Storytelling, action take centrestage as '24' returns for S2 from July 17

The Indian adaptation of hit American series ‘24’ will be back for Season 2 on Colors from July 17, 2016. For the show’s second season, Maruti Suzuki has come on-board as the Presenting Sponsor, while Oppo Mobiles is the Powered By Sponsor. Anil Kapoor reprises his role of Jai Singh Rathod from Season 1.

Colors unveiled the first look of the much-anticipated espionage thriller in Mumbai yesterday. In the midst of the entire cast and the crew, the trailer for ‘24: Season 2’ was revealed in the presence of the show’s most vocal supporter, Aamir Khan.

Commenting on the trailer, Raj Nayak, CEO, Colors, said, “The first edition of ‘24’ was an unprecedented game-changer; it conquered the Indian television industry with its freshness and gripping narrative. The show pushed traditional narrative boundaries with the device of presenting the plot within a real time format. We are in an environment where we cannot sit back and enjoy the customer’s loyalty. We need to take steps to differentiate ourselves from competition and ensure that our product has a high positioning in the viewers’ minds. The story bears terrific relevance because such situations might get real in today’s day and age. In times when terrorism is so pronounced, a bio-war is not a very far-fetched idea. As we return with the second season of the show, our challenge stands magnified. Anil Kapoor and the team have done an incredible job as the second season looks even more riveting in terms of storytelling and very international in terms of look and feel.”

Adding further, he said, “Our partners on the show, especially Maruti Suzuki S-Cross and Oppo Mobiles, have been extremely supportive throughout this journey. The show has enabled us to create multiple integration opportunities for them, further strengthening their brand proposition and promise.”

On bringing forth another high octane drama, Manisha Sharma, Programming Head, Colors, said, “What ‘24’ can deliver in terms of thrill and excitement to the viewers is something that cannot be replicated by any other show on Indian television. Anil Kapoor and our creative team have created a mass-friendly product for the Indian audience. The plotline is spellbinding from the start. It questions the preparedness of our nation to fight issues like terrorism, bio-threat epidemics if it were to crop up; and the same is very interestingly intertwined with very close to life take on interpersonal relationships, personal equations and modern day demons like, stress, anxiety, depression and insecurity. We can’t wait for this new adventure to unfold!”

Advertiser Speak

The series is continuing its association with automobile brands. For ‘24’ Season 1, which was aired in 2013, Tata Motors was the presenting sponsor and the company’s vehicles were integrated into the story.

For Season 2, Maruti Suzuki S-Cross is the presenting sponsor. Commenting on their association, RS Kalsi, Executive Director - Marketing and Sales, Maruti Suzuki India, said, “‘24’ is new form of international, premium entertainment, with an interesting amalgamation of fiction and reality for premium audience. S-Cross is a premium offering, which offers a unique combination of power and performance of a SUV and the comfort and refinement of a sedan. The target audience that ‘24’ caters to and its genre allows us to draw synergies between the brands of S-Cross and ‘24’. This association highlights the most significant virtues of S-Cross that make it an ideal crossover. S-Cross is perfectly designed to conquer the busy streets of the city as well as rough terrains which makes it the ideal crossover for the lead character Jai Singh Rathod.”

Oppo Mobiles has come on board as the Powered By Sponsor. On the association, Sky Li, VP of Oppo, MD of International Mobile Business and President of Oppo India, said, “We are thrilled with this partnership with popular show ‘24’, the most awaited show this season on Colors channel. Oppo Mobiles has been a game-changer in the mobile devices industry through its innovation and leadership in Selfie Technology and Camera Performance and so is the show ‘24’, with its action packed drama amid twists and turns. Our alliance with the show enables us to draw synergies with the show’s target audience and cater to their needs while increasing market penetration and brand recall.”

Crew Speak

‘24: Season 2’ is co-produced by Anil Kapoor Film Co and Ramesh Deo Productions. The second season is being directed by Abhinay Deo and Rensil D’Silva and adapted for Indian audiences by writers D’Silva and Niranjan Iyengar.

