Zee Studios: leading the crusade for mid-sized films

Amidst the challenges brought by the pandemic – one category of films which started losing ground is the mid-sized film. Lacking filmy tropes and standard commercial elements – these films started getting tagged as ‘OTT Films’ with most of them bypassing the cinema run. Largely due to lucrative financial opportunities and lack of promotional might & will of the makers.

Zee Studios believed in swimming against the tide by releasing films in theatres, which otherwise would be branded as experimental and niche. Some of the success stories are ‘Vaalvi’ (Marathi); ‘Mrs. Chatterjee Vs Norway’ (Hindi), 'Godday Godday Chaa' (Punjabi), 'Hostel Hudugaru Bekagiddare' (Kannada), 'Vimanam' (Telugu) and the most recent ‘12th Fail’.

What distinguishes Zee Studios is their astute marketing strategy that focuses on demand generation & sharp release tactics, despite tight Prints and Advertising (P&A) budgets. These films – headlined by an eclectic star cast such as Rani Mukerjee, Vikrant Massey, Sonam Bajwa, Tania, Swapnil Joshi, Samuthirakani, Meera Jasmine, Nithin Krishnamurthy, and others have resonated with diverse audiences, enriching the impact of their storytelling.

Shariq Patel, CBO, Zee Studios shared, “We’ve always believed in backing our content by giving it the best opportunity to be viewed. There’s a strong belief in our systems that it’s a much bigger win for all involved; when a small film or a mid-sized film does well at the box office. This is also; our small attempt to revive the box office business to pre-covid levels and higher. For every ‘Gadar II’ & ‘Thunivu’ we will continue to battle equally hard for the smaller films’’.

In a continued commitment to this trajectory, the upcoming releases such as Khichdi2 (Comedy – Hindi), Naal2 (Drama – Marathi), Joram (Thriller – Hindi), Kennedy (Thriller – Hindi), Berlin (Thriller – Hindi), Gandhi Talks (Silent Film) signify Zee Studios' firm belief that no film is too small to release in cinemas.