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“We believe powerful storytelling sparks relatable conversations driving positive change”: ZEE5’s Abhirup Datta
Mumbai: With the ever-evolving consumer preferences, content too is rapidly transforming, especially in the AVOD platforms. ZEE5, one of the major OTT players in India, is at the forefront of this revolution, curating engaging and diverse content to meet the demands of today’s digital audience.
From captivating originals to socially relevant initiatives like #NoNaariNoShakti and #ZEE5GameChangers, ZEE5 is not just reshaping entertainment but also fostering societal dialogue and meaningful engagements.
Catching up with ZEE5’s head – AVOD marketing Abhirup Datta, who is
driving the overall AVOD growth and development agenda by increasing users, videos viewed, time spent and in building brand affinity with best-in-class customer experience, Indiantelevision.com delved into ZEE5’s content curation, their #NoNaariNoShakti and #ZEE5GameChangers initiatives driving societal changes, unique challenges in the AVOD space and more…
Edited Excerpts:
On ZEE5 curating and ensuring its AVOD content in Hindi and regional languages remains engaging and relevant amid evolving viewer preferences
At ZEE5, our approach to curating AVOD content is deeply rooted in understanding and adapting to evolving viewer preferences. Adopting a consumer-centric approach, we carefully curate a content pipeline featuring exclusive titles, nostalgic classics, direct-to-digital releases, e-sports, devotional content, kids’ content, and catch-up TV, enabling access to high-quality content at any time on our platform. In 2023 alone, we launched a plethora of movies, web shows, and exclusive films like ‘Ardh’ with Rajpal Yadav, ‘Am I Next’ with Anushka Sen, and Priyamani’s ‘Sarvam Shakti Mayam’. This year as well, we continue to offer quality and impactful stories like our recent AVOD original ‘Kaam Chalu Hain’.
Our content library comprises of more than 2000 plus free movies across languages catering to diverse regions pan-India. Through the rich legacy of ZEEL (Zee Entertainment Enterprise Ltd), ZEE5 is also home to over 1400 GEC shows spanning 10 plus languages including Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, etc. On AVOD we also stream popular international titles and K-drama series dubbed in local languages. Localisation of content via dubbing and subtitling, along with the rise of affordable high-speed internet and increased smartphone accessibility, has contributed significantly to the growth of the AVOD segment.
Lastly, we also craft innovative brand campaigns to facilitate access to premium content. For example, campaigns such as “ZEE5 Manoranjan Festival,” “Any Time Manoranjan”, “Azadi Ka Jashn, ZEE5 Ke Sang”, and “ZEE5 Kids Festival”, amongst others enable our audiences to explore and engage with diverse content. We also successfully forayed into esports with IESF Big Bang Asia Open 2023 and sports streaming with ILT20.
On ZEE5’s innovation with campaigns like #NoNaariNoShakti and #ZEE5GameChangers to foster meaningful engagements and contribute to societal dialogue
At ZEE5, we believe in the power of storytelling to create meaningful, relatable conversations and drive positive change. With #ZEE5GameChangers, our goal is to connect, collaborate, and communicate with our viewers through socially relevant stories. In line with the initiative, ZEE5 offers titles like ‘Sirf Ek Banda Kaafi Hain’, ‘Duranga’, ‘Abar Proloy’, ‘Lakadbaggha’, ‘Lost’ ‘Ayali’, ‘Mrs Undercover’, and ‘Chhatriwali’, amongst others. On the other hand, #NoNaariNoStory championed women-led narratives against the backdrop of International Women’s Day. The campaign was unveiled with a “Social Media Glitch” executed across our social media platforms. It showcased key visuals of popular ZEE TV shows airing on ZEE5 featuring male leads alone. Through this, it creatively portrayed the intrinsic role female characters/leads play in our stories. Leveraging activations, influencer collaborations, and user-generated content contests, the campaign trended on social media, garnering significant engagement and reach. With initiatives like #NoNaariNoStory and #ZEE5GameChangers, we deepen our commitment to delivering diverse and engaging content experiences while solidifying our position as a leading AVOD streaming platform.
On the unique challenges that ZEE5 faces in the AVOD space, and how does it address them
Navigating the dynamic OTT landscape presents ZEE5 with unique opportunities for growth and innovation. Maintaining campaign freshness, engagement, and ongoing user interest is crucial for us, as meeting the rising demand requires constant innovation to satisfy our ever-evolving digital audience’s expectations. For this, we collaborate with the relevant creators to offer more engaging storytelling to our audiences. We realise that audiences are value-conscious and have tailored our AVOD model to perfectly meet the diverse needs of our viewers. Through our brand campaigns, consumers can experience a variety of content and make well-informed decisions. We also aim to engage our viewers through short format festive content in terms of ‘Festive Look’, ‘Shop like a star’, ‘High 5 with ZEE5’ amongst others.
We also focus on creating unique and engaging properties, through exclusive content, and exploring new genres and formats. Moreover, our platform features properties like ZEE5 World Hits and ZEE5 Spark, offering premium international titles dubbed in local languages. Additionally, our expansion into e-sports streaming with ILT20, devotional content, and diverse brand campaigns has kept our audience engaged and growing.
On examples of ZEE5’s collaboration with influencers or celebrities to amplify its AVOD content
We have been successfully using meme marketing to build online buzz for some of our launches. These memes, often featuring favourite actors in funny or relatable contexts, organically drive traffic due to their shareable nature. This further increases the visibility and engagement around our AVOD content leading to higher viewership. This approach not only boosts visibility but also fosters engagement around our AVOD content.
