Show highlighting this concept, Kaleerein, to premiere on 5th February 2018 and air every Monday to Friday at 7:30 pm
Mumbai: Zee TV set out on a journey to kick-start a movement to create awareness for its upcoming fiction offering Kaleerein. Joining hands with social activist and actor-producer Gul Panag, who believes in living life on her own terms, The Channel launched the #ChangeHerNot social media experiment through a specially designed website www.MySoniKudi.com.
Designed by Zee TV’s digital agency, Big Trunk, MySoniKudi.com gave grooms the option of choosing from gharelu brides, fair-skinned beauties, cooking champions and many more unfortunate, stereotypical moulds that the society has created over the years. With the objective of highlighting the sheer absurdity of this stark reality and to nudge the audience to question these age-old shackles, the matrimonial website was introduced on social media by vocal supporter Gul Panag who criticized the portal for commoditizing brides. While it was disappointing to see the website receiving thousands of registrations from serious prospective grooms within a matter of hours, the social media experiment was truly a success when an exponentially higher volume of noise erupted on Twitter with people crying out in unison against slotting brides into categories and expecting them to change themselves for the sake of marriage.
As the true intent of the website and the #ChangeHerNot campaign was revealed, the overwhelming support from all quarters reflects that Indians are no longer willing to adhere to societal shackles but want to rewrite them to take control of their own destinies, thereby extending a strong support to Zee TV’s brand philosophy and content mantraAaj Likhenge Kal.
Deepak Rajadhyaksha, Deputy Business Head, Zee TV said, “MySoniKudi was aimed at eliciting precisely the kind of strong reactions it has evoked. The sheer absurdity of commoditizing brides is what one wanted to highlight through this initiative and we’re thankful to Gul Panag for having joined us in raising our voice. So, while the website isn’t real, the issue is. It is sad that to be marriageable, a woman has to be a certain way. From gharelu to sanskaari, fair-skinned to no western clothes, no-career to a great pay package, there are all kinds of customizations expected, making bride-grooming schools that get young women to fit specific moulds a reality. We wanted people to experience the starkness of this harsh reality through MySoniKudi.com and have the nation stand up in unison and say #ChangeHerNot. In fact, our very next fiction offering Kaleerein tackles this subject head-on, showcasing the journey of Meera, a small-town bride who refuses to bow down to the diktats of bride grooming and celebrates her individuality. Through her example, the idea is to help Indian women free themselves from the mould of a stereotypical bride, earning them the right to find a groom who is willing to accept them the way they are.”
Along with the #ChangeHerNot campaign, Zee TV has planned a series of ATL and BTL activations to create awareness about the unfair expectations that one has from a prospective bride, and highlight the concept of Kaleerein amongst the relevant target audiences.
Kaleerein is the story of Meera, a small-town girl from Punjab, who chooses to assert her individuality against the reality of bride grooming schools that are mushrooming all over Punjab; schools that prescribe a bucket-list of must-have qualities for a bride to land the perfect groom. A free-spirited girl who wants to live life on her own terms, Meera values her uniqueness and is in search of a suitor who will accept her for the person she truly is. Making her debut as the effervescent Meera will be debutante Aditi Sharma while popular actor Arjit Taneja will be seen as the male protagonist in the show. Kaleerein is co-produced by Nikhil Sinha and Priya Mishra of Triangle Films and will go on air starting 5th February 2018 and air every Monday to Friday at 7:30 pm on Zee TV.
