YearEnder: Top Producers of 2016

The year 2016 has been great in terms of ‘different and unique’ content. A lot of new content made huge inroads into the hearts of audiences, while few long-running shows continued to spread its magic as always!! 

In short, a year where both the ‘new’ and ‘old’ content flourished and prospered equally!! 

So who are the Producers who succeeded in making a place for themselves in the year gone by? 

We at Tellychakkar.com offer our loyal readers a read into the differentiated works of the able Producers or Production house that made it big in 2016. 

Balaji Telefilms (Naagin and Naagin 2, Yeh Hai Mohabbatein, Kumkum Bhagya, Brahmarakshas)

A superb year, must say for Ekta Kapoor and her hard-working brigade!! Ekta redefined history by making the supernatural thriller, Naagin (Colors) for the weekend slot. The weekends were never as better as it is at the moment!! Naagin received stupendous success, and made it to the top of the chart in its very first week. Ekta’s new thought has given rise to a new wave wherein broadcasters have been cashing in on working on varied subjects to up the programming ante for the weekends. 

Ekta Kapoor’s Naagin magic has now got extended with Naagin 2, which is again doing brilliantly well. She spread the same magic across channels, and created Brahmarakshas for Zee TV. 

While she ruled supreme at the weekend slots, her drama shows Yeh Hai Mohabbatein (Star Plus) and Kumkum Bhagya (Zee TV) a have been entertaining masses like never before. 

Director’s Kut (Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai)                                                  

Another producer who has successfully stood tall even when many huge storms passed by!! If the replacement of Karan Mehra was not enough, the controversy and bad energy related to the behavioral tantrums thrown in by the popular actor Hina Khan must have indeed given Rajan Shahi many sleepless nights. Hats off to Rajan and his team for sticking by the basics, that is the story line and conveying the same to the viewers that the pen has always been mightier than the sword (read: controversies). With a tight hold on the script, Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai (Star Plus) seems to be back on track yet again with a free flowing story that has been appealing to the audience. 

Edit II (Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hai)

Hats off to Benaifer Kohli and her team at Edit II for sailing through the major hiccup created by the behaviour of actress Shilpa Shinde who had become a rage for her role of Angoori Bhabhi in the show, Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hai (&TV). The controversial exit of Shilpa Shinde could have harmed the popular show to an extent, but the firm grip of Benaifer on her storyline and character sketch made the replacement fairly comfortable for the audience to digest. With the entry of Shubhangi Aatre, there has just been no looking back for the show. 

Endemol (Masterchef India and Bigg Boss)

Endemol, the thespian production house when it comes to creating unique non-fiction shows has again had a great 2016. It was yet another exciting season of Masterchef India (Star Plus) for the viewers this year. And the baap of all reality shows, Bigg Boss (Colors) in its newest edition has indeed created new controversies and controversial players. The game is still to be won yet, and the show for sure will continue to enthral viewers with its spicy and juicy drama. 

Full House Media (Bahu Humari Rajni_Kant)

A trend-setter in quick time, Bahu Humari Rajni_Kant (Life OK) has been a ‘hatke’ show in terms of its concept and treatment. Rajni comes across as a bahu with all the difference needed to keep the audience entertained. She’s robotic and her exalted gestures and behaviour has set the tone which has been well-accepted by the viewers. Above all, all the characters in the show are so very differently etched that they have made a mark for themselves. Writer turned producer Sonali Jaffer and her better half Aamir Jaffer surely know the ‘pulse’ of the common man!!

K9 (The Kapil Sharma Show) 

The year 2016 could have gone majorly wrong for an icon of the stature of Kapil Sharma after he got out from his successful association with Colors to create a show on his name for the rival channel, Sony. But the fact remains that Kapil Sharma has proved to one and all that ‘Form is temporary, Class is permanent’. He had dreamt of turning the impossible into possible, and how well has he done that with his show, The Kapil Sharma Show, with the able support and guidance of Preeti Simoes. His production house K9, along with the very successful production house Frames Productions has offered the viewers a one-of-its kind show in The Kapil Sharma Show. 

Frames Productions (Super Dancer, Dance +2)

Producers Ranjeet Thakur and Hemant Ruprell of Frames Productions have had a splendid run in the non-fiction genre this year with their shows doing extremely well. While Dance +2 (Star Plus) enchanted the viewers with iths vibrant talent, Super Dancer (Sony TV) has remained to close to our hearts for being a huge success. All this in addition to The Kapil Sharma Show has indeed taken Frames to the peak of their success. 

Guruodev Bhalla and Dhaval Gada (Udann)                                             

Take a bow, Team Udann!! After enjoying a really good and successful run with the show revolving around the younger Chakor, nobody would have thought that the makers will be able to recreate the same magic post the leap. Even when the actors Meera Deosthale, Vidhi Pandya, Vijayendra Kumeria and Paras Arora joined the show as the next generation leads, the show did not even have the slightest of hints to getting stronger with every passing day. However, the fact remains that the story line and performances post the leap has simply overpowered the audiences’ minds. Today, Udann (Colors) stands tall and is sure to spread its effervescence all the more with its blossoming love stories set amidst the crux of the tale revolving around the ‘bandhuas’. Producers Guruodev Bhalla and Dhaval Gada and their hard-working team deserve a pat on their shoulders!! 

Neela Telefilms (Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah)

A show that has made a mark in the World Record books for its stupendously successful long run. For a comedy show to run for more than 8 years is indeed a phenomenal achievement. Taarak Mehta has continued to rule our hearts and evenings with its energetic, awareness provoking plots that keep our living rooms lively and happy. Three cheers to Producer Asit Modi and his team for giving us this non-stop entertainment named Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah (SAB TV). 

Rashmi Sharma (Shakti, Sasural Simar Ka and Saathiya)

Giving tough competition to Ekta Kapoor this year has been the invincible Rashmi Sharma. 

Her concept on a transgender girl with Shakti (Colors) has brought in the much-needed variation in TV. A concept that not many would have thought about... Three cheers to the gutsy attitude of the broadcaster and producer to come up with a never-thought before concept like this and equal credit to the actress Rubina Dilaik who has beautifully carried the complex character. 

Rashmi Sharma has had a golden year like Ekta, as two of her long-running shows have sustained the competition by shining strong. Yes, we are talking about Saathiya (Star Plus), the lovable tale of Gopi and Sasural Simar Ka (Colors) which has got a new lease of life with the younger generation actors and story going great guns!! 

Swastik Productions (Karmphal Data Shani)

A super-duper surprise entry this year as one of the successful shows has to be Karmphal Data Shani (Sony TV). The show is still new, and is just on the verge of completing 50 episodes now. But the boom it has created in the market in such a short span is incredible. The return of fabulous actors like Juhi Parmar, Salil Ankola could have come with a show of such great calibre as Karmphal Data Shani. The cast looks very apt for the roles they play and the story and screenplay has only been holding the audience alert. Above all, results in the form of numbers have already started coming for Siddharth Kumar Tewary, Rahul Tewary and their team!!  

Here’s how the year gone by has been for our successful producers. Let’s wish and pray that we get to see lot many shows and lot many production houses fighting it out for the top spots with their entertaining concepts doing well... 

Here’s wishing all our readers a great year ahead!!