Category: Press Release

ZEE5 announces pyschological thriller ‘Posham Pa’

MUMBAI: ZEE5, India’s fastest growing OTT platform announces ‘Posham Pa’, a psychological thriller starring actress Mahie Gill, Sayani Gupta and Ragini Khanna in a never seen before avatar. Directed by national award-winning filmmaker Suman Mukhopadhyay, written by Nimisha Misra and produced by Ten Years Younger Productions LLP, Dhirajj Walks of Art Pvt Ltd, New Born Films LLP and Vishant Audio Visuals Pvt Ltd the film releases on 21st August exclusively on ZEE5.

‘Posham Pa’ has been inspired by true events, researched by senior journalist, Praful Shah. The story revolves around a psychologically disturbed mother who coerced her daughters into a life of crime. The daughters are now facing the death penalty for their violent crimes and spieling their life story to two documentarians essayed by Imaad Shah and Shivani Raghuvanshi.

The film has been shot in three different non-linear tracks and is sure to keep the viewers engrossed with twist and turns.

Sharing her perspective, Mahie Gill said, “The story of Posham Pa is inexplicable. I still cannot fathom how circumstances can make someone so cruel. It is one of the most challenging roles I have essayed and when I heard the script, I decided to take it up almost immediately. We are now looking forward for it to premiere on ZEE5 and be available to a global audience.”

Sharing her experience, Sayani Gupta said, “It has been a very difficult journey to get under the skin of my character. Right from my look to the brutality of the murders, it has all been mind-numbing. Getting into the psyche of a criminal drains you physically and emotionally. Posham Pa will premiere on ZEE5 and will reach such a wide audience base.”

Sharing her thoughts Ragini Khanna said, “Posham Pa has an enticing plot, making it a must watch for viewers who enjoy watching thrillers. It was a tough shoot and an experience which I will carry with me forever. It is an exciting time for new stories and content to flourish . I am happy that ZEE5 is backing such unique stories and we are looking forward to the release on the platform.”

Director Suman Mukhopadhyay said, “We are presenting a film that has multiple focal points. Truth and reality look so puzzling when seen from different perspectives. The script brings this out through a nonlinear treatment. However, the actors have walked a distance to ensure their performance is power-packed. To portray the psychological labyrinth of the characters that travels few decades, is an immensely challenging task. Everyone has worked very hard in putting this together and I hope with ZEE5’s massive reach, Posham Pa travels extensively.”

Commenting on the announcement, Aparna Acharekar, Programming Head, ZEE5 India said, “At ZEE5, we are working towards building a robust library across genres. Posham Pa is our latest addition, a compelling story with an eclectic star cast. It is an offbeat story and we have got on board powerful actors who are perfectly suited for their respective roles. Posham Pa is currently in the post production stage and we are looking forward to release it on our platform soon."

With over 3500 films, 500+ TV shows, 4000+ music videos, 35+ theatre plays and 80+ LIVE TV Channels across 12 languages, ZEE5 truly presents a blend of unrivalled content offering for its viewers across the nation and worldwide. With ZEE5, the global content of Zindagi as a brand, which was widely appreciated across the country, has also been brought back for its loyal viewers.

July 16, 2019
Globecast brings the total Africa Cup of Nations to the world in 4K alongside VOD content creation

MUMBAI: Globecast, the global solutions provider for media, is extending its relationship with the organisers and rights holders of the Total Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, bringing the 2019 event to the world. The tournament began on June 21st with the final taking place on July 19th.

Globecast is working in partnership with the Egyptian Local Organising Committee (LOC), Lagardère Sports, managers and marketers of sports rights across Europe and Africa, and the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF). For additional on-the-ground logistics support, Globecast has partnered with local specialists KAR Technology, who have provided logistical expertise and liaison with the LOC. Globecast has also collaborated closely with Iris Media, who have provided SNGs as well as additional technical support.

Globecast has a longstanding relationship with CAF and is providing a range of services in 2019, including contribution, distribution and VOD content preparation and storage. For the first time, the opening match and the final are being broadcast in 4K, using HEVC encoding. In total there are 52 matches being held in four cities across Egypt.

At each stadium, Globecast is supplying two flyaway SNGs. The first is uplinking the main feed, plus a second feed with additional pre-match footage to build more involvement in the event. Full redundancy is provided by the second SNG. The primary feeds are received at Globecast’s Paris teleport and are then turned around for onward distribution. The backup feed is received in London.

