GECs
Hollywood stunt organisations seek Academy Award consideration
MUMBAI: Is it time for the most prestigious movie awards ceremony, The Academy Awards, to recognise stuntmen? Four of Hollywood’s premier stunt organisations certainly believe so.
With a week to go for the 77th edition of the Oscar Awards four stunt organisations have launched a unified effort to lobby The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Ampas) for recognition and acceptance of the category of Best Stunt Coordinator. In India the Oscars will air live on Star Movies on 28 February at 6:30 am.
Representatives from Stunts Unlimited, Brand X, The Stuntmen’s Association of Motion Pictures and The International Stunt Association have teamed to petition the Academy for recognition of their craft as both an art and a science and worthy of the creation of a new award category. There is an awards ceremony the World Stunt Awards which recognises their work.
In a joint statement they say, “Stunt performers are the only faction of the movie industry that must literally risk their lives for the sake of their art. The talent and expertise that is required of a stunt coordinator to be both creative and safe is enormous and highly deserving of Academy recognition.”
Movie mavericks like directors Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese who could win his first Oscar for The Aviator, Jerry Bruckheimer, Robert DeNiro, Dustin Hoffman, Michael Douglas and Arnold Schwarzenegger have all signed the petition. The stunt organisations make a valid point when they state that no one who has contributed a lot to the motion picture industry whether it is make up or costume design has failed to be recognised by the Academy.
On the television front an Emmy is awarded for Outstanding Stunt Coordination. The stunt organisations have further stated that action films that rely heavily on their work are amongst the highest earners at the box office.
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.