Divulging details about Season 2 of the show, actor and producer Anil Kapoor aka Jai Singh Rathod, said, “I have said from the beginning that the real star of ‘24’ is the concept which will compel viewers to think about national sensibility and sentiment. We have devised a complex plot which when combined with Jai Singh Rathod’s volatile relationships, strong instincts and adrenaline-fueled action, will be the perfect setting to foil a devastating terrorist plot. We are exploring different plotlines to enhance content relatability, shooting at multiple real locations outside Mumbai, and amping up the production scale to enhance the overall television viewing experience. Like last year, we have got on-board a stellar line-up of cast whose dedication towards the show has made this my best creation. I also thank the entire team of Colors for being with us in this journey and see our labor of love fructify.”

Said Director Abhinay Deo, “For all those who thought that ‘24’, in its first season, was a bundle of excitement, they will not know what hit them when the second season hits screens. We have utilised the international series as a benchmark to create some visually stunning content that, when coupled with the right mix of Indian-ness, promises to be an entertainment extravaganza like none other. We have taken on the socio-economic scenario of the country to make for a compelling narrative. The anticipation and fear of a geo-political threat and viral outbreak has been brought alive vividly. The fragility of relationships and their ever changing dynamics will touch a chord with the viewers, thereby heightening relatability. The depth, intellectualism and unorthodox storytelling will heighten mainstream entertainment. It’s been a long journey, with some invigorating scenes involving top-notch actors like Anil Kapoor, AshishVidyarthi, Sikander Kher and Sakshi Tanwar, amongst many more. We are excited to share our hard work with audiences and to see it bear fruition.”

Rensil D’Silva, Director, added here, “Shooting for ‘24’ is like filming a movie; it’s like creating a film-like experience for television audiences. Season 2 is a very ambitious project, because this time around we have amplified the production value through large scale shots, aerial views and the quality of the sets that we have shot at. When we’re shooting for ‘24’, it’s like filming 8-9 movies – almost feels like we’re running a marathon.”

One of the attraction factors of the show is its fast-paced, realistic action sequences. Speaking more on this, Allan Amin, Action Director, elaborated, “In ‘24: Season 2’, viewers will witness an absolutely new style of fighting for Anil Kapoor and the entire cast. Anil likes to perform his own stunts, which makes safety our primary concern. Every stunt has been rehearsed at least five times before the actual shot. The sequences look very authentic with all the actors getting into the skin of their respective characters during stunts.”

The international ‘24’ series has had a strong global following and adapting it for the Indian audiences has been challenging, as script writer Niranjan Iyengar explained, “Our biggest challenge, for a show like ‘24’, is that there is lot of technical information being passed on between characters all of which needs to be written in Hindi without sounding too complicated. This time, we have focused a lot more on the thrill element of the show. We have been very careful about maintaining the authenticity of the characters with a crisper narrative to keep the excitement; and, that’s been quite a difficult task.”

The Plot

‘24: Season 2’ picks up three years after the conclusion of Season 1. As the curtains rise, it’s evident that Jai Singh Rathod (Anil Kapoor) has isolated himself from the world to become a recluse on a self-imposed exile. His dark past has made him a fugitive from justice; and while his daughter Kiran (Sapna Pabbi) supports him, his son Veer (Akshay Ajit Singh), now a part of the Intelligence Bureau, does not. The iconic clock resets as druglord Haroon Sherchan (Sikander Kher) threatens to release a contagious airborne virus which will eradicate humanity, unless his brother Roshan (AshishVidyarthi) is released from prison. As radical groups and their potentially catastrophic plots unfold, the new ATU Chief, Shibani Mallick (Sakshi Tanwar), reaches out to Prime Minister Aditya Singhania (Neil Bhoopalam) to discuss preventive measures. Confident that only Jai Singh Rathod can prevent this brutality, Aditya Singhania calls upon him to ensure that reality is restored to its proper order. Setting in motion a series of events, the one-man-army Jai Singh Rathod returns to thwart every sabotage attempt in the face of political blackmail battling an unseen enemy with a personal vendetta.