Movie Channels
Sony Pix pushes the envelope with on-ground activations
MUMBAI: Multi Screen Media’s English movie channel – Sony Pix – is leaving no stone unturned to push the envelope in creating engagement with its viewers with clutter breaking on-ground activities.
“We constantly push the envelope in the English movie channel space and that has helped us to keep our viewers engaged with our ‘Stay Amazed’ proposition,” says Sony Pix business head Saurabh Yagnik. “We will continue to do such clutter breaking activities and do our best to continue to cement our position at number two in the space and inch closer to becoming the leader in the space.”
The channel is taking its ‘Pix Premiere Nights’ initiative to a whole new level by providing its viewers a chance to experience the second installment to the Andrew Garfield starrer The Amazing Spiderman a day prior to its 1 May India release.
“The idea is to build the Hollywood audience, and by increasing the consumption along with the familiarity, it builds traction for movies before their theatrical release,” expounds Yagnik.
The channel is expected to be spending anywhere between Rs 2-3 crore to push this initiative. “The scale at which the property – ‘Pix Premiere Nights’ – has grown is really encouraging for us. With Hobbit we had travelled to three cities, it went up to six cities during Robocop where we saw a participation of 8,000 plus viewers and now with The Amazing Spider Man 2 we will be travelling to 10 cities and have 11 screenings with a clear message of ‘watch it before India does’. We have already seen nearly 2,500 plus participants with 20 more days to go before the result of the contest is declared,” Yagnik beams.
The 10 cities being targeted are Mumbai, Delhi, Gurgaon, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Pune, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Lucknow and Chennai. The contest began on 4 April and is being marketed and pushed on social media as well as on the channel and is being sponsored by Snapdeal.com.
“Nowadays if a movie is marketed well, it translates into great box-office numbers and also gets good television viewership when premiered on a channel,” explains Yagnik. “Plans are afoot to really push the property on the channel with innovative programming and trivia, which will soon go on air.”
Pix will be building the buzz for the movie and the contest by running the Spiderman and Iron Man movie franchises among others through ‘Pix Doubles’ along with giving great insights and trivia during the movies with its very own ‘Pixipedia’.
“We will also be showcasing a special ‘Behind the Scenes’ exclusive footage from The Amazing Spider Man 2. The idea is to build salience with the brand ‘Pix’ and create a recall value for our viewers,” reveals Yagnik.
The 2,000 odd contest winners from across the length and breadth of the country will receive calls to invite them for the screening. “If we want to become leaders in the space, and sizably scale up our market share, we need to invest in building our brand and keep coming with such engaging innovations and clutter breaking initiatives,” Yagnik ends.
Movie Channels
Laughs meet chills as ‘Jhamkudi’ hits TV screens
MUMBAI: Get ready for a hauntingly good time as Jhamkudi, the Gujarati blockbuster that cast a spell on cinema-goers, makes its world television premiere on Shemaroo Josh this 14 November at 7 PM.
Directed by Umang Vyas, the film takes viewers to the eerie village of Raniwada, where Navratri celebrations are overshadowed by the curse of a vengeful witch. Enter Bablo, a quirky real estate agent, and Kumud, a royal heir, whose fates collide in a hilarious and spooky chain of events that’s equal parts chaos and charm.
The film stars national award-winning actress Manasi Parekh, who shines once again with her trademark depth and grace, alongside Viraj Ghelani, the digital sensation whose comic timing is as sharp as ever. The stellar ensemble also includes Ojas Rawal, Sanjay Goradia, Jayesh More, Krunal Pandit, Chetan Daiya, and Bhavini Jani.
Blending goosebumps with giggles, Jhamkudi proves that even horror can have heart. With its sharp writing, witty dialogues, and a dash of desi masala, the film promises an evening of family fun that’s both thrilling and thoroughly entertaining.
So mark your calendars, grab some popcorn, and tune in to Shemaroo Josh on 14 November at 7 PM for the perfect mix of fright and delight, because this witch tale is all about wicked fun!
