ITV

Category: Press Release

  • ShortsTV celebrates one year of bringing the best short films to India

    ShortsTV celebrates one year of bringing the best short films to India

    MUMBAI: ShortsTV, a leading next-generation content platform delivering high quality short entertainment to global audiences, celebrated its one-year anniversary of bringing award-winning short films from across the globe to India with a reception at the British High Commissioner’s residence in New Delhi. Present at the celebration were the British High Commissioner, Sir Dominic Asquith KCMG, and ShortsTV  chief executive Carter Pilcher. The celebration began with a congratulatory speech from the British High Commissioner and was followed by a screening of the Academy Award winning British short film Stutterer.

    Debuting in India in 2018 exclusively on Tata Sky, ShortsTV has been one of their fastest growing services in its first year of operations in India. It is now available across most of India’s major DTH platforms, including Dish TV, d2h and Airtel Digital TV, reaching over 60 million households, which represents 85% of the country’s satellite TV market. 

    Speaking on the one-year anniversary in India, Pilcher,  said, “We are thrilled to celebrate our first year of bringing ShortsTV to India. We couldn’t have done it without our great partners Tata Sky, who helped us to get launched, and Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films for their support in getting great movies out. I’d also like to thank our new partners where we launched last month – Airtel Digital TV, Dish TV and d2h. Our mission is to bring to the world the highest quality short entertainment on the face of the earth. India is our most important market and we launched with 30% of our catalogue being made in India. By next year 50% of short films aired on ShortsTV will be Indian made. That is 400-500 hours of Indian short films that we will be launching on television.”

    Commenting on the success of ShortsTV in India, British High Commissioner to India, Sir Dominic Asquith KCMG, said, “We see a lot of traffic back and forth between the UK and India across business, investment and technology, but the creative collaboration is sometimes less visible. Within a year of launching in India, UK-based ShortsTV has brought short films by Oscar nominees and winners to over 60 million households here. I look forward to seeing how their ambition to increase collaboration with Indian filmmakers opens up new opportunities for Indian-made short films at the Oscars.”

    ShortsTV is pioneering a new type of entertainment in India: highest quality, entertaining movies from leading Indian and international talent in short form, and audiences have taken note.  ShortsTV’s depth of films is unrivalled, drawing from a growing catalogue of more than 13,000 Indian and international short movies. Top of the list are award-winners from all the biggest international award franchises: Oscars, BAFTAs and Cannes and the biggest Hollywood and Bollywood stars: Benedict Cumberbatch to Jackie Shroff and Judi Dench to Radhika Apte. Furthermore, the ShortsTV India catalogue brings the  best of Indian short films from leading producers, including Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films, Terribly Tiny Tales, Whistling Woods and Humara Movies.

    The ShortsTV service is available ad-free on Dish TV and d2h as ‘ShortsTV Active’ (channel 135), on Airtel Digital TV as ‘Airtel ShortsTV’ (channel 259) and on Tata Sky as ‘Tata Sky ShortsTV’ (HD channel 112 and SD channel 113).

    In addition, ShortsTV is the exclusive distributor of the annual Oscar Nominated Short Films theatrical release, bringing them to Indian cinemas for the first time this year with PVR Cinemas. They also founded the Best of India Short Film Festival, which received over 3000 entries and aims to qualify more Indian short films for Oscar consideration.

  • Amazon Prime Video brings the digital premiere of WAR

    Amazon Prime Video brings the digital premiere of WAR

    MUMBAI: This week, Amazon Prime Video presents an action-packed line-up with the latest Indian and International titles across genres. Witness the dual magic of superstars Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff, as they bring their best stunts to the screen in this year’s biggest entertainer WAR. Prime members can now stream a selection of recently released Indian films from regional cinema such as romantic drama Gantumoote (Kanadda), romantic comedy Triple Seat (Marathi) and period drama Gumnaami (Bengali) shortly after their theatrical release. After the successful premiere of Telugu period drama-cum-action film Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy last week, the Amitabh Bachchan-Vijay Setupathi starrer is now available in Hindi dub, exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.

    Additionally, customers can stream some of the latest international titles, including Hugh Grant starrer series A Very English Scandal and detective drama film The Report starring Adam Driver, Annette Bening and Jon Hamm in the lead.

