Youth channels encourage viewers to fight back

While Channel V has recently launched a show called Heroes, Bindass is launching one called Halla Bol on February 28. MTV India is also in the race and has launched a show, Traffic to fight human trafficking.

Channel V (youth GEC from Star India) and Bindass (youth entertainment channel from Disney UTV) are aiming to inspire Indian youngsters to be strong and raise their voice against those who wrong them. MTV India has decided to raise voice against human trafficking and creating more awareness through a five part series.

While Channel V has recently launched a show called Heroes that airs every Sunday at 7 pm, Bindass and MTV India are gearing up to launch Halla Bol and Traffic on February 28 at 7 pm on the respective channels.

The first season of Bindass' Halla Bol will showcase stories inspired by various real life instances. The show celebrates the victories of women who stand their ground and emerge victorious. According to the channel, the show is an expression of Bindass' commitment to inspire purposive action and will take viewers through engaging stories of the resurgence of human spirit.

According to Shalini Sethi, director content, Bindass, Halla Bol is a show with a markedly different narrative. It is about how women can fight real life crimes - crimes that are a part of any young woman's everyday life. "Today's youth are the 'do generation', restless to act. That's exactly what you will see in the show. We plan to extend the flavor of the 'b for change' campaign with Halla Bol. These are stories of women who've fought back for themselves and that's what every young Indian should do," she says. Halla Bol will be hosted by actor Karan Tacker.

In its first episode Bindass' Halla Bol will showcase a blazing issue prevalent in the society - that of eve teasing. Every episode will have a female youth icon will tell her tale, thus encouraging viewers to take purposive action. The episodes would conclude with the debunking of inane myths that surround women's issues.

In an effort to raise fight against human trafficking, MTV India too has launched a five-part series called Traffic. This will be a part of its multimedia campaign, MTV EXIT and is produced and hosted by Anurag Kashyap, the film maker. MTV Exit is an international entity and works towards creating awareness through shows and documentaries amongst other initiatives.

To be aired on Friday, February, 28, the first episode follows the journey of three girls from Mizoram who were forced into the sex trade. The show will be slotted at 7pm on Fridays.

Meanwhile, the show Heroes shares stories of sexual assault, instilling fear in the accused and a sense of strength in the victims. Produced by Endemol India, the show is aimed not only at making the youth aware of societal hazards, but also at showing them ways in which they can combat such situations.

Heroes is a re-enacted drama series based on the incidents of sexual assault that occur in various places (hospitals, offices, schools and colleges), against men and women from different social strata, and of various ages. Each 60-minute episode will bring one sexual assault story to light from the point of view of the victims, right from the time the harassment began to tipping point beyond which they could bear it anymore and decided to fight back.

Prem Kamath, EVP and GM-Channel V says, "The new motto of our channel has been 'V Correct Hai' and what can be more correct than a show like Heroes. Sexual assault happens in our society every day in some form or the other, and a show like this will make people more cautious and will empower them against all the forces at play. The show reiterates our belief in the philosophy that the abuse will stop when the silence does."

On creating a format that deals with real life issues such as sexual harassment, Deepak Dhar, director and CEO, Endemol India says his team is determined to create a show that brings to light the unspoken yet horrific, "plague-like issues" that women in India face on a daily basis. The format, he adds, will also bring to light the education barrier. "Heroes is also an ode to the women who have shown the courage to walk out of such thorny affairs with their head held high," he says.