ITV

Tag: latest Indian television news

  • Shemaroo Entertainment launches Hindi GEC ‘Shemaroo Umang’ on DD Free Dish

    Shemaroo Entertainment launches Hindi GEC ‘Shemaroo Umang’ on DD Free Dish

    Mumbai: Shemaroo Entertainment has announced the launch of a new free-to-air hindi general entertainment channel (GEC) called ‘Shemaroo Umang’. The channel is available on DD Free Dish, various multi-system operators (MSOs) and will be available on major direct-to-home (DTH) and cable networks, according to the company’s statement.

    With the launch of the channel, Shemaroo Entertainment expands its broadcast portfolio with existing channels Shemaroo TV and Shemaroo MarathiBana. 

    The newly launched channel will bring a women-centric focus catering to their entertainment and aspirational needs, said the statement. 

    It will also offer advertisers and brands a new audience to reach out across the Hindi speaking market.

    “We have experienced immense success with our existing television channel slates and are excited to announce the launch of our new Hindi GEC ‘Shemaroo Umang’,” said Shemaroo Entertainment CEO Hiren Gada. 

    “We are committed to be a leader in the Indian entertainment industry and build our position in the market with the new launch,” he added.

    “The launch of Shemaroo Umang is another breakthrough for us as it strengthens our presence in the broadcast space,” said Shemaroo Entertainment COO – broadcasting business Sandeep Gupta. 

    “We are sure that the audiences will love our curated collection of some of the most admired shows and Shemaroo Umang will also soon emerge as a household name just like Shemaroo TV and Shemaroo MarathiBana,” Gupta added.

    The channel will also be distributed on Shemaroo’s OTT platform ShemarooMe.

  • Asianet to premiere four blockbuster films in April

    Asianet to premiere four blockbuster films in April

    Mumbai: Kerala’s entertainment network Asianet is all set to premiere four blockbuster films in April including “Minnal Murali,” “Marakkar – Lion of the Arabian Sea,” “Keshu Ee Veedinte Nadhan” and “Pushpa: The Rise.”

    As a part of this programming lineup, “Minnal Murali” will be telecasted on 10 April starting at 5.30 p.m. “Marakkar- Lion of the Arabian Sea” will be the next on 15 April starting at 2 p.m, followed by “Keshu Ee Veedinte Nadhan” on 17 April starting at 4.30 p.m. The channel is yet to announce the premiere date for “Pushpa: The Rise.”

    Last year, Asianet presented blockbuster films such as “Drishyam 2,” “Nayattu,” “Joji,” and “The Great Indian Kitchen.” According to a statement, the channel has more than 1500 titles in its content library.

    “We are focused on delivering high-quality entertainment to viewers and the addition of these blockbuster titles reiterates our commitment to delivering non-stop entertainment that resonates with them.  We are humbled by the response received from the Malayalam-speaking viewers to our content, and we will continue to strengthen Asianet’s library comprising of contemporary and quality films,” said an Asianet spokesperson.

    Screened at the Mumbai Film Festival last year, “Minnal Murali,” the first Malayalam superhero film received an astounding response from audiences. Penned down by Arun Anirudhan and Justin Mathew, the story revolves around the life of Jaison portrayed by Tovino Thomas, a young tailor who gains superpowers after being struck by lightning and transforms into a superhero. As he realises his superpowers, he starts to help people around him.

    One of the most anticipated Malayalam movies, “Marakkar – Lion of the Arabian Sea” is a biopic on Kunjali Marakkar the fourth, who is considered one of the greatest naval chiefs of India. The movie is credited to be the most expensive film ever made in Malayalam cinema and bagged the Best Feature Film, Best Special Effects, and Best Costume awards at the 67th National Film Awards in October 2021.

    Starring renowned artist Dileep, “Keshu Ee Veedinte Nadhan” is a humorous and feel-good family drama. Keshu, a 60-year-old driving tutor along with his family visits Rameswaram for his father’s funeral rites. Something unforeseen happens during the journey, which changes his life.

