Every week this year, at least one Indian series or film made it to Netflix‘s global Top list. Actors and directors now share stories of building fan bases in countries that once had little to no exposure to Hindi cinema – a shift largely powered by the growing reach of streaming services.
This year, Indian productions like Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s period drama Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, thrillers like CTRL, and genre-bending films like Haseen Dilruba didn’t just get views – they were celebrated around the world.
A closer look reveals an intentional strategy of diversity behind this success. Tanya Bami, Series Head for Netflix India, and Ruchikaa Kapoor Sheikh, Director of Original Films at Netflix India, let us in on their commissioning strategy, which is all about brainstorming fresh ideas, collaborating with creative voices, and telling stories that are important. It’s obvious that a huge amount of effort goes into building such a slate.
Streaming’s ultimate success metric is engagement. But how do you measure something beyond viewership stats? Tanya drops a few memorable pop culture moments – “Bibbo Jaan’s Gajgamini walk, Shalini Passi.”
It’s not just about the views; certain moments, characters, and titles have become part of pop culture, sparking endless discussions. When a series or film becomes a cultural phenomenon, it’s no surprise that viewers keep coming back for more.
Read on-
‘It has been a year when every week there was an Indian title on the list of global hits’
Talking about how was the year 2024 for the streamer in India, Tanya Bami, Series Head for Netflix India says,”2024 has been a really amazing year for us. A really gratifying year, something we are really thankful for. It has been an unprecedented year on so many levels. So many of our titles have been so loved by our members, not just in India, but across the world, whether it is Heeramandi, which has now emerged as India’s biggest series according to recent data it was in Top 10 in 71 countries. The Great Indian Kapil show which has done two seasons with culminating episode. It has continued top slot in 15 weeks in season one. It’s exciting to take the content our partners are creating in India to the world, bringing diverse stories across the various formats we operate in. Whether it’s a small breakout title like Mamala Legal Hai, an experience like Heeramandi, or a true-life story like IC814 – landing as the biggest pitch of the year – it has been both exciting and humbling.”
Tanya Bami, Series Head for Netflix India
Ruchikaa Kapoor Sheikh, Director of Original Films at Netflix India adds,”2024 has been truly a landmark here for us. Not only have you seen our audiences watch and get thrilled by the slate, but the fact that all our titles have sparked conversations, have had a meaningful cultural impact in a huge way that has been a large part of our success While commitment has been local for local. It has been a year when every week there was an Indian title on the list of global hits for us, it reaffirms our faith in telling local stories, India first stories, which finally find its way to the rest of the world. Our commitment in being so local and super serving India has really resulted in Indian stories going all around the globe.”
Ruchikaa Kapoor Sheikh, Director of Original Films at Netflix India
She adds,”The fact that it has been cultural zeitgeist whether it is Heeramandi, Amar Singh Chamkila’s music coming back or resurgence of true crime (genre) in sector 36 or IC 814, it has been so much of a zeitgeist sort of experience surrounding so many of our titles- even Laaapta Ladies or Maharaja. So, in that sense, our unique value offering has really anchored the variety and diversity that we have been talking about, and it’s truly been a year of that.”
A still from IC814
Maharaj
‘Audiences live with characters like Amar Singh Chamkila or Jeetu Bhaiya’
Tanya shares that in terms of characters, whether it’s Amar Singh Chamkila or the farewell to Jeetu Bhaiya, Tyagi Sir in Maamla Legal Hai, Mallika Jaan, and Bibbojaan in Heeramandi, these are characters that the audiences live with. She says,”These are the characters our creators have brought to life, and we are so grateful for the partnerships we have. These are the legacies we are proud to carry forward in the coming years.
‘We have dipped into genre blending’
Haseen Dilruba
Giving an example of their commitment to variety and diversity, she shares, “Someone recently asked me, ‘Could you define a Netflix film for me?’ and I said that a Netflix film is whatever genre or mood you’re craving – it satiates that. That is a Netflix title.
Which is why Sector 36 looks so different from Maharaj, which looks so different from Haseen Dilruba, and which, in turn, looks different from Chamkila. I just feel that we have held ourselves accountable to a set of stories and to telling them in the most authentic way. I feel that we have dipped into genre blending. Haseen Dilruba may be a pulp thriller, but it also has a lot of romance, emotions, and humour – opening up multiple entry points for people to come in and enjoy the value offering we are setting out for creators.”
Tanya agrees and adds, “And I will add to that that all these little gems- and not-so-little gems – have come out of years of ideas that have been cooking. For instance, Heeramandi was in Mr. Bhansali’s head for 14 years before he made it. Then there are some stories that arise from those magical moments which transpire – just jamming on ideas with your partners. You align on a common thought, a common idea, and then there’s so much excitement – ‘Let’s do it!’
