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Tag: Manish Kalra

  • Zeel’s CTPO Shiva Chinnasamy asked to look after Zee5 as CBO

    Zeel’s CTPO Shiva Chinnasamy asked to look after Zee5 as CBO

    MUMBAI: Five months ago Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) announced the appointment of former Amazon, Tesco and Google engineering executive Shiva Chinnasamy as the chief technology and product officer of the company. 

    Last month Zee5 chief business officer -domestic and global – Manish Kalra  decided to put in his papers at the company after a near five year stint.

    Seeing the performance  of Shiva, the dynamic tech and business executive,  over the past five months, the company has decided to appoint him as the CBO of Zee5 as well starting the new year. Apparently, he has come in as a replacement for Manish Kalra.

    Disclosing this on Linkedin Shiva said he had been entrusted with – and given – the responsibility of Zee5’s business “P&L, operations and growth.” 

  • Manish Kalra departs from Zee5 as chief business officer

    Manish Kalra departs from Zee5 as chief business officer

    MUMBAI: Manish Kalra, who led Zee5 over the past five years, first domestically and then in a global position, has abruptly stepped down from his role as chief business officer for India and global markets.

    Manish had initially been given charge of the streamer’s advertising video on demand product in 2020. Eight months into the job,  and he was given a bump up as Zee5’s business head for the domestic market (both AVoD and SvoD), a position he held until September 2024 when Archana Anand, the global head quit, and he was given additional responsibility for her portfolio.

    Zee5 had recently broadened Manish’s mandate, entrusting him with overseeing the platform’s business across global markets. This role involved fostering strategic partnerships, enhancing audience engagement, and positioning Zee5 as a prominent player on the global streaming stage. Company sources confirmed Manish’s resignation, and that an internal leader has been assigned to oversee the transition. He would be serving his 90 day notice period at Zee is what sources say. 

    Manish  joined Zee5 in May 2020 and brought over two decades of experience in online business and marketing. Before his time at Zee5, he held leadership roles at renowned organisations, including Amazon, MakeMyTrip, and Dell. His strategic vision and business acumen have been pivotal in steering Zee5’s growth.

    An alumnus of XLRI, Jamshedpur, where he earned his MBA, Kalra also holds an engineering degree from Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh. His professional journey exemplifies a strong foundation in strategic planning and execution across industries.

    Under Kalra’s leadership, Zee5 made significant strides in audience engagement. His efforts helped the platform cement its position as India’s homegrown streaming giant with a growing international footprint.

  • Airtel’s festive surprise: Unwrapping Zee5’s entertainment treasure trove

    Airtel’s festive surprise: Unwrapping Zee5’s entertainment treasure trove

    MUMBAI: Just when you thought Santa was saving his best for Christmas, Airtel decided to beat him to it!

    In a move as delightful as unwrapping your favourite gift early, Bharti Airtel has teamed up with Zee5 to deliver a digital feast for its wifi customers.

    Starting with plans priced at Rs 699 and above, Airtel users can now dive into Zee5’s treasure trove of premium content—at no extra cost.

    This holiday season, your binge-watching dreams come bundled with your broadband!

    Through this collaboration, Zee5’s exclusive offerings—including original shows, chartbusters, and OTT movies—will become part of Airtel wifi’s ecosystem. Customers can enjoy 1.5 lakh plus hours of content, spanning multiple genres and languages, with hit titles such as Sam Bahadur, RRR, Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai, Manorathangal, and The Chronicles of Amaragiri.

    Bharti Airtel CMO & EVP customer experience, Amit Tripathi highlighted the significance of the partnership, “Partnerships are at the core of Airtel’s DNA, and we are delighted to partner with Zee5 in our endeavour to build a world-class digital content ecosystem. Zee5’s rich library adds a lot of depth to our content portfolio, enhancing the overall experience for our users. We remain committed to building our content portfolio with a single agenda of delighting our customers with the very best.”

