MUMBAI: The Hindi GEC Colors has unveiled ‘Udānn’, yet another show based on a social issue, conceptualised by Bollywood director Mahesh Bhatt.
The new show will launch on 18 August, airing at 8:30 pm, from Monday to Saturday. It will replace the popular show ‘Madhubala’ that went off air on Saturday 9th August.
To make up the vacuum in this week, Colors will be airing 45-minute special episodes of its two popular shows, ‘Sasural Simar Ka’ and ‘Balika Vadhu’, to fill in the slot time of Madhubala.
While talking about the new show Mahesh Bhatt said, “Through Udānn, we hope to create an advocacy for the liberation of women as they fight against injustice. Chakor is a young girl who wants to fly even though she has been mortgaged while she was still in her mother’s womb. She finds herself pitted against the entire world as she stands tall against a practice which cripples human aspirations.”
Colors CEO Raj Nayak said, “We at Colors have always taken the baton on creating awareness on social issues since the channel first launched six years back. ‘Udānn’ is our newest attempt to highlight issues and practices which continue to plague our country even today. Through Chakor, our young protagonist, we are looking forward to creating awareness about bonded labour and its implications on the society and the lives of those who have been affected by it.”
‘Udānn’ will celebrate the aspirational journey of seven-year-old Chakor as her existence was pawned by her helpless and poverty-stricken desperate family when she was in her mother’s womb. Colors will address the social issue of bonded labour, widely prevalent even today.
Colors weekday programming head Prashant Bhatt added, “Social issues like bonded labour is widely prevalent even in 21st century urbanised India and needs to be brought to the fore and fought against. Chakor’s rebellious yet endearing nature proves that simplicity and innocence together will make for an attractive viewing proposition for audiences.
In Chakor’s story that represents the unrealised hopes of countless Indians, suppressed by this barbaric practice of bonded-labour, viewers are sure to find an inspiring story of hope and resilience.” Produced by Dhaval Jayantilal Gada and Guroudev Bhalla Productions, the show has been written by Robin Bhatt and Javed Siddiqui.
Set against the rustic backdrop in the hinterland of Uttar Pradesh where bonded labour is dominant, ‘Udānn’ will bring to light the innocence of a young but sharp-minded child, whose zest for life strengthens when faced with challenges at the hands of the Rajvanshi family headed by the zamindar Kamalnarayan. Caught between the social divide of the rich and the poor, the story of Chakor takes flight amid a restrained childhood with her parents Kasturi and Bhuvan, and growing up in a zamindar’s household she has been pledged into.
” The initial episodes of the show will focus on Chakor’s relationship with her warm-hearted mother Kasturi, her under-confident father Bhuvan and her strong-willed younger sister Imli. As she turns seven, she moves into the home of the cruel and short-tempered zamindar Kamalnarayan Singh and his shrewd authoritarian wife Rajnandini Singh.
The show is being promoted with 360-degree marketing campaign across India which will leverage all mediums like outdoor, on-air, radio and digital.