Summer is here with more cricket action on Zee Café. The channel will be hosting a range of International matches throughout UK’s Indian Summer – all live and exclusive on Zee Café.

Starting from 1 June is the high-octane series of Pakistan v Sri Lanka, exclusively in the UK on Zee Café with English commentary. With a confident Pakistani side visiting the hosts in Sri Lanka for the series, a mix of T20s, ODIs and Test Matches sets off the season.

All matches will be available to watch live and also repeated in the evening at 7pm on Zee Café, Sky 846.  Highlights special of each game can be viewed each match day at 11pm on Zee TV, Sky 788.

Cricket lovers will then be treated to another action-packed series of India v Sri Lanka in July followed by Pakistan v Australia in August. The channel will further be showcasing more series leading to more than 100 days of cricket to be disclosed later.

Virad Kaul, Territory Head, Zee UK and Europe “Zee Cafe is the hot-spot for international cricket, and this Summer would be amiss without the cricket spirit in full form on the network. Entertainment with energy, passion, vigour and patriotism is here to stay.”

Pakistan v Sri Lanka Circket Series is presented by Claimtime Solicitors and is co-sponsored by Grand Midwest.

Zee Café is available on Sky 846 as part of the Zee Pack, which also offers popular  drama serials and reality shows, including Dance India Dance on Zee TV, premiere Bollywood movies on Zee Cinema and also lifestyle shows on Zee Punjabi as an optional. Apart from live cricket, catch cricket based entertainment shows, documentaries and dramas on the multi-genre channel Zee Café.

For full schedule details of the forthcoming cricket visit www.zeetv.co.uk.

Knock Knock

Who’s There?

Zee Cinema

Zee Cinema Who?

Zee Cinema – The Home of the Biggest Bollywood Blockbusters!!!

SPOT THE DON AND WIN!!

Zee Cinema will be hosting Bollywood’s biggest Hits in the coming days. Following a glamorous make-over and an aggressive movie buying spree, it is now the hot-spot for the latest Bollywood Biggies.

Coming up on 28 April, 8:30pm, is Shah Rukh Khan starrer Don 2. The tremendously successfully sequel to Farhan Akhtar’s 2006 release Don - Don 2, brings Shah Rukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra back as the Don and detective Roma. Don 2 entered the Top 10 UK Box Office on its opening day.

Following this, the Premiere of the Month in May is the Box Office smasher Agneepath with the ‘highest grossing opening day box-office record’, on 26 May, 8:30pm. Directed by Karan Johar’s former assistant Karan Malhotra, the film has Hrithik Roshan play the role originally made famous by Amitabh Bachchan. Priyanka Chopra stars as the female lead while Sanjay Dutt steals the limelight as the main villain. Rishi Kapoor takes on dark shades in this film as he plays the notorious Rauf Lala.

Zee Cinema has a treat in store for Bollywood followers. Simply spot the Zee Cinema Posters of Don 2 and Agneepath out and about around London, then go to the Zee TV UK Facebook Page and write the name of the location to win a Bollywood Goodie Bag. Enter now at www.facebook.com/ZeeTVUK

Zee Cinema, Zee Network’s Bollywood movies channel, already boasts of having the largest collection of Bollywood movies. This year Zee Cinema will also be showcasing the following much-awaited big names: Agent Vinod, Barfee, Heroine, Desi Boyz, Players, Joker, Michael & My Friend Pinto.

Start from May, also watch out for South India Blockbusters on Sundays 9pm, including Bodyguard, and Bajirao The Fighter. Catch full on entertainment Movie of the Month, Classics of the past 50 years, Click the Flick, Star Birthday Celebrations and recently introduced show Classic Legends with Javed Akhtar on Saturdays 7:30pm.

For the full schedule of Highlights, visit www.zeetv.co.uk

Zee Cinema will be unveiling a brand new look following a makeover from 24 March.

The channel will don a completely new feel with a localized connect - creating an attractive fusion between the glam of Bollywood and the sleekness of UK city life. The change will go across all the various highlights, such as Twin Treats, Bollywood Biggies, Movie of the Month - as well as coming to fore in the break idents - giving the channel a glamorous new identity.

The 24 hour Bollywood movies channel boasts the largest collection of Bollywood movies in the world, offering 8 movies a day. Adding to it, it has recently gone on an aggressive movie buying spree and now owns some high profile film labels. This year the channel will be treating its viewers to the biggest blockbuster releases: Don 2, Agneepath, Agent Vinod, Barfee, Heroine, Desi Boyz, Players, Joker, Michael & My Friend Pinto.

