OTT content in India has been exploding. Every week, a slew of new OTT series and films debut, and according to reports, people are devouring them. When OTT was first introduced in India a few years ago, it felt like something for the urban masses, with stories from the cities being viewed by people on their cellphones with limitless mobile connections. However, in the last three to four years, things have altered.
Smaller towns and rural places appear to be the focus of OTT stories. Shows like Netflix’s ‘Jamtara,’ Amazon Prime Video’s ‘Panchayat,’ Zee5’s ‘Sutliyan,’ and MX Player’s ‘Aashram,’ have all attempted to depict stories from India’s rural heartlands. Shows and films like ‘Minnal Murali,’ ‘Paatal Lok,’ and ‘Kaagaz’ are gaining popularity not just among rural and small-town audiences, but also among metropolitan audiences.
“Today, with streaming platforms like Netflix, a unique narrative with new treatment has the chance to reach its audience without constraints on format, language, or time,” a Netflix India official tells Outlook. India has a wealth of different and real stories waiting to be found and shared with the rest of the world. And for us, it’s all about bringing these tales to life in the most genuine way possible, from all corners of the country, and reflecting as many lives as possible on film.
Whether it’s the critically acclaimed Marathi film ‘The Disciple,’ or the superhero film ‘Minnal Murali,’ set in Kerala, which trended in the Top 10 across 30 countries, or our recent series ‘Mai’ and ‘Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein,’ set in Uttar Pradesh, our goal has always been to bring the most entertaining stories to our viewers while also having a deeper meaning within.”
