Star Plus & DJ's have high ambitions for Meri Bhabhi at 8 pm slot

MUMBAI: Top ranking Hindi GEC Star Plus is readying to air a new daily fiction show come 17 June at 8.00 pm. Titled Ek Nanad ki Khushiyon ki Chaabi - Meri Bhabhi, the series "explores a refreshing new take on the conventional Nanad-Bhabhi relationship in the Indian household" says the channel.

Set to replace Masterchef - Kitchen Ke Superstar, the show is being produced by DJ's A Creative Unit, which is run by Tony and Deeya Singh. DJ's A Creative Unit has had successful shows such as Jassi Jaisi Kohi Nahin, Parvarrish, Banegi Apni Baat, Left Right Left, Choti Bahu, Just Mohabbat. The channel has managed to sign on Malabar Gold and Diamonds as the show's presenting sponsor.

Nearly 15 episodes of Meri Bhabi had been canned at the time of writing. The first schedule included filming in New Delhi and then following up with some episodes in Mumbai's SJ Studios.

 The story revolves around the Shergill family who reside in Delhi and the lead characters are Kritika Shergill (Bhabhi played by Esha Kansara) and Shraddha Shergill Sood (Nanad played by Kanchi Kaul). The Shergill household is headed by army officer Zorawar Shergill (played by veteran Kawaljeet Singh) and Amrit Shergill (played by Supriya Pilgaonkar). The story showcases the beautiful bond between Kritika and Shraddha and how the former takes immense care of the latter and makes it her responsibility to nurse her through the pains of her failed marriage.

Producer Deeya Singh says viewers will see some of her real life experiences with her sister-in-law being screened in the show. Says she: "For me the beauty lies in the things I have seen within my house, and have experienced and learnt to form a bond like this over the years. So this show is going to be something which is very close to my heart. With it we have tried to do something that we have never done before. We are doing Parvarish on Sony which is a complete contrast to the one we are doing for Star Plus."

Star Plus general manager Nachiket Pantvaidya highlights: "Star Plus is at the forefront of change, bringing to life stories that appropriately capture an evolving society and intricately reflect the aspirations of its people. While a few stereotypes don't change, we are certain that relationships in the Indian household are constantly evolving. The Nanad-Bhabhi bond hasn't as yet got its due on TV which prompted us to break free from the conversations and explore positives of this bond. This fiction series blends beautifully with the Star Plus ideology - Rishta Wahi Soch Nayi."
                       

Star India vice president marketing Nikhil Madhok: "Our core objective is to make sure that viewers relate to the show. In the next two months there is going to be a highpoint which I cannot reveal at present, however we are going to be huge in marketing promotions to expand the promise of the show."

Madhok, however, does reveal that the promos for the show have been running for nearly five weeks now, a deviation from the normal four. He adds: "We normally run promos for three to four weeks. We however believe this show needed a push because it was a slightly new concept and we wanted to build awareness. Meri Bhabhi will also be showcased on the Star Parivar Awards which is coming up soon. Expect the show to get a further marketing push in two months."

On the digital front, this prime time series will be starting an official facebook page and Twitter handle, where people will get to know more about Kritika's and Shraddha's lives behind the scenes and what is happening on the show. To top it all, audiences will get an opportunity to engage with the characters regularly using web chats.

Meri Bhabhi is going to have hard-hitting competition from other popular fiction series Balika Vadhu on Colors (2.8 TVR) and Anamika on Sony (0.8 TVR).

Will Star Plus' nayi soch on the relationship between two sister-in-laws do the trick with audiences?