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Edited by jinc118 - 15 years ago

Chhoti Bahu
7.30 pm, Zee TV
Chhoti Bahu, Zee's newest, er... weapon of mass destruction comes from the stable of Deeya and Tony Singh. Et Tu, Brutus? Since it comes in the 7.30 pm slot, where women, especially the lowest common denominator variety we are told by TV pundits, sit around their TV sets for their daily quota of entertainment, soaking in every little joy and sorrow (endless cups of it), of the dukhiyari serial ki heroine, Chhoti Bahu fits the bill.

It's about two sisters (can it be otherwise?), one who was found on the mandir ki seedi (Radhika) and the other (Vishakha), who's come straight from her mother's womb. While Radhika is the simple, obedient girl, Vishakha is a brat who dreams of becoming a film star. So Radhika mops the floor and Vishakha secretly auditions for films in the small town of Vrindavan. Yeah, and lest we forget their father is a respected priest (not the slimy, Kanhaiyalal kind). Then there is a daadi who curses Radhika at the slightest pretext.

Karamjali, janamjali and ganda khoon is how she describes her (appaling). Looks like she has been instructed to say those words every time she is short of dialogues!
Yes, there is a young man too who's just about discovered love in the form of Radhika but just might get married to Vishakha due to some identity confusion or some inexplicable plot twist.

For the rest, readers could muster courage and watch the show. At the press meet of the show, we were told that Radhika gets all the hand-me-downs from Vishakha, including the latter's mangalsutra'Hey Ram, is all we can say or should it be Hey Krishna, considering that everyone in the show keep talking about Kanha!!! Seriously, this show needs some divine intervention, though we won't be surprised if viewers lap it up like they most often do, when it comes to such mindless melodrama.
As for Deeya and Tony, leave these Chhoti Bahus to the big K. You can certainly do better.

Verdict:
Are you kidding?

'I am not at all prepared for motherhood' – Kirti Kelkar

Kirti Kelkar is currently seen in Choti Bahu, yet again in a negative role. Here is the actress talking about her professional as well as personal life...

Kirti Kelkar is back to playing the negative shade yet again, with DJ's Creations'
Choti Bahu. Here is the actress talking about her role in the show, her aspirations and her take on motherhood.

What was the reason for taking up Choti Bahu?
The reason for taking up this show was that the production house is DJ's Creations. I have grown up watching their very popular show Banegi Apni Baat, so when this offer came to me, I took it with both hands.

Tell us something about your role?
All I can say is that it is yet another negative role, but the only difference is that there are some spices mixed in her character which makes it stand out from other vamps on television.

Why just negative roles for you?
I had been doing lots of negative roles in the past, and maybe that is why I have been receiving offers such as this. Even in this show, my character has become negative due to some circumstances. I have a handicapped husband, so am frustrated with life and also flirtatious by nature. I feel somewhere this negative character in the show is justified.
 
So do you want to continue with negative stints?
It's nothing like that; if I get a good offer for any positive role, I would definitely take that up. I would like to play a role which will take me out of my comfort zone. Something very challenging, indeed!! But for now I would like to concentrate on Choti Bahu.

Are you open for reality shows too?
Of course, I did Saas V/s Bahu and this where I realized that I can dance too. I would love to do a singing or a dancing reality show. However, I think I am a better singer than a dancer, and am really looking forward to being part of such a show. 

Talking about singing, have you taken any training in that?
No, but I feel I can sing well. Initially I had a fear for dancing on stage, but with the experience of Nach Baliye and Saas V/s Bahu behind me, the fear is no more there. Now I want to fight out the fear of singing on stage.

What's brewing on personal front?
Nothing much, Sharad and I have planned a trip to Goa for the New Year. We need a good holiday, especially after all that happened in the city over the month. It has been really hectic for all of us, so we are just taking some time out.

Are there any plans to start a family?
Well not so soon. Both of us are working now and enjoying each others' company. May be we will go for it in one or two years, when we really think we are ready to take this huge responsibility. As for now, I'm not at all prepared for motherhood right now.

So are you comfortable playing the role of a mother on screen?
This is one reason why you won't find me in shows that have had a leap. It is little awkward when people of your age call you as mother on screen. I would just say that let me be a mother in real life, then I wouldn't mind playing the same on television. Right now, I don't have the habit of hearing the word 'Mummy', so its bit difficult (grins).
 
Reporter and Author: Rachana Trivedi

Keerti Kelkar in Zee's Choti Bahu...

Keerti Kelkar of Sinndoor and Saath Phere fame will be seen playing a Bahu with a grey shade in DJ's upcoming project on Zee, Choti Bahu...

Keerti Kelkar, the scheming Niharika in Sinndoor Tere Naam Ka will play a pivotal character in DJ's upcoming show 'Choti Bahu' to be aired on Zee. The actress was earlier seen in Saath Phere and Solhah Singaar too.

