MUMBAI: Star Movies has renewed the live and exclusive broadcast rights to The Annual Academy Awards for India and Taiwan from 2005 to 2010.

NEW DELHI: In a true Marlon Brando style (the Godfather did not want to do the role of Don Corleone as he didnt want to glorify the mafia), SET India EVP Tarun Katial explained that his company was not glorifying crime, but just highlighting the ills in the society through programmes like Rihhaee as already reported earlier by Indiantelevision.com..

The BAG-produced serial, which goes on air at a late night slot of 10.30 pm from 9 February, is based on crimes against women. No wonder, the press conference to announce the series launch on Sony was attended by Delhi CM Shiela Dixit, social activist Nafisa Ali and activist lawyer Indira Jaisingh, all of whom pointed out how crimes against women is on the rise in the Indian society and need to be tackled urgently, but delicately because of the sensitivities involved.

Television with cause,is how BAG Films MD Anurradha Prasad described the series, which is in line with Sonys social responsibility as a corporate house.

Pointing out that Sony has always supported programmes like Bhanvar (based on real life legal cases) Missing (hosted by film actor Jackie Shroff) and Crime Files to highlight the seedy sides of society and also help in justice being carried out in some way or other, Katial said,At one time, we were even trying to call Rihhaee (freedom) Bhanvar II.

Sony and BAG are also looking at roping in other activist women personalities like Member of Parliament Shabana Azmi and some non-governmental organisations to endorse the new bi-weekly series.This would be part of a marketing strategy for Rihhaee, which would also include the other normal avenues that we adopt for promoting a new programme, Katial said.