    HIGHLIGHTS

    War

    An Indian soldier is assigned a mission to eliminate his former mentor, who has gone rogue. Directed by Siddharth Anand, the film stars Bollywood superstars Hrithik Roshan as a former Indian soldier gone rogue, and Tiger Shroff, as his protégé assigned to kill his mentor.

    Gantumoote (Kannada)

    Set in the 90s, this film follows the life of Meera, a high school teenager and her first tryst with love and the story that ensues.  unfolds is immensely gripping. 

    Triple Seat (Marathi)

    A young, happy guy receives a call from an unknown woman who claims to be in danger. A new take on the classic love triangle, Triple Seat brings to you  to the fore a light-hearted story about wireless love.

    Gumnaami (Bengali)

    Gumnaami is a film based on the Mukherjee Commission Hearings which happened from 1999 to 2005, where the three theories about Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's death were discussed and debated.

    A Very English Scandal

    In this comedy-drama series, British Liberal Party leader Jeremy Thorpe is accused of conspiracy to murder his gay ex-lover and forced to stand trial in 1979. The film stars Hugh Grant, Ben Winshaw and Alex Jennings in the lead.

    The Report

    Idealistic Senate staffer Daniel J. Jones, tasked by his boss to lead an investigation into the CIA's post 9/11 Detention and Interrogation Program, uncovers shocking secrets. The movie stars Adam Driver, Annette Bening and Jon Hamm in the lead.

  • ZEE5 unveils their december – binge holidays calendar

    ZEE5 unveils their december – binge holidays calendar

    MUMBAI: ZEE5 has witnessed exponential growth in the last year with more than 75+ Originals premiering on the platform across languages and genres. The platform has also successfully acquired blockbuster films, launched India’s first and only fiction gamification ZEE5 Super Family (ZSF), announced big tie-ups with production houses, telcos, Smart TV brands and over and above this enhanced the UI to ensure better user experience.

    The platform premiered some reverberating original stories which earned audience appreciation and multiple awards this season. Adding to this mix, they are now raising the bar higher with shows like The Chargesheet: Innocent or Guilty,  Rangbaaz Phirse, Ragini MMS Returns Season 2, Karoline Kamakshi (Telugu Series) and the direct to digital premiere of the film Line of Descent to name a few

    The December Calendar launch was a glitzy event with the starcast of various shows being present.

    The evening started with ZEE5  Programming Head Aparna Acharekar, , India addressing the guests and announcing that the platform has initiated a welfare fund for the army as a gesture to salute our heroes. She then personally called upon stage a special guest,  Lt. Colonel Sundeep Sen who was part of the NSG Commandos who were called upon to take charge of the situation during the 26/11 attack.

    Also,  present was producer Abhimanyu Singh, Contiloe Pictures and actors Arjan Bajwa & Arjun Bijlani who are part of the upcoming ZEE5 series The Siege: 26/11 slated to release, early next year.

    The evening then moved to the unveiling of the calendar AV in the presence of the eclectic cast Jimmy Sheirgill, Sharad Kelkar, Sushant Singh, Neeraj Kabi, Arunoday Singh, Shiv Panditt, Tridha Choudhury, Varun Sood, Divya Agarwal, Giorgia Adriani amongst others.

    Also, present was CEO Sunburn, Karan Singh and Indian music producer and DJ, Anish Sood and from the Sunburn Festival which is taking place in Goa on 27 December’19 and will be live streamed exclusively on ZEE5.

    With all the shows and this stellar line-up, ZEE5 has an action packed December planned for viewers to end the year with full of entertainment. Attached below are show details for a quick glance.

    Show Details as follows:

    · Line of Descent: Starring Abhay Deol, Ronit Roy, Prem Chopra, Neeraj Kabi, Ali Haji and Brendan Fraser the film, is set against the backdrop of Delhi, the story revolves around an Indian mafia family at war with itself following the death of the patriarch. The film will premiere in India, on 4th December exclusively on ZEE5.

