iWorld
In with the new: Zee5 Global to end 2020 with a bang
KOLKATA: Zee5 Global has lined up a fresh slate of originals to wind up 2020 with a bang. The OTT platform is ending the year with the robust content flow it has maintained throughout the year.
Darbaan premiering on 4 December is inspired by a Rabindranath Tagore short story on love, loyalty and sacrifice. This Zee5 original film features Sharib Hashmi and Sharad Kelkar in lead roles.
Lined up for release in the second half of the month is a remake of popular Nordic television series Black Widows, with an ensemble star cast that includes Mona Singh, Raima Sen, Swastika Mukherjee, Shamita Shetty, Sharad Kelkar, Parambrata Chattopadhyay, and Aamir Ali. Bisra Dasgupta has directed this highly-anticipated story of three oppressed women taking the bull by the horns to put an end to domestic violence. Black Widows premieres on 18 December exclusively on Zee5.
Also lined up for release on 18 December is the world digital premiere of the Bangla movie Password. And on 29 December, Milind Soman and Shaheer Sheikh are set to share the screen in a magnum opus period drama Paurashpur, a Zee5-Alt Balaji collaboration.
Apart from these, marking its second anniversary, Zee Keralam will be streaming two new serials – Kaiyethum Doorath that premiered on 30 November, and Manam Pole Mangalyam set to release on 21 December.
Other new TV shows available on Zee5 are the much-awaited Zee Bangla show Aparajita Apu, which debuted on 30 November, Zee Tamil show Thirumati Hitler launching on 14 December, and Zee Punjabi fiction show Maava Thandiyan Chavan, releasing on 15 December.
The streaming platform will also premiere Zee TV’s latest daily soap Kyun Rishton Mein Katti Batti, the story of a married couple who begin to have differences in their relationship, on 14 December, featuring new episodes every day.
Among its year ender specials, Zee5 will air the popular Zee Rishtey Awards 2020 on 27 December. The streaming platform is also hosting a Global Content Festival through December, inviting entries for feature films, documentaries and shorts from independent film makers across the world, giving them a chance to showcase their content on Zee5.
iWorld
Samay Raina returns with Still Alive, confronts 2025 controversy in bold comeback special
Comeback set tackles controversy, blending humour with raw storytelling
MUMBAI: Samay Raina is set to release his new stand-up comedy special, Still Alive, on YouTube on April 7, 2026, marking a high-profile return following a turbulent year.
The trailer for the special dropped on April 5, offering a glimpse into what Raina describes as a raw and unfiltered set that leans as much on honesty as it does on humour.
Positioned as a comeback of sorts, Still Alive draws heavily from the controversy surrounding his show India’s Got Latent in early 2025. The episode led to legal trouble, multiple FIRs, and a lengthy six-hour interrogation by the Maharashtra Cyber Cell, placing the comedian at the centre of intense public scrutiny.
Rather than sidestep the episode, Raina leans into it. The special reflects on the fallout and his personal journey through it, blending observational comedy with moments of emotional candour. Early audience feedback from live performances suggests the tone is less about rapid-fire punchlines and more about storytelling with bite.
The special was filmed during his global Still Alive & Unfiltered tour, which ran from August 2025 to early 2026. The tour saw Raina perform across major international venues, including the Madison Square Garden Theatre in New York, a milestone that places him among the youngest Indian comedians to take that stage.
The title itself signals resilience. “Still Alive” is a nod to navigating both legal and public backlash while choosing to remain unapologetically authentic, a theme that appears to anchor the set.
With the special set to premiere online, all eyes are now on how audiences respond to a performance that promises equal parts reflection and wit. For Raina, the message is clear. He is not just back, he is ready to be heard on his own terms.
