Event Coverage
MIPCOM: Zee presents scripted, unscripted series
MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) announced its slate of six new and current formats for MIPCOM for licensing and development. For the first time, screening sessions will be held in the Zee Bollyworld Preview Theatre located at ZEE’s booth # P1-K51.
Sunita Uchil, recently promoted to chief business officer, international ad sales, global syndication and production, said, “Zee has a rich history of developing and producing programs with universal themes that are adaptable to all regions of the world. We are looking forward to hosting buyers and showcasing our new formats, as well as the popular dance-based reality show ‘Dance India Dance’, at our Zee Bollyworld Preview Theatre. In other words, Zee Bollyworld promises a truly edge-of-the-seat experience at MIPCOM 2016”.
Zee’s unscripted formats include India’s original dance reality show, Dance India Dance, in which contestants are judged by leading Bollywood choreographers on their dance skills. Launching its sixth
season later this year, there have been numerous spinoffs of the format, a Singapore edition, as well as a local production in Thailand. Moksha is a brand-new game show requiring strategy, luck and
skill.
Zee’s scripted formats include: Phantasmagoria is a series of 12 wickedly twisted short stories. The story centers on an inconspicuous pawnshop in the corner of a decrepit by lane. Each tale brings about a series of illusions, apparitions and deception based on the elements that are uniquely characteristic of each sign of the zodiac. The Eclipse Harvest is a high-octane crime series about the NYPD Organized Crime Control Bureau. The son of a decorated officer in the Narcotics Division and the son of a drug lord each set out to eclipse their respective fathers of their glory. The mothers of the young men narrate the stories of how their lives are taken away by circumstances and how they are paradoxically connected.
Two additional scripted formats are all-time favorites in the comedy genre are Hum Paanch (Five Is A Crowd) and Kareena Kareena.
Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited is one of India’s leading television media and entertainment companies. It is amongst the largest producers and aggregators of Hindi programming in the world, with an extensive library housing over 222,000 hours of television content.
Event Coverage
Anime India announces Amazon MX Player as co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata 2026
MUMBAI: Riding high on the success of its blockbuster Mumbai debut, Anime India is accelerating its nationwide expansion with the announcement of Amazon MX Player as the co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata. The partnership marks a significant step forward in the festival’s mission to deliver large-scale, accessible, and fan-first anime experiences across the country.
Scheduled for 14 and 15 February 2026 at the iconic Biswa Bangla Mela Prangan, Anime India Kolkata will launch the first regional chapter of what is set to be a year-long, multi-city tour. As the curtain-raiser for the 2026 circuit, the Kolkata edition aims to fuse the energy of global Japanese pop culture with India’s fast-growing community of anime, manga, and pop-culture fans.
A household name in digital entertainment, Amazon MX Player brings unmatched reach and cultural relevance to the Anime India platform. With its expanding focus on anime and youth-driven content, Amazon MX Player’s involvement as co-presenting partner reinforces Anime India’s vision of making anime culture more inclusive breaking barriers of language, geography, and accessibility to connect with fans nationwide.
Anime India Kolkata 2026 will showcase cosplay competitions, interactive zones led by the Indian Gunpla Community, India-39 Vocaloid Community, The Japan Curry, and Adda-o-Otaku by The Otaku Guild. Fans can join tournaments across fighting games, Pokémon VGC, and more. Acclaimed Japanese director Susumu Mitsunaka (Haikyu!!) will attend as guest of honour, appearing in panels and live sessions. Positioned as an immersive celebration of fan culture and industry collaboration, the Kolkata edition marks the beginning of Anime India’s nationwide expansion.
Sharing their perspective on the partnership, Amazon MX Player director Aruna Daryanani expressed, “Anime in India has evolved from a niche interest into a mainstream cultural movement, driven by an increasingly engaged and passionate fanbase. At Amazon MX Player, our focus is on expanding access by bringing anime to audiences across the country for free and in multiple local languages. Our association with Anime India reflects our commitment to supporting the growth of anime in India and deepening connections with fans, while continuing to build Amazon MX Player as a trusted destination for free, high-quality entertainment.”
“Anime India Kolkata is a celebration of how anime has grown beyond entertainment into a powerful cultural and creative force. By bringing fans, creators, and industry leaders onto one shared platform, the festival is helping define the future of pop culture in India,” said Anime India co-founder and director Neha Mehta.
The debut edition of Anime India 2025 in Mumbai attracted over 29,000 fans, quickly cementing its status as a landmark celebration of anime and Japanese pop culture. Riding on this overwhelming response, the Kolkata chapter is projected to draw more than 40,000 visitors across two days, positioning it as one of the biggest anime conventions ever held in eastern India.
Anime India is focused on bringing together fans from across the country to create a truly pan-India celebration of anime, manga, cosplay, gaming, and Japanese culture. With plans to expand into four key metropolitan hubs in 2026—east (Kolkata), north (Delhi), west (Mumbai), and south (Hyderabad)—the festival seeks to deliver globally benchmarked experiences while supporting and uplifting creators, artists, and fan communities throughout India.
