Kkusum out, Candy Floss in
| Tarun Katial and Ekta Kapoor |
No dispute between Sony and Balaji; new Ekta Kapoor show to go on air by the end of this year
Subhash K Jha
So what if Ekta Kapoor's USP on Sony, Kkusum is being replaced by Indian Idol 2 and Deal Ya No Deal? It hasn't soured the relationship between Sony and Balaji. Sony's top boss Tarun Katial justifies the closing of the show and says, "I think this is the right time to stop Kkusum. It has had its run. Five years is a long time for a soap opera. There is no point in letting it drag on. We will run Indian Idol on Monday and Tuesday from November 21 and Deal Ya No Deal thrice a week from November 23 instead of Kkusum."
But the question that has been doing rounds remains: Is this the end of Sony's long-standing relationship with Balaji? Katial rubbishes the rumours, "Not quite. Ekta and I have been laughing about our so-called fall-out. In fact Balaji will produce another show for us, which will go on air at this yearend."
This new show will be a first for both parties. Katial says, "It isn't a soap opera but a magazine show called Candy Floss that will give you all the gossip and behind-the-scenes happenings in the television industry."
He continues, "There are so many Bollywood-based magazine shows, but no one reports the happenings in the television industry. The home medium and its products are no longer a poor cousin of the movies. People genuinely want to know what Iqbal Khan or Jassi is doing when not shooting."
Even as Candy Floss is set to go on air by the end of this year, Sony is gearing up for its Big Two this month. Katial admits, "In Deal Ya No Deal the stakes are really high. No other gameshow has taken the player from 25 paise to Rs. 1 crore. We want to take the show in the country to new heights." As for Indian Idol 2, Katial is even more gung-ho. "This time we're taking Idol to India's heartland. The singers will come from every nook and corner. The response at the rehearsals has been overwhelming."
* The television and its products are no longer a poor cousin of the movies. People genuinely want to know what Iqbal Khan or Jassi is doing when not shooting – Tarun katial
source: mumbaimirror.com
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