ZEE forays into Theatre with over 100 productions - Launches 'Zee Theatre'

~ An initiative to make theatre available through various viewing platforms ~

Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) is all set to become the first Indian media and entertainment company to foray into theatre production with the launch of ‘Zee Theatre’. This new content vertical will partner with renowned playwrights and theatre stalwarts to produce over 100 plays over the next 3 years. The initiative will make theatrical content available on multiple platforms (online, on-air, on-ground, in-transit) for audiences to consume at their convenience.   

Commenting on the launch, Punit Goenka, MD and CEO, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) said, “Theatre has been a part of our DNA for centuries. With Zee Theatre our vision is to preserve this heritage and take these timeless stories to audiences across the country and the rest of the world. It is a very proud moment for us to be able to bring theatre to mainstream entertainment and give the industry its due.”  

“After television and cinema, theatre will be the next content vertical for us at ZEE. With Zee Theatre we are opening up a new genre for multiple screen consumption. This is in line with our strategy of offering differentiated content to our discerning audience base”; Mr. Goenka further added.

Zee Theatre will bring together works of some of the most acknowledged and renowned playwrights like Mohan Rakesh, Jaywant Dalvi, Vijay Tendulkar, Surendra Verma, Mahesh Dattani, Ranjit Kapoor, Shafaat Khan and many others from Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali and English theatre.

Stalwarts such as Ranjit Kapoor, Mahesh Dattani, Usha Ganguli, Vijay Kenkre, Dr. Vijaya Mehta, Atul Kumar, Ishan Trivedi, Suman Mukhopadhyay, Chandrakant Kulkarni, Rajan Tamhane and many more will be bringing alive some of their best stories on this platform with plays such as Rudali, Sandhya Chhaya, Piya Behrupiya, Janpath Kiss, White Lilly Night Rider, 30 Days in September, Doll’s House, Ma Retire Hoti Hai amongst others.

Speaking about the initiative, Shailja Kejriwal, Chief Creative - Special Projects at Zee Entertainment Enterprise Limited (ZEEL) said, “The beauty of theatre is that it takes you into a fascinating world of stories across genres from drama and suspense to social issues, musicals, classics and satire in a manner not dealt with on any other medium. With Zee Theatre we aim at nurturing this rich content for present and future generations to continue the legacy, which has been cherished by veterans for decades. I would like to thank the entire theatre industry for extending their support for this initiative."

ZEE will leverage its ability to make theatre available across multiple platforms such as the internet, mobile, DTH, television, in-flight, screenings at multiplexes and educational institutes in addition to existing on-ground performances making theatrical content available to the widest possible audience at their convenience.