CHAPTER FOUR

What has worked in the Indian entertainment market over the past few years

SUMMARY

Honesty and conviction in storytelling matters. Shows like Panchayat, Gullak, Scoop, Scam 1992 and Pataal Lok succeeded because of their authenticity. While violent content works, some feel it’s reflective of deeper societal moods. Format export potential is untapped. Coproduction and IP development ecosystems have room to grow.

1. Regional Content as a Growth Engine

• Regional languages like Marathi, Malayalam, Punjabi and Tamil have driven strong engagement and viewership.
• Platforms investing in culturally rooted, high-quality regional stories have seen significant returns.
• Successful examples: Mastaney, Carry On Jatta 3 and regional dubs of global hits such as John Wick 4.

2. Rise of OTT and Digital-First Strategies

• Direct-to-OTT releases have proven effective with titles like Scam 1992, Panchayat, Paatal Lok and Rocket Boys.
• Connected TV (CTV) adoption and hybrid monetisation (AVoD and SVoD) have helped expand audiences and revenue.

3. Successful Formats and Franchise Adaptations

• Indian adaptations of global formats like Bigg Boss, MasterChef and Fear Factor continue to dominate across languages.
• International adaptations such as Katha Ankahee and Hum Rahe Na Rahe Hum (from Turkish dramas) have resonated with local viewers.

4. Strategic Collaborations and Partnerships

• Coproductions with international companies (e.g. Kross, CJ Media, BETA) and local partnerships have facilitated content scalability and global reach.
• Government partnerships (e.g. Krish, Trish and Baltiboy) showcase successful public-private initiatives for content distribution at scale.

5. Innovation in Format and Genre

• Growth in shortform and creator-led content (e.g. Dhindora) on social platforms.
• Expanding interest in high-impact non-fiction and documentaries, such as House of Secrets, The Romantics.
• Focus on headline-grabbing, original franchises across reality, mythology, crime and adventure genres.

6. IP Ownership and Content Export

• IP is increasingly seen as strategic. Some studios are experimenting with audio-first IP (e.g. Audible collaborations) and exploring global licensing opportunities.
• Indian scripted formats remain underleveraged globally but show strong potential.

7. Platform and Audience Dynamics

• Audience appetite is growing for authentic, diverse and well-produced content across platforms.
• Talent crossovers (e.g. Jawan combining North and South Indian stars) have successfully expanded audience bases and box-office potential.

8. Key Takeaways

• Authenticity, regional grounding and cultural relevance are critical success factors.
• Digital-first thinking, strong local partnerships and hybrid monetisation models are reshaping success metrics.
• There’s growing international interest in Indian stories, but execution and positioning remain key.
• The market rewards bold storytelling, genre innovation and creators who understand evolving consumer preferences.

Key Trends and Success Factors

OTT Platform Growth and Regional Content

• The surge in OTT platforms has been a major success story.
• Platforms investing heavily in original, high-quality regional content – especially in Tamil, Telugu and other regional languages – have seen significant returns.
• There’s a growing demand for culturally relevant content that resonates with diverse audiences.

Rise of Digital Consumption

• The increased accessibility of affordable mobile data has fuelled digital content consumption.
• Shortform video content in particular has seen explosive growth.
• Platforms and creators producing mobile-first content have thrived.

Online Gaming and E-sports

• The online gaming and e-sports sector has witnessed remarkable growth, attracting significant investment and viewership.
• Mobile gaming is especially popular, driven by widespread smartphone adoption.

Power of Sports

• Sports, particularly cricket, continue to drive viewership and revenue.
• Digital platforms with live sports rights have significantly increased their subscriber base.

Digital Advertising

• With rising digital content consumption, targeted advertising has become increasingly effective.

Regional Strategy

• Regional content plays a vital role in driving platform growth, reflecting linguistic and cultural diversity.
• The convergence of entertainment and technology is creating new opportunities for creators and distributors.

Market-Specific Insights

• Backing strong regional stories with universal appeal has worked well.
• Punjabi cinema has experienced massive growth. Films like Mastaney and Carry On Jatta 3 set box-office records, increasing budgets for regional productions.
• Supporting young talent has opened the door for diverse artists to enter the Punjabi industry.
• Adapting international shows for Indian audiences in a local cultural context has been effective. Collaborations with Kross, CJ Media and True Colours (Italy) have been successful.
• A regional-first approach, ROI-friendly acquisitions and high-impact originals have driven strong engagement.
• The rise of CTV has increased consumption of premium content, supported by hybrid monetisation (AVoD and SVoD).
• Telco and broadband bundling have helped improve accessibility and user acquisition.
• Bollywood and regional films have performed well across platforms.

Successful Formats and Collaborations

• TV shows like KKLS and Shanidev gained strong traction.
• End-to-end partnerships across the value chain have maximised monetisation.
• Strong international presence through syndication in the USA, UAE, South-East Asia and MENA.
• Adapting Turkish dramas like 1001 Nights (Katha Ankahee) and Evermore (Hum Rahe Na Rahe Hum) has worked well.
• Series like Feriha, Our Story, Woman and Forbidden Fruit have performed strongly.
• Collaborations with local producers and independent financing helped bypass the traditional commission model, leading to greater creative freedom and commercial success.

Content Strategy

• Investing in high-quality originals across genres – Scam 1992, Panchayat, Rocket Boys, Mumbai Diaries – has been highly successful.
• Regional content on platforms like Aha, ZEE5 and SonyLIV has driven massive growth.
• Creator-led content like Dhindora (Bhuvan Bam) and platform-native formats have proven effective.
• Documentary and non-fiction content such as House of Secrets: The Burari Deaths and The Romantics has gained mainstream popularity.
• Coproductions, brand-backed shows (e.g. Shark Tank India) and shortform content have increased audience engagement.

Case Highlights

• Krish, Trish and Baltiboy – Bharat Hain Hum: India’s largest multiplatform, multilingual animated launch. Coproduced with the Ministry of I&B. Simultaneous release on Netflix and Amazon Prime in 190 countries.
• Globo’s international strategy: Coproductions with BETA, leveraging decades of experience to scale internationally.
• Discovery’s local originals: Into the Wild with Bear Grylls (featuring PM Modi, Rajinikanth, Akshay Kumar), Secrets with Neeraj Pandey and Legends with Amish – all performed well across platforms.
• Bagheera (Hindi-language proof-of-concept film) won ~30 awards, selected at 80-plus international festivals and was a near Oscar nominee.
• Jawaan (Shah Rukh Khan, Atlee): Crossover talent from North and South helped it become the highest-grossing Hindi film in India.
• Format franchises like Bigg Boss, MasterChef and Khatron Ke Khiladi continue to succeed across languages and platforms.
• Regional collaborations and ‘glocalisation’ worked for films like RRR, Kantara and John Wick 4 (dubbed in three Indian languages).