Colors announces launch of ‘Rising Star’
Colors has officially announced the launch of its huge singing reality show ‘Rising Star’, which goes on-air in February.
As revealed first on BizAsiaLive.com, the new series will replace ‘Bigg Boss 10’ in the weekend 21:00 slot from Saturday 4th February 2017. It will be India’s first live showcase of pure talent. With live viewer engagement at its core, ‘Rising Star’ will feature 130 crore judges – the Indian populace giving them 79% control over a talent’s ability to become a star.. Guiding the talents in their pursuit to achieve fame will be a panel of celebrity experts comprising of musical maestros Shankar Mahadevan, Diljit Dosanjh and Monali Thakur.
Commenting on the launch of the show, Raj Nayak, CEO – Hindi Mass Entertainment, Viacom18 said, “You see a Cricket match LIVE, now you will see a show that is absolutely LIVE with no room to create, fabricate or produce anything. It’s what you see is what you get, with the reigns of the show completely handed over to the viewers, as they decide the course of the show. This is a first it’s kind of an experiment on Asian television, let alone India. With more and more people getting attuned to smartphones and the country moving towards Digital India, we are proud to announce that we are future ready. Colors has always been a pioneer in introducing cutting edge technology and heightening viewer engagement. With this show, we are taking this commitment one step further.”
He further added, “We would like to welcome Oppo Camera phones on-board as Presenting Sponsors on ‘Rising Star’. Through this partnership, we are furthering our individual brand promises to drive synergies amongst our target audiences.”
Talking about the association, Mr. Will Yang, – India Brand Director Oppo Mobiles India PVT Ltd said, “Oppo as a brand has always focused on providing its youthful consumers a delightful experience. COLORS as a platform caters to a wide range of audience and through our association, we want to reach out to them and share our technology. With ‘Rising Star’ we will further extend association with Colors post series 24 – season 2, Bigg Boss 10. Rising Star has a unique format which encourages usage of innovative technology across the country which is something we believe in and thus it was an easy call for us to associate with the show. We hope that the association and the show is a huge success amongst the audience.”
Elaborating on the ground-breaking format of the show, Manisha Sharma, Programming Head – Colors, said, “’Rising Star’ is a unique interactive format that will engage the viewers exactly in a manner like a Live match. The beauty of the show lies in the wall which hides the talent, thereby putting emphasis on voice and melody. Every talent’s destiny will be dictated by their ability to draw in the viewers with their vocal intonations and emotiveness. Even as makers, there’s no scope for us to have technical glitches or do post-production to make the content look better. The term reality will be redefined through this show. We have conducted auditions across more than 25 towns and cities across the country, and uncovered some hidden jewels whose unique voice quality and endearing personalities, will appeal to the viewers’ sensibilities encouraging them to vote and celebrate outstanding talent.”
While the real judges will be the 130+ crore Indians who tune-in to watch ‘Rising Star’ on television, the panel of experts, with 21% say in a talent’s singing prowess, will meticulously hone their skills as they descend into this arena. Each of the experts, through their years of experience and understanding of the technicalities of music, will provide specific feedback to the talent, helping them to develop from budding singers to all-round performers.
On his decision to be a part of the show, musical guru Shankar Mahadevan said, “The format of the show is phenomenal! The contestants can only woo the viewers with their voice and not by their looks, charm or any other peripheral. It’s a true test of the talent that they have been born with. As an expert, my focus will be on nurturing the talent by guiding them to the path of pure music.”
Making his debut on Hindi television, Punjabi sensation Diljit Dosanjh said, “Through ‘Rising Star’, I am looking for talent which possesses the same zeal for music that I have. I will not hold back; the country’s ultimate singing sensation will win my heart by displaying passion and love for their art.”
A reality-show success story, melodious singer Monali Thakur said, “From starting my journey in the world of music as a contestant to now becoming the expert panelist for ‘Rising Star’, life truly has come full circle for me. Having experienced the emotionally tumultuous journey of being a participant, I will be able to connect with the talent on a more personal level. More than a guide I aspire to be their friend, encouraging them to pour more than 100% of themselves in every performance delivered on the ‘Rising Star’ stage.”
On the successful adaptation of the show in India, said Gary Pudney, Head of Asia Keshet International, “’Rising Star’ is a truly trail-blazing format which has hailed a new frontier in global entertainment. Following several successful seasons of the show around the world and we are absolutely delighted that this pioneering show will be available to Indian viewers and to be working with such a forward-thinking partner as COLORS”.
On putting together a show of such mammoth proportions together, Vipul D Shah, MD, and Co-founder of Optimystix Entertainment India Pvt. Ltd. said, “’Rising Star’ will change the course of Indian television altogether through its LIVE, interactive and engagement-driven format. The technological and logistical requirements ensure a larger-than-life scale which will amplify the opportunities for talent to rise and excel. The entire country has its eye on ‘Rising Star’ and we are pushing the boundaries of entertainment to bring them a show that has created waves internationally and is now set to heighten the viewing experience in India.”
