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  • Joy Chakraborthy: The TV news executive who loves a slugfest

    Joy Chakraborthy: The TV news executive who loves a slugfest

    Mumbai: At first sight, you would probably assume that Zee Media chief business officer Joy Chakraborthy has been a pugilist at some time in his life. With hefty arms, a broad stocky physique, he normally strides across the room like a man with a mission, with a purpose.

    Always ready for a good scrap, he has got into it by jumping back into the highly competitive TV news business at the invitation of media innovator and promoter Subhash Chandra when he joined the Zee news network six weeks ago to get its cash coffers overflowing once again.

    “I’ve spent a large part of my working life being in the news business. I was on the founding team of Star News, I worked in TV Today, Network18,” says the dimpled Chakraborthy with a huge smile. “There is no better place than Zee to work at. To come back to Zee which is like home to me and to work with a boss who gives me so much freedom to work, it’s a delight.”

    With his revenue portfolio covering digital, linear, marketing, and distribution (international & domestic), Chakraborthy has since joining been making whistle stop visits to advertising agencies, marketing clients, digital outfit and distribution partners across India.

    “I like to lead from the front, meet everyone and tell them about what we plan to do on our FPC, programming, advertising packaging, and branded solutions. I have been to Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Kolkata and Delhi,” he says. “My meetings have also led me getting a lot of feedback.”

    Chakraborthy says the agencies and brands are telling him that the TV news industry is in a bit of a mess as far as their perception of it is concerned.

    “The news genre is under stress in terms of evaluation. The marketer is beginning to wonder who is really No 1 as every channel is claiming it is No 1,” reveals Chakraborthy. “Brand custodians don’t slice and dice viewership for news as we are doing. Yes, they put in some numbers like the affinity index but they buy the genre differently as it is bought for frequency/OTS and for a B2B connect.”

    According to him, this No 1 claiming syndrome has led to confusion amongst brands leading to most of the news channels filling up their advertising inventory to the tune of only 65-70 per cent as recently as a few weeks ago. “In all the years I have been in the industry, news channels have been overflowing with inventory, unlike today. We as an industry have to get together to put a halt to this ‘I’m No 1’ claiming itch,” he emphasises.

    He adds that even as certain players are claiming the numero uno status, they are still selling airtime at very low prices compared to the legacy players. “This phenomenon is dragging the news genre down instead of increasing the yield to delivery ratio. I’d like to see their No 1 claims being reflected in their airtime rates and revenues.”

    Additionally, what’s irking him is the rampant misuse of landing pages on cable TV and DTH platforms by TV news broadcasters, and the measurement and reporting of this “rogue” viewership by Broadcast Audience Research Council (Barc).  

    “There’s a lot of load shedding in places in the Hindi speaking heartlands of India. If a viewer is watching say X channel and the power goes off and when it comes back, he or she is forced to watch the landing page channel before switching to his or her favorite news channel. Now if this process takes 10 or 35 seconds, his viewing is measured and reported because of Barc’s basic rules that anyone watching for within a minute is considered a viewer, is what I understand,” explains Chakraborthy. “The agency needs to increase the viewing time to two to three minutes for a person to be considered a viewer. Otherwise all the landing page viewing adds up to significant numbers and skews the ratings.”

    Another disturbing trend that has developed amongst news channels is the fact that some of them are running break-free content and news to gain viewership, he says. “The irony is that the advertiser is buying spots on the channel based on the ratings derived from break-free content,” he elucidates.

    He believes that Zee News has a great portfolio of offerings in terms of languages and regional channels serving as a great outreach platform for brands.

    “Zee is a very strong brand name,” he highlights. “Almost every famous face who is on other news channels has worked for some time at Zee. We lead in certain markets. We have great teams in place. What I have created is the Zee News Plus offering wherein the sales people are selling us as a network. They can package national with other regional channels to present a better solution to agencies and brands. Nobody has a network like we do. For me as a revenue leader, I have always taken the targets. However, success is my team’s and failure is mine.”

    With that kind of an attitude, Joy is sure to bring a lot of glee to the Zee News bottom line.

