We invested Rs 3000 cr in content in India between 2019 & 2020: Srishti Behl Arya, Netflix

Having completed five years in India, Netflix has taken the next big leap in the market by unveiling an aggressive content slate of 41 titles across films, series, comedy, documentary, and reality genres. The video streaming giant has been investing aggressively in local content having already spent Rs 3000 crore between 2019 and 2020.

While making investments in content, Netflix has also been beefing up its distribution. In that direction, the platform introduced a mobile plan for Rs 199/month besides launching a mobile bundle offering with Jio. It has also partnered with telecom service providers such as Airtel, and device manufacturers such as Xiaomi and VU.

Netflix India Director - International Original Film Srishti Behl Arya spoke to exchange4media about the platform's content strategy.

Excerpts:

Netflix India has unveiled an aggressive content slate for 2021. Is this the biggest annual content slate by Netflix for the Indian market since launch?

At Netflix, we love to tell stories that bring us together. We all love films and series told authentically by Indian creators as well as voices that are new. We recognize that each and every one of us have our own tastes and moods and all of us want to see our lives reflected on screen. Sometimes, we want to lean back and watch a delightful comedy, and at other times, we want to enjoy a pulse-pounding thriller that brings us to the edge of our seats.

This is why our upcoming line-up features more variety and diversity than we have seen before, from the biggest films and series to gripping documentaries and reality, and bold comedy formats. With incredible stories, from the relationship drama Ajeeb Daastaans to the mystery thriller Aranyak, we are excited to take our next big leap in India to bring our members more than 40 powerful and irresistible stories from all corners of the country.

To what extent will the content investments grow in 2021 as compared to previous years?

We are making significant investments in stories. Storytellers, both seasoned and new, are committed to finding the best stories from all corners of the country. Our line-up of exciting Indian stories is a great indicator of that. Between 2019 and 2020, we have already invested Rs 3000 crore in content in India.

Will the original content slate be limited to the 41 titles that have been announced or do you plan to increase it further? Can you give us the split between the titles that have been acquired and the ones that have been commissioned by Netflix?

We opened the year with Kajol starrer Tribhanga: Tedhi Medhi Crazy, and have also brought to our members Pitta Kathalu, our first Telugu film, and Parineeti Chopra starrer, The Girl on the Train along with Bombay Begums and The Big Day. Our recently announced line-up is a taste of the films and series to come. We are excited to share these rich and diverse stories from the best and brightest creators and talent from India to the world.

Our goal is to bring our members the most entertaining stories. Sometimes these stories come to us as an idea, and sometimes as a complete written script or an already made film.

How will you describe Netflix's content strategy for India and how different is it from the strategy being pursued in other global markets?

At Netflix, we have just one goal- which is to entertain our members. We want to be the home for the finest filmmakers and creators and make your next favourite film or series. And we want our stories to reflect as many lives as we can. When we are able to tell lesser-known stories that may be about us, or someone we know, or someone we want to know more about, that’s when the magic happens. It’s really about bringing the story to life in the most authentic way possible and it is this authenticity that the audience loves. We understand that not everything will appeal to everyone, which is why we invest in a variety of stories so that our members always have something they'll love on Netflix.

What criteria is followed by Netflix India for greenlighting original films and shows?

For us, the greenlighting process starts with storytellers with a really passionate vision for the series they want to create or the film they want to make. We look for their ability to execute against that vision. There isn’t a particular lens or formula, but we’re just looking for diverse stories to entertain our audiences that can find a home on Netflix. We want to work with amazing storytellers; this could be a great director with incredible success or a young writer with a story that's never been told before. Sometimes when we listen to a great idea, it stops in our tracks because it's something we’ve never heard before. On occasion a story just grips you and then when you feel the enthusiasm of the writer or director in the room, you feel the magic happen.

Most of the original shows in India have been Hindi, will you get aggressive in the regional space also in 2021?

Indian audiences have really diverse tastes and enjoy films and series in several languages. This is an exciting time for content in any language to be successful anywhere. With subtitles and dubs, the language barrier is lowering.

At Netflix, we’re steadily growing our original and licensed film catalogue across multiple Indian languages, including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam. We are invested in finding the most unique and entertaining stories from different regions and will continue to engage with seasoned and emerging creators from different parts of the country and hope to share their stories with the world. In 2020, we released our first Tamil film anthology, Paava Kadhaigal, and announced Navarasa. This year, we released our first Telugu film, Pitta Kathalu, showcasing the brilliance of Telugu storytelling to our members in India and around the world and are excited to bring Dhanush starrer, Jagame Thandhiram to our members.

Our members also enjoy watching a wide selection of licensed films on Netflix across different Indian languages. Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo (Telugu), Maniyarayile Ashokan (Malayalam), Miss India (Telugu) are just some of the films that have featured in the Top 10 row on Netflix in India and many other countries.

Considering the fact that movie consumption is high on Netflix, will you pursue a direct to digital movie release strategy to attract new customers in 2021?

We love to invest in original and licensed content, across genres and formats and want to be home to creators who can bring their amazing ideas to life in authentic ways so people around the world can discover their stories. The current environment created some near-term opportunities to further bolster our slate - but there’s no fundamental change to our strategy - we were already big believers in original films and we’re investing in it. This year, our members loved the intergenerational drama, Tribhanga: Tedhi Medhi Crazy, our first Telugu anthology, Pitta Kathalu, as well as The Girl on the Train.

Our films last year, including Guilty, Bulbbul, Class of ‘83, Serious Men, and AK vs AK have been loved and admired by our members for their unique stories and stellar performances. Our members also discovered and fell in love with the inventive storylines of Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl, Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare, Ginny Weds Sunny, and multi-starrer Ludo, which came to us in the form of exciting acquisition opportunities and we are thrilled with their response. We have an exciting lineup of films - including Pagglait, Ajeeb Dastans, and Jagame Thandhiram, and many more and can’t wait to bring them to our members.