by Suman Gupta
Sony AATH, one of the most loved family entertainment channels, has been consistently enthralling viewers with a slew of interesting programming and engagements. As the channel closes on an outstanding 2023, here are the key highlights for the year.
Key content launches
Depicting the popular ‘adda’ culture of the villages, ‘Gultemama’ is the story of a Bengali hamlet Galadpur & its people. It connects viewers to the everyday life of Bengal. Gultemama spends his day gossiping with his friends. He is someone who would always find himself at the receiving end of his tricks.
Set against the backdrop of Kolpopur, a small village in Bengal during the late 17th century, ‘Kolpopurer Golpo’ captures the culture, emotions, and everyday life of a common man. It revolves around the story of Kanai, a hardworking farmer and devout follower of Maa Kali, who, despite tough financial conditions, is content with his life. The show largely portrays the trials and tribulations faced by the peasant class due to the Zamindari system.
Sony AATH introduced the famous Gopal Bhar in an entirely new avatar as he made his cinematic debut. Having completed more than 1000 episodes of the iconic show on the channel, Sony AATH went beyond to regale the audiences with some new and unique characteristics of Gopal in an advanced 3D animation format. The first movie, titled ‘Goyenda Gopal – Daaba’r Chal’ showcased Gopal Bhar wearing the hat of a detective, unravelling mysteries, and saving his kingdom while maintaining his nonchalant comic and witty style. An extensive promotional campaign was planned with the mascot of Gopal Bhar making appearances at popular historical places such as Victoria Memorial and New Market, much to the pleasant surprise of the onlookers. He also visited two popular malls in the city, allowing everyone to not just meet him but also get an instant photo clicked.
The channel premiered another Gopal Bhar movie titled ‘Goyenda Gopal – Shesh Chakranto’. The saga of conspiracy with Gopal Bhar getting into the shoes of the detective to save the King and the Kingdom continued with more challenges and interesting turn of events.
Following the phenomenal response received for the Gopal Bhar movies, the channel plans to come up with a couple of more Gopal Bhar movies in the coming months.
Sony AATH launched ‘Aamar Sai Shradha and Dahirjia’ which revolved around the life and teachings of Sai Baba. It took viewers through the life journey of Sai Baba – right from his young days to his journey of becoming a revered spiritual leader who touched lives with compassion and wisdom.
The much-anticipated biographical drama ‘Shakuntala Devi premiered on Sony AATH to captivate the Bengali audience. Shakuntala Devi, often referred to as the Human-Computer, was a mathematical prodigy whose phenomenal abilities left the world in awe. The Bengali version of the film brought Shakuntala Devi’s story to life in a language that resonated with the heart of Bengal.
Key Initiatives & IPs
Gopal Bhar 1000 Episode Celebrations: Gopal Bhar is a show that has carved a special place for itself in the hearts of Sony AATH viewers. The show completed a significant milestone of running 1000 episodes on the channel, the maximum for any animation series in Bengal.
Hollywood Hungama: Season three of Hollywood Hungama was launched with an exciting line-up of movies from creature Features to Action and adventure. A mass visibility outdoor plan across West Bengal was planned with advertising on Metro stations and cable networks.
Mahalaya and Kolkata Durga Pujo: Sony AATH celebrated Mahalaya with a specially curated day-long programming line-up titled ‘Mahalayar Mahautsab’ dedicated to the glory of the mighty Maa Durga. The channel celebrated Pujo by having the Gopal Bhar mascot make visits to select pujo pandals such as Thakurpukur S B Park, Dakshin 41 Pally, Hindusthan Park Sarbajanin and Dum Dum Park Tarun Sangha. The activity garnered an average footfall of over 200 people participating and interacting in various activities along with winning Sony AATH merchandises.
