11-11-2008, 09:57 PM
MUMBAI: Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, the soap drama which once dominated Indian TV, will end its over eight-year run this Thursday on Rupert Murdoch's Hindi general entertainment channel Star Plus after the Bombay High Court on Monday rejected its producer's plea for a stay halting the serial's cancellation.
Television content production house Balaji Telefilms had last month moved the vacation bench of the Bombay High Court challenging Star Group's decision to terminate its prime time daily soap.
"Such relief is not possible," said justice JH Bhatia.
Flagging ratings and a premium charge for the content had fuelled Star to send a termination notice.
Balaji Telefilms's contention was that their show, the longest running soap on Star Plus, wasn’t promoted by the channel. But the bench refused to accept Balaji's argument.
"The programme has outlived its life. We had no motive to hurt Balaji," Star's counsel Ravi Kadam told the court. The serial has to be taken off the air because the channel was losing viewers of prime time slot to other channels, he said.
But Balaji's counsel Ram Jethmalani argued that the agreement between the two parties provided that the show will run at least upto March 2009.
Balaji Telefilms, however, has three days to come up with an appeal.
Kyunki...gained popularity with its 'saas-bahu' theme centred around daughter-in-law Tulsi played by Smriti Irani and stretched over more than 1500 episodes, but newer shows marched ahead.
Star Plus, which established its market supremacy with Amitabh Bachchan-hosted game show Kaun Banega Crorepati? and the three Balaji-created 'K' soaps (Kahani Ghar Ghar Kii, Kasautii Zindagi Kay, and Kyunki...) since July 2000, is now moving into a more varied content mix of soaps, reality and infotainment programming.
As part of this strategy, Star Plus has started promoting the show which will replace Kyunki...The leading Hindi GEC will now bank on Aap Ki Kachehri, a reality-based infotainment show which has Kiran Bedi in anchor role, at 10.30 pm while bidding adieu to Kyunki...
Source : http://www.indiantelevision.com/headline.../nov18.php
Television content production house Balaji Telefilms had last month moved the vacation bench of the Bombay High Court challenging Star Group's decision to terminate its prime time daily soap.
"Such relief is not possible," said justice JH Bhatia.
Flagging ratings and a premium charge for the content had fuelled Star to send a termination notice.
Balaji Telefilms's contention was that their show, the longest running soap on Star Plus, wasn’t promoted by the channel. But the bench refused to accept Balaji's argument.
"The programme has outlived its life. We had no motive to hurt Balaji," Star's counsel Ravi Kadam told the court. The serial has to be taken off the air because the channel was losing viewers of prime time slot to other channels, he said.
But Balaji's counsel Ram Jethmalani argued that the agreement between the two parties provided that the show will run at least upto March 2009.
Balaji Telefilms, however, has three days to come up with an appeal.
Kyunki...gained popularity with its 'saas-bahu' theme centred around daughter-in-law Tulsi played by Smriti Irani and stretched over more than 1500 episodes, but newer shows marched ahead.
Star Plus, which established its market supremacy with Amitabh Bachchan-hosted game show Kaun Banega Crorepati? and the three Balaji-created 'K' soaps (Kahani Ghar Ghar Kii, Kasautii Zindagi Kay, and Kyunki...) since July 2000, is now moving into a more varied content mix of soaps, reality and infotainment programming.
As part of this strategy, Star Plus has started promoting the show which will replace Kyunki...The leading Hindi GEC will now bank on Aap Ki Kachehri, a reality-based infotainment show which has Kiran Bedi in anchor role, at 10.30 pm while bidding adieu to Kyunki...
Source : http://www.indiantelevision.com/headline.../nov18.php