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Tag: ZEE Plex

  • For ‘Bhai’ fans & others, here’s what not to miss on OTT this week

    For ‘Bhai’ fans & others, here’s what not to miss on OTT this week

    KERALA: As more and more people remain in the safety of their homes due to the pandemic raging outside, OTT platforms like Netflix, Disney+Hotstar, Amazon Prime Video, and Zee5 are providing ample doses of entertainment to keep the audience stress-free. 

    Indiantelevision.com presents you with the list of five most-anticipated movies that will be screened on OTT platforms this week. 

    Radhe (Zee5 and Zee Plex)

    Salman Khan’s Radhe, directed by Prabhu Deva, is one of the most anticipated movies of the year. After postponing its release multiple times, the makers have now decided to release the film simultaneously in theatres and on Zee5 and Zee Plex as a pay-per-view on 13 May.

    Radhe is the first Indian movie to have a hybrid release, and it is still unclear how audiences will welcome this new strategy, as partial lockdowns have been imposed in several states and PVoD is yet to find many takers in India.

    A high-voltage action thriller, Radhe will see Salman Khan playing the role of a daredevil cop on a mission to stamp out drug cartels. The film is produced by Salman Khan, Sohail Khan, and Atul Agnihotri and also stars Disha Patani, Randeep Hooda, and Jackie Shroff in pivotal roles. 

    The Woman in the Window (Netflix)

    Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Joe Wright, The Woman in the Window will arrive on Netflix India 14 May. The film is a psychological thriller and has a power-packed ensemble cast comprising Amy Adams, Gary Oldman, Anthony Mackie, Fred Hechinger, Wyatt Russell, Brian Tyree Henry, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Julianne Moor. 

    The film revolves around Dr Anna Fox (Amy Adams), an agoraphobic psychologist who befriends a neighbour across the street. However, things take an unexpected turn in her life when the neighbour disappears. 

    The Underground Railroad (Amazon Prime Video)

    Historical drama series The Underground Railroad will premiere on Amazon Prime Video 14 May. The series has at its centre a young woman who escapes from a Georgia plantation, and boards a train seeking freedom. However, things take a turn when she gets hunted by a dreaded slave catcher. 

    Directed by Barry Jenkins, the series stars Thuso Mbedu, Chase W Dillon, Aaron Pierre, and Joel Edgerton in the lead roles. The Underground Railroad is based on the novel of the same name by Colson Whitehead. 

    High School Musical: The Series season 2 (Disney+ Hotstar)

    Disney+Hotstar has confirmed that the second season of High School Musical: The Series will drop on 14 May. The second season will portray the story of East High Leopards as they prepare to perform Beauty and the Beast as their spring musical, and face off against rival school North High. 

    High School Musical: The Series season 2 will have Olivia Rodrigo, Joshua Bassett, Matt Cornett, Sofia Wylie, Larry Sapperstein, Julia Lester, Dara Renée, Frankie Rodriguez, and Kate Reinders in the lead roles. 

    Unfriended (Netflix)

    Unfriended will begin streaming on Netflix 16 May. The film was originally released in 2014 and due to repeated requests, the OTT platform has decided to bring back the movie again on their platform. 

    The movie revolves around the life of six teenagers who get a shock of their lives when they receive a message from their deceased friend during a video chat. Directed by Levan Gabriadze, this film stars Shelley Hennig, Moses Storm, Renee Olstead, Will Peltz, Jacob Wysocki, and Courtney Halverson. 

  • Amid Covid fears & theatre slump, what Radhe’s simultaneous release portends

    Amid Covid fears & theatre slump, what Radhe’s simultaneous release portends

    NEW DELHI/KOLKATA: After a number of filmmakers sought the direct-to-digital route to cope with the shock of the Covid2019 pandemic, it was expected that movies will return to theatres once lockdown restrictions eased. But the second wave of the novel Coronavirus has walloped the hopes of the comeback of cinemas. It seemed likely that many of the pending big releases would again be postponed. However, in a first for the Indian film industry, a movie is going to have a hybrid release. Radhe, which features Salman Khan in the lead role, will hit theatres on 13 May, while also simultaneously premiering on Zee5 and Zee Plex under pay-per-view plans. 

    Zee Studio CBO Shariq Patel said that the studio sensed the need to release the film on OTT, as it will give audiences the flexibility and convenience to watch the film online from the comfort of their home. 

    Simultaneous release of a film in theatres and OTT is a completely new trend in India. A few weeks back, Godzilla vs Kong distributed by Warner Bros was released in a similar manner in the United States. This unexpected move turned beneficial for the movie, as it enjoyed decent box-office collections in both domestic and international markets. 

    However, in India, the scenario could be different as most of the single screens and multiplexes are shuttered due to the second wave of the Covid2019 pandemic. A minority of single screens are currently functioning with just 30 per cent occupancy. As Radhe will be released only on a limited number of screens, industry experts are not expecting a box-office storm from this Salman Khan-starrer. 

