iWorld
ZEE5 doubles Bengali content viewership, expands in East India
Mumbai: ZEE5, India and Bharat’s largest home-grown video streaming platform and multilingual storyteller for multiple entertainment seekers, clocks a two-times surge in viewership on its Bengali slate since December 2022. In line with the brand’s commitment towards regional expansion, ZEE5 has significantly invested in Bengali content bringing blockbuster hits like ‘Abar Proloy’, ‘Shabash Feluda’, ‘Swetkali’, and ‘Shikarpur’, to name a few. Since December 2022, the platform has clocked an impressive 22 per cent increase in the monthly active viewers in the eastern region. The latest original directed by Raj Chakraborty featuring Saswata Chatterjee, and Ritwick Chakraborty, ‘Abar Proloy’, saw an 86 per cent surge in viewership and three times more watch time than any other Bengali original title. The watch time for the same stood at 146 MN minutes.
Starting January 2023, ZEE5 released a high-octane slate of 10 blockbuster titles featuring the best names of the Bangla creative ecosystem. The platform’s growth in Bengali content viewership can be attributed to its strategic partnerships with top-tier industry talents who have been instrumental in bringing captivating stories from the hinterlands of the East and the Eastern periphery directly to the audiences. This includes gripping original series, blockbuster movies, heartwarming family dramas, and pulse-pounding thrillers like ‘Raktokarabi’, ‘Shikarpur’, ‘Shabash Feluda’, ‘Abar Proloy’, ‘Swetkali’, ‘Seven’ amongst others. Since its inception, ZEE5 has consistently provided an enriching and diverse entertainment experience to its Bengali-speaking audience with its consumer-first approach.
Speaking on the brand’s expansion in the region, ZEE5 India chief business officer Manish Kalra said, “We are happy to witness such an encouraging response from our viewers in the Eastern market. The Bengal entertainment industry exhibits immense potential and has garnered acclaim for its exceptional storytelling for years We are thankful to our partners and the talent from the region for their dedication and remarkable creativity, which has truly captivated the Bengali diaspora across the globe. We have released successful titles like Abar Proloy in multiple languages owing to their popularity and the demand from consumers., Rest assured, we remain steadfast in our commitment to invest in Bengal, staying committed to bringing real, relatable and authentic stories to our viewers.”
ZEE5’s journey in the Eastern market has been marked by innovation, collaboration, and a keen understanding of local audiences’ sensibilities. The platform has brought post-theatrical premieres of blockbusters like ‘Boudi Canteen’, ‘Biye Bibhrat’, ‘Shohorer Ushnotomo Din E’, ‘Hatyapuri’, etc. Apart from originals, the platform also has a slew of exclusive titles including the likes of ‘Projapati’, ‘Aparajito’, ‘Bhoy’, ‘Uttaran’, ‘Joy Kali Kolkatawali’. In addition to Bengali blockbusters, the platform offers a host of premium content in Hindi and other languages namely ‘Bandaa’, ‘Tarla’, ‘The Kashmir Files, ‘Haddi’, ‘Mrs Undercover’, ‘Bob Biswas’, ‘Duranga’, ‘Rangbaaz’ and many more.
iWorld
Anirudh Ravichander and Universal Music India join forces to take South India’s sound to the world
The composer behind 13 billion streams launches Albuquerque Records with UMI as its exclusive global partner
MUMBAI: Universal Music India has struck an exclusive partnership with Albuquerque Records, the freshly minted independent label of singer-composer Anirudh Ravichander, in a deal that bets big on South India’s booming pop and hip-hop scene going global.
The arrangement, announced on 17 March, will see Universal Music India handle future pop and hip-hop releases by Anirudh himself, as well as artists signed to the new label. A first release is already in the pipeline for April, featuring Anirudh.
The numbers behind the man are hard to ignore. Debuting in 2012 with the viral sensation “Why This Kolaveri Di”, Anirudh has since clocked over 13 billion audio streams across more than 770 tracks, cementing his position as the No.1 South Indian artist on Spotify by total streams. His fingerprints are all over some of the Tamil film industry’s biggest musical moments, from Hukum and Vaathi Coming to Arabic Kuthu and the A23 Theme.
But Albuquerque Records is a different beast. Built for the non-film space, it is designed to nurture independent talent and champion the next wave of Indian pop voices. “Universal Music India’s leadership in pop and hip-hop made them the natural partner,” said Anirudh. “I’m excited to take independent voices to audiences around the world.”
Universal Music India’s chairman and CEO Devraj Sanyal was equally effusive. “Anirudh represents the future of Indian music, bold, original, and with enormous potential,” he said. “Identifying transformative talent is our superpower, and this partnership reflects that belief.”
Sanujeet Bhujabal, managing director of Universal Music India, framed the deal as more than a distribution play. “Albuquerque Records represents Anirudh’s bold artistic vision in the world of pop and hip-hop,” he said. “True to his legacy of innovation, this partnership is set to establish yet another landmark creative space, this time for the emerging world of iPop and beyond.”
For Universal Music India, the deal deepens a long-running push into South India’s four key language markets: Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Telugu. The label already has regional imprints, film partnerships with Maddock Films and Excel Entertainment, and a growing non-film roster. Landing Anirudh, arguably the south’s most bankable music brand, is a statement of intent. South Indian music has the streams. Now it is coming for the world.
