In 2023, ZEE5 announced a content slate of ten original productions and films for the global Bengali diaspora.

Every month, the platform intends to release a new web series in a variety of genres, including murder mysteries, crime dramas, psychological thrillers, comedy, and romance.

Collaborations with top regional storytellers and popular Bangla film stars are among the projects on the schedule.

As per a press release, ZEE5 is expanding its subscription video-on-demand offerings to bring its audience a variety of unique and emotional stories.

The extensive content line-up features murder-mystery ‘Raktokarabi’ starring Raima Sen and Vikram Chatterjee, revolving around a Bengali joint family with an ocean of secrets, presenting an entire spectrum of the thriller genre like never before. ‘Shikarpur’, starring multiple national award-winning actor-director Kaushik Ganguly and Ankush Hazra in his first major fiction OTT debut, follows the journey of an underdog detective vying for the title of ‘Shikarpurer Sherlock.’

‘Kantaye Kantaye’ is a series based on Narayan Sanyal’s detective novel ‘Shonar Kanta,’ starring national award-winning actress Ananya Chatterjee, and will feature Saswata Chatterjee in a never-before-seen avatar.

‘Shabash Feluda’, directed by Arindam Sil, is about Satyajit Ray’s ace detective Feluda solving a complex crime involving murder and cross-border espionage, with Parambrata Chatterjee and Ritwick Chakraborty appearing in a Feluda franchise for the first time.

‘Chhotolok’ is another intriguing whodunit human story that will keep viewers on the edge of their seats. It is the first OTT fiction series from acclaimed director Indranil Roychowdhury, and it stars Indrani Haldar, Priyanka Sarkar, Ushasi Ray, and Gaurav Chakrabarty.

While Abar Proloy will bring back Raj Chakraborty’s much-loved Proloy franchise, Oindrila’s OTT debut will be ‘Swetkali’, an edge-of-the-seat spooky thriller about cold-blooded murders revolving around an age-old goddess idol.

Anjan Dutt’s ‘Seven’, a thriller about the vices of human nature starring the director himself, is also on the bill. ‘Teni Madhab Shil er Full Panjika’, a quirky musical romantic thriller, and Matsyanyay, a story about the scams of a family running a unique medicine business, round out the slate of originals from Parambrata Chattopadhyay’s Roadshow Movies.

Talking about the focus on the Bengal market, Manish Kalra, Chief Business Officer, ZEE5 India said, “Bengal has been a hotbed of entertainment with both Bangla stories and talent making their presence felt on the global map. We at ZEE5 have received an overwhelming response to the titles released in the last two years from our Bangla viewers. Now it is time to expand our base in the Eastern market, connecting with the audience with more relatable stories and creating new opportunities for the talent ecosystem here.”

“We have released a slate that shall enable viewers to watch their favorite stars in new avatars backed by intriguing plots and captivating storytelling. In addition to the Bengali slate, we have an extensive line-up of Hindi content and popular titles in other languages. I am hopeful audiences will enjoy their experience on ZEE5 as we continue to strive to bring extraordinary entertainment for them,” Kalra added.