90 प्रतिशत कंटेंट टीवी के लिए बनता है: आलोक जैन बोले- टेलीविजन खत्म नहीं होगा, दर्शकों की बदलती सोच के साथ हम आगे बढ़ते हैं

At a time when it is often said that the influence of television is decreasing, Colors channel has completed 18 years and Jio Hotstar has become the new habit of digital viewers. We had a special conversation with Alok Jain of JioStar on this changing equation of television and digital, audience preferences and content strategy. Here are some highlights..

Question: In today’s times when it was believed that television was on the verge of extinction, Colors remained relevant for 18 years. How was this possible?

answer: The notion that television is dying is completely wrong. Even today 80 to 90 crore people watch television in India. It is still the primary medium of entertainment in the country. On average, people watch TV for two to three hours every day. Many times, based on the experiences around us, we feel that the same thing is happening across the country, whereas the reality is different.

Question: Due to the increasing influence of digital and OTT platforms, why does it seem that TV is being left behind?

Answer: OTT platforms grew rapidly because they gave the audience the facility to watch content whenever they want, wherever they want. But this does not mean that television has become weak. Today around 60 crore people are on digital, while TV viewership is around 90 crore. Even today 80 to 90 percent of the content produced in India is made for television only.

Question: On one side you have Colors and on the other side Jio Hotstar. How do you balance content between the two platforms?

answer: We don’t see it as competition. Our only objective is that the content reaches as many people as possible. Whether the audience watches on TV or on digital platforms, it is less important for us. We look at it like there are two children in a family, if both are doing well, then there is no need for conflict.

Question: What is your strategy to understand the changing preferences of the audience?

answer: India is changing very fast. There has been a major change in consumer behavior in the last 10–15 years. If we do not understand this change and do not change ourselves with it, we will automatically be left behind. The content industry has to constantly move forward with the changing mindset of the audience.

Question: Earlier Colors was tagged as “Saas-Bahu Drama”. Now how did the content change?

answer: Over the last two years we have tried to understand the audience deeply. We accepted that it is not necessary that what worked earlier should work in the future also. There is no traditional saas-bahu show on Colors today. Mahadev & Sons is the story of a father and family, Mannat is based on a mother-daughter relationship, Jatt & Juliet is the story of college romance. This change will gradually reach the audience.

Question: Many times, despite all the hard work, a show ends early. How is this situation handled?

answer: This is the truth of this industry. It takes a year to make a show, but the audience decides in half an hour. It is definitely difficult, but if you are in this industry, you have to accept it. Sometimes you get success, sometimes not, but efforts should not stop.

Question: Reality shows like Bigg Boss and Laughter Chef are making records on both TV and digital. What new will be seen next?

answer: Our endeavor is to ensure that any good show runs well on all platforms. In the coming time, shows like ‘D50’, ‘Splitsvilla’, ‘Khatron Ke Khiladi’ are coming. Apart from this, viewers will also watch a fictional series based on ISRO and Chandrayaan Mission on Jio Hotstar.

Question: What do you consider to be the biggest identity of Colors and Jio Hotstar?

answer: Colors has always tried to show stories based on the social realities of India, which inspire the society. On Jio Hotstar, we are presenting emotional and entertaining stories for different segments of audience. Our effort is to make the audience feel that life is good.