GECs
Ek Main Aur…ties up with ‘Corporate’; Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L’il Champs set to roll
MUMBAI: Zee TV’s music talent hunt show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Ek Main Aur Ek Tu has tied up with Percept Groups P9 Integrated Pvt Ltd. to promote the film, Corporate. Director of the film Madhur Bhandarkar was a guest on the show this week.
Meanwhile, the auditions for the next series Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L’il Champs will be held tomorrow (17 June) in Lucknow at the Ravindralaya Auditorium and in Delhi at the National Science Centre. The audition in Mumbai will be at the Russian Culture Centre on 18 June. This contest is open to children between the ages 8 to 15 years. The series is expected to go on air next month.
As a part of the tie up with P9, Corporate will be extensively promoted on the channel. Besides this, the biggest draw of the alliance is that the film’s lead actress Bipasha Basu will be a guest at the grand finale of Ek Main Aur Ek Tu in Dubai. Kay Kay Menon, the lead actor in the film, is also expected to be present. The finale will be held on 24 June.
Director Gajendrra Siingh said, “All along the series, we have had promotional tie ups with many Hindi films and to be associated with a director like Madhur Bhandarkar, who is known to be a trendsetter in his craft, is a privilege.”
Zee TV vice president marketing Tarun Mehra said, “It is a pleasure to be associated with the movie. Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Ek Main Aur Ek Tu’s performance has surpassed our expectations and at this stage, we are proud to associate ourselves with a promising movie like Corporate.”
This week, Bhandarkar along with the film’s music director Shamir Tandon, witnessed the two final jodis, Ujjaini and Aishwarya and Banjyotsana and Sharib, perform to a live orchestra. Both left the sets impressed with the young talented jodis sing to the tune of string instruments.Says Bhandarkar, “We had lots of fun during the semi-final in Mumbai, and we look forward to seeing the participants yet again in the finals. We have an interesting surprise in store for the winners.”
Tandon said, “It is awesome that people as young as them are getting an opportunity to showcase their talent to billions of people via television. I am envious of them.”
P9 general manager marketing Maneesh Mathur says, “Today, a film has a very short shelf life, so marketing of a film is as important as the content of the film. Corporate will get a lot of visibility because it will be promoted across the Zee Network and Sa Re Ga Ma… will deliver higher ratings because of the celebrities. We are confident that this tie up will benefit both Zee and Sahara One Motion Pictures.”
The finale of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Ek Main Aur Ek Tu is expected to have performances by the finalists and the ousted jodis. The winners of the contest will receive a music contract worth Rs 50 lakh, and will also receive a grand surprise from Bipasha Basu and Madhur Bhandarkar at the event.
Today, the jodis are performing in Delhi at the Talkatora Stadium with Hariharan as the judge. The jodis will perform in Kolkatta on 18 June at the Nazrul Manch with Leslie Lewis and singer Usha Uthup as the judges. Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2005 winners Debojit and Vineet are to be the hosts at both these events respectively. The show in Delhi will be aired on 22 June and the Kolkatta show will be aired on 23 June at 10 pm.
Viewers can watch the finale of Ek Main Aur Ek Tu on Zee TV, on Saturday, 24 June, 8 pm onwards.
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.
