The constantly evolving world of entertainment has undergone major changes — upending traditional viewing patterns and creating new ones. Monika Shergill, vice president - content, Netflix India, says, “Today, the audience values time more than money. When they have a couple of hours in hand, they want to watch something that’s really good.” Maintaining that at Netflix they programme keeping the audience in mind, Shergill says: “The audience is open to experiencing stories of different genres and formats. They are watching content in different languages and stories set in different cultures.” Indian viewers are embracing both dubbed as well as subtitled content. The year 2024 hasn’t been great for Hindi cinema. “Cinema is going through an unpredictable period. There are films that became really big but then there were challenges. The audience is expecting more — they are watching long- and short-format content. They have so many choices now,” says Shergill. Also Read | What to watch on OTT: Ibrahim Ali Khan’s debut Nadaaniyan, Daredevil Born Again, The Waking of a Nation, Nickel Boys To grab the audience’s attention, Shergill says storytellers have to come up with fresh and relevant stories. “You have to tell them in a way that wows people — surprises or delights them. It should be worth their time. Today, sitting anywhere in the world they can experience any kind of content, in any language. Their benchmark for what’s good storytelling has gone up. We have some catching up to do.” But she says, not every show or movie can be big. “Streaming allows you to have different sizes of success. The box office is yet to figure out the model of different sizes of success. It’s a learning process for everyone.” While the tendency of re-watching a show is often seen among those who love comedy, there is a strong audience for mixed-genre shows. For instance, crime comedies such as Monica, O My Darling (2022) have done well in India. Shergill reasons, “In India, we love a thali that has several delicious offerings. Similarly, Indian audiences love mix-genre shows.” Last year, Netflix widened its audience base in India. “We programmed several original series and movies, apart from personality documentaries. We brought to our audience different kinds of shows such as Heeramandi and IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack,” says Shergill. While Heeramandi is a period drama created and directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack is an Anubhav Sinha-directed crime thriller series about the hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight 814 in 1999. While Imtiaz Ali’s Amar Singh Chamkila, which featured Diljit Dosanjh as the titular protagonist, emerged as one of their most-talked about original movies, the streamer also received an overwhelming response to their licenced titles. “We started 2024 with the Ranbir Kapoor-starrer Animal. Later, Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies became a global success and part of the Oscar race. That apart, movies like Salaar, Lucky Bhaskar, Do Patti and Kalki 2898 AD did very well. From April, Netflix will stream WWE’s flagship weekly wrestling programme in India. “We have a roster available — SmackDown , special events, post-event and others. It will be available with Hindi commentary,” says Shergill. Also Read | Netflix India announces slate for 2025: Aryan Khan’s directorial debut, Dining with the Kapoors, follow-ups to Delhi Crime and Rana Naidu to premiere this year Following the success of 'personality documentaries' mainly 'The Roshans' and 'Nayanthara: Beyond the Fairytale', Netflix is rolling out more such shows. One such show is Dining with the Kapoors, created by Armaan Jain and described as a “feel-good narrative”, it aims to give a sneak peek into the Kapoor Khandan, their memories of growing up together, their love for food and the family's relationship with cinema. One of the much anticipated shows on Netflix's 2025 slate is The Ba**ds of Bollywood, created and directed by Aryan Khan. The series follows the journey of an ambitious outsider and his friends as they navigate the larger-than-life and uncertain world of Bollywood. Some other upcoming interesting titles include Akka, Mandala Murders, Kohrra S2, Rana Naidu S2, The Royals and Vir Das Fool Volume.
