iWorld
Zee5 Global unveils fresh content line-up for April
KOLKATA: As we wind up the first quarter of the year, Zee5 Global has unveiled a fresh new line-up of content. Viewers can choose from a variety of Zee5 Originals, television shows, and non-fiction shows to enjoy their summer at home.
Leading the April line-up is the much-awaited Zee5 Original Film Raat Baaki Hai starring Paoli Dam, Anup Soni, Rahul Dev, Dipannita Sharma and Akash Dahiya. Set to premiere on 16 April, the film is a remake of the popular play Ballygunge-1990, and has been directed by Avinash Das and produced by Samar Khan of Juggernaut Productions. The film revolves around a fateful meeting between two ex-lovers under strange circumstances: one of them is running away from the law for being a murder suspect.
Zee5-ALTBalaji Original web series Mai Hero Boll Raha Hu starring Parth Samanth, Patralekha and late Asif Basra will drop on 20 April. Taking the viewers through Nawab’s rise as an underworld don in the late 1980s and 1990s, the intriguing drama documents how an amazing friendship and mentorship quickly turns sour when Nawab outperforms his mentor Lala. Next in line is His Story, a Zee5-ALTBalaji Original series starring Satyadeep Misra, Priyamani and Mrinal Dutt in lead roles. The Hindi series premierses on 25 April.
Zee5 Tamil Original Film Mathil revolves around Laxmikanthan, a common man, who fights against a politician who usurps the wall of his dream house for an election campaign. Starring Mime Gopi and KS Ravikumar, Mathil releases on 14 April 2021 (Puthandu, the Tamil New Year); the trailer is already out.
Viewers can also enjoy a special Ramadan curation from 12 April onwards with a variety of delectable festive recipes from celebrity chefs Kunal Kapoor, Sakshi Batra and others. Furthermore, the platform will stream some of the most loved family movies, TV shows and Originals for audiences across markets. From Shabana Azmi’s Mee Raqsam to primetime legacy shows Razia Sultan, Jodha Akbar and popular originals including Daawat-e-Biryani, Jaadu Kadai and more.
For Zee Tamil viewers, the platform is set to celebrate the grand success of Yaradi nee Mohini and Poove Poochudava crossing a landmark 1,000 episodes – the first ever shows to do so, with Vetri Vizha on 11 April.
Zee Bangla viewers can enjoy a new fiction TV show Amader Ei Poth Jadi Na Sesh Hoy, where a rich girl Urmi decides to become a taxi driver, in an exciting journey of self-discovery and independence. Slated to be released on 12 April, the show stars Anwesha Hazra as Urmi. Zee Bangla will soon premiere Dance Bangla Dance Season 10, judged by Bollywood celebrity Govinda and popular Bengali superstar Jeet and Ankush. The exciting Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Bangla gears up to stream the grand finale on 18 April.
Zee Punjabi viewers can celebrate Baisakhi with Neeru Bajwa and top Punjabi artists and TV stars in a special episode on 10 April, while in the popular Punjabi cooking show Swaad Aa Gaya, viewers can celebrate Baisakhi the whole week.
iWorld
Why Peaky Blinders is one of television’s biggest hits that still deserves more attention
Six seasons, multiple awards and the release of Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man bring the Shelby saga back into the spotlight
In the crowded universe of streaming content, only a handful of shows manage to leave a lasting cultural footprint. Peaky Blinders is overwhelmingly considered one of the biggest global hits of the past decade. Yet many viewers still haven’t fully explored the dark, gripping world of the Shelby family.
Originally produced for the UK’s BBC and later finding a massive global audience through Netflix, the series quietly grew from a British period drama into a worldwide streaming phenomenon.
Created by Steven Knight, the show follows the rise of the Shelby crime family in post-First World War Birmingham. What begins as a gritty street-gang story gradually expands into a sweeping narrative about ambition, politics, power and survival.
At the centre of the saga is Thomas Shelby, portrayed with extraordinary depth by Cillian Murphy. The casting of Murphy is widely regarded as perfect for the role. With piercing eyes, restrained dialogue and an almost hypnotic screen presence, he transforms Shelby into one of the most unforgettable characters in modern screen storytelling.
Murphy’s brilliance lies in his restraint. He rarely shouts or performs theatrically. Instead, a quiet stare, a calculated pause or a subtle shift in expression conveys the emotional storms within the character. Beneath the ruthless gang leader is a war veteran carrying trauma, guilt and loneliness. Murphy captures this complexity with remarkable precision, making Thomas Shelby both terrifying and deeply human.
Beyond its central performance, Peaky Blinders stands out for its unfiltered portrayal of reality. The show does not romanticise crime. Instead, it exposes the harsh social conditions of early 20th-century Britain, from poverty and class struggle to political extremism and the psychological scars left by war.
The series also presents powerful female characters who hold their own within the Shelby empire. Polly Gray, played by Helen McCrory, is the strategic backbone of the family and one of the most formidable figures in the story. Women in the series shape decisions, influence power structures and challenge the rigid social norms of the time.
Across six seasons, the narrative grows dramatically in scale. What begins in the smoky streets of Birmingham evolves into a story involving political conspiracies, fascism and international criminal networks.
The series has also earned significant critical acclaim. It won the BAFTA Television Award for Best Drama Series in 2018 and multiple National Television Awards for Best Drama, cementing its reputation as one of Britain’s most celebrated modern shows.
Another defining feature of the series is its iconic music. The show’s opening theme, Red Right Hand by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, became instantly recognisable and widely associated with the Shelby universe. Combined with a powerful soundtrack featuring artists such as Arctic Monkeys and Radiohead, the music helped shape the show’s dark, stylish identity and became hugely popular among fans.
And the Shelby story is not over yet.
In fact, its legacy is unfolding right now. The long-awaited feature-length continuation, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, was released on March 6, 2026, bringing the Shelby universe from streaming screens to cinemas and giving fans a new chapter in the saga.
For viewers who have not yet stepped into this world, the timing could not be better.
Six gripping seasons are ready to binge on Netflix. A new film has just arrived in theatres. And at the heart of it all stands one of the most magnetic performances in modern drama by Cillian Murphy.
So if Peaky Blinders has been sitting on your watchlist for years, this weekend is your moment.
So, by order of the Peaky fookin’ Blinders, consider this your cue to finally step into the ruthless world of Thomas Shelby. Pour yourself a drink, clear your schedule and press the play button. Because when the Peaky Blinders give an order, you listen.
