MUMBIA: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited classic movies channel Zee Classic that has 300 exclusive titles from the 1940?s to the 1970?s will be rolling out the second phase of the ?The Classic Cut? film festival that pays tribute to the greatest films and icons of Indian Cinema.

The channel has partnered with Big 92.7FM, DNA, Dish TV and PVR theatres to reach out and spread awareness about the activity.

After the success of the first edition held in February this year, the channel is back again to carry forward the promise of bringing the magic of the ?Evergreen Age? of Hindi Cinema to its audiences beyond the television screen.
This time around, ?The Classic Cut? Film Festival will re-release four iconic Bollywood movies - Sholay, Karz, Seeta aur Geeta and Deewar in PVR theatres. The movies will be shown in a by invite only event in Mumbai on 21 April and in Delhi on 28 April.

ZEEL Hindi Movie Cluster business head Mohan Gopinath said, "Great stories and great characters are timeless, and at Zee Classic, we?re fortunate to have a treasure trove of both. With ?The Classic Cut? Film Festival we?re thrilled to give audiences of all ages the chance to experience these masterpieces and in the case of younger generations, for the first time on the big screen. True to our word, Zee Classic will re-release Sholay, Karz, Seeta aur Geeta and Deewar on the big screen in Mumbai and Delhi. This is a rare opportunity for all the cinema aficionados to watch cult movies in theatres. The festival will begin in Mumbai and Delhi and will be taken to other towns subsequently. We are also utilizing this opportunity to connect with the loyal viewers of Zee Classic and invite them over to enjoy the extravaganza in Mumbai and Delhi."

MUMBAI: Hindi movie channel Zee Classic is launching the second season of ?Classic Legends? on 18 November.

Presented by Venetian Macao, the show will air every Sunday at 7.30 pm over a period of 13 weeks.

Introducing lyricist Javed Akhtar again as an anchor, ?Classic Legends? will showcase biographies of 12 more legends from Hindi cinema.

According to the channel, each episode will regale viewers with novel insights and exciting anecdotes about each of these stalwarts.

?The Venetian Macao presents Classic Legends Season 2? will pay a tribute this season to two veteran actors Dilip Kumar and Pran.

Other luminaries Zee Classic will pay homage to include Meena Kumari, Dev Anand, Chetan Anand, Nasir Hussain, Hrishikesh Mukherji, Sunil Dutt, Mohd. Rafi, Shailendra, Anand Bakshi and S. D. Burman.

Drawing from his personal and professional experience in the industry, Akhtar will take viewers on a journey of these legends? lives and their body of work.

Akhtar said, "?Classic Legends? goes one step further and gets the audience up close and personal with the great men and women who have sculpted the personality of Indian cinema over the years. I believe familiarizing oneself with the lives and careers of film prodigies holds immense learning for any true lover of cinema. So it is a pleasure to associate yet again with such a well-meaning concept."

Zee Cinema PAC business head Mohan Gopinath said, "We?re glad that ?Classic Legends?, as a show, was received extremely well by the audience last year. All through the first season, we were inundated with innumerable requests and recommendations from all over to pay homage to many more stalwarts. We couldn?t cover many of them in the first season. Naturally, we felt the need to bring back a second season of the show and feature some of the luminaries requested by our viewers."

The first season of ?Classic Legends? had featured Raj Kapoor, R D Burman, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Kishore Kumar, Nargis, Bimal Roy, Vijay Anand, Ashok Kumar, Sahir Ludhiyanvi, Mehboob Khan, Madhubala, Guru Dutt and Shammi Kapoor.

MUMBAI: Actors of yesteryears came up on their own merits and not through pushing, according to lyricist Javed Akhtar. He was speaking at the promotion of Zee Classic?s new show Classic Legends.

The show will premiere on 11 December and Akhtar will be hosting it.

Talking about the stars of the ?Evergreen Age? that ranged from 1940 to 1970, Akhtar said that many of them like Mehboob Khan, Prithviraj Kapoor and Raj Kapoor started their life from scratch, working as junior artistes, finally to become legends in their own rights. "I can cite the example of Mehboob Khan and Raj Kapoor who rose to become the country?s respected filmmakers," averred Akhtar.

Elaborating his role as an anchor in the show Akhtar said, "Given the decades that I have spent in the film industry and the talented creative minds that I have the good fortune of meeting and learning from, it is only fitting that I pay a tribute to the personalities whom I have come to greatly admire over the years."

Classic Legends will cover all those who have left inedible footprints into the collective memories of an enchanted nation. It will showcase the works of 13 of the most admired and respected legends like Raj Kapoor, RD Burman, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Kishore Kumar, Nargis, Bimal Roy, Vijay Anand, Ashok Kumar, Sahir Ludhiyanvi, Mehboob Khan, Madhubala, Guru Dutt and Shammi Kapoor, the channel said.

Zee Cinema business head Mohan Gopinath said, "There are many shows that talk about the current lot of actors and directors in the industry. And while some dialogues or songs from certain films of the black and white era many be popular among the masses, not many know anything about the people behind those iconic works.

"Classic Legends will introduce people to the creative geniuses in the background from the Evergreen era. People tend to forget legends of the past, but through our content on Zee Classic, it?s our endeavour to ensure that we strive in our very own small way that they remain immortal forever."

Launched in April 2007, Zee Classic is a classic Hindi movie channel that boasts of over 500 exclusive titles from 1940 to 1970 with classics like Awara, Mother India, Shree 420 and the works of Raj Kapoor, Kishore Kumar, SD Burman and Guru Dutt amongst others.