ZEE5 Global, a leading streaming platform for South Asian content, has released data revealing the growing popularity of reality-based titles over the past two years. These productions now account for nearly 20% of the platform’s total viewership.
Content based on real events and prominent personalities has consistently topped the movie charts, indicating a growing demand for authentic narratives. Sam Bahadur, a biopic of Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw starring Vicky Kaushal, topped the charts as the most-watched content across all categories in 2024, setting new records in viewership and engagement. Other popular titles in the genre include Swatanriya Veer Savarkar, which depicts the life of Indian political figure V. D. Savarkar with Randeep Hooda in the lead role, and Main Atal Hoon, a biographical drama on former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee starring Pankaj Tripathi.
In 2023, original productions like Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai, based on a high-profile child sex abuse case starring Manoj Bajpayee, and Tarla, a biopic on celebrity chef Tarla Dalal with Huma Qureshi in the lead role, paved the way for authentic storytelling. Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai topped the charts as the most-watched original film, while Tarla was third in the same category.
This focus on authentic narratives has led to increased viewership across both movies and web series on ZEE5 Global. Drama and thriller genres remain the most popular, enjoying high viewership rates.
While all of these titles are in Hindi, the trend extends to other Hindi content as well, with the anti-colonial Punjabi film ‘Maurh’, starring Ammy Virk, ranking as the highest-viewed Punjabi title across Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa markets in 2023. ‘Koose Munisamy Veerappan’, a Tamil-language docuseries about notorious Indian poacher and drug runner Veerappan, has also gained traction across markets.
“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 greater and deeper impact that authentic stories have on viewer engagement. By continuously expanding our portfolio with such impactful content, we look forward to further strengthening our connection with our global audience and setting new benchmarks in the streaming industry,” said Archana Anand, Chief Business Officer, ZEE5 Global.