Our well-placed source from the sets says, "Keerti will be seen as a Bahu of the house and she will have a grey shade to portray". We contacted Keerti Kelkar to get her thoughts on the role she plays, but the actress preferred to remain tight-lipped and said, "I cannot speak till I get a nod from my production house".

We tried to get in touch with Deeya who in turn directed us to talk to the Creative Head of DJ's, Persis Sigenporia. But even she did not open up and quipped, "We are under a confidentiality clause put up by the channel, hence cannot speak".

Choti Bahu which is to get an afternoon slot in Zee will see new girl Rubina playing the 'Choti Bahu' and central character while the male lead has not been finalized yet.

Reporter and Author: Binita Ramchandani

Rubina's Article.

https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/1088834

Zee TV's Choti Bahu wakes up 7.30 pm slot

MUMBAI: What goes? Zee TV's 7.30 pm slot appears to be on steroids. Its fiction show Choti Bahu has been seeing a gradual climb in its ratings with the figure rising to 3.8 in week four (18-24 January, C&S ' 4+, HSM) as per TAM data. Choti Bahu had a TVR of 3.6 in week 3. It has emerged as the No 1 Hindi fiction show in that slot. Produced by Tony and Dia Singh's Dj's Creative Unit and launched on 7 December, the show is picking up gradually and has raced far ahead of rival channel's offerings in the same slot. Market leader Star Plus' Santaan notched up a TVR of 1.8 while Colors' Bandhan Saat Janamon Ka has a TVR of 2.01. The Tam data also suggests that Zee TV is leading hands down in the total weekday GRPs for the 7.30 pm slot. Zee TV has pocketed 42 GRPs in weekdays from the slot, whereas Colors and Star Plus had to settle for 22 and 20 GRPs respectively. "The fact is the 7 pm and 7.30 pm slots are early prime time and the maximum ratings they generate for a channel are in the range of 2-2.5 TVR. If Choti Bahu has got 3.8 TVR, it is really commendable," observes a rival channel executive. On the success of the show, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) COO ' national channels Nitin Vaidya says, "Ever since we launched the show over a month back, we have had people wanting to sample it since we have a very unique concept. When the advertisers speak of 'Purple GRPs' only beginning 8 pm, Choti Bahu is a prime example of how different day parts can also yield maximum return on investment. In fact, since the past three years, this has been the highest the slot has ever seen. Our recently launched Maa at 7 pm is also giving a fillip to the slot." Choti Bahu is the story of a young girl Radhika who, having spent her entire life sacrificing her happiness for her adopted family, has to give up what is rightfully hers even after marriage. She is married to a man who loves her and yet she is unable to enjoy the pleasures of marriage since she has to continue sacrificing for her new family. Source http://www.indiantelevision.com/headlines/y2k9/jan/jan268.php

http://yd-kn.sulekha.com/blog/post/2008/12/welcome-choti-bahu-on-zee-tv.htm

http://www.realbollywood.com/news/2008/12/choti-bahu.html


What makes a marriage? Is it taking the vows or is it observing the moral, spiritual, emotional and physical requirements of married life? Was Meera Bai in that sense married to Lord Krishna? These are some of the questions that have been important to Indian philosophy and Indian tradition for a long long time. Zee's new offering addresses these questions in the mould of a contemporary, engaging and dramatic show called "Chhoti Bahu" premiering on 8h December, Monday - Friday at 7:30pm.

"Chhoti Bahu" focuses on the life of Radhika, the adopted daughter of a temple priest, whose life revolves around her friendship, love and affection for Lord Krishna. She will do anything for the family that has adopted her, in particular her sister Vishakha, the biological daughter of the priest. But once, just once, she lets her good nature get the better of her as she covers up for her sister and that changes her entire life.

But this short synopsis hardly does justice to the subtle nuances of the show. Coming as it does from one of the most creative production houses in the country, DJ's Creative Unit; the show asks some really crucial questions about the institution of marriage, friendship and even spirituality in the modern, shining, racing ahead India.

How sacrosanct should merely the vows of marriage be in the absence of everything else? Given that India has changed so much over the last two decades, why do so many women still feel that they have to make commitments based on events they have no control about? Has the promise of a new India then not touched women that much, and are there only a few places – mostly urban – where Indian women are beginning to have more and more influence over their own lives?

Said Rubina Dilaik, the actress playing the challenging protagonist's role of Radhika, "It is so difficult to get into the head of a character like Radhika, who at the same time surrenders to circumstances, yet has a shining innocence, integrity and belief in her Lord, that sometimes makes me feel that I am missing out on something despite having so much control over my own life as a modern Indian woman." Other characters in the show are Avinash Sachdev playing the lead opposite Rubina, Rajeev Verma, Surinder Pal, Gopi Desai, Rita Bhadhuri, Prabha Sinha, Priyanka Mishra and Samta Sagar, etc.

