iWorld
French cinema finds an ally in Hotstar
MUMBAI: Hotstar is saying je t’aime to its new French tie-up. Along with Bonjour India, Star India’s over-the-top (OTT) platform, Hotstar, is giving the country a peek into classic French films. Bonjour India is a festival presented by Cultures France and the French embassy in India.
To celebrate the Indo-French partnership as well as shape the next decade of human exchange between the countries, Bonjour India launched ‘The Experience: A Journey with France’ and the platform 10 Years-10 Films in Mumbai on 14 December.
The third edition of Bonjour India is an extravaganza spanning over four months to celebrate the Indo-French association through hundreds of events across India. It will cover 100 projects in 33 cities across 20 states and union territories from November 2017 to February 2018. The themes for these projects are smart citizen, high mobility and go green.
While reviving a community of French cinema lovers by giving them access to recent French films through various media, 10 Years-10 Films will also facilitate the acquisition of French content by Indian VOD platforms.
Hotstar CEO Ajit Mohan said, “They (Bonjour India) have helped us to choose and arrange 10 films, which are the best of French cinema with English subtitles. Our responsibility is to take them to India’s audience, especially the youth who have not been exposed to these kinds of movies.”
Hotstar will, however, also screen three of the movies in cinema halls to reach a variety of audiences. Attaché for Innovation and Multimedia at French Institute India – French Embassy in India, Pierre Laburthe, handpicked the iconic films, across genres, and pitched it to Hotstar.
Laburthe sees a big market French cinema in India. He said, “We are launching an online festival ‘10 on 10’ because, in the last few years, it has been very difficult to have French films in Indian cinema. We wanted to be online and so we partnered with Hotstar and we have one iconic film for each past decade.”
“People don’t know that we have a common history, so we have created this structure to put it in the public space, where people can discover the relationship through these aspects. We will talk about culture, films, education, science, business and everything in a multidisciplinary event,” he added.
Some of the French films that are available now on Hotstar are Villa Amalia, Tomorrow, 9-Month Stretch, Happiness Never Comes Alone, Sils Maria, A Few Hours of Spring, Of Gods and Men, and Irreplaceable. These films will be seen only on Hotstar as the French embassy has acquired the digital rights only for Star India.
Also Read: Guest Column: How 2018 could become a landmark year for OTT entertainment in India
Hotstar announces partnership with awesomeness
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.
