Doordarshan’s audience back as popularity rises

LUCKNOW: With rising popularity of Doordarshan, many Bollywood stars and artistes have agreed to perform free for the national broadcaster’s shows.

Artistes like Kailash Kher, Shaan, Sankar Mahadevan, Suresh Wadkar, Anuradha Paudwal and Alka Yagnik have already performed in DD’s 45-minute show like Jaan Bhi Jahan Bhi’. They have also promised to do more shows in the days to come to cash in on the popularity of Doordarshan.

Editor, news and programmes, Doordarshan Lucknow, Anurag Pandey, said, “Now we don’t have to depend only on programmes like Ramayan, Mahabharat, Krishna and Vishnu Puran for breaking into charts. Now we have a programme like ‘Jaan Bhi Jahan Bhi’ and ‘Lockdown aur Shahr Ki Tasveer’ which have been able to breach the TRP citadel of private channels, especially in UP and Lucknow.”

“When I conceptualised ‘Jaan Bhi Jahan Bhi, I never knew it will be such a hit. After years we are challenging private channels when it comes to popularity of shows,” he said.

Padma Shri Anuradha Paudwal said, “I said yes when I received the call from Anurag Pandey. She concept is so good that it was hard to say no. Doordarshan has given us so much, so how can I refuse.”

Padma Shri Suresh Wadekar said, “You cannot refuse a programme like ‘Jaan Bhi Jahan Bhi’ for some money, when Anurag Pandey shared the concept of the programme with me, I was awestruck , I decided to give my contribution for Doordarshan which brought this show to keep the audience in their homes.”

Noted singer Shaan said that the artists have not taken any money for performing because they want the people to stay home.

Head of programmes, Lucknow Doordarshan, Rama Arun Trivedi says, “Doordarshan has not sent its team for recording the programmes. There has not been involvement of any of the Doordarshan crew. The stars have themselves shot the programme through their mobile phone cameras and performed live on that.”

Anurag Pandey said, “The stars have done this for the sake of corona warriors. With Jaan Bhi Jahan Bhi, we have shaken the grip of private channels on the audience through our innovative programmes.”

› The stars have done this for the sake of corona warriors. With Jaan Bhi Jahan Bhi, we have shaken the grip of private channels on the audience through our innovative programmes ANURAG PANDEY , Editor, news and programmes