Prime Video and Netflix topped India’s 15 most-viewed Hindi streaming shows in 2024, while Disney+ Hotstar led in Tamil and Telugu, according to Ormax Media’s ‘Streaming Originals in India - The 2024 Story’ report.

The report emphasized the dominance of platforms like Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+ Hotstar, which collectively have an estimated 70 million subscribers. It highlighted the growing role of regional content and franchise-driven formats in shaping India’s streaming landscape.

Netflix and Prime Video each had five entries in the top 15 Hindi streaming shows. Mirzapur Season 3 was the most-watched Hindi series with 30.8 million viewers, followed by Prime Video's Panchayat Season 3 (28.2 million) and Netflix’s Heeramandi (21.5 million). The viewership estimates were based on primary data, according to Ormax.

In the non-fiction OTT category, JioCinema's Bigg Boss OTT Season 3 led with 17.8 million viewers. Netflix’s The Great Indian Kapil Show Season 1 ranked second with 15.7 million viewers, while SonyLIV's Shark Tank India Season 3 secured 12.5 million viewers.

The report also highlights a wide variety of unscripted genres, spanning TV extensions, documentaries, game shows, and reality formats driven by influencers.

Netflix also dominated Hindi direct-to-digital films claiming 11 of the top 15 spots, with Do Patti leading at 15.1 million viewers, followed by Sector 36 (13.9 million) and Sikandar Ka Muqaddar (13.5 million).

“Audiences today seek more choices—across stories, devices—and we’re here to meet that demand,” said Monika Shergill, Netflix India’s vice president, content. “The sheer convenience of streaming with improved accessibility and broadband and CTV market growth is leading to a revolution in how we consume our entertainment. Exceptional storytelling enhanced by quality subtitles and dubbing in several languages is enabling more stories to travel and be consumed by more audiences in India and around the globe."

She further noted, “At Netflix, originals like Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, Amar Singh Chamkila, The Great Indian Kapil Show, and blockbuster movie slates in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu have demonstrated how entertainment and experience can together become the key drivers of streaming growth.”

Nikhil Madhok, Head of Originals, Prime Video India, stated that Indian audiences are open to good stories regardless of language, format, or genre. He highlighted Prime Video's success in engaging audiences across languages with titles like Mirzapur Season 3, Panchayat Season 3, Inspector Rishi, and global hits like The Boys and The Rings of Power.

"We are in a unique time, a renaissance in Indian entertainment, where all kinds of stories are being told and all genres are being explored on streaming. We will continue to collaborate with the finest creators and storytellers from India and around the world to offer our customers some of the most dynamic, fresh, out-of-the-box stories," he said.

Last year, Netflix and Prime Video unveiled ambitious content slates. Netflix’s 2024 slate included 14 shows and eight films, while Prime Video India announced plans to release 70 series and films over the next two years.

In regional content, Disney+ Hotstar's Save The Tigers Season 2 (5 million viewers) and Prime Video's Inspector Rishi (4.9 million viewers) were the top Telugu and Tamil shows, respectively. Disney+ Hotstar dominated the top 10 lists in both languages, with four Telugu and seven Tamil entries.

Netflix’s Squid Game Season 2 became the most-watched international show of 2024 with 19.6 million viewers, securing its place as India’s all-time leader. Among international films, Prime Video’s Road House led with 6 million viewers.

While the report excluded YouTube Originals, it acknowledged the success of India’s Got Latent on Samay Raina’s YouTube channel, which could have ranked in the top three.

According to Ormax, the report evaluated the top original shows and films released in 2024 in Hindi, International, Telugu, and Tamil across parameters such as viewership, marketing buzz, and content strength. It focused exclusively on original content, excluding theatrical films, catch-up TV, sports, and other non-original streaming content.

One would assume that an actor of Ranvir Shorey’s calibre wouldn’t enjoy a controversial show like Bigg Boss. It’s been barely five days, and the actor has already engaged in a verbal fight and confessed that if he had work, he wouldn’t be doing the show. While Bigg Boss OTT season three may give him the much-needed boost, Shorey—who was approached for the previous 10 seasons on TV—claims he wants to use the opportunity to detox from screens.

“Previously, I was not in the frame of mind to do the show. But this year, it fit well with [my schedule]. My son Haroon [with ex-wife Konkona Sen Sharma] is in the US for a month-long summer holiday, plus I had no other major work. I also needed to detox from screens, be it for entertainment or communication. I was tired of scrolling through social media. I am hoping to get something out of Bigg Boss, not just Bigg Boss getting something out of me,” said the actor, who has been part of iconic movies including Khosla Ka Ghosla (2006), Bheja Fry (2007), Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd (2007), and Ek Tha Tiger (2012), among others.

Having worked with Salman Khan in Ek Tha Tiger, Shorey had hoped that “things could have worked in my favour”. However, Anil Kapoor took over the hosting duties. “Anil sir is a legend. He is a charming person. He has great energy and vibrance. He brings a certain youthfulness to the show. I am quite excited to interact with him. I hope he will also cut me some slack,” he jokes. Shorey adds that his strategy in the house is to stay physically busy, either with house chores or yoga.

While fights among the contestants are the USP of the show, the actor hopes that to spark more fights, the makers will not starve them. “I can use this time to physically heal some of my old injuries. I believe if you are physically occupied, a lot of your problems go away. [I am also hoping] they’ll give us the basic 2,000 calories that we need to live. They are not calling us [on the show] to kill us.”

While living with strangers on a limited food supply does pose a challenge, for Shorey, the bigger task is to keep his cool. “I am actually a very impatient and uncool person. So, it will be a challenge to keep my temper in check for one-and-a-half months,” he shares.

Does he watch Bigg Boss? That was our first thought when Anil Kapoor was announced as the host of the third season of Bigg Boss OTT. The actor’s director-friend Farah Khan is known to be an avid follower of the reality show, but Kapoor is an unusual choice for it.

“I always wondered why the show works, why people love it, and why the participants behave the way they do. I have seen the show in bits and parts,” smiles the senior actor. 

Bigg Boss thrives on fights, scandals and controversies. In sharp contrast is Kapoor with his affable and gentlemanly demeanour. He cuts in, “How do you know I am not rough and controversial?” To the actor, who has done it all—from the big screen to OTT, from Hollywood movies to web series—this show is his next bet.

“I’m at that stage in my career where I cannot be doing the tried and tested. I started out with bit roles, did Telugu and Kannada films, and then became a leading man. I’ve always taken on challenges. One of the reasons for my longevity is that I’m always ready to take a chance, fail or have people make fun of me. That’s how you grow.” 

While Karan Johar hosted the opening season of the Jio Cinema offering, Salman Khan took the baton in the second edition. If Johar had a sarcastic take on contestants, Khan brought his brutally frank demeanour to the show. What kind of host will Kapoor be?

“We are three people with three different personalities. So, our hosting styles will be different. When I did 24, some questioned how I would be different from Kiefer Sutherland [who led the American original]. The same happened in The Night Manager [2023] too. But one cannot think of these things while working. Everyone brings their own persona to the show.”

By keeping contestants locked away in a house for months, Bigg Boss tests their mental strength, resilience and need for social interaction. If he was a contestant, would he be able to stay cooped up like that? The actor answers with an emphatic yes.

“Staying in the Bigg Boss house is nothing compared to where we lived and the tough situations we faced when I started my career. Living in that house would be a luxury. When I used to shoot for my movies in Kolkata or south, we’d sometimes live in rooms where there was no fan or air conditioner. We’d put water on the floor to make it cooler, so we could sleep at night and go to work in the morning.”