To increase ROI and viewer engagement, VOD content is being prepared by Globecast using its Content Marketplace service, a module of its Digital Media Hub content processing suite. Signals are transcoded into multiple formats and resolutions, including full broadcast quality, clipped and metadata added. Each broadcast affiliate using the system then receives new content notifications to promote download.

Philippe Bernard, Chairman and CEO, Globecast, said, “We are really pleased to have been selected by the Egyptian LOC, extending our relationship with CAF and Lagadère Sports. This year sees particular innovation with the use of both 4K and VOD content supply, with our innovative Content Marketplace providing broadcast affiliates with new ways to extend viewer engagement. We have worked very closely with both KAR and Iris Media and their help has been invaluable. This is a major tournament that needs very high level technical and logistical expertise and between them they have provided exactly what’s required. The LOC has done a fantastic job to organise this event, with Egypt being asked to step in late in the process. What a fantastic sporting spectacle the 2019 event is.”

July 16, 2019
Games2win appoints Angelo Lobo as creative director

MUMBAI: Games2win India Pvt Ltd, a global publisher of casual mobile games with more than 250 million downloads, announced the appointment of Angelo Lobo as Creative Director. Angelo is a well-known veteran of gaming and was the Director of Game Design at Zynga India. At Zynga, he ran the design vertical, overseeing games like Draw Something, Empires and Allies, FarmVille, FarmVille 2 and FarmVille: Country Escape. These games have collective installs of over 1.5 billion.

Prior to Zynga, Angelo worked at Games2win as Lead Game Designer. He is also a mentor for Google’s Indie Games Accelerator, one of the few Gaming Professionals from India to enjoy this privilege.

On his appointment, Alok Kejriwal, CEO and Co-Founder of Games2win, said: “It’s awesome to have Angelo come back to Games2win! We extensively worked together in the early stages of Games2win’s development and he was instrumental in producing our game libraries, hiring creative teams, and establishing our production processes. In his new position at Games2win, I expect Angelo to lead our Replay Game Fund initiative that helps gaming entrepreneurs and developers create, publish and monetise their games with our help in terms of funding, guidance, knowledge sharing and publishing. Angelo has mentored scores of game designers and enthusiasts, and many know him well. He will be the ideal mentor and Creative Head for all new-age gaming entrepreneurs from India!”

Angelo Lobo said: “It’s very exciting to be a part of the Replay Game Fund. Over the past 18 years, I’ve gained deep insights into game design and production, thanks to the amazing people I got to work with. Now, thanks to Alok and Games2win, I will be able to share that knowledge with the next generation of gaming entrepreneurs. The best thing about Games2win is that they have the resources and drive of a large company, but they are as agile and quick as a start-up. They know how to get things done. I’m confident that any gaming studio that chooses to work with Games2win’s Replay Game Fund will be able to super accelerate their growth, knowledge and revenue!”

July 16, 2019
MTV’s latest brand film has an epic response. Watch out!

MUMBAI: In a fiercely competitive world where each individual is part of a rat race, career choices for students become talk of the town, with parents planning the lives of their little ones according to their wishes. While there are a plethora of career opportunities currently, the perception associated with only a selective profession continues to dominate the mindset. MTV’s recently launched film, “Bachchon ka Future, Bachchon Pe Chhod Do” unconventionally mirrors the reality that prevails within this competitive world.

With one’s arrival in this world comes a series of career plans, decided by your baaju wali aunties, nagging fufajis, mamas and chachas. The film creatively shows the persona of a new-born via an ‘egg’, in a hospital set-up where the family members are discussing the ‘egg’s future’, seconds after it has stepped into this world- “yeh bada ho kar omelet banega”, followed by the other concerned folks who think, scrambled egg, egg bhurji or even an ‘MBA, Mast Boiled Anda’ are perfect options for the new-born.

This funny yet relevant film brings to light a serious concern. The pressure of board exams in schools, semester exams in college and several competitive exams that continue to control your life, lead to disturbing consequences- depression and suicide. MTV’s film drives home a significant message that encourages the future of the nation to choose what suits them the best, without anybody’s uncalled for advice, interference, and subjugation. Understanding the importance of this issue, MTV has associated with Childline India to extend support. So, if you see any child in distress dial 1098 or log on https://www.childlineindia.org.in/ to save the future.

