Hungama Channel to launch interactive ‘dramady’

Kids channel Hungama is looking at the interactive route to hook new viewers. The channel is all set to launch a new soap called ‘Sanya’ from December 12. The serial will be aired Monday to Thursday at 7.30 pm.

Speaking to agencyfaqs!, Zarina Mehta, programming head, Hungama, says, “There are lots of innovative characteristics about ‘Sanya’. I would like to define ‘Sanya’ as a 15-minute interactive ‘dramady’ show, which means it is a perfect blend of both drama and comedy.”

She continues, “‘Sanya’ is about a 17-year-old college going girl. She can’t say ‘no’ to anyone and so lands up with other people’s problems. At the end of every episode, ‘Sanya’ will be in some kind of dilemma, where she will have to make a choice. So, in every episode, she will turn towards the camera and request the viewers to help her take a decision.”

The viewers will be given two choices, ‘a’ and ‘b’; they can send their choice through sms and tele-voting. The channel will shoot master episodes of both choices, but air the one that receives more votes.

Mehta adds, “The show is mainly targeted at children between four and 14 years in age. However, since the show depicts small moments of real life, where one needs to make a choice, we are expecting a heavy amount of co-viewing, too.”

Hungama has planned a 360-degree marketing campaign for ‘Sanya’. Mehta says, “We have a budget of Rs 1.5 crore for the marketing activities.”

This includes television, cable and press campaigns. The press campaigns will mainly involve kids’ supplements and there will be strip ads in some selected publications. The extended outdoor campaign for the show will be launched in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Hyderabad, Amritsar and Jaipur.

The channel will also launch a road show across 34 cities in India, where kids can come with their own suggestion about the show.

The channel has also tied up with mobile2win for the sms and tele-voting.

Apart from this, the channel will do a special programme on the latest Abhishek Bachchan film, ‘Bluffmaster’.

In addition, in the next two months, Hungama will launch two new animated shows, ‘Wheels Squad’ and ‘Little People’.

© 2005 agencyfaqs!