    Zee5 CBO, Manish Kalra echoed the sentiment, “At Zee5, it has been our endeavour to democratise access to high-quality entertainment by making our diverse content library available to a larger audience. The collaboration with Airtel strengthens our commitment to offering viewers a seamless entertainment experience across genres, languages, and formats.”

    Airtel wifi plans and benefits

    With this integration, Airtel wifi customers can enjoy access to over 350 HD TV channels and 27 OTT platforms, including Disney+ Hotstar, Amazon Prime, Netflix, and now Zee5.

    Plan

    Speed

    Benefits

    Rs 699

    Up to 40 Mbps

    Zee5, Disney+ Hotstar, 22+ OTTs

    Rs 899

    Up to 100 Mbps

    Zee5, Disney+ Hotstar, 22+ OTTs

    Rs 1099

    Up to 200 Mbps

    Zee5, Amazon Prime, Disney+ Hotstar, 22+ OTTs

    Rs 1599

    Up to 300 Mbps

    Zee5, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+ Hotstar, 22+ OTTs

    Rs 3999

    Up to 1 Gbps

    Zee5, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+ Hotstar, 22+ OTTs

    Customers can claim their complimentary Zee5 subscription through the Airtel Thanks app.

    With Zee5 joining Airtel’s lineup, the partnership reinforces Airtel wifi’s position as a frontrunner in delivering a comprehensive and enriching digital entertainment experience, offering unparalleled content variety to its subscribers.

  • Zee5 partners with smart TV OS Whale TV

    Zee5 partners with smart TV OS Whale TV

    MUMBAI: Zee5 has got onto another  independent smart TV OS, Whale TV. With this, the streamer will be available on all Whale TV smart TVs, including major brands such as Philips, TCL, and Sharp, across more than 150 countries including India, the Middle East and North Africa, Asia-Pacific, and the US.

    Zee5 offers south Asian content including original shows, franchise hits, and diverse content across 18 languages. Operating in over 190 countries, the platform boasts a catalogue that spans blockbuster movies, acclaimed TV shows, and lifestyle programming. By partnering with Whale TV, Zee5 is making its content accessible to millions of viewers worldwide. 

    On Whale TV models, consumers will now have an easy-to-use smart TV experience with advanced AI powered recommendations, making it easier than ever to discover and enjoy Zee5’s  wide range of premium titles including Oscar winner RRR, Sam Bahadur, Gyaarah Gyaarah, Hanu-Man (Telugu) and more.

    Said Zee5 chief business officer Manish Kalra:  “Smart TVs are an increasingly dominant way for people to consume content. This strategic alliance with Whale TV further strengthens our global reach, enabling entirely new audiences to discover our curated catalogue of premium South Asian content at scale. We are confident that this partnership will accelerate our efforts to bring viewers across the globe seamless access to the best of south Asian content.”

    “With Whale TV we aim to deliver a smart and simple TV experience to consumers, where they can watch their favorite entertainment whether that’s streamed, broadcasted or playing on a connected device. With our global reach it is important that we offer a diverse content selection and we are delighted to add Zee5 Global to our platform,” added Whale TV VP content distribution Lucas Huang. 
     

  • Zee5 partners with Cloud TV

    Zee5 partners with Cloud TV

    Mumbai: Zee5 has announced its partnership with Cloud TV. This integration has given the audience exclusive and easy access to Zee5’s extensive library directly on Cloud TV, a smart TV OS available across four million devices in India. The company is further aiming to reach out to the audience within the age group of 18-45 tuning in during the prime evening hours of 6-10 pm.

    Cloud TV users can now access Zee5’s premium content library, featuring assistant support in multiple Indian languages and universal search for discovering content across various apps. The interface provides direct access to a range of content, including films, TV shows, and originals, reinforcing Zee5 as a one-stop platform for immersive viewing.

