Keeping it short and sweet

KBC? KBC. No clone this.

On Raj TV, five days a week, beginning today at 8 p.m. KBC, this time, stands for K. Balachander's Chinnathirai. In its latest avatar Chinnathirai runs as a more terse, more audience- friendly project, wrapping up its brand ideology in the phrase: micro serial, macro thoughts.

``Even before starting my 100th movie, I did not call for a press conference,'' KB, as he is more popularly known says. So why now? The challenges that a new medium has thrown up require this kind of effort, apparently. Not that television is a new medium. It has simply been there forever.

But what is significant is the realisation among the really big movie makers of the power of the small screen. And once you've entered television, you'll just have to keep up with the intense competitive atmosphere, it has generated, especially now. That means zeroing in on the viewer's psyche, identifying gaps in programming content across channels and addressing them.

Which is precisely what KBC is trying to do, according to Mr. B. Kailasam, CEO and MD, Min Bimbangal. In what is being touted as a first in South Indian television history, there is going to be one serial a week. Or, one story will be serialised through a five-day span on Raj TV. ``This new format of one story every week enables me to interact with a variety of talented young people with innovative and invigorating ideas, as well as popular, experienced writers. To me, this coming together is a fusion of experience and youth, of the mature and the fresh,'' KB himself says. With its 60-member team, consisting of technical and nontechnical staff, Min Bimbangal will churn out one story a week. For how long? ``Forever, I should say,'' according to KB. With no horizon in sight, there are no restrictions either, except in temporal terms. Production will be digital as will transmission.

They promise taut intelligent stories, life-like characters, sharp witty dialogues, powerful performances, unique perspectives, thought-provoking dramatisations, apart from spurring macro thoughts. All within a half-hour span.

In doing so, a veritable channel war has been set in motion. While Chinnathirai aims at capturing audience during prime time, Sun TV seems to have postponed its staple news by at least a few minutes, perhaps with the aim of hitting out directly at Raj TV. A sudden strapline was run yesterday on the fledgling show Koteeswaran, urging the audience to watch Sun TV at 8 p.m. on Monday, in order to register themselves to participate in the contest. Beginning 8 p.m. today, the war commences.

As for the audience, we will just sit back and relax. Since, in this clash of the Titans, we are bound to get the best deal.

By Ramya Kannan

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