In the league
SANGEETA BAROOAH PISHAROTY
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Entertainment `Sonic X,' a successful video game in America, would hit Hungama TV this May.
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ON A HIGH: Ronnie Screwvala, CEO of Hungama TV in New Delhi. — Photo: V. Sudershan
Hungama TV Chief Executive Officer Ronnie Screwvala pops out too many statistics even before you could ask him anything. He wants you to `understand' first that it is the second most popular kids channel in India after Cartoon Network. And that unlike most international children's channels, his home-grown Hungama TV has less of animation and more of live action shows specially meant for Indian kids. And now, even blockbuster Hindi films are to be aired, which calls for family entertainment.
Forecasts
Even as you soak in what he has just said, Ronnie comes up with his forecasts on the entertainment industry too. "I think in the coming years, the segmentation of kids' channel would fade out. It would become a general entertainment channel." He pads it up with the argument that some years ago, when cable operators had blacked out all channels asking for more money, people were ready to pay only for Cartoon Network, not even news channels. "This certified two things. That kids are now family's decision-makers and that this segment has the scope of expanding into family viewing," he deduces. And so, Hungama TV has come up with a movie section on Saturdays and Sundays for the kids to spend some time together with parents, the pretext being the movie on Hungama. "Our first movie is `Dil Chahta Hai,'" he adds.
Well, what's more? "On May 2, we are starting this international award-winning game show, `Sonic X.' I promise absolute fun for kids watching the main character of the show Dr. Robotnik. He builds his robots and machines to take over the world and establish the `Eggman Empire'," he gives an idea. Assuring that his company, UTV is "very seriously into kid's content," he reels back 15 years when UTV as a production house, used to make `The Mathamatics Show' for Doordarshan. "Then we made `Snakes and Ladder' for Zee TV and in 2000, we produced one of the most popular kids show on TV, `Shaka Laka Boom Boom,'" he tries to shake your memory here.
"It is particularly difficult though to make shows for kids because they grow by the day," he adds, smiling. A challenging act but rewarding too, he feels.
Though many would cry hoarse for regulations on the electronic medium, Ronnie seems to be giving it all the credit for the growth of television in India. "We have been under the sharp eye of Telecommunication Regulation Authority of India since last year. But I would say, non-regulation of TV channels in India has led to its tremendous growth in just a decade's time."
Seeing the `success' of Hungama TV in less than six months' time, Ronnie promises regional channels for kids soon.
"Most probably, it would be in Tamil and Telugu first," he adds.
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Entertainment
Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
Hyderabad
Thiruvananthapuram