Movie Channels
Zee reels in record highs with a blockbuster show of movie magic
MUMBAI: In a cinematic twist worthy of its own premiere, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (‘Z’) has pulled off a blockbuster of its own recording a three-year high share of 28.7 per cent in the Hindi movie cluster in Q2FY26. Proving that great storytelling never goes out of style, the content and technology powerhouse has reaffirmed its dominance in India’s ever-competitive movie broadcast landscape.
Leading the charge is Zee Cinema, which reclaimed its position as the No. 1 Hindi movie channel (15 plus HSM Urban) this quarter. Its line-up of premieres from the rural rumbler Jaat to the slick actioner Game Changer pulled in massive audiences. But it was Pushpa: The Rule – Part 2 that truly stole the show, delivering the highest-rated movie premiere of FY26 so far. The last film to achieve a similar feat? Gadar 2, also a Zee Cinema triumph from November 2023.
Meanwhile, Zee’s Free-to-Air dynamos Anmol Cinema and Zee Action flexed their reach muscle, becoming the most-watched channels across all languages and genres. Each channel drew in more than 116 million viewers, proving that free TV still holds unbeatable sway in Indian households.
The story doesn’t end in Hindi. Zee’s regional clusters continue to script their own success stories. In Marathi, Zee Talkies, Zee Yuva, and Zee Chitramandir maintained their near-50 per cent market share, with the world television premiere of Phullwanti delivering the highest ratings of the quarter. Down south, Zee Thirai (Tamil) and Zee Cinemalu (Telugu) kept their leadership intact, while Zee Biskope in the Bhojpuri belt ranked among the top three in its market, a cinematic sweep across regions.
“The growth of our movies cluster across languages is a strong reflection of our content strategy focusing on new super-hit premieres, classic titles from our library and data-driven curation,” said a company spokesperson. “The genre’s unmatched reach and strong resonance amongst male viewers and the youth also enable it to deliver scale and strategic value to advertisers across markets.”
And those advertisers are clearly tuning in. The genre’s steady viewership and distinct audience base make Hindi movie channels a mainstay in media mixes for India’s top ten advertisers. In September 2025 alone, Zee’s 22 movie channels across six languages reached over 550 million viewers, a testament to the scale and staying power of its cinematic empire.
From Hum Aapke Hain Koun and Karan Arjun to RRR and Bobby, Zee’s vast film library continues to bridge nostalgia and novelty. Some titles have reached iconic status Hum Aapke Hain Koun, for instance, has been watched by a staggering 250 million people over the past five years, roughly equal to the population of the world’s fifth most populous country.
As Zee continues to blend data with drama and strategy with storytelling, it’s clear the brand isn’t just broadcasting films, it’s curating a cultural phenomenon. For millions of viewers across India, the show must go on and with Zee, it most certainly will
Movie Channels
Lights, camera, boo! &pictures turns full on spooky
MUMBAI: Trick or treat, but make it filmi! This Halloween, &pictures is turning up the spook-o-meter with ‘Full On Halloween’, a fun-horror movie marathon airing all day on 31 October 2025. Promising goosebumps, giggles and ghostly surprises, the channel is set to deliver a perfect mix of fright and fun.
From eerie small-town tales to supernatural showdowns, the line-up packs in something for everyone. The chills kick off at 8:45 am with Kakuda, starring Sonakshi Sinha and Riteish Deshmukh, followed by the mischievous The Bhootni at 3:15 pm, featuring Sanjay Dutt, Palak Tiwari and Mouni Roy. At 5:30 pm, Phone Bhoot dials up laughs and scares with Katrina Kaif, Ishaan Khatter and Siddhant Chaturvedi, before the visually rich folklore fantasy Tumbbad closes the night at 10:40 pm.
Adding to the fun are K3 Kaali Ka Karishma, Om Bheem Bush, and Bhaagmathi, keeping the thrills fresh and spooky spirits high. With a blend of humour, horror, and high-energy storytelling, Full On Halloween promises a day where jump scares meet joyrides.
So this 31 October, grab your popcorn and your courage, because Halloween on &pictures isn’t just on… it’s Full On!
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