WHEN ENDEMOL India and the channel Colors decided to sign on German supermodel Claudia Ciesla for the third season of their very popular show Bigg Boss, may be they didn’t realise that Claudia, who is a very popular ramp and fashion model in Germany and the rest of Europe would become some sort of a brand ambassadress for Indian television.
Knowingly or unknowingly, Colors as a brand has ensured that its reach has spread to Europe and Germany for sure. Says Claudia Ciesla’s manager in Germany, Gergor Kaden, “A lot of people in Germany have begun watching the channel Colors, thanks to Claudia as she is very popular as a model, singer and fashionista out here. While the channel would have otherwise been an unknown entity among the common man in places like France, Germany, Italy, Poland, etc, Claudia’s presence and persistence in Bigg Boss has sparked off a flurry of media activity.” In the last six months, there must have been about two to three articles on Indian television, but the last two months has seen about eight to ten stories on the ‘booming Indian television market’.
Claudia Ciesla’s Indian publicist Flynn Remedios – himself a senior journalist and media analyst says: “While Bollywood and Bollywood movies were discussed and have been mentioned time and again in the European press and media, in the last two months, thanks to Claudia Ciesla’s ongoing stint in the popular reality show Bigg Boss, Indian television shows have become the apple of the European media’s eye. At least, eight to ten articles have appeared in the mainline European print media in the last one month alone,” explains Flynn, adding that one of the biggest German (and European) papers BILD has published two articles on Bigg Boss and Indian television shows in the last one month itself.
“A prestigious eco-political magazine FOCUS has also written about Indian television. Local newspapers in Germany, Poland (from where Claudia originally hails) and Baveria (where she currently stays) have also run articles on reality shows in India,” adds Flynn Remedios displaying the clippings of these articles. “It is not just the tabloid press or the entertainment media that is suddenly taking additional interest in India. It is also the business, commercial and financial media. Analytical articles have appeared on the advertising potential, the reach, etc of Indian channels like Colors.
Even the quality of Indian TV programming and software has come under scrutiny with the latter coming out in a very positive and encouraging way,” explains Remedios. “Indian TV shows, their packaging, presentation, style, concept, publicity strategy and the works are now being discussed in detail in the European trade media,” informs Flynn Remedios, who tracks the international media with an eagle’s eye for his clients.
Another media analyst and entertainment journalist, Rejane Coelho opines that Claudia Ciesla’s participation has bridged Indian television with the mainline European media.