Zee Theatre transcends language boundaries in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh

Telangana known for its rich, cultural heritage, and vibrant artistic community possesses an audience with an unquenchable thirst for quality entertainment. With an intent to bridge this gap, Zee Theatre, a pioneer in bringing the magic of theatre to television screens, announces to expand its repertoire and bring its most celebrated teleplays (plays recorded for television) to Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana in Telugu. These teleplays will also be available in Kannada.

Interestingly many of these thoughtfully curated historical narratives, suspense thrillers, legal dramas, and socially relevant human stories feature well-known actors who are familiar to Telugu-speaking audiences. Ashutosh Rana who stars in 'Purush' has appeared in more than 14 Telugu films including 2019's 'Kalki'. Makarand Deshpande who has written, directed, and starred in the play 'Sir Sir Sarla' was seen in 2022 in films like 'RRR' and 'Thaggedele'. Shweta Basu Prasad who stars in 'Gunehgaar' and 'Gudiya ki Shaadi' has also worked in Telugu cinema including in 2018's 'Vijetha.'

Audiences in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana will also see well-known performers like Gajraj Rao, Himani Shivpuri, Mita Vashisht, Rajeev Khandelwal, Govind Namdev, Aahana Kumra among others in Zee Theatre's most popular offerings like 'Gunehgaar', 'Rishton Ka Live Telecast', 'Agnipankh', 'Wrong Turn', 'Sir Sir Sarla', 'Internal Affairs', 'Maa Retire Hoti Hai', 'Court Martial', 'Sach Kahoon Toh ' and 'Shyam Ki Mummy'. In these multi-genre, engrossing plays, they will also meet a wide range of relatable characters grappling with universal issues and conflicts.

Shailja Kejriwal, Chief Creative Officer - Special Projects, ZEE, says, "Theatre cannot be restricted to just one language. It is rooted in universal concerns and speaks to and for all human beings. This is one of the reasons why we have strategized to make our offerings accessible to culturally vibrant states like Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. We are trying to ensure that no linguistic barrier can restrict the reach of powerful teleplays like 'Court Martial' and 'Purush' or even a social comedy like ‘Gudiya’ Ki Shaadi’ which is an incisive comment on sexism and patriarchy.”

What is interesting about this new initiative is that even though the content will play in the original language, the subscribers have the power to switch from Hindi to the language (Telugu) through their remote (Dish tv & D2h – Yellow Button; Airtel Digital TV - Blue Button).

These plays will be aired every Sunday at 2 pm and 8 pm starting from July 2023 in a segment titled, 'South Special Theatre.' The plays will be available on Dish TV & D2H Rangmanch Active and Airtel Theatre in Telugu.