Movie Channels
Star Movies to presents ‘Hamlet’ on 26 April
Star Movies presents the best in History…
Watch HAMLET on Wednesday, April 26th at 9 p.m. only on Star Movies
Mumbai, April 24, 2006… Star Movies continues to bring to you the best and the biggest blockbusters this summer! This Wednesday, April 26th at 9 p.m. Star Movies takes you back in time with Kenneth Branagh’s excellent and uncut adaptation of William Shakespeare’s most famous play – Hamlet.
Hamlet, son of the king of Denmark, is summoned home for his father’s funeral and his mother’s wedding to his uncle. In a supernatural episode, he discovers that his uncle, whom he hates anyway, murdered his father. In an incredibly convoluted plot – The most complicated and most interesting in all literature – he manages to feign madness, murder the “prime minister,” love and then unlove an innocent whom he drives to madness, plot and then unplot against the uncle, direct a play within a play, successfully conspire against the lives of two well-meaning friends, and finally take his revenge on the uncle, but only at the cost of almost every life on stage, including his own and his mother’s.
The film is set in the mid 19th century and is presented in its uncut form. Branagh, who plays the character of Hamlet, delivers hidden nuances and subtle shadings missed by earlier truncated versions. Flashbacks are used prominently throughout the film to enlighten viewers who may be unfamiliar with the play and its context; they serve as illustrations that a stage production is incapable of providing, and enhance the story. This version of Shakespeare’s masterpiece was nominated for four Academy Awards including Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Music and Best Writing, Screenplay based on Material from another medium.
“As star and ringmaster, Branagh gets to the heart of Hamlet and goes to admirable lengths to take his audience there, too.”- Janet Maslin, NEW YORK TIMES
“Glorious as it is, this unexpurgated workout is ultimately a movie of moments.”
— Mike Clark, USA TODAY
So tune in to Star Movies and get set for some non-stop action with the blockbuster film, Hamlet on Wednesday, April 26th at 9 p.m.
About Star
STAR is a leading media and entertainment company in Asia. STAR broadcasts over 50 television services in nine languages to more than 300 million viewers across 53 Asian countries. STAR channels cover all genres including general entertainment (Star Plus, Xing Kong, Star Chinese Channel, Star One, Star Utsav, Star World, Vijay, Phoenix Chinese), sports (ESPN, Star Sports), movies (Star Chinese Movies, Star Gold, Star Movies), music (Channel [V]), and news and current affairs (Star News, Star Ananda, Phoenix InfoNews Channel). STAR controls over 20,000 hours of Indian and Chinese programming and also owns the world’s largest contemporary Chinese film library, with more than 600 titles, featuring superstars including Jackie Chan, Chow Yun Fat and Bruce Lee. In partnership with leading companies in Asia, STAR businesses extend to filmed entertainment, television production, cable systems, direct-to-home services, terrestrial TV broadcasting, wireless and digital services. STAR is a wholly owned subsidiary of News Corporation. www.startv.com
For further information please contact:
In Mumbai
Zeenat Khan Shiraz Bhavnani / Aditi Chada
Asst. Vice President – Publicity Vaishnavi Corporate Communications
STAR (India) Ltd. Tel: 91-22-5656 8787
Tel No. 91-22-56305555 Fax: 91-22-5656 8788
Email:sbhavnani@vccpl.com / achada@vccpl.com
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.
