iWorld
ZEE5 Global provides Bollywood entertainment in Middle East
Mumbai: Bollywood films have always been appreciated and loved throughout the Middle East, particularly in the UAE among both Indians and local audiences. ZEE5 Global, a streaming platform, is now amplifying this connection.
ZEE5 Global provides South Asian entertainment in the Middle East and around the globe, has one of the greatest collections of content in South Indian languages, over 4000 movies, and the largest collection of movies across all South Indian languages.
The platform recently premiered the mega-blockbuster “RRR” in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada and also “The Kashmir Files” both of which were huge hits across the Middle East.
ZEE5 Global recently announced its partnership with the LuLu Group for their India Utsav celebrations to mark the 75th anniversary of Indian independence.
ZEE5 Global chief business officer Archana Anand, said, “We are very happy to partner with LuLu for yet another hugely successful event to bring the entertainment factor into the shopping experience. Sonali’s presence only added to the festive spirit as fans were thrilled to meet the star. The Middle East is a very special market for us and we look forward to continuing to enthral our audiences here with the best of Bollywood blockbusters and South Asian stories”.
She further added, “As part of the festivities, ZEE5 Global flew in actor Sonali Bendre, who had a special meet and greet with fans who flocked to Dubai and Abu Dhabi on 20 August. Sonali, who recently made her OTT debut on ZEE5 Global with The Broken News, also shopped with fans who were overjoyed to meet her”
The announcement was made at the LuLu regional headquarters in Dubai during a live press conference.
The “India Utsav” was launched across the GCC countries on 15 August 2022 at Al Wahda Mall in Abu Dhabi, in the Lulu Group’s first ever simultaneous region-wide launch of this celebration.
Actor Sonali Bendre said, “It’s been such a fun experience being at the India Utsav in Dubai and interacting with everyone here. It’s great to see how everyone has participated in the activities as part of the celebrations. My association with ZEE5 Global has always been amazing and I’m so glad that my first OTT show, The Broken News on ZEE5 Global, has been much appreciated and loved by audiences across the world. I’m also excited that Duranga is receiving a positive response on ZEE5 Global, which is a creation of Rose Audio production and helmed by my husband Goldie Behl.”
In addition, the brand has planned a slew of new content launches and partnership announcements for the coming holidays, which will be revealed in the coming weeks.
iWorld
Prime Video unveils biggest India originals slate yet
Nearly 55 titles across languages signal deeper push into films, series
MUMBAI: Prime Video is turning up the volume on Indian storytelling, unveiling its largest-ever Originals slate at the ‘Prime Video Presents’ showcase, with close to 55 series and films spanning languages, genres and formats.
The new lineup, which stretches across Hindi, Tamil and Telugu, signals a clear intent: go bigger, go wider, and meet audiences wherever they are watching, whether on streaming screens or in cinemas. Alongside Originals, the platform also announced a fresh theatrical slate under Amazon MGM Studios, marking a deeper step into the big-screen business.
Among the headline acts is The Revolutionaries, a large-scale drama from Nikkhil Advani starring Bhuvan Bam and Rohit Saraf. The slate also features Matka King with Vijay Varma, Raakh starring Ali Fazal and Sonali Bendre, and Lukkhe, which marks rapper King’s acting debut. Adding a genre twist is Vansh – The Kalyug Warriors, positioned as India’s first homegrown Hindi superhero series for streaming.
Familiar favourites are also making a return, with new seasons of Farzi, Panchayat, Call Me Bae, Dupahiya, Dahaad and The Traitors in the pipeline, reinforcing the platform’s bet on established franchises.
Regional storytelling gets a notable push. Highlights include a Telugu adaptation of The Traitors hosted by Teja Sajja, the drama Guvvala Cheruvu Ghat, and Tamil titles such as Exam and returning seasons of Vadhandhi and Inspector Rishi.
The slate also opens new creative partnerships. Hrithik Roshan’s HRX Films steps into streaming with Storm and Mess, while Alia Bhatt’s Eternal Sunshine Productions backs Don’t Be Shy. Production houses including Excel Entertainment, Tiger Baby Films and The Viral Fever further deepen the creative bench.
On the theatrical front, the platform is lining up five films, including Raftaar starring Rajkummar Rao and Keerthy Suresh, VIBE directed by Kunal Kemmu, Dilkashi with music by A. R. Rahman, Nayyi Navelli featuring Yami Gautam, and Kuku Ki Kundli starring Wamiqa Gabbi.
According to Prime Video India director and head of Svod business Shilangi Mukherji, India remains central to the platform’s global growth, ranking among its top markets for new subscribers. She noted that nearly two-thirds of users watch content in more than four languages, underlining a growing appetite for diverse storytelling.
Prime Video India director and head of originals Nikhil Madhok, said the new slate reflects a continued push towards bold, culturally rooted narratives with global appeal.
In short, Prime Video is not just adding titles, it is widening the lens. From small-town dramas to superhero sagas and cinema-ready spectacles, the message is simple: more stories, more voices, and far more ways to watch them.
