Movies
Zee Telugu becomes the flagbearer of on-ground engagement initiatives
Mumbai:Zee Telugu, a GEC channel across AP and Telangana, has been the go-to entertainment destination for all TV enthusiasts since its inception. Over the years, the channel has enthralled viewers with fiction shows, non-fiction properties as well as blockbuster movies. However, Zee Telugu has also emerged as the flagbearer of on-ground engagement activities, especially in small towns across the two Telugu-speaking states.
In fact, Zee Telugu has been planning and executing some never-seen-before, ingenious and engaging on-ground events and activations for its shows and movies in a bid to reach out to its audience across the smallest of smallest towns in AP & Telangana. The exciting and unique initiatives are a way for the channel to personally connect and engage with its viewers at the local level as well as reward them for their loyalty. The channel plans the events on a grand scale on a regular basis, such that each event organised in these small towns has witnessed footfalls of 8k to 10k people on a consistent basis!
Apart from these remarkable on-ground events, popular Zee Telugu fiction show artistes also pay a visit to the homes of a few lucky people in these small towns as a part of these activities. What’s more is that they take pictures with their fans, spend time with the families they visit, perform special acts for them and provide them with a wholesome experience. All this not only helps the channel’s audience-connect to grow, but people in the smaller towns of AP & Telangana also feel connected with the channel, its shows, its artistes and all of that remains etched in their minds forever.
Seeing the success of such innovative activations by Zee Telugu including the likes of Wipro Consumer Care and Lighting, amongst others, are joining hands with the channel for these on-ground events. In a bid to form a similar bond with the people and to engage with them while increasing their visibility in these smaller towns across AP & Telangana, key brands are partnering with Zee Telugu as they find their on-ground activations as the most innovative way to build local connect.
Zee Entertainment chief growth officer Ashish Sehgal mentioned, “With its plethora of innovative and engaging shows, Zee Telugu is the go-to entertainment destination in AP and Telangana. Being a market leader, the Zee team has always endeavoured to go above and beyond to connect with its viewers in person by conceptualising and executing unique ground events, Zee artiste visits and special performances across small towns and villages. Taking note of this special connection and our expertise in conducting such engagement programs, major consumer brands have joined hands with Zee to create a deeper connection with the audience. We are delighted to work with a renowned organisation like Wipro Consumer Care and Lighting to help them showcase their brands at the ground level across AP and Telangana, making this a unique collaboration extending beyond TV into a deeper marketing relationship.”
Telugu Cluster head Anuradha Gudur also added, “As one of the most successful channels in the Telugu TV Industry, we are always ideating on ways to reach out to our audience in unique ways and help them connect with their favourite stars, who they watch on TV every day. Over the past few years, we have been organising several on-ground experiential activities for our viewers and we have seen thousands of people attending the events and making it a successful practice. In 2023 as well, we are planning more on-ground events and are hoping to collaborate with top brands and reach out to a larger set of towns and audiences across AP & Telangana.”
Wipro consumer care & lighting vice president – marketing S Prasanna Rai shared, “At Wipro Consumer Care and Lighting we have always valued partnerships with brands that are able to create and maintain a strong connect with consumers through innovative campaigns. Hence, we are happy to be associating with Zee Telugu to bring exciting activities and events for its shows and movies on-ground close to audiences and reaching out to them across various cities and towns in AP & Telangana. Our partnership with Zee Telugu has been a great journey with multiple customer connect events, and we hope to continue this partnership to create value together for our consumers”.
Clearly, Zee Telugu has found a unique way to strengthen its brand identity and create the desired impact while reaching out to millions of its viewers at the local level through such activations. With several aspirational and refreshing fiction and non-fiction shows coming up, viewers are in for a treat as Zee Telugu will continue with its exciting audience outreach across AP & Telangana in 2023 as well.
Hindi
ZEE5, Applause announce new film Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa
Rajat Kapoor’s dark comedy thriller to stream on ZEE5 from April 10
MUMBAI: ZEE5 and Applause Entertainment have announced their next direct-to-digital collaboration, Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa, a darkly comic whodunnit set to stream from April 10.
Produced in association with Mithya Talkies and written and directed by Rajat Kapoor, the film marks the latest addition to a growing slate of genre-diverse titles from the two partners. Their previous collaborations include dramas, psychological thrillers and dark comedies, with this outing leaning into a layered murder mystery.
The film features an ensemble cast including Vinay Pathak, Ranvir Shorey, Waluscha De Sousa and Saurabh Shukla, among others. The narrative promises a mix of satire, strained relationships and hidden tensions, inviting viewers to look beyond the crime to the dynamics that lead up to it.
ZEE5 business head hindi and chief channel officer Andtv Kaveri Das said, “Our collaboration with Applause Entertainment has been instrumental in building a strong slate with titles such as Bloody Brothers, Mithya and Jab Khuli Kitaab. Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa is a natural progression, aligning with our focus on genre-led content that resonates with audiences.”
Applause Entertainment business head movies Sunil Chainani said, “This collaboration with ZEE5 continues to stand out for its diversity of genres and narrative styles. Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa adds a sharp, darkly comic whodunnit to that mix, driven by Rajat Kapoor’s distinct voice.”
Sharing his creative approach, Rajat Kapoor said he was drawn to the emotional layers behind the genre. “I was interested not just in the mechanics of a whodunnit, but the emotional violence that precedes physical violence. These are people who appear close, yet carry unspoken tensions that eventually surface.”
The partnership between ZEE5 and Applause continues to build on a shared focus on distinctive storytelling, with each project exploring a different tone and genre.
With its mix of humour, tension and ensemble storytelling, the film aims to offer more than just a mystery. It promises a closer look at the secrets people keep, and the consequences when they finally come to light.
