Naman Ramachandran 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.
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