    "It is completely about OTT. As more than 80 per cent of the theatres are closed, I am not expecting a decent collection from the big screens,” said Elara Capital vice president & research analyst (media & consumer discretionary) Karan Taurani. “I consider the premier of Radhe as a complete OTT release. If the situation persists like this, makers of movies like Sooryavanshi may also seriously consider an OTT or hybrid release. Moreover, the content is also getting old." 

    Despite creating high hopes, direct-to-digital releases have not performed well. But as more people are again being compelled to stay at home, Zee5 might gain from its latest movie rights.

    "It is early to say since we don't know how wide would the film release theatrically, which depends on the pandemic situation in May. In case the situation improves and the film releases wide like any other Salman Khan film, the impact may not be that much as audiences would want to watch the film in theatres,” Ormax Media partner Gautam Jain noted.

    However, in case of a restricted release, it will have a positive impact on the platform, he added. Since this is one of the big tentpole and awaited movies, he said the industry can expect a few announcements of a similar nature from other films.

    “I would imagine that Zee Studios has obviously realised that theatre revenue is going to be subdued for the rest of the year. It is very unlikely that theatre revenue will pick up for the next few months, the situation will remain like this maybe till the end of this year. Therefore, the only alternative left for them is to look at revenue coming from OTT or TV or any other partnership in terms of monetisation,” Kurate Digital’s Uday Sodhi surmised.

    On the other hand, Taurani felt that the pay-per-view model will not work in a country like India, where the concept of the TVoD model is still taking baby steps. 

    "We believe that the TVoD model is still too nascent for a market like India and one cannot expect any big positive surprises. We had already anticipated that certain large films may go direct OTT or TVoD route given the current rush for content coming into cinemas whenever they open up; expect some more small/medium budget films too to hit the direct OTT route as all may not wait for cinemas to open up," he explained. 

    Taurani also noted that one big film that fares well at the box office could lead to shifting of bargaining power in favour of exhibitors. However, theatres in India should start functioning properly to expect such a scenario. 

    Talking about the expected normalcy timeline, Taurani said, "The unlock time with 100 per cent occupancy this time around may be much faster – three months (June) as compared to six months last time when cinemas opened only in October and got 100 per cent occupancy towards February.'' 

    In the meantime, Zee5 will attempt to maximise and exploit whatever opportunity is available. A movie like Radhe will be great for its subscription side as more people are sitting at home and will like to consume more OTT content; and top of that, the film’s star Salman Khan has a loyal and extremely massive fanbase.  Therefore, any big movie release will boost subscription to some extent. While ZeeL’s Zee Plex is available on DTH platforms, it is going to be more interesting for the television side as TV content is in short supply, Sodhi added.

    However, it is the overarching belief among experts that multi-release format will not work in India like other global markets. "It would be difficult to continue a multi format release in future as exhibitors would want a clean theatrical release window for films, especially the big tentpole event films," Jain noted. Sodhi is also of the same view that these models are born out of crisis but will not continue once the situation stabilises.

  • Salman Khan-starrer Radhe to debut on Zee5, Zee Plex along with theatres

    Salman Khan-starrer Radhe to debut on Zee5, Zee Plex along with theatres

    KOLKATA: As the Covid2019 pandemic once again slams the film exhibition industry with new restrictions, filmmakers and distributors have been in a quandary — whether to postpone movie releases or take the direct to OTT route. Now, taking a cue from foreign production houses like Warner Bros, Salman Khan-starrer Radhe will debut on Zee5 and Zee Plex on the same day as its theatrical release. 

    With this move, Zee Studios has become the first studio in India to adopt a multi-format release worldwide. 

    Zee Studios CBO Shariq Patel shared, “The ongoing pandemic forced us to innovate, and we are proud to be the first to embark upon this new distribution strategy. While we all love to catch the latest movies at the nearest theatres, we realised we’d be doing a disservice to Salman’s fans nationwide if we aren’t able to release theatrically in all Indian states.

    He went on to add that the studio sensed the need for a pay per view solution along with theatres, which gives the consumers flexibility and convenience of viewing the film. Zee Studios is looking to release the film in over 40 countries including theatrical release in major overseas markets. 

    “There cannot be a better film than Radhe to offer the audiences who’ve been waiting for an out and out entertainer for over a year now,” quipped Patel.

    The film will have a theatrical release and will be showcased in all Indian states where cinema halls are operational as per Covid protocols. The international theatrical release will target countries in the Middle East, North America, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Europe. It will also be the first Bollywood film to release theatrically in the UK since the lockdown last year

    Salman Khan Films' spokesperson remarked, “We will support the theatre owners by releasing the film in as many theatres as we can, keeping in line with the rules and protocols laid down by the government. But, considering the guidelines and safety measures, we also need to devise ways to ensure that the film reaches all of our audience. We don't want to deny the audience the choice of entertainment in the comfort of their homes during these times."

    Along with Salman Khan, Radhe also stars Disha Patani, Randeep Hooda and Jackie Shroff in pivotal roles. The movie is presented by Salman Khan Films in association with Zee Studios, produced by Salma Khan, Sohail Khan and Reel Life Production. It is scheduled to release on 13 May 2021 on the occasion of Eid.

