Telugu Zee5 brings Sankranthi home with Manchu Manoj

MUMBAI:Sankranthi comes home before the sweets this year, riding in on a bus and settling down in the manduva. Telugu Zee5 has rolled out its festive brand film featuring Manchu Manoj, tapping into nostalgia, family banter and rural warmth to underline a simple message: when it comes to festival viewing, homegrown stories still rule the screen.

Built around the line ‘Mana Pandaga, Mana Entertainment, Mana Telugu Zee5’, the film unfolds in a traditional village household during Sankranthi. From Manoj’s cheerful bus ride back home to teasing relatives, noisy laughter and a full-throttle festive gathering, the narrative leans into recognisable Telugu family moments. The tone stays light, humorous and rooted, positioning Telugu Zee5 as the default entertainment companion not just for the festival week, but for the year ahead.

Directed by Sai Marthand with cinematography by Suriya Balaji, the duo behind the series Little Hearts, the film blends old-school festive nostalgia with contemporary pacing. It also cleverly mirrors the platform’s broader content strategy, spotlighting a diverse slate that already includes popular titles such as Beauty, Nayanam, Bhairavam, Sankrantiki Vasthunam, Kishkindapuri and Hanuman, each catering to different viewing moods and age groups.

The campaign also sets the stage for what’s next. Telugu Zee5 is lining up major releases featuring Chiranjeevi, Nayanthara and Ravi Teja, signalling a steady pipeline of star-driven and mass-appeal content. Telugu Zee5 business head Anuradha Guru said the focus remains on culturally rooted storytelling that reflects Telugu tastes, while Manoj noted that the campaign brought him back to the light-hearted, family-centric space that audiences continue to enjoy.

As OTT platforms jostle for attention, Telugu Zee5’s Sankranthi pitch is refreshingly straightforward. Celebrate your festival, watch your stories, in your language. Sometimes, the simplest ideas travel the farthest.