Shaney Burney, Head of Operations, ZEE Europe “We are excited to have Zee Cinema adorning a highly stunning new look. It will create a strong connect between the world of Bollywood and the Bollywood loving audience here in the UK and Europe. The revamp and the exclusive movies coming up will give us a great opportunity to add a further quality factor to what our viewers enjoy with such passion.”

Zee Cinema’s new look will be followed by the Europe TV premiere of 2012 action movie Players – on 31 March 8pm. This is followed by the tremendously successfully sequel to Farhan Akhtar’s 2006 release Don - Don 2, bringing Shah Rukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra back as the Don and detective Roma. Shot across Thailand, Berlin, Kuala Lumpur and Switzerland, the action packed film also has appearances by Om Puri, Lara Dutta and Kunal Kapoor in supporting roles. Don 2 entered the Top 10 UK Box Office on its opening day. Enjoy its premiere on 28 April, 8pm.

Coming up in May is Agneepath - remake of the 1990 Hindi film of the same name is a top grosser at the UK Top 10 Box Office. Directed by Karan Johar’s former assistant Karan Malhotra, the film has Hrithik Roshan play the role originally made famous by Amitabh Bachchan. Priyanka Chopra stars as the female lead while Sanjay Dutt clearly stole the limelight as the main villain. Rishi Kapoor takes on dark shades in this film as he plays the notorious Rauf Lala.

Check out the latest Zee Cinema offerings at www.zeetv.co.uk

Give the gift of quality entertainment this #Valentine’s Day! Join the Zee Family and enjoy great entertainment with true romantic #Bollywood movies throughout the month on Zee Cinema, new Zee TV serial Punar Vivaah and lots more www.zeetv.co.uk

Watch out for a Xmas and New Year Bollywood Bonanza on Zee Cinema with several TV premieres!

TANU WEDS MANU – 30 DEC

Zee Cinema presents The Merchants of Bollywood competition!

Win tickets to the critically acclaimed Bollywood show - The Merchants of Bollywood!

Just answer a simple question: http://www.zeeuk.com/merchant-of-bollywood/index.php

Celebrate Independence Day this Sunday 15 August with Zee Cinema with patriotic classics:

9am – Pinjar – Starring Urmilla Matnodakar. Puro sets out in search of her sister-in-law, who was abducted by a man and brought to Pakistan, during partition. Will Puro succeed in her search?

1pm – Purab Aur Paschim - Bharat (Manoj Kumar) goes to Britain to study. He is shocked to find that the Indians there, shun India and Indians. He takes it upon himself to teach them Indian values.

4:15pm – Karma – Patriotic drama starring Anil Kapoor, Jackie Shroff, Nutan, Dilip Kumar, Anupam Kher and Sridevi. Produced and Directed by Subhash Ghai. Music by Laxmikant Pyarelal.

8pm – Lakshya - Karan (Hrithik) rebels against his father and decides to join the army. When he is posted at Kargil, during the war, he finds his true calling in life. Also stars Amitabh Bachchan.

Jai Hind!

London 16^th July: Zee Network is pleased to lend its support to the UK’s first ever Film Festival celebrating Alternative Indian Cinema.

As the, longest running dedicated South Asian movie channel in UK, Zee Cinema is a fitting partner for this landmark event.

Showcasing the work of India’s new wave of avant-garde filmmakers, London INDIAN Film Festival’s programme of films will be screened across London, opening in West End at Cineworld, Haymarket then continuing at Barbican, Nehru Centre, Watermans and Genesis cinemas. The Festival covers a wide range of themes and issues from family dramas, coming-of age tales to twisted urban romance. What pervades many of these films is a new more assured Indian cool, experimenting with cinematic styles, new technology and influenced by themes both East and West, which has helped them win favour with the young in-crowd in super cities like Mumbai, as well as with connoisseurs of world cinema across the globe.

The London INDIAN Film Festival opened last night at Cineworld, Haymarket with the UK Premiere of the groundbreaking ‘Love, Sex Aur Dhokha’, (‘Love, Sex and Betrayal’) by director, Dibakar Banerjee. Through three intertwined tales, this controversial film explores sexuality, voyeurism, love and betrayal in modern India. The film features a cast of unknowns, but it’s radical revision, challenging the romantic Indian fairy-tale romance, was a big Box Office hit when it was released in India in March. Featuring India’s first ever on-screen sex scene, the Premiere screened the uncensored, international version of the film, rather than the censored India version.

Other highlights of the festival include the high-impact ‘City of Gold’ by maverick director, Mahesh Manjrekar, on the forgotten history of mill workers of Mumbai whose livelihoods were crushed when the mills were converted into a development of glitzy shopping malls and five star hotels.  Meanwhile, ‘Last Chance Mumbai’ is a sophisticated multi-strand ensemble exploring the connective lives of the city’s inhabitants over a 24-hour period by acclaimed director, Saeed Akhtar Mirza.

