ITV

Tag: Zee TV

  • Jonty Rhodes dives into startup TV arena

    Jonty Rhodes dives into startup TV arena

    MUMBAI: From diving for catches to diving into deals, Jonty Rhodes is set to make a different kind of pitch, this time, on Indian television. The legendary South African cricketer and global sports icon will appear on Ideabaaz, India’s first media-integrated startup reality show, airing November 8 at 6:30 pm and 11 pm on Zee TV and Zee5.

    In a never-before-seen avatar, Rhodes joins UpUrFit co-founders Munish Vig and Vikram Gunjal to pitch their sports wellness brand to the Titans, Ideabaaz’s panel of investors. The show, conceptualised by Jeet Wagh and Sagoon Wagh, is designed to democratise startup funding by bringing entrepreneurs from across India, especially from tier II and III cities, face-to-face with investors, all within a high-energy television format.

    UpUrFit, co-founded in 2023, is fast carving out its space in India’s USD 40 billion sports wellness market. With a focus on performance, recovery, and hygiene products made from clean, effective ingredients, the brand is backed by Rhodes himself. Currently, it is raising a USD 0.5 million funding round, already 50 per cent subscribed, with participation from the IIM Calcutta syndicate and other major investors. As of October, the brand boasts an ARR of Rs 40 million and a 50 per cent QoQ growth rate.

    Sharing his excitement, Rhodes said, “Pitching on Ideabaaz was a whole new ballgame for me. Usually, I’m diving for catches, not catching investors’ attention. It was exciting to share UpUrFit’s vision on a platform that celebrates innovation and passion. As an athlete and entrepreneur, I’ve always believed in fitness that’s real and relatable, and that’s exactly what UpUrFit stands for.”

    Of course, the ever-energetic Rhodes couldn’t resist adding a bit of his signature flair, showing off some fielding magic on set, much to the delight of the Titans and the audience. The episode promises a blend of business, banter, and boundless energy, as Jonty and the UpUrFit team bring the spirit of sport to the startup arena.

     

  • Blyp parks it smart with Zee TV’s IdeaBaaz win

    Blyp parks it smart with Zee TV’s IdeaBaaz win

    MUMBAI: Talk about finding the perfect spot! Blyp, India’s smart parking pioneer, has parked itself firmly in the spotlight after featuring on Zee TV and ZEE5’s entrepreneurial show IdeaBaaz. The startup not only wowed audiences with its innovation but also drove home fresh funding of Rs 50 lakh from titan investor Sandesh Sharda.

    Formerly known as ParkMate, Blyp is on a mission to make India’s parking woes a thing of the past. Its quick parking app promises to help users find, book, and park in just two minutes, turning one of urban India’s biggest daily headaches into a seamless experience.

    Appearing in the fourth episode of IdeaBaaz (aired on 2 November), co-founders Dhananjaya Bharadwaj and Abhimanyu Singh shared how the company is reimagining the way India parks, with a focus on speed, safety, and sustainability. The show, which celebrates visionary startups, gave Blyp a national stage to showcase how technology can transform everyday life.

    The Rs 50 lakh investment forms part of Blyp’s ongoing bridge round following its pre-series A funding. The capital will fuel tech upgrades, city expansions, and partnerships with malls, corporates, and institutions across India.

    “Being featured on IdeaBaaz is a proud moment for our entire team,” said Bharadwaj. “With our new funding, we aim to accelerate our expansion and bring faster, more sustainable parking experiences to millions.”

    COO Abhimanyu Singh added, “Our goal is to make parking effortless, from eliminating manual payments to enabling digital-first smart city ecosystems.”

    Already active across Delhi NCR and several smart cities, Blyp is driving India toward a future where finding parking is as simple as a tap, no honking, circling, or stress required.

     

  • Zee turns 33 as satellite TV pioneer keeps India’s screens buzzing

    Zee turns 33 as satellite TV pioneer keeps India’s screens buzzing

    MUMBAI: From Zee-ro to hero, India’s private satellite television industry has come a long way since Zee TV first flickered onto screens in 1992. Thirty-three years later, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (‘Z’) is celebrating not just its own journey, but the meteoric rise of an entire industry that now fuels a ~Rs 2.5 trillion economy and supports 2.8 million livelihoods.