We curated an influencer campaign for the launch of our latest AVOD original ‘Kaam Chalu Hain’. For this, Rajpal Yadav, who plays the protagonist role in the film, created content with influencers like Atharva Sudhame, RJ Mahavash, Danny Pandit, amongst others to drive awareness about the plot of the film. Within the span of a few days the campaign received positive reception and views. In the past, we have also launched ‘Yaadein’ with Anu Kapoor, featuring some of our iconic shows of the 90s and 2000s.
Additionally, we have been leveraging our TV stars to build a deeper and direct connection with our viewers. For example, the promos of our most recent AVOD brand campaign “Serial Killer” saw prominent collaborations with top leads like Sana Sayyad and Paras Kalnawat of the Hindi serial ‘Kundali Bhagya’; Shivani Rangole and Hrishikesh Shelar of the Marathi serial ‘Tula Shikvin Changlach Dhadha’; Ankita Mallick and Soumyadeep Mukherjee, leads of the Bangla serial ‘Jagadhatri’. Through this campaign, we empower women to watch their desired content at their convenience highlighting the flexibility of our platform. On similar lines, we also released the ‘Entertainment Not Out’ campaign, back in 2023, with promos starring top leads from various regions, talking to the women viewers, reiterating to not miss their favourite content by watching it on ZEE5.
On ZEE5’s plan to leverage partnerships to expand its brand reach and impact
We at ZEE5 strategically partner with well-regarded ecosystem players to expand the reach of our content and further widen our audience base. For example, ZEE5 collaborated with prestigious platforms like the Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival (DPIFF) and Iconic Awards to not only recognise the industry’s achievements but also to bring the magic of cinema and art closer to its audiences. Additionally, at ZEE5, we believe in creating immersive experiences, and celebrations which are an integral part of our cultural fabric. Taking that forward, we partnered with the iconic Ganesh Galli’s Mumbaicha Raja pandal under our festive campaign ‘Manoranjana Cha Raja’ and about 35 pandals during Durga Pujo, offering darshan and aarti via live streaming straight from the pandal directly to the screens for millions of viewers across India. In line with ZEE5’s digital-first philosophy, we also collaborated with Kyoorius for Designyatra 2023. Here, we hosted multiple workshops and created an AR/VR tech space zone at the event to further expand our brand credibility and impact.
On the key initiatives and plans that ZEE5 has in its AVOD roadmap for FY 2024
In 2024, we are further strengthening our AVOD catalogue with beyond TV content, bringing sports tournaments, exclusive titles, originals, and devotional content, amongst others to reach the audience at large. We started the year with yet another impactful title ‘Kaam Chalu Hain’ which has been receiving positive reception from our viewers.
As we mentioned earlier, we also launched the “Serial Killer” campaign recently. The campaign humorously addresses the common scenario of husbands interrupting TV serial watching, especially during the cricket season. Through this we aim to highlight the flexibility of watching a wide range of content on ZEE5 for free, anytime and without interruptions from the “serial killer” at home.
Along with this, we will continue to host targeted brand campaigns like ‘Entertainment Not Out’, ‘ZEE5 Manoranjan Festival’, ‘Any Time Manoranjan’ to broaden access to our diverse content library, leveraging high engaging periods like monsoon and the festive season. We shall stay committed to creating unique and engaging properties through continuous innovation and strategic collaborations with creators and partners.
iWorld
Hari Om OTT premieres Bhagwan Jhulelal Sai series
First devotional show on Jhulelal Sai streams in Sindhi and Hindi.
MUMBAI: Hari Om OTT just turned the tide for devotional dramas because when Jhulelal Sai steps onto the small screen, even the waves start streaming in two languages. Hari Om OTT, India’s leading devotional streaming platform launched in June 2024, has premiered Bhagwan Jhulelal Sai, a milestone series that marks the first-ever show dedicated to the revered deity of the Sindhi community. The show, starring Manish Raisinghani as Jhulelal Sai / Varun Dev and Parag Tyagi as Mirkh Shah, launched on Jhulelal Jayanti and is available in both Sindhi and Hindi.
The series chronicles the life, journey and teachings of Bhagwan Jhulelal Sai, blending mythology with historical elements to deliver an authentic and inspiring narrative for global audiences.
Manish Raisinghani said, “Portraying Jhulelal Sai and Varun Dev was not just a role, it was a spiritual journey and a moment of immense pride for my family and community. This one holds a special place in my heart, especially since the show is coming in our very own Sindhi language as well.”
Parag Tyagi added, “Jhulelal Sai is the first-ever show that beautifully blends mythology with history. Hari Om has achieved something truly special by bringing the stories of our gods and goddesses to audiences in their authentic language.”
Hari Om OTT CEO Avinash Dugar said, “With Bhagwan Jhulelal Sai, we’re excited to share this inspiring story with the Sindhi community and beyond. We will continue to showcase the stories of Indian culture and Sanatan Dharma to the world, presented in their own language.”
The premiere builds on Hari Om OTT’s track record of acclaimed devotional titles including Mata Lakshmi, Jai Jagannath, Shri Tirupati Balaji, Mata Saraswati and Chandra Dev, all focused on celebrating India’s cultural and spiritual legacy through high-quality storytelling.
In a streaming landscape crowded with fiction, Hari Om OTT is quietly proving that the most powerful stories aren’t made up, they’re the ones that have already inspired generations, now delivered straight to your screen in the language of devotion. Bhagwan Jhulelal Sai is now streaming on Hari Om OTT.
