Category: Factual

This Teacher’s Day, &PrivéHD presents movies that will leave you inspired

MUMBAI: Behind every successful human, there is constant nagging and nurturing from a person who basks on your achievement from the shadows. Their victory lies in the success of their students. On September 5 this year, &PrivéHD, the premium destination of nuanced cinema, brings stories that inspire every student to reach their best. Watch a one-day special binge – Teacher’s Day Special – on September 5, 2019 from 11 AM to 7 PM only on &PrivéHD. The channel brings critically acclaimed movies like Finding Forrester, Academy Award Nominee Julie & Julia, Coach Carter and Bleed For This to its non-conformist audience.

It’s often exciting when you hear a dialogue which blows your mind and takes you on an emotional and inspirational ride. &PrivéHD brings specifically tailored programming line-up for the non-conformists who always believe in inspiring others. While all the movies in the line-up have clocked over 6.8 IMDB ratings, they will leave no stones unturned to impart some valuable lessons.

For those who appreciate nuanced cinema, &PrivéHD brings riveting and award-winning films that stimulate the minds and bring alive the other side of cinema with Zee Prime English HD Pack comprising – &PrivéHD, Zee Café HD, &flix HD, LF HD is priced at Rs 25/-.

September 5, 2019
HISTORY TV18 shines the spotlight on ancient Ujjain and its Lord, in ‘Mahakaleshwar- Legends of Shiva’

India: Ujjain – an ancient city in the heart of India-is a place where history and mythology converge. It was once the capital of a great kingdom that sought to unravel the mysteries of time and space. Today, its cultural and religious epicenter is the temple of Shiva’s most powerful manifestation – Mahakaleshwar, Lord of Time. The modern city – fifth largest in Madhya Pradesh – still has an elemental connection with its past. Along with legends and oral histories passed down generations, Ujjain or Ujjaini was known to be an important centre of scientific discourse and the measurement of time. It is said that the temple of Mahakaleshwar is situated at the point where the ancient Indian Prime Meridian and the Tropic of Cancer once intersected. In fact, Ujjain still has a functioning Jantar Mantar, one of four ancient Indian observatories and sundials, used for making astronomical calculations and measuring time. The city’s connection to the concept of time continues. The Hindu calendar era, Vikram Samvat is still in use. It is named after Vikramaditya – the legendary king of Ujjain. These and other fascinating facets of Ujjain, its presiding deity, the faith and festivity Shiva inspires, come together as a compelling story in ‘Mahakaleshwar- Legends of Shiva’ premiering Thursday, 5th September at 8pm on HISTORY TV18.

The site of Mahakaleshwar Temple is believed to be the most important of the twelve ‘Jyotirlingas’, where Shiva appeared as an endless column of light. Today, it draws lakhs of devotees from all over the country, especially during Mahashivaratri – the festival celebrating the union of Shiva and goddess ‘Parvati’. It’s a time for faith, fanfare and unfettered festive fervor. The documentary follows life in the city and the temple, leading up to the celebrations. With unprecedented access and scholarly insights, the documentary pulls back the layers, to uncover the hidden meanings, symbolism and significance of rituals, practices and beliefs. It provides an opportunity for viewers to experience colour, culture and tradition formed over millennia- a unique aspect of India’s heritage.

Like their city, the characters in the film also straddle tradition and modernity. Whether ascetic Aghori or cool millennial, they are at ease with life in modern times yet bound bybelief and devotion. Twenty-year-old Mansi is abiker and horse-riding enthusiast. She also regularly fasts for her beloved Shiva. Quirky costume collector, affectionately called “Muskurake”,is a school principal for whom Mahashivratri is the highlight of the year. For Ujjain’s award-winning Nagada Samrath, regular urban life is never at odds with his passion for creating Mahakaleshwar’s instrument of choice – the ‘Damru’. And for Aghori Baba Bam Bam Nath, devotion to Mahakaleshwar – the Lord of Time, transcends time itself.

