Three new stories, three distinct flavours, one irresistible watchlist. Akshardham: Operation Vajra Shakti shows a clean temple-siege drama; Sthal brings a Marathi film about growing up, soft but real; Veduvan creates a Tamil mini-series that blends acting with a search for answers. Here’s your invite: grab your spot, bring down the lights, and let ZEE5 control your weekend.
If you want to track new shows and get reminders, start with the movies hub—then come back and save your choices for today.
Akshardham: Operation VajraShakti — Mission-Grade Action
A live threat at the Akshardham temple sets the clock ticking as NSG officer Major Hanut Singh leads a precision rescue under pressure. Akshardham: Operation Vajra Shakti is built for single-sit momentum—about 1h 48m, Hindi audio with English subtitles, cleanly placed in Action and War genre—and it favours tactics over noise: stack order, comms discipline, room entries timed to the breath. Every corridor feels like a decision point; every cut respects geography. The film keeps you at eye-level with the operators, so when a door swings open, it isn’t for a speech—it’s for a split-second call that might save a hostage.
The actors, in character
Akshaye Khanna centres the film as Major Hanut Singh, a professional first and a symbol second. He carries the quiet of a leader who’s done the math on risk and still steps forward. Around him, Chandan Roy (Mohsin) brings lived-in empathy from the civilian edge of the crisis; Mridul Das (Farooq) shades the antagonist grid without caricature; Akshay Oberoi (Capt. Bibek) plays the sharp edge of the stack—precise, tactical, quick to read rooms; and Abhilash Chaudhury (Iqbal) keeps the opposing plan specific rather than abstract. The ensemble is calibrated for intent over swagger, which is exactly why the tension lands.
Why is it your Friday anchor
Choose Akshardham: Operation Vajra Shakti if you’re the “how-it’s-done” viewer—the one who likes maps, timelines, and clean action logic. It’s lean enough for a late show and sturdy enough to spark post-credit conversations about command decisions, courage under fire, and the emotional aftershocks that uniforms often hide. Start here, breathe out at the credits, and keep the snacks within reach for the next title.
Sthal — a Marathi heart-check on dreams, duty, and the price of “settling”
Sthal introduces Savita, a small-town Maharashtrian young woman who wants an education and a career—and runs headlong into the marriage pressure cooker that so many families treat as destiny. The film unfolds in quiet truths: the weight of a proposal in a living room; a gaze that says “not yet”; the bravery of a softly spoken “no.” It streams in Marathi with English subtitles, runs about 1h 46m, and wears its drama movie tag with pride. What lingers isn’t outrage; it’s recognition—the way love and control can sit at the same dining table and pass the dal like nothing’s wrong.
The actors, in character
Nandini Chikte carries Savita’s arc with unshowy resolve. You can feel the tug-of-war between duty and desire in the way she hesitates before a half-agreeable smile. Taranath Khiratkar and Sangita Sonekar ground the parental perspective without turning into cardboard “elders,” while Suyog Dhawas and Sandip Somalkar sketch the wider circle—relatives and well-wishers who speak the language of “what’s practical.” The performances are small on purpose; the world feels observed rather than staged, which is why the film slips under your skin.
Why does it belong on your Saturday afternoon
Pair Sthal after the adrenaline of Operation VajraShakti and let the pulse slow. This is the pick for viewers who prefer insight to sermon, empathy to easy answers. If you’ve ever balanced aspiration with expectation—or if your family is learning to redefine what support looks like—Sthal will play like a mirror you didn’t know you needed.
Veduvan — a Tamil mini-series where acting becomes investigation
Seven brisk episodes make Veduvan the perfect late-night binge. The premise is delicious: Sooraj, a struggling actor, is cast to play “Encounter Specialist Arun” in a biopic. To prepare, he retraces the officer’s life—interviews, locations, case files—and discovers the neat myth refuses to fit the messy facts. Labelled Action, the web series moves like a moral puzzle: each new detail tilts your understanding of the man and the mission, and each episode ends just far enough over the cliff to make “one more” sound perfectly reasonable.
The actors, in character
Kanna Ravi anchors the double turn as Sooraj/Arun, toggling between a performer’s doubt and a cop’s steel. Watch how his body language shifts when he slips from rehearsal to reconstruction; it’s a performance about performances, and it’s quietly riveting. Sanjeev Venkat (Aadhi) adds ballast as the voice of the system; Sravnitha Srikanth (Pallavi) gives the inquiry its conscience; Vinusha Devi (Shanthi) and Rekha Nair (Yashoda) round out the personal stakes; Lavanya (Venila) and Aishwarya Raghupathi (Shanthi) layer in memory, rumor, and relationship—those unruly forces that make every “true story” complicated.
Why is it your Saturday-late hook
If you like Tamil web series which has action with a thinking core—clear staging, ethical fog, and chapters that land like turning pages—Veduvan is the show that will quietly steal your night. Start with Episode 1, let curiosity pull the thread, and watch how quickly the clock jumps.
Your weekend, solved (and how to press play)
Friday night: Kick off with Akshardham: Operation Vajra Shakti for clean tension and release.
Saturday afternoon: Reset with Sthal—sensitive, grounded, quietly triumphant.
Saturday late: Binge Veduvan—seven crisp chapters, one sharp through-line: how well do we ever know our heroes?
Watching is simple: open ZEE5 on web/app/TV, search the title, confirm your preferred audio/subtitle settings, and press Play. Each listing shows runtime, languages, and maturity rating, so planning a family watch is effortless. Queue all three now, settle in, and let the weekend unspool from adrenaline to empathy to intrigue—without leaving your sofa.
Bio of Author: Gayatri Tiwari is an experienced digital strategist and entertainment writer, bringing 20+ years of content expertise to one of India’s largest OTT platforms. She blends industry insight with a passion for cinema to deliver engaging, trustworthy perspectives on movies, TV shows and web series.
