iWorld
ALTBalaji announces #High5withALT campaign to celebrate fifth anniversary
Mumbai: Video streaming platform ALTBalaji on Monday announced a new campaign titled #High5withALT to celebrate its fifth anniversary.
With a proven track record of developing ventures and creating new opportunities, ALTBalaji currently has an MAU base of over 10 million and has sold 2.9 million subscriptions in H1 alone. In addition, the platform has an average audience engagement of 83 minutes per day with 91+ shows and a rich bouquet of genres that cater to a variety of audiences, according to the statement.
Now, with its AVOD model, the platform is looking to gain more viewers and continue its mission of entertaining its audience.
ALSO READ | ‘Lock Upp’ is ALTBalaji’s ‘KBC moment’ as it forays into AVOD: Divya Dixit
“The platform has experienced a 36 per cent quarter-on-quarter growth in subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) in FY21. Furthermore, its active subscriber base increased by 75 per cent yearly to 2.1 million from 1.2 million in the previous quarter, 2020. As a result, the platform now has over 35 million subscribers and nine million monthly active users,” said the statement.
ALTBalaji’s journey started with a promise of presenting the viewer’s non-stereotypical and groundbreaking shows that were never seen before in the Indian OTT space. With over 80 per cent of ALTBalaji’s audience under 35 years of age and its exciting library boasting 91+ original shows, the platform has rightly owned the tag of ‘OTT of the masses.’
“We have continued to break barriers in content creation, with which we have built a unique loyalty & following amongst the audience especially the youth who contribute to 80 per cent per cent of our audience base. The year ahead is going to be even bigger, better, and bolder by creating differentiated content for our audience base,” commented ALTBalaji CEO Zulfiqar Khan. “We have also added another layer to our consumer offering by introducing AVOD to complement our SVOD business with the launch of the record-breaking non-fiction show ‘Lock Upp.’ We thank our viewers for the enormous love and support, and we take a step into our sixth year with a promise to make it even more exhilarating.’’
This year, ALTBalaji launched two new shows “Pavitra Rishta” and forayed into the non-fictional space with Kangana Ranaut-fronted reality show “Lock Upp.” Its upcoming lineup includes shows such as “Apharan 2,” “Bois Locker Room,” “Cold Lonelly Messy,” “Hashtagwarrs,” “Paurashpur 2,” “Mentalhood: S2,” and many more.
iWorld
Why Peaky Blinders is one of television’s biggest hits that still deserves more attention
Six seasons, multiple awards and the release of Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man bring the Shelby saga back into the spotlight
In the crowded universe of streaming content, only a handful of shows manage to leave a lasting cultural footprint. Peaky Blinders is overwhelmingly considered one of the biggest global hits of the past decade. Yet many viewers still haven’t fully explored the dark, gripping world of the Shelby family.
Originally produced for the UK’s BBC and later finding a massive global audience through Netflix, the series quietly grew from a British period drama into a worldwide streaming phenomenon.
Created by Steven Knight, the show follows the rise of the Shelby crime family in post-First World War Birmingham. What begins as a gritty street-gang story gradually expands into a sweeping narrative about ambition, politics, power and survival.
At the centre of the saga is Thomas Shelby, portrayed with extraordinary depth by Cillian Murphy. The casting of Murphy is widely regarded as perfect for the role. With piercing eyes, restrained dialogue and an almost hypnotic screen presence, he transforms Shelby into one of the most unforgettable characters in modern screen storytelling.
Murphy’s brilliance lies in his restraint. He rarely shouts or performs theatrically. Instead, a quiet stare, a calculated pause or a subtle shift in expression conveys the emotional storms within the character. Beneath the ruthless gang leader is a war veteran carrying trauma, guilt and loneliness. Murphy captures this complexity with remarkable precision, making Thomas Shelby both terrifying and deeply human.
Beyond its central performance, Peaky Blinders stands out for its unfiltered portrayal of reality. The show does not romanticise crime. Instead, it exposes the harsh social conditions of early 20th-century Britain, from poverty and class struggle to political extremism and the psychological scars left by war.
The series also presents powerful female characters who hold their own within the Shelby empire. Polly Gray, played by Helen McCrory, is the strategic backbone of the family and one of the most formidable figures in the story. Women in the series shape decisions, influence power structures and challenge the rigid social norms of the time.
Across six seasons, the narrative grows dramatically in scale. What begins in the smoky streets of Birmingham evolves into a story involving political conspiracies, fascism and international criminal networks.
The series has also earned significant critical acclaim. It won the BAFTA Television Award for Best Drama Series in 2018 and multiple National Television Awards for Best Drama, cementing its reputation as one of Britain’s most celebrated modern shows.
Another defining feature of the series is its iconic music. The show’s opening theme, Red Right Hand by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, became instantly recognisable and widely associated with the Shelby universe. Combined with a powerful soundtrack featuring artists such as Arctic Monkeys and Radiohead, the music helped shape the show’s dark, stylish identity and became hugely popular among fans.
And the Shelby story is not over yet.
In fact, its legacy is unfolding right now. The long-awaited feature-length continuation, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, was released on March 6, 2026, bringing the Shelby universe from streaming screens to cinemas and giving fans a new chapter in the saga.
For viewers who have not yet stepped into this world, the timing could not be better.
Six gripping seasons are ready to binge on Netflix. A new film has just arrived in theatres. And at the heart of it all stands one of the most magnetic performances in modern drama by Cillian Murphy.
So if Peaky Blinders has been sitting on your watchlist for years, this weekend is your moment.
So, by order of the Peaky fookin’ Blinders, consider this your cue to finally step into the ruthless world of Thomas Shelby. Pour yourself a drink, clear your schedule and press the play button. Because when the Peaky Blinders give an order, you listen.
