Movie Channels
Star India bets on unreleased movies
MUMBAI: Star India is leaving no stone unturned to ensure Star Gold reigns in the movie premiere category. The broadcaster has not only acquired TV and digital rights for two blockbusters of 2017 – Golmaal Again and Judwaa 2 but also upcoming unreleased movies like Dutt, Baaghi 2, Raid and Aiyaary.
According to a source close to the development, all the six movies have been acquired for a period of 7-11 years. They will also be available for streaming on Hotstar.
Movie acquisition costs keep going a notch up every year, especially if the movie does well at the box office. The movie acquisition cost of Aiyaary is around Rs 21 crore, Golmaal Again is around Rs 60 crore and Judwaa 2 is between Rs 25-30 crore, the source revealed.
Star India general manager and EVP Hindi movie business Hemal Jhaveri said, “The acquisition of the biggest films of the year is a testament to Star Gold’s dominant position and to the strength of the Star Network. Apart from entertaining the audiences, mega movie premieres also prove to be a successful platform from an advertiser’s standpoint. We are delighted to be at the centre of this win-win situation.”
The broadcaster stands to earn big bucks during mega movie premieres since advertisers don’t hesitate to cough up premium rates, which will not be the case for a normal movie. It gives a bigger brand image for the advertiser as well as viewers.
Premieres also tend to grab more eyeballs. The channel expects movies like Judwaa 2 and Golmaal Again to rake in the investment and viewership. But Bareilly ki Barfi and Shubh Mangal Savdhan and the likes may not do the same, said the source.
Jhaveri believes that the channel has always received a phenomenal response for its big-ticket premieres. With the current lineup, the channel is optimistic about outdoing its previous records and setting new standards for television premieres in the country.
In the last two years, Star Gold delivered the highest rated premieres, Bajrangi Bhaijaan and Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (PRPD), whose satellite rights commanded a price tag of Rs 50 crore. Both their ratings are still unbeaten. Along with these, the channel has disrupted the market with landmark premieres such as Pink and The State vs Jolly LL.B 2. In 2017 itself, the channel delivered six of the top 10 premieres shown on Hindi movie channels.
Despite the onset of digital platforms, TV viewership hasn’t been affected but has even increased since rural areas, that were only acquainted with Doordarshan earlier, can now scan through tons of private channels.
Rohit Shetty’s Golmaal Again and Varun Dhawan’s Judwaa 2 will premiere on Star Gold in the coming two months. Among the unreleased movies are Rajkumar Hirani’s Dutt starring Ranbir Kapoor, Neeraj Pandey’s Aiyaary featuring Sidharth Malhotra, Baaghi 2 with Tiger Shroff in the lead and Ajay Devgn’s Raid.
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.
