Movie Channels
Wift in conversation with Anupama Chopra and Zoya Akhtar
MUMBAI: The name is Chopra, Anupama Chopra. Yes, if you are a movie buff then you know whom we are talking about.
The author, journalist and film critic has written several books on Indian cinema and the latest addition to this long list is ‘100 Films To See Before You Die’. With Indian cinema completing hundred years in 2013, it is a perfect guide for cinema enthusiasts.
Wift Mumbai Chapter, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to providing a dynamic platform to facilitate the exchange of ideas, accelerate the professional development and recognise the achievement of women in film, television and other screen based media, is giving an opportunity to such enthusiasts to have conversation with the author herself.
The event is a networking evening for women who get to interact with other professionals from the industry. “They get an opportunity to meet Anupama Chopra who has written the book and director Zoya Akhtar. The biggest challenge is to meet the right people. Wift gives them the opportunity through workshops like these with leading industry professionals,” says founder Petrina M D’Rozario.
The organisation aims to have one such event every month. It also has an initiative called SNF (Saturday Night Fever) which is a relaxed evening one Saturday of the month with a theme over vino and cheese!
Unlike some of the other events held by the organsiation which are only for the members, today’s event is open for all but will come with a charge of Rs 300 per head. “Only to be fair to our members who pay for the events and to pay for the F&B served at the event do we charge people,” clarifies Petrina.
So, on a Friday evening head out to Le Sutra (Khar) to mingle with the industry professionals as well as to get an insight on the biggest churner of entertainment – Bollywood – from 6.30 pm onwards.
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.