    Zee5 India chief business officer Manish Kalra stated, “Zee5’s partnership with Cloud TV reflects our dedication to offering a seamless and enjoyable entertainment experience to our audiences at their convenience. This integration gives viewers the flexibility to enjoy their favourite content directly on television, leading to an on-demand, high-quality viewing experience at the click of a button, extending our reach making cutting edge content more accessible than before.”

    Cloud TV COO & co-founder Abhijeet Rajpurohit stated, “We’re excited to welcome Zee5 to the Cloud TV ecosystem. This allows for easy access to Zee5’s fresh and exciting content library being directly available on Cloud TV devices and a seamless viewing experience for our mutual customers. With such partnerships, we aim to make entertainment seamless and diverse to our audience using smart TVs.”

    Cloud TV is a smart TV operating system providing solutions for modern TV devices with features like an app store, content recommendations, live TV, voice assistance, a mobile remote app, and content search. Partnered with over 200 smart TV brands, Cloud TV aims to make entertainment more accessible across India.

  • Zee5 expands Manish Kalra’s role to CBO, global

    Zee5 expands Manish Kalra’s role to CBO, global

    Mumbai: Zee5 has announced the expansion of Manish Kalra’s role, extending his responsibilities to oversee Zee5’s business across global markets. In his new capacity, Kalra will spearhead the strategic growth of Zee5’s global footprint, alongside India, focusing on international audience engagement, partnerships, and market expansion.

    This leadership expansion aligns with Zee5’s vision of strengthening its position in a dynamic digital landscape by providing high-quality, relevant content to a diverse global audience. In his new role, Manish will focus on broadening the platform’s reach, enhancing user experiences, and boosting engagement. By utilizing data-driven insights, he aims to optimize content relevance, advance brand and platform metrics, and bolster both subscription and ad-based video-on-demand segments.

    With more than 20 years of experience in the online business and marketing sectors, Manish has held key leadership roles across prominent organizations. Before joining Zee5 in 2020, he spent the last decade in roles such as chief marketing officer, chief business officer, and CEO at companies like Amazon, MakeMyTrip, HomeShop18, Dell, and Craftsvilla. Manish holds a master’s in business administration from XLRI, Jamshedpur, and a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh.

    This expansion of Kalra’s role reflects Zee5’s commitment to meeting the growing global demand for high-quality, culturally relevant content.

  • ZEE5 has announced the ZEE5 Manoranjan Festival

    ZEE5 has announced the ZEE5 Manoranjan Festival

    Mumbai: ZEE5 has announced the ZEE5 Manoranjan Festival, an exclusive Diwali celebration featuring family-friendly and dramatic films for free. Running from 24 October to 3 November 2024, this festival aims to bring the joy of the season to screens, offering entertainment in eight languages.

    Viewers can enjoy a selection of over 75 premium titles across Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi, Malayalam, Bengali, and Punjabi, reflecting themes of joy, tradition, and togetherness. With ZEE5 available on connected TV, audiences can experience these films with cinema-quality visuals at home.

    The 11-day campaign includes notable titles such as Saand Ki Aankh, Uunchai, Chhatriwalli, and Toilet: Ek Prem Katha in Hindi; Paappan and Moothon in Malayalam; Yaar Anmulle Returns, Saas Meri Ne Munda Jameya, and Beautiful Billo in Punjabi; Vimanam, Aravinda Sametha Veera Raghava, and Jersey in Telugu; Thothapuri: Chapter 1, Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana, and Kurukshetra in Kannada; Basu Poribar, Mini, and Parineeta in Bengali; Yaanai, DD Returns, and Ayothi in Tamil; and Timepass 2, Timepass 3, and Sairat in Marathi.

    ZEE5 India CBO Manish Kalra said, “At ZEE5, our constant effort has been to make world-class entertainment more accessible to everyone, while continuously providing greater value to our consumers. Our festive campaigns have always been loved by the audience and we are eager to bring them back this year. For this season, our focus is on expanding the offerings on the platform to ensure a wider family viewing experience. This Diwali, our aim is to make every moment count with the ZEE5 Manoranjan Festival as the one stop destination for festive family entertainment.”

