Epic further firms up 10 pm slot; lines up two new shows

Channel to launch 'Khwaabon ka Safar with Mahesh Bhatt' on October 19 and 'Devlok with Devdutt Pattanaik' on October 21

Shanta Saikia | Delhi | October 14, 2015

Epic channel is all set to further strengthen its 10 pm slot with the launch of two new shows – 'Khwaabon ka Safar with Mahesh Bhatt' and 'Devlok with Devdutt Pattanaik'. While 'Khwaabon ka Safar' is premiering on October 19, 2015 and will air on Mondays, 'Devlok' will hit the screens on October 21, 2015 and will air on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

'Khwaabon ka Safar' will replace 'Stories by Rabindranath Tagore'. The show, which will be hosted by filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, will explore timeless tales of some of Bollywood's most iconic personalities behind the eminent studios of the Hindi film industry. Each episode will pay tribute to and provide in-depth research and insights from some of the stalwarts of the film industry. The show will recount their experiences working with the creators of memorable studios like Bombay Talkies, RK Studios, Prabhat Studios and many others.

Mahesh Bhatt

Speaking at the launch of the show, Bhatt said, “It was humbling to revisit the narratives of these brave people. Dream makers are solitary people. Though they walk alone, it is on their shoulders that the future generation stands.” He lamented that fact that today people were becoming a 'Google generation', a life which lacked nuances and added that “history of the nation is actually the story of its people”.

'Devlok with Devdutt Pattanaik' will replace 'Jaane Pehchane with Javed Akhtar'. The show will reveal the lesser known aspects of Indian mythology.

Mahesh Samat

The launch of the two new shows is in keeping with the Epic channel's focus on the 10 pm slot. When asked about the importance of this time slot, Mahesh Samat, MD, Epic channel, said, “It is a time when people are more relaxed, the initial rush of the 9 pm prime time is over and they are more open to a diverse range of content.”

On the content strategy, Samat said that the channel was steadfast in its aim to bring back the tradition of storytelling. The channel is also geared for OTT platforms as it has always had shows with a limited number of episodes and goes by season.

Epic, which is completing one year on November 19, 2015, is now looking to enter the second stage of monetisation, where the focus would be on subscription and advertising revenues. The channel will also be more bullish on its social media presence. For 'Khwaabon ka Safar', the channel has introduced Twitter Alarm, which will inform people about the upcoming episodes.

The SEC AB 25+ TG continues to be the focus group for Epic, however, there are plans to tap the audience beyond the metros now, where there is a huge market for mythology and history related content. Since the shows are in Hindi, Samat is confident of gaining traction in these markets.

He further said that among the shows in the pipeline was one on India's martial arts as well as a new season of 'Lootere – Bandits of British India'.

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