Movie Channels
Star Gold’s HD push
MUMBAI: It’s getting high on High definition (HD). We are referring to the Star network’s Hindi movie channel Star Gold which has strategically, started premiering movies first on Star Gold HD, then following up with a first airing on its standard definition (SD) service.
It’s all in the line of giving its viewers a value add. Explains Star Gold executive VP Hemal Jhaveri: “We are categorically looking at premiering certain content that we have acquired only on Star Gold HD. It’s a very clear vision we have for keeping the FPCs for both the HD and SD feeds very different from one another. If a viewer is going to pay premium prices he deserves something extra, so we figured why not premiere movies, may be a week or even a month in advance, than our SD feeds. We are clearly focused on strengthening our HD portfolio and it does attract and appeal to premium audiences. ”
Amongst the first films to get this treatment was the Saif Ali Khan starrer Bullett Raja which had its HD premiere on 21 February followed by the SD premier a day later. Youth centric flick Yaariyan which is to have its SD first run on 21 March at 8 pm premiered on Star Gold HD on 16 March.
And Jhaveri is quite buoyed by the viewer feedback that Yaariyan has generated. Says he: “We have always focused on offering a mix of varied movie genres to our audiences, with entertaining content. Being a youth centric film, Yaariyan has connected very well with the younger generation and with the music being very popular among the audience we are positive of receiving a good response for the premiere.”
Star India has close to 33 channels in its network. And Jhaveri says it leaves no stone unturned in terms of promoting the big ticket film premieres airing on Star Gold and Star Gold HD on all its channels. He adds: “We also carry out a 360 degree marketing drive for the movies as well. We treat each movie on its merit, some require heavier push with on-air promotions and some would require a separate campaign. So each movie is treated on its content merit.”
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Jhaveri believes the HD premiere tack will work well on the advertising front. Says he: “We are really sure that more and more brands will want to reach out to premiere customers through our HD feed. It’s been great in terms of qualitative feedback and we are confident of building more traction for our HD portfolio.”
Meanwhile, he points out that the network is going easy on handing out fat cheques to buy films this year as the market is overheated. “We have already made enough acquisitions last year but as far as this year is concerned we are going to be really selective and to a certain extent not really acquire any movie,” discloses Jhaveri. “For the first time you will see a lot of unsold movies in the market, so we are just being very stringent in the content we acquire for this year and will do so only if the need arises. ”
Star Gold has a movie library of 1,100 titles which it shares with its sister channel Movies OK. In 2012, the network had acquired over 500 films from the Viacom 18 group followed by the deal with superstars Salman Khan and Ajay Devgn in early 2013 for all their films till 2017. Additionally, the network signed a deal for other exciting movies for its 2014 movies line up. Some of the high profile premieres slated for the year include: Jai Ho, Kick, Bombay Velvet, Bang Bang, Roy, Action Jackson, Singham 2, Hamshakals, Bobby Jasoos and Creature.
To its credit is the information tidbit that the network has successfully premiered the maximum number of Rs 100 crore Bollywood films, including blockbusters such as Singham, Bodyguard, Ra.One, Housefull 2, Bol Bachchan, Son of Sardaar, Dabangg 2 and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag.
The telecast of Yaariyan should help nudge its viewership – which saw a slippage last week -up. Star Gold SD received 164,983 GVTs in week 10 of TAM ratings against 176,596 GVTs in week 9 (-11,613) even as sister channel Movies OK generated 130,606 GVTs in week 10 against 116,767 GVTs (-13,839).
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.
