| With the TRPs of NGJ keeping the show out of the top
100 shows on satellite channels in the country as well as the top
shows of Sony, the channel has decided to kill it in infancy. Sony
did this earlier this year with Balaji Telefilms' Kahaani Terri
Merri replacing another Balaji show Kutumb. Ektaa Kapoor's
TV take on the film Devdas however, did not set the ratings
on fire. KTM was dropped and NGJ brought in its place.
Now NGJ makes way for Jassi Jaissa Koi Nahin, an Indianised
version of Yo Soy Betty La Fea, the Latin American show that
has captivated a reported 80 million viewers in 25 countries.
Sony had got NGJ lead protagonists Shilpa Kadam and Gauri
Pradhan to sign a year long exclusivity contract, which will now
be utilised on some other programming, says Mandloi.
In April, SET India executive vice president Sunil Lulla, when
queried as to whether the show would be given an extended run unlike
the fate that befell two earlier attempts at being different Dhadkan
(a medical drama) and Hubahu (about twins switching identities),
had said the series was planned with an extended duration in mind.
Careful background work had gone into the creation of the show keeping
all issues in mind, he had said at the time. Today, he maintained
that keeping up with the competition had caused the closure of NGJ.
While KTM launched on 20 January and ended on 15 May, NGJ
started on 19 May and had a run of 60 episodes. Jassi, according
to director Tony Singh, will have a run of over 300 episodes. "The
series has a set script and hence a finite number of episodes -
it should not go on for over a year and a half," he says.
It is to be hoped that Jassi completes its run as per the
current plan. This continuing chop and change must be leaving the
viewers rather confused.
|
