“Adversity brings out the best in us. It brushes aside entrenched notions that hamper growth and forces us to face our difficulties to come out on top.”- This holds for every industry that adapted to the new normal, challenged the norms, and grew manifolds to come out stronger.
If there was ever a time when we faced the biggest challenge of our lives, it was the COVID-19 pandemic. Almost overnight, the entertainment industry along with others came to a standstill. All channels ceased shooting immediately after the lockdown was announced. The industry had never been subjected to such a drastic change before. The pandemic and the lockdown were unprecedented, and it was to come together and weather the biggest storm, and I think the industry managed to do it well.
As time passed by, we innovated and created creative content from inside the locked doors by shooting at home. This was creativity at its best and a whole new perspective for millions watching us. This way, we all ensured that even if the audience saw short yet interesting scenes, they were still connected to their favorite characters and their lives. We also launched shows like Hum Tum aur Quarantine, which were highly entertaining and shot, edited, and created entirely at home.
Maintaining connect with the viewers
No matter what the circumstances are the entertainment industry never sleeps, it continues to provide content for millions across the country. While the absence of fresh content and viewers’ favorite characters deeply challenged the industry, the broadcasters took this as an opportunity to revive the favorites. It was the promise of providing unlimited entertainment that even in the trying times the industry found ways to stay afloat and at the same time to keep the connections and love of the viewers intact.
The resurgence of nostalgia
Broadcasters had a keen ear to the ground during the pandemic and did their best to understand what viewers wanted. We all noticed that the line between prime time and non-prime time blurred given the fact that people were indoors. We felt this was a great time to dive into nostalgia and aired the best shows from our kitty. We saw popular shows of the past like Balika Vadhu, Naagin and many others being aired, and the viewers loved them.
We all realized that, in the absence of fresh content, we could rely on the nostalgic value of these shows and we saw that it worked. Another very interesting aspect was the resurgence of mythology. With everyone being indoors, family viewing increased tremendously. Shows like Mahabharat and Om Namah Shivay were trending. Viewers acknowledged the comfort and entertainment that these shows provided, and broadcasters were quick to provide them with it.
Resuming in the new normal
As shooting resumed, it was another challenge as we had to create content and start where we left off along with adhering to set guidelines. We had to use all our past expertise and strategies on how best to go about shooting while ensuring the safety of our cast and crew. We knew that the going would get tough, but we took on the challenge head-on. This resulted in COLORS being among the first channels to come out with fresh content with our show Shakti – Astitva Ke Ehsaas Kii and Barrister Babu. We also launched India’s biggest stunt-based reality show, Khatron Ke Khiladi first time shot entirely in India and with an Indian crew.
We continued launching new shows throughout the year and when it came to our biggest show, Bigg Boss, we had to take a leap of faith. People were asking just how we would be able to launch a big-ticket show at a time when there was still uncertainty looming over the industry. However, we were confident that our viewers, who love reality shows, would be glad to see their favorite show and host back on screen and we gave it to them.
With all of these challenges, what we have come to realize is that the Indian television industry is extremely resilient. While there is competition, when faced with unprecedented times, we all come together, developed innovative strategies, and formulated unique ideas to get over the calamity. This time we have emerged victorious. Television viewing is at an all-time high and our struggles are paying off. It has been a team effort and I would like to thank all the cast and crew, who have fought against the pandemic and ensured that our loyal viewers stay entertained, even while they stay and work from home in these trying times.
As we move into a promising new year with new hope, the television industry will continue to entertain viewers and ensure that we remain strong and face every adversity by being at our creative best. We at COLORS shall bring forth more innovative, disruptive and differentiated content offerings that have always been core to our DNA and provide our viewers best of entertainment.