Hindi
UTV to launch World Movies titles on home video
MUMBAI: UTV has announced that it is launching titles from its World Movies catalogue on home video in May.
UTV Motion Pictures says that it has got a varied catalogue of titles whose telecast rights have been acquired directly from the sole distributors of the films. The company says that its home distribution network in the metros, mini metros and class-1 towns in India reaches close to one million towns across the country.
The UTV Home Video division distributes its own movies – big Bollywood blockbusters, as well as Hollywood content.
UTV Entertainment Television CEO Shantonu Aditya says, “As a strong company philosophy, we have always believed in retaining our intellectual property rights as this makes us valued content custodians. We are very positive on the tremendous scope and growth prospects of this business and we know that this business model would drive our revenues significantly. We are going to provide value for money to Indian viewers as they get to see original versions of some of the most entertaining and recent box-office hits from around the world.”
World Movies has a library of over 500 titles including blockbuster hits and award winners across film festivals from around the world including the Oscars. Almost 50 per cent of these titles are available on DVD. Some of these titles include the Spanish film Buenos Aires 1977 that was nominated for the Golden Palm at Cannes in 2006; the new Carlos Saura musical Fados, La Zona – award winner at the Toronto International Film Festival and the Venice Film Festival; and Pierre Salvadori‘s comedy Priceless, a movie that ably demonstrates that if money cannot buy love, it sure can purchase lots of obsequious service from four-star hotel staffers and costly goodies from laughably pricey boutiques!
UTV adds that with several players in the market fighting for larger mind share of audiences, home video is at a significant stage in India with a lot of scope for penetration. Products are being offered at much lower costs to beat competition and exploitation is rampant after each theatrical release. The hardware costs of the DVDs are also getting lower.
Hindi
Zee5 and Applause Entertainment team up for whodunnit ‘Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa’
Rajat Kapoor directs star-studded murder mystery streaming from 10 April.
MUMBAI: Zee5 is serving up another killer collaboration and this time, the murder mystery comes with a generous side of dark humour and family dysfunction. The streaming platform has partnered with Applause Entertainment and Mithya Talkies to bring Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa, a fresh, twisted whodunnit written and directed by acclaimed filmmaker and actor Rajat Kapoor. The film will stream exclusively on Hindi Zee5 from 10 April.
The movie reimagines the classic murder mystery genre with a contemporary, darkly comic edge. It revolves around a group of friends and family who smile, drink, and celebrate together until the silence snaps and long-buried secrets spill out. The stellar ensemble cast includes Vinay Pathak, Ranvir Shorey, Waluscha De Sousa, Saurabh Shukla, Chandrachoor Rai, Neil Bhoopalam, Koel Purie, Palomi Ghosh, and Rajat Kapoor himself.
This latest offering continues the successful partnership between Zee5 and Applause Entertainment, which has previously delivered diverse hits such as Mithya, Bloody Brothers, and Jab Khuli Kitaab.
&TV Business Head of hindi Zee5 and chief channel officer Kaveri Das said, “Our collaboration with Applause Entertainment has consistently delivered distinct, high-impact storytelling. Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa is a natural progression, reinforcing our focus on genre-led content with a compelling whodunnit premise and a strong ensemble cast.”
Applause Entertainment business head for movies Sunil Chainani added, “This film adds yet another compelling layer to our slate with Rajat Kapoor’s unmistakable voice.”
Rajat Kapoor shared, “What interested me was not just the mechanics of a whodunnit, but the emotional violence that precedes physical violence. These are people who smile at each other, but there’s so much that is not said.”
The film promises razor-sharp writing, layered performances, and simmering tension, inviting viewers not just to solve the crime but to unravel the complex relationships at its heart.
If you love a good murder mystery served with wit and emotional depth, Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa looks set to be your next addictive watch. Mark your calendars, the whodunnit drops on Hindi Zee5 from 10 April.
