Hubahu, the twin dilemma on Sony Entertainment Television, is packing up.

High costs of production and corresponding low ratings are the primary reason for the series having to wind up as soon it completes 30 episodes on air. The seventeenth episode of the serial, being shot in Bangkok and Mumbai, will be telecast this week.

Producer Parvati Balgopalan admits that the high costs of production are primarily responsible for the serial‘s life cycle being clipped, but says that she had anyway planned to limit the serial to a compact 39 to 40 episodes to ensure better viewer interest.

Sources indicate the series cost upwards of half a million rupees an episode; something which Sony was willing to ante up, if the show developed stickiness and generated ratings. But with Hubhau‘s ratings not climbing northwards, Sony decided to pull the plug. The series stars Sandhya Mridul, Rajat Kapur and Aly Khan.

In an earlier interview to indiantelevision.com, Hubahu director Nupur Asthana had noted that a story doesn‘t hold beyond a point and one has to merely go through the chores in the latter episodes. "That is why I have planned out Hubahu only for 52 episodes", she had said.

If there is one talismanic individual that represents India‘s greatest triumph in the one-day cricket arena it is Kapil Dev, the captain of that 1983 winning side. Sony Entertainment clearly hopes to leverage on that in announcing today that India‘s greatest all-rounder will be brand ambassador for the network for the next three years.
This follows Sony‘s mega acquisition of the exclusive cable and satellite rights for the live telecast of the ICC cricket tournaments for $ 255 million.

Kapil Dev will represent and promote the national Sony association with the ICC cricket tournament, starting with the ICC Champions Trophy in September 2002 followed by the World Cup in February 2003.

Said SET India CEO Kunal Dasgupta:"The point is, just as Amitabh Bachchan is the icon of movies, Kapil Dev is the icon of cricket and we expect Kapil to do for Sony Entertainment what Bachchan did for Star."

"We are extremely excited about our association with Kapil since it reinforces our commitment to our viewers to cricket and particularly to fans across India," Dasgupta said. "Max and Sony will provide some fantastic and unique cricket programming during the next few years targeting not only cricket fans but non-cricket audiences as well. We plan to make the association with the ICC tournament the most wonderful spectacle of sporting entertainment - a complete ‘hungama‘ of maximum entertainment."

The association between our network, said Dasgupta, and Kapil will initially last for three years and I am sure that both parties will be keen to continue working together to make live cricket the most entertaining experience ever for viewers in the Indian subcontinent.

Predominantly music channel etc is adding interactive elements to its long-running Bollywood Birthmarks, which features filmstars whose birthdays fall in a particular week.
Bollywood Birthmarks gives details about the star‘s place of birth, their high or low points in life, their likes and dislikes and interesting facets of their life. Besides wishing their favourite star via e-mail, by writing in at feedback@entertainmenttv.com?, viewers are invited to SMS birthday greetings to their stars, directors and musicians by typing in ETCBMN, keying in the message and then SMSing it on 303. A lucky few also stand a chance of winning a prize for the best and innovative greeting.

The five-minute capsule will be aired on etc four times a day after the Once More programme. The capsules will air at 1:55 am, 8:55 am, 12:55 pm and 5:55 pm.

For the first week of June, etc has lined up Sunil Dutt (6 June), for the second week Dimple Kapadia and Shilpa Shetty (8 June) will be featured, while the third week sees Mithun Chakravarty (16 June) and Amrish Puri (22 June). Karisma Kapoor (25 June) will feature in the fourth week of June.

According to ETC Networks CEO Pradeep Dixit, giving viewers a chance to do something as personal as wishing stars a happy birthday, will ensure better and loyal relationship between etc and viewers.