ITV

Category: Regional

  • Zee Ganga unveils its new avatar with brand ambassador Nirahua

    Zee Ganga unveils its new avatar with brand ambassador Nirahua

    Mumbai: Zee Ganga, the upcoming complete Bhojpuri destination for original content is keeping up its promises of amplifying the excitement levels of the Bhojpuri audience. The popular GEC ropes in eminent Bhojpuri superstar Dinesh Lal Yadav aka Nirahua to drive its grand brand campaign.

    A multi-media high-impact campaign with a stellar programming line-up has been planned to create a strong viewer portfolio. The channel will focus on bringing interesting and inspiring stories in a language that is most relevant to the audience from 20 September.

     “Zee Ganga is an epithet of the rising aspiration of the Bhojpuri audiences. The brand & the content philosophy reflects the progressive Bhojpuri dreams and aspirations keeping the culture & rootedness intact. Refreshed and rebranded Zee Ganga is a true reflection of these core values,” said Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd, cluster head, East, Samrat Ghosh. “We are excited to partner Nirahua as the brand ambassador of Zee Ganga & this partnership further strengthens the same brand promise. This is in line with our efforts to build a wholesome Bhojpuri family entertainer, a platform that celebrates Bhojpuriyat in the true sense along with resonating the voice of the evolving mindset within the region.”  

    Helmed by its culturally-rooted slogan ‘Har Pal Aviral’, Zee Ganga aims to bring alive the innate unstoppable Bhojpuri spirit. The brand is built around the consumer truth of the region that Bhojpuriyas never stop in the face of hardships and carve their path to the future with courage and tenacity. 
    In that essence, superstar Nirahua resonates and personifies these very beliefs, principles, and culture of the region. His awe-inspiring journey from a singer to superstardom builds a strong relatable and inspiring connect with the audience. It is Nirahua’s indomitable will and tenacity that makes him one of the most longstanding beloved personalities in the region and the biggest family entertainer. Bringing Nirahua on board is a strategic step in the direction to strike the right chord with the viewers and further the message of togetherness and aspiration.

    “In a region like Bihar, Jharkhand and Poorvanchal, where people have learned to thrive irrespective of lack of resources and have limited opportunities, family values hold great significance. It hence becomes imperative that we acknowledge and bring forward these values and tales to which the audience can relate to. Hence, Nirahua is an appropriate choice for the brand,” said Bhojpuri Cluster, senior vice president, Amarpreet Singh Saini on roping in Nirahua. “He is the perfect example of everything Zee Ganga represents, i.e., hard work, family values, resilience, and above all unstoppable Bhojpuri spirit. And with such an icon introducing our original content and new line up we are more than confident that our viewers will instantly connect to and feel rejuvenated with the change.”

    Celebrating the Bhojpuriya spirit with full gusto, the fresh slate of content comprises of 14 hours of originals: 10 hours of four fictional shows and four hours of one non-fiction show; 500+ titles featuring blockbuster and latest Bhojpuri films; and a line-up of some of the biggest events in the category. With this, Zee Ganga becomes the only channel in the category to launch original fictional shows. The line-up features multi-genre shows which are socially conscious, entertaining, and brings the region’s most popular talent together. The stories resonate with the core values of the target audience of being relentless, tenacious, and a never-give-up attitude, said the statement.

  • BIGG BOSS Telugu Season 5 returns on Star Maa

    BIGG BOSS Telugu Season 5 returns on Star Maa

    Mumbai: The fifth edition of ‘Bigg Boss Telugu’ has created quite a buzz ever since it premiered on Star Maa on 5 September. The official logo launch has reached over 16.2 million viewers on social media, and the promo launched with the theme – “Boredom ki cheppey goodbye, vachesindi #BiggBossTelugu Season 5!” (goody bye to boredom, Bigg Boss Telugu Season 5 is here!) has also garnered over 2.3 million views on YouTube.

    South Indian superstar Nagarjuna returns as a host for the reality show, which began with spectacular performances on Sunday. Several celebrities including Ravi, Shanmugh, and Dance Master Natraj have already entered the house.

