Very soon, Hindi film fans in the Middle East are going to be spoilt for choice. Here's how.
After launching Zee Aflam in 2008, Zee Entertainment Enterprises yesterday premiered the Dubai-based Zee Film Hindi, which boasts a repertoire of over 500 movie titles and up to 1,500 hours of entertainment every year. Zee Film Hindi has an operational office in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and can be accessed through the Arabsat Badr-4 satellite on frequency 12111. What's more, mid-October will see the Middle East Broadcasting Centre (MBC) launch MBC Bollywood, a free-to-air channel available via Nilesat and catering to the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region, with a portfolio of over 300 Hindi films - dubbed in Arabic or sub-titled.

While this promises a visual feast for Bollywood fans, what cannot be ruled out is the severe competition it will spark.

About Zee Film Hindi, Zee Entertainment president - Middle East, North Africa, Turkey & Pakistan Mukund Cairae says: "Since its inception, Zee has worked towards widening the reach of Indian cinema to audiences across the world. We started Zee Aflam five 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."
Cairae points out that between Zee Aflam and Film Hindi, Zee plans to offer a variety of movies straddling Bollywood and Indie cinema.

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