  • Trai extends deadline for implementation of new tariff order to February next year

    Trai extends deadline for implementation of new tariff order to February next year

    Mumbai: Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has decided to extend the deadline for implementation of the new tariff order (NTO 2.0) from 30 November 2022 to 28 February 2023.

    As per the regulatory filing, the authority said, “All the distributors of television channels shall ensure that services to the subscribers, with effect from 28 February 2023, are provided as per the bouquets or channels opted by them.”

    Several representations have also been received from the stakeholders requesting an extension of the time limit for implementation of the New Regulatory Framework 2020. According to Trai’s recent notice, it stated, “All the broadcasters shall report any change in name, nature, language, MRP per month of channels, and composition and MRP of bouquets of channels by 30 November 2022, and simultaneously publish such information on their websites,” it stated.

    “The broadcasters who have already submitted their reference interconnect offers (RIO) in compliance with the New Regulatory Framework 2020 may also revise their RIOs by 30 November 2022,” it further added.

    In addition to it, Trai also said, “All distribution platform operators (DPOs) will need to submit their distributor retail price (DRP) of pay channels and bouquets & composition of bouquets of pay and free-to-air channels, by 31 December 2022 to Trai.”  

    The authority further, in compliance with the New Regulatory Framework 2020, asked DPOs to revise their already-submitted RIOs by 31 December 2022. 

    After receiving comments and counter comments from the stakeholders on the consultation paper, TRAI was to conduct an open house discussion (OHD) on 21 July 2022, which is now scheduled to take place on 8 September 2022.

    New Tariff Order

    When NTO was first introduced and gave customers the option to select channels à la carte, the price of entertainment increased, forcing Trai to modify its order. In January 2020, NTO 2.0 was introduced, capping the price of a bouquet channel at Rs 12 as opposed to Rs 19. This was not supported by any logical justification or consumer insight, according to the Indian Broadcasting Digital Foundation (IBDF), a unified representative body of Indian television broadcasters.

    Broadcasters have resisted the new tariff order vigorously and reacted by removing premium channels from bouquets and increasing their prices from Rs 20 to Rs 30 after losing the legal battle to overturn the Trai order in both the Bombay High Court and the Supreme Court.

    Cable operators were compelled to ask the regulator to postpone the implementation of NTO 2.0 as a result of major broadcasters like Star, Zee, Sony, and Viacom18 choosing to raise the MRP of their well-liked channels and keep them out of bouquets. For instance, the All India Digital Cable Federation had urged Trai to reconsider the order’s provisions in light of the sustainability aspect of putting this framework into place.

  • Sony-Zee to create $10 bn TV company; likely to hurt competition in the market: CCI

    Sony-Zee to create $10 bn TV company; likely to hurt competition in the market: CCI

    Mumbai: According to an official notice seen by Reuters, the country’s antitrust watchdog the Competition Commission of India (CCI) found in an initial review that a merger between the Indian unit of Japan’s Sony and Zee Entertainment to create a $10 billion TV company will potentially hurt competition because it will have “unparalleled bargaining power.”

    CCI notice to the two companies sent on 3 August stated the watchdog is of the view that a further investigation is merited. It gave the two companies 30 days from 3 August to respond.

    Sony and Zee in December decided to merge their television channels, film assets, and streaming platforms to create a powerhouse in a key media and entertainment growth market of 1.4 billion people, challenging rivals like Walt Disney Co.

    According to the three lawyers familiar with the process mentioned, the CCI’s conclusions will delay regulatory approval of the acquisition and might require the companies to propose changes to its structure.

    They also added that if that doesn’t satisfy the CCI, it can result in a drawn-out approval and inquiry procedure.

    Zee in a statement said it continues to take all the required legal steps to complete all the necessary approval processes for the proposed merger.

    According to the CCI’s 21-page notice, the proposed deal would place the combined entity in a “strong position” with around 92 channels in India, citing Sony’s global revenue of $86 billion and assets of $211 billion.

    “Such apparently humongous market position would enable the combined entity to enjoy an unparalleled bargaining power,” the CCI said in its notice, adding the combined entity could increase the price of channel packages.

    The initial review shows the deal is likely to cause an “appreciable adverse effect on competition,” the watchdog said. “Thus, it is considered appropriate to conduct further inquiry into the matter.”

