Paanchvi Pass now moves on to digital media

The Shah Rukh Khan hosted Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain may not be setting the silver screen on fire, but STAR Plus hopes to attract new audiences for the show through smaller screens. In association with Indiagames, STAR Plus and Bulldog Media and Entertainment (the licensors of the show format) are working on adapting the show to the personal computer (PC), mobile, direct to home (DTH) and Internet protocol TV (IPTV).

Indiagames, a part of the UTV Group, has developed a platform called Play3 through which content can be adapted to various digital platforms. The mobile and online games can be downloaded from the Indiagames site. Indiagames has developed mobile content in the form of wallpapers, animations, ringtones and themes.

Samir Bangara, chief operating officer, Indiagames, said in a statement, “This is the first time in India that a game will be available across multiple platforms, that is, mobile, PC, DTH and IPTV, thus ensuring that consumers can access content anytime, anywhere, and on a device of their choice. We will also leverage our retail distribution network of game DVDs with UTV Home Entertainment so that consumers can buy a game DVD of the show from the hundreds of retail outlets across the country.”

Nanette D’sa, senior vice-president, STAR licensing and merchandising, adds, “Paanchvi Pass Gaming is a great combination of a television reality format recreated on mobile and PC to cater to the viewer’s experience on demand, with multiple levels of play, in a true to format environment that will appeal to consumers of all ages. With the gaming platform, the licensed program around Paanchvi Pass now offers a complete product and experience to viewers at retail and on mobile/ PC, which is a first of its kind in the country.”

Apart from the digital adaptions, STAR Plus is also creating offline properties for the game show. This includes a deal with four publishers to print 22 titles in English and Hindi based on the quiz questions in the show, apart from children's merchandise created in association with Buddyz. An ice-cream flavour has also been created for Paanchvi Pass by Baskin Robbins.