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The show has ended here and now! And yet, the show must go on!
That is the sentiment that seems to prevail here today. The kind of love and loyalty this show commands leaves me stunned. Truly blessed are the show and its creatives, the channel and the actors! A big thank you to each and everyone associated with the show for daring to be different, for actually trying to make an effort to be different while most others revelled in the familiarity of their comfort zones!
As Season 1 draws to a close, I am sure the channel, the PH and everyone associated with the show will be looking for lessons from this experience. Thought to add my two cents worth!
I recall Sneha Rajani's comment that KTLK was a cult show that they were proud to host. The actors too indicated that it was a matter of privilege to be associated with the show, market ratings notwithstanding!
The channel did not run this show for TRPs. No denying that! And yet, there is such a thing as sustainability, You can't run on empty forever.
If we were to try and learn from past mistakes here, I would not lay the blame on content alone though. As the recent ratings indicate, the channel also needs to rework its strategies, given that none of their fiction shows are doing well. So, poor content is not the sole challenge!
It is my belief that there is an audience out there that is ever willing to lap up quality entertainment. an audience that is tired of the regressive rubbish that most tele-soaps offer. It is this audience that embraced a show like this when it first began. Granted, it may not have raked in the kind of TRPs that populist shows do. However, in my opinion, it is not even fair to compare a concept driven show like KTLK to a Diya aur Baati or a Balika Vadhu. KTLK was launched as a niche show meant for an urban audience. The show was positioned that way from an audience perspective and logically, must have been marketed that way to the sponsors too. Hence, premature knee jerk response to lack of TRPs and efforts to shift creative strategies thereafter should never have happened. If you want to position your channel as one meant for a primarily urban audience, you should have the staying power to hold on. I know it is easy for us to sit here and say all this. They are the ones burning theirs fingers. And yet, when has breaking a mould ever been easy? Change always come with a price. Unless you are willing to pay that price, you should not attempt to change.
This show had a niche concept that was never going to appeal to the saas-bahu crowd. Why make an effort to woo them then? Why not reward the niche audience that came your way hoping that you would deliver on the promise of quality entertainment? Why not aggressively promote the show, spread the net wider and attract more of the niche audience to watch your show? All they had to do was keep faith in their concept and reach out to more of that audience, instead of trying to change creative tack midway!
This show had so much potential! It still does! It is my sincere hope and prayer that the channel and the makers recognize their intrinsic strengths and play to them!
I am sure there are MBAs in their marketing team. I hope they do a SWOT analysis before they venture into a Season 2. I hope they go back to the core audience for feedback.
I know there are a lot of efforts being made to get a Season 2. I have observed the efforts of another forum where the loyal fans made a similar effort. Unfortunately things did not fructify for them because the actors were not in favour of the move. I think KTLK fans are at an advantage here. The lead actors do not appear averse to the idea.
Believe me, they were a crazy bunch of fans. They actually did a SWOT analysis themselves, collected audience feedback, worked the social and mainstream media, undertook publicity campaigns even for the show. I think Tanu will be able to shed more light on all this since she was part of that forum too. Some of their strategies were very effective and are worthy of replication.
I know people have an intense dislike for KPji out here. Nevertheless, he did have a very valid point to make. He asked me how I expected creatives to churn out quality stuff when it was regressive crap that was grabbing the eyeballs. No denying that there is some truth in what he said. I am not saying that you should go around preaching to people that they should stop watching regressive crap. Choice of entertainment is after all a personal right! However, like the fight against corruption or gender violence, maybe the time has come for the sections of the audience to assert their collective might in favour of sensible and realistic entertainment on TV! The comparison may seem blasphemous even but believe me, the quality of entertainment does have a bearing on the mental health of a society!! Maybe we need to find ways in which to encourage and support such efforts whenever they happen. The face of Indian TV cannot be changed by the makers alone. The audience need to lend them their support too!
KTLK was uniquely positioned to bring back the glorious era of Indian TV. Here's hoping that there's indeed a Season 2 and, more importantly, this time they capitalise on the opportunity. Hope they realize their true potential in the time to come!
Here's wishing Sony, the PH, the creative team and the actors the very best in their efforts. And here's wishing all of us luck as an audience. Let us also look at ways to support and further their efforts in every which way we can!
Fare there well, KTLK!
Fare thee well, forumites! Goodluck to each and every one of you in all your endeavours. May you be blessed with everything your heart desires, with good health, peace and prosperity!
Till we meet again!
Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon
Jodha Akbar