    Back then, the story began with a single satellite channel. Today, India boasts 908 private satellite channels, 70 plus OTT platforms, nearly 40,000 artists, lyricists and music directors, and more than 3,400 feature films churned out each year, a content explosion that has transformed living rooms and lifestyles alike.

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. CEO Punit Goenka marked the occasion with pride, “The journey of ‘Z’ is inseparable from the story of India’s M&E industry. Collectively, we have entertained and empowered our Nation, engaging and inspiring billions of consumers on every screen. Our success over the last 33 years is not defined only by numbers but by the immense value we have generated and the moments of togetherness we’ve created. As pioneers, we view this celebration as a stimulus to power ahead and nurture an ecosystem of creativity and growth.”

    Over the decades, Zee has mirrored the M&E sector’s transformation from being a catalyst for authentic, multilingual storytelling to enabling a networked ecosystem spanning TV, film, music, digital, and live entertainment. Its latest move: venturing into short-form content to capture evolving consumer habits.

    The industry’s economic footprint is only set to expand. With nearly Rs 1 lakh crore in FDI already attracted and an expected 7 per cent growth to Rs 3.07 trillion by 2027, India’s entertainment sector is being hailed as one of the country’s strongest instruments of soft power.

    As Zee celebrates 33 years of keeping audiences glued, its story is more than a corporate milestone, it’s a chapter in how India learned to tell, stream, and scale its stories for the world.

  • Zee TV’s ‘Ganga Mai Ki Betiyan’ celebrates strength of single motherhood

    Zee TV’s ‘Ganga Mai Ki Betiyan’ celebrates strength of single motherhood

    MUMBAI: Holding her daughters’ hands, she’s walking into prime time with courage, grit and grace. Zee TV is set to launch its new drama, Ganga Mai Ki Betiyan, a heartwarming tale of a single mother who rebuilds her life from scratch and raises her daughters to stand tall against society’s taunts.

    Adapted from Zee Kannada’s hit show Puttakana Makkalu, the Hindi remake shines a light on women’s resilience in the face of abandonment and stigma. Set in the culturally vibrant backdrop of Varanasi, the series is produced by Ravie Dubey and Sargun Mehta’s Dreamiyata Dramaa.

    The show follows Ganga Mai (played by Shubhangi Latkar), who raises her daughters Sneha (Amandeep Sidhu), Sahana (Srishti Jain) and Soni (Vaishnavi Prajapati) with dignity, self-respect and an unbreakable spirit. Each daughter brings a unique flavour to the story: Sneha, the fiery dreamer aiming to be a district collector; Sahana, the nurturer whose cooking and wisdom hold the family together; and Soni, the playful yet mature spark who keeps optimism alive at home.

    Adding another layer to the drama is Sheizaan Khan as Siddhant, a feared yet soft-hearted moneylender whose life changes when he crosses paths with Sneha.

    To mark the launch, Zee TV hosted an experiential set tour in Chandigarh, where media were treated to a soulful meal at the family’s on-screen dhaba, mirroring the warmth and simplicity of the characters.

    Zee TV,  chief channel officer, Mangesh Kulkarni said, “With shows like Saru, Tumm Se Tumm Tak, Chhoriyan Chali Gaon, and now Ganga Mai Ki Betiyan, we are bringing forth stories that are rooted in culture yet contemporary in their outlook.”

    Zee Entertainment, chief content officer, Raghavendra Hunsur added, “What moves us most is not just Ganga Mai’s struggle, but the everyday grace with which she turns hardship into hope.”

    For lead actor Shubhangi Latkar, the role has been transformative. “Ganga Mai is a symbol of every woman who chooses dignity over despair. Portraying her has been an emotionally enriching journey for me,” she added.

    With its message that daughters are never a burden but a source of pride, Ganga Mai Ki Betiyan promises to strike an emotional chord with families across India.

