Cash-strapped DD Kashir, a J&K-specific television channel of the Prasar Bharati launched by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2000, has received a shot in the arm with the launch of the local language version of the ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC)’ to win the “hearts and minds” in the conflict-ridden State.
The inaugural episode of ‘Kus Bani Koshur Crorepati’, a vernacular name of the show produced by the Sony Entertainment Television, was aired on Monday evening at the local Doordarshan centre in Srinagar.
In a major revamp in over a decade, the Prasar Bharati has allocated ₹40 crore for DD Kashir, a quantum leap from ₹1 to ₹1.5 crore annually. “Of the amount allocated, ₹20 crore will be spent on the local KBC,” said an official on the condition of anonymity.
“The show gives us the opportunity to highlight the local unsung heroes and bring their untold stories to the rest of the country,” said Director General, Doordarshan, Supriya Sahu.
The show is hosted by Kashmiri actor Rayees Mohiuddin. “A diverse set of contestants have been drawn from all corners of the State. It is about the people of Kashmir and its identity. It will bring out tear-jerking people’s story,” said Mr. Mohiuddin.
The programme evoked immense response on the social media platforms from the locals. The DD had stopped producing Kashmiri language serials or songs nearly for a decade now.
It would be the first such entertainment programme on DD Kashir, where fund allocation was slashed in 2012 following the CBI raids on local producers in an alleged embezzlement case.
In its wake, the Prasar Bharati changed rules, “which made it difficult for local private producers to compete for producing any entertainment programme in J&K”, a local producer told The Hindu .
Studio Next, a production house of Sony Pictures Networks which holds the licence of the format, has produced more than 1,800 episodes of the show in eight languages so far.
“We are extremely happy and privileged to bring the show to the people of J&K. We have maintained the same ethos of the show as in other languages, followed strict and transparent process for contestant selection. The show will celebrate our society via knowledge,” said Indranil Chakraborty, Head of Studio Next.
DD Kashir has been the only official station in J&K to promote local languages through serial, short movies and documentaries. The platform was also used to wean away the alienated population by focusing on a counter narrative.