July 15, 2019
Zee Bollywood to showcase the 101% Shuddh Romantic Blockbuster Raja Hindustani on Saturday, 20th July at 9 PM

MUMBAI: They say when love is real, it finds a way. An ode to all the love stories, Dharmesh Darshan’s Raja Hindustani stars the jabardast jodi – Karisma Kapoor and Aamir Khan as star-crossed lovers, who fight all odds to stay together. Zee Bollywood with the brand promise of bringing to its viewers 101% Shuddh Bollywood movies will air the blockbuster movie Raja Hindustani on Saturday, 20th July at 9 pm.

Raja Hindustani’s soundtrack is a must for lovers of good everlasting melody. Nadeem- Shravan’s music is an all-time hit with the masses and was on the top of the charts for a very long time, making the album a musical success. Songs like Pardesi Pardesi, Puchho Zara Puccho and Aaye Ho Meri Zindagi Mein have good rhythm, excellent lyrics and are a bit more upbeat than the regular love songs. The music of the film instantly connected with the audience and is one of the best-selling Bollywood soundtrack albums of all time

Redefining shuddh romance, Raja Hindustani follows the life of a small-town taxi driver and tourist guide Raja (Aamir Khan) who falls in love with a khandani girl Aarti Sehgal (Karisma Kapoor) on a trip to Palankhet. Adding an element of Shuddh Drama, Aarti’s father Mr. Sehgal (Suresh Oberoi) finds out about Raja and strongly disapproves. However Mr. Sehgal plays to get the duo married on a condition that Raja travels to Mumbai and learns to become a respectable member of the society. Will Raja travel to Mumbai to prove his love? In a society plagued with classism, how will their love survive?

July 15, 2019
Jio furthers its commitment to reduce gender gap in digital adoption

MUMBAI: Jio, the world’s largest mobile data network, has today announced that it has partnered with GSMA’s Connected Women Initiative to bridge the gender gap in digital adoption and digital literacy among women in India. Jio and GSMA will work towards empowering more women with increased access to, and use of, life-enhancing digital services.

The recent accelerated adoption of mobile and internet technologies has changed how people engage, educate and entertain. However, the gender gap in mobile adoption in India persists due to a lack of access, affordability and inclusion in the digital revolution. Since its inception, Jio has been committed to address this gap by offering equal opportunities to one and all.

As a part of the Connected Women Initiative, GSMA works with mobile operators and their partners globally to address the barriers that women face in accessing and using mobile internet and mobile money services. GSMA and the service providers can together deliver significant socio-economic benefits and transform the lives of countless women while unlocking this substantial market opportunity for the mobile industry.

Speaking about Jio’s focus on digital inclusion, Isha Ambani, Director, Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd, said, “The growth of mobile and internet technologies over the past decade has been rapid and remarkable. It offers an incredible opportunity to empower women and transform lives with increased access to information and education, aiding financial inclusion and providing life-enhancing services and employment opportunities. This is the reason why Jio was conceived, and we have committed ourselves to making this dream come true for all Indians.”

India’s own smartphone, the JioPhone, is a major step towards digital inclusion, bringing several first-time mobile users in the fold of digital life. Available at Rs 501 (approximately $7) with unlimited voice and data services at an unparalleled price of Rs 49 a month (less than $1), JioPhone is encouraging and enabling more and more people to try digital services.

Jio has also partnered with several Government-led initiatives to digitally empower millions of women in the country.

July 15, 2019
#ThisIsGoa chronicles the essence of FC Goa, its connection with the state and the ‘controlled chaos’ perfected by the club

MUMBAI: Inseparable. Interlinked. Coalesced. Unified. The list of words to describe the relationship between FC Goa and the state of Goa is endless.

In a region where football is life, where the sport runs through the veins of the local populace, FC Goa and Goa are one, for it is impossible to speak of one without mentioning the other.

This campaign celebrates football club FC Goa’s accomplishments in its short journey thus far and introduces the key building blocks of the ecosystem (players, coaches and other personnel) to create brand recognition and focus on its youth development program.

With game-changing initiatives towards player development, scouting and infrastructure for youth teams, FC Goa is looking to build footballing champions of tomorrow. Goa may be the country’s smallest state, but the pride and heart of the club and its supporters remain unmatched. The club’s heart-pumping, leave-it-all-on-the-field philosophy is matched by the passion of its large fanbase.

