From stage to screen: Zee theatre and Zee5 redefine the theatre viewing experience on OTT!!

Indian theatre is embarking on an exciting new trajectory with some of the most celebrated Zee Theatre teleplays all set to stream via a world digital premiere on ZEE5 from June 9, 2023 onwards.

The line-up includes the Gajraj Rao starrer 'Gunehgaar', the psychological drama 'Kusum Manohar Lele' starring Shweta Basu Prasad and director Seema Pahwa's star-studded literary anthology 'Koi Baat Chale.' These nuanced teleplays with relatable characters and truly extraordinary writing will now reach a diverse worldwide audience, courtesy of a digital platform with over 119.5 million monthly active users.

Manish Kalra, Chief Business Officer, ZEE5 India says, ‘As a content provider to millions of entertainment seekers, our focus has always been on the art of storytelling. And adding Zee Theatre teleplays to our content portfolio will only enhance our content library further. At ZEE5, our aim is to make teleplays easily accessible to the audience. We are hoping that this association with Zee Theatre helps us build the appetite for more such content.’

Shailja Kejriwal, the Chief Creative Officer – Special Projects, Zee Entertainment Enterprises, says, ‘Digital platforms have reshaped the creation and consumption of entertainment around the world and now theatre too has become a vibrant part of this ever-expanding content pool. It gives me great joy that the finest Zee Theatre teleplays will now stream on ZEE5 and become more accessible to not just the passionate patrons of live theatre but those who for some reason have not explored it yet.

As a brand, our mission has always been to mainstream Indian theatre as an entertainment option and this synergy will bring it closer to audiences worldwide.’

In June, ZEE5 will stream the Akarsh Khurana directorial 'Gunehgaar,' which pits the histrionics of veteran actor Gajraj Rao against the talent of young sparks like Shweta Basu Prasad and Sumeet Vyas. The teleplay revolves around three protagonists whose lives are interlinked mysteriously.

Prasad also stars in playwright Ashok Samel's iconic play 'Kusum Manohar Lele' which is about devastating deception and one woman's obsessive desire for a child. June will also bring to the audience all six episodes of Seema Pahwa's acclaimed anthology 'Koi Baat Chale' with stories by Munshi Premchand, Saadat Hasan Manto and Harishankar Parsai.

These classic stories will be read by Manoj Pahwa, Gopal Datt, Vineet Kumar, Vinay Pathak, Vivaan Shah and Sadiya Siddiqui.

In the months to come, the brilliance of KK Raina, Purva Naresh and many more gifted theatre exponents will also be showcased. ZEE5 currently streams multi-genre treats like Shadyantra, 'Ladies Sangeet', 'The Relationship Agreement', 'Ok Tata Bye Bye', 'Court Martial', 'Shireen Shah' ‘Savita Damodar Paranjape’ and 'Internal Affairs'.

These selections are part of the exhaustive library and are a true celebration of India's theatrical riches that can be seen in over 190 countries.

Since 2018, Zee Theatre, India's primary curation and archival platform has expanded the reach of Indian theatre and has aired engrossing teleplays for a discerning audience in search of something more substantial than what mainstream entertainment can offer.

Now as ZEE5 takes its teleplays to a global stage, Indian theatre has finally come home in more ways than one.

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