iWorld
Binge rules: Streaming finds its new rhythm
MUMBAI: Binge-watching may be a “snack attack”, but at VIDNET 2025, it became a full-course conversation on how India now consumes its stories. Moderator Gayatri Gauri opened the panel with a cheeky probe into personal binge habits, and the discussion quickly revealed a cultural mash-up at play. Aparna Ramachandran, head of digital originals at Balaji Telefilms, confessed she had surrendered to Korean anime. “K-pop and Demon Slayer are my new binge,” she laughed, adding that in an era of mindless scrolling, only emotionally resonant stories truly stay.
Film director Aditya Jambhale, known for Article 370, said bingeing works when a show creates a world you do not want to exit. His latest fix: Black Warrant. For him, the battle is not attention span alone but maintaining craft while adapting to changing viewer habits. “If we surrender to trends entirely, the art will deteriorate,” he said. “Conviction is the only constant.”
Impact Films founder and chief executive Ashwani Sharma admitted he rarely binges because he is constantly reviewing content for acquisition. To him, quick-consumption shows feel like “snacks you forget by the next day”. He noted that competition for eyeballs is fiercer than ever, with release timing, trending titles and even cricket matches influencing viewership. One wrong match-day clash and cinemas go empty.
Aparna highlighted a growing hurdle second-screen behaviour. Viewers watch a show on one device while scrolling reels or shopping on another. “We must find stories that can hold attention even through distractions,” she said. She emphasised the need to back bold pitches that challenge the clutter, citing genre-blending projects that may not fit trends today but could resonate in a year.
The conversation turned to how Indian content travels abroad. Ashwani revealed that niche categories such as LGBTQ stories and films from the North-East see surprising international demand. His new venture, Zeal Media, aims to take strong Indian films to foreign markets, though he believes global content will continue to pour into India in even greater volumes. Hollywood’s India success, he pointed out, has grown from 3 per cent to 12 per cent within eight years.
On future trends, the panel reached an intriguing consensus. Aparna and Aditya stressed that India’s storytelling soul lies in its roots but must be executed with global finesse. Mythology, folklore and hybrid genres will lead the charge. Ashwani predicted that while Indian stories will travel, the bigger wave will be India absorbing more international cinema.
As the session wrapped, one thing stood out India is no longer just bingeing stories, it is blending them. And in this cultural exchange, the audience appetite shows no signs of slowing.
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.
