English Entertainment
Nat Geo India, with Gul Panag, launches 2 shows for Earth Day
MUMBAI: National Geographic in India, with a mission to ignite hope and change among the planet-conscious viewers, is bringing in Planet Possible to celebrate Earth Day 2021. With actor and environmental enthusiast Gul Panag on board, Planet Possible seeks to inform, inspire and empower viewers by bringing them stories of ingenuity, grit, hope, and optimism. The celebrations will feature the premiere of Tiger Queen of Taru and On the Brink on 22 April 2021 at 12 pm & 1 pm on National Geographic India and Nat Geo Wild. The shows will also stream on Disney+ Hotstar.
Encouraging viewers to bring about a change – either through the biggest or smallest of actions, Planet Possible aims to inspire people of all ages to step outside their realities, ask questions, look closer, and forge a deeper understanding of the world and their place in it. As a part of the initiative, the films – Tiger Queen of Taru and On the Brink will explore the life of wild animals living in the 21st century in India and share intriguing insights along with offering a fresh new perspective and nuances.
Directed by Indian documentary filmmaker Aishwarya Sridhar for over six years, the film Tiger Queen of Taru traces the remarkable life of Maya, a wild Bengal tiger living in the Tadoba Andhari tiger reserve, Maharashtra’s oldest and largest National park. On the Brink series journeys through the sub-continent, immersing audiences in the most incredible landscapes and habitats in the country and bringing them eye to eye with the rarely spotted animals that are living on the edge of extinction. From vanishing Gharial crocodiles in Chambal River to Indian Pangolin in Papikonda National Park, Andhra Pradesh, the two part series will uncover the hidden and harsh reality, secrets and facts about the endangered species and help discover the key for their survival.
“At National Geographic, we draw audiences with our creative storytelling; taking them on immersive, empathetic journeys. With an unwavering commitment to the world we live in, Planet Possible hopes to provide a perspective-shifting inspiration through our narratives – Tiger Queen of Taru & On the Brink and illustrate the most effective ways to help our world. We are really happy to have Gul Panag join us in our mission to bring stories of hope and change for all the planet lovers across in the country,” said Star & Disney India infotainment, kids & regional entertainment channels president & head Kevin Vaz.
“I have grown up with National Geographic and I’m truly honoured that I got the chance to be part of their Earth Day special celebrations. The thought and cause behind Planet Possible is extremely close to my heart since I firmly believe that we should all be contributing towards our planet. I am urging people to take inspiration from the films and do their bit in making the world a better place to live in,” said Gul Panag
English Entertainment
Ellison takes his Paramount-Warner Bros case straight to theater owners
The Skydance chief goes to CinemaCon with promises and a skeptical crowd waiting
CALIFORNIA: David Ellison strode into a room packed with thousands of cinema owners and executives at CinemaCon in Las Vegas on Thursday and did something rather bold: he looked them in the eye and asked them to trust him.
The chief executive of Paramount Skydance vowed that his company would release a minimum of 30 films a year if regulators greenlight its proposed $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery, a deal that has made theater owners deeply, and loudly, nervous.
“I wanted to look every single one of you in the eye and give you my word,” Ellison told the crowd. “Once we combine with Warner Bros, we are going to make a minimum of 30 films annually across both studios.”
It was a confident pitch. Whether it landed is another matter. Cinema operators have already called on regulators to block the deal, and scepticism in the room was hardly concealed.
Ellison pushed back by pointing to recent form. Paramount, born from the merger of Paramount Global and Skydance Media last August, plans to release 15 films this year, nearly double the eight it put out in 2025. Progress, he argued, was already underway.
He also threw theater owners a bone they have long been chasing: all films, he pledged, would run exclusively in cinemas for a minimum of 45 days, drawing applause from a crowd that has spent years fighting for exactly that commitment across the industry.
“People can speculate all they want,” Ellison said, “but I am standing here today telling you personally that you can count on our complete commitment. And we’ll show you we mean it.”
Fine words. The regulators, however, will have the last one.
