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Tag: Sunil

  • ‘Rajini The Jailer’ to have its world TV premiere on Star Gold this Diwali

    ‘Rajini The Jailer’ to have its world TV premiere on Star Gold this Diwali

    Mumbai: This Diwali, fans of the legendary actor Rajinikanth are in for a spectacular treat as Star Gold presents the world TV premiere of the mega-hit movie ‘Rajini The Jailer’. This action-packed extravaganza, which set the box office on fire with a staggering box office collection will be aired on Star Gold on 11 November at 8 pm.

    “Rajinikanth is a true sensation and each of his movies transform into a national event eagerly anticipated by the entire country. We are elated to announce the premiere of Rajini The Jailer on Star Gold this Diwali, a time when families come together. Our commitment lies in bringing the biggest blockbusters and iconic cinematic experiences to our viewers on Star Gold. As a part of this unwavering commitment, we are proud to bring in yet another sensational hit that our viewers can enjoy from the comfort of their homes,” said a Star Gold spokesperson.

    Rajini The Jailer, a 2023 Indian action thriller directed by Nelson Dilipkumar and produced by Kalanithi Maran of Sun Pictures boasts a star-studded cast led by the iconic Rajinikanth. The ensemble includes Vinayakan, Ramya Krishnan, Vasanth Ravi, Tamannaah Bhatia, Sunil, Mirnaa Menon, and Yogi Babu, with special guest appearances by the eminent Mohanlal, Shiva Rajkumar, and Jackie Shroff. The film’s captivating soundtrack was composed by the brilliant Anirudh Ravichander.

    Upon its theatrical release on 10 August 2023, ‘Rajini The Jailer’ received widespread acclaim from critics who lauded its exceptional screenwriting, dynamic direction, outstanding performances by the cast, well-defined characterizations, and gripping background score. The film swiftly climbed the ranks to become one of the highest-grossing Indian films of 2023, both domestically and internationally. Rajini The Jailer follows the journey of Muthuvel Pandian, a retired police officer who stands up to a perilous smuggling gang to protect his family.

    Get ready to make this Diwali truly memorable as Star Gold presents the world television premiere of ‘Rajni The Jailer’ on 11 November 2023, at 8 pm. Brace yourself for a cinematic journey that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

  • The challenge of DD FreeDish and new tariff order for DPOs

    The challenge of DD FreeDish and new tariff order for DPOs

    GOA: With the emergence of a large number of OTT platforms and cord-cutting phenomenon globally, the future of pay-TV has often been questioned. The talk of the town seems to be about the how pay-TV industry will continue to thrive in such an environment. Moreover, the new tariff order (NTO) in India is also set to overhaul the entire value chain, leading to some uncertainty.

    Against this backdrop, Video and Broadband Summit 2018 held an intense discussion on the “future of pay TV in India”. Travelxp CEO Prashant Chothani and Doordarshan additional director general Sunil participated in the session which was moderated by Indiantelevision.com founder and CEO Anil Wanvari. The session had viewpoints from two entirely different players as Chothani provides a niche premium offering to viewers, while Sunil is responsible for public service which caters to the masses.

    Travelxp works on a B2B2C model despite having 100 per cent original content. Chothani, who is very passionate about linear TV, does not share his content with any OTT platform other than Netflix in North America. He thinks it is extremely crucial to protect linear business as much as possible.

    Chothani, talking about the NTO, said that DPOs are in existential crisis. He thinks DD FreeDish is the biggest challenge for distribution platform operators (DPOs) as the former offers over 100 free to air channels to consumers for free and the latter has to charge Rs 130 for the same as per the NTO.

    “FreeDish is your biggest competitor. Where do you think these 30 or 40 million homes have come from? They go to a large part of north India, UP, Bihar and lot many other markets, where the customer is not willing to pay even Rs 99. There comes the cord cutting in favour of DD FreeDish because this population is satisfied whatever channels come to them for free,” he commented.

    While there are already technological disruptors like Hotstar, Netflix, Amazon threatening linear TV’s growth, consumers, who don’t wish to pay for the channels, can turn to DD FreeDish, said Sunil endorsing Chothani’s view.  

    From the audience, Doordarshan director general Supriya Sahu added that DD FreeDish is not only used by a marginal section of the society but the service is quickly evolving as an alternative option which clearly indicates that it could be a potential threat for DPOs.

    When asked if DD FreeDish would partner with broadcasters, Sunil said he was open to the idea of collaboration. Rather than making money, the pubcaster’s aim is to let the system grow, he said.