It has been a lot of passion, meticulous and focused determination to put together a slate that has different genres, different voices, different narrative styles, and different impacts. It has taken its time. I think the focus really has been to work backward from the audience – what is it that they are seeking? What kind of downtime do they want? Is it something easy to watch? Clean, light-hearted content, like what comedy as a space offers?”
‘It’s simple yet complicated because there has been a shift – a kind of cultural reset. Stories are meant to do more than just entertain you’
Summing it up, Ruchika shares examples and says, “The success, the success story, really lies in the impact a film has soon after the credits roll. The fact that Amar Singh Chamkila’s music made a comeback this year and became relevant decades after it was first launched is remarkable.We do feel like it’s simple yet complicated because there has been a shift – a kind of cultural reset. Stories are meant to do more than just entertain you.”
CREATORS SPEAK
As a maker, you constantly need to find the right balance across genres so that none of them feels off, spoofy, or weak when they play out on screen: Puneet Krishna, Creator of Tribhuvan Mishra CA Topper
A title like Tribhuvan Mishra CA Topper merges genres. Talking about how Netflix approaches genre-blending storytelling, and what makes it resonate with today’s audiences, he says, “In my opinion, Netflix takes a slightly offbeat approach by not putting any pressure on going for a specific genre. That’s what makes a genre-blending situation slightly easier to approach and achieve. For instance, if you go to someone with an idea, they might ask, ‘What genre is this in?’ If it’s one genre, it’s easy to describe. But if it’s a genre-blending situation, it becomes difficult to answer. Netflix doesn’t ask those questions. In that sense, in a very non-penetrative way, they don’t talk about genre-blending much. That’s how the encouragement happens because you’re not boxed into one particular genre while telling a story.”
Tribhuvan Mishra CA Topper
Sharing an example from his own show, Tribhuvan Mishra: CA Topper, which blends three or four genres—comedy, violent action, drama, and investigative thriller, he says, “Blending comedy and action, for instance, presents a tricky challenge. Comedy can make the action feel non-serious, or the action can make the comedy feel spoofy. It’s a delicate balance to achieve, and the same applies to combining investigative thriller elements with comedy. As a maker, you constantly need to find the right balance across genres so that none of them feels off, spoofy, or weak when they play out on screen. It’s challenging, but it also creates an opportunity to engage audiences in unique and unexpected ways.”
He explains that genre-blending is fulfilling when achieved, even though it’s more challenging compared to telling a story in a single genre. He says, “For storytellers like us, it allows us to explore varied narratives within one story. For the audience, it offers a richer experience. And for Netflix, it means reaching a broader audience with diverse tastes—making it a win-win for everyone. Netflix doesn’t push creators to adhere to a single genre, which makes it easier to explore blended narratives. As a global storytelling platform, their support enriches the creative process, allowing for a variety of stories to flourish and contributing immensely to the evolution of entertainment. From a personal perspective, coming from a background like Mirzapur, which was raw action and drama, I wanted to explore something different with Tribhuvan Mishra CA Topper. That’s where the comedy element came in, leading to a blend of genres. While there’s no fixed process for creating a genre-blending story, the freedom Netflix offers inspires such experimentation and innovation, making Indian cinema more dynamic on a global stage.”
The challenge in making a genre-blending series is that you need to be very sure of what you are serving to the audience: Sameer Saxena – Executive Producer: Maamla Legal Hai
Sameer Saxena – Executive Producer: Maamla Legal Hai says, “For example, in an essentially comedy or satirical series like Maamla Legal Hai, there are moments where you get emotional and feel for the character. So, those are kind of drama moments in a comedy series. So, you have comedy and drama genres coming together in a series like Maamla Legal Hai. And genre-blending in that sense makes it a more engaging and enriching experience for the audience because it’s not just one emotion you’re going to feel. For Maamla Legal Hai, you will laugh at most points, but there are also moments where you might cry or feel emotional and sad for the characters, which makes it a more engaging viewing experience.”
A still from Maamla Legal Hai
Talking about the challenges and opportunities such narratives present in terms of creative execution and audience engagement, he explains, “The challenge in making a genre-blending series is that you need to be very sure of what you are serving to the audience. The audience should not get confused with too many genres being thrown at them. For example, in Maamla Legal Hai, if it becomes way too dramatic, then the audience might get confused about whether to consider it a fun satirical series or a drama series. And that’s a bit of a challenge. So, I guess it mostly should be focused on a particular genre and then maybe sprinkle some other emotions, elements, or genres a little bit here and there. That usually works best—it worked well for Maamla Legal Hai. But it also depends on the series and what story you are trying to tell.”
