iWorld
ALTBalaji direct subscriptions up 35% QoQ; 1.8m subs sold in Q1 FY22
Mumbai: Balaji Telefilms has announced its financial results for the quarter ended 30 June 2021. The company’s direct-to-consumer business, ALTBalaji sold a total of 1.8m subscriptions in Q1 FY22 as against 0.9m in Q1FY21, up 35 per cent. Direct subscription revenues stood at Rs 17 cr vs Rs 13 cr.
The OTT platform has a current active subscriber base of 2.4m, excluding subscribers on partner apps. Quarterly revenue stood at Rs 21cr.
Having added six shows last quarter, ALTBalaji has taken the overall library to 86 shows. The Company said it continues its strategy to drive deeper audience engagement by creating content that is targeted at mass India seeking differentiated stories, while remaining focussed on the younger audiences.
Balaji Telefilms’ TV business has continued at normal levels as daily show production was ensured with pandemic restrictions. During the quarter the Company produced 174.5 hours of content across six shows for four broadcasters.
Balaji Telefilms, managing director, Shobha Kapoor said, “ALTBalaji continues to drive subscription growth and we added 1.8m subscriptions during the quarter. Our strategic content sharing deals will ensure we maintain control on the cash spend while driving overall profitability. TV business has shown good recovery in terms of production hours and we hope to improve this momentum as five new shows commence. In the movie business, production for some of the exciting projects are at various stages of completion and we are closely monitoring the availability for theatrical releases as well as direct-to-digital launches. Overall, the year has started well and we will build on this momentum through the year.”
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.