    According to the channel, not just viewers, even brands had been awaiting the show’s launch for reaching audiences in key states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. This holds true for national and local advertisers looking to make inroads before the approaching festive season. Sponsors who have been part of ‘Bigg Boss’ in the past four seasons and have experienced the power of this platform first-hand are already on board. Currently, over 20 brands have signed up on the show, the channel said on Thursday.

    According to TTK Prestige, DGM-Marketing, Ankur Agarwal, ‘Bigg Boss Telugu’ has been one of the most spectacular shows past all seasons and has great brand engagement. The brand has signed up to jointly co-present the show. “The longevity of the show and its entertainment value is one of the most attractive propositions. As the show enters its fifth season, TTK Prestige is deliriously happy to partner with Star MAA and ‘Bigg Boss’ with an objective to widen deeper market penetration and come close to the audience in AP/TS market,” said Agarwal

    Another brand, Suvarnabhoomi Infra Developers too expressed delight in jointly co-presenting the show. “We are very soon launching new projects. With this association we intend to establish & unveil our new identity and brand ambassador. We are confident that this association will be extremely fruitful as there is high level of craze for the show which has been growing year on year,” said Suvarnabhoomi Infra Developers, managing director, Bollineni Sridhar.

    Healthy Cooking Oils, vice president, sales and marketing, P Chandra Shekhara Reddy said the brand is constantly looking for innovative ways to connect with our consumers. “We always aim to create new and effective marketing platforms that will engage our audiences. ‘Bigg Boss Telugu’ on STAR Maa is a show where participants engage in interesting activities, and we look forward to be in the Big Boss Kitchen this season,” he said.

    Elaborating on the collaboration, Oziva co-founder Aarti Gill said, “We see a very strong interest and affinity for clean, plant-based products in South India. With its ever-rising popularity and leadership position, we are sure that the Big Boss Telugu association will help us reach out to a wider audience and connect with them better.”

    Matrimony.com, GM-Marketing, Akhil Jain too highlighted, the massive audience connect that the show shares, which is why the brand has associated with it.

    TVS Motor Company, head –marketing (premium motorcycles), Meghashyam Dighole, said, “This association provides a great platform to build deep connections with the target audience through unique partnership and integration”.

    Local retail giant, RS Brothers Retail India P Ltd, director Suresh Seerna said, “’Bigg Boss’ is the biggest entertainment show & reaches to entire AP/T with a huge fan following. At South India Shopping Mall, we are very excited to be part of this season. We strongly believe that this valuable partnership will help us develop a stronger connection with our consumers. It is a perfect opportunity to further expand and consolidate our reach during this festive season.”

  • News18 Odia to host Education Eminence 2021 on 5 Sept

    News18 Odia to host Education Eminence 2021 on 5 Sept

    Mumbai: News18 Odia, the Odia news channel of News18 network, on Friday announced that it will host Education Eminence 2021 on 5 September. The award ceremony will take place between 9 a.m and 6.30 p.m only on News18 Odia.

    Education Eminence is the recognition initiative from News18 to felicitate educational institutions in Odisha that have worked tirelessly during this critical period of a global covid-19 pandemic.

    “Education Eminence 2021 will honour 16 educational institutions in various categories for their outstanding performance in building knowledge and for their contributions to our society,” said the channel in a statement.

    The award ceremony will be in the form of a day-long program and the minister of higher education will inaugurate the program.

    The honourable guests for the event include – Padma Shri awardee and renowned sand artist, Suadarshan Patnaik; Film star and activist, Sabyasachi Mishra; Council of Higher Secondary Education, secretary, Gangadhar Sahoo, and State Information Commission’s Dillip Bisoi.

    News18 Odia is a dedicated 24 hour Odia news channel that offers the latest national and international news on current affairs, politics, sports, entertainment, business, health, career, lifestyle, food, etc.

