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MUMBAI: Star Plus will launch one of its biggest productions ever,
the weekend blockbuster Dharti Ka Veer Yodha - Prithviraj Chauhan
on Friday, 12 May at 9 pm. The serial will run Friday through Sunday
with a duration of half-an-hour per episode.
Star is leaving no stone unturned to promote the historical saga.
"The focus of our marketing activities will be to make viewers
more familiar with Prithviraj Chauhan. People normally remember
only the high points of Chauhah's life. The marketing efforts will
be to make people aware of the real character," says Star India
SVP Marketing & Communication Puneet Johar.
 Apart
from the obvious on-air, print, outdoors and radio promotions, Prithviraj
Chauhan will have an extensive on-ground activity also - running
from Rajasthan to Delhi.
"We will have a torch run 'Prithvi Jyoti' conducted from Rajasthan
to New Delhi. The activity will culminate on 9 May in the capital
with the vice president of the country addressing a gathering. The
serial will be officially launched at the event," adds Johar.
The 9 May event will showcase the Prithviraj Chauhan costumes
designed by a group of young fashion designers. The music of the
serial will hit the market simultaneous with its launch.
 As
part of the marketing activities, Star will be merchandising Prithviraj
Chauhan properties -- such as the weaponry -- on a commercial basis
later. Star is also planning to release a cartoon book based on
the life and adventures of Prithviraj Chauhan.
What makes the Sagar Films-produced Prithviraj Chauhan one
of the much-awaited television programmes on Indian television is
the sheer size of the project. According to Sagar Films director
Shakti Sagar, the costume drama was launched with a start up budget
of Rs 60 million.
 "The
Ajmer set we erected in our Baroda film studio cost us about Rs
45 million. We have shot 50 episodes of the committed 156 episodes,
which will run for a year. That means, the cost of the show will
go up manifold," says Sagar.
As part of its plans to revamp the weekend, the channel is also
introducing a movie band Pus Superhits in its Sunday afternoon
space, at 12 am. Star Plus will open the campaign with movies such
as Viruddh, Black and Main Hoon Naa.
The entry of Prithviraj Chauhan in the weekend prime time
band also triggers off a slight reshuffle in the Star Plus prime
time schedule. The 9:30 pm & 10 pm Friday through Saturday slots
will be occupied by the popular weekend soap Baa Bahoo aur Baby
and Shanno Ki Shaadi respectively. Jodee Kamaal Ki
will be shifted to the 8 pm slot on Saturday and the same slot
on Sunday will be filled by Sai Baba. From 8 May onwards,
prime time soaps Miilee and Kavyanjali will be telecast
from Mondays to Thursdays only.
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