Movie Channels
Zee Entertainment forays into Thailand, launches Zee Nung
MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprise Limited (ZEEL) in line with its global brand positioning of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – The World Is My Family’ has now forayed into Thailand with its new channel Zee Nung, a 24X7 Bollywood movies channel dubbed in Thai.
Customised and packaged for the local audience, the channel will air super-hit Bollywood blockbuster movies targeting the pay-TV subscriber base in Thailand.
ZEEL chairman Subhash Chandra said, “Thailand and India share deep-rooted cultural and social traditions, which is reflected in many aspects of Thai culture including architecture, art, drama, dance and literature. Our entry into this market reflects our commitment to build a strong bond with Thailand, thereby embracing our corporate philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’.”
“Thailand is a growing market with close to 30 per cent penetration of pay channels and hence falls in our priority for expansion,” added Chandra.
The Asia Pacific region is one of the focused and fastest growing regions for ZEEL. It currently has Zee TV APAC (Hindi channel), Zee Variasi (Malay channel), Zee Bioskop (Bahasa Indonesia channel) and Veria Living (English channel) as dedicated feeds, with offices in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Sydney, Guangzhou, Mumbai and now in Bangkok.
ZEEL business head-Asia Pacific Sushruta Samanta said, “We believe that the APAC pay-TV market displays a tremendous potential for growth. After our successful launch in Indonesia, Thailand was our next logical extension. Our research has revealed that Thais have a high positive perception towards Bollywood with growing awareness of this industry due to the large number of Bollywood films being shot in the country. Thais also show affinity for Bollywood dance numbers, with language not proving a barrier to enjoyment. ZEEL boasts of a huge Bollywood library which will boost our efforts to entertain Thai viewers in a consistent and compelling way. We thank CTH for partnering with us and believing in our product. I am sure Zee Nung will reach new heights and capture the hearts of all Thai movie lovers.”
Said CTH chairman of executive committee Khun Chirdsak Kukiattinun, Currently, CTH has a variety of content for everyone in the family. Our sports content includes Barclays Premier League, golf, major tennis tournaments, car racing and Thai boxing while our entertainment content encompasses famous series, documentaries, cartoons and Hollywood movies. And now CTH is proud to partner with Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd., the leading media company from India for bringing Bollywood Movies 24*7 through the channel Zee Nung for the first time in Thailand.”
Kukiattinun added, “This is a great opportunity for Zee Entertainment in Thailand and CTH sees this as an opportunity to offer a whole new world of experience to the CTH Customer.”
Zee Nung will be launched in Thailand in partnership with CTH and will be available on Channel 77 in its movie pack. The channel will have a robust programming line-up with properties such as Kings of Bollywood, Queens of Bollywood, Love Stories, Friday Blockbusters and Weekend Family movies. It will showcase the best of Bollywood movies across all eras and genres including romance, comedy, action and drama, thus providing Thai viewers the opportunity to watch their favourite stars like Shahrukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone, Ranbir Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor and Katrina Kaif.
Speaking about the channel, Thailand country head Vaishali Kasturia said, “We want to reach out to people who want to experience contemporary, imaginative and high-quality entertaining films. Zee Nung (Nung means movies in Thai) is specially created, designed and packaged to suit the Thai palate. I am confident that Zee Nung will truly live up to its tagline of Bollywood Nai Thai (Bollywood in Thai) by offering Bollywood blockbusters localised in the Thai language. With the setting up of our local team in Bangkok, we stand committed to making Zee Nung a big success in this market.”
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.
