Netflix, though often credited with being one of the OG OTT platforms, has struggled to find its footing in India since its launch. This isn’t surprising – the platform’s cheapest monthly subscription fee equals almost half the entire fee charged by other OTT platforms like Amazon Prime and Disney+ Hotstar. In a market filled with cost-conscious consumers, this approach just doesn’t work.
Now, one may argue that Netflix is a more premium product when compared to its more affordable counterparts, however, this isn’t true either. As far as its content repository goes, Netflix has only managed to produce a single web series that became a pop cultural phenomenon (Sacred Games, season 1). Compare this with a formidable list produced by other OTTs including stellar shows like Pataal Lok, Asur, Special Ops, Family Man, Panchayat, and others, and Netflix certainly falls short in terms of both, the volume of its regional content offerings, and the quality.
Hopefully, this won’t be the case for long as Netflix has, through TUDUM, announced a spate of new shows that will hit its digital screen over the coming months. Here’s a quick look at 5 of its Indian offerings that certainly merit a watch:
Acquiring TVF’s Kota Factory Season 2 is probably the smartest thing Netflix India has done this year, considering that TVF’s content offers both quality and reach. Kota Factory season 1 episode 1, Inventory, currently stands at 45,437,004 views on Youtube and the show was single handedly responsible for giving rise to the whole Jeetu Bhaiya phenomenon (Jitendra, a TVF familiar, had already amassed a significant fan following prior to the show, however, it is this show that really elevated the way audiences see him and, by extension, the character Jeetu).
Netflix India recently released a teaser (and it was refreshing to see a teaser that didn’t give away the entire story of the show/movie its highlighting) for Aranyak. Seeing the likes of Ashutosh Rana and Raveena Tandon, industry veterans who have been seemingly discarded by Bollywood for younger, less talented actors, definitely inspired intrigue. One hopes that this show will be able to hold its own and emerge in the same category as other brilliant shows like Pataal Lok.
Masaba Masaba season 1 was a lighthearted and fun watch that didn’t try to glorify the designer. Instead, it showed her as a flawed woman with a bunch of issues that needed resolving, and even cast a light on Masaba Gupta’s acting abilities – again, definitely at a level higher than most Bollywood actresses of today. With that in mind, season 2 of Masaba Masaba should be a wonderful addition to Netflix India’s roster, as long as they don’t get carried away trying to strike that relatable vibe the first season had.
Finding Anamika sees Madhuri Dixit Nene return to the screen after years as she plays an actress who has disappeared suddenly. The show peels away the carefully crafted identity of the actress to take a look at what lies beneath. This is a Dharmatic Entertainment project and, if nothing else, we can definitely expect great visuals from this one.
Video Source: Netflix India
One heard great things about Jamtara season 1, however, due to Netflix’s high pricing and comparatively fewer audience numbers, the show never truly got the recognition it should have. With Jamtara Season 2, we hope that it will manage to reach a large audience.
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