  • Zee Cinemalu to launch brand anthem on fifth anniversary

    Zee Cinemalu to launch brand anthem on fifth anniversary

    Mumbai: Zee Cinemalu completes five years on 4 September and to commemorate the milestone, the channel is set to unveil an altered brand identity and a brand anthem on the lines ‘Raa Raa Mama..Chuddam Zee Cinema’, composed and sung by Rama Krishna Miriyala.

    The channel was launched by South star Chiranjeevi in 2016 and caught the attention of Telugu viewers with blockbuster Telugu films and world TV premieres. The channel tagline is ‘Dil Pai Super Hit’ and the new packaging will reflect this sentiment, said the channel in a statement. “The new packaging reflects happiness, vibrancy, fun, and quirkiness that is symbolic of the channel’s identity,” it added.

    “The success of Zee Cinemalu is very close to our heart because this was the first film channel in the south market from the ZEEL bouquet and the latest entrant into the Telugu genre,” said Zee Cinemalu, business head, Sai Prakash. “On this truly momentous occasion, we reiterate our commitment to offering only the best-in-class entertainment that will be loved by the Telugu audiences.”

    Zee Cinemalu is the first film channel to introduce the concept of world television premieres in the Telugu market, giving a unique offering to film lovers. Over the years, the channel witnessed tremendous outcomes as it experimented with showcasing 11 movies per day. It also packaged 17 stories to bring a unique mix of interesting stories each hour on a single day for the viewers.

  • Viacom18 appoints Aniket Joshi as Business Head for Colors Marathi

    Viacom18 appoints Aniket Joshi as Business Head for Colors Marathi

    Mumbai: Viacom18 has announced the appointment of Aniket Joshi as business head for Colors Marathi. He will be responsible for managing the channel’s overall business strategy and operations.

    Joshi will be reporting to Viacom18, head – regional entertainment (Kannada and Marathi clusters), Ravish Kumar.

    An alumnus of IES Mumbai, Joshi comes with experience of over 17 years during which he has lead overall business, marketing, research, and media planning with organisations like Zee Marathi and Mindshare. In his previous role, he led Sun Marathi as business head.

    Viacom18, head –regional entertainment (Kannada and Marathi clusters), Ravish Kumar said, “Marathi broadcast entertainment has been on an upward journey across the board – be it fiction, non-fiction, and even films. We, at Colors Marathi have been on an exhilarating journey so far, strengthening our position amongst audiences and advertisers. Aniket has a strong background in planning and strategy and we are glad to have him on board, as Colors Marathi moves on to the next phase of growth.”  

    On his new role, Joshi said, “The Marathi television ecosystem is rapidly evolving to create a unique confluence of entertainment that caters to both urban and rural Maharashtra. Colors Marathi is one of the market leaders that has ably balanced the content expectations of its viewers with outreach opportunities for advertisers. I look forward to dialing up the footprint of the brand across both these target audiences.” 

  • Pitaara TV launches multi-regional streaming platform Chaupal

    Pitaara TV launches multi-regional streaming platform Chaupal

    Mumbai: Punjabi TV channel Pitaara TV on Saturday announced the global launch of its streaming service platform Chaupal. It will provide access to quality content for entertainment in three regional languages- Punjabi, Haryanvi, and Bhojpuri. The streaming service has been launched globally, across markets and devices.

    Some of Chaupal’s key markets include the United States of America (USA), Canada, the United Kingdom (UK), the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Mauritius, and the European Union (EU).

    The streaming service will provide original and exclusive movies, web series, podcasts, music, documentaries, and entertainment-based content from India and around the world to its viewers.

    Commenting on the development, Pitaara TV’s director Sandeep Bansal said, “This is a proud moment for all of us who have worked so hard for the last three years to bring ‘Chaupal’ to life. Chaupal, as the name suggests, is a gathering of like-minded people who come together for a good time, so we wanted to create a platform that reminded people of their roots, where content could be watched in all the regional languages with family or friends.”

    “Chaupal will keep surprising its consumers with incredible storytelling and talent turning imagination into reality,” Bansal added.  

