iWorld
Dish TV’s Watcho registers 45 million users in India
Mumbai: Dish TV’s India’s OTT platform Watcho has achieved a 45 million cumulative user base in India, the company said in a statement. Launched in 2019 with the brand proposition of ‘Fun Fatafat,’ Watcho brings original and on-the-go snackable video content across genres and formats (including live TV) to its viewers.
The platform currently provides over 35 original shows, 300 exclusive plays, and 100 live channels in Hindi, Kannada and Telugu.
So as to recognise and reward the emerging talent pool across the country, Watcho allows users to create and showcase their content on its user-generated content platform – Watcho Swag. To this end, it recently collaborated with the India Film Project (IFP) for its 11th season, becoming the exclusive platform for participants to exhibit their work
“When we embarked on the journey of providing on-demand quality content with the launch of Watcho, we wanted to supplement our DTH user viewing experience. Today, Watcho is serving exciting exclusive content to all its users, and at the same time, it is also offering Live TV services on the go to DishTV and D2H customers,” said Dish TV India executive director and group CEO Anil Dua. “It is also fast emerging as the preferred platform for users to showcase their talent.”
Watcho’s content repertoire includes original shows like “Gupta Niwas,” “Jaunpur,” “Papa Ka Scooter,” “Aghaat,” “Cheaters – The Vacation,” “Sarhad,” “Mystery Dad,” “JaalSaazi,” “Dark Destinations,” “It’s My Pleasure,” “4 Thieves,” “Love Crisis,” “Ardhsatya,” “Chhoriyan,” and “Rakhta Chandana.” There are also original influencer shows like “Look I Can Cook” and “Bikhare Hain Alfaaz.”
“Engaging and short-format content has always been an unmet need for viewers across the country, particularly amongst millennials and GenZ who are at the forefront of consumption as well as creation. Riding on these trends, Watcho continued to gain strength with a strong semi-urban presence in addition to significant tier-1 visibility,” remarked DishTV & Watcho corporate head – marketing Sukhpreet Singh. “The app has notched up more than 45 million user base so far. We are enthused with this new milestone it has achieved in a very short time, and we intend to continue to work towards making it the first choice for our users.”
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.
