iWorld
ZEE5 kicks off march mania with a line-up of new originals for its global markets
MUMBAI: As part of its line-up of 72 originals for 2019-20, ZEE5 has unveiled an exciting set of Originals across languages premiering in March for its global audiences.
The Sholay Girl aptly premiered on 8th March 2019 and follows the journey of Reshma Pathan, the first stunt woman in the Hindi film industry who was the body double for Hema Malini. Few, except for die-hard ‘Sholay’ fans around the world know that she was Basanti’s stunt double in the famous ‘tanga’ chase scene in the blockbuster film.
Mrs. Subbalakshmi is a Telugu Original about a woman who escapes from her workaholic husband but lands in the middle of a diamond heist. Lakshmi Manchu, Tollywood actor and television host, makes her digital debut in this hilarious new web-series.
Sex, Drugs and Theatre is a high strung, fast paced Marathi Original created by National Award-winning film-maker, Sujay Dahake. The series is a coming of age tale about six college students on their journey to self-discovery.
Sec 377 is based on true events and will premiere on 19th March 2019. The movie follows the lives of five Individuals from the LGBTQ community who come together with a singular mission, to abolish the infamous sec 377 act
“With the launch of these Originals across multiple languages, we’re further strengthening our presence across global markets. We have a lineup of 72 Originals this year, with definitive, edgy stories, and this will help us further build on the already phenomenal response we are getting across global markets.” said Archana Anand, Chief Business Officer – ZEE5 Global
Also lined up for March are new episodes of The Final Call (Arjun Rampal) Abhay (Kunal Kemmu) and Parchayee – Ghost Stories by Ruskin Bond. ZEE5 Tamil Originals, Kallachirippu (produced by Karthik Subbaraj) and D7 are now also available in Hindi, Telugu, Bangla, Kannada, Marathi and Malayalam.
With over 1,00,000 hours of Indian TV Shows, Movies, News and Videos, ZEE5 offers the largest bouquet of content across 12 languages to South Asian audiences and beyond globally. ZEE5 also offers 60+ popular Live TV channels, including ZEE’s best loved channels.
ZEE5 is available on Google Play Store, iOS App Store, www.ZEE5.com as well as on Samsung Smart TVs, Apple TV, Android TVs and Amazon Fire TV.
iWorld
Prime Video to stream Tamil thriller Exam from May 15
Seven-episode series from National Award-winner A. Sarkunam streams in India and 240-plus countries
MUMBAI: Prime Video announced on April 27th that Exam, a taut seven-episode suspense drama set against the crucible of high-stakes competitive testing, will premiere on May 15th in India and across more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.
Written and directed by A. Sarkunam, a National Award-winner, the series is produced under the Wallwatcher Films banner by the creative duo Pushkar and Gayatri, who have previously delivered Suzhal: The Vortex (both seasons) and Vadhandhi: The Fable of Velonie for the platform. Dushara Vijayan and Aditi Balan lead the cast, with Abbas in a pivotal role.
The show will stream in Tamil with dubbed versions in Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam, and Kannada, and subtitles in 15 languages, including English, a distribution sweep that underscores Prime Video’s push to globalise Indian regional content.
Nikhil Madhok, director and head of originals at Prime Video India, framed the series as both timely and commercially astute. “Exam is a very timely and relevant story that captures the emotional intensity of competitive exams and masterfully transforms it into a thrilling high-stakes drama,” he said. “We believe it is a story that will resonate deeply with millions.” Madhok noted that it was a privilege to once again collaborate with Pushkar and Gayatri following the success of Suzhal and Vadhandhi.
For Pushkar and Gayatri, the series is as much a moral reckoning as a thriller. “With Exam, we wanted to dig into ambition, injustice, and those moral crossroads that people face when pushed to the edge,” the creative producers said. “At the heart of this story is a young woman who refuses to remain powerless. Her journey is not about glamorising defiance, but about exploring the emotional and ethical cost of standing up to a system stacked against her.” They described Prime Video as “an incredible collaborator” and “the perfect home” to bring the series to global audiences.
Wallwatcher Films, which Pushkar and Gayatri founded and run, has been on a productive streak with the platform. Beyond Exam, the company is also readying Vadhandhi Season 2 for Prime Video, making the duo one of the platform’s most active regional creative partners.
The real exam, it seems, is for Prime Video itself: can a Tamil drama about systemic injustice and a young woman’s defiance crack audiences from Chennai to Chicago? If Pushkar and Gayatri’s track record is anything to go by, the answer is likely yes, and the results will be out on May 15th.
