Movie Channels
SET Pictures gets shot in arm with Oscar nomination for ‘Lagaan’
Sony Entertainment Television Pictures, which had bought the overseas distribution rights of Lagaan, can look forward to a boost in earnings with the Oscar nominations announced on Tuesday.
Lagaan has been nominated in the best foreign film category, and Sony and Columbia Tristar are set to reap the benefits of an Academy award nomination, which has come India’s way after a long time. Cashing in on the nomination, Columbia Pictures, the distribution arm of Sony Pictures Entertainment, has been roped in to handle the global re-release of the Aamir Khan starrer, this time in overseas territories where even white viewers dominate. The film, released on 15 June 2001, was initially distributed by Sony Entertainment Television Pictures only in countries with a sizeable Indian population.
The first venture of Sony Entertainment Television Pictures, a division of SET, was Mission Kashmir, released worldwide in a record breaking number of cinemas (at that time) around the world in December 2000 and was featured in the all time Top 20 overseas Bollywood grossers.
Lagaan is a saga of triumph of hope over power, set against the backdrop of the British Raj. In its first weekend itself, the critically-acclaimed Lagaan entered the American charts (crowded with summer mega-movies like Tomb Raider, Shrek and Pearl Harbor) at an impressive number 15.
Ironically, the Indian channel that reaps the benefits of an increased Indian interest in the Oscars award ceremony on 25 March will be Star Movies, which will be telecasting the function live.
Meanwhile, Viacom’s Nickelodeon has won a nomination for Best animated feature film of the year with Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius. Jimmy is Nickelodeon’s first 3-D, computer graphics imagery (CGI) animated character. This is the first time the channel has developed a product that covers the idiot box, the big screen and the online component simultaneously. The TV series and the film are likely to make an Asia premiere soon.
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.