Avinash Kaul, MD A+E Networks | TV18 and CEO Network18"At HISTORY TV18 we've always put forth best-in-class content that’s riveting, contemporary, and most of all relevant for our viewers. ‘Mahakaleshwar- Legends of Shiva’ is truly a one-of its kind documentary which celebrates the spirit of India with all its ancient wisdom and tradition coexisting beautifully with youth and modernity.”

Watch the premiere of ‘Mahakaleshwar- Legends of Shiva’ on 5th September, 8 PM only on HISTORY TV18.

September 5, 2019
Rohit Sharma bats for rhinos in association with WWF India and Animal Planet

MUMBAI: Rohit Sharma, the star Indian batsman is launching Rohit4Rhinos campaign, in partnership with WWF India and Animal Planet, to help build awareness for the need to conserve the Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros or the Indian Rhino. In a campaign launching on Animal Planet to commemorate World Rhino Day on September 22, Rohit pledges to do his bit to save the “vulnerable” species from extinction.

Of the estimated 3500 Indian rhinos left in the world, 82% are found in India. Once found abundantly across the Indus, Ganges and the Brahmaputra river basins, the animal is now found only in select pockets in Assam, West Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. The state animal of Assam, the Indian rhinoceros faces several threats, including poaching, habitat loss and mass mortality from in-breeding and disease.

With five decades of work in the conservation space, WWF India has been working extensively on rhino conservation across key landscapes where the animal is found in the country. Rohit Sharma joined WWF India as its Brand Ambassador for Rhino Conservation in 2018. With leading wildlife channel, Animal Planet, now joining the cause, the team has set out to create awareness and sensitize India about the species and the need for its conservation. Animal Planet will run a series of path breaking programmes during ‘Rhino Week’ to sensitize people about these gentle giants. A special page, www.rohit4rhinos.org is also being created to strengthen the campaign, through which viewers can pledge their support to the cause.

Talking about Rhino conservation campaign, Rohit Sharma, said, “It is our duty as co-inhabitants of this planet to try and protect other species that walk this planet, alongside us. The future is in our hands and we should do whatever we can to ensure that our children are able to enjoy the rich bio-diversity this world has to offer. I hope that this campaign will inspire others to come forward and join Animal Planet, WWF India and I in this endeavor to save the Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros.”

“Discovery has long been committed to telling the stories and protecting the creatures that make our planet extraordinary. We remain steadfast to leverage the brand strength of India’s leading wildlife channel Animal Planet to galvanize people power for the cause of endangered species, said, Megha Tata, Managing Director – South Asia, Discovery. “We are confident that Rohit’s strong support for the cause of Rhino conservation will help more people to join us for the cause of saving these gentle giants.”

“WWF India would like to thank Rohit Sharma for being the voice of conservation and for his continuous support in raising awareness about the greater one-horned rhinos. Decades old stories of rhino conservation success in India need to be told and we believe that the campaign #Rohit4Rhinos being implemented in partnership with WWF India and Animal Planet will also be able to bring attention to the challenges that conservationists face in protecting the species,” said, Dr. Dipankar Ghose, Director, Species and Landscapes, WWF India.

September 4, 2019
DocuBay, IN10 Media’s SVOD service, launches operations worldwide

NEW YORK and MUMBAI:DocuBay, the premium international documentary SVOD streaming service by IN10 Media, officially announce the launch of operations worldwide. DocuBay members are now able to stream documentary films on a variety of platforms and mobile devices, and view films from a wide range of genres including Travel, Culture, Nature, Adventure, Sports, and Biography.

DocuBay is available in 180+ countries on a range of platforms and devices including iOS/App Store, Android/Google Play, Apple TV, and Fire TV, as well as directly through the DocuBay website, with additional platforms on the way. DocuBay will offer two methods for viewers to stream films, by choosing between two membership packages:

Premium Membership – a quarterly/3-month membership package priced at USD/GBP/EUR 9.99, allowing viewers to stream any of the films available in DocuBay’s library with a limit of 3 downloads to watch later.

