Des Mein is second only to Kasautii

In the midst of all the Ks, stands a singular D. This is the story week-after-week with the vice-like grip of Balaji staying put, brief interludes, notwithstanding. However, one woman who has emerged as a challenger to Ektaa Kapoor and her soap juggernaut, is, none other than Aruna Irani. The veteran actress and TV producer pulled off a coup last month, piping the K-lot to the post in the week of May 4-10. Her detractors cried foul claiming that the switching-off of signals by pay broadcasters One Alliance, ZEE-Turner and STAR to MSO InCableNet in Mumbai had contributed to her weekly show Des Mein Nikla Hoga Chand walking away as the convenient leader that week.

Cut to the present and the scenario is vastly different. Blackouts are definitely out and the applecart reveals a steam-rolling Balaji with its daily dose of saas-bahu dominating the Top 10 list for the week of June 8-14. But the clear differentiator this week is that Des Mein has moved from its steady position of No 4 to No 2, taking the battle right into Ektaa's court. The TVR - a competitive 9.4 (episode telecast on June 9) to the leader Kasautii's (also telecast on the same day, that is June 9) 9.9.

Kyunki comes in at No 3 with a score of 9.2 (episode telecast on June 9) followed by Kasautii with 9.1 (episode telecast on June 12). The June 11, 12 and 10 episodes of Kyunki sit pretty at Nos 5, 6 and 7 with scores of 9, 8.9 and 8.6 respectively while the June 9 episode of Kahaani, June 10 episode of Kasautii, and June 11 episode of Kahaani again completes the line-up for STAR with scores of 8.4 and 8.3 (for the latter two) respectively.

In all, STAR has a total of 62 entries - a jump of three from last week when it stood at 59 - representing a significant milestone for STAR, which thus crossed the 60-entries mark.

Sony Entertainment Television (SET) has nine entries in the Top 100 with the June 13 episode of CID leading the pack with a score of 2.9 (No 54) followed by the June 12 episode of Kkusum with 2.4 (No 71) and the June 14 telecast of Hindi feature film Chori Chori Chupke Chupke with a TVR of 2 (No 77).

Kya Hadsaa Kya Haqeeqat, Heena (both telecast on June 13) and Kkusum (episode telecast on June 9) enter with TVRs of 1.9, though ranking-wise, the three are one-below-the-other at Nos 81, 82 and 85 respectively. Devi (episode telecast on June 13) and Kkusum (episode telecast on June 11) have garnered a TVR of 1.8 (Nos 91 and 95), while the June 8 episode of Kya Hadsaa completes Sony's tally as well as the Top 100 list with a score of 1.7.

The SUN Network has three channels in the Top 100 - flagship SUN, Tamil movie channel KTV and Telugu general entertainment channel Gemini.

For SUN, Metty Oli is the predictable leader with a score of 3 (for episodes telecast on June 13 and 9) and rankings of 49 and 51, while KTV has Tamil feature film Annai Kaaligambal telecast on June 8, ranked at 48 and with a score similar to Metty Oli at 3.

Gemini has the June 10 and 9 episodes of Kkalavaari Kkodalu at No 80 (TVR of 2) and No 84 (TVR of 1.9), while the June 11 episode of Ninne Pilladata is ranked at No 87 with a score similar to the former, that is, 1.9. © 2003 agencyfaqs!