Movie Channels
It’s back to the movies in West Bengal from 1 October
MUMBAI: Cinema owners in west Bengal are heaving a sigh of relief. West Bengal chief minister Mamta Banerjee today announced that cinema halls can start screening films for the public come 1 October. In the process, it has become the first state government to give the green signal to the beleaguered cinema exhibition sector which has been shut since March 2020 and has run up huge losses.
However, screenings will be limited to 50 participants and cinema halls will have to follow strict safety protocols such as masks, sanitisation, physical distancing and other precautionary procedures. Along with film screenings, jatras, plays, open-air theatres, and shows related to music, dance and magic shows will also open from 1 October. Banerjee said the decision was taken as another step to take living to near normalcy.
Bengali actors, the Eastern India Motion Pictures Association and the Multiplex Association of India (MAI) – have repeatedly beseeched the state government to give the sector the go ahead to start operating again. The state has reported 4,700-odd Covid related deaths with 244,000 getting infected and 214,000 recovering. Around 3,200 new cases are being recorded daily.
Producers and distributors have been releasing films direct to OTT over the past few months in order to cut their losses. It’s quite probable that some of them will start looking at the big screen again.
Commenting on the development, SVF co-founder and director Mahendra Soni said: “We are happy and welcome Didi’s announcement. This is a huge relief for the exhibition industry. Having said that to restart the actual business the re-opening has to happen at a national level otherwise there would difficulty running the theatre operations without new film releases. I am hoping to get some kind of announcement from central government too. "
"As far as SVF Cinemas is concerned we are waiting for detailed guidelines and safety protocols before we decide on the opening date. We will open as soon as possible once we have the official notification along-with do’s and don’ts," he added.
With West Bengal opening up movie theatres, will other state governments follow? The MAI, for one, is hoping they will, sooner than later.
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.
