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Tag: Sony Max

  • Max hunts for film buffs in media agencies

    Max hunts for film buffs in media agencies

    MUMBAI: Media agencies are busy scratching their heads as they prepare themselves for not some planning for a client, but to take up the challenge thrown by Sony Max’s ‘No Talkies.’

     

    This ‘Guess the Movie’ challenge will see media agencies, buyers and planners competing, while also showcasing their acting prowess.

     

    The event which will culminate in Mumbai on 19 September, seeks to find the filmy deewanas across three big markets – Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru.

     

    Speaking about the differentiator this year, Sony Max VP marketing Vaishali Sharma says that the channel has stepped up the challenges and has made the competition more competitive. With the intention of creating a buzz for inviting registrations, the channel had pulled out all stops to amplify noise around the event.

     

    Online registrations for the event took place on its microsite notalkies.sonymax.tv, on 19 August with total of three deewanas forming one team. Registrations were open for 10 days with more than 150 teams registering this year.

     

    “We received an overwhelming response for our initiative last year and believe in going above and beyond movies to captivate our audiences,” opines Sharma.

     

    It received entries from media agencies such as Maxus, MEC, Mindshare, Motivator, Madison, Zenith Optimedia, OMD amongst others participating.

     

    This edition, all the participating teams will be slotted into different groups and they will have to compete against each other over a few exciting rounds of the games. The city round of the activity has already taken place in Bengaluru on 3 September followed by Delhi on 5 September. It will take place in Mumbai on 12 September. The finale will be based on the theme Bollywood.

     

    Maxux, Mumbai general manager Mangesh Korgaonkar believes that the initiative is in sync with the channel’s positioning. “It is great to see the channel bring back the competition as we thoroughly enjoyed the last season and are looking forward to our participation this year.”

     

    Agreeing with Kargaonkar, Mindshare principle partner Jignesh Ghelani says, “It is a kind initiative by Max as it is specially crafted for engaging with media agencies. It is a lot of fun as it provides us with an opportunity to let our hair down and celebrate our love for Bollywood.”

     

    In order to boost the agencies response for participation, the channel undertook a range of prebuzz promotions. These were: setting up popcorn stalls in media agencies and also distributing banarasi paans to generate sufficient buzz around its B2B marketing initiative.

     

    Last year the finale was hosted by the witty and charismatic VJ, actor and presenter Gaurav Kapoor. This year, the channel is yet to finalise the host for the event.

     

    Although Sharma refused to divulge any details on the prize money, last year it had honoured with Rs 25,000 cash voucher. “All I can say is that it is a generous voucher which will enable the winning team to make good purchases at an electronic store,” laughs Sharma.

  • Sony Max to premiere ‘Queen’ on 31 August

    Sony Max to premiere ‘Queen’ on 31 August

    MUMBAI: Catch the refreshingly real, sweet, sensitive, fun social drama of ‘Queen’ which will premiere on MAX, the premium Hindi movies channel on Sunday 31st August at 8 pm.

     

    The movie tells the tale of a diffident, shy and small town girl Rani (Kangana Ranaut) whose wedding gets called off by her fiancée just two days before the scheduled day. However instead of falling prey to self-pity and regret, she decides to embrace life thus opening her up to a world of new possibilities and experiences.  In turn, she learns to love herself once again and sheds her inhibitions to make new friends, travel, dance and most importantly to be ‘happy’ irrespective of how life pans out.

     

    Talking about tackling ‘Queen’ like situations in one’s life, lead actress Kangana says, “If your equation with a person fails, it doesn’t mean that you have failed. I’ve learnt to deal with rejection, or what you call ‘dumping’ but for many it becomes a huge crisis. I believe a person has all the right to decide whether or not he/she wants to stay in a relationship. I respect the other person’s decision, keep myself emotionally strong and work towards ending the pain.”

     

    Commenting on how the movie has managed to make that connect with the audience, Director Vikas Bahl, says, “I think it is very relatable. It’s relatable yet funny, that combination is what makes it interesting. You can immediately see that you can connect with the girl and then you connect with the way she talks and then you connect with the humour that’s in it. So it seems like it’s straight out of your life, which I think works.”

