Stories should be rebooted, happy with Kyunki's comeback: Applause's Sameer Nair

Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi reboot will premiere today

One of Indian television's most popular shows Kyunki Saas Bhi Bahu Thi is making a comeback with its second season starting July 29, and media veteran Sameer Nair can't keep calm.

Nair who was the head of programming at StarPlus back in 2000 when the daily soap first aired says more Indian stories should be retold. He currently is the Managing Director at Applause Entertainment, a leading content studio owned by Aditya Birla Group.

"I am really happy for Kyunki because it's a great show and it had a great run and now it is being rebooted. KBC (Kaun Banega Crorepati) is also going on. I started for three seasons and then we let go of it and then Sony carried the flag forward. Amitabh Bachchan has been at the center of it all and the show is still going strong," he said.

As an audience and as an industry, we tend to beat ourselves up too much about these things in India, Nair said on rebooting content.

"The Americans so easily reboot Batman like 14 times. There's a new Superman out there and you ask, what's new? They say, he's got a dog. And yet, people are going and seeing the movie and loving it. Stories should be rebooted and good stories should be retold for succeeding generations. That's how the Mahabharata has been told again and again," Nair said.

Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi's comeback has also generated a lot of brand buzz.

As many as eight brands have signed on as sponsors.

On Star Plus, the show is co-presented by Tide+, Kalyan Jewellers, Maruti Suzuki India Limited, followed by co-powered by sponsors including Fortune Soyabean Oil, Colgate, along with SMART Bazaar. On JioHotstar, Kalyan Jewellers and Maruti Suzuki India Limited continue their presence as co-presenting sponsors, along with Fortune Chakki Fresh Atta, UTI Mutual Fund and SMART Bazaar as co-powered by sponsors.

“The return of Kyunki is a full-spectrum media moment. The show is a multi-generational IP (Intellectual Property) which brings together a powerful blend of nostalgia, reach and cultural depth, which helps connect family members together, each finding their own story in the same narrative. Very few properties offer that kind of intergenerational resonance today, and Kyunki delivers on that with precision,” said Ajit Varghese, Head of Revenue, Entertainment & International, JioStar.

On digital, Varghese said that brands have advertising slots like in-episode graphical placements (astons and branded windows), co-branded vignettes, CTV (Connected TV) pause ads, 3D breakout billboard, and fence ads. From visibility to interaction, the digital ecosystem offers full-funnel coverage, from branded quizzes to immersive, long-form narrative assets.

Returning as a daily prime-time property, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi will have more than 100 episodes and will bring back popular characters like Tulsi Virani, played by Smriti Irani and Mihir Virani, played by Amar Upadhyay.

Produced by Balaji Telefilms, the show celebrates 25 years since its original debut.