Personal, subjective opinions Top 10 Indian TV rebrands of 2022 created 2 December 2022 Foreword: Disappointments and delights in 2021 This comes from a person who has had a lifelong interest in Indian TV graphics, and has also passionately been following European TV graphics since 2018. It was a huge letdown when hardly any major Indian TV channel rebranded with a new graphics package in 2021, especially since none of them were from the Star network (which rebranded to Disney Star in 2022) or Sony for that matter. We had to contend with smaller channel rebrands like Zee Marathi, Zee Ganga, Colors Bangla and Epic TV — some of which didn’t change their logos to go with the new graphics — along with some new news channel launches like Good News Today, Times Now Navbharat and Sansad TV. It is sadly telling that the rebrand of Zee Marathi in August was probably the biggest Indian TV rebrand in 2021. But the lack of even a single major Indian TV rebrand in 2021 clearly marked it as an aberration, because even during the pandemic-hit year of 2020, there had been plenty of rebrands and launches like Star Gold (2), Star Maa, Star Suvarna, &pictures, Zee Vajwa (RIP) and Zee Zest. Star and Sony’s surprises in 2022 As if to compensate for its complete lack of activity in 2021, Star has rewarded us with a good number of rebrands and new launches in 2022 — starting with the name of the company itself, which changed from Star India to Disney Star in April. Now, it had announced a long list of rebrands, launches and shutdowns in October 2021, most of which were to take place in December, with the launch of Star Kiran being in January 2022. Sadly, all of this was indefinitely postponed at the last moment, meaning that 2021 would not be witness to even a single rebrand from Star. This was a bitter, bitter pill to swallow. While most of these changes still remain indefinitely postponed, probably until the NTO 2.0 tariff rules come into place, Star was kind enough to at least allow the launches of the Marathi movie channel Pravah Picture and the Odia general entertainment channel Star Kiran (originally Star Kirano) to proceed. These took place in May and June 2022, respectively. In addition, it introduced a facelift for its secondary Hindi entertainment channel Star Bharat in July, before revamping two Tamil channels in October: first rebranding the struggling Vijay Music to the all-new youth channel Vijay Takkar, something that was not known in 2021, and then reinvigorating the flagship Tamil entertainment channel Star Vijay with a new look inspired by the Tamil alphabet. Oddly, though, the logo from Star Vijay’s previous major rebrand in June 2017 remained unchanged, whereas every other rebrand of Star channels has gone with new logos to match — including Star Maa and Star Suvarna in 2020, whose rebrands came not too long after the previous ones in 2016–17. But none of this could have prepared us for the huge surprise that Sony was brewing. While we had long known of Star’s proposed launches and shutdowns, the mega-rebrand of all the Sony channels on Diwali in October was completely out of left field. This meant that, at long last, the new style of Sony logos were going to be used in India, aside from the SonyLIV streaming service which had been using it since 2020. In India’s first such mega-rebrand since that of the Zee network in October 2017 — which remains the largest ever in Indian TV history — Sony took great pains to create a beautiful new look and graphics package for each channel, with largely outstanding results. Some of the Sony channels’ new graphics and theme music melodies were quite similar to the preceding ones, like Sony TV, Sony Max (2) and Sony Pal — but others were complete reinventions from the ground up, in particular Sony Sab and the Sony Sports Network. While of course the choice of using commonplace Google Fonts for almost all the channels is questionable (except Sony Pix, which oddly enough is the only disappointment otherwise) you cannot doubt the exemplary results in terms of on-air design and theme music that the graphics designers at Sony have produced. In fact, few would have thought that its only regional channels, Sony Aath and Sony Marathi, would have been up among the best. (However, the lasting usage of Montserrat — a much-overused and heavily disliked Google Font — will certainly rankle: not only does Sony Max continue to use it since its previous rebrand in July 2019, but it has now spread to Sony Max 2 and Sony Wah as well, replacing the far superior fonts previously used there.) Top 10 Indian TV rebrands of 2022 #10 Sony Max and Sony Max 2 (tie) #5 Sony Aath #9 Zee Bangla Cinema #4 Star Bharat #8 Sony Marathi #3 Sony Sab #7 Pravah Picture #2 Star Vijay #6 Sony Pal and Sony TV (tie) #1 Star Kiran Scores do not necessarily reflect in the above rankings. A channel may have a high total score (looks + music + font) but still have a lower ranking because of its lower sentimental value, lack of certain graphic elements, etc. The above rankings are purely subjective in nature. #10 Sony Max and Sony Max 2 (tie) Launched: 24 October 2022 Sony Max D major Music scales Sony Max 2 G minor Sony Max Montserrat Fonts Sony Max 2 Montserrat #10 Sony Max and Sony Max 2 (tie) Opinion For Sony’s Hindi movie channels, as with some others, the mega-rebrand in October 2022 was more of an evolution than a revolution. Not only were the same colours kept for each channel (though Sony Wah went for a multicoloured logo that was completely out of the blue), but Sony Max and Max 2’s theme music keys — D major and G minor, respectively — were also retained, with some minor changes to the music that were rather unnecessary, with the old ones sounding far superior — though nothing will compare to Sony Max’s C-sharp-major music (2015–2019) and Sony Max 2’s D-major music (2014–2017), which remain among the best in the history of Indian TV. But the worst outcome here is the extended run of Montserrat. This overused, clichéd Google Font that has become a cheap substitute for Proxima Nova and Gotham was already introduced by Sony Max in its Our scores 2019 rebrand, but not only has it been retained here, it 7/10 looks has even been extended to Sony Max 2 and Wah. 6/10 music Overall, a lot of wasted potential — especially as Sony 2/10 fonts Max continues to sink further into the abyss of South Indian movies, and away from Bollywood, as it has Total 15/30 been doing for nearly a decade. #9 Zee Bangla Cinema Opinion With the tenth anniversary of Zee Bangla Cinema, the first 24-hour Bengali movie channel, came a surprise rebrand that was not quite expected… and in a good way. This was the only noteworthy Indian rebrand in 2022 not from Star or Sony, and the only one of a top-left channel, not a top-right one. The glowing ring against a purple-orange dotted background lends the channel a very pretty and pleasant look that resonates with its tagline, Hok na ektu magic (Let there be a little magic). But it’s a shame that it is not accompanied by memorable theme music, nor is it in a 16:9 aspect ratio, let alone HD. This is especially so since most other regional movie channels from Zee either use the same copy-pasted graphics from Zee Cinema (i.e., Zee Cinemalu/Picchar/Thirai) or don’t care much about graphics (Zee Talkies), except for the Bhojpuri channel Zee Biskope. Still, unlike its biggest competitor Jalsha Movies, which has now also crossed 10 years, ZBC invests in great looks every now and then, but its potential will not be truly realised until it launches an HD feed. Our scores Launched: 24 September 2022 Total 19/30 8.5/10 looks Music scale Font 3/10 music N/A Gotham 7.5/10 fonts #8 Sony Marathi Opinion Since its launch in August 2018, Sony Marathi has always been something of an unconventional channel, with novel programming that sets it apart from Star Pravah and Zee Marathi, especially with many reality shows. Its graphics package had so far consisted of floral elements and mosaics in multiple colours, designed beautifully (as with many Sony channels in the late 2010s) by Sandeep Bodade. With the Sony mega-rebrand in October 2022, the channel decided to opt for a safe upgrade and not upset the apple-cart. Instead of yellows and greens and purples, there is now a harmonised colour palette of pale pinks and oranges with many floral elements from before, reinforcing Sony Marathi’s positioning as a complete family entertainment channel. Peaches and pinks are not often used in Indian TV graphics, and indeed it may be similar to the shades used in several makeup products and lipsticks. The Mukta font has also been retained. The music has the same essential tune as before, but it is now in B major (also used by Star Vijay) instead of the G major used before, with a strong Our scores background chorus that rouses and inspires. All in Launched: 24 October 2022 Total 22/30 all, a great effort, but a rather safe one, that stops 8/10 looks Music scale Font 7/10 music somewhat short of Sony Aath’s superior look and B major Mukta 7/10 fonts Kolkata cultural references. #7 Pravah Picture Launched: 15 May 2022 Music scale B minor Font Kohinoor Devanagari #7 Pravah Picture Opinion The process of ‘Kohinoorisation’ that started with Star Vijay in 2017 and, more prominently, was carried forward by Star Plus in 2018 and Star Jalsha and Star Pravah in 2019 had now reached its logical next target: the all-new Marathi movie channel Pravah Picture. All that was required for it to do was to replicate the traditional Maharashtrian graphical elements that Star Pravah had débuted in late 2019. As such, it looks quite similar to the parent Marathi channel in most aspects, from the Kohinoor font to the rangoli mosaics to the gems and floral patterns. The key differences, of