GECs
Balaji Films returns to DD as Jeetendra appreciates its marketing and growth
NEW DELHI: Television entrepreneur Ekta Kapoor, who commenced her career with Itihaas on Doordarshan, is back on the national broadcaster with a family-oriented love story.
Pavitra Bandhan – Do dilon ka will be telecast from Mondays to Fridays commencing from 9 September at 8:30 pm.
Balaji Films chairman and renowned actor Jeetendra recalled at a press meet here how the pubcaster had given him support when he and his daughter Ekta first launched their programmes. He said that DD was a king at one time as it was the only one in the race, but it has gradually re-emerged as a major player with this new marketing policies and increasing revenues. ‘The king is content, and not stars, and DD banks on content’, he said.
Pavitra Bandhan is a journey of two strangers Aashima and Girish, who are completely opposite to each other by nature but are destined to meet. But their priorities do not change when they meet and their main concerns remain their respective families.
Deputy Director General Raj Shekhar Vyas, currently in charge of the primary channel DD I, said Ekta had commenced on DD Metro with Itihaas, but had now come on the primary channel. He claimed that the viewership of DD National was now the largest in the world with 1.25 crore viewers.
He said that the channel had acquired world rights of Pavitra Bandhan and it had also been decided that 60 per cent of the revenue from commercials will come to Doordarshan, the balance going to Balaji Films.
Vyas added that DD had now gone on a marketing binge and was also advertising in the print media and through hoardings. A sum of Rs 2 crore had gone to newspapers in recent months on advertising.
V K Jain who is in charge of public relations in Doordarshan said that DD will soon launch cross-channel publicity, and already had over 2,000 hoarding sites in different parts of the country.
Yash Tonk, who plays the male lead, said that he found working in films and television equally challenging. However, he admitted that he had a greater name in TV.
Hritu Dudhani who plays the female lead said she had also acted as a police officer in an early serial on Doordarshan, and acted in Bandhini with Balaji Films.
Others in the cast are Yamini Thakur, Shabnam Sayeed, Shailley Kaushik, Munni Jha, Shalini Arora, and Rajat Dahiya.
Mallika Dutt who has written the story and screenplay denied that Balaji series appeared to go on and on and said this series will only last as long as the viewers want it.
GECs
Samsung TV Plus launches Kings of Comedy channel
New free FAST channel brings iconic Hindi comedy shows to millions of Samsung Smart TV owners.
MUMBAI: Samsung TV Plus has just turned up the laughter volume and it’s completely free. The leading free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) service in India has launched Kings of Comedy, a premium comedy channel featuring some of the country’s most beloved primetime shows. Available exclusively on Samsung TV Plus, the channel delivers back-to-back hits including Comedy Nights with Kapil, Khatra Khatra Khatra, and Comedy Nights Bachao, with no login or subscription required.
The launch marks a milestone for free streaming in India, offering audiences a dedicated comedy destination directly from their Samsung TV home screen. It arrives as Samsung TV Plus India celebrates its 5th anniversary, during which the service has grown its monthly active users by 42 per cent and more than doubled its total viewing hours. The platform now offers over 180 free channels across 14 languages.
Samsung TV Plus India general manager and head of business development Kunal Mehta said, “Comedy is the heartbeat of Hindi entertainment, and Kings of Comedy brings together the shows Indians already love, completely free on their Samsung TV. Our focus remains the same take the content people know and make it effortless to access.”
Globally, Samsung TV Plus has surpassed 100 million monthly active users across more than 4,500 channels, solidifying its position as one of the world’s leading free streaming services.
Kings of Comedy is now available on all compatible Samsung Smart TVs. For viewers seeking non-stop laughter without any cost, this new channel delivers a royal treat proving that sometimes the best entertainment really does come with no strings (or subscriptions) attached.