    The biggest grosser of 2021, “Pushpa: The Rise” bagged the ‘Film of the Year’ accolade at Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Awards 2022.  Directed by Sukumar, the action thriller feature superstars Allu Arjun and Rashmika Mandanna.

  • Enterr10 TV Network launches new GEC Dangal 2

    Enterr10 TV Network launches new GEC Dangal 2

    Mumbai: TV broadcaster Enterr10 on Saturday launched a new general entertainment channel called Dangal 2 to cater to the Hindi-speaking market audience.  

    The new GEC is targeted towards audiences across the country with a series of old and new shows from the network. “The viewers will not just get a chance to reminisce and rejoice the older much-loved shows but also get to watch the TRP garnering new originals of Dangal TV on this new channel as well,” said the media company.

    Dangal TV is one of the fastest growing GECs that consistently maintained its leading position in Broadcast Audience Research Council (Barc) India data, said the statement. “Dangal TV shows not only connected with the masses through their rooted storylines but also managed to create a cult fan following for its leading stars,” it added.

    The new GEC will air many shows including “Rehna Hai Teri Palkon ki Chhaon Mein,” “Jyoti, Pyaar ki Lukka Chuppi,” “Phir Laut Aayi Nagin,” “Basera, Baba Aiso Varr Dhundo,” “Mahim Shani Dev Ki,” and “Crime Alert.”

    “We have built a unique relationship with our viewers through our channels,” said Dangal TV managing director Manish Singhal. “While Dangal TV is more attuned to the female viewership, with Dangal 2 we are looking to encapsulate a larger audience base. We are using all our experience of the Hindi speaking heartland and working on creating content that makes for family viewing.”

  • Colors Tamil announces reality game show ‘Pottikku Potti’

    Colors Tamil announces reality game show ‘Pottikku Potti’

    Mumbai: Colors Tamil has announced the premiere of its new reality game show “Pottikku Potti: R U Ready?” The show will premiere on 3 April starting at 7 p.m and then from 9 April every Saturday and Sunday at 8 p.m.

    The show’s league format will pit prominent Colors Tamil artistes against each other amidst several challenges. The show features TV anchor, commentator Bhavana Balakrishnan as the host. She was previously the host for the show “Dance Versus Dance’ season 2.  Popular choreographer Baba Bhaskar will play the role of ‘super audience’ whose vote coupled with the audience’s votes will be added to the tally which will determine the last team standing.

    The show is centered around a task mechanism with artistes like actors Kushboo Sundar, Reshma Muralidharan, Madan, Darshini, among many others from the channel’s popular shows are split into two groups. The teams will have to pull the lever of the machine four times which suggests a task at the end of each spin. The players will then have to execute the command which includes dance performances, songs, quizzes, or other fun activities. The game concludes when each team completes its set of tasks. The one with the highest score will be declared the winner over the course of the show.

    “We are thrilled to announce the launch of our brand-new non-fiction reality game show, ‘Pottikku Potti: R U Ready?’,” said Colors Tamil business head Rajaraman S. “With this show, we strive to celebrate the diversity of our channel by bringing all of Colors Tamil Artistes under one roof. All our previous flagship non-fiction shows, like ‘Dance vs Dance’ season 2, have been phenomenal successes and we are certain that ‘Pottikku Potti’ will also scale new heights in the non-fiction space. Besides, with this show, we aim to keep our promise of delivering entertainment to our audiences in the form of quality programs.”

  • TV ad volumes in January ’22 up 32% compared to January ’20: Report

    TV ad volumes in January ’22 up 32% compared to January ’20: Report

    Mumbai: TV ad volumes in January this year were 32 per cent higher than January 2020, however, it was marginally lower than January 2021 levels. The number of advertisers in January 2022 stood at 2,670 which was lower than 3,020 advertisers who had appeared in January 2020, according to TAM adex data. Similarly, there were fewer brands and categories visible on TV, the data revealed.

