Mumbai: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) has announced its entry into the Tamil film Entertainment space with the announcement of a new movie channel – Zee Thirai. The channel is the sixth channel in the Southern region by the network and the second movie channel in the south after Zee Cinemalu. The announcement was made on the occasion of Superstar Rajinikanth’s Birthday with a special celebration promo also announcing the launch of the channel.
Zee Thirai is set to resonate with the pulse of Tamilians and their love for cinema. Cinema that has a deep cultural and social context in their lives. The brand tagline – “Rathathil Kalandhadhu Cinema” which literally translates to “Cinema runs through our veins” represents the passion and impact that movies have on the Tamil viewers and the power to fuel the heroic spirit in them.
Speaking on the launch of Zee Thirai, Mr. Siju Prabhakaran, South Cluster Head, ZEEL said,“Over the last decade, Zee network has emerged as a formidable player in the GEC space with our content centric stance that has transformed the way in which audiences view entertainment in the southern markets. With our channels – Zee Kannada, Zee Telugu, Zee Cinemalu, Zee Tamil and most recently Zee Keralam contributing to over 28.5% of our network share, it was imminent that we work towards building our portfolio further in the south and present viewers with content that they enjoy. The launch of Zee Thirai is a showcase of Tamil cinema which has deep rooted cultural and emotional context. We are seeking to channelize the heroic spirit it infuses in people into a strong brand and content stance.”
Over the last decade, ZEEL’s Tamil GEC – Zee Tamil has earned a coveted position in the hearts and minds of Tamil audiences around the world. Its distinct programming that includes a blend of fiction shows such as Sembaruthi, Yaaradi Nee Mohini, Sathya, Oru Oorla Oru Rajakumari, Gokulathil Seethai etc. and non-fictions formats such as Super Mom, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, Dance Jodi Dance, Junior Superstars etc. that have transformed the landscape of Tamil Television Entertainment Industry. The channel has also been at the forefront of movie acquisitions, thereby providing a blend that satiate the entertainment needs of the diverse viewers.
Launching in Q4 FY19-20, Zee Thirai aims create a platform to present some of the best work of the Tamil Movie Industry. With 400+ films in its library, the channel boasts a wide spectrum of films across genres from the industry’s finest stars that includes Mersal, 2.0, Kanna, Nerkonda Parvai, Irumbuthirai, Dhilluku Dhuttu 2, Kolamavu Kokila among many others.
The biggest USP of the channel is the 52 premieres, with one premiere lined up for each week of the year– a first for any movie channel in the Tamil Television Industry. Zee Thirai will present viewers with the best of cinema, with a holistic mix of blockbuster and critically acclaimed films that is sure to entertain and engage the Tamil Cinema lovers around the world. The channel will also have several key highlights such as ‘Theri Fridays’ that will showcase blockbuster films every week, ‘Filter Kaviyam’ that showcases the best of yesteryear classics and ‘Break-free movies’ that will run every afternoon without ad breaks.
The grand showcase of Zee Thirai will take place on the stage of Zee Cine Awards Tamil 2020 in January in the presence of some of the biggest celebrities from Mollywood, Kollywood, Sandalwood, Tollywood & Bollywood.
