BENGALURU: Malayalam channel Amrita TV will start airing a weekly family chat show Malayali Durbar (MD) every Saturday during the primetime slot of 8-9 pm starting 12 July. The show will focus on family and social issues. MD replaces the reality show Super Star Junior (SSJ).
Amrita TV chief creative head Shyamaprasad said to www.indiantelevision.com, “Malayali Durbar must ideally be called a debate-show, instead of a typical talk-show, as this fun-filled programme uniquely stays clear of the usual expert jargons and the chaotic and numerous viewpoints presented on a typical talk-show. Here, an issue which has a relevance to every family, is debated with two sides clearly de-marked, eliciting laughter and plain speak. The show presents a high energy, super-focused tussle between two opposing viewpoints, deftly steered by the inimitable comedian Maniyan Pilla Raju.”
MD will be hosted by Mollywood actor and producer Maniyan Pillai Raju. Joining him on the show will be celebrity couples; along with real life parents, spouses, children, siblings who could be expressing their views on a wide range of subjects that plague Kerala society in particular, and Indian families in general.
According to the channel, some of the topics that could be discussed include -How do mothers deal with the aspirations of their teenage daughters when they come into conflict with their own beliefs? Which are the areas and what are the degrees to which working spouses should agree with each other’s judgments on matters? Is the growing extravagance on weddings a necessary evil in today's social fabric? A post mortem of a divorce, 10 years later—do things look different in retrospect for the parted spouses?
The channel says that the format of the show envisages formation of opinion groups, where the male celebrity may team up with the husbands, while the female celebrity joins hands with the wives. Or a celebrity mother may join forces with the mothers in the show, whereas the daughter of the celebrity will become a votary for the youth in the show. The host will use his dexterity and experience in navigating the issue at hand to a judicious conclusion.
MD is produced by Supa Sudhakaran, who has been with Amrita TV since its inception in 2005, and has produced and directed independently four shows ranging from a reality show on citizen journalism viz Amrita TV’s Best Citizen Journalist to the currently running social justice real-life show on prime time, Kathayalla Ithu Jeevitham.
The channel is in talks with sponsors for the show and will be announcing the title sponsor soon revealed a source at Amrita TV. Advertisers on SSJ included Chungath Jewellery, Britannia Nutrichoice, Lamiya, Santoor and Pooja Bumper Lottery. The channel is confident of bringing them along with other brands on board for MD.