    “The word ‘Chaupal’ signifies a community space where people gather for a specific purpose. Pitaara TV’s OTT is also one such platform where people speaking different languages and residing in different states and countries will come together to experience endless entertainment in the most affordable way possible. ‘Chaupal: Entertainment Beyond Boundaries’ is an endeavor to make online entertainment truly seamless for audiences anywhere, anytime”, the channel said in a statement.

    The launch was accompanied by the release of 12 originals (films and web series), alongside 50 exclusives and over 300 film offerings. Included in the originals list are “Panchhi” (thriller), “Vardaat” (murder mystery), “Range” (action/crime series), “Kala Shehar (film), Teri Meri Nahi Nibhni (rom-com film), Khich Jatta Khich (episodic), Main vs Tu (film/family drama), Please Kill Me” (suspense film), “Malaal” (Hariyanvi crime film), “London in Haryana” (Haryanvi web series), “Lakhimchand Haryanvi” (Haryanvi film), and “Chapper Phadke” (Haryanvi film). More releases such as “Murabba”, “Chandigarh Waale”, “Tunka Tunka”, “Zila Sngroor”, “Dustbin”, “Shikari”, “Shahi Majra”, “Umran Ch Ki Rakheya”, “Seep”, “Miss Tanya”, and “Shagan” are lined up.

     Hopeful about Chaupal’s potential, popular brands such as Xiaomi and Paul Merchants have partnered with it.

    MI India’s category lead –smart TV, Eshwar Nilakantan remarked, “With Mi TV’s, our vision is to provide a unique interface for each user, and this comes to life with our dedicated focus on building PatchWall for TVs in India. Mi TVs have become India’s favourite smart TVs in no time and keeping our users in mind, we have made it our resolution to enhance the entertainment experience by providing varied content. We are proud to announce our partnership with OTT platform Chaupal which widens our rich content library for all our Punjabi, Haryanvi, and Bhojpuri users. This is the first time a global TV brand has taken the initiative to understand the power of Indian vernacular entertainment and partner with a platform to provide exclusive early access to Mi TV users.”

  • COLORS Tamil to premiere ‘Kuberan’, ‘Goli Soda 2’ on 29 August

    COLORS Tamil to premiere ‘Kuberan’, ‘Goli Soda 2’ on 29 August

    Mumbai: COLORS Tamil has announced the world television premieres of “Kuberan” and “Goli Soda 2” on 29 August at 1 p.m and 4 p.m. The films will be aired as part of the channel’s popular Sunday Cine Combo programming.

    Kuberan is a 2020 action-thriller directed by Ajai Vasudev. It brings together Rajkiran and Meena on screen after 23 years, starring alongside Malayalam superstar Mammootty, Kalabhavan Shajon, and Siddique. 

    The film narrates the story of Prathapa (played by Kalabhavan Shajon), who owes money to Boss (played by Mammootty) but refuses to pay his dues and ends up tricking him. Seeking revenge, Boss wreaks mayhem in his life thus unfolding the rest of the plot.  

    Goli Soda 2 is a sequel to the 2015 critically acclaimed film “Goli Soda”. An action-drama directed by Vijay Milton, it features an ensemble cast with Samuthirakani, Gautham Menon, Barath Seeni, Esakki Barath and Vinoth in the lead roles. 

    Narrating the story of ordinary men facing implausible odds, the film revolves around Sivan (played by Vinoth) – a taxi driver, Maaran (played by Bharath Seeni) – a thug, and Oli (played by Esakki Bharath) – an athlete who despite corrupt politicians, ruthless dons, and caste divisions, fight to change their lives for the better. Goli Soda 2 was recognised for bringing in new faces, with eight director-turned-actors essaying the pivotal roles.

  • ZEE Tamil to air ‘Kavalthurai Ungal Nanban’ on 29 August

    ZEE Tamil to air ‘Kavalthurai Ungal Nanban’ on 29 August

    Mumbai: ZEE Tamil has announced that it will telecast the TV premiere of “Kavalthurai Ungal Nanban” on 29 August at 5 p.m.