Ajay Bhalwankar, Programming Head, Zee TV, said, "We had great difficulty in casting for this show because the protagonist is not as much of a go-getter initially. But if you look at the female leads in all our shows, you will see certain common threads. We strongly believe in the power of the woman in families and in society and came up with the idea of this show to throw light on the fact that the promise of confident, outward looking India has perhaps touched women in a far greater degree than men. We were also interested in exploring the role of spiritual relationships with the divine in a woman's life today. We can tell you that casting for this show was one of our greatest challenges but we were lucky to find actresses who embody the characters and make their contradictions and subtleties come out wonderfully."

The show is being made by DJ's Creations, Tony and Deeya Singh who have given some super shows for the channel before like Jhoomein Jiya Re.

So, is this true that despite the changes in the environment women still feel trapped to a great degree in the larger part of the country?

To start a conversation about these important questions, but above all to be consistently entertained through superbly balanced mix laughter, tears, pathos and drama, you have to tune in to Zee TV's new show….  -(SAMPURN)

:)

Zee claims leadership in early prime time

In December 2008, Zee TV launched Chhoti Bahu, a new show to replace Parivaar in the 7:30 pm slot – the early prime time. Today, the show contributes around 20 per cent of the prime time GRPs that Zee garners on weekdays. As per TAM Media Research, in the last three weeks (Weeks 6, 7 and 8), Zee garnered around 270 GRPs during prime time on weekdays (Monday–Thursday), in which Chhoti Bahu's contribution was 54 GRPs.

In its slot, the show has done wonders for the channel -- both in terms of viewership and ad rates. The other shows aired in this time slot are Bandhan Saat Janmo Ka on Colors, Santaan on STAR Plus and Sai Baba on NDTV Imagine.

In the last three weeks, Chhoti Bahu has garnered a TVR as high as 4.37, which is unprecedented in this time band. In comparison, the other shows receive average TVRs between 0.5 and 2.

In this time band, Zee enjoys a 42 per cent share among all GECs. Colors and STAR Plus follow next, with shares of 19 per cent and 16 per cent, respectively.

Usually, the time slot of 7-30-8.00 pm is considered to be weak and many GECs do not take it very seriously, as it is early prime time. Zee, however, took the strategic step of strengthening this time slot with good programming, which was backed by aggressive marketing.

Anamika Mehta, chief operating officer, Lodestar Universal Media, corroborates this. "The early prime time also holds a lot of potential. But due to the lack of any strong show, this time band never picked up. Zee, as first mover, has claimed leadership in this time slot."

First, Zee placed a high-budget show in this time slot, when other channels have weaker or old shows. Chhoti Bahu could have easily made it to the main prime time, but being scheduled at 7.30 pm, it garnered more viewership for the channel. At a time when the gap between the top GECs is narrowing every week, a small rise in GRPs could change the rules of the game and the overall ranking of the channel.

Zee not only played a well produced show in this time band, it also marketed it very aggressively. As per estimates, the show's marketing budget of Rs 2 crore can be compared to any main prime time show.

Nitin Vaidya, COO, ZEEL (ZEE Entertainment Enterprise Limited), says, "We used outdoor and radio very extensively. First, we ran an outdoor campaign – "Kya patni ka adhikaar bhi mujhe joothan mein milega?" To support that campaign, we also ran a radio contest on recipes made from leftover food (playing on the word 'joothan'). The contest was a hit, so much so that we even printed booklets of recipes made from leftover food."

Even the promos of the show were different. Anita Nayyar, chief executive officer, Havas Media, says, "The promos of the show pitched the show as being different from the regular saas-bahu serials, though the story belongs to the same genre. When the show was announced, comparisons were drawn to the fact that if Colors has Balika Vadhu, then Zee was following suit with Chhoti Bahu. The show desists from unrealistic portrayal of day-to-day situations, unlike the earlier family soaps."

Nayyar is of the view that the success of shows depends on the subject and treatment of content. This is another aspect where Zee scored. Viewers of the 7.30 pm time slot primarily comprise housewives in the age group of 22-24 years. The protagonist of the show is a small-town girl, who is shown compromising on the simple pleasures of married life to keep her husband and in-laws happy. "This is a subject that the viewers of this time slot can relate to," says an industry observer.

Zee has also gained in terms of revenue with the success of this show and is now in a position to command a higher ad rate. For instance, any GEC in this time slot would ask for a maximum ad rate of Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 for 10 seconds. Now, Zee is hoping to hike this. Industry observers say that with a TVR of 4+, Zee can ask for higher rates, at par with the main prime time.

Source: afaqs!