  • ZEE5 Original ‘Despatch’ shines at MAMI Film Festival 2024

    ZEE5 Original ‘Despatch’ shines at MAMI Film Festival 2024

    Mumbai: ZEE5 announced the successful showcase of its original movie Despatch, starring Manoj Bajpayee, at the MAMI Film Festival 2024. The Gala Premiere on 19 October received positive feedback, highlighting the film’s exploration of the darker side of journalism and the ethical challenges reporters face. A panel discussion followed the screening, delving into the filmmaking process and themes like truth, power, and responsibility in media.

    Directed by Kanu Behl, Despatch blends suspense with a moral inquiry into media dynamics. Manoj Bajpayee’s portrayal of a crime reporter grappling with professional and personal ethics stands out, supported by performances from Shahana Goswami and Archita Agarwal.

    ZEE5 India chief business officer Manish Kalra stated, “We are thrilled by the overwhelming response that Despatch received at the MAMI Film Festival. This success highlights ZEE5’s commitment to bringing original content that not only entertains but also sparks meaningful dialogue. Cinema’s power to connect through compelling storytelling is at the heart of what we do, and Despatch is a perfect example. Manoj Bajpayee’s outstanding performance, combined with Kanu Behl’s direction, has made this project one we’re incredibly proud of. We look forward to bringing this impactful film to a wider audience as we continue to push boundaries in content creation.”

    An RSVP spokesperson said, “Despatch is a gripping exploration of the dark side of crime journalism and the moral dilemmas it brings. We are beyond proud of the response it received at the MAMI Festival. Partnering with MAMI has given Despatch the perfect platform to debut, and we are excited for its journey ahead as it reaches a wider audience on ZEE5. We believe this narrative dives deep into the human condition, and we’re thrilled to see it resonate with such a discerning audience.”

    Behl said, “Directing Despatch has been an incredible experience, and I am immensely grateful to have had Manoj Bajpayee bring our vision to life with his remarkable performance. His ability to embody the complexities of the character adds incredible depth to the storytelling, allowing audiences to truly connect with the narrative. Screening at the MAMI Festival has been a wonderful opportunity to share this powerful story, and I can’t wait for viewers to experience the movie in its entirety when it premieres on ZEE5.”

    The screening of Despatch at MAMI reinforces ZEE5’s position as a platform for diverse, high-quality storytelling that tackles important societal issues. As part of ZEE5’s focus on impactful content, *Despatch* has gained attention for its portrayal of power, information, and ethics in journalism. With its suspenseful plot and Manoj Bajpayee’s strong performance, the film adds to ZEE5’s growing slate of socially relevant original content.

  • Zee5 champions design innovation at Kyoorius Designyatra 2024

    Zee5 champions design innovation at Kyoorius Designyatra 2024

    Mumbai: Zee5 returned as the title sponsor of Kyoorius Designyatra 2024, for the second consecutive year. The three-day event, held from 26 to 28 September in Goa, offered a prestigious global platform for design and creative professionals across industries to showcase their work, collaborate, and celebrate artistic innovation.

    At Kyoorius Designyatra 2024, Zee5 organised an immersive experiential zone and workshop on design, UI/UX, product ideation, and creativity led by Vatsal Chaoji, at the event that attracted a large audience. Zee5’s Replay & Reimagine contest, featuring movies ‘Gyaarah Gyaarah’, ‘Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai’ and ‘Gadar 2’, saw three young winners that showcased their immense creative prowess.

    Esteemed names like Studio Lotus’ founding principal Ambrish Arora, Aaquib Wani Design founder & director Aaquib Wani, and Studio Eeksaurus’ director Suresh Eriyat also graced the event with their expertise and vision, with a total of 22 speakers; coveted legends from the international circuit.

