Nijam with Smita: Will Sony LIV’s foray into the talk show format make the cut?

Talk shows have been a roaring success on Telugu television over the years and several celebrities, from Lakshmi Manchu to Rana Daggubati and comedian Ali have made a mark with their spontaneity with the guests. Telugu OTT platform aha added more spice to the format and introduced it to streaming enthusiasts as well with shows like Sam Jam, Unstoppable with NBK, All is Well and Tamasha with Harsha.

Another major OTT player is now gearing up to make its presence felt in the non-fiction space in Telugu. SonyLIV, whose several Telugu shows are to premiere later this year, is coming up with a talk show titled Nijam with Smita. Musician Smita is a well-known name among Telugu audiences for her independent numbers and film songs and this promises to be a new beginning for her as well.

While aha attempted to be funny, emotional and entertaining within this format, SonyLIV, going by the show’s trailer, is adopting a formalised approach to it. Samantha, Balakrishna and Rana have different strengths as hosts. While Samantha’s strength is her joyous approach, Balakrishna entertains audiences on his no holds barred talk on a wide range of topics with actors and politicians.

In comparison, Rana, much like Lakshmi Manchu, is quite a natural with talk shows and make the guests feel at ease regardless of their edgy questions. The promos of Nijam with Smita suggest that Smita’s USP is her elegance and grace with which she puts forward her thoughts and elicits responses from guests. The guest list - comprising Chiranjeevi, Sai Pallavi, Adivi Sesh, Chandrababu Naidu, Nani, Radhika Sarathkumar - is indeed compelling.

Njiam with Smita is coming to SonyLIV on February 10 and one can’t wait to see how the OTT platform and the host will fare in their attempt.