Movie Channels
Max to focus on afternoon & Sunday blocks
MUMBAI: : Having established the prime time band, Max’s focus this year will be to build the afternoon and Sunday blocks.
First to kick off is the `Afternoon Festival’ in June with noted actress Madhuri Dixit’s ten choicest movies. Romantic, social and family movies will be shown in the afternoon block. “This will mark our first consolidated effort to target and increase our afternoon viewership,” says Max business head Albert Almeida.
The Dixit festival will start from 20 June and have movies like Khalnayak, Dil, Ram Lakhan, Hum Tumhare Hai Sanam and Beta.
In August, Max plans to launch the Sunday vertical aimed at urban audiences. The block will have a line-up of three thematic and contemporary movies for the family which will be packaged and presented by Max brand icons Mandira Bedi and Sameer Khan. Bedi will watch the movies with a family about whom she will provide information.
“Our focus this year will be to build the afternoon and Sunday blocks while strengthening our existing bands,” says Almeida.
Max managed to create an early evening block with action and thriller movies, riding on a strong prime time band. “In this band, we get young, male audiences mainly from semi-urban and smaller towns. We show action-oriented heroes like Sunny Deol,” says Almeida.
As part of the brand building exercise, Max has decided to create a property every month. While Hollywood Hungama is the flavour of the month, afternoon festivals will be the focus in June. “It is dangerous for movie channels to be in the commodity play and be just title driven. We are creating brands,” says Almeida.
Movie Channels
Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat Premieres 14 Feb on Zee
Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat world TV premiere 14 Feb at 8pm passion meets politics.
MUMBAI: Cupid’s arrow just got a plot twist and it’s heading straight for your TV screen. This Valentine’s Day, Zee Cinema is turning up the heat with the world television premiere of Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat, a raw, rule-breaking romantic drama that proves love doesn’t always come wrapped in roses.
Set to air on Saturday, 14 February at 8pm, the film stars Harshvardhan Rane and Sonam Bajwa, directed by Milap Zaveri. It dives headfirst into obsession, heartbreak, and the kind of unconditional love that leaves scorch marks. Rane plays Vikramaditya, a powerful politician whose all-consuming passion for actress Adaa spirals into chaos when his feelings go unreturned unleashing a storm of emotion, misunderstanding, and life-altering consequences.
The timing couldn’t be sharper. Audiences are clearly craving intense love stories over sugar-coated ones, and this film taps straight into that vein. Harshvardhan Rane already has a loyal fanbase from his cult hit Sanam Teri Kasam, which cemented his status as the go-to guy for heart-wrenching romance especially among younger viewers who keep the film on repeat.
Milap Zaveri captured the film’s beating heart, “This film is about love that doesn’t follow rules. With Valentine’s Day being a time when audiences gravitate towards romantic narratives, the television premiere of Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat on Zee Cinema felt like the perfect fit. The continued love for intense romances shows there is a strong emotional appetite for such stories.”
Rane himself called it a story rooted in messy, honest emotion, “Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat explores love in its most intense and vulnerable form where emotions are messy and deeply human. It’s a story that doesn’t shy away from passion or pain on Valentine’s Day making it even more special as it reflects the many shades of love people experience.”
Sonam Bajwa added her take, “Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat is not a conventional love story, it’s raw, intense and emotional. Valentine’s Day is usually associated with happy romance but this film explores love in its most vulnerable form.”
So if your Valentine’s plans include more than chocolates and clichés, tune in to Zee Cinema at 8pm on 14 February. Because sometimes the most unforgettable love stories aren’t the ones that end neatly, they’re the ones that leave you questioning just how far passion can push before everything changes.
