The streaming service has been in India since January 2016, and in the time it has spent servicing consumers in the country, it has collected data points that suggest the market has a huge appetite for films. Netflix reveals that as a percentage of overall time spent on Netflix, film viewing in India is the highest in any country and 70 per cent of subscribers to the service see at least one film a week. No doubt then that the company has honed its focus on films, in addition to original shows and documentaries.
Srishti Behl Arya, director - international original film, India, Netflix explains that the focus is to create as diverse and appealing content out of India as possible. For this, the company is working with various Indian creators across genres to create a library of original films that can be served to its global audience. Netflix’s content partners across various projects include Zoya Akhtar, Karan Johar, Farah Khan, and Anurag Kashyap, among others. While the company remained mum on the matter, media reports suggest that Netflix could be spending around $100 million on originals from India over the next two years.
Arya says, “We want to make sure that Netflix has something for everyone. Diversity of content is the key. India is a diverse market and it is important to have good quality content that can be enjoyed by the various kinds of viewers we have. Of course, it is important to stay true to the concept, and tell the best stories in the best way possible. In that, we have been lucky to have collaborated with some of the best creators.”
She adds that she and her team use a combination of data, experience, and intuition to decide the content that gets the green light for production. While data helps the team identify the under-served genres, their experience with content creation helps identify scripts with potential.
So far, the platform has released eight original films from India. Among these Lust Stories, which is compilation of four stories each directed by a different director, has set the record for being the largest-watched original in percentage terms in any individual market in its first month. Other titles include Love Per Square Foot produced by Ronnie Screwvala, and Rajma Chawal starring Rishi Kapoor, among others.
The focus on providing diversity also shapes Netflix’s content acquisition strategy in India. While there are platforms that have signed slate deals with local studios, Netflix believes in taking it a project at a time. As Arya explains, taking a call on a project basis allows for flexibility, both for the platform and its creator partners. This also means that while it will produce/co-produce film titles out of India, it is also open to acquiring streaming rights to a film that was released in theatres.
Being a digital platform, Netflix also sees different consumption patterns when it comes to films. For example, Sonam Kapoor starring film Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga received a lukewarm response at the movie theatres. However on Netflix, the consumption has been encouraging. Consumption patterns on OTT may offer from traditional theatre viewing because of the theme a movie tackles, in this case, a same sex relationship.
Netflix’s strategy for original film production out of India also ties in with its focus on owning the intellectual property for as many original titles as possible. Since its intends to release its original content from various markets to the global library, it is important for the platform to own the rights to the content in all markets.