Star Plus is  taking a very big risk  by launching its big ticket mytho Aarambh on the week end slot . It will replace the thriller Koi Laut Ke Aaya Hai , which will reportedly  wrap up  on  18th June. The weekend fiction band has been the achilles heel of Star Plus. The channel has constantly tried  to innovate on Sat/ Sun with different shows like Airlines and Gulmohar Grand, but sadly both these properties tanked so badly that they did not complete  their respective  stipulated runs.  

Koi Laut Ke Aaya Hai featuring Surbhi Jyoti and Shoaib Ibrahim is also ending due to low numbers. For a long while Star tried to make the most of its daily shows (Saath Nibhaana Saathiya and Ye Hai Mohabbatein) by having them run all seven days of the week. But it  started to take a toll on the actors and the story lines and some of them (Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai)  had to revert back to normal five day’s run.

For a while there was no nonfiction, but  song and dance routine shows are back courtesy Nach Baliye, which again is not doing very well. In this situation to put up a very expensive show like Aarambh (written by Bahubali writer K.V Vijayendra Prasad and produced by Goldie Behl and Shrishti Arya) is a big gamble  on the weekend. If it does not work Star will lose huge not only in terms of money but also prestige. Having said that mytho is a  safe bet of late and Naagin had raked in huge numbers on the same band for a  rival  channel. So there is a huge audience waiting to be tapped. And Star has always scored on it staple content family drama and mytho is part of the same .
 

Although research suggests that certain genre shows work well on certain time slots alone but a good content can work wonder anywhere. Saath Nibhana Sathiya in its prime  would rake in huge numbers at  early evening 7 pm. There were many doubting Thomas  about  Naagin when  Color first  launched this mytho fantasy as well . 

Anil Merani