     

    Catch Rani’s voyage of self-discovery by tuning in to watch the movie ‘Queen’ that premieres on Sony MAX on Sunday, 31st August at 8pm

  • No Talkies returns on Sony MAX

    No Talkies returns on Sony MAX

    MUMBAI: Excitement is mounting as media agencies get ready to showcase their acting prowess at the 2nd edition of ‘No Talkies.’ An exclusive property of the premium Hindi movies and special events channel SONY MAX, ‘No talkies’ is a nation level dumb charades competition exclusively organized for media agencies. The event which will culminate in Mumbai, seeks to find the filmy deewana in media agencies, buyers and planners across Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru.

     

    Through its annual property ‘No Talkies’, MAX provides a unique engaging platform for media agencies to have fun – ‘Bollywood’ style. With the media industry being highly fragmented, people do not have the time to interact and get to know each other.  Dumb charades essentially being a very interactive and entertaining game, brings together media agencies from different cities under one roof enabling them to get know one another in a fun and informal setting. The channel which received an overwhelming response for its initiative last year, believes in going beyond movies to captivate its audiences. With the intention of creating a buzz for inviting registrations, MAX will be pulling out all stops to amplify noise around this event.

     

    Commenting on the channel’s initiative Vaishali Sharma, VP Marketing, MAX says, “With all of us harboring a love for movies, this unique initiative aims at celebrating our love for Bollywood through the fun and interactive game of ‘Dumb Charades’. We are pleased with the success of our event last year and are bringing back this property for a second time around to generate excitement around Hindi movies. After all, who doesn’t love a game of ‘Dumb Charades’?”

     

    Online registrations for the event will begin from 19th August onwards and a total of three deewanas can form one team. All the participating teams will be slotted into different groups and they will have to compete against each other over a few exciting rounds of the game. The city rounds of the activity will take place in Bangalore on 3rd September, followed by Delhi on 5th September and Mumbai on 12th September. The finale scheduled on 19th September in Mumbai will have a Bollywood theme and is set to provide MAXimum entertainment guaranteed to delight.

     

    So if you are from a media agency and are a Bollywood aficionado, then ‘No Talkies’ is your time to shine. Register now and showoff your deewanapan!

  • Sony Max to premiere ‘Youngistaan’

    Sony Max to premiere ‘Youngistaan’

    MUMBAI: Max, the premium Hindi movies and special events channel brings you the world television premiere of Youngistaan, a love story set against the backdrop of Indian politics on Sunday, 20th July at 1 pm and 8pm respectively.

     

    The movie directed by Syed Ahmad Afzal has Jackky Bhagnani playing the lead actor, along with Neha Sharma and the late Farooque Shaikh and Boman Irani.  Touching upon burning issues in the country, the movie is relatable and with its little intrigues makes for an interesting watch.

     

    The film revolves around a young, independent, games developer Abhimanyu Kaul (Jackky Bhagnani) residing in Japan who is pulled into political action upon the demise of his father – the current Prime Minister of India. He is forced to give up his otherwise normal and private life to live under the public scanner which irks his live-in girlfriend, Anwita Chauhan (Neha Sharma).

     

    Commenting on the film, Jackky Bhagnani said, “The film has a very strong message that if you need change, you’ll have to make the effort and stop waiting for other people to do it.”

     

    “As the name suggests Youngistaan stands for the youth by the youth and of the youth of India. The film is a common live story in a very uncommon premise,” added Bhagnani.

     

    So go ahead and enjoy this romantic political drama this weekend!

     

    Sunday at 1pm and 8 pm only on Sony Max

  • Sony Max to premiere ‘Darr @ The Mall’

    Sony Max to premiere ‘Darr @ The Mall’

    MUMBAI: Fear is here! Get ready for a nail biting, spine chilling, terror pumping movie experience as MAX, the premium Hindi movies and special events channel brings you the World Television Premiere of ‘Darr@ The Mall’ this Sunday, 13th Julyat 1 pm and 8pm.

    Made on similar lines as Hollywood horror films, ‘Darr@ The Mall’, promises not to disappoint. Directed by PawanKripalani, the movie sees the handsome Jimmy Shergill in dazzling form along with Arif Zakaria and new comer Nushrat Bharucha.