    According to the report, there were over 170 growing categories present in January 2022 compared to January 2021 out of which the fastest was the tea category which saw a growth of 61 per cent followed by e-commerce – education at 57 per cent. E-commerce – media/entertainment/social media, chocolates, wafer chips, cement, coaching centre, cars, e-commerce – gaming, e-commerce – wallets were among the top ten fastest-growing categories.

    The top advertisers on TV were Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL), Reckitt Benckiser, Brooke Bond Lipton India, Ponds India, Cadburys India, ITC, Godrej Consumer Products, Procter and Gamble, Amazon Online India, and Colgate Palmolive India. The top ten advertisers comprised 38 per cent of total TV ad volumes in January and Amazon Online India was a new entrant in the rankings.  

    Seven of the top 10 brands belonged to HUL (two brands) and Reckitt Benckiser (five brands) along with Tata Play, Ultratech Cement, and Asian Paints Apex Ultima Protek.

    There were more than 1.5K exclusive advertisers and more than 30 exclusive categories in January 2022 i.e., advertisers and categories that were present in January 2022 but not in January 2021. 

    Kia Motors was the top exclusive advertiser followed by Dell Computer. Commercial vehicles topped among the exclusive categories followed by baby food.

  • Colors Tamil to telecast ‘Kasada Thapara’ on 27 March

    Colors Tamil to telecast ‘Kasada Thapara’ on 27 March

    Mumbai: Colors Tamil will telecast the world TV premiere of the film “Kasada Thapara” on 27 March starting at 5 p.m. The film is composed of six interwoven anthologies, each with its own underlying theme.

    Written and directed by Chimbudeven, the film stars Harish Kalyan, Sundeep Kishan, Shanthanu Bhagyaraj, Priya Bhavani Shankar, Sija Rose, Regina Cassandra, Premgi Amaren, Venkat Prabhu, and Vijayalakshmi in prominent roles. “’Kasada Thapara’ remarkably juxtaposes theories like the vantage point and butterfly effect to connect six storylines,” said the statement.

    “We tried to take a different route with respect to emotions in ‘Kasada Thapara’ while implementing various theories and analogies,” said director Chimbu Deven. “Everyone in the team has put in immense efforts and I am sure that audiences will like our distinct approach towards filmmaking. The experience was wonderful. With the movie being telecasted in Colors Tamil, I am sure it will be an enjoyable weekend for the viewers, and we are glad to partake in the channel’s proposition of providing quality content.”

  • Navin Shenoy to head sports marketing at Viacom18

    Navin Shenoy to head sports marketing at Viacom18

    Mumbai: Viacom18 has named Navin Shenoy as SVP marketing – sports ahead of the launch of its sports channel Sports18 SD and HD on 15 April. He has been associated with Viacom18 since September 2017. 

    Viacom18 to launch two sports channels starting 15 April

    Shenoy has two decades of experience across FMCG, telecom, media and advertising industries. He was previously the head of marketing for Viacom18 youth, music and English cluster including the brands MTV, MTV Beats, VH1, Comedy Central, and Colors Infinity.

    Prior to joining Viacom18, Shenoy has had stints at Airtel, Unilever, Tata Docomo, and MullenLowe Lintas Group.

  • Disney+ Hotstar to premiere 11-episode prequel to hit show ‘Anupama’

    Disney+ Hotstar to premiere 11-episode prequel to hit show ‘Anupama’

    Mumbai: Streaming major Disney+ Hotstar has announced that it will release a 11-episode prelude to Star Plus’ hit television series “Anupama.”

    The forthcoming series will see actor Rupali Ganguly reprising her popular role in the digital space. Joining her will be on-screen husband played by Sudhanshu Pandey, as well as the entire cast from the series. The episodes of the prequel will be released over 11 days exclusively on the streaming service.

    “Experimenting with new formats is a norm at Disney+ Hotstar, and this vision has led to the genesis of a prequel of the audience’s favorite television show,” said head content Disney+ Hotstar and HSM entertainment network Gaurav Banerjee. “Following the response of our recent titles, and the avid fan following for Anupama, we took the opportunity to further deepen their connection with the character in an all-new format. We are confident that this exciting format will resonate well with India’s series-loving fandom and make the viewers fall in love with the character once again.”

