Zee5 is sharpening its focus on children’s entertainment with a long-term bet on original Indian intellectual property through its KidZ platform. Instead of relying solely on licensed cartoons or competing directly with YouTube’s vast free library, the streaming service is investing in homegrown characters, premium storytelling, and family-oriented viewing experiences.
The platform’s latest animated original, Shivlok Ke Kundakka Mandakka, reflects this larger ambition. Adapted from author Anand Neelakantan’s children’s book, the series follows two mischievous Asura twins and reimagines mythology from an unconventional perspective. Rather than portraying Asuras as traditional villains, the show presents them as central protagonists and explores themes of identity, choice, and destiny.
According to Chandan Khandelwal, Business Head of KidZ at Zee5, the company’s objective is to create original franchises that can grow beyond streaming into merchandising, licensing, and branded entertainment. He says the platform is building an ecosystem around its own characters and story worlds rather than depending only on acquired content.
Original programming currently forms a smaller portion of the KidZ catalogue, but Zee5 plans to significantly increase that share over the coming year. The company is preparing a steady pipeline of new originals, with major releases planned almost every month for the remainder of the financial year.
Khandelwal believes KidZ should not be viewed as a direct replacement for YouTube. Instead, Zee5 aims to offer families a premium, clutter-free alternative built around safe, high-quality storytelling and exclusive characters that are not easily available elsewhere online.
A key part of the strategy is co-viewing. Zee5 sees parents as critical decision-makers because they pay for subscriptions and influence what children watch. The platform is therefore designing shows that can entertain both children and adults, especially as connected TVs continue to encourage shared family viewing in Indian homes.
The company is also cautiously exploring brand partnerships. Any integration, Khandelwal says, must support the platform’s promise of safe and parent-approved entertainment. Categories such as education, toys, hygiene, and nutrition are considered more suitable than products that could weaken parental trust.
Looking ahead, Zee5 KidZ sees strong opportunities in fantasy, musicals, sports, mystery, and horror-comedy genres that remain relatively underdeveloped in Indian children’s entertainment. Khandelwal also believes India’s rich folklore and mythology can inspire globally relevant franchises with the potential to travel internationally.
The broader ambition is clear: to build Indian children’s characters and stories that become cultural franchises, giving young audiences in India and eventually around the world more reasons to grow up with Indian storytelling.
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