badhaai do
Badhaai Do is among Netflix’s most-watched films globally this year, and the latest example of how desi OTT movies and series are striking a chord with audiences from Europe and Southeast Asia to Latin America
Niharika Lal (BOMBAY TIMES; March 24, 2022)

Since its release last week on Netflix, Badhaai Do was trending in the No 1 spot in India till March 20, and was in the Top Ten list globally in the non-English films category. In fact, Badhaai Do is the sixth Indian film this year to make it to the global top 10 rankings of the platform, as Indian content increasingly finds a vast audience overseas.

DESI FILMS AND SHOWS TAKE OVER GLOBAL OTT RANKINGS
In the last two-and-a-half months alone, six Indian language films and two series made it to the Netflix Top 10 list, which is published weekly. These include Minnal Murali (Malayalam), Sooryavanshi (Hindi) and Badhaai Do (Hindi) among other films; and Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein: Season 1 and Fame Game: Season 1 in the TV series category.

Similarly, Gaurav Gandhi, Prime Video Director & Country Manager, Amazon India stated last year, “Our Indian Amazon Originals enjoy incredible popularity both in the country and outside India. In fact, one out of every five viewers for these shows is from outside the country.”

As per the CII Big Picture Summit 2020 report by the BCG (Boston Consulting Group) and CII (Confederation of Indian Industry), the increasing acceptance of Indian content among global audiences includes, but is not limited to, the Indian diaspora of over 32 million spread across multiple countries. Countries with significant Indian language speaking population — such as Bangladesh (Bengali), Mauritius (Bhojpuri), Nepal (Maithli and Bhojpuri), Singapore (Tamil), etc — also consume Indian content, states the report.

Karan Bedi, co-chair, CII sub committee on OTT and Digital content and CEO MX Player, says, “MX Player’s shows are popular in countries such as Bangladesh, US, UK, UAE, Canada, and Australia. We focus on the Indian diaspora in these countries and the content is also curated for a global audience.”

‘LOCAL, AUTHENTIC STORIES ARE IN DEMAND EVERYWHERE’
With platforms like Amazon boasting of viewership in 240+ countries and territories worldwide, Girish Johar, producer and cinema business analyst, says that streaming platforms have helped Indian content reach not just the conventional top markets, but even countries which were out of bounds for traditional distributors.

He explains, “Traditionally, the top markets were the US, UK, New Zealand, and Australia. Some films did release in selected Southeast Asian countries, but now we are able to tap European countries, West Indies, Brazil, and so on. ”

He adds, “Through users on social media, too, we get this picture that Indian content is being consumed and liked in foreign countries. Be it south films such as Minnal Murali or Hindi films such as Gulabo Sitabo, Indian cinema has received a lot of praise from global audiences.”

Agrees Karan Bedi, “Some global OTT platforms are present in 150+ countries. For Indian content — films and shows, releasing the same day across these countries, now you have got (viewers in) countries in Eastern Europe and Latin America.”

Bela Bajaria, Netflix head of global TV, had said at a conference last year that the shows that have been the most successful globally have been “the most authentic and the most specific”.

Monika Shergill, VP-Content, Netflix India, adds, “Last year, Netflix’s 28 Indian original titles were across 7 languages, 8 formats and 11 genres across films, series, comedy, reality and documentaries. From blockbuster hits like Dhamaka, Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein to differentiated stories like Cinema Bandi, The Disciple and Axone, our aim is to have authentic stories and it is this authenticity that audiences love. Malayalam cinema’s first superhero film, Minnal Murali which trended in the Top 10 in 30 countries from Argentina to Nigeria, or Red Notice, which India enjoyed with dubs in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu — are examples of how great stories are universal.”
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SUBBING AND DUBBING OF FILMS BIG REASON FOR THEIR INCREASING POPULARITY

Due to subbing and dubbing in various languages, Netflix reached out to a wide audience. The Tamil anthology film Navarasa has been in the Top 10 in 10 countries, including India, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka. More than 40% of the film’s viewers came from outside India in its first week on Netflix. Likewise, in its first week alone, the Dhanush-starrer Jagame Thandhiram drew an equal share of audience from outside India as it did within the country, and was in the Top 10 in 12 countries outside India. It was also No 1 in 7 countries, including India, Malaysia, and the UAE.

Badhaai Do (Hindi), Minnal Murali (Malayalam) and Sooryavanshi (Hindi) were among the Indian films that made it to the global top 10 on Netflix. A Thursday, Atrangi Re and Maaran were among the Indian films that topped the global list on Disney+ Hotstar in the last month

*Lists not in order of ranking.
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INDIAN SHOWS THAT ARE POPULAR ACROSS THE GLOBE

MX PLAYER ORIGINALS:
Aashram, Indori Ishq, Bhaukaal, Cartel, Campus Diaries, Raktanchal, Ek Thi Begum (Hindi), Matsya Kaand, High, Samantar (Hindi) were among the global Top Ten

ON ALT BALAJI:
Lock Upp, Broken But Beautiful Season 3, Bekaaboo Season 2, Cartel, The Married Woman, Puncch Beat Season 2, Crimes And Confessions, Pavitra Rishta, His Storyy, and Girgit were among the most popular shows last year

ON DISNEY+ HOTSTAR:
Rudra, Human, The Great Indian Murder, Aarya Season 2, and Special Ops 1. 5 were most popular globally in Feb-March

ON NETFLIX:
The Fame Game, Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein, Aranyak and Mighty Little Bheem

INDIAN CONTENT SHINES @ INTERNATIONAL EMMYS
The 48th International Emmy Awards were a historic event for India as, for the first time ever, an Indian series, Delhi Crime ,won an Emmy for Best Drama Series. Series such as Sacred Games, Aarya 2, Made In Heaven, Inside Edge, Four More Shots Please!, the Netflix special Vir Das: For India and the anthology Lust Stories have also been nominated for Emmys.

Last year, Nawazuddin Siddiqui was nominated for the International Best Actor Emmy for his role in Serious Men. Siddiqui also became a household name all around the world for his stint as gangster Ganesh Gaitonde in his Netflix debut series titled Sacred Games. In an interview he mentioned that the locals of Italy recognized him as Gaitonde and appreciated his performance.

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