BBC Studios, a global content company with British creativity at its heart, has announced the re-launch of its popular children’s channel, CBeebies, in India.

The channel is available across leading multi-system operators in the country including Tata Sky (DTH & Mobile) Sun DTH, IMCL, Fastway, and Kal Cables, amongst many others – currently reaching 33million+ homes. More platforms will be launching the channel in the coming weeks, making the service available in as many homes as possible.

CBeebies is a dedicated pre-school channel that brings 100% ad-free content to India. A multi-genre channel, CBeebies is aimed at children aged six years and under. It offers a distinctive range of programming, from Animation to Live-Action, designed to encourage learning through play in a consistently safe environment. CBeebies is dedicated to delighting and surprising its pre-school audience and remains the UK's most watched and most loved channel for the under-sixes. Internationally, there are CBeebies channels available across Asia, Australia, Africa, Poland, the Middle East and Turkey, and Latin America.

The programme schedule in India consists of entertaining, trusted and interactive series, and offers a mix of new and landmark, high-quality, UK-produced programmes to educate and entertain the BBC's youngest audiences. Acclaimed series such as Hey Duggee, Go Jetters, Sarah and Duck, Thomas & Friends and Teletubbies encourage children to learn about the world and enjoy their surroundings. With its bright colours, friendly and familiar characters and interactive content, CBeebies is a dependable environment for children.

Ryan Shiotani (SVP and GM, South and South East Asia, BBC Studios,) says: “CBeebies is trusted by parents internationally and we are thrilled to bring this dedicated pre-school channel back to India. We are passionate about nourishing little minds and having a positive impact on their intellectual, social and emotional development. We are proud of the diverse and inclusive nature of CBeebies content, and our young audience love being able to see themselves reflected in our content, and engage with their favourite award-winning characters.”

BBC Global News in India will be marketing and distributing the CBeebies channel, utilising their well established presence, expertise and network of affiliates in the market.

Rahul Sood (Managing Director, India, BBC Global News,) says “ We are extremely pleased to have relaunched CBeebies in India, especially at a time when there has been a massive increase in viewership in the genre and in overall screen time by kids. We’re sure that CBeebies will provide kids and their parents a safe environment that offers a unique combination of learning with entertainment. At BBC audiences are always at the heart of everything we do and we are committed to bring quality content to our viewers no matter what the challenges are.

CBeebies provides the very youngest audience with the very best content, with learning at its core - it is fun, trusted and truly distinctive.

New episodes of best loved shows like Kehne Ko Humsafar, Guddan Tumse Na Ho Payega and more

The largest OTT platform for Indian content, ZEE5 Global, is back with new episodes of its best loved shows across channels, in addition to a long line-up of on-demand fiction and non-fiction shows, new originals and special curations this month.

In what will surely be welcome news for its viewers around the globe, the streaming platform will be streaming fresh episodes of its most popular TV shows like the Ronit Roy starrer Kehne Ko Humsafar – with 8 new episodes streaming on the platform between 1st July – 15th July. The OTT giant will also release latest episodes of other popular shows such as Kumkum Bhagya, Kundali Bhagya, and Guddan Tumse Na Ho Payega. These episodes will feature fresh content as a progression to the existing story and would be the engaging prelude before the upcoming post-shoot resumption story.

In addition, here is a sneak-peak into everything else the platform has announced for this month.

Omerta

Omerta releasing 25th July is an Indian biographical crime drama film that stars Rajkumar Rao in the role of Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, British terrorist of Pakistani descent. Marking his debut as a writer, Mukul Dev suggested the story to the director, Hansal Mehta. This groundbreaking drama explores the story of the 1994 kidnappings of Westerners in India which led to Omar’s arrest.