    In a media interview held in December last year, Zee’s managing director Punit Goenka stated that the combined entity’s relative value is “potentially close to $10 billion” and that all necessary approvals are expected by October of this year.

    Classic Merger Case

    According to industry executives, the deal will allow the two companies to compete with Disney’s Star India network, which has dozens of popular entertainment and sports channels, by attracting more advertising revenue from streaming services and TV broadcasts.

    The combined company would have a share of almost 45 per cent of the Hindi language market, which attracts the greatest viewership in the nation, according to the preliminary CCI competition assessment, with Star coming in a “distant second.”

    This would further concentrate such segments at the cost of the competition, the CCI said in its notice.

    Sony and Zee had already responded in June and July to two so-called “defect” letters issued by the watchdog inquiring about the deal.

    After reviewing submissions about advertising revenue, the CCI concluded that the combined company would probably raise the price of some advertisements in order to take advantage of its dominant market position.

    “The combined strength of the parties is likely to be used to entrench their presence and earn higher profits,” the CCI said.

    “This merger is a classic case of the first or second largest player, integrating with the third largest competitors, to become the strong market leader.”

  • Did Disney-Star make the right decision by paying an exorbitant price to buy broadcasting rights for ICC tournaments?

    Did Disney-Star make the right decision by paying an exorbitant price to buy broadcasting rights for ICC tournaments?

    MUMBAI: The year 2022 has been action-packed for cricket lovers. It was a busy year with several interesting things happening throughout that appealed to fans.  The renewal of rights, e-auctions, tender process and so on were some of the important events that occurred recently. In a recent development, the broadcaster Disney-Star drew immense public attention for winning the media rights to telecast International Cricket Council (ICC) tournaments till 2027. It has been one of the top bidders and for availing this opportunity it had to pay a huge moolah.

    Disney Star has paid around $3.04 billion for the ICC rights for India for four years. This is substantially more than the $2.02 billion it had paid for eight years for the global rights earlier. Disney-Star’s bid was almost double the amount and the highest among all bidders. The deal includes both digital and television rights for men’s and women’s ICC tournaments. On Tuesday, Disney Star also entered into a strategic alliance with Zee Entertainment Enterprises  under which Disney Star will licence ZEE for four years the television broadcasting rights of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Men’s and Under 19 (U-19) global events.

    The deal is a first-of-its kind partnership in the Indian media & entertainment space. Through this agreement, Zee will provide a good experience to the fans of the gentlemen’s game and a huge return on investment for its advertisers through its network spread across India and globally. After securing the IPL television broadcast rights for 2023-27 and deciding to only retain digital rights for ICC tournaments for 2024-27, Disney Star is going to have a balanced and robust cricket offering for the audiences across linear & digital platforms.

    Earlier, the media conglomerate had retained the TV rights for the cash-rich Twenty20 League IPL for Rs 57.5 crore per match though it had to do away with the digital rights to Viacom18. Disney-Star is also said to have paid around $255 million for the seven-year rights for Cricket Australia, which is a substantial jump compared to what the previous rights holder Sony Pictures Networks India had paid.

    In 2020, Disney-Star took the rights for Cricket South Africa till 2024. It is currently airing the Asia Cup. The next big property that will come up for renewal will be the BCCI rights next year for which Disney-Star is the incumbent.

    Pointing out his views, an industry observer said, “What I heard is that after Disney-Star, the next highest bid offered was $1.3 billion. The ICC had set a base price of $1.44 billion. Disney-Star should have offered not more than $1.5 billion. The issue is not whether Disney-Star will regain back the reported $3.04 billion but the condition is they have completely misread the market. A tender process works in two different ways. First, it is to figure out what is the worth of the rights to me as a company. This is not a five-minute job.”

    “This takes months of preparation. There are many levers. For instance, when Star went aggressive on the IPL it was not only about how much the IPL can earn for them. It was also about protecting distribution income across the network. Losing the IPL might have put some of its distribution income under threat. This is another aspect. It is not just about money. It is about the revenue the rights can generate and other strategic value that rights can deliver. Everyone does this calculation and so, the number & strategic value differ,” the industry observer added.

