Zee Entertainment Enterprises, Asia’s largest television provider, has strengthened its portfolio of Arabic content with the launch of Zee Film Hindi, a channel dedicated entirely to Indian cinema.

Catering to Indian cinema lovers across the Middle East, Film Hindi will be identified by the slogan Hindi Asli, symbolising authenticity, maturity and a unique flavour that is synonymous with the Arabic world, a statement said.

The channel will cater specifically to cinephiles that have an affinity for classic Indian cinema with its rich repertoire of films starring doyens such as Raj Kapoor and Amitabh Bachchan.

The channel has a repertoire of over 500 movie titles, featuring up to 1,500 hours of entertainment for viewers, per year. Film Hindi will also look to create original content in due course.

Mukund Cairae, CEO – Mena & Pakistan, Zee Entertainment Enterprise, said: “Since its inception, Zee has worked towards widening the reach of Indian cinema to audiences across the world.”

“We started Zee Aflam 5 years ago to re introduce Bollywood to the Arab world. The acceptance from the viewers has led to a huge growth of the genre itself. The launch of ‘Film Hindi’ is a testament to our efforts to continue to bridge and unify audiences in the Middle East, by building on the similarities with the Indian Subcontinent.

“Film Hindi will cater to admirers of Indian cinema, widening their horizons from just Bollywood to other facets of the industry. Between Zee Aflam and Film Hindi, we will offer a variety of movies between Bollywood and Indian Cinema,” he added.

The channel, which will go live on October 1, will be transmitted from Dubai, with an operational office in Saudi Arabia, and can be accessed through Arabsat Badr4 on frequency 12111. – TradeArabia News Service