ZEE5 Global, a prominent streaming platform for South Asian content, has released data revealing the growing popularity of reality-inspired titles over the past two years. These productions now constitute approximately 20% of the platform’s total viewership.
Content based on real-life events and notable figures has consistently topped the charts, indicating an increasing demand for factual narratives. “Sam Bahadur,” a biopic of Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw starring Vicky Kaushal, leads the pack as the most-watched content across all categories in 2024, setting new records in viewership and engagement. Other popular titles in this genre include “Swatantrya Veer Savarkar,” depicting the life of Indian political figure V.D. Savarkar with Randeep Hooda in the lead role, and “Main Atal Hoon,” a biographical drama about former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee featuring Pankaj Tripathi.
In 2023, original productions like “Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai,” based on a landmark child sex offence case and starring Manoj Bajpayee, and “Tarla,” a biopic of celebrity chef Tarla Dalal with Huma Qureshi in the titular role, paved the way for true-to-life storytelling. “Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai” claimed the top spot as the most-watched original movie, while “Tarla” secured third place in the same category.
This focus on authentic narratives has driven viewership growth across both movies and web series on ZEE5 Global. Drama and thriller genres remain the most popular, boasting high completion rates.
While all of these titles are in the Hindi language, the trend extends to other Indian language content as well, with anti-colonial Punjabi film “Maurh,” starring Ammy Virk, ranking as the highest-watched Punjabi title in Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa markets in 2023. “Koose Munisamy Veerappan,” a Tamil-language documentary series about the infamous Indian poacher and smuggler Veerappan has also garnered attention across markets.
Archana Anand, chief business officer at ZEE5 Global, said: “The rise in viewership for real-life inspired content on ZEE5 Global highlights a significant trend in audience preferences. Titles like ‘Sam Bahadur’ and ‘Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai’ demonstrate the larger and more profound impact of authentic storytelling on viewer engagement. By continuously expanding our portfolio with such impactful content, we look to further strengthen our connection with our global audience and set new benchmarks in the streaming industry.”