Kaalchakra

Hitting the OTT screens soon, Kaalchakra is a gripping Hindi theatre play starring Chandana Sharma, Gulki Joshi, Aanand Goradia, Ashok Sharma Pravin Dabas, Sandeep Dhabale, Om Katare and Paromita Chatterjee. The drama revolves around the anguish of an old couple after their children refuse to be burdened with the responsibility of looking after their parents.

Mafia

The hair-raising thriller ZEE5 Original, Mafia is all set to hit the screens on 10th July. The mystery thriller series stars Isha M Saha, Tanmay Dhanania, Namita Das and Anandita Bose. The story is about six college friends who reunite after 5 years for a bachelorette party in the jungles of Madhupur, where their horrifying past comes back to haunt them. The show is available in Hindi and Bangla.

Virgin Bhanupriya is another Direct to Digital Launch that is set to release on 16th July. A ZEE5 Exclusive film starring Urvashi Rautela, Gautam Gulati, Archana Puran Singh, and Delnaaz Irani, the story revolves around a conservative girl's attempts to lose her virginity and what happens when a fortune-teller predicts that she will remain a virgin all her life.

Unlock: Another recent addition to the platform is ‘Unlock’, which debuted on 27th June. Directed by Debatma Mandal, ‘Unlock’ features popular Indian television faces Hina Khan, Kushal Tandon and former Miss India World 2015, Aditi Arya. Unlock is a story about a haunted app that grants one’s darkest wishes but with consequences. The plot revolves around the protagonist Suhani, who finds herself in possession of a deviant mobile app while trying her best to not lose the man of her dreams, Amar, to her roommate Riddhi.

Adding to its vast content library, the OTT giant is now streaming some of the finest Tamil and Telugu movies featuring addictive storylines, widely popular murder mysteries and love stories. This awe-inspiring Telugu collection includes Mekasuri, a ZEE5 Original which will be releasing soon and the horror comedy, Balloon, primed to release on July 7th, among others. The arresting Tamil collection also includes the horror drama, Lock up and Cocktail, the gripping mystery drama is set to release on July 10th.

The latest Bangla offering starring Ushashi Roy, Kadambini is set to release on July 6th and the all-new show on ZEE Keralam, Karthika Deepam will hit the screens on July 13th. ZEE5 Global has also bagged rights for a set of blockbuster Hindi films including the Tiger Shroff starrer Baaghi.

Mallika Dua to be ‘news anchor’ for Flipkart Video’s ‘Fake or Not?’

The show by Flipkart Video is aimed at addressing the need of the hour - busting misinformation and helping people see the difference between real and fake

As we continue to power through difficult times, we have all been glued to our screens, consuming viral content circulated on various platforms, that in several cases, is misleading and untrue. To counter this growing threat of misinformation, Mallika Dua is all set to explore a new role as news anchor Mythika Dutt who will be hosting a new show titled ‘Fake or Not?’. Launching on the Flipkart app today, actress, comedian, and writer Mallika Dua will continue to bring forth her true essence and satirical comedy as she explores this new avatar.

In an attempt to curb the spread of misinformation and help people identify real from fake, Flipkart Video in support of the United Nations’ ‘Verified’ campaign is launching this new show, aimed at educating users by debunking fake content, while encouraging them to be mindful of the news and information they come across. Many questions that are part of the show will address common misconceptions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mythika Dutt - a sincere news anchor and host of ‘Fake or Not?’, is committed to tackle fake news and fight ignorance through her news segment. Along with quashing inaccurate news, the new quiz show from Flipkart Video Originals will also bust common myths that people have come to believe as facts, with a fun twist. Did you know that the humble peanut is not a nut? Or that the full form of 'SOS' is not Save Our Souls! ‘Fake or Not?’ combines many such surprising answers and engaging content, available at the convenience of your smartphone.

“People today are so easily misinformed with all the viral content flooding social media. It has been great taking on a new role, playing Mythika Dutt, to address this. True to the character, I am determined to fight misconceptions as I keep viewers informed through the light-hearted and engaging format of the show. This is such a great initiative by Flipkart Video to educate people and the twist of comedy makes the show entertaining, while still driving awareness to question the source and credibility of the information. The show is definitely the need of the hour and I can’t wait to see how this journey unfolds.” said the show’s host Mallika Dua.

