MUMBAI: Sahara One has decided to have Colors as its simulcast partner for its expensive singing reality show Sur-Kshetra, making it the first occasion in India that two Hindi general entertainment channels from rival companies have tied up to telecast a show together.

This will also mark the entry of Colors into the singing reality genre for the first time. Rival channels have popular seasonal properties in this genre. Zee TV has Saregama, Sony Indian Idol and Star Plus Jo Jeeta Wohi Superstar.

Says Colors CEO Raj Nayak, "Music has the unique ability to unify people and today, it has brought two channels together. Sur-Kshetra will mark Colors? foray into the singing genre non-fiction content segment and we are extremely excited about this new venture. By adding the show to our bouquet of offerings, we are working towards fulfilling our commitment to cohesive viewing while providing our audiences with unique content keeping them engaged."

Sahara was earlier in negotiations with Star Plus for the simultaneous telecast of the show. However, the two channels could not reach an agreement and the show was put on hold.

Produced by Sahara One in association with Gajendra Singh?s Saaibaba Telefilms, Sur-Kshetra is a cross-border musical battle between the Indian Team, captained by Himesh Reshammiya, and the Pakistani Team, captained by Atif Aslam. Evaluating the teams and judging the musical flair will be Asha Bhosle (India), Abida Parveen (Pakistan) and Runa Laila (Bangladesh).

The show will be anchored by Bollywood actor Ayesha Takia and will also have musical stalwarts like Ghulam Ali, Hadiqa Kiani and Sajjad Ali from Pakistan, and Suresh Wadkar, Ismail Darbar, Alka Yagnik and Sapna Mukherjee from India. Sources say out of the 30 episodes, 28 have been shot in Dubai already and the finale might be shot in London.

Says Sahara One asst director worker Suresh Mishra, "Even though the boundaries have divided the two nations, music has always fostered a common and harmonious bond. With this legendary Indo-Pak musical grandeur, viewers from both the nations and across the globe will witness a new generation of gifted singers from the two most melodious talent pools of the world. We are excited about this strategic tie-up with Colors giving Sur-Kshetra a combination of two large platforms that does justice to the stature of the show."

Media analysts think Sahara?s decision to simulcast the show is a practical step. "The best way for Sahara to monetise an expensive property is by sharing it with another channel. Sahara One has low ratings and by letting a more popular GEC air it the show will get a wider exposure and gain in stature. On the negative side, it could be an opportunity loss for Sahara to turnaround its weak ratings," says an analyst on condition of anonymity.