MUMBAI: Zee TV went all out to provide a national platform for India?s acting talent! A pioneer at introducing unique, homegrown non-fiction formats like ?Sa Re Ga Ma Pa? and ?Dance India Dance?, Zee TV launched a brand-new reality show ?India?s Best Dramebaaz? on 23 February 2013. The show is to put children in the age range of 5-12 years through a series of tasks and challenges that will groom them as actors and test their creativity, spontaneity and acting ability. On the occasion of its launch, the channel planned an innovative BTL activity that put a smile on the faces of people across Mumbai and Delhi. Zee TV distributed mithai to the family, friends and relatives of all the new-born babies tumbling forth into the world on February 23, the launch day of ?India?s Best Dramebaaz?.

This exercise was carried out at the maternity wards across several municipal hospitals including the J. J. Hospital, Nair Hospital, George Hospital, Neerjaa Children?s Hospital, Cama Albless Hospital in Mumbai and the Bhagwan Mahavir Hospital, Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Hospital and the ESI Hospital in Delhi. Also, on the launch day, Zee TV had clowns and entertainers put a smile on every child?s face at many pediatrician?s clinics in Mumbai and Delhi.

Akash Chawla, Head- Marketing, National Channels, ZEEL said, ?Acting is something each one of us engages in, perhaps, without even realizing it. Children, without a doubt, are the most natural actors as they are simply not conscious of themselves. And ?India?s Best Dramebaaz? is based on the basic insight that there is a dramebaaz in every household. On the occasion of the show?s launch, we thought of welcoming the newborn dramebaaz?s stepping into the world on this day and spreading cheer through this small, sweet gesture. We?re also organizing clowns and entertainers to put a smile on the faces of cranky, irritable children at paediatrician?s clinics ? it?s more of a heart-led initiative for a show that has kids at its heart!?

Arranging an interesting marriage of tradition with technology, Zee TV has leveraged the 3D depth-sense concept and created an exciting 90-second game of modern-day ?The Battle of Good vs Evil? for all visiting Mumbai?s malls. This interactive augmented reality initiative is aimed at strengthening the connect of its ongoing mythological series ?Ramayan? with today?s youthand kids. Gaming freaks enjoyed this game at the Infinity Mall, Malad on 22nd and 23rd December and can look forward to more of the gaming action at the Phoenix Mills, Lower Parel and Nirmal Lifestyle, Mulund on 29th and 30th December.

The game creates 3D avatars of Ram and Ravan. The players will assume the Ram Avatar and their mission would be to nail the 10 heads of Ravan with an accurately aimed arrows. Players can choose from amongst a choice of arrows such as the Soorya Baan (sun arrow), Agni Baan (fire arrow) and the Naag Baan (snake arrow) . Maneuvering the bow with their left arm, users will have to trigger the arrow with their right arm and target the constantly dodging avatar of Ravan. Users need to hit the heads of Ravan within a fixed time and limited chances. Timings of each player will be recorded on a scoreboard and the player who manages to kill all Ravan heads in the least number of attempts and within the shortest time-frame will be declared the winner. The scores will be uploaded online on the Facebook pages of the players.

Earlier in the year, Zee TV had launched an augmented reality initiative for its horror show ?Fear Files? where a huge video wall was placed across Malls in Mumbai to create a spooky experience using computer graphics and sensors to scare people. If the overwhelming response to the previous game was anything to go by, Zee TV?s cutting-edge, modern-day ?Battle of Good vs Evil?should be an instant hit too!

MUMBAI: On this day in the year 1992, Mr. Subhash Chandra pioneered the concept of satellite television in India and Zee TV was born! Zee TV will, this year, complete a glorious run of 20 years entertaining India. As a gesture of gratitude towards viewers for their loyalty and support over 20 years, the channel announces ?Sa Re Ga Ma Pa LIVE?, a series of entertainment nites across India. These entertainment extravaganzas featuring the most memorable singers of Zee TV?s longest-running singing reality show ?Sa Re Ga Ma Pa? and the hottest dancing sensations from India?s top-rated dance reality show ?Dance India Dance? will take the cities of Pune, Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Dehradun, Bhopal, Aurangabad, Kanpur and Lucknow by storm all through October!