‘Fake or Not?’ reinforces Flipkart Video’s commitment to bring the most relevant and innovative content to users in India through their consumer-first approach combined with best in class technology. This show is now live on Flipkart Video and will continue to entertain and engage users with its interactive videos over the next month. To watch the show and win daily prizes, head over to the Flipkart App, click on the Video button at the bottom right of the screen, and click on ‘Fake or Not?’.

The leading pharmaceutical company Sun Pharma today announced Wavemaker India as its media partner.

Wavemaker India will manage integrated media mandate for Sun Pharma in India.

Commenting on the win, Ajay Gupte, CEO – South Asia, Wavemaker said, “This is a proud moment for us. We are super excited to partner with Sun Pharma and confident that with our understanding of winning new consumer growth segments, backed by insights and precision capabilities, we can help Sun Pharma further strengthen its growth journey in India”.

Excited about the win, Shekhar Banerjee, Chief Client Officer and Head – West, Wavemaker India said, “We are delighted to start our partnership with Sun Pharma. Powered with our consumer journey data, our expertise in analytics and some great talent at Wavemaker India, we believe we will be able to identify more growth levers for Sun Pharma brands. Extremely thrilled for an exciting journey ahead with Sun Pharma”.

Sun Pharma is the world's fourth largest specialty generic pharmaceutical company and India's top pharmaceutical company.

Monsoon is termed as the most romantic season of the year. The view of raindrops settling on the windowpane and smell of wet ground has been a perfect time to have a romantic date with your loved ones. However, with Monsoon entering the country and government imposing restrictions on travel, one could only enjoy the rains at the comfort of their home. To set the mood right and kick start the weekend with your partner, ShortsTV presents a new segment, ‘Monsoon romance’ every Friday at 10 pm, across all the DTH platforms such as Tata Sky, DishTV, Airtel TV, and d2h.

The segment will curate blockbuster romantic short films that are recognized globally, thereby introducing the concept of Shortbusters to the audience. Here is a list of romantic movies that can put some excitement into your dull weekend.

Mehrooni

This critically acclaimed short film explains the feeling of love. Often used to represent intense and passionate feelings of confidence, the maroon colour shows excitement, power, passion, and love. Similarly, this short film is a love story of a couple Mr. & Mrs. Sharma who travel together daily. The narrator of the film tells the story from his perspective and significance of the colour in the couple’s life.

Clear Blue

Clear Blue tells the story of Simon, a young lifeguard working his first few days at a community pool. The mundane quickly becomes mysterious, when Simon notices Flova, an older woman with an exceptional capacity to stay submerged underwater. As Simon follows Flova into the pool, he makes a startling discovery. What follows is a story of temptation and pursuit. Clear Blue is a tale of impossible love and its harrowing consequences.

Stingray

This film depicts the struggle of a writer who visits his local Aquatic Pet shop to buy a new fish. The story begins when he runs into a pretty young woman, and after a lively argument with a resident, he decides to ask her out on a date. However, Kurt's not as good with words as he thinks. This story of confessing love is what will help you connect with the movie.

Henry

Henry is a universally relevant short film to explain that love has does not discriminate. This short film talks about various truths that are relevant today. Henry questions the audience on what it means to be a child, to be free from any gender labelling or restriction, to express yourself free from judgment, and to be bolstered by one's imagination.

Rhinos

They say communication is the key in every relation, but this short film will let you believe otherwise. Rhinos talks about a couple who are thrown together by circumstance. What makes it interesting is despite a language barrier, they learn more about each other than they thought was possible.

Pamper your partner with these short doses of love available on Tata Sky ShortsTV, ShortsTV Active, and Airtel ShortsTV