Indian shows are a perfect blend of entertainment and information. Although some shows are inspired by Western culture, the creators customise the content for the local Indian audience. For example, Hindi “Big Boss”, which was inspired by the Australian “Big Brother” show, “Kaun Banega Crorepati”, which was inspired by the American “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire”, these two adapted Indian shows had left a remarkable impression on the audience, due to their star host and the storyline.
Apart from adapted shows, the original shows that have significantly contributed to the diversification of content on Indian television platforms and have set new benchmarks in storytelling and audience engagement are also huge. Today, let us look at the five shows that have managed to sustain the top spot in Indian television ratings.
1. 5 STAR Kitchen ITC Chef’s Special
With Indian culinary delights as the core concept, ITC Foods developed this show, where chefs of ITC hotels share delicious recipes for the food. Presented by Dheeraj Juneja, this show streams on JioHotstar every Saturday and Sunday. Upon its streaming, it gained recognition because of its luxury hospitality and for bringing gourmet cuisine to everyday kitchens. Hence, the show blended home-cooked meals with a touch of sophistication and elevated the overall cooking style.
2. The Great Indian Kapil Sharma Show
Kapil Sharma’s fame is defined by winning The Great Indian Laughter Challenge in 2007, and later venturing into hosting comedy nights with Kapil in 2013. This show features a group of celebrities gathering and conversing about their upcoming films and projects; the show also has a stage performance by actors like Sunil Grover in various characters, Sumona Chakravarti, and Kapil himself. Moreover, this light-hearted comedy talk show became a household name in every corner of the Indian city due to the trending theme resonating with the audience. Its success led to the show’s airing for three years, eventually concluding in 2016.
3. Big Boss
Big Boss’s core theme includes Big Boss giving orders, and the contestants following orders for their survival. Each episode’s task difficulty level increases, thereby leaving contestants shocked. It is a perfect blend of Indian masala, featuring elements like conflict, emotion, gossip, and moments of peace. This gained attention due to its presentation by iconic stars across different languages– Salman Khan in Hindi, Sudeep in Kannada, Mohanlal in Malayalam, Nagarjun in Telugu, and Kamal Hassan in Tamil. Though the theme was inspired by Australia’s Big Brother, it was tailored to resonate with the Indian audience.
4. Sa Re Ga Ma Pa
This show in Hindi is India’s longest-running show of all time, since 1995. It features judges reviewing the cover songs sung by a group of participants. Due to the show’s success, it was remade in other Indian languages: Kannada, Tamil, Bhojpuri, Tamil, and Odiya. Till today, this show holds a strong bond with its audience through relatable content and emotional songs.
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5. Kaun Banega Crorepati
Hosted by Bollywood’s most versatile actor, the ‘angry young man’, Amitabh Bachchan, the show brought unmatched gravitas and credibility to Indian television. The core plot of the show is the host asking general knowledge questions to the individuals. As the question’s difficulty level increases, the individual is left with options to quit or receive the money won so far. Upon crossing each stage, the individual is entitled to receive a cash reward.
This show became famous among many youths due to its grandeur, presentation by the host, quality of the work, and resonating with the youth. Apart from Hindi, this show was remade into other South languages as well, and hosted by various legendary actors, Puneeth Rajkumar in Kannada, Suriya in Tamil, and Nagarrjun in Telugu. Moreover, these iconic shows will always remain in the audience’s mind forever, and no other subsequent shows can replace them.
Written By: Tejaswini Prasad