    Trailer link: https://www.zee5.com/videos/details/line-of-descent-trailer/0-0-99308

    Karoline Kamakshi : Starring Meena, Georgia, Angelina and Anto, the series revolves around Karoline, a badass French detective, and Kamakshi, a traditional Tamil brahmin girl and how they are required to work together with a common motive of catching the infamous drug lord, Furkin. The series heavily laced with humour is all set to release on 5th December exclusively on ZEE5

    Trailer Link: https://www.zee5.com/zee5originals/details/karoline-kamakshi/0-6-2167

    Ragini MMS Returns Season 2: Starring Divya Agarwal, Varun Sood, Navneet Kaur, Thea Dsuuza, Aarti Khetarpal and Mohit Duseja is a new spine-chilling erotic tale. The story revolves around Ragini who goes for an all girls’ trip and how things go horribly wrong when they check into a haunted hotel.

    The Chargesheet – Innocent or Guilty : Starring Arunoday Singh, Tridha Choudhury, Shiv Panditt, Hrishita Bhatt, Ashwini Kalsekar, Kishori Shahane, Shakti Anand and Sikandar Kher, the show is unravels the story of a badminton player who was shot dead in broad daylight.

    Trailer Link: https://www.zee5.com/zee5originals/details/the-chargesheet-innocent-or-guilty/0-6-2208

    Rangbaaz Phirse : Starring Jimmy Sheirgill, Gul Panag, Sushant Singh and Spruha Joshi in lead roles the series highlights the story of a young guy who falls through the cracks because of politics and is robbed of his youth which subsequently ruins his life. It is about misguided manipulative youth. The nine-episode series highlights how an individual is not born as a criminal but becomes one because of the circumstances around him. #NotBornACriminal

    Trailer Link: https://www.zee5.com/zee5originals/details/rangbaaz/0-6-1138/rangbaaz-phirse-trailer/0-1-293898

  • &pictures to air world television premiere of ‘Judgemental Hai Kya’

    &pictures to air world television premiere of ‘Judgemental Hai Kya’

    MUMBAI: &pictures to air the world television premiere of Judgemental Hai Kya on November 30 at 9:30 pm. This Saturday get ready for oodles of fun and laughter with director Prakash Kovelamudi and producer Ekta Kapoor’s ‘Judgemental Hai Kya’ that revolves around a fun cat and mouse chase between Bobby and Keshav who try to outdo each other with their quirks.

     Pushing the envelope with their spectacular performances are the two powerhouse of talent – Kangana Ranaut and Rajkummar Rao as the leads. Along with them, the movie also features an ensemble cast comprising of Jimmy Shergill, Amyra Dastur, Amrita Puri, Hussain Dalal and
    Satish Kaushik. With two contrasting personalities warring each other, the viewers are posed with the question ‘Kiska Game Padega Kispe Bhaari?’ as &pictures airs the World Television Premiere of Judgementall Hai Kya on Saturday, 30th November at 9.30pm.

    Judgementall Hai Kya oscillates around Bobby Batliwala Garewal, a deadly concoction of half Parsi half Punjabi genes, who has as an eclectic sense of fashion and is a voiceover artist. Considered to be the black sheep of the Garewal family, Bobby Garewal is anything but the girl
    next door. She has very few friends and her bouts of funny, odd behavior often drives people away and sometimes even draws them close! Her life takes unexpected turn when she comes across Keshav (Rajkummar Rao) and the incidents that follow they meet. While the mystery keeps unraveling, the film gears from India to London following a cat and mouse chase between Bobby and Keshav providing all the oddity possible.
    Who among the two will overpower the other in this chase? 

  • One Take Media Co. acquires Thriller Hollywood Movie “Hacker” !!

    One Take Media Co. acquires Thriller Hollywood Movie “Hacker” !!

    MUMBAI: A teenager turns to online crime and identity theft to save his family from financial ruin and soon garners attention from a dangerous hacker targeted by the FBI.StarCast includes Haylie Duff, Craig Stark, Dan Spector. Directed by Nadeem Soumah, it is a 2018 Release. It is from Formula Features production house and has had a Cumulative Box Office Gross Revenue of $60,228

    Lara O’Brien played by Haylie Duff comes across an assassination plot of Congress Woman Boyle. Will Lara be able to save the Congress Woman? Will she be successful in tapping the people behind this plot. Will the people hacking into others online privacy matters be caught?Watch “Hacker” for a nail biting thrilling movie experience.

