Movie Channels
Zee TV goes the HBO way, to make original movies
MUMBAI: Zee Telefilms Ltd is producing feature films in line with the “HBO Originals” concept, to be telecast at a dedicated slot on its Hindi general entertainment channel Zee TV.
Zee TV, which had earlier experimented with telefilms, plans to have 52 original movies in the first year of screening from January 2005. The company has already lined up production of 13 movies at an investment of around Rs 80 million, says Zee TV creative consultant Sudhir Mishra.
A majority of these movies will be made under the commissioned category. For the first 13 movies, Zee has commissioned six directors. Zee will also directly produce a few films while some will be through the acquisition route, says Mishra.
Zee TV is developing Sunday 8 pm as the “Premiere” movie slot. The commercial movies, which are currently being aired on the channel, will move to Zee Cinema. “We are positioning the slot along the `HBO Orginals’ line. The Zee Premiere brand will have movies made by noted directors primarily for the television channel,” says Zee TV business head Abhijit Saxena.
The directors on board for the 13 finalised projects are Kundan Shah, Saurabh Shukla, Karan Shah, Nagesh Kukoonur, Somnath Sen, Vipul Shah, Parvati, Shivam Nair, Sandeep Verma, Nupur Asthana and Manjul Sinha, among others. “These are not telefilms. They are made in a complete feature film format. We are using noted directors who have good stories to tell. They will be in different genres. They will not be like the commercial blockbuster movies that are launched in theatres,” says Saxena. The emphasis will be on good scripts, without getting caught in heavy marketing expenses and expensive stars.
Adds Mishra: “The idea is not to have the fix of making low-budget standardised movies for television. The stress will be on good script-based movies.”
Kundan Shah’s movie, tentatively titled Three Sisters, is being produced by Zee at a budget of Rs 70-80 lakh. “The budget will vary, depending on the kind of movies being made,” says Mishra.
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.
