iWorld
ZEE5 strengthens sales leadership with new appointments
MUMBAI: ZEE5 today announced a series of leadership appointments to strengthen itssales team. The announcements include the appointment of Tarun Katyal, Head of sales -large clients;Arunava Biswas, Head of sales – agencybusinessand Shalini Dureja, Head of sales –Government & SME business.
Speaking on the appointments, Taranjeet Singh -Chief Revenue Officer and Business Head – New Projects,ZEE5 India said, “The OTT sector is constantly evolving. While at ZEE5, we have witnessed exponential growth in the past year, this year will be about adding value to our advertisers through the language content narrative we are building.Keeping in mind the rapid market growth and emerging consumer trends, we have structured and aligned our teamsto help brands and agency partners in achieving their marketing and communication needs. Shalini, Arunava and Tarun will be an integral part of the next step in the journey we have embarked on.”
Tarun Katyal, Head of sales – large clients, ZEE5 India, said, “I have followed ZEE5’s journey since its launch and I believe it’s a great brand to work with. The brand has charted a phenomenal journey in just one year, and I am excited to be a part of this growth story.”
Shalini Dureja, Head of sales – Government & SME business, ZEE5 India, said, “The next phase of ZEE5’s journey, now that it is established as the fastestgrowing entertainment OTT destination, will be eventful. I look forward to working with the talented and energetic team at ZEE5 and I hope to add value and keep learning as I grow with the platform.”
Arunava Biswas, Head of sales – agency business, ZEE5 India, said, “Digital entertainment is growing rapidly, and I look forward to applying my experience and capabilities in building the growth story of ZEE5.”
Tarun Katyal bringsover 18 years of experience in charting out sales strategies, P&L Management, contributing towards enhancing business volumes and growth across Media, Telecom & IT. Shalini Durejahas over two decades of experience in sales & marketing, business development and leading client relationshipsacross top brands including Reliance Broadcast Network Limited, Big FM and The Times of India. Arunava Biswas is a multi-vertical sales professional with an experience of over 13 years in Integrated Media Sales along with enhanced skills of Client and Agency Relationship Management and has worked with renowned brands such as Conde Nast India, BBC World News, Bloomberg TV, etc.
With over 3500 films, 500+ TV shows, 4000+ music videos, 35+ theatre plays and 90+ LIVE TV Channels across 12 languages, ZEE5 truly presents a blend of unrivalled content offering for its viewers across the nation. With ZEE5, the global content of Zindagi as a brand, which was widely appreciated across the country, has also been brought back for its loyal viewers.
Availability: The ZEE5 App can be downloaded from Google Play Store http://bit.ly/zee5 and iOS App Store http://bit.ly/zee5ios. Also available at www.zee5.com, as a Progressive Web App (PWA), and on Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV Stick. ZEE5 also supports Chromecast.
Pricing: Freemium pricing model with both free and paid premium content (including Originals) to cater to a mix of audiences. Viewers who subscribe to the ZEE5 subscription pack will get access to the entire library of content with – 99/- for 1 month and 999/- for a year. Subscribers can avail a 50% cashback on the above-mentioned price by paying through Paytm.
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.
