In May, after Operation Sindoor, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting had issued an advisory directing Indian OTT platforms to remove all streaming content originating from Pakistan (This link is broken, May 9). As a result, Zee5 had pulled the plug on its Pakistani shows and Indo-Pak collaborative productions. Five months on, some of those acclaimed shows have found a new home in the Middle East. Executives based in Dubai tell mid-day that several Indo-Pak joint productions, which were formerly housed under Zee Entertainment’s cross-border entertainment vertical Zindagi, have now been acquired by Begin. Watch. 

Launched in 2022, Begin.Watch is a Pakistan-based streaming platform. In recent months, it not only expanded its presence in the Middle East, but also secured rights to multiple shows caught in the crossfire of the May ban.