    The film is about an eerily emptied-out ‘Amity’ mall which has the management on a quest to dispel rumours about the mall being haunted.  After nine unnatural deaths at the mall, ex-Army officer Vishnu (Jimmy Shergill) is hired as the new security officer to help decode the mystery of a series of unexplainable paranormal activities. The film revolves around whether Vishnu can crack the code or succumbs to becoming the next victim.

    Speaking about his experience on filming the thriller, Jimmy Shergill,said,“It was physically challenging shooting for the film and I probably followed the most intense training program to get into shape for the film.However my efforts paid off and I am really happy that the film was well received.”

    So go ahead and raise your fear factor this weekend! Catch the world Television Premiere of ‘Darr@ The Mall’ which airs this Sunday at 1pm and 8 pm only on Sony MAX Television.

  • Interactive programming, the new trend

    Interactive programming, the new trend

    MUMBAI: Ever imagined talking to Aamir Khan while watching his film? Thanks to the broadcasters who have now started taking the digital approach seriously, the dream is turning into a reality for many.

     

    For the country which eats, sleeps and breathes movies, it will be unwise of movie channels to not create a connection between the two. Multi-screening is a reality today and media planners believe that if one needs to survive in today’s digital age then a broadcaster needs to be available on all the platforms.

     

    Taking a cue from changing consumption patterns, the increasing number of middle-income households and the propensity of consumers to spend on leisure and entertainment, channels today are pursuing two important facets – innovation and interaction.

     

    A case in point is &Pictures, from the Zeel stable, which for Aamir Khan’s first unreleased movie, Chale Chalo, invited fans of the movie and the actor together and gave them the opportunity to watch the movie along with Khan himself.

     

    Chale Chalo, a documentary film, based on the making of Khan’s Oscar nominated movie Lagaan, became a talking-point even before it was aired on the channel. The buzz created on the social media and the chance to speak to the actor during live dial-ins achieved an unbelievable ratings. “No one expected a documentary film to garner more viewership than the original film,” says pleased Zeel executive vice president – marketing, national channels Akash Chawla.

     

    “Until a few year ago, only News channels had an option of live dial-ins, but since second screen is becoming an important part of viewing today and is becoming a reality in India as well, we had to go beyond the usual,” he adds.

     

    The concept of bringing high-level of interactivity was later also used by Sony Entertainment Television for the premiere of Dhoom 3. The channel wanted to interact with its younger audience and hence, invited kids for a live call-in to the Dhoom star, Aamir Khan.

     

    In an earlier interview to indiantelevision.com, Sony Max senior VP and business head Neeraj Vyas had said that the use of digital space has became a kind of a case study for them. “Even post the IPL, we have some very aggressive plans. We were the first ones to have live tweets during the telecast of Jab Tak Hai Jaan. We got close to 2,500 responses. We also had Twitter contests called #TalaashHunt for Talaash. Through the contest we added around 11,545 followers from 11 to 14 July, 2013, the day the movie was telecast,” he had said then.

     

    Recently, Sony Max showcased a special programme Pancham – Mujhey Chaltey Jaana Hai that showcased never-seen-before nuggets about Rahul Dev Burman aka Pancham Da.

     

    The channels know that viewers today want more than just plain-vanilla movie watching experience. &Pictures created a crowd-sourced Online Milo Sajna during its launch a year ago, where viewers wrote a script and the channel shot the best one and showcased it online. It added another feather in its cap with a blogger activity in a train for the movie Chennai Express.

     

    However, the new trend isn’t as simple as one might think of. Depending on projects, teams (research and digital) sit together to ideate and come up with tactical measures to woo viewers. Channels are even earmarking a certain amount ranging from 10 to 20 per cent of the total marketing budget on these projects.

     

    “Anything innovative always catches advertisers fancy,” says Zee’s chief sales officer Ashish Sehgal while adding that the brands too want to interact with viewers and hence, are eager to advertise on such innovations.

     

    As per sources, a normal film would charge as less as Rs 6,000 for every 10 second ad slot; however, the innovations especially for a blockbuster film can charge up to Rs 2 lakh. “Chale Chalo sold 10 second ad spots for a lakh. And the interactions helped the channel earn almost Rs 2 crore from it which would have never happened especially for a documentary,” says a planner.

