ZEE5’s Manish Kalra on delivering value to audience and content diversification plan

New Delhi: ZEE5 is currently expanding its content repertoire to better cater to consumer preferences. The platform, on Wednesday, unveiled the trailer for the original series Gyaarah Gyaarah. In a conversation with Manish Kalra, chief business officer, ZEE5 India, he stated that the series was ZEE5’s dive into a new genre. 

He added that while the platform has had its share of mystery and thrillers, the platform is looking for newer genres. The company intends to cater to evolving consumer needs.  

Kalra noted that ZEE5 ranks third in the country in terms of paying SVOD subscribers, underscoring the platform's growth trajectory and commitment to delivering value to its audience. 

Furthermore, approximately 65% of consumption is in the genres of romance, comedy, and drama, whereas 35% is in the genres of crime and thriller across the platform, including advertising-based video-on-demand (AVOD) and subscription-based video-on-demand (SVOD). 

According to Kalra, there has been a barrage of crime and thriller content on offer and ZEE5 intends to break the clutter.  

“We are looking at more comedy. We did Kakuda, a horror comedy that is a break from the current stream of content, which we and the entire industry have been launching. The consumers want every genre, which we intend to fulfil,” Kalra added. 

Set to premiere on August 9, this web series, Gyaarah Gyaarah, questions the viewers about the possibility of altering the present and future by changing the past. Directed by Umesh Bist, 'Gyaarah Gyaarah'’s cast included Kritika Kamra, Dhairya Karwa, and Raghav Juyal in the lead. 

Kalra further highlighted that consumers have been consuming more content. The average time spent per user on the platform grew by 20% year on year. The platform has witnessed 85 billion minutes of watchtime in the past year. The platform is seeing a surge in consumers from Tiers 2, 3, and 4 cities, making up approximately 40–45% of the consumer base. 

“We have content in 12 languages and we are making original series in four. Approximately 40% of our viewers watch content in two languages. People are consuming content in their native language as well as in Hindi, which is a unique thing considering English is the second language for most Indians,” Kalra stated. 

When asked about the platform’s roadmap for the current fiscal year, Kalra emphasised that aggressive growth is a focal point for the platform.  

“We have a good lineup of series and movies for the next 12 months—almost more than 20 content in Hindi and more than 20 content in regional languages. By virtue of being a part of the TV network, we get episodes of TV shows every day. I think content is the king and will stay the king,” Kalra concluded.