    Good cinematic experience of Hollywood movies has been appreciated by audiences across different demographics in India.Hollywood films in India are watched by people whose first language is not English far more than those who are comfortable in that language.  Dubbing in different Indian Languages helps reach a wider audience base, leading to increase in contribution to overall revenue collection. This is a proven fact; hence One Take Media has dubbed this movie “Hacker” in 9 Regional Languages i.e.Hindi, Marathi, Gujrati, Tamil, Telugu, Malyalam, Kannada, Bhojpuri and Bengali.

    The Satellite TV/OTT/VOD rights for “Hacker”are now Available with One Take Media Co. This movie is available for SAARC Nations.

    One Take Media Co. is Global Content Production and Distribution Hub.It distributes content in various genres namely Hollywood Movies in English and Dubbed in Regional Indian Languages, Kids Animation Content, Korean Drama Shows, K-Pop, Bhojpuri Movies and Songs, Tamil Movies, Bengali Movies and Cooking Content.

    CEO& Founder of One Take Media Co shares his views “We are continuously striving towards providing a delightful viewing experience to all our customers. “Hacker” is an extremely gripping movie showcasing the viewers the existing world of Hackers in the online World. We are excited with this acquisition of “Hackers” adding to the ever-growing Library of OTMC’s Hollywood Movies”

  • #BecomeABrand: Transform your business through your brand

    #BecomeABrand: Transform your business through your brand

    MUMBAI: Sorav Jain is one of India's leading digital marketers and personal branding coaches. He was named one among Top 100 Digital Marketing Influencers in 2019 by Twitter. On his quest to share the knowledge he has acquired over 10+ years in the industry, he has launched yet another compelling book "#BecomeABrand'. #BecomeABrand is a reflection of his career graph and the learnings from his journey that has led him to establish the brand, Sorav Jain. This book aims to help one learn how to leverage social media to achieve tangible and productive goals. The primary objective is to showcase a step by step process on how a person with a desire to build his/her personal brand can do so.

    Before #BecomeABrand, Sorav has also authored '101 Content Marketing Tips' and 'Social Media for Business.' While the previous books are effective guides to step up your social media game, #BecomeABrand is a useful handy book for anyone who seeks to develop their brand. This book covers personal branding for Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Quora, YouTube, LinkedIn, Blogging and Podcasting. The book travels with you on the journey of your personal brand transformation.

    “In this era, digital can be used not only for entertainment but also for goal attainment. As of 2019, 5.112 billion people worldwide use mobile phones, of which 3.484 billion are social media users. When you are spending virtually every waking minute on social media, why not leverage it to sync with your ambitions? This book covers personal branding strategies, polishing your profile, defining your niche, becoming an influencer, growing your followers and much more. Each chapter is substantiated with relevant examples, case studies and recommended activities,” said, MrSorav Jain, founder, echoVME

    #BecomeABrand is now available on Amazon and Flipkart for  599/- only.

  • Faber-Castell’s Grip Fountain Pen win German Design Award 2020

    Faber-Castell’s Grip Fountain Pen win German Design Award 2020

    MUMBAI: The German Design Council has awarded the Faber-Castell’s Grip fountain pen with the German Design Award 2020 in the category of “Excellent Product Design”. The international expert jury, consisting of brand experts from different disciplines, praised its “outstanding design quality”.

    The Grip fountain pen is an ideal daily companion for students, teenagers, young professionals and anyone who still enjoys using analogue writing implements. Thanks to its characteristic design and ergonomic soft grip zone, writing for longer spells is no problem for both right-handers and left-handers alike. Its sophisticated nib and ink combination ensures that it glides silkily and effortlessly across the paper. The Grip fountain pen has a robust stainless steel nib and stable stainless steel clip and is available in four nib widths and eight designs.

    The German Design Award recognises innovative products and projects, and their manufacturers and designers are pioneering in the German and international design landscape. It is given by the German Design Council, which was created by the German parliament in 1953 and endowed by the Confederation of German Industry (BDI). The award supports the economy in achieving added brand value through design.