OneTribe Membership – an annual/one-year membership package priced at USD/GBP/EUR 29.99, which also includes access to 4K titles, the ability to screen on 2 devices/platforms at a time, and unlimited downloads.

Films are organized in affinity-based “bays” such as NatureBay, ScienceBay, CultureBay, etc., with notable features including DocuBytes, which will preview short clips of selected features; DailyBay, showcasing the release of the day; DocBuster, highlighting a select title every month; and TrendingBay, featuring relevant films from trending topics. All movies are available in English, with a new film released on the platform every day, including premium titles recently acquired through partnerships with Journeyman Pictures, Kwanza, and Ananda Media.

Aditya Pittie (Managing Director, IN10 Media) stated: “IN10 Media is a network driven by the engine of quality content. Mobile connectivity reaching out to the farthest corners of the globe, provides a previously unimaginable potential for building businesses by capitalizing on demand made scalable through global affinities. As a premier destination for premium documentary films, DocuBay addresses precisely such an untapped gap and will soon look at adding further value to its members through producing originals as well.”

Akul Tripathi (COO, DocuBay) stated: “Documentaries have traditionally been an overlooked genre, though it is a brave one. Created on the back of filmmakers who often risk their lives to shed light on stories that might otherwise never be told. With DocuBay’s launch, there’s finally a home for a new generation of independent voices – a platform built to share, uplift, and inspire without boundaries of language, race, geography, or nationality. DocuBay is a global community, and through these incredible stories, we truly are One Tribe.”

DocuBay Brand Promo

September 1, 2019
British Explorer Levison Wood travels 5,000 miles across the Middle East on his toughest and most revealing journey yet

MUMBAI: Brand new to Discovery Channel, ARABIA WITH LEVISON WOOD, will join the British explorer as he circumnavigates the Arabian Peninsula; a gruelling 5,000-mile journey that sees him travel through 13 different countries, immersing himself in the lives of locals in a bid to challenge the myths and stereotypes that plague this ancient land. Catch the 5-part series, every Thursday at 9:00 pm on Discovery Channel and Discovery HD World starting September 05.

Having spent several years as an Officer in the British Parachute Regiment serving in Afghanistan and working as a photographer and writer travelling to over 90 countries worldwide, Levison has seen the devastating realities of war first-hand.

This five-part series looks at each country through the eyes of its people, exploring the lives and experiences of a range of vastly differing characters: Syrian grandmothers, Iraqi snipers, swamp dwellers, smugglers, pirates, gunmen, shepherds, drug dealers, freedom fighters and nomads, with each episode reflecting the changing environments and unique communities along the route.

“The show is part of Discovery India’s strategy to focus on explorers and adventurers who are changing the world, “, said, Sai Abishek, Head of Content, Discovery. “The Indian public has appreciated Levison’s journeys including ‘Walking the Himalayas’, ‘Walking the Nile’, ‘Walking the Americas’, ‘From Russia to Iran’ et al.”

ARABIA WITH LEVISON WOOD sees Levison begin his journey on the edge of Arabia in Kurdistan and culminates in Lebanon where he travels from Hezbollah’s heartland to the snowy highlands forging his way through a raging blizzard that almost takes the life of his mountain guide.

It’s through this ambitious expedition that Levison will look beyond the preconceptions people hold, uncovering the stories of both sorrow and hope amid complex politics and the constant threat of violence and war, to better understand this complicated and diverse land.

ARABIA WITH LEVISON WOOD will premiere in India on Discovery Channel and Discovery HD World, 9pm, Thursday, 5th September 2019.

August 29, 2019
&PrivéHD presents The Black List 2.0. and The Indian Blend, this September

MUMBAI: Another year, another milestone – &PrivéHD, the premium destination for nuanced cinema, soon sets foot into its second glorious year of bringing stories that deserve to be told, this September. As a curtain-warmer to the big day, the channel is set to present two properties that will introduce you to the other side of the filmmaking journey – The Black List 2.0 and The Indian Blend, all through September.

