Movie Channels
HBO to beam movies dubbed in Hindi
NEW DELHI: As images of resurrected mummies, bare chested men and scorpions flit across the screen, Egyptians and English-looking persons mouth lines like “Kyunki pyaar hai sada ke liye” (because love is forever) and “Pyaar ki seema nahin hain” (there are no boundaries for love).
Soon these images, part of a specially created promotional campaign in Hindi language, would be seen in non-English print medium products, outdoors and also channels like MTV, Sony and Cartoon Network heralding the fact that HBO’s going partly desi.
The premier English movie channel will soon start airing English movies dubbed in Hindi and starting 25 April, HBO will kickstart the series with Mummy to be followed by Mummy Returns and Scorpion King over the next two weeks.
Pointing out that the new initiative, of airing movies dubbed in Hindi, will be implemented only in India, and is meant as a gesture of gratitude towards Indian viewers, HBO India head Shruti Bajpai told a press conference here today, “The dubbed movies should not be seen as a regular fixture. This is
our way of saying ‘thank you Indian viewers’ who have given us a thumbs up signal making HBO a better rated channel amongst film and some English channels.”
HBO is also taking it’s the Big One initiative forward by bringing over 50 top Hollywood movies during the summer months, which has been unveiled with a new tag line ‘Summer is HBO’ for Indian English movie lovers.
Bajpai also indicated that the channel is not looking at turning the dubbed English flicks as revenue generators, though the response from advertisers is “positive.”
The HBO special programming extravaganza, starting April till June, includes an exhilarating line-up of blockbuster movies, award-winning series and HBO original films (including Mira Nair’s Hysterical Blindness).
According to Bajpai, ‘Summer is HBO’ is a specially created destination comprising tailored entertainment offerings that cater to different tastes of Indian viewers. With the colossal annual offering ‘HBO Summer Action Marathon’, two big ones
that include Men In Black II, 30 episodes of world-wide cult HBO Original series Sex And The City, nine huge Saturday and Sunday night blockbusters, five popular movies as part of HBO Sizzling Nights and four blockbusters as part of HBO Kids Summer Action, there is certainly something for everyone, it seems.
In May as part of the HBO Saturday Nights at 9 pm and Superstar Sundays at 8 pm, HBO would air the action packed sci-fi blockbuster The One, starring Jet Li. Other blockbusters include America’s Sweethearts’, starring John Cusack, Oscar winners Julia Roberts and Catherine Zeta-Jones, American Outlaws, Rollerball, The Astronaut’s Wife starring Charlize Theron, Legend Of The Red Dragon, and the martial
arts expert turned Hollywood superstar Steven Seagal’s The Glimmer Man.
The HBO Original Movies this summer include an intimate, character-driven, Emmy Award winning drama, Hysterical Blindness. This Mira Nair (of Monsoon Wedding fame) – directed flick stars Uma Thurman.
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.