course, are that the predominant colour here is dark blue with orange and crimson-red playing a supporting role. The kites and lanterns are also a nice touch. Pravah Picture has indeed done a pretty-looking job, but it almost feels as if there is nothing new: we have seen these geometric patterns before with the likes of Star Suvarna and, later, Star Kiran Our scores Total and Star Bharat. The heavy, battle-cry-esque B- 8/10 looks minor music (the same chord as Star Gold) is not 6/10 music 21/30 so memorable either. In conclusion: a beautiful graphics package but it lacks the newness that 7/10 fonts several other channels have managed to display, preventing it from getting a better rank. #6 Sony Pal and Sony Entertainment Television (tie) Launched: 24 October 2022 Music scales Sony Pal C major Sony TV A major and C major Sony Pal Mukta Fonts Sony TV Rajdhani #6 Sony Pal and Sony Entertainment Television (tie) Opinion Among the several Sony channels which went for a safe and minor graphics change in the mega-rebrand are Sony TV and Sony Pal, two of the broadcaster’s three Hindi GECs. (The third, Sony Sab, completely reinvented itself from head to toe, as mentioned later on.) Both channels use violet as a large part of their on-air look, which Sony TV then combines with orange (as with its previous look from 2016) and Sony Pal with pink. Sony TV has also retained its spinning geometric patterns, though with a different shape, while Sony Pal has opted for a different look from before with text and images sliding through rectangular ‘slats’, which has been executed excellently. Even in terms of music, Sony TV is exactly the same as before — which is a good thing as the musical score is melodious and calming — unlike Sony Max (2) which made minor changes to the existing theme music. However, Sony Pal has different music from before, in the same C major scale as Sony Sab (also partially used by SET). Font-wise, the choice of Rajdhani for Sony TV — an exotic, underrated Google Font — is far better than the clichéd Montserrat used by the movie channels, while Our scores 8/10 fonts Mukta for Sony Pal is a popular and solid choice. 9/10 looks Total 22/30 Overall, a safe and pleasing evolution for both, as 7/10 music opposed to Sony Sab’s radical rebrand. #5 Sony Aath Launched: 24 October 2022 Music scale A major Font Hind Siliguri #5 Sony Aath Opinion Few would have thought that one of Sony’s smallest channels would be one of the most impressive with its graphics design. The Bengali channel Sony Aath, unlike other general entertainment channels, has its programming lineup made up of three genres: crime and horror shows; reruns of some old popular serials on Sony TV and Sony Sab; and children’s animation shows, which unlike the other two are originally produced in Bengali. Though it does manage to get some viewership, this is nowhere near Zee Bangla and Star Jalsha. Now its previous graphics package, introduced in 2017, also incorporated Kolkata icons like trams, the Howrah Bridge, the Victoria Memorial and Durga Puja. But with the mega-rebrand of the Sony channels, Sony Aath decided to take it a step further and go all-in on symbols like maachh (fish), mishti (sweets) and Durga, encapsulated in an accordion- like group of discs with a rich dark crimson-red as the primary colour. Along with the Hind Siliguri font (Hind is scarcely seen on TV otherwise) the result is as authentically Bengali as it is aesthetically Our scores Total beautiful. The only minus point is the wholly 9.5/10 looks unmemorable A-major music, which is — as was the 5/10 music 23/30 case for Sony TV and Sony Max (2) — almost entirely unchanged from before, and the 4:3 aspect ratio. All 8.5/10 fonts told, a tantalising delight and a notch better than Sony Marathi, its only other regional-language sibling. #4 Star Bharat Launched: 25 July 2022 Music scale Font D major Noto Sans Devanagari #4 Star Bharat Opinion This writer has a fondness for the D scale, be it major or minor, and the rebrand of Star Bharat in July from a generic entertainment channel to one focused on love stories includes an immensely soulful flute composition in D major. It was likely intended to evoke the passions of its most well-known serial, Radhakrishn, and indeed the on-stage rebrand event had a large part dedicated to the sweet melody of Krishna’s flute, making it one of the finest musical compositions in Indian TV graphics in 2022. To go with the new brand identity is a vibrant graphics package consisting of flying sarees in various textures, which is designed to evoke the colours of love. The sky-blue background is an unexpected one, as the channel’s previous graphics (with decidedly unmemorable G-major music) had varied multicoloured brush-strokes on a dark blue canvas. Still, there are a few minus points in this otherwise highly vivid look, such as the usage of Noto Sans Devanagari (Latin should have used a different font, at least) and the Our scores jerky animation when revealing the show Total 25 /30 name and time. Nevertheless, the designer 9.5/10 looks 10/10 music sarees and patterns and the wonderful D- 5.5/10 fonts major flute music make Star Bharat a winner. #3 Sony Sab Launched: 24 October 2022 Music scale Font C major Ubuntu #3 Sony Sab Opinion Unlike many other Sony channels, which retained several of their existing graphical elements and music in the mega-rebrand, the brief at Sony Sab was to do a complete reinvention from scratch, keeping nothing from the past. This was part of its transformation from a family comedy-centric channel to a ‘living-room brand’ with stories encompassing the gamut of human emotions. The results have been outstanding, with the new purple-red-orange ‘layers’ showing yet again the sheer prowess of Sony’s graphic designers. Coupled with the powerful, heart-rousing C-major music that stands head and shoulders above Sony’s other C- major compositions this year (Sony TV and Sony Pal), this is hands down one of Sony’s most well-executed rebrands in 2022… save for one little thing. Much as almost all elements have been handled with extreme deftness and precision, this can’t be said for Ubuntu, an ubiquitous (but nice) Google Font that now-defunct Indian channels like Channel V and Zindagi have executed much better. Something seems a bit off and jerky whenever Ubuntu appears Our scores Total on screen; using less English and more Devanagari text, as well as not using Ubuntu in bold and 9/10 looks 9.5/10 music 26.5/30 uppercase, would be more professional. Overall: a fantastic combination of graphics and music, only 8/10 fonts slightly let down not by Ubuntu itself but rather its behaviour and movements. R.I.P. Tunisha Sharma (4/1/2002–24/12/2022, age 20) lead actress of Ali Baba: Dastaan-e-Kabul; committed suicide #2 Star Vijay Launched: 23 October 2022 Music scale B major Font Mukta Malar #2 Star Vijay Opinion The rebrand of Star Vijay in June 2017 was urgently needed to bring it on par with other Star channels from the North, which were moving much faster than South Indian channels in terms of rebrands. The soulful music in B major (a very tricky scale to pull off and not a popular one as a result) and the rotating flower shapes made for one of the best on-air appearances of a Star regional channel, which was expressed beautifully by the slogan Edhilum Pudhumai, Tamizhan Perumai (somewhat preserved in the new slogan, Maarum Pudhumai Maaraadha Perumai). Now, five years on, it was time for a renewed look, which the channel introduced on the day before the Sony mega-rebrand, with the result that it was somewhat drowned out in all the news about Sony. That does not take away from a fantastic evolution to a rooted, authentically Tamil graphics package: from the letters of the Tamil alphabet making up graphic elements, to the four-colour palette (blue, yellow, green, red), to the drums and temples and other cultural emblems of Tamil Nadu, topped off by a Our scores Total 27/30 different and still enchanting rendition in B 9/10 looks major, the result is one of the most enriching of 9.5/10 music 2022. If only the logo changed, though, or at 8.5/10 fonts least had the Star wordmark added to it, it would be perfect. #1 Star Kiran Launched: 6 June 2022 Music scale Font C♯ minor Baloo Bhaina #1 Star Kiran Opinion It is no understatement to say that the entry of Star into a large, but heavily overlooked, regional market was far and away the most-awaited and -anticipated from the network. As a tribute to the rich tribal art tradition of Odisha, Star Kiran, one of only a small number of Odia entertainment channels, ensured that its on-air look was heart-touching, authentic and rooted. The new channel roped in Odia traditional folk artists to create one of the most emotionally powerful, nature-inspired idents in ages that was all about celebrating Mother Earth and the Forest with its birds, deer and vegetation. It was moving enough to bring tears to our eyes. Odisha’s age-old heritage of Pattachitra folk art was presented beautifully on screen, and the Star network’s tried-and-trusted graphic device of two mirror-imaged elements moving apart to reveal the show date and time (as seen on the previous page) took the form of a flower in this case. Sealing the deal is the melodious theme music in the little-used C-sharp-minor scale. Only the Baloo Bhaina font, which is also used by Star Suvarna, could have been used a little less in its bold weight, but that hardly takes away from the best Indian graphics Our scores Total package in 2022. If a graphics package brings tears of 10/10 looks the happy kind, it is almost always phenomenal. Star 10/10 music 28/30 Kiran is the ultimate example of tradition marrying 8/10 fonts modernity.
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