How did the big idea come? Was it a result of research and long debate?
We did elaborate research to find out what audiences wanted and why they were moving away from Star Plus. But we also had a gut feel on what would and would not click. Did you look at the weaknesses of competing channels like Zee and Sony before you formulated your strategy? We looked at the weaknesses we had, not our rivals. Zee and Sony, in fact, were strong in the 9-10 pm band. The art of winning is to focus on your own strengths, rather than exploiting somebodys weaknesses which can be corrected. What was your short-term target? We wanted to make an impact; we needed to be relevant and original. We knew we could make it if we came out with good content. The immediate task was to get viewers to taste our fare. The Amitabh Bachchan-anchored game show Kaun Banega Crorepati provided us with that catapult. Inside the organisation, what were the changes you felt were necessary? How did you select your core team? The first task was to put the right men at the right spot. Sameer Nair was m
