ZEE5 GLOBAL ANNOUNCES MADHUR BHANDARKAR’S NEXT MOVIE “INDIA LOCKDOWN”

~ Directed by Madhur Bhandarkar, the film stars Shweta Basu Prasad, Aahana Kumra, Prateik Babbar,

Sai Tamhankar and Prakash Belawadi in pivotal roles ~

Global, 2 nd November 2022: ZEE5 Global, the world’s largest streaming platform for South Asian content, announced its latest original film ‘India Lockdown’. After the success of the comedy-drama ‘Babli
Bouncer’, national award-winning director Madhur Bhandarkar will be headlining this hard-hitting film.
Inspired by true events, ‘India Lockdown’ depicts four parallel stories and the repercussions of the
COVID-19 pandemic on the people of India. Produced by Dr. Jayantilal Gada of PEN Studios, Madhur
Bhandarkar’s Bhandarkar Entertainment and Pranav Jain’s P J Motions Pictures, ‘India Lockdown’ is the
first Indian feature film on COVID-19 pandemic. The movie stars Shweta Basu Prasad, Aahana Kumra,
Prateik Babbar, Sai Tamhankar and Prakash Belawadi in key roles
Written by Amit Joshi and Aradhana Sah with Madhur Bhandarkar, ‘India Lockdown’ explores the lives of
disparate characters who are catapulted into an unforeseen dramatic situation instigated by the
lockdown due to the pandemic. The four parallel stories explored are that of a father-daughter duo who
are stuck in different cities during a crucial high point in the daughter’s life; a sex worker and the
hardships she goes through in her personal and professional life due to the lockdown, a migrant worker
who barely manages to provide bread and butter for his family and an airhostess who for the first time
has some downtime compelling her to introspect.
Archana Anand, Chief Business Officer, ZEE5 Global said, “At ZEE5 Global, we have always strived to
deliver stories and performances to the global diaspora that we derive from authentic, real-life
experiences. With ‘India Lockdown’, we are glad to collaborate with Madhur Bhandakar who
understands the sentiment of viewers and the trauma faced due to the lockdown and has the flair to
narrate stories inspired by true events. The series encapsulates meaningful and captivating content that
would be relatable to people across the globe.”
Director Madhur Bhandarkar said, “Lockdown was a tough phase for many as people struggled to make
ends meet and that gave seed to a thought to make a film on people affected by the lockdown. ‘India
Lockdown’ is a product of my observations, and it depicts raw stories of real people across various walks
of life. This is a film that will resonate with many in some or the other way and I am glad that it will be
released on ZEE5 Global and reach out to so many people across the world”.
Dr. Jayantilal Gada, Chairman & MD of Pen Studios said, “We at Pen Studios have always associated
with great content and talented directors. India Lockdown is just that. It has a very relevant story, and
everyone shall identify with it in one way or another as no one is a stranger to pandemic. Madhur
Bhandarkar is a master storyteller, and we are happy to associate with him and such content driven
cinema.”