  • Pay-per-view takes off in India, but has a long way to go

    Pay-per-view takes off in India, but has a long way to go

    KOLKATA: While the last year has seen the entry of new over-the-top (OTT) players, it has witnessed the burgeoning of new business models as well, pay-per-view being one of the most noticeable trends. A number of new entrants, along with some of the existing over-the-top players, launched this transactional model. Very recently, online ticketing player BookMyShow and telecom player Vi introduced their own on-demand services under the TVoD category.

    Despite it being the latest bandwagon, experts are sceptical about pay-per-view’s success in the market. For the value-conscious Indian viewers, who are much more inclined to pay for bundled catalogues, this model will tempt only a minuscule set of audiences. But with effective pricing and marquee content, pay-per-view may increase its attractiveness.

    Vi announced the launch of its pay-per-view streaming service, available on Vi Movies and TV app, in collaboration with Hungama Digital Media. Vi customers will be able to rent premium Hollywood movies at Rs 120 and others at Rs 60 for a period of 48 hours.

    Media expert Rajiv Sharma thinks content under this model should not disappear so soon. According to him, the model can work better if the library is phenomenal, and moreover, whatever is being picked up should be available for long term, at least for six months.

    While movie theatres being shut for a long time led to a line-up of movies pending releases, there is a huge backlog that will not hit theatres right now for multiple reasons. Hence, some of the pay-per-view platforms feel that consumers might shell out for watching movies at home, Elara Capital VP research analyst (media) Karan Taurani said. But he also pointed out that most Indians pay for cinemas considering it as an outing and for the overall experience. So, it can be challenging to get consumers to just pay for one content.  He also mentioned that the model has been tried and tested by DTH players but they have not been able to scale it up.

    ShemarooMe was one of the first players to launch a pay-per-view service ShemarooMe Box Office during lockdown. Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd rolled out Zee Plex in October. In early February, BookMyShow’s streaming service debuted under the TVoD model, offering 600 movie titles and 72,000 hours of content. Notably, BookMyShow Stream allows users to either buy or rent a movie and the price point ranges between Rs 40 to Rs 700. Some smaller regional players are also testing the waters with this model.

    Kuarte Digital’s Uday Sodhi noted that the pay-per-view model is not new in India. Earlier, telecom operators had tested this model or other aggregators like Apple also went for this pricing model, albeit OTT platforms have been trying it for the first time in the wake of Covid2019.

    “This model is still at a very nascent stage. Also, if you look at BookMyShow streaming service, this is more of an evolved ticketing system for movies. TVoD is a good proposition for live events, sports coupled with effective pricing. It is very unlikely for major OTT platforms to choose TVoD for mainstream entertainment content,” Sodhi added.

    However, according to Sharma, if pay-per-view is strategised properly, it will give users more flexibility and control over payout. An average user sometimes watches only one-two content in a month paying for the library. With a proper price gap, it might attract that part of the user base. Even so, every piece of content cannot be a marquee property, “killer content” is very rare, which is one of the biggest gaps for this model.

    Among the top players, SonyLIV is dipping its toe in the pay-per-view pool by introducing WWE to its viewers with the WWE Network pack curated specially for fans of pro wrestling. Most experts are of the view that the chances of major platforms exploring this model are very rare. Instead, they will look at innovative comprehensive pricing like Netflix did with its mobile only plan, Taurani stated. To reach critical mass, the subscription should be the focus area for bigger players as of now, experts believe. 

  • ZEEL to launch new ‘Cinema2home’ service on 2 October

    ZEEL to launch new ‘Cinema2home’ service on 2 October

    KOLKATA: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has recently released the guidelines for unlock 4.0. While as a part of the guidelines cinema halls will continue to remain shut, leading players are looking at direct premieres. Jumping on the bandwagon, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (ZEE) has announced the launch of its ‘Cinema2home’ service ‘Zee Plex’. It is scheduled for launch on 2 October. With this new offering, consumers will now be able to watch their favourite new blockbuster releases in the comfort of their homes, along with their entire family at an attractive (per film) price point.

    The new C2H service from the network is for both television and digital platforms. Along with convenience for consumers, this new movie distribution model will enhance the overall commercial ecosystem for the film producers, enabling them to present their creative work, to a wider range of audiences on established entertainment platforms.

    “We are very excited to bring this new offering to all the movie buffs across India and around the globe. While we all love to catch the latest movies at the nearest theatres, we sensed the need for a solution like Zee Plex, which gives the consumers flexibility and convenience, to catch their favourite films in the comfort of their homes, along with friends and family. We have received great interest from producers and are looking forward to release a strong slate of blockbusters across languages,” Zee Studios CEO Shariq Patel said.

    With new releases every month, Zee Plex aims to bring the theatres right to the consumers’ homes, offering them a quality family viewing experience at an attractive price-point. ZEE has partnered with leading television distribution platforms in India and has also established strategic alliances with distribution partners in the international markets. Zee Plex as a C2H service will also be available on ZEE5 globally.