“You watch Zee World?” — that one question that can instantly downgrade you from babe to mummy vibes.
Loving Zee World in Nigeria often feels like enjoying something you’re supposed to keep secret. You’re hooked, but you stay low-key because there’s always someone ready to mock you with, “Isn’t that the Indian film channel?”
From the outside, it might seem like it’s all over-the-top stares and endless romance. But for real fans, it’s premium drama and top-tier entertainment. Still, the trolling never stops. Whether it’s your friends throwing shade or family members giving you the side-eye, being a Zee World fan can feel like a full-time job defending your taste in TV.
We spoke to five unapologetic fans who’ve faced the slander and kept watching anyway — because the drama is just too good to miss.
“I’d get really upset whenever they didn’t let me watch Twist of Fate at its scheduled time.” — Aramide, 16
I started watching Zee World out of curiosity after a family friend introduced me to it. Twist of Fate was the first series I watched, and I enjoyed it so much. But my elder brothers, man. I can vividly remember they used to make fun of me for watching the channel.
They mocked Pragya and Abhi the Rockstar, the characters from Twist of Fate, saying their acting was ridiculous. They would also say that watching Zee World would make me dumber because the storyline didn’t make sense to them. I’d get really upset whenever they didn’t let me watch that show at its scheduled time. It wasn’t a sweet experience for me back then.
Bollywood series are really interesting, though I’ve not been watching Zee World like I used to, not because of my brothers, but because I may be losing interest.
“When Zee World Africa reached out to me to ask me to run a campaign for one of their upcoming shows. I was like, ‘In your face, suckers!’” — Adebola, 24
I’ve loved Zee World since 2015, and this was because my aunt initiated me into it. First, the sound of a daily show called Saloni piqued my interest. But also, I was drawn to the taste of Maltina and Cream Crackers when I visited her. As a teenager, I would pray she’d fall asleep so I could watch Nickelodeon, but something in me was keen on knowing what’d happen next after their commercial breaks.
I didn’t know when I influenced my dad and my mom. We started watching The Promise together, following the story of Vidya and Sagar and the infamous Sindoora. I became a Zee World fanatic; the head bops, shakes, hand movements and even the accent!
I’d download Indian songs on Gaana (an Indian music download site) that year. You couldn’t find one Afrobeats jam — who was Wizkid when I had Arijit Singh? My friends told me I was obsessed with people who worshipped snakes. They’d laugh at me for liking Bollywood and Zee World because of their ridiculous storylines, and I’d have to defend it. I was ashamed at some point, because how could these characters be in the same place and not see each other? Or why would they be falling in love for three hours?
Even my pastor said they were pagans, but I didn’t mind. It’s not like I’d become a Hindu by watching 15 Bollywood series weekly. I started adopting their mannerisms and accent. I could speak Hindi and talk like them. Damn, people started telling me I looked like them. People would tell me that I already have a Hindi intonation and might not be able to speak English well. But hell, I can do a pretty good British accent.
They’d call me “Chori Chori,” but it wasn’t an insult—it never was. I embraced it and made it my personality. I started creating content based on this Indian personality that now possesses me. I brought the Indian idea to my secondary school and was made the head girl. I started creating viral Bollywood content that exposed me to a wide range of social media users who actually loved Zee World.
Oh, and yes, Zee World made me open a dance group where I gathered many friends to perform at weddings and get paid. The group drifted apart, and some of them joined the BTS army.
I have like seven Indian saris, one female Indian personality, one Indian mother alter ego, and a male alter ego whom I call Raj. This Bollywood obsession or love, as I would call it, attracted haters and lovers too! And a couple of popular Nigerian content creators wanted to collaborate with me. It was a monumental moment when Zee World Africa asked me to run a campaign for one of their upcoming shows. I was like, “In your face, suckers!”
“The trolling didn’t really faze me.” — Maryam, 23
I enjoyed discussing the shows with my female friends; we had so much fun. The trolling didn’t really faze me. I don’t even have much memory of being trolled for watching Zee World, except by my male friends who think that my other babes and I are delulu and watching it reduces our IQ. I always find that comment funny.
“My niece started trolling me when she found out that I became a fan of Zee World.” — Abisola
My cousins used to force me to watch Zee World when I lived with them some years back. I watched it with them, but I didn’t enjoy it and always complained that it was not a serious channel. But when I moved back to Lagos, I gravitated towards a few Zee World shows. In fact, whenever I returned from work, I would turn on the TV and Zee World would be the first thing that I’d sit down to watch.
My niece started trolling me when she found out that I became a fan of Zee World, and it had become my comfort TV channel. I don’t like it as much as I used to, but they have some interesting shows.
“It made me realise I was an asshole who didn’t want others to enjoy things — the same thing I enjoy now.” — Ibeks, 31
I used to hate Zee World, and it wasn’t because I watched the channel and didn’t enjoy it. It was the noise my sisters and cousins used to make whenever they watched it that annoyed me. I could just be in the sitting room, pressing my phone and just trying to sit and relax, and their scream and aww. It got to the point that my eldest brother, too, was frustrated and hid the remote control from everyone in the house.
One time, the house became very quiet. No noise, nothing. My sisters were not around; one had japa and the other gained admission into university. But I missed them and began to tune into Zee World just to see what it was about that excited them. I don’t know how some of the shows started, but I found them incredibly hilarious and unnecessarily too long. But something made me stick to it—I just wanted to see the end of some of those dramas. That was how I sucked slowly and became a fan.
But guess who returned from school and began shaming me because I watch Zee World? My little sister. At first, her trolling felt like a light rage because she was mad that I became a fan after I used to shout at her for raving about it. Now, she just trolls me and says it was her strong influence. I didn’t really feel any sort of way for her trolling but it made me realise I was an asshole who didn’t want others to enjoy things—the same thing I enjoy now.
