Daily soap bug bites even the Disney channel

Mumbai, Dec 22: Disney Channel, which is popularly known for its kids animation programmes, will ring in the New Year with its second major original local production 'Dhoom Machaao Dhoom,' a daily soap.

The new serial, which goes on air from January 8, 2007, tells the story of four young girls who team up to form a band against all odds, reflecting the tastes, preferences and struggles of the present generation children.

Addressing a press conference here yesterday, Nachiket Pantvaidya, Executive Director of Walt Disney Television International (India) said,'' we are a committed local player in the kid's entertainment space and the new series is our next strong bid to showcase all that Disney channel stands for.'' 'Dhoom Machaao Dhoom' is jointly produced by Show M and Sundial Creative Media Pvt Ltd headed by Raveena Raj Kohlli.

Mr Pantvaidya said Disney's first original local content 'Vicky Aur Vetaal' has been well received and the channel was in the process of upscaling the number of hours of locally produced content. In the next one year, the local programming will be 130 hours, which is about 40 per cent of the total programming. The channel completed its two years of programming in India on December 17, he added.

He said his channel was keen on programming children which India can identify with.''We are also keen on the content which reflects on their lives,'' he added.

Replying to a question on why she chose Disney channel for her first daily soap, Ms Raveena Raj Kohlli said her show was targeted at an audience which was on the threshold of adulthood. ''This show would surely reposition Disney as a mainstream entertainment channel. In my show, the girls are in standard eleven. Through music, they wish to express themselves and carve out their own identity.

''Music and fighting for identity are the motivating factors of children of this age group,''she added. Playback singer Shreya Ghosal has lent her voice to the songs, musician Shantanu Moitra has composed the music to the lyrics of Swanand Kirkire. Raveena said she chose the four girls based on their star value and put them through music training. Speaking about the show, she said the story follows the life and times of Priyanka, who returns from the US with her mother and confronts arrival and adjustment problems, as those around her say she is not in sync with India.

The story moves on to include Priyanka's friends -Malini, Ambika and Kajal. Their acceptance of her and the foursome's journey to create a band, sparks off differences in mindsets between them. It is a journey of adjustment and growing up, of hope and despair, of success and failure in the context of young people who are on the brink of adulthood. ''Full of fun and laughter, the series depicts youth related matters in a manner that is light hearted and entertaining,''she added.

When asked as to how many episodes have been planned, Raveena said the show was a daily soap and includes the trials and tribulations of the girls.

UNI