Bringing the many works of cinema that rife with an Indian flavour, the channel presents The Indian Blend starting September 1 on Sundays at 9PM. That’s not all! Showcasing award-winning stories that once struggled to see the light of day, The Black List 2.0. on &PrivéHD brings the unseen journeys from script to screen, starting September 2, weeknights at 9PM.

The Indian Blend on &PrivéHD strings together a collection of critically-acclaimed films with stories that are rooted in Indian spirit. Featuring the best of India in crossover cinema, the movies depict a culture that is beyond compare and a soul that sees no defeat. These are movies that rejected the traditional, stereotypical portrayal of Indian actors and instead, placed India on the global map. The line-up includes movies such as Puzzle, Million Dollar Arm, Hundred Foot Journey, Silver Linings Playbook and Slumdog Millionaire.

With debutant actors who created a stir across the globe, Slumdog Millionaire’s stellar cast – Dev Patel, Freida Pinto and the evergreen Anil Kapoor garnered immense acclaim for their cutting-edge performances. A story that revolves around a teenager from the Mumbai slums, won eight Academy Awards including Best Picture, and accolades at other prestigious awards like Golden Globes and BAFTA.

Stories that challenged the status quo, shattered norms, and spanned across years in their dark, unseen journeys from script to screen; The Black List 2.0. on &PrivéHD brings the unseen other side of the most acclaimed movies ever made. As part of the promising collection, the line-up includes award-winning titles such as The Pursuit of Happyness, Django Unchained, The Post and The Imitation Games among others. Memorable tales that shine beyond darkness, boasts of a valuable contribution to cinema, truly deserving the success it garnered.

With Pursuit of Happyness, Will Smith portrayed a more serious role of Chris Gardner, for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. The film revolves around the journey of a father who finds himself homeless as he raises his young son on the streets of San Francisco. With an 8-pointer rating on IMDB, The Imitation Game illustrates how far we, as society, have come in accepting homosexuality which was once considered a taboo. Set against the backdrop of World War II, the movie revolves around the journey of Alan Turning, the mastermind who built the ultimate German ‘Enigma’ code, leading Britain to victory. The film received eight nominations at the Academy Awards, winning for Best Adapted Screenplay, five nominations at the Golden Globe Awards, and three nominations at the Screen Actors Guild Awards with Benedict Cumberbatch’s performance widely praised.

For those who appreciate nuanced cinema, &PrivéHD brings riveting and award-winning films that stimulate the minds and bring alive the other side of the story with Zee Prime English HD Pack comprising – &PrivéHD, Zee Café HD, &flix HD, LF HD is priced at Rs 25/-.

August 29, 2019

HBO and HBO HD to premiere ‘A Star is Born’ on 31st August

MUMBAI: HBO & HBO HD will premiere ‘A Star is Born’, on Saturday, 31st August, at 9pm, co-powered by Kia Motors. Fuelled by an irresistible combination of music and talent, Bradley Cooper’s critically acclaimed directional debut is here to tug at your heartstrings.

Big on feeling and emotional complexity, Cooper’s rendition of the classic tale fuses his talent with that of the inimitable living legend, Lady Gaga. ‘A Star is Born’ is a cinematic retelling of a tumultuous love between struggling singer Ally, and self-destructive big-league musician, Maine. While Maine bolsters Ally’s confidence and career, his deep-seated issues eventually start fracturing their relationship, leading to an inevitable tragic end.

This phenomenal movie stirred the awards season, and for good reason. Bradley Cooper’s prepared hand shows when the plot steers through difficult moments. The impeccable casting elevates the film. Cooper successfully makes Maine less contemptuous, evoking sympathy. Lady Gaga proves her acting chops for the first time with commendable ease, and Dave Chappelle adds a layer of lightness as Maine’s best friend Noodles. What heightens this heart-wrenching tale, is the singular soundtrack. From ‘La Vie en Rose’ to ‘Shallow’, every song strives for authenticity and achieves it.

