iWorld
ZEE5 launches ‘Sex, Drugs & Theatre’
MUMBAI: After announcing a power packed line-up of 72 Originals across 6 languages (till March 2020) at its first anniversary, ZEE5 launched its high voltage Original ‘Sex, Drugs & Theatre’ at an event in Pune. With an aim to strengthen its Marathi Originals library, on the back of a phenomenal response to earlier content including Date With Saie, Liftman and Veergati; ZEE5’s latest 10-episode web series premiered on 5th March 2019.
Created by National Award-winning film-maker, Sujay Dahake, the show features Parvin Tarde, Sunil Barve, Adish Vaidya, Mitali Mayekar, Suyash Zunjurke, Shalva Kinjwadekar, Nayannah Mukey, Abhishek Deshmukh and also Sujay Dahake who will be seen playing a crucial role. ‘Sex, Drugs and Theatre’ delves into the drama format of storytelling and is a representation of theatre in a cinematic way. The series narrates the journey of six college students who are made to work on a prestigious drama competition that completely changes their lives.
Series Creator and Director Sujay Dahake, said, “Theatre is one of the oldest forms of performing arts and this show brings together art along with budding artists of the industry in a seamless manner. With a robust script and relatable dynamics, the show is certain to hook the audience and give a spin to digital storytelling for the Marathi audience. It has been a pleasure to work with the ZEE5 team who gave us the right platform that we needed to tell our story.”
Commenting on the launch, Manish Aggarwal, Business Head, ZEE5 India said, “Since our launch last year, we have consistently provided content on the platform that is relatable, edgy and something that viewers keep coming back to the platform for. Sex, Drugs & Theatre is one such example. It has a contemporary theme that will reverberate among today’s youth. It is a cool, youthful, vibrant show, something quite different from what the audience has seen so far. It is sure to set an industry benchmark.”
Aparna Acharekar, Programming Head, ZEE5 India said, “Working with Sujay has been a wonderful experience. His keen sense of storytelling and pulse on the audience preferences will reflect in the success that the show is sure to garner.”
With over 3500 films, 500+ TV shows, 4000+ music videos, 35+ theatre plays and 90+ LIVE TV Channels across 12 languages, ZEE5 truly presents a blend of unrivalled content offering for its viewers across the nation. With ZEE5, the global content of Zindagi as a brand, which was widely appreciated across the country, has also been brought back for its loyal viewers.
Availability: The ZEE5 App can be downloaded from Google Play Store http://bit.ly/zee5 and iOS App Store http://bit.ly/zee5ios. Also available at www.zee5.com, as a Progressive Web App (PWA), and on Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV Stick. ZEE5 also supports Chromecast.
Pricing: Freemium pricing model with both free and paid premium content (including Originals) to cater to a mix of audiences. Viewers who subscribe to the ZEE5 subscription pack will get access to the entire library of content with – 99/- for 1 month and 999/- for a year. Subscribers can avail a 50% cashback on the above-mentioned price by paying through Paytm.
iWorld
Why Peaky Blinders is one of television’s biggest hits that still deserves more attention
Six seasons, multiple awards and the release of Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man bring the Shelby saga back into the spotlight
In the crowded universe of streaming content, only a handful of shows manage to leave a lasting cultural footprint. Peaky Blinders is overwhelmingly considered one of the biggest global hits of the past decade. Yet many viewers still haven’t fully explored the dark, gripping world of the Shelby family.
Originally produced for the UK’s BBC and later finding a massive global audience through Netflix, the series quietly grew from a British period drama into a worldwide streaming phenomenon.
Created by Steven Knight, the show follows the rise of the Shelby crime family in post-First World War Birmingham. What begins as a gritty street-gang story gradually expands into a sweeping narrative about ambition, politics, power and survival.
At the centre of the saga is Thomas Shelby, portrayed with extraordinary depth by Cillian Murphy. The casting of Murphy is widely regarded as perfect for the role. With piercing eyes, restrained dialogue and an almost hypnotic screen presence, he transforms Shelby into one of the most unforgettable characters in modern screen storytelling.
Murphy’s brilliance lies in his restraint. He rarely shouts or performs theatrically. Instead, a quiet stare, a calculated pause or a subtle shift in expression conveys the emotional storms within the character. Beneath the ruthless gang leader is a war veteran carrying trauma, guilt and loneliness. Murphy captures this complexity with remarkable precision, making Thomas Shelby both terrifying and deeply human.
Beyond its central performance, Peaky Blinders stands out for its unfiltered portrayal of reality. The show does not romanticise crime. Instead, it exposes the harsh social conditions of early 20th-century Britain, from poverty and class struggle to political extremism and the psychological scars left by war.
The series also presents powerful female characters who hold their own within the Shelby empire. Polly Gray, played by Helen McCrory, is the strategic backbone of the family and one of the most formidable figures in the story. Women in the series shape decisions, influence power structures and challenge the rigid social norms of the time.
Across six seasons, the narrative grows dramatically in scale. What begins in the smoky streets of Birmingham evolves into a story involving political conspiracies, fascism and international criminal networks.
The series has also earned significant critical acclaim. It won the BAFTA Television Award for Best Drama Series in 2018 and multiple National Television Awards for Best Drama, cementing its reputation as one of Britain’s most celebrated modern shows.
Another defining feature of the series is its iconic music. The show’s opening theme, Red Right Hand by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, became instantly recognisable and widely associated with the Shelby universe. Combined with a powerful soundtrack featuring artists such as Arctic Monkeys and Radiohead, the music helped shape the show’s dark, stylish identity and became hugely popular among fans.
And the Shelby story is not over yet.
In fact, its legacy is unfolding right now. The long-awaited feature-length continuation, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, was released on March 6, 2026, bringing the Shelby universe from streaming screens to cinemas and giving fans a new chapter in the saga.
For viewers who have not yet stepped into this world, the timing could not be better.
Six gripping seasons are ready to binge on Netflix. A new film has just arrived in theatres. And at the heart of it all stands one of the most magnetic performances in modern drama by Cillian Murphy.
So if Peaky Blinders has been sitting on your watchlist for years, this weekend is your moment.
So, by order of the Peaky fookin’ Blinders, consider this your cue to finally step into the ruthless world of Thomas Shelby. Pour yourself a drink, clear your schedule and press the play button. Because when the Peaky Blinders give an order, you listen.