    “We have to work on a business model on that front and it is very difficult to answer this question at this point of time because the call has to be taken by the government. But yes cable operators and broadcasters are a part of this system. They are always welcome to partner with us,” he added later.

    He also thinks NTO will be a big game changer as the difference in price between small LCOs and bigger ones has been taken away by TRAI regulations. He also believes that the future of pay-TV is threatened by TRAI regulations. Customers will watch what they want, where they want and when they want and will only pay for that purchase, he added.

    Chothani also added that India is a very price sensitive market. Even in Serbia where currency value is weaker than India’s, Coke is priced the same as in Germany but in India, it is offered at a much cheaper rate. This nature does not fade away when it comes to entertainment.

    “We content creators got greedy. We thought why would you pay 50-60 per cent money with DPOs and do B2B2C business why not B2C. If you see RIOs of some broadcasters, you will see their B2C offering subscription on their apps is cheaper than they are giving to LCOs or DPOs. Why? Because OTT apps are not regulated,” said Chothani.

    “So, this regulation is also going to take away a lot of customers from traditional DPOs unless they play smart. Broadcasters have been playing this game for too long and will keep on playing for times to come. But DPOs need to rethink now. This is a golden opportunity for them. So, they need to get behind and think how they can make consumers pay for content while DD FreeDish is offering so many channels for free,” he added.

    The experts believe that though the future of pay-TV has a few challenges, the NTO offers opportunities to restructure the industry and make the business profitable for all.

  • FreeDish: English news channel among two come aboard (Updated)

    NEW DELHI: Two more television channels, including the first English news channel, have come on board Doordarshan’s FreeDish platform. Though there were no bidders for the e-auction on 25 May 2017, the two channels were brought on board on a pro rata basis.

    Additional director-general Sunil told Indiantelevision.com that RT Movies and NewsX –  which is an English news channel – have been taken on a special pro rata basis till the next auction, which is expected in July.

    Explaining the concept of pro rata, he said these channels are paying at a daily rate basis calculated against the reserve price of Rs 80 million for the period when they came on air till the next auction. This works out to Rs 2,19,178 per day.

    However, they will have to taken part in the auction to remain on the platform under conditions set by Doordarshan.  

    Sunil also said that FreeDish was expected to take a quantum jump from the present eighty TV channels (apart from 32 radio cbannels) to 104 TV channels with the completion of the final trials of MPEG4, about which an announcement had been made in October last year.

    On a question about FreeDish becoming capable of 250 channels within the next two years as announced by the Information and Broadcastng Ministry in Parliament in early April, Sunil said this was expected to be achieved by the third quarter of 2018.

    In line with the ‘Digital India’ and ‘Make in India’, DD has implemented Indian CAS (iCAS) on DD FreeDish Platform. iCAS (which is an initiative of the central government) was introduced in the auction held last month. The introduction of iCAS will provide enhanced viewing experience.

    Although Free Dish will remain free-to-air with no monthly or periodic fee with encryption, the viewers will be required to register with DD FreeDish on getting the new STB from DD authorized STB dealers.

    DD officials said implementation of iCAS and authorisation of STB original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) by Doordarshan will give a major thrust to ‘Make in India’ and ‘Digital India’. At present, a majority of STBs are imported. However, the introduction of iCAS will help in standardisation of STBs and encourage quality STB manufacturing in India.

    With analogue having been switched off, Parliament had been told that many stakeholders feel that FreeDish is the best option in Phase IV which covers rural India.

    The only free-to-air DTH platform in the country, FreeDish earned Rs 2.8665 billion through auction of 54 slots in six auctions from 30 March 2016 to 14 February 2017. In comparison, DD had earned Rs 1.8034 billion in 2015-16.

    Despite the reserve price of Rs 48 million till the 32nd auction, the highest bid for a slot was Rs 73 million for Sony Pal. The reserve price in the first five auctions was Rs 43 million and was raised to Rs 48 million in the 32nd auction. The reserve price for the 33rd auction was Rs 80 million.

    FreeDish was launched with a modest bouquet of 33 channels in December 2004, and now carries eighty TV channels and 32 radio channels. This includes 22 Doordarshan channels and two parliamentary channels, seven general entertainment channels, 18 movie channels, 13 news channels, seven music channels, three religious channels and eight channels of other genres. The All-India Radio stations also piggy-back on the platform.

    Also Read :

    MIB favours switching to DTH if consumers have problems with MSOs or LCOs

    FreeDish aims to reach 150 channels, earned Rs 3 bn in a year

    FreeDish’s May auction a damp squib with no bidder in sight