STAR Unveils New Regional Indian Channel

MUMBAI, October 20: In the
middle of next month, STAR will launch its third Indian regional-language
general-entertainment channel, STAR Pravah, across the state of Maharashtra.

The launch of STAR Pravah
follows the rollout of VIJAY, for Tamil-language audiences, and STAR Jalsha, in
Bengali.

Focusing on Maharashtrian
culture, the new channel will feature a mix of talk shows, historical epics,
comedies and more. “With STAR Pravah, we hope to touch the chords of our
viewers and set new benchmarks in multi-genre Marathi content on television,”
said Uday Shankar, the CEO of STAR India. “The discerning viewers of
Maharashtra are unwilling to accept mundane, regular formats and are looking
for realistic, non-melodramatic and meaningful stories. Understanding their
needs, we hope to showcase programs with a strong Marathi cultural bent.”

One of the channel’s lead
programs at launch will be the epic Raja Shivchhatrapati, about Shivaji, the Maratha warrior king.

—By Mansha Daswani