     

    The innovations are moving regional as well. Zee Marathi premiered Fandry with a difference. The campaign was woven around the concept Jaaniv Zhali, Badal Havaa that aimed at bringing about change in society and making a difference in the lives of children. The channel tied up with 10 NGOs that work in the area of child development and protection and raised funds for these NGOs through the movie and also got the likes of Nana Patekar, Sonali Kulkarni, Urmila Matondkar to promote it.

     

    Media observers believe that though it is a good trend and getting the movie channels what they want, but with time the innovations might overlap and hence, each channel will have to differentiate itself from the other. “A lot will depend on how they keep the mark up and come up with innovations that will attract viewers and not come up with an interactive programming just because it is a fad,” opines a media planner.

  • Max to telecast film dedicated to R D Burman on his 75th birth anniversary

    Max to telecast film dedicated to R D Burman on his 75th birth anniversary

    NEW DELHI: The genius maestro and singer Rahul Dev Burman aka Pancham Da, son of the veteran maestro Sachin Dev Burman, is being remembered by most radio and television channels this week to mark his 75th birth anniversary.

     

    While Big FM has already announced a concert, ‘Yaadon mein Pancham’ and is devoting some time to his films, other channels have planned similar programmes.

     

    One of the most creative music directors of Bollywood, ‘Pancham Da’ is being featured on special programmes on Sony Max on 27 June at 9.00 pm, Sony Mix on 28 June at 9.00 pm and Max 2 on 29 June at 7.00 pm.

     

    The programme ‘Pancham – Mujhey Chaltey Jaana Hai’ attempts to bring out hitherto never seen before nuggets.

     

    R D Burman, probably the only composer who could play all the musical instruments available during that time; brought with him the colour of modern sound unlocking a path to new and original sounds which created history in Bollywood, despite the fact that his father Sachin Dev was steeped in folk music. 

     

    The film will feature celebrities from the Bollywood industry who were an intrinsic part and had the opportunity to be up close and personal with the enigmatic Pancham Da. Stalwarts sharing the intricacies of what went into making a genius called RD Burman and will feature in the film are Gulzar, Javed Akhtar, Pyarelal, Asha Bhosle, Shantanu Moitra, Vishal Bharadwaj, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Randhir Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor, Shammi Kapoor and Manna Dey. 

     

    The film will give viewers an insight into Pancham Da’s inner being through an incisive look into his genius artistry.

     

    “R.D Burman was a legend who still rules the hearts of millions all across the globe. It is our honour to salute a man of such stature by showcasing his classic work and his journey to become an idol through the distinctive film ‘Puncham – Mujhey Chaltey Jaana Hai. I am certain that the visuals and anecdotes of the mega star will inspire audiences of all age groups,” said Sony Max senior EVP and business head Neeraj Vyas.

     

    Rahul Dev Burman (27 June 1939 – 4 January 1994) composed musical scores for 331 films between the 1960s and the 1990s. The best songs of Kishore Kumar and Asha Bhosle, were composed by Pancham Da.

     

    Perhaps Pancham Da is the only music director whose songs and music inspired the making two Hindi feature films, both following in quick succession. 

     

    While Dil Vil Pyar Vyar directed by actor-filmmaker Anant Mahadevan came in 2002, Jhankaar Beats directed by Sujoy Ghosh came a year later. Both films are about aspiring musicians who owe their inspiration to Pancham Da and even gain fame singing his songs.  

  • Sony MAX set to fly high with the MAX Television premier of super hero: Krrish 3

    Sony MAX set to fly high with the MAX Television premier of super hero: Krrish 3

    MUMBAI:It’s that time of the year when Sony MAX, the premium Hindi movies channel, brings to you the best of Bollywood flicks right in the comfort of your home. The Indian super hero with a cape, sporting a mask, muscles of steel and a heart of gold-Krrish 3 to premier on MAX on Sunday,8th June 2014 at 1pm and Saturday,14th June 2014 at 8pm.  

