Will Aamir Khan revive Sunday mornings' prime-time slot?

While Bollywood A-listers — right from Amitabh Bachchan to Shah Rukh Khan to Salman Khan — have always opted for the prime-time evening slots on television for their small screen outings, actor Aamir Khan took the industry by surprise when it was revealed that his show Satyamev Jayate will be aired on Sundays at 11 am.

“Aamir opting for the traditional spot of 11 am on Sunday mornings as opposed to the primetime slots available between 8 and 10 pm, for his TV debut has baffled many,” admits an industry insider. Earlier speculation was rife about the slot that the show would be aired on, as that would mean moving the existent shows on the channel. But according to a source, it was one of Aamir’s conditions that was put forth to the channel that his show be given the traditional spot on TV.

Though trade experts and TV industry insiders unanimously agree that it’s a risky move, they do admit that it’s also a smart one. “As of now, this slot is not priority for any channel. It’s mostly kiddie stuff that a majority of the channels air at present during this time slot. And the other channels too don’t dish out any special fare during the time, so it’s mostly movies or re-runs of their weekly shows,” says a TV insider, adding that it’s exactly why having a show at this time is not without its risks. “The slot would mean drawing viewers’ attention and getting them hooked to a time that they haven’t seriously tapped into for a while. So, this could entail changing TV viewing habit, which is always risky,” explains the insider.

But trade analyst Taran Adarsh points out that Aamir’s credibility as a serious star will draw in the audience no matter what the time.

“Aamir pitching his show at 11 am on Sundays which was traditionally the top spot during the Ramayan and Mahabharata days almost 20 years back, may actually revive the viewer interest in that slot again. I think it’s a smart move by Aamir considering that it will be aired at a time when there’s absolutely no competition from any other show at all,” explains Taran.

A veteran industry insider agrees that Aamir’s show has already generated a strong buzz. “In the past too Aamir has taken up for serious causes, proving his social awareness and that clubbed with his no-nonsense image will work in his favour. His name brings value to the kind of talk show that he’s hosting and will draw families for sure,” says the insider. “Logistically speaking, the show is targetted at an audience across board and so he might actually just revive that slot timing and change the existent rules of TV viewing. His marketing moves have hardly missed the aim, and this one shouldn’t be any different,” adds Taran.