Movie Channels
MSM ropes in Red Chillies for TV and digital content
MUMBAI: It was hardly a couple of months or so ago that Multi Screen Media (MSM – rebranded earlier this month as Sony Pictures Networks India Pvt Ltd – SPNIL) announced that it was getting into bed with global sports broadcast major ESPN in India to launch a few sports channels and sports initiatives.
Now MSM has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Badshah of Bollywood Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment. The duo is entering into a strategic alliance under which the two will explore opportunities in co-produced- television, digital and film content.
MSM has also acquired the TV rights of the film Dilwale which is expected to have a fabulous run at the box office as it heralds the return of the hit nineties on-screen couple SRK and Kajol. Directed by Rohit Shettyy, it also has Varun Dhawan and Kriti Sanon in pivotal roles.
“Over the last 20 years that we’ve been in the industry, we’ve served some of the best cinema and general entertainment to viewers worldwide,” says MSM CEO NP Singh says “As a network, our focus remains aligned to becoming the first choice in television and digital entertainment. Towards that end, this alliance of MSM and Red Chillies is expansive and pans a spectrum of co-produced content not only across television and digital but also films. Moreover, this partnership adds to MSM’s already extensive library of blockbuster films.”
Adds Red Chillies Entertainments CEO Venky Mysore: “We haves consistently pushed the boundaries across the spectrum, creating and producing entertaining content and ensuring it engages audiences worldwide on all the different platforms. In a first for us, we are entering into a partnership with MSM, that will explore content production across different platforms – TV, digital and films.”
“MSM under NP Singh seems to be getting into higher gear over the last few months,” There’s a new buzz of energy going through the organization.,” says a media observer. “The ESPN partnership and now the Red Chillies alliance are clear indicators that the network has put the troubles of the past – like the ill-timed Sony Pal launch, and the lack of big fiction or nonfiction shows on its main GEC Sony – behind it. A new leadership has been brought into Sony –the mother GEC very recently. The alliance with Red Chillies, especially to create televised as well as digital content could provide it with that magic sauce that it badly needs to get Sony into the front runner status amongst Hindi entertainment channels. The fact that Red Chillies has had limited exposure to television and digital content could mean it could bring in fresh thinking into the programming.”
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.