  • DSM’s Nu-Shakti partners with Lodestar UM and Suryan FM to create awareness about the adverse consequences of iron deficiency

    DSM’s Nu-Shakti partners with Lodestar UM and Suryan FM to create awareness about the adverse consequences of iron deficiency

    MUMBAI: On the occasion of Iron Deficiency Day, Nu-Shakti a brand from Royal DSM – global science based company active in health, nutrition and sustainable living, launched a day-long campaign in Chennai, in partnership with Lodestar UM and Suryan FM. The intent of the campaign was to drive awareness about health issues caused by iron deficiency, as well as to highlight the importance of healthy iron levels and home food fortification.

    As part of the campaign, radio talk shows were held with doctors and nutritionists, educating and empowering listeners to take charge of their health, and guiding them on how to make their daily food rich in micronutrients including iron through a balanced diet. Additionally, 5,000 people across Chennai were served lemon rice fortified with Nu-Shakti Powermix for Rice.

    Alok Kohli, Business Director, DSM India said, “As per the National Family Health Survey data, during the period 1998–2016, over 50% of women aged 15–49 years had iron deficiency anemia. Nu-Shakti is committed to building a sustainable food system for the Indian population by enabling easier access and convenience to nutritious food intake. The Iron Deficiency Day communications campaign is aimed at tackling India’s rising major health issues triggered by malnutrition and imbalanced dietary habits, especially anaemia.”

    Anindya Ray Senior Vice President Lodestar UM said, “This is a completely new category of nutrition fortifiers added with staples like rice, atta and dal and hence we have a huge challenge in getting across to the target audience in making them comprehend not only the product but its usage. It is not enough to showcase the product, but extremely important to drive on ground usage in terms of proof. Our team devised this unique experiential activity by aptly leveraging the World Iron Deficiency Day – 26th Nov, 2019, which immediately places the product in its right context. Radio led activation helped us to deliver the product on ground which is far beyond only vanilla advertising and yes there is measurability to it also with 5000 women being reached out with this unique activation”.

    Based on the concept of home fortification, Nu-Shakti increases the micronutrient value of home cooked staple foods. This can help consumers achieve a healthier, more balanced diet without altering taste, and appearance of the food or changing dietary habits. Nu-Shakti product range includes Powermix for Rice (Fortified Rice Kernels), Powermix for Atta (Fortified Atta/flour), MixMe (Fortified orange flavored beverage mix) and Vitamins & Mineral Mix (micronutrient sprinkler powder.

    Nu-Shakti products are available at select modern trade stores and kirana (retail) stores in Tamil Nadu. The products have been introduced at affordable per unit prices starting from Rs 5. Consumers can know more by visiting  www.nu-shakti.com

  • Over 20 Million Users in India Log on to 11.11 UC Shopping Festival

    Over 20 Million Users in India Log on to 11.11 UC Shopping Festival

    MUMBAI: Over 20 Million Indians logged on to UC Browser to take part in the recently concluded 11.11 UC Shopping Festival, part of Alibaba’s 11.11 Global Shopping Festival. The 11.11 UC Shopping Festival, jointly presented by UC Browser, Paytm Mall, Paytm First, Lazada and AliExpress simultaneously ran across 5 key markets of India, Indonesia, Russia, Thailand and Vietnam. The partnership brought forth exclusive deals, huge discounts and multiple offers across different categories. Delivering on its commitment of a localisation plan, the festival was available in 14 popular languages – English，Hindi，Tamil，Telugu，Marathi，Gujarati，Kannada，Malayalam，Bengali，Punjabi，Bahasa，Thai，Vietnamese and Russian.

    Offering a comprehensive and enriching shopping experience, UC launched a slew of in-app activities. About 15 million Indian users took part in various in-app interactive activities on the UC Browser platform, including Treasure Hunt, “Invite Friends, Win free prize”, and Lucky Stars. UC distributed cashback and gifts of value in excess of Rs. 200 million, a jump of over 15x from the gifts and coupons distributed last year. Over 25 lakh Indian users took part in the popular Lucky Stars Game with over 700,000 users winning free prizes. UC also launched a “Mol, Tol” Challenge which became increasingly popular with the users during the course of the festival. The videos around the challenge generated over 10 million impressions.

