MUMBAI: Epic channel will soon be launching a show on wildlife after experimenting with genres like mythology, sports, food, history, travel, culture etc. Additionally, mid-September will also see the launch of a new quiz show Epic India Quiz Challenge. The new shows are an attempt to garner new and different viewers.
In an interaction with Indiantelevision.com, Epic channel head – content & programming Akul Tripathi said, “At Epic we are trying to create or curate programming that caters to different interests. We have been providing content regarding infotainment in as many non-conventional ways as possible and we will continue to do that. We believe in the diversity of India and showcasing that through all type of programming categories that are available to us.”
Epic boasts of a vast content library including Raja Rasoi Aur Anya Kahaniyaan related to food category, Mid Wicket Tales with Naseeruddin Shah, Umeed India, Indian Martial Arts in the sports category, Ekaant, Road Less Travelled, Kahi Suni in the travel category, Devlok with Devdatt Patnik in the mythological genre, Regiment Diary, etc.
Tripathi mentioned that with every new type of program launch, a new set of audience joins the channel. “We are trying to reach out to different groups of audiences based on the kind of programmes they like watching, so that they come and sample the channel and then they realise that there is a lot more content for them.”
The channel in association with Rupa Publications also announced a long-term collaboration of adapting its TV shows into books. Following the success of Adrishya, and Khwabon Ka Safar, the partnership launched three books that are literary adaptations of Epic’s immensely popular series - Umeed India, Sharanam, and Dharmakshetra.
Tripathi said, “We have always been exploring on how we bring our stories to the larger audiences. Television offers a 24-hour window and a finite amount of catalogue. Compared to that, a book has a longer shelf life which can be referred to as and it adds a different dimension. All infotainment things we create are timeless in nature and having it in a book format adds to that timelessness dimension.”
The partnership with Rupa is a long-term sustained initiative to convert TV shows into books. The upcoming Epic India Quiz challenge will also be adapted in the book format.
The channel re-launched itself as an infotainment channel on July 2017 and Tripathi believes that the viewership of India-centric programmes has increased. “The genre has immense potential. There is a significant shift or increased interest of viewers to watch factual programming especially about the country which has been deprived to them via infotainment channels in the country because most of the programmes that we had have been skewed towards international content. This has opened up an entirely new genre of content for a lot of people who have seen this kind of content for the first time. The future is going to be about India-centric infotainment content,” opined Tripathi.
Epic is also striving to show content in other languages such as Tamil, Bengali and even English through its app. “I don’t see anybody else in this space doing this much for the infotainment-loving audience,” said Tripathi.
