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She didn't take it kindly when Sony Entertainment Television poached Balaji's successful creative director Sandip Sikcand. Neither did she forgive Sandip, the man behind several successful Balaji shows, for quitting her production company for a plum job as Sony's senior creative director. So cut up was Ekta with Sony that she did not even pay heed to Sony's request for a serial to replace her own show Kaisa Yeh Pyaar Hai that wound up about a year ago. With Ekta not responding to their request Sony sourced Kaajjal from K Sera Sera to fill the vacant slot. The Sony-Balaji relations hit such a low that the channel had to rely on other production companies to provide prime time shows.

In fact, ever since Sony lost its no. 2 slot among the general entertainment channels to Zee in early 2006, in the last one and half years Sony's weekday prime time fiction has performed poorly on TRP charts. While the reality genre did well on Sony, prime time fiction that brings the eyeballs and revenue continued to struggle for decent viewership. To make matters worse, Sandip's alleged attempts to poach on Balaji actors with lucrative contracts also didn't go down well with Ekta. She not only ignored Sony but also rubbed her hands in delight at Sony's plight. Sony realised that the precarious state of its prime time fiction band cannot be resurrected without Balaji shows which are still ruling the roost on satellite television's prime time.

Finally, according to sources in Sony and Balaji, the channel's top management decided to step in and talks began at the highest level to thrash out differences. Ekta offered Sony Khwaish and Sony agreed to buy the show though it is already being telecast on ARY Digital channel in Dubai and other Middle East countries. The show which is a couple of episodes old is a family drama based in two NRI Muslim families. Shot in Dubai with Middle East and two Indian actors — Anju Mahendroo and Sumit Sachdev — Khwaish is the story of a middle class girl Aafrein and rich and handsome boy Kabir Khan. The show will go on air in mid-July.

Talking about Khwaish, Sony's business head Albert Almedia says, "It has a huge canvas and universal appeal. We see a lot of value in it and since we have got it at a decent price it's a good show to build our evening 7.30 slot," says Albert. Commenting on Sony-Balaji relationship, Albert says the relationship was always intact. "There was a time when we didn't have a single Balaji show though we have always been in a dialogue with each other and talking about concepts and content. Balaji never stopped pitching concepts at Sony and we are glad that after not having a Balaji show for some time we have found a good show in Khwaish. This is the sign of new options and opportunities opening for both Sony and Balaji." So finally is it peace between Sony and Balaji? Albert says there was no war at all. "There are times when you don't shake hands for certain concepts and there are times when you shake hands. It's all part of business and life," he adds.

Deccan Chronicle

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