Television catches up on trends of remakes, sequels and spin-offs

Filmmaker Siddharth P Malhotra, who is producing Sanjeevani, says that unlike some old shows that one can be proud of, you can’t say the same about the new ones. “Every five days, a promo of a new show is coming, or a series is going off air. Every channel is trying to find what’s working for them. OTTs have taken a certain viewership away, films have their own effect, cricket matches also affect, so, TV is under constant attack. Channels are looking for something that sticks on. Old shows have a brand value. Sanjeevani is a medical drama and one can never run out of tracks. It will have fresh cases, most of which are documented and from real life. Also, there will be a personal track of doctors — it’s not saas bahu. TV has its own dos and don’ts, but I don’t have to fall into that trapping.”

Sayantani Ghosh will be seen in the new Sanjeevani. She reveals that old franchises are doing well and she always wanted to be a part of one. “And what better than Sanjeevani? I have done several fantasy dramas and mythologicals, probably because of my classic Indian features. But this is a real and relatable drama; for the first time I will essay a doctor. Also, I get to play my age. On TV, they cast girls in their early 20s, or those in their 40s play mothers. For women like us who are in our 30s, it is difficult to find roles where you can play your age,” she reasons.

Naagin 3; and (inset) Kawach Mahashivratri

While successful reality shows have a seasonal run, fiction soaps in India don’t tend to take a break. Either they go on endlessly or go off air. However, with Naagin, the trend changed. First aired in 2015, the show has been taking breaks, and so far three seasons have been aired in the form of sequels and the fourth is in the works.

Another show that has made a comeback with a fresh cast and a new story is Kawach Mahashivratri. “Sequels have a large scope as they are finite in nature and it allows us to narrate a story from a different point of view while capitalising on the viewers’ interest. When we launched Naagin, the concept of sequels was fairly new in our country but the show became extremely popular and we decided to leverage it by turning Naagin into a brand.  Similarly, with Kawach, we extended our supernatural offering and it resonated well with the audience,” says Manisha Sharma, Chief Content Officer of Hindi Mass Entertainment at Viacom18.

(Clockwise from top left) Yeh Rishtey Hain Pyaar Ke; Kasautii Zindagii Kay; Happu Ki Ultan Paltan; Ishq Aaj Kal

Rajan Shahi, the man behind YRKKH and YRHPK, points out that very few shows survive today. “With less viewership coming in, it’s difficult for shows to get an opening. A sampling of programmes has become a huge task. So, when you have a brand, a spin-off of that show creates curiosity and brings in viewership.” Agrees Sumeet Mittal, who made Diya Aur Baati Hum and its derivative show Tu Sooraj Mein Saanjh Piyaji, “Spin-offs are good, especially in current scenario, when shows are not doing well. People love nostalgia and you take a chance by creating a new story with the same characters,” he says.

And in most cases, they have been proved right. Not surprisingly, there is a spin-off of Yeh Hai Mohabbatein titled Yeh Hai Chahatein in the offing. Interestingly, makers are also taking the offshoots and reboots of TV shows only on the web. Earlier, we had seen the redux of Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai and a spin-off of Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon on the digital platform, now there is Ishq Subhanallah, Guddan Tumse Na Ho Payegaa and Jamai Raja which will see their new versions only on the Internet.  Aparna Bhosle, programming Head, ZEE5 India, says, “A huge audience comes to the digital platform to catch with their favourite shows. The idea is to leverage on this catch-up audience. Paid content is targeted towards a young crowd; we want to get more TV audiences to the digital platform. We choose shows with younger protagonists, young conflicts and their popularity on TV. Whether we go in for more spin-offs or not will depend on how well Ishq Aaj Kal does.”

It’s evident that despite the influx of original content, channels and makers are going for modern takes of tried-and-tested shows or riding piggyback on successful shows by churning out their spin-offs. Anything to bring those elusive ratings to the table, right?