After Amazon Prime Video, it’s the turn of streaming platform Zee5 to unveil its content slate for 2022. The platform will be coming out with more than 80 titles across Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Punjabi and Bengali languages.
The line-up includes over 40 original shows and 40 movies in different genres. The platform is partnering with production houses like BBC Studios, Applause Entertainment and The Viral Fever (TVF), and artistes like Vetrimaaran, Prakash Raj, Amitabh Bachchan and Nagraj Manjule for these titles.
The slate of Hindi originals includes the period drama Taj, an epic tale of succession, the Hindi remake Forensic and the romantic thriller Duranga, along with returning shows like Pitchers 2, Sunflower 2, Tripling 3, Never Kiss Your Best Friend 2 and Rangbaaz 3.
The Hindi films The Kashmir Files (2022), Jhund (2022) starring Amitabh Bachchan, and Attack: Part 1 (2022) starring John Abraham are also having their digital premieres on Zee5.
Manish Kalra, Zee5 chief business officer, said, “As a consumer-first brand, we have invested in expanding our creative pool bringing India’s diverse talents, creativity, culture and stories closer to the people across the nation and to the global audience. The growth has been remarkable with a significant share coming in from the regional markets, as we bolstered our presence in the South and Punjab.
“We have increased our investments with a concerted focus on regional content as we stand open to partnerships with global studios, independent creators and premium content production houses across regions and languages. At Zee5, the vision has been to be the platform of choice and I am certain the 2022 slate will address the varied interests of today’s audience.”
The Tamil slate of series and films includes the digital premieres of Valimai (2022), Nilamellam Ratham, Anantham (2022), Paper Rocket (2022), Five-Six-Seven-Eight, Alma Mater, Ayali, Thalamai Seyalagam, Fingertip 2, Kolaigara Kairegaigal and Aindham Vedham. The Telugu slate includes titles like Gaalivaana, Kinnerasaani, Recce 2, ATM Prema Vinam, Maa Neella Tank and Aha Naa Pellanta.
The Punjabi films Yaar Anmulle Returns (2020), Fuffad Ji (2021) and Main Viyah Nahi Karona Tere Naal (2022) will all have their digital premieres on Zee5, while the Bengali titles lined up are Shikarpur (2022), which marks the OTT debut of Ankush Hazra, Raktakarabi, featuring Raima Sen and Vikram Chatterjee, and Swetkali.
Nimisha Pandey, chief content officer for Hindi originals at Zee5, added, “We have begun 2022 on a great note, with encouraging audience response for Mithya, Love Hostel, Abhay 3, and Bloody Brothers to name a few. At Zee5, we are obsessive about new ideas, narratives and working with exceptional creators who are passionate about their craft. Our slate for 2022 encompasses all of this and more, and we are confident of raising the entertainment quotient further as we move forward.”
Zee5’s annual subscription is Rs599; the platform has a library of over 3,500 films, 1,750 TV shows and 700 originals in 12 Indian languages: English, Hindi, Bengali, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi, Oriya, Bhojpuri, Gujarati and Punjabi.