Songs to sell the soap Operas!

WHEN Armaan and Jassi finally declared their love for each other, the producers at Sony Television decided to create a soundtrack to mark the momentous event. So, Indian Idol Abhijeet Sawant crooned a love theme. Being a product of the channel, he was easy to get and paved the way for the ideal cross-promotional strategy. A video of the track and a full-length album of Jassi songs are in the works.

Rival Star Plus has been using music videos to boost their shows' visibility for some time now. First came Remix—the video for the theme from the high school dramedy that centers around four boarding school kids, who just happen to have their own band. The idea was inspired by ''underground rock bands at colleges like IIT,'' says producer Shristi Arya.

''Unlike other soaps that feature item numbers, the songs are actually performed by the cast and take the narrative forward,'' she says. The producers have shot four more videos. The latest, Mast Mast, is currently on air on Channel [V]. The next couple of months will see Dil Ki Yeh Dadhkan and Love Station, a Bappi Lahiri retro-disco tune, hitting our screens.

Star Plus also felt that a music video was the key to building curiosity for their prime time tale of an orphaned girl, Miilee. ''Music was the best way to convey the freshness and happy-go-lucky attitude of the character,'' says Shailja Kejriwal, creative director, Star Plus.

The Sound of Music inspired theme helped the daily soap to make its mark. ''We're going to introduce a new song in the show every few months,'' she adds. Coming soon are videos from two of Zee TV's new shows, Raba Ishq Na Hove and Kasshish. While the title track for Aroona Irani's new daily has been sung by Sukhwinder Singh, Jeevan Kya Hai is the Jagjit Singh track that will soon be seen on Zee. ''It's one of a series of ghazals Singh has rendered for the soap,'' says Ashwini Yardi, the programming head at Zee.

Thanks to the availability of an in-house team for production and a sister channel ready to air them ad naseum, music videos are gaining ground as the new promotional weapon of the daily soap.