iWorld
ZEE5 has announced the ZEE5 Manoranjan Festival
Mumbai: ZEE5 has announced the ZEE5 Manoranjan Festival, an exclusive Diwali celebration featuring family-friendly and dramatic films for free. Running from 24 October to 3 November 2024, this festival aims to bring the joy of the season to screens, offering entertainment in eight languages.
Viewers can enjoy a selection of over 75 premium titles across Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi, Malayalam, Bengali, and Punjabi, reflecting themes of joy, tradition, and togetherness. With ZEE5 available on connected TV, audiences can experience these films with cinema-quality visuals at home.
The 11-day campaign includes notable titles such as Saand Ki Aankh, Uunchai, Chhatriwalli, and Toilet: Ek Prem Katha in Hindi; Paappan and Moothon in Malayalam; Yaar Anmulle Returns, Saas Meri Ne Munda Jameya, and Beautiful Billo in Punjabi; Vimanam, Aravinda Sametha Veera Raghava, and Jersey in Telugu; Thothapuri: Chapter 1, Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana, and Kurukshetra in Kannada; Basu Poribar, Mini, and Parineeta in Bengali; Yaanai, DD Returns, and Ayothi in Tamil; and Timepass 2, Timepass 3, and Sairat in Marathi.
ZEE5 India CBO Manish Kalra said, “At ZEE5, our constant effort has been to make world-class entertainment more accessible to everyone, while continuously providing greater value to our consumers. Our festive campaigns have always been loved by the audience and we are eager to bring them back this year. For this season, our focus is on expanding the offerings on the platform to ensure a wider family viewing experience. This Diwali, our aim is to make every moment count with the ZEE5 Manoranjan Festival as the one stop destination for festive family entertainment.”
Gaming
Formula 1 and Mumbai Falcons launch India’s first official F1 sim racing championship
Nationwide competition creates pathway from virtual racing to pro motorsport
MUMBAI: Formula 1 has teamed up with Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited to launch India’s first officially sanctioned F1 sim racing competition, marking a new step in the country’s growing motorsport ecosystem.
The championship, titled F1 Sim Racing India Open 2026, will offer a structured national platform for sim racers, with participants competing on the official F1 25 across multiple stages. The competition will begin with online qualifiers, followed by city-based simulator rounds, before culminating in a national final in Mumbai this November.
Open to players across PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox, registrations for the event will begin on 30 April via the Mumbai Falcons app. The format mirrors real-world racing, featuring official circuits, team liveries and competitive structures aligned with the global series.
Formula 1 driver Narain Karthikeyan said the initiative arrives at a time when interest in the sport is surging in India, adding that a structured sim racing platform could help identify and nurture the next generation of talent.
Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited managing director Ameet Gadhoke noted that the championship aligns with the team’s long-term goal of building a strong motorsport pipeline in the country and placing Indian talent on the global stage.
The launch also reflects broader momentum in esports, especially after its recognition under India’s Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025. By bridging gaming and real-world racing, the initiative aims to offer aspiring drivers a credible entry point into professional motorsport.
With interest in Formula 1 steadily rising and conversations around its return to India gaining pace, the new championship could become a proving ground for future racing stars.