     

    Sony MAX will be back to showcasing a line-up of engaging movies which would keep the audience entertained. Krrish 3 the blockbuster grossing over 100 crore is about Krishna aka Krrish (Hrithik Roshan) living a happy married life in India with his wife Priya (Priyanka Chopra) and scientist dad Rohit (Hrithik in dual role), while helping the masses with his superpowers and struggling to keep a steady job. In another part of the world, an evil handicapped man named Kaal (Vivek Oberoi) has used his DNA to generate a team of human-animal mutants.  Kaya(Kangana Ranuat)  and other mutants create havoc among the masses of India but are counter-acted by Rohit’s scientific genius.

     

    When asked about the Krrish 3, Hritik Roshan said “A film this size and this magnitude has not been attempted. One of the qualities of Krrish is that we really don’t know the extent of his powers.” Speaking on the magnificent sets created for Krrish 3, he added “Special effects play a very important part in a movie like this, but they can help enhance the movie only to a certain extent, you have to build real sets also for the look and feel. We built one such set in Hyderabad. It was a huge set which ran for almost a mile. We shot quite a lot on this set and I thought it was really an amazing set to shoot at.”

     

    Rakesh Roshan commented about how he conceived the idea of making Krrish 3- “Whenever I make films, I always tend to venture into new subjects, which are difficult and give me sleepless nights. I take these subjects and then I visualize the screenplay which will be appreciated and understood in small towns and also for those who stay in Manhattan or in countries other than India. I make the movies keeping in mind the audiences of the world, and for a movie like Krrish 3 the strongest element is the story and the content. We worked for year on the story, I got the idea of a super villain who has a lot of powers in him, a lot more powers than what Krrish has. We have done a fabulous job and I am very proud that we have done all the VFX work in India.  ”

     

    How will Krrish find Kaal and what will their final face-off entail, find out more in the MAX Television premier of ‘Krrish 3’ on Sunday,8th June, 1PM and Saturday,14th June, 8PM, Only on MAX

  • KKR and e-commerce sites win IPL 7

    KKR and e-commerce sites win IPL 7

    MUMBAI: As fans chanted Korbo Lorbo Jitbo (We will do, we will fight, we will win ), Manish Pandey’s 94 off 50 balls not only ensured Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) putting up a brave fight, it saw them seize the IPL cup from Kings XI Punjab in a nail-biting finish.

     

    However, this IPL not only brought smiles to the Knight Riders but also to broadcasters Multi Screen Media-owned Sony Max and Sony Six that aired the tournament.

     

    Before the seventh edition started, naysayers said not many advertisers would be interested in the property since India was going through the mother of all elections. To make things worse, the first phase of IPL was held outside India. And when Sony Entertainment Television president Rohit Gupta said that the broadcaster would charge Rs 4.9-5 lakh for a 10-second slot, a 20 per cent jump from last year’s Rs 4.25 lakh, eyebrows were raised.

     

    However, the story went in the other direction. Despite the T20 tourney being played in the UAE and the ninth phase of the polls coinciding with the matches back home, the popularity of the tournament wasn’t affected and the broadcaster charged as much as Rs18-20 lakh for a 10 seconder for the final match. “Last year, we had charged around Rs 15 lakh for the final match. So, the ad revenue has only gone up. One must understand that IPL is a mature property and shouldn’t talk about not attracting advertisers,” says Gupta.

     

    He went on to say, “Take a look at the English Premier League (EPL); it has been on for more than 20 years and it still attracts audiences and advertisers. Wonder why in India, people don’t understand that IPL is a yearly phenomenon and is here to stay for a long period.”

     

    The television viewership too went up by five per cent for the first 54 matches, from 175 million during IPL-6 to 184 million this year.

     

    “There is no risk to any advertiser,” said Gupta, while highlighting the fact that a big chunk of broadcasters’ revenues would be contributed by e-commerce companies.

     

    Apart from the big advertisers – Vodafone, Karbonn, Havells, Perfetti and Marico – this year saw many e-commerce companies, especially Amazon, which launched its first TVC during IPL and others like Flipkart, Myntra, Quikr and Snapdeal piggybacked on the tournament.

     

    Says GroupM ESP national director – Entertainment, Sports & Live Events Vinit Karnik, “A lot of e-commerce sites associated themselves with various teams. Also, there were a lot of on ground and on air activations so it won’t be wrong to say that this time one product category did leverage the league.”