     

  • Dangal TV scripts YouTube history with 50 million fans and global No 1 rank

    Dangal TV scripts YouTube history with 50 million fans and global No 1 rank

    MUMBAI: From silver screen to streaming supremacy, Dangal TV has pulled off a blockbuster twist in its digital journey. The channel’s YouTube arm has clinched the No 1 spot globally on the Tubular Leaderboard in both the overall creators and media & entertainment (film & movies) categories for June and July 2025.

    That’s not all, Dangal TV’s subscriber base has now smashed through the 50 million mark, placing it proudly among the Top 100 global Youtube channels. In the process, it has leapfrogged some of the biggest names in entertainment, including Spidey, Zee TV, Sony Sab, YRF, and Set India.

    The milestone crowns a journey that began in 2017, when Dangal TV first tested the waters on YouTube with modest ambitions. Competing in a crowded field of global giants, the channel carved its niche by staying true to its ethos telling authentic stories from India’s heartland while adapting to the habits of digital-first audiences.

    Dangal TV managing director Manish Singhal called the achievement a proud chapter in the network’s digital playbook: “This No 1 ranking across global leaderboards highlights the trust our audiences place in us and strengthens our vision of bringing India’s heartland stories to a global stage.”

    Chartbeat and Tubular director of content marketing Candice Gaudinier hailed the feat as a case study in global resonance: “Dangal TV’s No 1 ranking in both India and globally within the Film and Movies genre on YouTube is remarkable. It shows how stories rooted in India can strike a chord with audiences worldwide.”

    By topping charts for two straight months and building a community of 50 million subscribers, Dangal TV has proved that regional storytelling can go truly global. For a channel that started small, this is not just a digital milestone, it’s a reminder that even in the algorithm age, heartland stories still travel the farthest
     

  • Azmat Jagmag exits Warner Bros. Discovery

    Azmat Jagmag exits Warner Bros. Discovery

    MUMBAI: After nearly three years shaping pop culture moments at Warner Bros Discovery, Azmat Jagmag has called time on her stint at the media giant.

    Jagmag, who joined in 2021 as head of marketing for south Asia before taking over as partnerships and solutions marketing head for INSEAK, led some of the company’s most ambitious regional pushes. She oversaw the India launch of discovery+, spearheaded the scale-up of Max across South East Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan with over 15 telecom and MVPD partners, and drove social and marketing campaigns that turned viral from Mumbai to Los Angeles.

    Before WBD, Jagmag founded Masala Chai, a content-marketing outfit that launched indie music label Jjust Music and helped reposition Puja Entertainment as a modern studio. Earlier, at Zee Entertainment, she spent over a decade leading brand and marketing strategy, pushing Zee TV and Zee Anmol to leadership positions and driving campaigns that bagged multiple industry awards.

    Across her 18-year career, she has launched and scaled some of India’s most recognisable media brands, from SonyLiv to Cartoon Network. Recognised by Google as a leading woman in new-age media, she also co-authored a brand case study for IIM Ahmedabad.

    As she signs off from WBD, Jagmag says the journey has been about turning “logic to magic”—a mantra that has defined her career across broadcast, DTC, movies and music. The next chapter, she teases, is already in the works.

  • Zee TV brings big relief to the middle class this monsoon

    Zee TV brings big relief to the middle class this monsoon

    MUMBAI: The Indian middle-class family runs on the unshakeable values of bachat, budget, ration, EMIs, and month-end jugaad. Every rupee matters; whether it’s choosing a sim recharge over a snack or holding back on a purchase to save for the future. In this world, ₹2 may seem trivial to some, but for a middle-class person, it holds real weight.

    Zee TV, through its renewed brand philosophy Aapka Apna Zee TV, resonates deeply with these lived experiences. And through its recently launched fiction show Tumm Se Tumm Tak, it brought to life a character like Anu — a girl rooted in practicality, self-respect, and middle-class sensibilities. In a moment that struck a chord with viewers, Anu argued with a rickshaw driver over ₹2 change, firmly saying: “Agar ek crore mein do rupaye kam ho gaye, toh woh ek crore nahi hota.” This moment stayed with Aryavardhan, the male lead, and changed his outlook — leading him to launch a product with a ₹2 discount on mobile recharge, which ultimately transformed his telecommunication business.