The campaign focuses on FC Goa’s work in the grassroots sphere and its continued focus on improving the technical quality of players coming through the club’s talent pyramid. The future of the state’s youth is in secure hands, the club providing a home to more than 110 footballers through its several teams.

The presence of a women’s team, the only Indian Super League outfit to have one, and youth teams all the way from Under-13’s to Under 23’s makes the club a well-rounded outfit, one of the few in the entire country to possess as many teams. FC Goa’s intentions are to create a holistic football ecosystem where all stakeholders can thrive and grow at the same pace.

Four trophies in a single season, including two in age-group leagues underline the club’s mission and vision to provide a winning platform to its players while maintaining the essence of elite player development.
There is no FC Goa without Goa, and vice versa. If it is becoming abundantly clear that this is FC Goa’s time, it is also clear that #ThisIsGoa’s time.

Speaking about the campaign, Aditya Datta, Commercial Director of FC Goa stated that this campaign was an effort to bring to highlight the emotional and footballing connect between the club, its fans and the state as a whole.“Our objective was to bring out the fact that the club has stayed true to its ideals of bringing about a football revolution, a cultural bridge using the sport as a tool to solidify the bonds it has forged within five years of its inception. We believe that these bonds can only strengthen with the passage of time and our exemplary work on youth development will reap ample rewards with regards to extended fan loyalty in the future,” said Datta.

Rubina Dhillon, Head of Marketing and Sponsorships at FC Goa spoke about the fact that youth development was an under-highlighted facet of football clubs and that the focus was to shift the spotlight beyond the first team. “If you look at our grassroots programmes and our community outreach initiatives, then the work we’ve done in the short while that we’ve been active is tremendous. We are also hoping that brands recognise the conscious effort that we’ve invested into this area of the club and work hand-in-hand with us to help the youth development and grassroots program reach greater heights in India, Asia and beyond.”

She added that the campaign was a reflection of the ‘controlled chaos’ strategy that it exhibits on the field.“If you look at the team play, you will notice the methodical madness on display, the short passing game that results in beautiful attacking patterns. The club and its philosophy are an extension of the same, proceeding towards its objectives full-tilt but in an orderly fashion, in the right manner,” added Dhillon.

July 15, 2019
Bobble AI launches Emoji Usage Trends on ‘World Emoji Day’

MUMBAI: Bobble AI has launched a trend report on the usage of emojis in our day to day conversations on smartphones. Also, the trend report showcases top ranking emojis used on online dating apps, for sexting, during menstruation and others.

Bobble has demonstrated capabilities of and by making smartphones ‘Smarter’. Solutions like Bobble Indic Keyboard allow users to choose themes, fonts, & a variety of features as per their liking, allows real-time content creation and personalization with its proprietary technology. Bobble AI-based emoji recommendation engine suggests and predicts a combination of most used and relevant emojis by interpreting the chat context, sentiments and intent. The more you use this feature, the more it adapts to your emoji usage and personalizes conversations accordingly.

*The trend report is based on the data collected on the Bobble AI platforms only. This information is made available by Bobble for educational purposes only as well as to give you general information on the usage of emojis.

Top 10 emojis used on Social Media (Facebook/Whatsapp)

● 63% of our users are on Facebook every day, and 97% on Whatsapp

● Face with Tears of Joy is a common winner across categories and social media platforms

● The nature of the platforms also affects ranking. Facebook being a public platform has Face with Tears of Joy as number 1, and Whatsapp being a private chatting service has Face Blowing a Kiss as number 1

● It’s interesting to note that there is only one dissimilarity between the top 10. Facebook has Smiling Face with Smiling Eyes and Whatsapp has the romantic
Kiss Mark!

● During festivals/national events, emoji usage is elevated considerably

Top 10 emojis used in online dating apps

● Emojis used in conversations on dating apps tend to express joy, be more flirty and romantic. This may lead to casual dating opportunities and emojis used like

Clinking Beer Mugs, Couple With Heart, and Kiss Mark

Top 10 emojis used while Sex-ting

● Owing to an increase in smartphone ownership among teenagers, the prevalence of sexting among adolescents has increased.