    “The second part is what is the least I can pay to get the rights? You try to buy for as low as possible. This is irrespective of how much money you think you can earn. That is how you maximize profit & business performance. It is in the second part where there was a massive failure on the part of Disney Star. They could have won the rights for $1.5 billion. Paying so much premium is unheard of in the world of sport. Even if they make the $3.04 billion that they are paying the ICC the bid is a failure. They could have made a profit of $1.5 billion. If they had read the market properly and decided that $1.5 billion was the upper limit, other broadcasters would bid then they would not have bid the reported $3.04 billion,” he added further.

    Now the ICC will go and sell the rights in other territories like England, Australia, and the US. The expert doubts that a jump in valuation will happen similar to what was seen in India. “Countries like England are going through a difficult economic period. The other markets like New Zealand are small. In the US, many people are interested in cricket. Australia is going FTA,” he said.

    Speaking on similar lines, another media expert and observer also said that Disney-Star’s strategy is futile. “They are the largest media company in the world with the largest balance sheet. A few billion dollars does not worry them as they never justify decisions based on an individual network but as a global company.” He mentioned that India is still in an investment phase for them. Cricket on a standalone basis is not viable. However, for a large network like Disney-Star, it is a must-have as it can drive the network as a whole both for TV and OTT. In fact, for digital Disney-Star had to overpay for the ICC rights, the media expert opined and said this has steeply pushed the value of digital cricket rights. On the ad sales front, Disney-Star could try to monopolise ad sales by offering IPL and other cricket properties only to those advertisers who place ads on the whole network for the year. “That is partly how paying a premium could make economic sense,” he added.

    The media expert noted that Sony & Zee, which are in the middle of a merger, have to be financially prudent. “They have to focus on cost efficiencies. It is also about their ability to monetise the content. Maybe their ability to monetise was relatively limited and so the ability to pay might also have been limited.” For the record, Sony renewed the rights for England cricket this year. It also has the rights for Sri Lanka cricket.

    As far as Viacom 18 is concerned, the media expert noted that they probably did not see a lot of value in the ICC rights. “Unlike the IPL, in ICC tournaments, there are too many non-India matches in the package. Almost 80 percent of people only watch India play.” He expects Viacom18 to put up a fight for the BCCI rights next year. He also conceded that Star perhaps viewed Viacom as a major threat to the ICC rights given the competitive auction that had taken place for the IPL.

    For the record, the big properties under the new ICC deal are:

    * 2024 T20 World Cup in the US, Caribbean.

    * 2025 Champions Trophy in Pakistan.

    * 2026 T20 World Cup in India.

    * 2027 50-over World Cup in South Africa.

    D&P Advisory managing partner N.P. Santosh said that having cricket content is important for a large network. “Maybe on a standalone basis Disney-Star will not make money from these cricket acquisitions but on a network, cricket will drive value. Cricket can make the GEC business, which is already profitable, a little stronger. Sports is a loss leader. Also if you look at it beyond ICC, IPL and BCCI rights there is limited quality cricket of value. The value is significantly smaller when one talks of the fourth biggest property. The next big thing of value after these three is Cricket Australia which Disney-Star went after aggressively.” He is sure that India playing a five-test series in Australia in 2024-2025 will prove to be a big draw. After Cricket Australia comes England cricket rights (with Sony) and Cricket South Africa (with Disney-Star). He added that IPL rights went for a 15-20 per cent premium over what he had expected.

    For the record, a few of the less expensive cricket properties are with OTT platforms. For instance, Prime Video has the rights to New Zealand Cricket. FanCode has the rights for West Indies cricket.

  • Zee TV collaborates with ‘Parel cha Raja’ to mark the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi

    Zee TV collaborates with ‘Parel cha Raja’ to mark the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi

    Mumbai: Ahead of Ganesh Chaturthi, Zee TV is taking the celebrations a notch higher for its audience by presenting an industry-first experience, “Zee TV Parel Cha Raja.”

    Every year, we see the channel hosting special episodes or events for Ganesh Chaturthi. However, this year, Zee TV has done a special take-over of “Parel Cha Raja” called “Zee TV Parel Cha Raja,” to create a unique space for all devotees to worship their favourite Bappa.

