iWorld
Airtel’s festive surprise: Unwrapping Zee5’s entertainment treasure trove
MUMBAI: Just when you thought Santa was saving his best for Christmas, Airtel decided to beat him to it!
In a move as delightful as unwrapping your favourite gift early, Bharti Airtel has teamed up with Zee5 to deliver a digital feast for its wifi customers.
Starting with plans priced at Rs 699 and above, Airtel users can now dive into Zee5’s treasure trove of premium content—at no extra cost.
This holiday season, your binge-watching dreams come bundled with your broadband!
Through this collaboration, Zee5’s exclusive offerings—including original shows, chartbusters, and OTT movies—will become part of Airtel wifi’s ecosystem. Customers can enjoy 1.5 lakh plus hours of content, spanning multiple genres and languages, with hit titles such as Sam Bahadur, RRR, Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai, Manorathangal, and The Chronicles of Amaragiri.
Bharti Airtel CMO & EVP customer experience, Amit Tripathi highlighted the significance of the partnership, “Partnerships are at the core of Airtel’s DNA, and we are delighted to partner with Zee5 in our endeavour to build a world-class digital content ecosystem. Zee5’s rich library adds a lot of depth to our content portfolio, enhancing the overall experience for our users. We remain committed to building our content portfolio with a single agenda of delighting our customers with the very best.”
Zee5 CBO, Manish Kalra echoed the sentiment, “At Zee5, it has been our endeavour to democratise access to high-quality entertainment by making our diverse content library available to a larger audience. The collaboration with Airtel strengthens our commitment to offering viewers a seamless entertainment experience across genres, languages, and formats.”
Airtel wifi plans and benefits
With this integration, Airtel wifi customers can enjoy access to over 350 HD TV channels and 27 OTT platforms, including Disney+ Hotstar, Amazon Prime, Netflix, and now Zee5.
|
Plan |
Speed |
Benefits |
|
Rs 699 |
Up to 40 Mbps |
Zee5, Disney+ Hotstar, 22+ OTTs |
|
Rs 899 |
Up to 100 Mbps |
Zee5, Disney+ Hotstar, 22+ OTTs |
|
Rs 1099 |
Up to 200 Mbps |
Zee5, Amazon Prime, Disney+ Hotstar, 22+ OTTs |
|
Rs 1599 |
Up to 300 Mbps |
Zee5, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+ Hotstar, 22+ OTTs |
|
Rs 3999 |
Up to 1 Gbps |
Zee5, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+ Hotstar, 22+ OTTs |
Customers can claim their complimentary Zee5 subscription through the Airtel Thanks app.
With Zee5 joining Airtel’s lineup, the partnership reinforces Airtel wifi’s position as a frontrunner in delivering a comprehensive and enriching digital entertainment experience, offering unparalleled content variety to its subscribers.
iWorld
Asha Bhosle, the unforgettable voice that sang a thousand emotions
The melody that defined generations has fallen silent, but her songs will echo forever.
MUMBAI: The voice that once lit up countless silver screens and brought rhythm to millions of hearts has stilled. Legendary singer Asha Bhosle, one of the most versatile and prolific vocalists in Indian film music, passed away at the age of 92 in Mumbai on Sunday. She was admitted to Breach Candy Hospital on Saturday night after suffering cardiac and respiratory issues and had reportedly been unwell for several months.
Her son, Anand Bhosle, confirmed the news on Sunday afternoon. The last rites will be performed on Monday.
Born in 1933 into the illustrious Mangeshkar musical family, Asha began her journey in the golden era of Hindi cinema. She recorded her first film song at the age of nine in 1943 and, by the 1950s, had already carved a distinct space for herself in Bollywood. While her elder sister Lata Mangeshkar often took the more melodic, heroine-centric numbers, Asha quickly became the go-to voice for energetic cabaret tracks, dance numbers, and later, the full spectrum of emotional expression.
The 1950s–60s: Rise of the Cabaret Queen In the early decades, Asha was frequently typecast for “item songs” and Western-style numbers. Yet even within those constraints, she delivered unforgettable hits such as “Aaja Aaja” from Teesri Manzil and “O Haseena Zulfon Wali” from the same film. Her playful, sassy delivery gave these tracks a magnetic energy that still feels fresh today.
The 1970s: Peak Versatility This was the decade that cemented her legendary status. Songs like “Dum Maro Dum” (Hare Rama Hare Krishna), “Piya Tu Ab To Aaja” (Caravan), “Chura Liya Hai Tumne” (Yaadon Ki Baaraat), and “Yeh Mera Dil” (Don) became cultural touchstones. Asha proved she could swing from seductive to soulful with equal ease, working with almost every major composer of the era.
The 1980s: Emotional Depth and Ghazals After marrying composer R.D. Burman in 1980, Asha explored more nuanced, introspective territory. Her National Award-winning performances in Umrao Jaan (“Dil Cheez Kya Hai”) and Ijaazat (“Mera Kuch Saamaan”) showcased a matured, velvety voice capable of profound emotion. These tracks remain among the most cherished ghazals in Indian cinema.
The 1990s–2000s: Global Collaborations and Reinvention Even as newer voices emerged, Asha refused to fade. She collaborated internationally with the Kronos Quartet and released experimental albums. Later in her career, she lent her voice to younger composers and continued performing live, often sharing the stage with her granddaughter Zanai Bhosle.
A Life Beyond the Microphone Asha’s personal journey was as dramatic as her filmography. At 16, she eloped with Ganpatrao Bhosle, her personal secretary. The marriage ended in separation in 1960 after they had three children. In 1980, she married R.D. Burman in a union that faced family opposition but brought creative synergy. RD passed away in 1994.
Throughout her life, Asha remained grounded, often crediting classical music and ghazals for keeping her voice sharp. In a 2023 interview, she admitted she rarely listened to contemporary film songs, preferring the timeless works of Bhimsen Joshi and classic ghazals to stay inspired.
Her seven Filmfare Awards and two National Film Awards are merely numbers; the true measure of her legacy lies in the thousands of songs that still play in homes, cars, and hearts across generations. From the foot-tapping energy of “Dum Maro Dum” to the haunting beauty of “Mera Kuch Saamaan”, Asha Bhosle gave Indian cinema a voice that was simultaneously bold, tender, playful, and profound.
The golden era has lost one of its brightest stars, but the music she created will continue to refresh souls for decades to come. As the final notes of her extraordinary journey fade, India bids farewell to a voice that truly defined an era.
