Picture imperfect: Why Gaurav Banerjee has an arduous job at Sony
saas-bahu template took over Indian TV, I was hooked on Aahat, a horror show on Sony Entertainment Television (SET), the TV channel owned by Sony Pictures Networks India. I watched the show, based on ghosts, spirits and paranormal activity, with my grandmother every weekend when it aired post 10 pm. My parents, both early sleepers, are still amused by the visual of a six-year-old and a 60-year-old staying up until midnight to watch dead people returning to haunt their murderers, disguising themselves as clowns, hiding in toys, and whatnot.
The two of us soon moved to Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin, also on Sony. It was the Indian adaptation of Colombian drama Yo soy Betty, la fea, the story of a brilliant but simple-looking woman who lands a job at a fashion house. Both the shows were interesting and unusual stories for their time, ones that have stayed with me for years after I have given up TV viewing itself.
Such fictional shows may have enthralled TV audiences back then, but aren’t bringing enough returns for Sony now—the company has taken a conservative turn in India. TV watchers will struggle to recollect any memorable mass-market fiction programming on its entertainment channels today. Overall, Sony runs 26 TV channels in India, a streaming platform (SonyLIV), a movie business (distribution of Hollywood films and local production), a music label and a talent management vertical.
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