GECs
Tourism Australia tells Balaji ‘Ye Hai Mohabbatein’
MUMBAI: Tourism Australia and South Australian Tourism Commission (SATC) have collaborated with India’s leading production house, Balaji Telefilms, to inspire Indian travel enthusiasts to book their next holiday Down Under. Balaji Telefilms’ top rated television show ‘Ye Hai Mohabbatein’, which airs at 7.30 pm and 11 pm, Monday to Sunday , on India’s top Hindi General Entertainment Channel (GEC), Star Plus, recently shot 10 episodes in South Australia.
Shot at iconic locations in Adelaide and surrounds, the story track based in Australia is definitely set to grip the viewers’ attention with interesting twists. India’s leading online travel company, MakeMyTrip, has further strengthened this initiative by tying up with Tourism Australia and SATC as the preferred travel partner for the project. As part of this partnership, a special travel package to Australia for the viewers of Ye Hai Mohabbatein is being advertised during the show and on MakeMyTrip’s web and social media platforms.
Ye Hai Mohabbatein features popular Indian television actors Divyanka Tripathi, Karan Patel and Anita Hassanandani. The lead actors along with Ruhanika Dhawan who portrays the character of Pihu, Aditi Bhatia who plays Ruhi and Siddharth Makkar, who is introduced in the latest track as Vidyut, had flown down to Australia for the shoot. Viewers can see iconic locations such as the Rundle Street Mall, vineyards of Barossa Valley, scenic Kangaroo Island and the iconic cricket stadium Adelaide Oval on the show.
Tourism Australia has a decade long association with Balaji Telefilms, with popular shows such as Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki and Bade Ache Lagte Hai being shot in Australia for a series of special episodes.
“We are pleased to have collaborated with Balaji Telefilms and Star Plus to showcase Australia on Ye Hai Mohabbatein. India is a rapidly growing market for Australia. It is currently the ninth largest source market for the destination and is well positioned to achieve goals set out in the India 2020 strategy. To sustain the momentum of increasing visitor arrivals from India, impactful distribution and media partnerships such as this not only showcases the destination, but also provides attractive tactical deals to potential travellers,” said Tourism Australia Country Manager – India & Gulf Nishant Kashikar.
“We are extremely thrilled to be collaborating with ‘Ye Hai Mohabbatein’. The popularity of the show and its beloved stars make for an ideal platform to reach out to our target audience. We are excited about broadcasting the many sights and attractions of South Australia to millions of Indian viewers. This is a huge step forward in increasing the number of Indian tourists to Adelaide and the surrounding cities,” said South Australian Tourism Commission regional director southeast Asia & India Dana Urmonas.
South Australia was recently awarded the fifth best region in the world by Lonely Planet – the only Australian destination to be included in the prestigious ‘Best in Travel’ list. With a vibrant capital city, crowd-free beaches, up close wildlife encounters and world-class food and drinks, visitors get the complete Australian experience within one State.
GECs
Samsung TV Plus launches Kings of Comedy channel
New free FAST channel brings iconic Hindi comedy shows to millions of Samsung Smart TV owners.
MUMBAI: Samsung TV Plus has just turned up the laughter volume and it’s completely free. The leading free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) service in India has launched Kings of Comedy, a premium comedy channel featuring some of the country’s most beloved primetime shows. Available exclusively on Samsung TV Plus, the channel delivers back-to-back hits including Comedy Nights with Kapil, Khatra Khatra Khatra, and Comedy Nights Bachao, with no login or subscription required.
The launch marks a milestone for free streaming in India, offering audiences a dedicated comedy destination directly from their Samsung TV home screen. It arrives as Samsung TV Plus India celebrates its 5th anniversary, during which the service has grown its monthly active users by 42 per cent and more than doubled its total viewing hours. The platform now offers over 180 free channels across 14 languages.
Samsung TV Plus India general manager and head of business development Kunal Mehta said, “Comedy is the heartbeat of Hindi entertainment, and Kings of Comedy brings together the shows Indians already love, completely free on their Samsung TV. Our focus remains the same take the content people know and make it effortless to access.”
Globally, Samsung TV Plus has surpassed 100 million monthly active users across more than 4,500 channels, solidifying its position as one of the world’s leading free streaming services.
Kings of Comedy is now available on all compatible Samsung Smart TVs. For viewers seeking non-stop laughter without any cost, this new channel delivers a royal treat proving that sometimes the best entertainment really does come with no strings (or subscriptions) attached.
