All SET for a Hrithik storm

(Posted on 24 March, 2:15 pm)

First there was cine heartthrob Hrithik Roshan on Star's Rendezvous With Simi Garewal. Now Sony has gone two up, and lined up three shows about Tinseltown's top hunk, scheduled to air between 31 March and 23 April 2001.

The first of the three programmes, The Roshans - Hrithik Live in Concert, will be aired on 31 March on SET while the other two episodes about the making of the star will be screened on 16 and 23 April respectively.

The concert is a celebration of 50 stellar years of the Roshan family in the film industry: director and former actor Rakesh Roshan, Filmfare Award-winning music director Rajesh Roshan and Hrithik Roshan himself. In the concert, Rakesh Roshan reminisces on his time in the film industry, from when he joined till the launch of his son Hrithik in the film Kaho Na Pyaar Hai, which he directed.

The highlight of the show will be Hrithik Roshan's stage dances. Captured by 17 cameras, he will be performing different numbers from his three films, Kaho Na Pyaar Hai, Fiza and Mission Kasmir. The songs include Sitaroon Ki Mehfil, Kaho Na Pyaar Hai, Pyaar Ki Kashti Mein, Aaja Mahiya, Bhumbro, and Rind Poshmaa.

Of the three programmes, the remaining two-part series traces Hrithik Roshan's journey from childhood till the day he picked up the Filmfare Best Actor award for his debut film Kaho Na Pyar Hai, which was released last year.

Says Hrithik Roshan's sister-in-law Farah Khan, vice president - production and chief creative head, Numero Uno International Ltd which produced these programmes: "The idea is to let people know that Hrithik Roshan is not an overnight star as the media has projected him to be, but instead a lot of hard work has gone behind his success."

Hrithik is the only star son who was financially broke most of the time, who would stammer while talking and was an extremely introverted person. Quite unlike the star he is today, she quips.

Sony is leaving no stone unturned when it comes to promoting the show. At the moment, Rs 10 million is being spent for promos over the next 15 to 20 days apart from in-house promos aired on television, says Kacon Sethi, executive vice-president, marketing and sales. Apart from that, they are still in the process of working on the post telecast ad campaign for Hrithik Mania. "We are building up pre-campaign and post campaign publicity," says Sethi.

The channel has a one year contract with Numero Uno for the telecast of two airings of the series.

Sony has roped in Coke as the third partner for the series. Hometrade.com is the major sponsor, among others, for the show which will be aired in 123 countries across the world. Ad rates have been pegged at Rs 350,000 to 400,000 per ten second spot, which should fetch the channel somewhere in the region of Rs 70 million.

And this is just the beginning. Sony promises six more such shows with "real big stars".

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