GECs
HC bars ‘Kyaa Kool’ DVD release before 16 June
MUMBAI: Balaji Telefilms has managed to block the video release of Kyaa Kool Hai Hum till 16 June, after moving the Bombay High Court against Indus Video Pvt Ltd.
Being producer of the movie, Balaji Telefilms feared an early video release could harm its commercial interests. Kyaa Kool Hai Hum was having a successful run on theatres since its release on 6 May.
Balaji moved the vacation bench of the court. After hearing, the court restrained Indus Video from releasing the video cassettes, VCDs and DVDs till June 16.
The production house had, in an agreement on 22 March, assigned the video copyrights of the movie to Indus Video. The video could be released four weeks from the date of its theatrical release. But in case the movie was declared a “hit” and was earning good commercial business across India in terms of theatrical revenue and collections, the agreement provided that the video release date could be extended for another two weeks (till 16 June).
Balaji Telefilms requested Indus Video to extend the date of the video release, saying the movie was acknowledged as a “hit.” Failing to convince Indus Video, Balaji approached the court, the company said in a release.
The court has adjourned this matter for further hearing till 17 June, the release added.
GECs
Zee scales syndication with global tie-ups, 350 plus channel MCN
Vertical, dubbed and audio formats boost digital reach
MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. is giving its content library a fresh passport. The company has stepped up its syndication push, signing global partnerships, experimenting with new-age formats and building a multi-channel network that now spans more than 350 channels.
With the newly secured MCN licence, Zee can manage, distribute and monetise content across leading digital platforms at scale, strengthening its presence in the fast-growing creator and short-form ecosystem.
To keep pace with changing viewing habits, the company is also reshaping its content into formats built for the small screen in your hand. In a tie-up with micro-drama platform Story TV, select titles are being reworked into vertical, short-duration episodes tailored for mobile-first audiences.
Beyond India, the syndication team is widening its global footprint with foreign-language dubbing and regional partnerships across Europe, Africa and Latin America, opening up fresh markets for Indian stories.
Zee is also tapping into the audio boom. It has begun licensing audio remake rights for legacy properties such as Zee Horror Show, with several more titles lined up for audio-first adaptations.
On the digital front, the company has made progress in monetising non-exclusive rights for library films, while converting select shows and movies from horizontal to vertical formats to improve discoverability on short-form platforms.
Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. business head syndication Vinod Johri, said syndication has emerged as a strong growth lever for the company. He noted that the combination of a large MCN network, global partnerships and new formats such as vertical video and audio is helping build a future-ready engine that extracts more value from the content library.
Together, these moves signal a platform-agnostic approach to storytelling, as Zee repackages, localises and redistributes its IP across geographies, formats and screens, ensuring its catalogue keeps working long after the first broadcast.