Top 10 emojis used to express Menstruation

● Bobble Keyboard has a female audience between the ages of 18-44, occupying 40% of the user base. The group talking specifically about menstruation majorly lies between the age range of 18-34, and this category itself is growing massively.

● For this audience the major emotion at play here is negative, like Sadness and Disgust, which encompasses all the top 10 emojis

According to the data gathered from the year 2018 until now, there has been approximately 36% increase in emoji sharing across social media platforms via Bobble keyboard. The app has registered more than 25 Million users until now. As for the user base, Tier 2 and 3 cities occupy 66% and the remaining 34% is from Tier 1 cities.

July 15, 2019
TikTok Partners with National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) to support Skill Development in India and celebrate World Youth Skills Day 2019

MUMBAI: TikTok, the world's leading short video platform, and National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) have partnered to support Skill Development in India and celebrate World Youth Skills Day 2019. As part of the collaboration, NSDC (@skillindiaofficial) has joined TikTok to leverage the platform to educate TikTok’s over 200 million users, including first-time Internet users in India about the ongoing government-driven skill development programs and vocational training opportunities in the country through an in-app campaign #Skills4All.

Gaurav Kapoor, Senior Head, Comm. & Advocacy and Industry Partnership & CSR, National Skill Development Corporation said, "We are excited to join TikTok, in celebration of World Youth Skills Day 2019. Through this platform, we look forward to engaging with TikTok’s vibrant community to achieve our vision of a skilled India. Through diverse content on TikTok, we aim to excite and educate the youth about the various opportunities in the space of vocational training in India. We believe that by harnessing the potential of short-videos, we will be able to motivate youth to join Skill India mission.”

As a platform that celebrates trends, encourages creativity and embraces diversity, TikTok has become the preferred platform for expression of India’s digital-savvy youth, given its easy-to-use tools and features to create and discover great content,all made easy on the mobile. TikTok, available in 10 major Indian languages, empowers its users across the length and breadth of the country to showcase their creative expression, talent, and skills through their videos.

Popular TikTok creators support #Skills4All: @skillindiaofficial, @swapniljoshi and @rannvijaysingha

“We are excited to partner with NSDC in their World Youth Skills Day initiative to promote skill development among India’s youth on TikTok and educate them about vocational training and programs. This partnership is aligned with TikTok’s mission to empower India’s creative economy by providing its over 200 million users with a global platform to showcase their talent and skills across categories. We hope to help NSDC bridge the existing gap of skills supply by educating our users about their initiatives,” said Nitin Saluja, Director, Public Policy, TikTok.

NSDC aims to promote skill development by catalyzing creation of large, quality and for-profit vocational institutions. Through TikTok’s community, NSDC aims to skill large number of youth with Scale, Speed and High Standards to achieve the vision of 'Skilled India'. With the innovative concept of short videos, the collaboration on the platform with #Skills4All has already garnered over 217.7 million views with some of the most popular TikTok creators such as @englishwithgeet, @rannvijaysingha and @theamrapalette sharing their videos on the TikTok.

Trending videos on #Skills4All – @englishwithgeet, @best.magic and @theamrapalette

Ready to create, share and discover new skills? Download TikTok now and start TikTok’ing!

July 15, 2019
Sony MAX celebrates Dhanush’s birthday with the blockbuster movie ‘Super Khiladi Returns’ on July 18

MUMBAI: Have you recovered from the fever of Kolaveri D? Because we haven’t! The much loved southern heartthrob, Venkatesh Prabhu aka Dhanush is a force to reckon with. Born in a humble family, his tell-a-tale story has left many inspired. The star of today was never born with a silver spoon and had his share of hardships before turning his fortune around. He stepped into the world of cinema with his father’s directorial venture while he was still a student and later shot to fame with ‘Kadhal Konden’ directed by his sibling in 2002. Since then, the playback singer, actor, director, producer, writer, lyricist and screenwriter has left no stone unturned.

This 28th July, as ‘Dhanush’ turns 35 years old, Sony MAX, India’s iconic Hindi movie channel from Sony Pictures Networks will air his blockbuster movie ‘Super Khiladi Returns’ on Thursday, July 18 at 12 pm in commemoration of his birthday. The movie showcase Dhanush as a carefree, laid-back guy who falls in the love with the sister (played by Shriya Saran) of a business tycoon (Prakash Raj). His power packed performances together with his boyish charm in the movie is definitely a visual treat for the viewers.

July 15, 2019