    The channel has ensured that it creates a sacred ambience that is brought alive by a magnificent setup. Bappa’s murti is also unique in itself and gives everyone a sense of belonging, faith, and peace. But that’s not it… Zee TV in association with the pandal, is also organising competitions and events like drawing, photography, and videography, amongst others, to engage with the audience, apart from the wonderful experience.

    Speaking about this one of its kind of collaborations, Zee TV business head Aparna Bhosle said, “The idea behind collaborating with “Parel Cha Raja” was to create an immersive experience for devotees as they come to seek Bappa’s blessings. They will be thrilled to have some of their favourite Zee TV artistes join them for aarti in the coming days. With ZEE crossing an important milestone of entertaining India for 30 years, this initiative is a part of our larger endeavour of taking consumer engagement and ground connect to the next level.”

    While everyone will have a holy experience when they visit “Zee TV Parel Cha Raja,” they will also get a chance to meet their favourite actors from the Zee Network as well. Several celebrities are all set to visit the venue to seek Lord Ganesha’s blessings in the coming days. What’s more is that the entire pandal will also have posters, promos, and visuals of the channel’s popular shows. All in all, the whole experience is sure to leave the devotees mesmerised!

  • Disney Star to licence ICC television broadcasting rights to Zee for four years

    Disney Star to licence ICC television broadcasting rights to Zee for four years

    Mumbai : Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) and Disney Star announced that they have entered into a strategic licensing agreement under which the latter will licence to the former  the television broadcasting rights of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Men’s and Under 19 (U-19) global events for four years.

    Disney Star will continue to be the sole provider of ICC tournament streaming via its digital platform, Disney+ Hotstar. This arrangement has been approved by the ICC.

    “This is a first-of-its-kind partnership in the Indian media and entertainment landscape, and this association with Disney Star reflects our sharp, strategic vision for the sports business in India. As a one-stop television destination for ICC men’s cricket events until 2027, Zee will leverage the strength of its network to offer a compelling experience for its viewers and a great return on investment for its advertisers,”  said Zeel managing director & CEO Punit Goenka. “Long-term profitability and value-generation continue to be our areas of focus across the business, and we will always evaluate all the necessary steps that will enable us to make sports a compelling value proposition for the company. We look forward to working with ICC and Disney Star, to enable this strategic offering for our television viewers in India.”

    This agreement allows Zeel to exclusively  telecast on TV marquee events such as the  ICC Men’s T20 World Cup (2024, 2026), ICC Men’s Champions Trophy (2025), and ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup (2027), as well as key ICC U-19 events.

    Also reads:  Disney Star retains ICC TV & digital rights for India till 2027

    Disney Star president & country manager K Madhavan said, “By securing the IPL television broadcast rights for 2023-27 and now opting to retain only the digital rights for ICC tournaments for 2024-27, we have in place a balanced and robust cricket offering for our audiences across linear and digital. Over the years, Disney Star has strengthened the appeal of international cricket in India, enabling it to reach diverse age groups and cultural demographics across all parts of the country. As India’s leading media house, we will continue to do so with our strong portfolio of cricket properties across television and digital.”

    With the ICC digital rights secured for the next four years, Disney Star continues to remain India’s home of sports. Its current portfolio also includes IPL television rights (2023-27), Cricket Australia television and digital rights (2023-2030), BCCI television and digital rights (2023), and Cricket South Africa television and digital rights (end of 2023-2024). Other major sports properties available on its platforms, in addition to cricket, include the Pro Kabaddi League, the Indian Super League, the Wimbledon Championship, and the English Premier League.

  • Zee Marathi organises rally for their show ‘Appi Amchi Collector’

    Zee Marathi organises rally for their show ‘Appi Amchi Collector’

    Mumbai: Zee Marathi introduced its new show Appi Amchi Collector by organising a grand road show in Kolhapur and Satara. 

    A mega rally was held as part of the promotion for the show, and journalists and internet users from Kolhapur and Satara responded in a very positive way.

    The lead actress Shivani Naik (Appi) and producer Shweta Shinde’s drumming talent drew the attention of netizens. The collector of Satara District Ruchesh Jayavanshi attended the event, which was held at Chhatrapati Shivaji College in Satara.

    The actors of the show, including Naik and Santosh Patil (Bapu), as well as the show’s producers Shinde, Sanjay Khambe and Sheikh Madam, were all in attendance.

