Amazon Prime Video has second-largest production slate in India, says head of India originals

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For streaming-giant Amazon Prime Video, India remains a key market as the platform not only has plans to increase its original slate for this year, but it is also one of the top countries in terms of local content production.

The over-the-top (OTT) player, which will be releasing another original on March 18, called Jalsa, starring Vidya Balan, will be doubling down on originals, said Aparna Purohit, Head of India Originals, Amazon Prime Video India. Last year, the platform had released around 11 originals.

"India now has over 70 originals in various stages of development and production. This is the second-largest production slate for Prime Video in the world, right after the US," she said.

Over-the-top originals

She added that in the last five years, the platform has built a bouquet of 39 originals for the Indian market across multiple languages, genres, and formats that include multi-season shows such as The Family Man, Mirzapur, Inside Edge, Four More Shots Please!.

"In addition to Hindi, we have developed original content in Tamil. You will see a lot more local-language marquee content coming up in Tamil and Telugu on Prime Video," said Purohit.

Focusing on local language content, the platform has launched comedy shows like Comicstaan Semma Comedy Pa and LOL: Enga Siri Paappom in Tamil. "We are now going deep across genres within each language and partnering with local storytellers and fresh talent to narrate relevant local stories," she added.

The platform, which is estimated to have 21.8 million subscribers, is one of the top players in the subscription video-on-demand market in India. The platform, along with Disney+ Hotstar and Netflix, recorded an 80 percent market share of subscribers and revenues in 2021, according to Media Partners Asia (MPA), a provider of research, advisory, and consulting services.

New releases in 2022

This year, the OTT platform has shows like the returning seasons of Indian Amazon Originals such as Four More Shots Please!, Breathe: Into the Shadows and Comicstaan lined up for release. Local content will be coupled with international content like The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power, which will stream on the platform in September, and the new season of The Boys.

"We are adapting the global hit series, Modern Love, in three local languages– Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. We are also excited about our upcoming all-woman cast and crew show Hush Hush (working title), a thriller-drama that is helmed by women not just in front of the camera but also behind it," said Purohit.

Hush Hush marks the digital debut of Indian actresses Juhi Chawla and Ayesha Julka. Purohit pointed out that, for the platform, 2022 started with content like anthologies Putham Pudhu Kaalai Vidiyaadhaa (Tamil), Unpaused: Naya Safar (Hindi), the Shruti Hassan and Mithun Chakraborty starrer thriller series Bestseller as well as season 4 of comedy-drama series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

One of the most-talked-about content of this year was the Deepika Padukone-starrer Gehraiyaan, which started streaming on the platform on February 11. It recorded 6.5 million views in the first three days, according to media consulting firm Ormax Media.

"We see a significant opportunity and have some deep plans for content development and production in India. Our investments are not short-term," said Purohit.

A CII-BCG report estimated that investments by OTTs in original content increased from $280 million - $310 million in 2020 to $600 million - $700 million in 2021.

Along with content, Amazon Prime Video is also focusing on new talent. Purohit said that over 50 percent of their released slate has fresh talent. "This (fresh talent) is even higher for our slate in production at close to 70 percent," she added.

Traction for originals

According to an Ormax Media report, 233 original shows and 117 original films in Hindi were launched on streaming platforms in the last two years. Based on Ormax Power Rating (OPR), which collects data from viewers on how much a  show or a film is liked by the audience, only 26 shows and 13 films saw strong traction in 2020 and 2021.

When it comes to the hits in the last two years, the report said that Disney+Hotstar and Amazon Prime Video dominate the list of 26 shows which include popular content like Family Man Season 2, the second season of Mirzapur and Paatal Lok.

The platform also leads in the film segment, with five movies in the list of 13 popular films on OTTs. They include Shershaah, Chhalaang, Sherni, among others. Purohit pointed out that viewership has been trending for some of Amazon Prime's content in the last two years.

"The Family Man Season 2 became the most-watched Indian original, both within and outside the country. Then nearly 50 percent of the viewers who completed Mirzapur season 2, binge-watched it within 48 hours and it was watched in 180 countries within a week of its launch. Also, it is interesting to note that one in five viewers of Indian originals come from outside India and this has even led to international recognition for some of our most loved shows," she added.

Manish Menghani, Head of Content Licensing, Amazon Prime Video India, pointed out that almost half of the total audience of local language films comes from outside the home states. "Movies like Shershaah and Jai Bhim were watched in 4,100 Indian cities and more than 210 countries and territories worldwide,” he said.

Beyond originals

In addition to original content, the platform will be focusing on licensed content. Menghani said that the platform has long-term deals with multiple studios and production houses like Yash Raj Films, Dharma Productions, Excel Entertainment, 2D Entertainment, PRK Productions, among others. "We also license titles from hundreds of individual producers across various languages," he said.

Last year, the platform had also announced its foray into co-productions with the upcoming film, Ram Setu.