Netflix eyes original series, films, vernacular content to widen reach in 2021

NEW DELHI : Unlike rival Amazon Prime Video, American streaming platform Netflix is not looking at big acquisitions of mainstream Bollywood films as its key strategy in 2021. The Reed Hastings-owned platform is focusing on its original web shows, films and language content to widen reach and deepen consumer engagement.

Netflix has readied a new slate of programming like Tribhanga, starring Bollywood star Kajol, an LGBT tale Cobalt Blue, and Tamil anthology Navarasa for release. It pitches these as authentic Indian stories that have the potential to travel the globe.

To be sure, the service has had original films such as Lust Stories and Love Per Square Foot as early as 2018. “Unlike other services, it’s always been part of our plan to have original films, we’ve always had that unique understanding about how much Indians enjoy their films,” Srishti Arya, director, international original film, Netflix India said. In an earlier blog, Monika Shergill, vice-president, content, Netflix India had pointed out that India notched up the highest viewing of films on the service globally in 2020 and that 80% of its members in the country chose to watch a film every week during the year.