    Jayavanshi and the performers seized the chance to impart their insightful advice to the kids and other audience members. 

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises chief cluster officer – north, west & premium channels Amit Shah said, “Zee Marathi has been an intrinsic part of every Maharashtrian household, and we take immense pride in serving content that is a true reflection of Maharashtra’s rich cultural legacy. Keeping our consumers’ evolving content choices at the fore, we have been taking significant steps to enhance our content slate and deliver the best of entertainment.”

    He further added, “We are glad to unveil our latest offering, Appi Amchi Collector, with a grand rally in Satara and Kolhapur. Zee Marathi constantly aspires to craft innovative solutions that grab the attention of our partners and are also adored by our viewers. The innovative marketing activity undertaken for this show has garnered us an extremely positive response, which further gives us the confidence that this upcoming show will be well-received by our audiences.”

    Zee Marathi started airing the show from 22 August 2022, every Monday to Saturday at 7.00 p.m.

  • Zee’s MD & CEO Punit Goenka is the ‘Game-Changer of the Year’: IAA Leadership Awards

    Zee’s MD & CEO Punit Goenka is the ‘Game-Changer of the Year’: IAA Leadership Awards

    Mumbai: ZEE Entertainment Enterprises (ZEEL) managing director and chief executive officer Punit Goenka was conferred with the coveted ‘Game-Changer of the Year Award’ at the International Advertising Association’s (IAA) Leadership Awards held in Mumbai.

    Goenka was awarded for his invaluable contribution towards the growth of the media and entertainment industry. He has also been credited for scripting the success story of ZEE in a year that tested the resilience and agility of businesses across industry.

    Crediting this recognition to all the teams at ZEE, Goenka said, “This is not only a source of encouragement, but also proof that we have been taking the right steps and moving forward. This win belongs to every member of the ZEE family who has consistently strived to achieve success and generate higher value for all our stakeholders.”

    As the MD & CEO of ZEE, he has been extremely successful in enhancing the company’s performance and driving the business towards its set goals by not just creating quality entertainment content, but also by bringing about a positive change across society. His futuristic vision and sharp acumen in the media domain have enabled ZEE to become the frontrunner in the entertainment sector, leading the company to achieve a global stature today.

    Under his notable leadership, ZEE has successfully expanded into international markets, with a presence across 190 countries and a reach of over 1.3 billion viewers today across consumption platforms.

  • ZEE5 launches “Paper Rocket” series by Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi

    ZEE5 launches “Paper Rocket” series by Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi

    Mumbai: Paper Rocket is all set to launch on 29 July, 2022. The heart-warming tale is directed by Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi and produced by Sreenidhi Sagar of Rise East Production.

    Centred around human emotions, the series features Kalidas Jayaram and Tanya Ravichandran in lead roles, and takes a philosophical approach towards life and focuses on finding happiness in every aspect of life.

    Not only has the remarkable music of Paper Rocket captivated everyone’s imagination, but its recently released trailer has left everyone awestruck. The trailer launch was billed as one of the biggest launch events ever for any web series, and was attended by the who’s who of the Chennai movie industry.

    Speaking about the launch of the series, ZEE5 chief business officer Manish Kalra said, “After the success of the movie Veetla Vishesham, we are happy to add another gem – Paper Rocket – to our content library within the month of July. With great music, the series is a heart-warming tale that encapsulates the ups and downs of life. At ZEE5, our aim is to expand the entertainment canvas by providing the audience with content in a wide variety of genres. We are sure that Paper Rocket is another series that audiences will love.”

    Adding to it, ZEEL chief cluster officer-South Siju Prabhakaran said, “The series on ZEE5 is consistently garnering a spectacular response. Directed by Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi, it throws light on what life is all about. I am happy that it has come out very well. I hereby request members of the press and the audience to watch this series and extend their support.”

