Movie Channels
Oops! &pictures forgets Ghanchakkar or does it?
MUMBAI: Right from the very first phase of the channel’s launch, &pictures has pulled out all stops and taken the offbeat and innovative communication route while interacting with its target audience.
For the upcoming movie premiere of Ghanchakkar at 9:00 pm on the channel’s primetime property, ‘Saturday First Show’; the channel plans on taking the storyline of the film to promote the World Television Premiere of Ghanchakkar.
While initial plans and promotions a few weeks back had Ghanchakkar slated to air on 5 October, &pictures now plans to air the film on 12 October instead. In keeping with the essence of Emraan Hashmi’s character who forgets everything, the pitch being used for the world premiere of Ghanchakkar too, is that “We forgot that we were to air the film on 5 October!”
Promos for the premiere of the film went on air on Saturday, 5 October, and feature a montage of Emraan Hashmi’s character from the film Sanjay Atre spouting his now familiar line “Mujhe kuch yaad nahi aa raha hai.”
“As a channel that engages with new India, we always seek to take the unconventional route which appeals to and grabs the attention of our audience,” says Zeel marketing head – national channels Akash Chawla.
“The initial censor certification for the film during its theatrical release was ‘U/A’. However keeping in mind the fact that TV audiences watch films in their homes, we have further edited the film to make it suitable for viewers of all ages,” says Zeel cluster programming head (Hindi movie channels) Ruchir Tiwari, about the special considerations that have been taken into consideration while premiering the film.
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.
