‘Rising from the ashes like a phoenix’ might be an overstatement to describe it but one can certainly encapsulate the risks, trials and rewards that Sony LIV has executed with its programming over the years to establish a market position where it faces the giants. On a few occasions, it has been ‘different’ from the get-go and at times, just with the approach it has taken even with regular concepts – to stand out amidst what is a brimming glass of water that has now flooded; it a feat to be applauded and supported.
Unique & Breaking the Norm
We have witnessed how when it comes to penetrating the Indian demographics, even giant streaming platforms make and present the genre that they feel ‘will work’ as opposed to taking bigger risks. It doesn’t mean that they don’t experiment and do shows of other genres but the marketing and awareness of those are somehow voluntarily subdued as opposed to the big dramas that seemingly garner more interest and thus, viewership.
With Sony LIV, that has rarely been the case. To think that their first breakout show was Gullak (which continues with multiple seasons even now) speaks to how their idea of presenting subscribed content wasn’t just going to be limited to a particular genre. The streaming platform has broken the norm in the most nonchalant way possible as well and an apt example of that would be making a show like Avrodh – which, even though was about the surgical strike took an entirely different approach, one that no one expected. The success of Undekhi and Your Honour and JL50 further solidified Sony LIV’s presence. It is easy to see why the platform was amongst the premier choices during peak pandemic times with a diverse range of content. While A Simple Murder didn’t work out as planned, Shrikant Bashir‘s appeal and followed run on satellite just made things better.
The Humongous ‘Scam 1992’ & Life After That
What would the world be without being introduced to the brilliant Scam 1992 – The Harshad Mehta Story? For laymen who are possibly unaware of the pool of streaming platforms out there, Scam 1992 remains the identifier for Sony LIV. A quick conversation like – ‘I heard about this amazing show but don’t know where it is coming on!’ – ‘Oh, it is coming on Sony LIV’ – ‘Oh! The Scam 1992 vala platform’.
When a show becomes synonymous with the platform’s identity, that speaks volumes on its impact. For Sony LIV, to have a breakout show like the Harshad Mehta Story and establish a name for itself in pop culture legacy just accentuated what it was set out to do and this show became the biggest tick mark on that checklist. It is easy to witness the interest and subscription base that Scam 1992’s consistently rising fame and awareness brought to the platform. The follow-up to that, Scam 2003: The Telgi Story released in 2023 was also received well.
Mixing It Up
Maharani with Huma Qureshi at the helm also came out of nowhere (something the streamer is so used to doing and well) and before one knew it, the show has become one of the tentpole projects now spanning three seasons in four years. As mentioned earlier, Sony LIV has never followed the norm and the successes of lighter shows like Potluck (spanning two seasons), College Romance (spanning four overall seasons) and Cubicles (spanning two seasons) among others were a reminder that they are not tempted by the usually-guaranteed interest and success that heavy dramas attract but offering a widened spectrum of entertainment. The ongoing streaming run of Raisinghani V/S Raisinghani and Adrishyam – The Invisible Heroes acts like a television run with stars that have been popular on the small screen – further showing how broad Sony LIV’s services have been.
Gems Forever & The Future
While being so meticulous with their programming, Sony LIV can also be credited with providing gems that have not only carved a place for themselves in the history of entertainment but will be remembered for the risk and innovation they adapted. A show like Tabbar took a seemingly simplistic story and turned it upside down with gut-wrenching and hard-hitting writing and performances, while a show like The Jengaburu Curse took the concept of climate change, mankind’s greed and rooted beliefs to provide a fascinating tale of drama, and of course, the mammoth leap of faith with a show like The Rocket Boys which will possibly be one of the best Indian shows on streaming to have ever been produced.
The future for Sony LIV continues to adopt the same strategy you would expect – stay original, take risks, back innovative filmmakers and provide entertainment. Two announcements in that direction have already been made with Scam 2010: The Subrata Roy Saga and Freedom At Midnight.