English Entertainment
Suraj Sharma joins crew of ‘Homeland’ series
NEW DELHI: Actor Suraj Sharma, who made an impact worldwide with ‘The Life of Pi’, has joined season four of the hit show series ‘Homeland’ which will be aired on Star World Premiere, along with its broadcast in America.
Apart from Sharma, the fourth season of the drama series has two new cast members – Laila Robins (Bored To Death, In Treatment) and Golden Globe® nominee Corey Stoll (House of Cards).
Corey Stoll will play the CIA chief of station in Pakistan and Laila Robins as the American Ambassador to Pakistan.
”I miss Danesy! I miss her! They’ll be starting up again now,” said the British actor, Damian Lewis and revealed how much he misses his Homeland co-star Claire Danes. The cast of the hit Emmy award winning show is currently in Cape Town.
He also revealed that he almost did not join the show as Nicholas Brody. “I was very reluctant to do to another TV show. In fact, this was sent to me by my American agent. He just said, ‘Just read this one,’” Lewis recalls. His agent told him: “Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa are involved, they ran ’24’ for the last five or six seasons. Claire Danes is doing it, Mandy Patinkin is on board. This is the one that everyone’s talking about. Just read it.
“I very nearly did not do it, for personal reasons,” Lewis admited. “But there were just too many compelling reasons to do it, so I did and I’m extremely happy.”
English Entertainment
ZEE5 UK partners Narrative Entertainment to add UK channels
Six FAST channels added as platform sharpens hybrid play in Britain
LONDON: ZEE5 UK struck a first-of-its-kind deal with Narrative Entertainment, bringing mainstream UK television channels onto an Indian streaming platform as it pushes to deepen its footprint in a crowded, mature market.
The partnership adds six of Narrative’s FAST channels to the service, including Great! Movies, Great! Romance, Great! Mystery and kids brands POP, Tiny Pop and POP UP, widening ZEE5 UK’s appeal across genres and age groups.
The move reflects a clear shift in strategy. ZEE5 UK is betting on a hybrid model that blends on-demand content with curated, always-on channels to drive discovery and increase time spent on the platform.
“This partnership represents a meaningful evolution in how we serve audiences in mature markets like the UK, where viewers are defined by habits, convenience and choice rather than geography or language alone,” said Parul Goel, territory head, Europe, Zee Entertainment. “By bringing trusted mainstream UK channels together with our premium originals, movies and kids’ content, we are building a more consumer-centric platform that simplifies viewing while increasing depth and relevance.”
Fateha Begum, commercial director, Narrative Entertainment, said the tie-up would fuel growth for both sides. “Our portfolio of quality programming, with such wide and enduring appeal, is a perfect complement to ZEE5 UK. This is a strong partnership that will support growth for both parties, and we share Zee Entertainment’s vision of an increasingly partnership-led future for the industry.”
ZEE5’s global library spans over 4,000 films and more than 500 originals, with over 130 new titles added annually. The addition of Narrative’s channels strengthens its kids offering and introduces genre-led linear experiences alongside its on-demand catalogue.
The deal also gives Narrative access to ZEE5 UK’s fast-growing user base, extending reach without diluting brand identity, while reinforcing ZEE5 UK’s network of more than 40 live channels.
As streaming wars intensify, ZEE5 UK is widening its playbook, blending content, convenience and partnerships in a bid to win screen time in one of the world’s toughest markets.
