a reality show for men. “The new reality shows apart from season 2 of the existing ones will give the industry a turnaround in Odisha as they will be the first of its kind,” said Padhi.
For Mu Be Heroine Hebi, it is likely that the three male leads of Sarthak Entertainment Group’s next film, Raghupati Raghava Rajaram - MP and megastar Siddhanta Mahapatra, Sabyasachi and Akash DasNayak - may tour the state of Odisha in search of their respective heroines.
“The name of the movie is decided and the release date is scheduled for 1 January 2015. The film will be shot and edited in three months,” informed Padhi.
The actors will select 12 girls from across the state based on various criteria while leading filmmakers will then pare down the list to three. “These three girls will play the female leads opposite the three male leads in the film. This time, we’ve decided to give a mega block buster so we are doing this combo of finding heroines... as well as giving a chance to new talent,” said Padhi. “Everyone will be raving about this show. We believe that no national channel has done this till date.”
The first couple of episodes of the 20-episode show will be shot at six outdoor locations across Odisha. The following episodes where the final three contestants have to be selected will be shot indoors. Each episode of Mu Be Heroine Hebi is estimated to cost around Rs 3 lakh with a total spend of approximately Rs 60 lakh.
The media house is said to be looking at buying production houses like ‘One plus One’ of Kolkata and ‘Asian Shopping Club’ of Odisha but nothing has been finalized yet. “In a week or so, we will finalize the production unit,” he added. “We are expecting a TRP of 4+ in CS4+ TG and targeted advertising rates are Rs 10,000 per 10 seconds.” ITC Vivel has evinced interest in becoming the presenting sponsor and others will follow suit.
When contacted, an Odisha media expert said, “Name anything from mileage to reach, brand enhancement, brand recall….such shows give superb mileage.”
He went on to comment, “Simple girls participating in the reality show and then becoming lead heroines for the movie is a strategy of Sarthak TV to connect with the masses. Innovators win, others can’t survive.”
On channel viewership, Padhi said Sarthak TV had Odiya viewers in other parts of the country as well as outside India.
In four years since its inception, Sarthak TV has launched three Odiya mega serials along with reality shows like ‘Rajo Queen’, ‘Gruha Laxmi’ and many more to appeal to the tastes of Odiya viewers.
