With ten high-profile original series and eagerly anticipated films for the global Bengali diaspora beginning in 2023, ZEE5 is ready to close out the year on a high note.

ZEE5 said that it will eventually release a web series every month, ranging from whodunit murder mysteries, crime dramas, psychological thrillers, and sleuth adventures with the classic Bengali comedy and romance. This will be part of the company’s efforts to expand its SVOD services.

The high-octane slate features collaborations with some of the most sought-after stars of Bangla cinema and the top storytellers from the area to produce the next chapter of Bengali entertainment with ZEE5. The various stories on offer bring forth a range of emotions.

ZEE5 is one of the first national OTT operators to unveil an exclusive, specially curated slate in the region for its global consumers spanning 190+ countries, solidifying its position in the Eastern market.

The star-studded event to announce the new offerings was graced by popular personalities like Prosenjit Chatterjee, Ankush Hazra, Oindrila Sen, Kaushik Ganguly, Arindam Sil, Anjan Dutt, Indranil Roychowdhury, Raj Chakrabarty amongst others.

The content lineup consists of shows like:

• Raktokarabi starring Raima Sen and Vikram Chatterjee revolves around a Bengali joint family with multiple secrets.
• Shikarpur, national-award-winning actor-director Kaushik Ganguly and Ankush Hazra is the latter’s first big fiction OTT debut. It is the journey of an underdog detective striving to gain the title of ‘Shikarpurer Sherlock’.
• Kantaye Kantaye is a series based on the detective novel ‘Shonar Kanta’ by Narayan Sanyal. It features national award-winning actress Ananya Chatterjee and will showcase Saswata Chatterjee in a never-seen-before avatar.
• Directed by Arindam Sil, Shabash Feluda is about Satyajit Ray’s detective Feluda solving a complex crime involving murder and cross-border espionage featuring Parambrata Chatterjee and Ritwick Chakraborty in a Feluda franchise for the first time.
• Chhotolok is another intriguing whodunnit human story directed by Indranil Roychowdhury. It is the director’s first OTT fiction series and features a stellar cast that includes Indrani Haldar, Priyanka Sarkar, Ushasi Ray, and Gaurav Chakrabarty.
• Abar Proloy will bring back the renowned Proloy franchise by Raj Chakraborty.
• Swetkali, a spooky thriller about cold-blooded murders revolving around an age-old goddess idol, will mark Oindrila’s OTT debut.
• Director Anjan Dutt’s Seven is a thriller that showcases the vices of human nature.
• Teni Madhab Shil er Full Panjika is a quirky musical romantic thriller.
• Matsyanyay is a story about the scams of a family running a unique medicine business. It is produced by Parambrata Chattopadhyay’s Roadshow Movies.

“With OTT forging its way, the viewer has a lot of content to choose from. I am happy that we are working with a platform like ZEE5, which values telling real, relevant tales with a big impact. Abar Proloy is one such story. The web series features an intensive portrayal of society’s monsters and horrible crimes in addition to having an excellent plot that is accessible. It contains intriguing passages that will make you think and ask some questions because it is realistic, delicate, and scary. All I can say is to get ready for Abar Proloy, which will start streaming ZEE5 very soon” said Raj Chakraborty.

The platform also has a slew of exclusive movies like:

• Bhoyand Uttaran (with Ankush Hazra)
• Ananta(with Ritwick Chakraborty)
• Joy Kali Kolkatawali(with Nusrat Jahan & Soham Chakraborty)
• Mini(with Mimi Chakraborty)
• Boudi Canteen(Subhashree Ganguly, Parambrata Chattopadhyay)
• Abar Kanchanjangha(with Saswata Chatterjee & Arpita Chatterjee)
• Jotugriha(with Bonny Sengupta, Parambrata Chatterjee, Payel Sarkar)
• Mahananda(with Gargi Roy Chowdhury & Ishaa Saha).

“I feel there is nothing like a mystery to captivate and deeply immerse the audience. It was like playing Sherlock Holmes when you were playing the part of Feluda. It is an honor to be acknowledged for Ray’s fantastically sketched character creations. The online series is an action-packed journey that will make your heart race. The audience will remain engrossed throughout the mystery game. We’re making headway in the entertainment industry with original scripts that combine history, suspense, and all the other elements of the ideal thriller! I have no doubt that the series will be seen across the entire country with ZEE5 on board. I am eagerly anticipating the series’ debut on the platform” said Parambrata Chatterjee.

This lineup follows the very recent exclusive, digital premieres of theatrical blockbusters like Avijatrik (featuring father-son duo Sabyasachi Chakraborty and Arjun Chakraborty), Agantuk (starring Abir Chatterjee and Sohini Sarkar), Hirokgorer Hire (featuring Soham Chakraborty, Bonny Sengupta, Koushani Mukherjee, and Ayushi Talukdar), Antardhaan (with Rajatava Dutta and Parambrata Chattopadhyay), Savings Account (starring Ankush Hazra and Sayantika Banerjee), Hridpindo (featuring Arpita Chatterjee and Shaheb Chattopadhyay), and Amrapali (directed by Raja Chanda).

With such a huge plethora of offerings, the viewers can enjoy ZEE5’s exclusive offerings at just Rs.699 per year.

Priyanka Dutta