    Director Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi is very excited about the premiere. He added, “Paper Rocket is special and close to my heart. The entire process of materialising this series endowed upon me an enjoyable experience. This series involves some of the biggest names in the industry. While series-based Thriller genres often become the cherry-pick for any OTT platform owing to its success graph, I would like to thank ZEE5 for banking trust on Paper Rocket and facilitating a wide release. Sreenidhi Sagar is the best producer I have worked with till date. The actors have elevated the intensity of the script with their phenomenal performances, and the technicians have adorned it with their impeccable contribution. Sound Design has played a prominent part in this series, and I thank Tapas Nayak sir for his wonderful work. I can assure you all that Paper Rocket will endow you with a good experience.”

    Actor-producer Udhayanidhi Stalin said, “Firstly, I would like to thank ZEE5. This series will be a success, and I extend my advance wishes for its success to the entire cast and crew, who have been a part of it. Although Kiruthiga had lots of personal issues while making this series, she has done a great job by completing it successfully. This project is very dear to her and she really has exerted herself on this with a lot of hard work. She has made good, entertaining movies that have lots of importance for love and romance, but whenever I approach her asking if she has got any scripts for me, it would be just ‘crime-thrillers.’ I am glad her dedication has shaped this project. I wish everyone on the team great success in this series.”

    Producer Sreenidhi Sagar said, “I thank my film crew for this movie for their earnest dedication to this project. As a producer, I am completely satisfied and happy with the way Paper Rocket has shaped up. Both the actors and technicians are the main reasons behind making this series achieve a fabulous output. I ask everyone to watch this series and support it.”

  • Zee Café partners with Cetaphil for ‘Not Just A Chat Show’ starting 24 July

    Zee Café partners with Cetaphil for ‘Not Just A Chat Show’ starting 24 July

    Delhi: Zee Café is all set to launch its new entertainment show Not Just A Chat Show. The show will be broadcast starting 24 July on the channel.

    As the name suggests, it is not just a chat show! The format is based on American miniseries Behind The Scenes (BTS) making it different, unique and more immersive than the regular television chat shows. Presented by Cetaphil, the show will see a fascinating bunch of guests who will be interviewed by the dynamic Anushka Sen in a non-formal setup. So, secrets are bound to be vented out and some interesting gossip is sure to come your way.

    The limited episodes chat show will feature a guest every episode including actresses Krystle D’Souza, Riddhima Pandit, Chef Shipra Khanna, and Aesthetic Physician Dr Monica Jacob who will be seen having a discussion with the host about their work, food habits, skincare, personal life and much more.

    The format of the show will allow the audience to see their favourite celebrities get candid and share insights into their life while providing some blazing skin care tips to the viewers. The show promises fun games and interactive sessions to bring entertainment and drama to the viewers.

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises chief growth officer – ad sales Ashish Sehgal shared, “Over the years Zee Café has garnered popularity amongst the viewers, making it prevalent in the eyes of the investors and the sponsors. Our new show, Not Just a Chat Show is presented in collaboration with Cetaphil, and we are elated as it opens a completely new avenue of growth for us. We are extremely enthusiastic about the launch and are sure it will garner the viewership we are hoping for.”

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises chief cluster officer – North, West and premium Amit Shah said, “At Zee Café, we have consistently kept the consumers’ evolving preferences at the centre, wherein we introduced Indian original programming to present more relatable and entertaining content to the viewers. With the success of the first two original formats Dance With Me and Chef Vs Fridge and the support we garnered from the viewers, we are inspired to bring more to each one of you. We stay committed to presenting engaging content to our viewers and delivering higher value to our partners through unique propositions. With ‘Not Just A Chat Show’, we aim to give the viewers a peek into the lives of their loved celebrities in the most candid way. We are delighted to collaborate with Cetaphil for this property, and we remain confident that the unique format of the show will make it different and more engaging from all the other chat shows. We are extremely excited for the launch and are sure the audience will enjoy watching the show as much as we loved creating it.”

    Galderma India Pvt. Ltd managing director South Asia G. Sathya Narayanan said, “Zee Café in the recent past has engaged Indian viewers with their original programming. The shows have garnered audience’s love, escalating the popularity of the channel. We are glad to collaborate with a brand for this upcoming show that not only provides insights into the lives of the celebs but also brings forward the topic of Sensitive skincare. With growing pollution and changing weather conditions, it becomes extremely important to get an idea of proper skincare and busting myths related to it. This show will help the audience learn from their favourite celebs and the experts. We are sure the show will garner engagement and love from the audience.”