Movie Channels
Locations felicitates Bollywood veteran director Shakti Samanta
MUMBAI: Film tourism event Locations 2005 felicitated veteran Bollywood director Shakti Samanta with the D.S. Mittal Award on 17 June. The man behind classics like Howrah Bridge, China Town and Aradhana was felicitated by veteran actor Prem Chopra and Asha Parekh.
Paying tribute to Samanta Chopra said, “I have had the privilege of knowing Shakti Samanta for the past 25-30 years. When I was a struggling actor while he did not cast me immediately in his films he encouraged me to keep trying. I have done my best work with him and I admire his patience and humour. He could make actors relax and we thus gave our best to the character. He will always be known as being an integral part of the classic era of Bollywood.”
Chopra noted that there are few directors who could be equally comfortable in different genres like action, comedy, romance and drama. Samanta was one those filmmakers. Chopra said that Samanta was easily accessible to both actors and technicians over the years and what was unique was his ability to produce a series of hits over a sustained period of time. Chopra was also keenly involved with the music in his films. In fact he came to the film industry in the hope of writing and composing songs.
Samanta said that people have inspired his work over the years. He said that he had always been keen on people pointing out mistakes in his work so that the next time around the product would be improved. “It is because of the goodwill of my fans that I have been so successful,” he said.
Sudhanshu Hukku the man behind Locations pointed out that the event has a tradition of honouring great and pioneering filmmakers who have defined what Bollywood cinema is and should be. “In the past couple of years we have honoured G.P. Sippy and B.R. Chopra. The aim of Locations is to bring together the two industries of film and tourism for a mutually beneficial role. I would like to thank our media partners Indiantelevision.com and trade Guide for joining us and for helping us move ahead.”
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.