    An extension to this thought, Zee TV’s latest initiative brings a heartfelt gesture to the streets of Mumbai, Delhi, and Lucknow, distributing raincoats for just ₹2 to women and daily-wage earners who brave the rains every day. For many, especially women, walking around in drenched clothes can be uncomfortable and even embarrassing. More than a distribution drive, this is about empathy, making a necessity accessible while preserving dignity and a sense of ownership. That ₹2 isn’t just symbolic; it’s a powerful nod to the reality that ₹2 bhi bohot badi cheez hoti hai.

    Adding authenticity to the campaign, actor Niharika Chouksey, who plays Anu in Tumm Se Tumm Tak, joined the initiative in Mumbai. Her character and her iconic line mirrors the philosophy behind this entire drive.

    Zee TV chief channel officer, Mangesh Kulkarni said, “At Zee TV, we believe entertainment is only one part of our connection with the audience. The real bond is built on shared experiences, emotions, and mutual care. With our brand philosophy ‘Aapka Apna Zee TV’, we wanted to step into the lives of our viewers in a more tangible way. The ₹2 raincoat drive is a heartfelt gesture that brings our care for the audience to life. With this, we’re not just telling stories; we’re living our values.”

    Niharika Chouksey, aka Anu from Tumm Se Tumm Tak, shared: “I am honoured to be a part of this initiative by Zee TV. As Anu, and even in real life, I’ve seen how small things can make a big difference. For many women working through the rains, a simple raincoat isn’t just protection; it’s a layer of comfort and dignity. And when it comes at just ₹2, it becomes a powerful reminder that even the smallest amount can make a big difference — because ₹2 bhi bohot badi cheez hoti hai.”

  • Zee TV UK’s watch party for “ChhoriyyanChali Gaon” delivers laughter, nostalgia, and rave reviews

    Zee TV UK’s watch party for “ChhoriyyanChali Gaon” delivers laughter, nostalgia, and rave reviews

    MUMBAI: Zee TV UK hosted an exclusive Watch Party in Central London, offering a first look at its latest reality show ChhoriyyanChali Gaon (Beauties Goes to Village). The invite-only event welcomed over 35 guests from media, entertainment, and business, and delivered an evening filled with laughter, nostalgia, and heartfelt connection.

    This event marks a first-of-its-kind initiative in the UK by any Indian television channel — a curated preview held a full week before the show’s official launch, underscoring Z’s commitment to innovation and audience engagement. The gesture was not just bold — it was precocious, setting the tone for a new era of immersive content experiences.

    Guests were treated to a preview of the show’s first four contestants, whose journey from city life to village challenges sparked surprise, admiration, and plenty of laughter. From fetching water to cooking on mud stoves, the women’s experiences will resonate deeply with the audience, many of whom shared their own village memories during the evening and got emotional.

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. president – International Business, Amit Goenka stated, “Z has always stood at the forefront of innovation, and with ‘ChhoriyyanChali Gaon’, we are proud to pioneer a format that blends entertainment with cultural authenticity. This is not just a show — it’s a movement that reconnects our global audiences with the soul of India. Hosting a preview event in the UK, ahead of the official launch, is a bold step that reflects our commitment to creating immersive, meaningful experiences. We are proud to be the first Indian broadcaster to do so, and we believe this marks the beginning of a new chapter in culturally rooted storytelling.”

    Hosted by Parul Goel, Territory Head of Zee Entertainment UK Ltd, the event featured gourmet starters and light drinks, creating a warm and festive atmosphere. A special video message from the deputy CEO and chief financial officer of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd, India, Mukund Galgali, added gravitas, highlighting Z’s commitment to bold, culturally rich storytelling.

