Movie Channels
Star Movies enters mini series arena with ‘Taken’
MUMBAI: Star Movies has announced that it has bagged the rights for a mini series from Jurassic Park maker Steven Spielberg.
The 10-episode mini series in question is Steven Spielberg Presents Taken from DreamWorks. The US$40 million alien abduction saga will exclusively premiere in Asia on Star Movies in July. Taken weaves together the stories of three families over multiple generations and their crucial role in the history of alien abductions. Spielberg served as executive producer and like Band of Brothers, each episode has a different director.
The tale deals with how alien abductions have affected American life since the 1950s. In 1950s America, Russell Keys is haunted by his abductions during the war. Captain Owen Crawford becomes a driven man when he gets involved in the government cover-up of Roswell. Housewife Sally Clarke falls in love and has a child with a man who is an alien, who survived the crash. As the years go by we follow the lives of these three families as they continue to be affected by the aliens, culminating with the birth of Allie Keys who is the end product of decades of alien meddling and has powers beyond either species but is a valuable prize to both the aliens and the government, who seek to understand them.
Spielberg of course is no stranger to the subject matter regarding mankind’s fascination with aliens. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, he explored this theme successfully with ET and Close Encounters of The Third Kind. .VP Programming, Star Simi Seth says, “We are very excited to be able to present this compelling sci fi drama exclusively to our Star Movies viewers in Asia. Taken has all the ingredients for a huge success story, acting, directing, camerawork, music and special effects. It is a must see event for this summer.”
Taken was nominated for best mini series at this year’s Golden Globe Awards and was the best ever rated show on the Sci Fi Channel in the US. It also won the Golden Satellite Award for mini series. Spielberg has gone on record saying that he believes that Taken is a character story in which compelling characters evolve, age, give birth to special children who themselves have a purpose in the story. All of these keep viewers tuned in. However Taken is not straight forward science fiction like the X Files. It is much more interested in the human condition.
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.