    With its commitment to create a comprehensive content ecosystem across multiple categories, UC Browser generated over 40 million-page views for content related to the Shopping Festival. More than 3000 pieces of GIFs and memes were generated during the shopping period and more than 70,000 articles were created on UC’s highly popular Shopping Channel, helping users understand various products and deals to make informed purchase choices.

    “We are delighted at the overwhelming response to yet another edition of UC 11.11 Shopping Fest. The strong user participation has exceeded all our expectations and we are thrilled to announce that UC Browser generated over 1 billion viewable impressions for shopping fest-related content with over 700 million coming from Indian market alone”, said Mr Huaiyuan Yang, Vice President, UC Web Global Business.

    UC Browser is the world’s No.1 third-party mobile browser and a content platform from Alibaba Innovation Initiatives Business Group. UC Browser has clocked in over 1.1 billion user downloads worldwide (excluding China) with half of its global installs from India.

  • Viacom18 Consumer Products and Work With Fun launch Club Roadies in Jaipur

    Viacom18 Consumer Products and Work With Fun launch Club Roadies in Jaipur

    MUMBAI: Post the successful launch of Café Roadies in Noida earlier this quarter, Viacom18 Consumer Products extended the legacy of Roadies to India’s pink city. In association with Work With Fun, the brand announced the launch of India’s first ever ‘Club Roadies’ in Jaipur today. Club Roadies is a perfect hangout spot for youngsters who are inspired by the vigour and appeal of the show. As India’s longest running adventure reality show, Roadies has not only fascinated generations of the young audience but also evolved as a cult over 16 years.

    Club Roadies offers a vivid and innovative experience to all clubbing and party enthusiasts of Jaipur. With the undying spirit of Roadies at its core, this place embodies the vibrance of youth, their passions and preferences thereby letting customers celebrate unabashedly. Coupled with an ode to the iconic legacy of Roadies that comes to life with its décor, Club Roadies is your go to place for all things adventure.

    Commenting on the launch of Club Roadies, Mahesh Shetty, Head- Network Sales, Viacom18, said, “Our Consumer Products business is constantly thriving to create experiences for audiences and being a catalyst to fandom. Roadies enjoys extreme popularity and fanfare amongst the youth therefore, it makes a perfect fit for extending into a lifestyle franchise. After launching Café Roadies earlier this quarter in Noida, we are happy to partner with ‘Work With Fun’ yet again to bring an out of TV Roadies experience to Roadies fans.”

    Commenting on the launch and association with Club Roadies in Jaipur, Mr. Neeraj Singhal & Mr. Ankit Gupta, Co-Founders of Work with Fun said, “Club Roadies has set up a next-level clubbing and food experience for the fun-loving people of Jaipur. We wanted to create a place that is synonymous with comfort for an audience who loves spending time with their loved ones or groups and wants to enhance their everyday experiences like a Roadie. At Club Roadies we have tried our best to create an atmosphere for Roadies lovers to make them feel like a part of the show. With this, we have taken special care of Rajasthani taste and style which makes this club the outstanding one in pink city."

    Celebrating all things ‘Roadies’, the menu here will offer dishes and beverages that rekindle nostalgia. From ‘Game ke Andar Game’ (Burgers and steaks) and ‘One for the gang’ (pizzas) to ‘Pasta Ka Vaasta’ (Pastas) and ‘Bada Dhamaaka’ (Platters), this place lets you indulge in the most delectable treats. Also, present is a special section ‘An Evening in Pink City’ including all popular local dishes and flavours to munch on. Club Roadies offers a diversified range of beverages catering to different types of Roadies like LIIT, Brave, Desi, Extraordinary and old school.

    From a wall of fame dedicated to winners to colourful graffities, task zones and larger than life installations, Club Roadies stands out with its well curated interiors that embody the essence of the show. The club also houses the iconic Roadies bike that has intrigued millions for over a decade. More than just an addition to the city’s vibrant club culture, this one of a kind differentiated destination promises a genuine ‘Roadie’ experience that will be enjoyed by one and all.