?Sa Re Ga Ma Pa? is easily the oldest and the most iconic property Zee TV has produced, followed religiously for over 18 years by lovers of music across the world. The show has unearthed and lent India?s music fraternity some of its most prized jewels. ?Dance India Dance?, the only definitive platform for dance on Indian television, continues to enjoy a cult following and remains India?s No. 1 reality show. It has revolutionized dance as an art form and changed the way dance and dancers are perceived in India. Both shows have made superstars out of India?s common man and so the channel has plans of celebrating its 20th birthday with the viewers of India through ?Sa Re Ga Ma Pa LIVE? - concerts that let them interact with their favorite artistes from these two iconic properties.

With a reach of more than 168 countries and access to more than 650 million viewers globally, Zee TV has created strong brand equity and is the largest media franchise serving the South Asian Diaspora. Over the past two decades, Zee TV has driven the growth of the satellite and cable industry in India. It was the first media company to be listed on the national stock exchange.

The popularity of Zee arises from its keen understanding of Indian culture. Since its launch in 1992, Zee TV has been keenly aware of its role as a medium of influencing public perception and introducing societal change. As a result, Zee TV has addressed burning social issues through its programming content from time to time. Be it raising a voice against domestic violence through ?Ghar Ki Lakshmi-Betiyaan?, generating awareness and sensitivity around the issue of autism through ?Aap Ki Antara?, presenting the harsh reality of girl child-trafficking through ?Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya Hi Kijo?, questioning public mindsets about women getting remarried through ?Punarvivaah? or enunciating the importance of education amongst women in ?Afsar Bitiya?, Zee TV has pioneered socially relevant television programming.

Zee TV?s shows like ?Saanp Seedi?, ?Antakshari?, ?Hum Paanch?, ?Tara?, ?Gubbare?, ?Astitva ? Ek Prem kahani?, ?Saat Phere?, ?Kasamh Se? and ?Banoo Main Teri Dulhan? were ahead of their time and are remembered even today. They made household names out of actors like Navneet Nishan, Niki Aneja, Mohan Kapoor, Divyanka Tripathi, Rajashree Thakur, Ratan Rajput, Sushant Rajput, Prachi Desai, Ram Kapoor, Ankita Lokhande, Avinash Sachdeva, Rubina Dilaik, Karan V. Grover and Suhasi Dhami. Zee TV?s reality shows made the likes of Sonu Nigam, Shaan, Annu Kapoor, Pallavi Joshi, Shreya Ghoshal, Kunal Ganjawala, Geeta Kapur, Remo D?souza, Terence Lewis, Shakti Mohan, Salman and Dharmesh sir celebrities in their own right! Realizing its strength in programming and the need for Indian entertainment in the overseas market, the company launched Zee TV in the UK / Europe (1995), the USA (1998), Africa (1998) and today is available across five continents, taking Indian entertainment to the World.

So, join ZEE TV in the celebration of its 20th birthday as ?Sa Re Ga Ma Pa LIVE? comes to your city with an explosion of entertainment

Mumbai: In an exciting revival of the once-popular phenomenon of ?Sunday morning TV viewing for the entire family?, Zee TV launched the country?s most revered mythological series ?Ramayan? on Sunday, August 12 at 11 AM. Audiences have loved the show, with the very first episode opening up to a promising rating of 2.7 TVR. While the other characters were finalised well in advance, the quest for the perfect casting of Ram and Sita was on for months with several actors in the television fraternity auditioning for the lead roles.

After months of speculation about who will land the much-coveted roles, the channel has announced that actors Gagan Malik and Neha Sargam have been roped in to play Lord Ram and Sita respectively. Actor Neil Bhatt who shot to fame as Abhi in Zee TV?s 12/24 Karol Bagh will be playing Lakshman. They will make their first appearance on the show in this Sunday?s episode (August 26) at 11 AM.