‘Road to Sangam’ directed by Amit Rai, explores ideas of Nation India and sometimes conflicting religious identity.  It tells the story of one Muslim man’s desire to help take Mahatma Gandhi’s remaining ashes to the holy river and explores the experiences of Muslims living in India 60 years after Independence. The Closing Night Film is the UK Premiere ‘Vihir’ (‘The Well’) by award winning director Umesh Kulkarni (World Premiered at Berlin Film Festival), which is stunningly filmed against the grandeur of the rolling Indian plains, as two adolescent friends inspire each other’s journey to manhood.

Zee Cinema is Zee Networks premiere movie channel dedicated to Bollywood, world’s largest movie industry. Zee Cinema has the largest library of films with more than 3000 films encompassing all genres, stars, eras and big banners. Some of the biggest names in the Zee Cinema library are Love Aaj Kal, Jab We Met, Om Shanti Om, Rock On, Jodhaa Akbar, Yuvraaj, Munnabhai MBBS, Hum Aapke Hain Kaun, Maine Pyaar Kiya, Sholay and many more.

For more information and bookings please visit www.londonindianfilmfestival.co.uk

Zee Network is determined to keep the sports spirit alive and kicking this summer with LIVE and EXCLUSIVE coverage of the 2010 Samsung Hockey Champions Trophy for women this week. Zee Network’s premium channel, Zee Cinema, has secured exclusive rights to broadcast the matches being played in England for the first time, in Nottingham, between 10^th – 18^th July 2010.

This is one of the most important events on the international hockey calendar with six of the best countries participating in the tournament, including England, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, Argentina and China.

All of England’s matches will be telecast on Zee Cinema, in what is sure to be an exciting tournament.

This is the latest in Zee Network’s continued dedication to showcasing major sporting events which are not being broadcast anywhere else in the UK.

Earlier this year, the Men’s Hockey World Cup 2010 matches were telecast exclusively on Zing. On the first day of the matches Zing attracted a rush of viewers keen to catch the action. Zing, being the only Asian music and lifestyle channel rated on the audience measurement service BARB, saw viewership ratings increase by an enormous 225%. The matches proved to be popular unanimously and a hit for all types of audiences, with the Spain v England match attracting a 96% White British audience – an impressive achievement for this ethnic network that is crossing boundaries.

Samsung Hockey Champions Trophy 2010 for women starts this Saturday, 10^th July, on Zee Cinema with England playing Argentina. For the full schedule and match details visit www.zeetv.co.uk .

Zee Cinema is available through subscription on:
Sky Channel 790
Virgin Media 810

Amitabh Bachchan is an avid blogger - check out his latest blog about his experience of shooting for ZEE CINEMA’S special ‘Friday Night With Big B’ features and how it took him down memory lane:

Location: Prateeksha, Mumbai
Date: May 6, 2010, 11:40pm
” Eating ‘chiki’ late in the night after a healthy meal and a healthy debate on TV can be one of the most debilitating acts of the century. And I just submitted myself to it. Eating unconditionally, or out of some inner fear, frustration or inactivity is such a curse. You eat not because you are hungry but because it is there.

Zee Cinema claims to have the largest library of my films, is bringing back ‘ Shaniwar ki Raat, Amitabh ke saath. And in doing so wishes that I speak a little before each film is broadcast, as an introduction to the making composition and execution of the project. So from 11 am onwards till it became physically impossible for me to continue, I have done the deed - almost 20 films. Some of the most difficult tasks 35-40 years after the project is over is, to be able to remember what transpired where and how. Its like a prolonged interview that lasts non stop for 8-11 hours. But …

Nostalgia has its own little matters and going down this memory lane, a most pleasant journey. We tend to forget what we may have done when it was supposed to have been done.

But nothing changed. As time went by and as the anchor kept narrating moments through his own design, I was pretty tongue tied at the vast amount of knowledge and work that had transpired during these 41 years. Films, stories, locations, incidents, approaches, beginnings and the eventual end after this grueling start. I think it was most enjoyable. Talking about people and colleagues. Incidents little and small that occurred, and how beautifully we remembered them. I cannot remember what I had for dinner last night, but remember how many takes it took me to perform a particular scene, and of that, which take, was the one that should have gone for printing. Why and how does this happen, I haven’t the foggiest.”

Watch Big B at your screens every Friday night at 8pm on ZEE CINEMA - livening up your Friday nights!

Big B at your screens every Friday nights on ZEE CINEMA