    Starring Suresh Ravi, Raveena Ravi, Mime Gopi and RJ Munna, the film based on true events showcases the gruesome custodial deaths that have taken place in the state of Tamil Nadu and the state of police affairs.

    The film follows the life of a food delivery agent named Prabhu and his wife Indu who works in an IT company. The story unfolds the life of a young couple in love who eloped and got married and started their life in a friend’s flat. While facing the daily struggles and building their lives together, their hardships seemed never-ending but they still found solace in one another. One day, however, a group of robbers steals Indu’s jewellery at knifepoint and one of them even ends up misbehaving with her. Furious after learning about the incident, Prabhu decides to file a police complaint. From being stopped and questioned about his vehicle’s papers to being beaten up by the police, Prabhu and Indu’s low-key life turns into a chaotic mess.

    “The idea of the film is to showcase the ill effects of institutional power. This eye-opening, gripping film is sure to leave the audience at the edge of their seats as they witness the clash of a common man’s frustration and the ego of the police,” said the channel in a statement.

  • Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi launches News18 Urdu’s vaccination campaign

    Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi launches News18 Urdu’s vaccination campaign

    Mumbai: There is a strong consensus across the world that the strongest defense that mankind has against the dreaded Coronavirus is vaccination. While many people have gone ahead with their vaccination, there are some who still harbor reservations. News18 Urdu has undertaken upon itself the task of reaching out to its viewers from across the country including the large Muslim community in the country and encouraging them to get vaccinated in large numbers.

    “This special month-long initiative ‘Zindagi Ka Yaqeen: Vaccine’ would aim to identify areas and communities where the rates of vaccination are low and focus its campaign on the same through case studies, on-ground stories, and use of influencers and community leaders. The campaign will attempt to bring multiple views and perspectives through a variety of content formats including debates, interviews, and special interactive shows. The campaign will also engage with healthcare experts and other key stakeholders to dispel any misconceptions regarding COVID vaccination and reassure viewers about the safety and necessity of the vaccine,” said the channel in a statement.

    The campaign was inaugurated by the union minister of minority affairs, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi who appreciated the initiative and also stated that launching such a campaign was the need of the hour. He further appealed to the audience to get vaccinated and added that avoiding vaccination would put the people themselves at great risk. Also, many other influential people like the minority development minister of Maharashtra, Nawab Malik; MOS for minority welfare in the UP-government Mohsin Raza supported the initiative.

    Padmashri Dr Mohsin Wali and Dr Swati Maheshwari also participated in the campaign’s launch and highlighted the importance of vaccination urging the viewers to support the initiative and get their vaccination done.

    As the country’s leading Urdu channel, News18 Urdu understands its responsibility towards the communities and constituencies it serves. As a responsible media brand and part of the country’s biggest News Network, the channel believes that it is its solemn duty to work towards the welfare of its viewers. The campaign ‘Zindagi ka Yaqeen: Vaccine’ is a step in this direction.

    Viewers can tune in to News18 Urdu for more updates on this campaign.

  • COLORS Odia announces film festival to boost afternoon band

    COLORS Odia announces film festival to boost afternoon band

    Mumbai: In a bid to boost its afternoon-time band, COLORS Odia is coming up with a film festival focussing on wholesome family entertainment. The offering includes super hit films and a slew of premieres airing every afternoon.

    The channel will telecast two back-to-back films at 12 noon and 6 p.m on weekends as part of ‘Sunday Blockbuster’ and ‘Superhit Shanivaar’ programming; ‘Houseful Dwipahar’ will see films being aired every weekday from 2 p.m to 5 p.m. The regional channel is also planning to launch film premieres in the coming months.

    “Afternoon band is the ‘me time’ for many viewers and we believe that introducing super hit Odia films is the best method to make further inroads into our viewers’ homes,” said COLORS Odia’s programming head, Srija Shahin Sidhartha. “At COLORS Odia, we constantly endeavour to reinvent ourselves and with this, we offer viewers an opportunity to enjoy compelling content.”