Sukesh Motwani, Head- Fiction, Zee TV said, ?Ramayan is fundamental to the cultural fabric of India. Lord Ram and Sita are embodiments of the ideal son and the ideal wife. They have been enshrined over the centuries and worshipped in our country, making the casting of Ram and Sita an extremely critical choice. We wanted actors who looked and acted the part from the moment they entered the frame and with the casting of Gagan and Neha, I think we have the ideal Ram and Sita. They both have the grace, dignity and poise required to play the roles.?

The only team in India truly equipped to make ?Ramayan?, Moti Sagar Productions, is producing the show. Producer Moti Sagar said, ?It?s a pleasure to produce Zee TV?s ?Ramayan?. It?s a grand recreation of the original epic and our focus is on authenticity of representation. ?Ramayan? explores the subtleties of the delicate relationships within one?s family and shows viewers a way of life. The show has opened up to a very positive response. The music by ace composer Ravindra Jain has been widely appreciated. The make-up and costume teams have received rave reviews for recreating the looks of every mythological character with finesse and accuracy. Apt casting, authenticity of the sets, the first-rate cinematography and catchy visual effects only add sheen to our content.?

Gagan Malik is naturally excited about his upcoming role. He says ?I am only beginning to fathom the immense responsibility entrusted to me while being signed on for the role of Ram. I consider myself deeply fortunate to have been selected for this prestigious role and would like to thank Zee TV for this lifetime opportunity. Playing Ram, unlike any other character I have played so far, requires a great deal of preparation, be it in terms of reading up on the finer nuances of the Ramcharitamanas or studying and imbibing everything that Ram stood for. As an actor, it will be my endeavor to get the body language, the demeanour, the tonal quality of my voice and the diction right. I am really hoping that the viewers will appreciate my work!?

The show?s leading lady Neha Sargam was last seen in a cameo on Zee TV?s ?Punarvivaah?. Talking about her upcoming role as Sita, Neha says, ?As a little girl, I remember my grandmother telling us stories from the ?Ramayan?. She would tell us sisters about how each of us should strive to emulate Sita when we grow up. While I don?t know if I have been successful in emulating Sita?s virtues in my personal life, landing this role is the closest I will ever get to living out my granny?s dream for all of us. So I dedicate this role to my grandmother. I look forward to the day when my performance appeals so much to the audience that they only see me as Sita and shower me with love!?

In the two episodes of Ramayan that have gone on air, viewers have seen Dharti Mata approaching Lord Vishnu to put an end to Ravan?s terror in Manav Lok. Lord Vishnu assures her that he will soon assume a human form and relieve her from Ravan?s misdoings. In the meanwhile, Raja Dashrath (Saurabh Shukla) has won a war thanks to wife Kaikeyi (Shikha Swaroop). He thanks her from the bottom of his heart and grants her two wishes, which she humbly refuses. He announces that her wishes will be granted whenever she requests him in the future. A ?Putra Prapti Yagya? is organized whereby Vashishta feeds a special Kheer to Raja Dashrath?s three wives Kaushalya, Sumitra and Kaikeyi who give birth to Lord Rama, Lakshman, Bharat and Shatrughan. The second episode sees Ram and his siblings as 12 year olds. Kakbhushandi, the crow known to be the biggest devotee of Lord Vishnu, gets wind of the fact that Vishnu has assumed the form of young Ram and visits them in Ayodhya.

Seeing the young boy being scolded by mother Kaushalya, Kakbhushandi is convinced that Ram is not Lord Vishnu incarnate. As the crow snatches a roti from Ram?s hands and begins to fly away, Ram?s hands begin to extend and follow him through all the Loks. Kakbhushandi realizes that Ram is indeed Lord Vishnu incarnate and profusely apologizes to him. The third episode on Sunday, August 26 will see the four brothers go to Gurukul and learn the lessons life under the tutelage of Vashishta and Guruma. Having finished their education and turned into accomplished young men, Ram (Gagan Malik), Lakshman (Neil Bhatt), Bharat and Shatrughan will return to Ayodhya where their father Raja dashrath and their queen mothers eagerly await their return.

Watch the Ramayan, an eternal classic, every Sunday at 11 AM, only on Zee TV & Doordarshan.