English Entertainment
Love you Papa: Nihilent is India’s lone winner at Cannes
MUMBAI: Nihilent Technologies, an integrated change management company, has won the Silver Dolphin for its corporate film ‘Love you Papa’ in the Corporate Image Films category at the 8th edition of the prestigious Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards.
Corporate image films has been the toughest among the categories for the jury this year. Love you Papa is an emotional short film that effectively depicts the ethos of Nihilent.
Love You Papa has won the award from around a thousand applications. The the film had also won the Corporate Collateral Award from the PR Council of India earlier this year.
Though released as a corporate film, ‘Love You Papa’ communicates deeper ideas at different levels through an emotional narrative. The story about a father who notices the passion of his young daughter and nurtures her talent against all odds till she becomes a successful individual, seeks to convey that the entire journey of the protagonist is a process rather than a struggle. At the corporate level, the film sends out a message that the company helps its customers in achieving their full potential, under any circumstance.
The six-minute short film, written and directed by Prawaal Raman, one of Bollywood’s critically acclaimed directors with titles like Darna Mana Hai, 404, and Main Aur Charles to his credit, has been recognized for its mulit-layered meaning as well as emotional appeal. The film stars Romanian actress Madalina Bellariu Ion, Raj Singh Chaudhary and Sara Arjun in lead roles.
Nihilent vice-chairman and CEO LC Singh, who received the award, along with Madalina Bellariu, said: “In a society that is dramatically changing in terms of adopting technology, the consumers have their own network and communicate with each other like never before.” It is the lone winner from India, the company claimed.
Madalina, the lead actress, expressed: “The very idea when Prawaal narrated it, was beautiful, and as it was like an emotional short film with scope for performance — I immediately said yes to my agent.”
On what inspired him to write the story, Raman says: “The inspiration was my dad and the quote Kahlil Gibran wrote in “The Prophet” — ‘Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of life’s longing for itself.”
It is indeed an emotional short film which would appeal to the corporate world.
English Entertainment
ZEE5 UK partners Narrative Entertainment to add UK channels
Six FAST channels added as platform sharpens hybrid play in Britain
LONDON: ZEE5 UK struck a first-of-its-kind deal with Narrative Entertainment, bringing mainstream UK television channels onto an Indian streaming platform as it pushes to deepen its footprint in a crowded, mature market.
The partnership adds six of Narrative’s FAST channels to the service, including Great! Movies, Great! Romance, Great! Mystery and kids brands POP, Tiny Pop and POP UP, widening ZEE5 UK’s appeal across genres and age groups.
The move reflects a clear shift in strategy. ZEE5 UK is betting on a hybrid model that blends on-demand content with curated, always-on channels to drive discovery and increase time spent on the platform.
“This partnership represents a meaningful evolution in how we serve audiences in mature markets like the UK, where viewers are defined by habits, convenience and choice rather than geography or language alone,” said Parul Goel, territory head, Europe, Zee Entertainment. “By bringing trusted mainstream UK channels together with our premium originals, movies and kids’ content, we are building a more consumer-centric platform that simplifies viewing while increasing depth and relevance.”
Fateha Begum, commercial director, Narrative Entertainment, said the tie-up would fuel growth for both sides. “Our portfolio of quality programming, with such wide and enduring appeal, is a perfect complement to ZEE5 UK. This is a strong partnership that will support growth for both parties, and we share Zee Entertainment’s vision of an increasingly partnership-led future for the industry.”
ZEE5’s global library spans over 4,000 films and more than 500 originals, with over 130 new titles added annually. The addition of Narrative’s channels strengthens its kids offering and introduces genre-led linear experiences alongside its on-demand catalogue.
The deal also gives Narrative access to ZEE5 UK’s fast-growing user base, extending reach without diluting brand identity, while reinforcing ZEE5 UK’s network of more than 40 live channels.
As streaming wars intensify, ZEE5 UK is widening its playbook, blending content, convenience and partnerships in a bid to win screen time in one of the world’s toughest markets.