Giving fans the opportunity to Experience the Magic of this movie’s soundtrack, HBO and HBO HD present ‘A Star is Born Night’ in association with Social Offline. Featuring talented vocalists, and artists like Keshia B, Bad Romance and Rachna Ramdin ft. Metronome, Social Offline outlets across Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore will light up the evening with duets and ballads sung by the lead pair in the movie!

Date	Time	Venue	Artist
30th August 2019, Friday	9pm onwards	Flea Bazaar Café, Mumbai	Keshia B
29th August 2019, Thursday	9pm onwards	Haus Khas Social, Delhi	Bad Romance
30th August 2019, Friday	9pm onwards	Sarjapur Social, Bangalore	Rachna Ramdin ft. Metronome

August 29, 2019

‘Man Vs Wild with Bear Grylls & Prime Minister Modi’ emerges as the TV show of the year

MUMBAI: The special edition of Discovery’s iconic and hugely popular franchise ‘Man Vs Wild’ featuring Prime Minister Modi with world-renowned survivalist and adventurer, Bear Grylls, lived up to its billing to emerge as the TV show of the year. The premiere on Discovery Network (across 12 Discovery channels) created history by garnering highest slot viewership (on active channels) with 3.69 million impressions overtaking GEC leader Star Plus with 3.67 million impressions1. The premiere also delivered the highest ever slot reach for the infotainment genre with 6.1 million tune-in on Discovery Channel which is 15 times more as compared to the last 4 weeks average of the same slot2. The premiere slot performance grew an astonishing 50 times giving an unprecedented 93% channel share to Discovery channel amongst the infotainment genre3. Discovery Channel emerged as the third ranked channel with 3.05 million impressions behind Star Plus (3.67 million impressions) and Zee (3.3 million impressions)1. The show kept the viewers on the hook delivering an impressive average TSV of 29.2 minutes4.

The premiere delivered the highest ever sampling in the infotainment genre with 15.6 million tune-ins5. The premiere of the show on Aug 12 on Discovery Channel rewrote the rules of the infotainment genre emerging as the highest ever rated show in the history of genre in India garnering 6.9 million impressions6.

The cumulative reach for the show across Discovery network, originals & repeat included, & DD National was an imposing 42.7 million7. The special edition of Man Vs Wild with Bear Grylls & Prime Minister Modi is also being showcased on Discovery network of channels across 179 countries.

“The historic edition of Man Vs Wild made a larger point about importance of wildlife conservation and sensitized people about environmental change. In that sense, it was much more than a TV show,” said, Megha Tata, Managing Director – South Asia, Discovery. “We are the undisputed leaders in infotainment genre; our aim is to extend the leadership further with pathbreaking programming. We will go Bigger, Bolder and Better!”

In celebration of the show’s success, Discovery India will make a generous donation for the cause of Tiger conservation in India in alignment with the PM’s message of committing to wildlife conservation. As part of our global Project C.A.T – Conserving Acres for Tigers, Discovery has partnered with World Wildlife Fund to ensure healthy habitats for future generations of Tigers by helping conserve nearly six million acres of biodiversity rich areas across four countries. With this contribution, Discovery India will extend support to Tiger conservation program at Corbett Landscape & Sundarbans Biosphere Reserve in partnership with WWF India.

Man Vs Wild With Bear Grylls and PM Modi is produced for Discovery India by Bear Grylls Ventures & Electus a Propagate company, where Bear Grylls, Delbert Shoopman, Rob Buchta and Elizabeth Schulze are executive producers and Ben Simms is co-executive producer.

