ZEE5 to stream new original film ‘Kanjoos Makhichoos’

ZEE5, the video streaming platform owned by Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd, will stream a new original film called Kanjoos Makhichoos, starring Kunal Kemmu, Shweta Tripathi, Piyush Mishra, Alka Amin, Rajiv Gupta and the late Raju Srivastav, on 24 March.

“Being a consumer-first brand, we at ZEE5 look for diverse content to feed the growing appetite of Indian diaspora. Kanjoos Makhichoos is a unique concept which is sure to spark the audience’s interest and tickle their funny bone,” Manish Kalra, chief business officer, ZEE5 India said in a statement.

Video streaming platforms are placing big bets on producing original films, with Amazon Prime having released Majaa Ma, starring Madhuri Dixit, Disney’s Star Studios promising to make them for its digital platform, Disney+ Hotstar, and Netflix lining up films with Vishal Bhardwaj, Sujoy Ghosh and Zoya Akhtar.

Both homegrown and foreign streaming services said films are quicker to produce, film-writing talent is readily available, and viewers are more inclined to watch them. As a result, global viewing of Indian cinema was up 50% in the first half of 2022 on Netflix compared to the same period in 2021. Besides, the cost of acquiring films released in theatres is steep, making original films more financially feasible.

Platforms are no longer keen to acquire films for digital releases, which was the need of the hour during the pandemic. Most platforms want to invest in building series or original films instead, where they control the IP. The overall cost structure is also favourable for platforms when they commission an original series or film instead of acquiring them. 

To be sure, the renewed focus on original films is based on audience feedback. India has the highest percentage of film viewing in the world for Netflix. Global films such as The Gray Man, Red Notice, The Adam Project, and Don’t Look Up have found traction in the country along with subtitles and dubs in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.