Mumbai: ZEE5 Global, the leading OTT platform for South Asian content, has announced the addition of 6 star-studded ‘natoks’ or short films to its already vast content repository. In addition to strengthening ZEE5’s local content repository, this acquisition will also give a global platform to local production houses and talent in Bangladesh.
Spread across the genres of romance, drama, comedy, satire, and thriller, these films feature popular actors Tousif Mehbub, Tasnia Farin, Ziaul Apurba, Shiba Ali Khan, Irfan Sazzad, Sarika Saba Ohona Rahman, Musharaf Karim, and Tarin among others.
The 6 new short films will be launched on 26th February under ZEE5 Global’s brand new segment, ‘ZEE Drama Time’.
Given that the Natoks is being launched in February, the month of spring in Bangladesh, also the season of love, ZEE5 has curated this new content line-up within two themes of love, based on local idioms:
Piriti kathaler atha, meaning love is as strong an adhesive like that of a jackfruit. Based on the popular baul/folk song, under this theme, the platform will feature three films: Rahman Aryan’s
‘Tomar Tane’, Mehedi Hassan’s ‘2521’ and Mohon Ahmed’s ‘Biye Shadi’
Based on the popular song, the second theme Hrid majhare rakhbo translates to “will keep you in my heart!” A collection of intense love stories, this theme will feature the romantic titles Sakhawat Manik’s ‘Chena Mukh Ochena Thikana, Mehedi Hassan’sHigh Volume’ and Sohel Hasan’sNo Prem No Biye’.
Archana Anand, Chief Business Officer, ZEE5 Global, said, “Our first Bangladeshi Originals Mainkar Chipay and WTFry have seen a massive response in Bangladesh. We’re now very happy to add these 6 Natoks with prominent actors and directors also to our library and offer them for free so everyone across Bangladesh can enjoy these locally produced short films. We also look forward to these films finding a global audience through being streamed on our platform across international markets.”
Here is a sneak peek into the newly acquired short films :
- High Volume: Directed by Mehedi Hassan, High Volume is a unique love tale of a pizza delivery boy and a deaf girl, challenging dreams and questioning reality at every moment. Starring Ohona Rehman and Tousif Mehbub, High Volume promises to deliver romance and comedy from unique perspectives!
- Chena Mukh Ochena Thikana: The Irfan Sazzad and Sarika starrer romcom Chena Mukh Ochena Thikana is eponymous with its title. In search of a suitable life partner, both Abir and Tuli’s journeys overlap as destiny brings them together.
- No Prem No Biye: Starring Mosharraf Karim, Tarin, and Sarika, No Prem No Biye is an uncanny story of lost love and betrayal among a boss and an employee. Radically different when it comes to love, Jerin’s past comes back to haunt her, while Masud fails to confess his stand on Jerin’s policies. How will this story pan out?
- 2521: 2521 is an intriguing murder mystery, starring popular TV stars Towsif Mahbub and Shiba Ali Khan in lead roles. While Intelligence Department officer Raaz has a unique way of solving cases, something goes awfully wrong while investigating the murder mystery of CIP Hannan Mallik. As he delves deeper into the case, his instinct tells him something that his heart does not want to believe.
- Tomar Tane: The Apurbo and Farin starrer Tomar Tane is an honest story of a small-town girl Faria who meets a city boy via social media. Unaware of Shafin’s real intentions, Faria elopes to Dhaka to marry him and lands herself in a deep spot of trouble. As she saves herself by a close shave, she meets Ahsan, who amidst all the mishaps, changes her life.
- Biye Shaadi: This is a quintessential story of a love-hate relationship followed by an unexpected closure! Starring Tousif and Farin, Biye Shaadi takes us through an unfortunate incident that makes Shyana and Anas part ways. However, destiny has other plans. As their brother and sister are about to tie the knot in love marriage, they try their level best to call off the marriage. On realizing true love, they step back to advocate for the bigger cause.
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