The streaming platform ZEE5 is ramping up its Telugu slate with at least 11 original series alongside adding to its library of film titles. The series include Recce, which stars Shiva Balaji, Sri Ram, Dhanya Balakrishna, Rajeshwari Nair, Aadukalam Nareyn, Sharanya Pradeep, Sammeta Gandhi and Ester Noronha.
Recce, directed by Poluru Krishna and revolving around a double murder, will be premiered on the platform on June 17.
Also in the pipeline is Maa Neella Tank, a comedy based in a village and starring Sushanth in his streaming debut. ATM, a heist comedy, stars Subbaraju, Prudhvi and VJ Sunny. Aha Nee Pellanta is about a man’s attempts to find a spouse.
The upcoming shows include Hello World!, about a group of young employees in Hyderabad’s information technology sector, and the spy drama Mission Tashaffi. Also announced at an event on Tuesday in Hyderabad were Paruvu, Bahishkarana, The Black Coat, Prema Vimanam and Hunting of the Stars.
In a press release, Manish Kalra, Chief Business Officer, ZEE5 India, said, “South is an important market for us at ZEE5 and we have been consistent in expanding our presence in this market across languages from the very outset.”
Punit Misra, President – Content & International Markets, ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Limited, added, “In recent years, we have seen a significant transition in the viewing patterns of Indian audiences, who are now sampling and consuming a diverse range of content on OTT platforms. This uptick has been significant in South India, especially Telangana and Andhra Pradesh which are important markets for us.”
Anuradha Gudur, Chief Content Officer – Telugu, said in the press statement, “ZEE has a very strong and rich legacy in the Telugu market, with a widespread audience base… With shows like Oka Chinna Family Story, we have managed to tap into the innately inclusive Telugu cultural mindset, and we look forward to some of our offerings to tap into the facet further.”
Apart from acquiring the original Telugu and Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada versions of SS Rajamouli’s blockbuster RRR, ZEE5 has also picked up the streaming rights for the films Gaalivaana, Karthikeya-2 and Hanu-Man.
The announcement on Tuesday follows the launch in May of shows across languages, most prominently in Hindi. These include the recently premiered The Broken News, the succession drama Taj and the espionage thriller Mission to Pakistan.
The Tamil slate includes Vetri Maaran’s Nilamellam Ratham, SR Prabhakaran’s Kolaigara Kairegaigal, Vasanthabalan’s Thalaimai Seyalagam, AL Vijay’s Five Six Seven Eight and Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi’s Paper Rocket.