Zee Bangla Cinema to air original movies

'Zee Bangla Cinema Originals' is a brand property, wherein the channel will air one movie a month. The movies will be created especially for the television audiences.

Zee Bangla Cinema, the Bengali movie channel from Zee Entertainment Enterprises, is taking a new step by creating films for television through its initiative 'Zee Bangla Cinema Originals'. The first four movies to be aired in 'Zee Bangla Cinema Originals' are being produced in association with Prosenjit Chatterjee's Nideas Creations and Productions. The channel clarifies that it is not a programming block but ZBC has created a brand property, wherein it will only air the films that Zee creates, hence the name, Zee Bangla Cinema Originals.

Punit Goenka, MD and CEO, Zeel says, "At ZEEL, we are constantly looking at creating new avenues of entertainment for our audiences and this innovative step is poised to help showcase more of the great works of the immensely talented directors of West Bengal. We are confident that Zee Bangla Cinema will fuel the growth of the West Bengal film industry".

'Zee Bangla Cinema Originals' will contribute and continue the legacy of Bengali films by creating engaging original film content, which will be showcased exclusively on Zee Bangla Cinema. As mentioned on 'Zee Bangla Cinema Originals' website, movie channels across the country have only acquired movies. This is the first time that a channel is producing its own movies.

These movies will also be released in the theatres. "With a platform that reaches out to almost 7 million people on a weekly basis, 'Zee Bangla Cinema Originals' will enthrall the Bengali audience with a brand new film every month," the channel said in a press note. 'Zee Bangla Cinema Originals' has announced its first film titled 'Ekla Cholo', which will premiere on Zee Bangla Cinema on January 18 at 9 pm.

The movies will run in a two-and-a-half hour slot, with the duration being 115 minutes. When asked if the movies could be termed as 'telefilms', the channel said: "Historically, telefilms were the stories that were not big enough for the big screen. These films deal with content that are of high quality and unique concepts that are good for TV as well as the big screen. These films go through all the technical processes that any other feature film does, which telefilms never did."

The channel is also in the process of getting the films uploaded on the website, to make it available for the Bengali diaspora. These can be streamed to watch online. For the record, Ekla Cholo is based on the concept of young and modern girls who want to be single parents. And the conception is also immaculate - in vitro conception from a donor bank. This film deals with the pluses and minuses of such a trend...It is a comic look at a serious social issue which can escalate in days to come. The movie is directed by Sudeshna Roy, Abhijit Guha and Indronil.