Ronit, Sharad to strengthen &TV's weekend slate

With a family game show hosted by acting powerhouse Ronit Roy and a nouveau crime series featuring the towering Sharad Kelkar, &TV is looking out to strengthen its weekend programming slate over the coming weeks.

Both the actors added their charm on Tuesday night at an event here. They gave a glimpse into what to expect from the shows -- while Ronit played a real-time version of the game show "Deal Or No Deal" with a mediaperson, Sharad looked suave in his character from "Agent Raghav - Crime Branch".

Inspired by the internationally popular format of the same name, "Deal Or No Deal" attempts to bring back the flavour of family game shows. It will give a player a chance to win as much as Rs.1 crore in a game of chance.

But it has been given an Indian twist, shared Rajesh Iyer, business head, &TV.

"Instead of 26 models, there will be 26 family members with 26 briefcases, which will bring a twist in the tale. We thought it will be a brilliant idea to bring families to be a part of the show as the family concept is so deeply rooted in our culture," Iyer said.

The idea of bringing a family game show and an entertainer like "Agent Raghav - Crime Branch" is "to strengthen the weekend prime time and bring in more and more viewers with a varied taste in our fold".

"Agent Raghav - Crime Branch" marks the channel's foray into the crime genre. Iyer says it is "fast-paced", "high on action" and "thrill". Sharad says his character will break the "image" that a lot of films and TV shows have built in the mind of viewers regarding detectives, policemen and CBI officers.

"So far, the television has shown such officers as very strict and tough, in formals or in uniform all the time. But agents are also normal human beings... They go for family outings, go to malls, the beach...," Sharad said.

One to pick mostly intense characters, Sharad says as Agent Raghav, his character will not just have strong deduction powers on the basis of reading body language, stutter, stammer et al, but will also have a "witty, fun-loving and humorous" side to him.

Both the shows will go on air on September 5, and will be beamed every Saturday and Sunday. "Deal Or No Deal" will fill in the 8 p.m. slot, while "Agent Raghav - Crime Branch" will replace "The Voice India" in the 9 p.m. slot.