Movie Channels
Film City to stay open beyond 19 March; no government directive to close down
MUMBAI: Are productions in Mumbai really coming to a grinding halt?
First came the news that the unions, IMPPA, FWICE, IFTDA, IFTPC and WIFPA, had agreed to cease shoots for TV shows, digital originals and films come 19 March till 31 March 2020, keeping in mind the onward march of the novel Covid-19 virus.
Last night, the buzz on WhatsApp groups and in some media was that the stoppage would commence from this morning. However, as the day progressed it became clear that filming was continuing in locations like Film City in Mumbai.
And officials from the organisation were certain that there would be no closure of Film City even after 19 March.
“Unless of course an order is received by us from the collector or a government official clearly mandating us to shut shop,” said a Film City official. “We will be meeting with the collector and magistrate later today and depending on whether we get an order we will be open or shut between 19 and 31 March.”
The FWICE senior management has been adamant that its members – which covers associations representing the various technicians, trades and crafts and crew – would not be reporting for work post 19 March until 31 March.
The broadcasters on their part have not made any announcements about how they would manage their programming line up post 19 March. Would they insist on producers building up a bank shooting overtime over the next three days? Or would they resort to reruns post 19 March? We await announcements from them at the time of writing.
In the meanwhile, many producers have brought in doctors on shoots, making sure there are enough thermometers while hand sanitisers have been made available on sets of shoots which are continuing at Film City and other locations.
Let’s wait and watch to see how this pans out.
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.
