KOLKATA: At a time when reality shows are seen as the stepping stone to reach the big screen, Sarthak TV from the Odisha-based Sarthak Entertainment Group is providing an opportunity to young girls with big aspirations.

Come 18 August, the channel will start shooting a reality show Mu Bi Heroine Hebi (I can be a heroine) which will see girls in the age group of 16 to 28 years, competing to make a mark on the silver screen.

The channel claims that Mu Bi Heroine Hebi is a one-of-its-kind show that has never been attempted before either in the Odiya or the Hindi industry. “We are now going ahead with this unique and first of its kind reality show. As of now the audition dates have been fixed between 18 and 21 August at Bhubaneswar,” says Sarthak Entertainment Group marketing manager Debi Prasad Padhi. Cuttack, Rourkela and Brahmapur are other tentative locations. Ads were published in the newspaper, TV promos were shown and social media marketing was implemented to create awareness about the auditions.

Three male leads of Sarthak Entertainment Group’s next film Raghupati Raghava Rajaram, Siddhanta Mahapatra, Debasis and Pupinder will tour the state of Odisha in search of their respective heroines. “The release date of the film is scheduled for 1 January 2015. The film will be shot and edited in three months,” informs 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.

The first few episodes of the 20-episode series will be shot at six outdoor locations across the state, moving to a set only to select the three final contestants. The show will be aired Monday to Friday at 9pm,

To protect the show’s IP, Sarthak TV has copyrighted it by Kolkata Trademarks on 15 January 2014. The channel fears that others may copy the idea to get higher ratings. “We are, however, confident that we will gain our desired objective and this copying attitude of competition will in no way deter us,” he further adds.

Each episode of Mu Bi Heroine Hebi is estimated to cost around Rs 3 lakh with a total spend of approximately Rs 60 lakh.

“We are expecting a TRP of 4+ in CS4+ TG and targeted advertising rates are Rs 10000 per 10 seconds,” says Padhi. ITC Vivel has evinced interest in becoming the presenting sponsor and others will follow suit, the channel is hopeful.

A media expert says that the strategy of getting young aspiring girls to participate is a good way to connect with the masses.

In four years since its inception, Sarthak TV has launched Odiya mega serials along with reality shows like Rajo Queen, Gruha Laxmi and many more to appeal to the tastes of Odiya viewers.