    Zee5 India CBO Manish Kalra said, “Designyatra stands as a premier platform, bringing together global representation across industries to celebrate and showcase design excellence. At Zee5, our commitment has always been to elevate the platform experience through various touchpoints, where design plays a crucial role in shaping our product offerings. We extend our gratitude to our partners for uniting the brightest minds in the creative industry, paving the way for a new era of design innovation.”

    Kyoorius founder CEO Rajesh Kejriwal said, “Kyoorius Designyatra in 2024 transformed into an Academy of Play, bringing together an anti-disciplinary speaker roster to inspire the next generation of design in India. The Kyoorius Design Awards 2024 has seen an influx of entries and is a testament to the growth and power of design in India. This is made possible by Zee5’s continued commitment to find India’s design excellence a spot on the global stage and inculcating an immense culture of design within their own practice.”

    Designyatra 2024 gathered global talent to explore the future of design. Zee5 partnered with the event to challenge designers to reimagine posters for iconic films like Gadar and Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai. The focus was on reinterpretation, showcasing creativity through various mediums, including iPads and an iMac, in the Zee5 Hall of Fame. Winners received giveaways and special recognition.

    Zee’s head of product development Vatsal Chaoji introduced a card-based game to enhance designers’ understanding of product ideation from the end-user perspective, boosting Zee5’s tech capabilities.

    The event attracted students, industry veterans, and designers, promoting fresh narratives across graphic, interior, product, industrial, and furniture design.

  • Zee5 announces Mithya season two

    Zee5 announces Mithya season two

    Mumbai: Zee5 has announced the return of the psychological drama Mithya for the second season after the success of the first season. The series revolves around the tumultuous relationship between two half-sisters, marked by ambition, betrayal, and revenge.

    Directed by Kapil Sharma and produced by Applause Entertainment in association with Rose Audio Visual Production, the second season of Mithya features a stellar cast, including Huma Qureshi and Avantika Dasani as the half-sisters, alongside Rajit Kapur and Indraneil Sengupta in prominent roles. They are joined by Naveen Kasturia in the new season who will be seen as a mysterious character adding more spice to the lives of the two sisters.

    The second season delves deeper into the complex and dysfunctional interpersonal relationships of all the significant characters in the series. With tensions escalating and the stakes higher than ever, Mithya season two premieres soon on Zee5.

    Zee5 CBO Manish Kalra said, “After seeing the love the audience had for a successful first season, we are thrilled to bring back Mithya with a more thrilling narrative. With their powerful performances, the cast has brought the complex and layered plot to life, ensuring the series further exemplifies our focus on creative storytelling. Mithya season 2 is also a result of our longstanding and creatively fulfilling partnership with Applause Entertainment and Rose Audio Visuals. We’re looking forward to audience response to Mithya S2 while strengthening our commitment to deliver exceptional stories.”

    Applause Entertainment MD Sameer Nair, ” We’re thrilled to return with Mithya for a gripping second season that delves even deeper into its complex narrative. This is far from a conventional thriller — the set-up, location, and intricate relationships push the boundaries of storytelling. At its heart, Mithya is a tale of betrayal and revenge, with the tension between the half-sisters and their fathers reaching new heights. Grounded in a distinctive and immersive narrative, this season draws viewers deeper into a psychological drama of sisters, traumas, and secrets.”

    Rose Audio Visuals producer Goldie Bhel said, “We’re thrilled to bring Mithya back for Season 2. This series has always been about exploring the grey areas of truth, deception, and the human psyche, and with this new season, we’re diving even deeper. The response to Season 1 was incredible, and it’s pushed us to take bigger creative risks this time around. We’ve crafted a story that’s darker, more intense, and full of surprises, and we can’t wait for the audience to experience what’s next.”

    Director Kapil Sharma expressed, “We are absolutely thrilled to bring our audiences the new season, that is not only rich in story arcs but also visually stunning. Set in breathtaking Darjeeling, we have captured some wonderful performances by the talented cast with high-octane visuals and thrills that enhance the intensity of the narrative. The buzz surrounding the return of Mithya is immense, and we aim to lift our audience’s expectations a notch higher.”