From fiction to unscripted reality, weekly releases to weekend entertainment, Netflix has experimented with different forms of storytelling and genres. Monica Shergill, VP of Content, Netflix India, said the goal is to provide flexible entertainment to viewers. Also read: Massification is working for Netflix numbers
Netflix India’s next project is Anubhav Sinha’s thriller series “IC 814: Kandahar Hijack.”
If Sanjay Leela Bhansali narrates a chapter in history with ‘Heera Mandi’, Rani makes a thrilling comeback in ‘Pir Aayi Haseen Dilruba’, there’s a musical touch in ‘Amar Singh Chamkira’, a fresh approach to madness in ‘Maharaj’, a wild adventure in ‘Wild Wild Punjab’ and no shortage of laughs in ‘The Great Indian Kapil Show’. Their next chapter is Anubhav Sinha’s thriller ‘IC 814: Kandahar Hijack’.
Selecting Diverse Candidates
“The core strategy is to bring on board the most brilliant filmmakers like Anubhav. The ambition behind IC 814: Kandahar Hijack was to produce a world-class series. The strategy is simple, yet challenging at the same time. The Indian audience is extremely diverse. But the one thing that Indian audiences have in common is that they want to be entertained,” says Monica.
Monica added: “The vision and objective is very clear – to find the best stories by the best filmmakers and bring some very strong and distinct voices into the service.”
“Our service is not a one-off. There are a variety of stories and formats just this year. Documentaries are just as important to us as film formats and long-form storytelling formats. Weekend entertainment is an area we’re in and it’s very important to us,” she asserts.
Strive to be the first choice
According to Monica, their goal is to “become the anchor service in the market that everyone knows and tunes in to.”
“And know that your viewers will always have fresh, meaningful entertainment available whenever they want to tune in,” she noted.
As per their strategy, introducing theatrical films to the service is as important as introducing new content to the platform. She cites the performance of projects like Jawan, Animal, Laapataa Ladies and Kalki 2898 AD as examples.
“We put a lot of effort into figuring out how to deliver the best possible experience to our audience,” Monica says.
Experiment with different formats
Since 2020, the OTT space has grown, with new trends emerging, such as splitting the final season into two parts or dropping one episode at a time.
When we ask Monica about the emerging trend, she responds, “When streaming first started, it had to find its own purpose. In the beginning, the purpose of streaming was to offer choice and flexibility in the highest quality. That’s how Netflix started.”
“Our objective today is a little bit different. The core objective of streaming remains the same, but it’s also important for us as a service to explore more formats. We’ve made big inroads into live programming. We’ve made inroads into episodic formats, but binge is at the core of Netflix and that will continue to be the case,” Monica said.
Explaining her thinking, she continues, “If you watch IC 814: Kandahar Hijack, you’ll see that binge-watching is our core format… At the same time, we’re exploring with our weekly releases… Genre exploration is thriving.”
“What’s important to us is giving viewers more reasons to subscribe to the platform, more moments of truth where they can find what they’re looking for, and giving them choice and flexibility. Kapil Sharma airs on Saturdays and is a core viewing occasion for our viewers, so they tune in, but they can also tune in throughout the week and beyond. It’s an interesting way to reach our audience,” says Monica.
About IC 814: Kandahar Hijacking
For now, their focus is on the release of “IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack.” Starring Vijay Varma, Dia Mirza and Kumud Mishra, the six-episode thriller is based on the 1999 Indian Airlines hijacking. It marks Anubhav Sinha’s return to long-form storytelling for the first time since his television days. It is based on the book “Flight Into Fear.” The series is slated for release on August 29.
Speaking about the project, Monica said, “This series represents everything we wanted to do in the first place and more.”
“It needed a voice as strong as Anubhav’s and a clear vision… Anubhav has really marshaled his vision to create a complex yet thrilling series. Every part keeps you turning the pages. Just when you think you know how someone will react, what decision they will make, you are surprised. It is a human thriller because it makes you think from the perspective of the people sitting in the plane. For them, it was a matter of life and death every moment,” she concluded.