GECs
Rishtey Cineplex, Rishtey renamed as Colors Cineplex, Colors Rishtey
MUMBAI: Harnessing the power of brand Colors, Viacom18 has brought its 24-hour Hindi movie channel, Rishtey Cineplex and the Hindi general entertainment channel, Rishtey under the Colors umbrella. Assuming their new identities 1 March onwards, the channels will be known as Colors Cineplex and Colors Rishtey respectively. Amped up with new content, the channels will be establishing themselves as premium urban entertainment destinations available on a pay model.
After having positioned itself as the #1 mass Hindi movie channel, Colors Cinpelex in its reinvigorated avatar will woo the viewers with its powerful line-up of blockbuster films and content-around-content formats. Colors Rishtey on the other hand, will showcase recent and popular shows from Colors’ vast content library, like Naagin Season3, Dance Deewane, Bigg Boss, Madhubala along with newly introduced original series like Navrangi Re! and Hum Saaf Saaf Hai.
Speaking about the new identity of the channels, said Nina Elavia Jaipuria, Head – Hindi Mass Entertainment & Kids TV Network, Viacom18, “The idea is to expand the aegis of brand Colors and strengthen Viacom18’s Hindi Mass Entertainment portfolio drawing in more synergies. Colors has established itself as a household brand in just a decade and it was a logical move to consolidate the mass entertainment channels under its iconic clout.”
“The new identity of the channels with golden hues and the archetype petal will convey the continuing evolution and growth of our business while also fortifying our bond with the viewers of the Colors Family. So far, the trend and consumption on both the channels have been extremely encouraging and now with the scaled-up movie library along with its premium positioning, we are confident of breaking new ground,” she further added.
Colors Cineplex has acquired the most anticipated films of the year like, Brahmastra, Student of the Year 2, RAW, Drive, The Body, Thackeray, Fraud Saiyaan and many more. The line-up also includes Hindi dubbed version of blockbuster regional films like Mani Ratnam’s Chekka Chivantha Vaanam(Tamil), Kadaikutty Singam(Tamil), Kavacham(Telugu), Junga(Tamil), Charlie Chaplin(Tamil) and Seetharam Kalyana (Kannada). The existing library also contains compelling films like Padmaavat, Bajirao Mastani, Andhadhun, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, Om Shanti Om, Main Hoon Na, Badrinath Ki Dulhania, Gabbar is Back, Yamla Pagla Deewana 2, Special Chabbis, Airlift, Rangoon, Force 2, R…Rajkumar, Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, Kapoor and Sons, Ki & Ka, Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2, Bazaar amongst others.
Apart from the morning, matinee, prime-time and weekend line-up of impressive Hindi films and hot-selling South Indian dubbed content, Colors Cineplex will showcase byte-sized content like, ‘Teetar mausi’ – a gossip section that will spill the beans on celebrities; ‘Dialoguebaazi’, where popular dialogues from various films will be mashed up using animated kinetic typography. In addition to this there will be vignettes of various film festivals, behind the scene trivia and coverage of exclusive RedCarpet extravaganzas amongst many other interesting concepts.
GECs
Sebi sends show-cause notice to Zee over fund diversion, company responds
Regulator questions 2018 letter of comfort and governance lapses; company vows robust legal response
MUMBAI: India’s markets watchdog has reignited its long-running scrutiny of Zee Entertainment Enterprises, issuing a sweeping show-cause notice that drags the broadcaster and 84 others into a widening governance storm.
The notice, dated February 12, has been served by the Securities and Exchange Board of India to Zee, chairman emeritus Subhash Chandra and managing director and chief executive Punit Goenka, among others. At its heart: allegations that company funds were indirectly routed to settle liabilities of entities linked to the Essel Group.
The regulator’s probe traces its roots to November 2019, when two independent directors resigned from Zee’s board, flagging concerns over the alleged appropriation of fixed deposits by Yes Bank. The deposits were reportedly adjusted against loans extended to Essel Group entities, triggering questions about related-party dealings and board oversight.
A key flashpoint is a letter of comfort dated September 4, 2018, issued by Subhash Chandra in his dual capacity as chairman of Zee and the Essel Group. The document, linked to credit facilities availed by certain group companies from Yes Bank, was allegedly known only to select members of management and not disclosed to the full board—an omission SEBI believes raises red flags over transparency and governance controls.
Zee has pushed back hard. In a statement, the company said it “strongly refutes” the allegations against it and its board members and will file a detailed response. It expressed confidence that SEBI would conduct a fair review and signalled readiness to pursue all legal remedies to protect shareholder interests.
The notice marks the latest twist in a saga that has shadowed the broadcaster since 2019. What began as boardroom unease has morphed into a full-blown regulatory confrontation. The final reckoning now rests with SEBI—but the reputational stakes for Zee, and the message for India Inc on governance discipline, could scarcely be higher.
