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Adhikari Brothers still loyal to Doordarshan

Sri Adhikari Brothers, now on their way to becoming a media giant with their recently launched entertainment channel SABeTV, will continue their old association with Doordarshan.

In fact, they have ambitious plans for Doordarshan in making new action thrillers, creating and promoting slots on DD etc. Their popular suspense thriller Surag is already on Doordarshan’s National Channel. And very soon they plan to come up with more serials for DD.

The Adhikaris are among those very few Doordarshan producers with whom the channel has shared a very warm relationship. DD, for the past few years, has been more than satisfied with the overall quality of their serials and also with the revenue their company has provided to Doordarshan.

When Adhikari Brother’s popular serial Shriman-Shrimati was being shifted from its old and established slot on DD-2, the Adhikaris agreed to come against Friday Chitrahaar on DD-1, when no other producer could have dared to touch that slot.

"Because we have faith in our product. If the content of the serial is good, it is bound to be popular. When DD decided to change the old slot of Shriman-Shrimati we received offers from Star Plus. But we did not go there. We were loyal to DD, because, our long association with DD has paid off really well. It is a matter of pride for DD too, that one of its producers has been able to start his own channel," says Markand Adhikari.

Now the Adhikaris have major plans to develop and promote a not-so-popular time band on DD-1. They have the suspense thriller Suraag on the 10.30 to 11.00 p.m. slot on DD-1, which does not give the channel much revenue.
According to sources, Markand Adhikari has proposed to Doordarshan officials that his company should be given the responsibility to make this time band, popular and more profitable to Doordarshan.

Sources inform that they have not only offered best of thrillers/action packed serials for that time band but also assured DD bosses that his company has major publicity plans for the promotion of those serials, the entire cost of which will be managed by Adhikaris.

For the existing slot of 10.30 to 11.00 p.m. on DD-1, Doordarshan gets only telecast fee (Rs. 2,00,000 for half an hour). Sources say that Adhikari Brothers have offered Doordarshan a very good minimum guarantee (MG) for those slots, which DD officials are finding difficult to refuse.

Currently there are serials like Surag (Adhikari Brothers), Kaun (a suspense drama) and Ishq (Produced - directed by Girija Shankar) on that time band.
If the proposal of Adhikari Brothers is accepted by DD, what will happen to these serials? When asked about this, a DD official said "Even if their proposal is accepted by us, it will take some time for things to be materialised in that case, existing serials will be given some other slots at the consent of their producers."

When asked about Markand Adhikari’s soft corner for Doordarshan, S.P. Jaisinghani, an old associate of Adhikaris and Vice President, north, of SAB, says, "Markand Adhikari is among those people, who do not forget their roots. He knows that he has reached this level only because of his association with Doordarshan. He will not leave DD at any cost."

DD officials on the other hand are happy that a DD producer has grown so big and still wants to continue his relationship.

A senior DD official puts it like this: "It is good to watch a man grow like this. We are looking forward to his new ideas for Doordarshan. We hope this fraternity grows".

As far as Markand Adhikari is concerned, he is more than willing to continue this relationship. "Doordarshan is the father of all channels. No satellite channel can compete with DD as far as its reach is concerned. I have no hesitation in saying that whatever we are today, it is only because of Doordarshan," he admits.

Amitabh Parashar