MUMBAI: Radio has always presented the bubbly side of popular radio jockey RJ Malishka, but now it is time we know her more closely through Zee TV’s show ‘Connected Hum Tum’ whose first episode was aired last night.
Malishka was the final participant who was introduced on the show and she discussed about her being unmarried. The show covers the issues women face in their personal and professional lives. Six women share their lives with a hand-held HD cameras and record themselves in their own houses, capturing all that they say and do in their most personal space. They shoot themselves as they go to work, step out to shop or attend a class.
Actor Abhay Deol has made his television debut as the host of the show. Along with Malishka, dentist and belly-dance instructor Preeti Kochar, struggling actress Mahima Chaudhary, shopaholic and brand manager Pallavi Burman, foreign languages expert and corporate trainer Madhavi Mauskar and an activist and theatre producer Sonal Giani, will share their lives at home and work, to connect with the audience.
Speaking with Radioandmusic.com, radio jockey Malishka said, “There were many questions when I decided to participate in the show like will people understand me and my personality outside radio; and will my radio show suffer from this. I really didn’t want it to look like a publicity gimmick and make myself look foolish on national television. Firstly, I started shooting my fun side and was enjoying it. But later, the director told me that people should also see your life struggle then they can associate with you and know you are like all for them.”
Zee TV is all set to deploy its marketing artillery to promote this big-ticket launch with a never-before-seen format. Forging yet another first in the Hindi GEC space, the channel will soon create a Youtube gadget which will serve as the primary point of engagement for the viewers. The gadget will have video profiles of the six participants, uncut videos, unseen footages, episodes, social media feeds, etc. It will also have polls and discussions on the theme of every episode.
To spark off discussions about the format of the show amongst the discerning online audiences, Zee TV will soon conduct a Google Hangout and organize a bloggers meet with the six participants of Connected Hum Tum in Mumbai. The channel is also creating parallel content to promote the show such as interesting short videos on the concept of why it is so difficult for men to understand women and the same will be promoted on Youtube. The show will have live engagement with the audiences during the telecast of an episode.
ZEEL chief creative & content officer Bharat Kumar Ranga said, “In showcasing the mind space of six women at different crossroads in life, Zee TV gives the audiences a chance to understand the psyche of today’s Indian woman, thereby understanding the women in their own lives better. This show will get people talking, discussing their own unique perspective on each of these women’s lives. The core idea is to get families to communicate more and understand relationships better.”
He added, “To say that we’re excited about this project would be an understatement. As a format of entertainment, the show is something India has not experienced yet. We laud the courage of these six bold women who have agreed to put their minds, soul and space out for everyone to see. Through the cameras, six parallel stories unfold and six lives gradually become connected as each woman experiences transformative life changes. Each of these women embarks on a journey of self-discovery and what the viewers get is a compelling, if not addictive reality viewing experience on television.”
Developed originally in Israel, ‘Connected’ as a format has emerged to be a phenomenon on television across countries like Denmark, Holland, France and USA. This international format is brought to India by Disney UTV ‘Connected Hum Tum’ airs every Monday- Friday on Zee TV.