    Launched in July 2020, “Anupama” has already aired over 500 episodes. A Hindi adaptation of the popular Bengali series “Sreemoyee”, the show is centered on the life of a Gujarati homemaker.

  • Colors Tamil to present world TV premiere of ‘Thaen’ on 13 March

    Colors Tamil to present world TV premiere of ‘Thaen’ on 13 March

    Mumbai: Colors Tamil is all set to present the world television premiere of the blockbuster film “Thaen,” as part of its Sunday Cine Jumbo programming. Viewers can watch this critically acclaimed film on 13 March at 5.30 p.m.

    Written and directed by Ganesh Vinayakan, “Thaen” is a 2021 drama film starring Tharun Kumar and Abarnathi in the lead roles and Aruldoss and Bava Lakshmanan in supporting roles.  “I am excited that ‘Thaen’ will be airing on a popular channel like Colors Tamil,” said actor Tharun Kumar. “It is an engaging film that encompasses the dire social and political issues of the current times. With an engaging thread and powerful drama, I am certain that this would be a great weekend watch for the audience.”

    The film is an adaptation of a real-life incident that narrates the story of Velu, a young uneducated beekeeper and an economically backward husband who encounters the death of his wife Poongodi diagnosed with a rare disease. The dark emotions come into play when Velu carries his dead wife to the cremation ground as he was unable to pay for the mortuary van. This brings forth the plight of the people belonging to the tribal community in the forest areas who are inaccessible to the services, which others enjoy.

    “I was inspired to create ‘Thaen’ as I wanted to bring to light the real-life story of the Muthuvan tribes of Tamil Nadu who faced a similar episode as showcased in the film,” said director Ganesh Vinayakan. “With this story, I wanted to create awareness among the audiences on the predicaments of the economically backward sections of the society. I am glad that my film is airing on Colors Tamil, a channel that proposes to create impacting stories for its viewers.”

  • Sony strengthens its international format IP portfolio in India

    Sony strengthens its international format IP portfolio in India

    Mumbai: Following the success of “Shark Tank India,” Sony Pictures Television (SPT) is looking at introducing some of its most popular formats such as nine-time Emmy award-winning show “The $100,000 Pyramid,” “Raid The Change,” and “Can’t Touch This” in India.

    “These three formats are not just well-liked by audiences worldwide, but also bring an array of brand and product placement opportunities,” said the media company in astatement.

    SPT is one of the key players in the Indian reality television space, with its bouquet of marquee shows such as “Kaun Banega Crorepati” (KBC) and “Shark Tank India.” KBC is the Indian version of the Emmy award-winning game show “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.” SPT also has a vast repertoire of scripted formats such as “Damages,” “The Big C,” “The Nanny,” “Mad About You” and “Chosen” which cater to audiences of different demographics and tastes.

    “Shark Tank India” is a show that focuses on India’s booming start-up economy and became a big hit in Indian households, captivating the attention of non-business linked members, including men, women and youth alike. Launched in 2001, as “Tigers of Money” in Japan, created by Nippon TV, the format is distributed in over 40 countries by SPT.

    “With the evolution of content consumption patterns across the globe, media, and entertainment leader SPT has been playing an important role in growing and adapting to the new landscape. For over a decade, SPT has been bringing pathbreaking unscripted and scripted formats and shows that have enthralled audiences globally, including India,” said the statement.

    “The most significant aspect of curating unique entertainment offerings for the Indian audience is to take the right programming decisions at the right time to be able to connect with the masses,” said SPT South Asia VP for sales and distribution Sonika Bhasin. “We aim to create a space for innovation by bringing our popular international formats to India, which will add value to our clients’ platforms and have high success rates. We are optimistic about the scope of extending our iconic formats to leading broadcasters and OTT platforms who are equally committed to bringing global properties to the native audience.”

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