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Mumbai, May 9 (IANS) Streaming platform ZEE5 unveiled its content slate for the year 2022 on Monday. The newly announced slate will see the streaming platform furthering its audience base across multiple languages and content forms with some new ( new content entrants) and old players (shows renewing for upcoming seasons) huddling up for the exhibition.
The slate will see more than 80 titles equally distributed between movies and shows spanning across Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Punjabi, and Bengali.
In addition, ZEE5 will also collaborate with partners like BBC Studios, Applause Entertainment, The Viral Fever (TVF), along with powerhouse cinematic talents like Vetrimaaran, Prakash Raj, Amitabh Bachchan and Nagraj Manjule.
Commenting on the development, Mr. Manish Kalra, Chief Business Officer, ZEE5 India said: "We are enthused by the response that Indian OTT viewers have given to ZEE5, it has further encouraged us to curate a slate that caters and connects to the audiences across India. 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 slate of Hindi originals includes 'The Broken News', the much-anticipated Forensic, latest seasons of audience favourites like 'Abhay 3', 'Sunflower 2', 'Tripling 3', 'Never Kiss Your Best Friend 2' and 'Rangbaaz 3'.
Manish further said: "The growth has been remarkable with a significant share coming in from the regional markets, as we bolstered our presence in 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."
Amping up the ante, the platform will also feature the digital release of some of the biggest theatrical blockbusters like 'The Kashmir Files', 'Jhund' and John Abraham's 'Attack: Part 1'. The content slate also comprises a strong line-up of regionals, with some of the most awaited shows and movies in Tamil, Telugu, Punjabi, and Bengali like 'Nilamellam Ratham', 'Anantham', 'Gaalivaana', 'Kinnerasaani', 'Yaar Anmulle Returns', 'Fuffad Ji' 'Main Viyah Nahi Karona Tere Naal', 'Shikarpur', 'Raktakarabi' and 'Swetkali'.
Speaking about ZEE5's content strategy and the new content slate, Mr. Punit Misra, President, Content and International Markets, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd., said: "Over the last couple of years, the OTT ecosystem has undergone a significant transition due to constantly evolving consumer preferences and consumption patterns. At ZEE5, our #SoulToScreen approach continues to be a critical pillar in conceptualizing the content slate for various markets and designing our content strategy. We are proud to unveil our content slate for 2022 across languages and reaffirm our commitment of engaging viewers with premium quality content. Keeping in mind the dynamism of this ecosystem and our sharp insights into India's diverse cultural preferences, we are confident that ZEE5's extensive mix of new originals and movies will be successful in entertaining audiences in India and globally."
Talking about the content slate, Ms. Nimisha Pandey, Chief Content Officer, Hindi Originals, ZEE5 added: "At ZEE5, our endeavor has been to narrate real, authentic, compelling stories, and expand the canvas of entertainment; a strategy aimed to cater to our multiple consumer cohorts. Our content creation approach has been focused on deep diving into markets by identifying the cultural markers and presenting stories from the heartland to the global audience. This has enabled us to introduce marquee content on ZEE5 and showcase Indian and South Asian culture through our deeply rooted offerings.
"We have already begun 2022 on a positive note, with encouraging audience response for 'Love Hostel', 'Mithya', 'Abhay 3', and 'Bloody Brothers'. 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 much more, and we are confident of raising the entertainment quotient further as we move forward. We are certain 2022 will be a power-packed year for our viewers with intriguing, inspiring, and innovative storytelling."
Currently, ZEE5 offers content in 12 Indian languages: English, Hindi, Bengali, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi, Oriya, Bhojpuri, Gujarati, and Punjabi. The platform has an exciting line-up for 2022 that will add to its extensive library of content offering a wider array of catalogue to entertainment seekers.
