YRF TV, the television arm of entertainment conglomerate Yash Raj Films, made a roaring start with five shows - Mahi Way, Rishta.Com, Powder, Seven and non-fiction show Lift Kara De, Jan 1, 2009.
For an audience which was fed heavily with saas-bahu soaps, slapstick comedies, mythological sagas and rural tales, these shows seemed different - not just in their stories, but their execution, scheduling and cinematography too.
Mahi Way was about a fat but spirited young girl Mahi and her aspirations, Rishta.Com was a sweet, romantic story, while Powder was on a completely different tangent as it narrated a story with the backdrop of narcotic trade.
Seven, inspired by mythology, was about seven individuals with extraordinary powers who fight a battle of good and evil, to fulfil an ancient prophecy, and Lift Kara De was a search for the biggest fan of 19 Bollywood stars.
The shows didn't garner record-breaking Television Rating Points (TRPs) but were appreciated by people from many quarters. In fact, according to data from Television Audience Measurement (TAM), around 25 percent of its viewership came from 15-25-year-old; so the production company is sticking to its original plan of being different.
"We didn't have the numbers but we got a huge response through other platforms like internet, e-mails and social networking sites. People used to discuss the shows on various forums. So, the plans are still the same - we still want to continue making the kind of shows we made in our first season. Perhaps it was a little too different, but a lot of it was actually very approachable and connectable," explained Kohli.
SOURCE: http://www.hindustantimes.com/YRF-TV-driven-by-content-not-TRPs/Article1-654442.aspx