Movie Channels
Goldmines Telefilms goes big with Dhinchaak, aims to cover 90% HSM market
MUMBAI: Goldmines Telefilms recently reached a new milestone with the launch of its free to air (FTA) Hindi movie channel Dhinchaak on India’s only FTA DTH platform DD Free Dish on 24 May 2020. Within three months of its launch, the channel rose through the ranks to become number one, that too in a highly competitive category with 30 plus rivals. Dhinchaak is now a leading movie channel in both the Hindi speaking market (HSM) overall (U+R) and rural market.
In a chat with indiantelevision.com, Goldmines Telefilms director Manish Shah said that the company had participated in an auction of DD Free Dish and they were all set to go on air from 1 April 2020. But as the nationwide lockdown was imposed from 16 March, Shah was not able to launch Dhinchaak on time.
“It has been a very exciting journey along with a lot of stress and we went into a scenario where everyone was working from home. It called for a lot of efforts. But since I have been running Goldmines Telefilms for the past 15 years and I have a better understanding of content, we know what audiences want and what they prefer,” added Shah.
Dhinchaak came in on the number five spot with 48 GRPs in its first reported data in week 31, and grew steadily over the subsequent months to reach a 73 GRP mark in the week ending 1 October. The movie channel has been consistent, being the number one ranked channel for the last four weeks in HSM 2+ Overall and the HSM FTA Category. Five out of the top 10 movies in week 38 and 39 in HSM 2+ and nine out of the top ten movies in HSM rural in week 37 were from Dhinchaak.
The channel is currently available on DD Free Dish, Dish TV, Tata Sky, DAN, Hathaway and InDigital cable among other distribution platform operators in India.
Looking at the big picture
Over the years, Goldmines Telefilms has become one of the biggest players in terrestrial television rights. The studio has assigned the satellite rights of many movies to major channels in the Hindi movie industry with a success ratio of over 80 per cent, said Shah. He is interested in designing content that can be watched by the entire family together. According to Shah, Goldmines has covered 70 per cent of the Indian market and the rest 30 per cent will be swept up in due course of time.
The company already has a powerful digital presence, with 15 channels and 42 million subscribers for the main Goldmines Telefilms channel on YouTube, and an ever-growing digital revenue model, revealed Shah.
Besides having the biggest library of south Indian movies, Goldmines has also been a pioneer in their dubbing. But Shah is now looking at the big picture: he will distribute his content pan India, with Hindi-speaking market being the prime focus. He mentioned that the studio has covered 90 per cent of the Bihar and Madhya Pradesh segment whereas for Uttar Pradesh it is at 70 per cent. Till December, Shah aims to have a distribution model that will attract 90 per cent of the audiences.
Read more stories on Goldmine Telefilms
Content is king
Elucidating more about syndication and acquisition of content, Shah said that the channel has a library of 2000+ blockbuster titles. From time-tested chartbusters like Sarrainodu, DJ, Kanchana, Kanchana 2, Theri, Bhairava, Betting Raja, they also have a slew of world television premieres lined up. Apart from dubbed south Indian movies Dhinchaak will also screen Hindi movies like Badhaai Ho, Kalank, Gentleman, India’s Most Wanted, Mohenjo Daro, among others.
During the pandemic, the studio opted a digital route to acquire content. As of now the studio will continue using its own library to showcase movies on Dhinchaak but Shah is willing to source content from other production houses as well. However, he is clear that he will not syndicate his movies to anyone. Whatever content they have it is only for their channel. He considers Sony Max, Zee Cinema, Star Gold as their closest competitor.
On marketing and monetisation
As far as marketing and promotion are concerned, the Goldmines director is looking at organically growing the channel. “We have not spent a single amount on promotions, I always believed that your growth has to be organic. I am extremely happy with the responses that I receive. We do promotions through our own social media platforms. On YouTube we have 100 million views a day. Based on audience response, we create our content. Across all platforms we have 10,000 videos uploaded. On Facebook we are growing 100 per cent on a month-on-month basis. We are also present on Amazon, MX Player and other similar platforms,” he said.
Shah is confident that with the help of Siddharth Chopra, who heads the revenue department for the network, he will be able to associate with major brands. Chopra’s last stint was with Times Network, where he was VP and national sales head of the English entertainment cluster. Shah also admitted that as of now the channel is not being monetized, but he is currently in talks with various advertisers and expects they will be onboard by mid-October.
Movie Channels
Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat Premieres 14 Feb on Zee
Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat world TV premiere 14 Feb at 8pm passion meets politics.
MUMBAI: Cupid’s arrow just got a plot twist and it’s heading straight for your TV screen. This Valentine’s Day, Zee Cinema is turning up the heat with the world television premiere of Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat, a raw, rule-breaking romantic drama that proves love doesn’t always come wrapped in roses.
Set to air on Saturday, 14 February at 8pm, the film stars Harshvardhan Rane and Sonam Bajwa, directed by Milap Zaveri. It dives headfirst into obsession, heartbreak, and the kind of unconditional love that leaves scorch marks. Rane plays Vikramaditya, a powerful politician whose all-consuming passion for actress Adaa spirals into chaos when his feelings go unreturned unleashing a storm of emotion, misunderstanding, and life-altering consequences.
The timing couldn’t be sharper. Audiences are clearly craving intense love stories over sugar-coated ones, and this film taps straight into that vein. Harshvardhan Rane already has a loyal fanbase from his cult hit Sanam Teri Kasam, which cemented his status as the go-to guy for heart-wrenching romance especially among younger viewers who keep the film on repeat.
Milap Zaveri captured the film’s beating heart, “This film is about love that doesn’t follow rules. With Valentine’s Day being a time when audiences gravitate towards romantic narratives, the television premiere of Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat on Zee Cinema felt like the perfect fit. The continued love for intense romances shows there is a strong emotional appetite for such stories.”
Rane himself called it a story rooted in messy, honest emotion, “Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat explores love in its most intense and vulnerable form where emotions are messy and deeply human. It’s a story that doesn’t shy away from passion or pain on Valentine’s Day making it even more special as it reflects the many shades of love people experience.”
Sonam Bajwa added her take, “Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat is not a conventional love story, it’s raw, intense and emotional. Valentine’s Day is usually associated with happy romance but this film explores love in its most vulnerable form.”
So if your Valentine’s plans include more than chocolates and clichés, tune in to Zee Cinema at 8pm on 14 February. Because sometimes the most unforgettable love stories aren’t the ones that end neatly, they’re the ones that leave you questioning just how far passion can push before everything changes.
