Movie Channels
BAG Films bags Urmila Gupta as additional director
MUMBAI: The Anurradha Prasad owned BAG Films has been strengthening its senior management. A couple of months ago, it announced the appointment of television veteran Ravina Raj Kohli as an advisor. Today, it informed the Bombay stock exchange (BSE) that it had roped in a new additional director in former DD and Star TV professional Urmila Gupta.
Currently, Gupta is a trustee director at Cinema Capital, an investment advisory company. She is also a producer/promoter at Taal India Communication. Confirming her appointment, BAG Network MD and chairperson Anurradha Prasad says, “We welcome her to the company. She is an old TV hand with a 360 degree experience. She will add a lot of value to BAG.”
Gupta has over 35 years of experience in the media and entertainment sector. She was the head of the India International Film Festival for many years. Later, she joined Doordarshan as deputy director general of its news and current affairs division.
In 1996, Gupta joined Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp as executive director of Star TV group. She headed its DTH operation in India called I Sky B which got dissolved, leading to her leaving the company in 1999. Apart from this, she has also worked with the Indian government for nearly 28 years.
Movie Channels
Zee5 launches five free FAST channels on Samsung TV Plus India
New genre-led channels bring comedy, drama, horror, classics and South films to Smart TVs.
MUMBAI: Zee5 just turned Samsung Smart TVs into a free entertainment buffet because when premium content costs nothing, even the remote control starts smiling. Zee5 has launched five curated free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels on Samsung TV Plus India, making high-quality, genre-specific entertainment available subscription-free to millions of Samsung Smart TV owners across the country.
The five channels now live are:
Zee Comedy Nation – Popular comedy shows and movies
Zee Dil Se – Compelling drama series
ZEE Horror Nights – Horror and supernatural content
ZEE Cine Classic – Timeless Indian films
ZEE South Flix – High-energy South Indian films dubbed in Hindi
All content is drawn from Zee5’s extensive library and programmed in a lean-back, always-on format ideal for large-screen viewing. This launch strengthens Zee5’s Connected TV strategy at a time when 64 per cent of its premium content watch time already comes from connected devices.
Zee5 chief business officer Siju Prabhakaran said, “At Zee5, we believe accessibility and scale will define the next phase of digital entertainment growth in India. Our presence on Samsung TV Plus strengthens our Connected TV strategy, enabling viewers to discover curated, genre-led content in a seamless, free, and premium environment.”
Samsung TV Plus India head of partnerships Kunal Mehta added, “Local partnerships are at the heart of how we grow Samsung TV Plus in India. Zee Entertainment is one of India’s most iconic media brands, and bringing their channels to our service means millions more Samsung Smart TV owners can enjoy premium local content, subscription-free.”
The channels are available directly through the pre-installed Samsung TV Plus app with no login or subscription required. This marks another milestone in Zee5’s CTV expansion and builds on its growing international presence, with Zee channels already available on Samsung TV Plus across Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
In a streaming world where paywalls often block the fun, Zee5 and Samsung have quietly opened the gates, proving that sometimes the best things in life (and on your TV) really are free especially when they come with a side of comedy, drama, horror, classics and South Indian blockbuster energy.