August 22, 2019
EPIC on announces association with Quantifi

MUMBAI: EPIC On announced their association with Quantifi, a platform that harnesses phygital inventory offered by growing Community Wi-Fi Networks across India. EPIC On will utilize this association to expand their location based digital engagement with users. EPIC On, home to a premium library of high-quality, India-centric content in high-definition (HD) format, across genres like mythology, food, travel, sports, and wildlife is constantly pushing boundaries with unique partnerships to reach a wider audience base.

Quantifi is one of India’s leading phygital platforms that harnesses community Wi-Fi networks to help brands connect to their target audiences. With the help of location intelligence, this partnership also enables customized messaging to specific locations, with intent to capture user attention and boost brand engagement. Using Quantifi’s platform, EPIC On will tap audiences across coffee shops at key locations.

Applauding this new partnership, Adita Jain – Head, Acquisitions & Syndication, said, “EPIC On is looking at an exciting digital innovation strategy to tap into the tremendous potential of accessing more customers and engaging on newer platforms. Through this association we are going to connect with users and promote accessible, on the go entertainment.”

“Quantifi is elated to exploring this partnership with EPIC On. We believe this new media for advertisement, will bring BAV safe digital engagement for brands” said the founder of Quantifi, Deepanshu Tyagi. Quantifi believes popularizing this advertisement media, will create a true mix between the physical and digital advertising worlds. Unlike some of the other advertising media, Quantifi media is 100% location accurate, gets up to 60 seconds of user attention.

August 20, 2019
Discovery India and WWF India come together to build a sustainable future for Sundarbans

Mumbai: Discovery India and WWF India have come together to protect the world’s only mangrove tiger habitat, in partnership with the Forest Directorate, Govt. of West Bengal and local communities in the Sundarbans. The initiative builds on WWF India’s work in the region to promote sustainable livelihoods, access to clean energy, and effective human-wildlife conflict management. By adopting an integrated approach, the project aims to assist the Forest Directorate for effectively managing populations of tiger, prey and their habitat in Sundarbans, and reduce human-tiger conflict. It will work with Panchayats help build resilient communities in this ecologically fragile and climatically vulnerable region.

The Sundarbans region is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, which threatens the safety and livelihood of local communities. With a vision to create climate-smart villages in the Sundarbans, WWF India and Discovery India are working with government agencies, civil society partners and scientific institutions to build the capacity of village panchayats and local communities to incorporate climate resilience into development planning, thereby helping secure livelihoods, biodiversity and ecosystem services.

The initiative also focuses on enhancing farmland productivity through low-cost measures and adjusting crop calendars to deal with of climate change. The initiative will also include work towards securing habitats for tigers and prey species. This will entail building datasets on impacts of climate change on the estuarine ecosystem. Through this project, in partnership with the West Bengal Forest Directorate and IISER Kolkata two Sundarbans Ecological Observatories will be set up, each featuring data loggers, monitoring buoys and an onsite laboratory.

As part of the partnership, the Forest Directorate has also been supported with nylon net fences to prevent tigers from straying out to villages adjacent to the mangrove forests. Such nylon net fences have contributed greatly towards reducing human injuries and fatalities. A floating camp and speed boat are also being provided to the West Bengal Forest Directorate, to accelerate the response time of forest personnel during various emergency situations.

Mr. Ravi Singh, Secretary General & CEO, WWF India said, “This partnership between WWF India and Discovery India is significant as it brings together different institutions for the benefit of communities and wildlife of Sundarbans. This additionally includes the setting up of ecological observatories, reduction of human-wildlife conflict and providing scientific inputs for proper management.”

“The project at Sundarbans is part of a global movement – Project C.A.T – Conserving Acres for Tigers – aimed at building healthy habitats for Tigers wherein we support conserve nearly six million acres of protected land across four countries. In India, beyond Sundarbans, a detailed intervention is also being implemented at Manas Tiger Reserve,” said, Megha Tata, Managing Director – South Asia, Discovery. “Discovery is a purpose-driven company with a mission to educate and inspire audiences around the world. We remain committed to leverage our brand strength to galvanize people power for the cause of Tigers and other endangered species.”

August 20, 2019