New films on TV...good or bad?

New movies are increasingly being beamed to homes not long after their release, thanks to Direct To Home (DTH) television or channels buying the screening rights early. While many members of the film fraternity support the trend, saying that films nowadays don't have a long shelf life, there are some who don't.

The latest to hit the small screen is Katrina Kaif and Ranbir Kapoor-starrer 'Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani' -- it will be shown on Colors channel as their yearender whammy.

"The satellite premiere of 'Ajab...' is happening in December end, which is two months after its theatrical release. The theatrical business nowadays is for four weeks, however successful the film," Ramesh Taurani, producer of "Ajab...", told us.

Other films that have hit small screens soon after their release are 'Blue', 'Slumdog Millionnaire', 'Kaminey' and 'What's Your Raashee?'. This new trend has evoked mixed response from filmmakers.

Said Sajid Khan: "It's definitely healthier than downloading the film on the first day of release free of cost on the Internet."

Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, known for introducing new trends in the filmmaking, said: "Change is inevitable. Bend like a bamboo and you'll survive. Resist like an unyielding oak and you'll perish."

Pritish Nandy too doesn't think airing an almost new film on TV is such a bad idea.

"If distributors are okay with it, no harm done. The market defines its own compulsions and if different segments are in sync with each other, I guess it is fine," Nandy said.

"The theatrical window is in any case shrinking by the Friday as more and more films are crowding theatres. Theatres should be happy to see movies move out to give room to new ones. That's the nature of the business today," he added.

David Dhawan echoed Nandy's view and said: "Tell me, which film lasts in theatres beyond two months?"

Producer-director Harry Baweja, reeling under the losses suffered by son Hurman's debut 'Love Story 2050', too welcomes this new concept.

Three new shows on ZEE TV in February

ZEE TV will be unveiling three new shows in February, it’s been confirmed.

The biggest of the lot will be daily soap ‘Maa’, a story about the struggles of three siblings who find themselves stripped of the shade and protection of their mother’s arms.

At the time of launching the soap on ZEE TV India, this month, Tarun Mehra, Business Head of ZEE TV said, "The channel has made successful shows with various subjects like social issues, political stigmas, paranormal forces, mythology and comedy but a topic like this was never touched before with such depth. We thought of starting the New Year with a propitious subject. The word Maa spells purity and piety. The story is a mother’s description of her trials and endeavors to create a happy family; the story of the children’s suffering when they realise that they have been separated from their mother."

‘Maa’ will take over the 19:30 slot from Monday 9th February, which will result in ‘Teen Bahuraniyaan’ shifted out of primetime to an afternoon slot. From the same day, ‘Teen Bahuraniyaan’ will air at 15:00.

‘Maa’ will see the return of TV actress Chitrapama after a six-year gap to act as main lead. Opposite Chitrapama will be Amar Upadhyay, playing as her husband.

ZEE TV is hoping a new reality show by the name of ‘Dance India Dance’ will be the channel’s weekend driver show. It will replace ‘Sa Re Ga Ma Pa’ from Saturday 31st January. ‘Sa Re Ga Ma Pa’ ends its current run with a grand finale live on ZEE TV UK on Saturday 24th January at 15:30.

‘Dance India Dance’ will air every weekend at 19:30 for 90-minutes. Following this will be a new a primetime crime show with a lady cop as protagonist.

‘Monica Mogre Case Files’ will showcase a series of case files with every story lasting for about 10-12 episodes. The channel says the show will mirror the anxiety of women who are subject to ill treatment by the miscreants of society. The show will also highlight the contribution of the police force, the crime branch and the homicidal department.

It has lined up Mahesh Manjrekar as the negative lead in the first series followed by Jimmy Shergill in the next. It also claims of a "solid line up of negative characters to give the required impetus to storylines."