     

    The reason behind the phenomenon is the intense competition in the online retail segment. And as every player tries to pitch something different be it in terms of product line or delivery model, the mass media property – IPL – becomes the perfect battle ground.

     

    “The IPL has got the reach and so it has delivered eyeballs to the brands. And the result has been achieved. With sites fighting tooth and nail what will be a better platform than IPL to reach out to as many as people?” says MEC national planning director Zubin Tatna.

     

    Havas Media India MD Mohit Joshi agrees on the fact that with booming online retail sector competition is only going to increase. “IPL as a format doesn’t let one innovate much but the brands always get what they want from it, if used appropriately.”

     

    “E commerce sites did dominate the advertisements this time as well as offline enough buzz was created. So, one shouldn’t be surprised if around 40 per cent of the revenue comes from this category,” he adds.

     

    However, Tatna feels otherwise. “You see a Quikr or an OLX ad on television anyhow so I wouldn’t agree with the fact e-commerce sites dominated only IPL.”

     

    The nerve-wrenching battle

     

    The tourney’s star cricketer this year, Glen Maxwell, along with his Punjab teammates David Miller, Virendar Sehwag and George Bailey managed to score a paltry nine runs between the four in an edge-of-the-seat finale. For KKR, it’s been smooth sailing with the final being their ninth win a row. This puts them in the league of Chennai Super Kings (whom they had defeated in the final two years ago) as multiple IPL winners.

     

    However, to their credit, Punjab were neck and neck with KKR so much so it could have been anyone’s match till the very end. Wriddihan Saha’s innings was a fitting precursor to the well fought finish. 

     

    Apart from Maxwell’s disappointing performance, this season’s highest run scorer Robin Utthappa too did not match expectations as Piyush Chawla was left to win the game for KKR. But Utthappa did win the Orange Cap. Man of the match Pandey said that winning the IPL was like the “icing on the cake” after winning the Ranji trophy, Irani trophy and Vijay Hazare trophy.

     

    KKR captain Gautam Gambhir said they never thought they would win this IPL. He also went on to add that winning at the Chinnaswamy Stadium was what the team fancied, considering the fact that it is a small ground. Incidentally, the stadium also hosted the very first IPL game in 2008. Gambhir told indiatoday.in, “This is a ground where it is very difficult to defend. We wanted to get it down to five overs, 50 or 60 to get. Manish played a fantastic innings.” Finally, Punjab’s late strikes could not dither KKR from taking the trophy home a second time with 200 runs.

     

    As for KKR, Kolkata Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee congratulated the team on Facebook. A post she put up on the social networking site said: “Congratulations…. KKR….Congratulations…Sharukh.” She also congratulated Saha for his “brilliant performance.”

     

    In 2012, the Banerjee government had come under sharp criticism for showering expensive gold chains and gold medals as part of the grand felicitation programme held in honour of KKR’s IPL win. But this time around, as Eden Gardens prepares for another such programme, it will be interesting to see what ‘Didi’ has to offer the boys in purple.

  • MSM partners with First Media in Indonesia

    MSM partners with First Media in Indonesia

    MUMBAI: Multi Screen Media (MSM) Network has partnered with PT Link Net- First Media for the launch of Sab and Sony Mix on its First Media Platform in Indonesia. The platform already carries Sony, Sony MAX and Sab.

     

    Commenting on this partnership MSM (Singapore) SVP and GM Rajveer Singh said, “Sony Entertainment Network is delighted to partner with Indonesia’s foremost provider of high-speed Internet and cable TV, First Media to bring our diverse content to South Asian audiences. We are confident that this partnership will go a long way in bringing top-notch entertainment to Indonesia.”

     

    First Media is a leading cable TV service provider in Indonesia delivering superior HD quality entertainment with more than 150 local and international channels.

     

    “Adding Sab and Mix to our line-up strengthens our offering to our Hindi subscribers. We are also pleased to secure TV Anywhere rights for SET and Sab to deliver a multi-screen experience on First Media Go. We look forward to working with Sony Entertainment Network to increase the popularity of these channels here in Indonesia,” added PT Link Net-First Media chief marketing officer Iris Wee.