iWorld
Rana Naidu 2 team opens up on backlash, bold themes and big wins
MUMBAI: When your lead actor jokes, “I’ve mastered dying on screen,” you know a show isn’t playing it safe. At the 9th edition of The Content Hub Summit 2025, the spotlight fell on Netflix’s Rana Naidu’s second season, an audacious blend of blood, baggage, and brutal family dynamics that’s got everyone talking (and watching).
Director Suparn Verma, screenwriter Vaibhav Vishal, and actor Sushant Singh were joined by session chair and RJ Stutee Ghosh for a frank, no-holds-barred conversation on the show’s gritty new season where the emotions run as high as the body count.
“Reaching the heart is the real win,” said Verma. “The kind of emotional and thematic depth we’ve explored this season, I genuinely believe it hasn’t been done before in Indian storytelling.”
Indeed, the father-son conflict, explored with near-mythological gravitas, was framed by Verma in classic archetypes: “There’s a Shakti, a Vishnu… and now, with Angam, we’ve created a force that’s just as primal and layered.”
But it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. The team faced backlash after Season 1 for its raw language and depiction of abuse. Vaibhav Vishal admitted that it did prompt some introspection and even self-censorship but only to widen the show’s reach without diluting its essence.
“There was a lot of criticism, and I’d be lying if I said it didn’t affect me,” he said. “But then came the numbers. That’s when we knew we weren’t off-track Rana Naidu shot up to become the number one show.”
Sushant Singh, whose character meets a dramatic end in the new season, brought humour to the session. “He told me during the loop test, ‘You’re going to die.’ I just smiled and said, ‘I’ve mastered dying on screen by now.’”
The team also addressed representation especially of women with intention. Vishal noted that Arya’s character this season wasn’t written as a love interest or sidekick. “In her mind and ours, she’s the main character.”
This season also marked a shift in tonal choices. While the violence has intensified, the language has been consciously restrained. “We created narrative solutions,” said Vishal. “Like Venkatesh’s character doing Angoom Gilo to avoid abusing, it was all thought through.”
The makers are clear-eyed about the creative trade-offs involved in storytelling for a broad OTT audience. “You adapt, learn, evolve,” said Vishal. “Once Season 1 was out and we saw how the family dynamic resonated, we layered it back in for Season 2.”
OTT, for actors like Sushant Singh, has also offered meatier roles than cinema ever did. “It’s given me hope,” he said. “The kind of characters I’ve gotten on streaming platforms are far richer than most I got in films.”
The Netflix show creators didn’t shy away from controversy, but they also didn’t pander. Their belief? Let the characters be flawed, the dialogue be daring, and the women be unapologetic.
And if a few heads roll in the process well, that’s just part of the Naidu family tradition.
(If you are an Anime fan and love Anime like Demon Slayer, Spy X Family, Hunter X Hunter, Tokyo Revengers, Dan Da Dan and Slime, Buy your favourite Anime merchandise on AnimeOriginals.com.)
iWorld
Prime Video bets big on India with global originals, films and franchise expansion
Execs highlight scale, travelability and new IP bets as India anchors global strategy
MUMBAI: At Prime Video Presents 2026, the message was clear and confident. India is not just part of the plan, it is central to it.
In a lively fireside chat hosted by filmmaker Karan Johar, Kelly Day, vice president of prime video and amazon mgm studios international, Nicole Clemens, vice president of international originals, and Gaurav Gandhi, vice president for Apac and Anz, laid out an ambitious roadmap. Think bigger stories, wider reach and a sharper focus on building franchises that travel.
Kelly Day, a regular visitor to India, set the tone early. Calling the country “one of the most important markets globally”, she pointed to the sheer scale and diversity of audiences as a driving force behind Prime Video’s growth. Indian Originals, she said, are not just local hits but global engines powering subscriptions and engagement.
That global appeal is already visible. According to Clemens, around 25 percent of viewership for Indian content now comes from outside the country. Shows rooted deeply in local culture are finding fans worldwide, proving that specificity, when paired with universal themes, travels well. From gritty dramas to sharp thrillers, Indian storytelling is increasingly crossing borders with ease.
Clemens, who joined recently to lead international originals, was particularly upbeat about India’s creative range. She highlighted a growing slate of over 100 shows in development and production, with more than 60 percent returning for multiple seasons. For her, the formula is simple. Authentic stories, told well, resonate everywhere.
Adding to the buzz, she teased new and returning titles, alongside a fresh superhero universe, the Kalyug Warriors. It signals a push into new genres while doubling down on familiar fan favourites.
If content is king, distribution is the clever courtier. Day outlined Prime Video’s layered business model in India, which blends subscription, rentals, add on channels and ad supported viewing through Amazon MX Player. The idea is straightforward. Give viewers choice, whether they want premium, free or pay per view.
India, she noted, has also become a testing ground for innovation. Tiered pricing, mobile only plans and language diversity have all been sharpened here before being exported to other markets. In many ways, the India playbook is now influencing global strategy.
For Gaurav Gandhi, the next chapter is about scale with intent. He outlined four priorities. Making Prime Video more accessible, pushing Indian content globally, building stronger franchises and supercharging the films business.
On films, the platform is moving beyond licensing into co productions and now theatrical releases in partnership with amazon mgm studios. These films will eventually stream on Prime Video, creating a full circle from cinema halls to living rooms across 240 countries.
Franchise building remains another key pillar. With hits like The Family Man, Mirzapur and Panchayat already enjoying multi season success, the focus is now on creating the next wave of enduring IP. Newer titles are already lining up for second seasons, signalling a steady pipeline.
What stood out through the conversation was a shared belief. Streaming in India is still in its early innings, and the runway is long. With a mix of local flavour and global ambition, Prime Video is betting that stories from India will not just stay at home, but travel far and wide.
Or as the executives seemed to suggest, the world is watching and India has plenty more to show.
