Karan Johar and Yash Chopra at the launch; (left) the cast and crew of the five YRF shows on Sony Entertainment Television

What happens when the country’s biggest film factory teams up with the brightest producer-director in the business on a leading general entertainment channel? “Fireworks!” smiled Karan Johar at the announcement of the Yash Raj Films foray into the television space with Sony Entertainment Television at a power-packed launch at the Hyatt Regency in Mumbai on Tuesday evening.

In the film-making business for the last 30 years, the people behind some of the biggest Bollywood blockbusters are all set to beam as many as five shows on Sony, ranging from fiction to sci-fi to reality. “All these years, we have brought the audience to the theatres. Now it’s time to get into people’s homes,” said producer-director Yash Chopra, the man behind the Yash Raj banner.

t2 gives you a sneak peek into television’s “red revolution”, beaming January 1 onwards…

Lift Kara De: YRF TV’s flagship show with Karan Johar bridging the gap between superstar and fan. Aired over 20 weeks, Lift Kara De will be the quest to find the biggest fans of the biggest Bollywood stars. “There are some people who dedicate their entire lives towards idolising a film star. Through this show, we will strive to provide a face and a platform to them. But along with all the fun and masti, there will also be a serious side to the show. This is a show that is dollops of entertainment but also tons of heart and soul,” smiled Johar, looking dapper in a black suit.

From Amitabh Bachchan to A.R. Rahman, from Ranbir Kapoor to Rani Mukerji, a YRF-KJo collaboration means that all 20 weeks of Lift Kara De will be star-studded. And no prizes for guessing who will star in the inaugural episode? “Shah Rukh Khan is my lucky charm. He was my first guest on both seasons of Koffee with Karan and it’s but natural that I would want to start Lift Kara De with him too,” said SRK’s best buddy.

(Friday and Saturday at 8pm.)

Mahi Way: The desi answer to Bridget Jones, this “feel-good rom-com with an emotional connect” is about overweight Mahi who spreads love and happiness wherever she goes, but remains bereft of love herself. “Mahi Way is about building confidence and rediscovering oneself. The show is about the millions of girls out there who aren’t drop-dead gorgeous, but are beautiful in their own way,” said Pushtiie who plays Mahi. Another Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin from Sony?

(Saturday at 9pm.)

Seven: Inspired by mythology and set in the modern world, Seven is about a group of seven youngsters, endowed with superhero powers. If one can fly, the other can predict the future. “Seven is an attempt to marry ancient wisdom to modern cool,” said writer Anuradha Tiwari. Cutting edge technology, visually breathtaking special effects and stunts only seen in films so far comprise the USP of this good versus evil story.

(Friday at 9pm.)

Rishta.com: After witnessing swayamvars played out live on television, it’s time for a fictional take on marriage. The story of the lives and loves of two partners who head a marriage portal, Rishta.com is touted as “today’s take on an age-old institution”. “We all hear funny matchmaking stories all the time. Now get to watch it all on Rishta.com,” smiled Shruti Seth who plays the no-nonsense Isha Mirchandani. Will Rakhi Sawant make a guest appearance on this one? We hope not!

(Sunday at 8pm.)

Powder: Yash Chopra’s answer to Ram Gopal Varma — at least on television. Set against the narcotics trade in the Mumbai of today, Powder is a fast-paced, high-octane drama that moves from murky bylanes to glitzy highrises and from ordinary citizens to power players. “Powder is not the story of Dawood Ibrahim or Chota Rajan, but about the lesser known faces of the underworld,” said director Atul Sabharwal.

(Sunday at 9pm.)

Footnote: At the launch, the Sony-YRF alliance was hailed as the brainchild of Chopra scion Aditya. “Adi has toiled for many years to make YRF TV a reality” said father Yash about the Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge director.

But true to form, Aditya was conspicuous by his absence. About which Karan Johar quipped: “Just as we have unveiled this venture today, maybe one day we will be able to unveil Aditya Chopra!”