    The feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Attendees expressed that audiences are craving something new — a break from the repetitive reality formats that lack innovation or cultural depth. ChhoriyyanChali Gaon was hailed as a refreshing concept that reconnects Indians abroad with their roots, offering both entertainment and emotional resonance.

    Attendees praised the show’s concept for reconnecting Indians abroad with their roots and expressed excitement for upcoming episodes. “Only Z could come up with something so real, so entertaining, and so close to home,” was a common sentiment. Guests left with smiles, stories, and genuine excitement for the episodes to come.

    The evening concluded with warm wishes for the show’s success and appreciation for Z’s innovative programming. ChhoriyyanChali Gaon is poised to become a cultural bridge — one that entertains while celebrating the essence of Indian village life. The show is launching on 3 August at 9pm. 

  • Zee TV heads back to the heartland with Chhoriyan Chali Gaon

    Zee TV heads back to the heartland with Chhoriyan Chali Gaon

    MUMBAI: Zee TV is shaking up its daily primetime with Chhoriyan Chali Gaon, a high-energy, rooted reality format that promises equal parts laughter, drama, and cultural discovery. Premiering 3 August at 9 PM, and airing daily from 9:30 PM, the show is an adaptation of Zee Marathi’s hit format Jau Bai Gavat and is produced by Zee Studios.

    In this social experiment, 11 celebrity contestants leave behind their urban comforts for 60 days of rural living — no gadgets, minimal luxuries, and a crash course in village life. From milking cows to cooking on chulhas, the show blends raw challenges with genuine bonds, under the watchful eye of host Rannvijay Singha.

    The line-up includes Anita Hassanandani, Krishna Shroff, Aishwarya Khare, Sumukhi Suresh, Anjuum Faakih, Rameet Sandhu, Reha Sukheja, Erika Packard, Surabhi Mehra, Samriddhi Mehra and Dolly Javed — each swapping high heels for muddy fields.

    Zee chief content officer Raghavendra Hunsur said, “Our original Zee Marathi format Jau Bai Gavat found success for its honest, culturally rooted storytelling that struck an emotional chord with audiences. With Chhoriyan Chali Gaon, we’ve taken that same core; the fun, the emotions, the authenticity and reimagined it for Zee TV’s wider, national audience. This show reflects our belief in going back to the roots and creating stories that are both entertaining and meaningful. It’s a fresh yet familiar narrative that celebrates the village life of India and the spirited women who call it home.”

    Zee TV chief channel officer, Mangesh Kulkarni said, “At Zee TV, we’ve always believed in formats that don’t just entertain, but spark reflection and emotional connection. With Chhoriyan Chali Gaon, we’re bringing a concept that blends the raw charm of rural India with the resilience of today’s urban woman. We’re excited to see how viewers connect with this unique journey of simplicity, struggle, and self-discovery.”

    With its daily slot, Chhoriyan Chali Gaon is set to become a primetime fixture, offering viewers nostalgia, novelty, and a taste of the simple life, one task at a time.

  • Zee TV’s ‘Tumm Se Tumm Tak’ makes a smashing debut in BARC top 10

    Zee TV’s ‘Tumm Se Tumm Tak’ makes a smashing debut in BARC top 10

    MUMBAI: Zee TV’s latest fiction drama Tumm Se Tumm Tak has burst onto the small screen with a big splash, landing straight at No. 8 on BARC’s weekly ratings chart in its very first week, with a solid 1.55 TVR. Not bad for a show that skips the melodrama and embraces the mood.

    Headlined by Niharika Chouksey as the feisty 19-year-old Anu and Sharad Kelkar as the brooding 46-year-old tycoon Aryavardhan, the show treads unfamiliar ground in Indian television, exploring age-gap romance through an understated, emotionally layered lens.

    The heart of the story is about a great Indian Sharma family navigating everyday dreams, disappointments and that one unexpected connection that turns life upside down. Viewers across India seem to be leaning in, hooked on a love story that’s tender, mature, and beautifully shot.

    Tumm Se Tumm Tak is quickly proving that in the age of spectacle, stillness can still strike gold. Or at least, win the TRP war.

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