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Exclusive: Zee Café to develop more unscripted formats to expand reach
Mumbai: English entertainment channel Zee Café is looking to reach out to a larger set of audiences by creating more unscripted format shows after launching the second seasons of “Chef vs Fridge” and “Dance With Me” shows.
“Every time a limited series, which typically runs over 13 weeks, comes to an end, we want to begin something new to keep audiences engaged,” says Zee English Cluster chief channel officer Rishi Parekh. “We know that cooking and dancing formats work and are searching for more unscripted formats that audiences are looking forward to watching and consuming.”
The first seasons of “Chef vs Fridge” and “Dance With Me” garnered 12 million reach and 23 million reach across the network, respectively. Notably, the two shows were created in ‘Hinglish’ and broadcast on sister channels including Zee Zest, Zee TV, Zee Ganga and Zee Magic as well as dubbed in Marathi and Telugu for wider reach. “English language content caters to a specific set of audiences. In order to grow that base, we’ve created a show that’s competitive and has a different format,” remarks Parekh. “Since we created the shows in ‘Hinglish’ we were able to bring more Zee channels on board and reach a larger audience rather than a specific set.”
In November last year, the channel partnered with Korean Culture Centre to bring popular K-dramas like “Boys Over Flowers,” “Descendants Of The Sun” and others to Indian TV. Parekh notes that the reception to Korean content has been fantastic with “Boys Over Flowers” initially being the top show followed by “Extraordinary You.” “India is one of the top countries in terms of K-drama consumption. We’ve managed to be top channel over the last seven weeks on Zee Café HD on the back of Korean content consumption. The audiences have expressed outright that they want to consume such kind of content and we’re working on identifying more foreign languages that would work.”
English movie channel &PriveHD had launched a property last year called ‘World Box Office’ that featured films across ten foreign languages. “The most popular languages were French and Spanish, however, audiences also enjoyed Swedish and Norwegian language films,” shares Parekh.
“The biggest learning was that more than languages people enjoyed genres like fantasy and adventure. Telling the stories in their original language helped supplement the storytelling,” he further says.
Zee English cluster is working on identifying unscripted formats and foreign languages that can continue to attract incremental audiences to the channel.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
