Reported By:
| Edited By: Sudipto Chattopadhyay |Source: |Updated: Sep 24, 2015, 11:34 AM IST
Ektaa Kapoor reunites with the channel and the show
Ektaa Kapoor tasted success for the first time with her comedy 'Hum Paanch' on Zee.
Ever since, her rise has been meteoric. However, she had chosen to sever ties with her alma mater, the channel that provided her the first platform to prove her mettle.
For years Balaji had stopped producing programmes for Zee as it had boarded the rival ship Star Plus. Come fifth November, 2005, viewers will witness Ektaa's return to home turf with the re-launch of 'Hum Paanch' on Zee TV.
It seems bridges have been mended, though Star Network now has official stakes in Balaji Telefilms.
In this day and age of grabbing eyeballs is akin to grabbing mandate and hence no rivalry or enmity seems permanent.
Post the return of 'KBC2', most channels seem keen to bring back time tested shows that are sure shot TRP drivers. In its original run during 1996-2000, 'Hum Paanch' had proved to be a laugh riot with a family of mad hatters outdoing each other with their smart quips.
Most of the old cast has been assembled again but one will surely miss the late Priya Tendulkar who stole the show despite being a mere photo frame. "It has been five years, so we have made that kind of changes in the show as well with the elder sisters being married. It has allowed us also to play with more on the show," said Ashvini Yardi, Head, Programming, Zee TV.
On its second coming, the channel hasn't adopted any heavy-duty promotional strategy for the sitcom because it feels that the past success will definitely play a crucial role in driving the numbers.
"The soap itself is a strong brand in Indian television and hence there is no real need to go for some hardcore promotions. The patrons of 'Hum Paanch' will surely be there to watch it and make it a huge success," says Tarun Mehra, marketing head of the channel.
Interestingly, taking cue from Sony's cross channel promotion of 'Fame Gurukul', Zee will promote 'Hum Paanch' on MTV and a few news channels. The channel is initiating this 'cross-border' promotion to lure younger audiences.
This is the only show from the Balaji stable that will not have a karmic connection with the eponymous 'K' factor. Does the magic number five spell success this time around? Or is 'K' not good enough anymore?
