iWorld
Fan-tastic First: India Bags Maiden OTT Documentary Win at ATA 2025
MUMBAI: If devotion ever needed a documentary, India has just delivered a global winner. TV9 Network’s in-house unit, Studio9, has scripted history by securing India’s first-ever win in the OTT documentary programme category at the 30th Asian Television Awards 2025 in Singapore, all thanks to its gripping deep dive into the feverish world of South Indian fandom, Fanatics.
Commissioned by Docubay, the 55-minute documentary edged past six heavyweight contenders from China, Taiwan and India, including Bitter Sweet Ballad, Echoes of Life, Polar Alarm, and Modern Masters: SS Rajamouli. But Fanatics emerged the clear favourite, proving that stories rooted in India’s pop-cultural heartbeat can travel far beyond linguistic or regional borders.
Fanatics maps the emotional, sociological and sometimes extreme landscape of fan devotion across South India where admiration often transforms into worship, complete with temples built for stars, tattoos dedicated to idols, and massive celebrations that rival festivals during birthdays and film releases.
The film features candid voices from some of the region’s biggest stars Kichcha Sudeep, Allu Arjun, and Vijay Sethupathi alongside film historians, mental health specialists, cultural commentators and ordinary fans whose stories reveal the joys and darker shades of fervent adulation.
One such story follows a young man who found courage and self-worth through Allu Arjun’s on-screen presence after years of stigma for having a cleft palate, a reminder that fandom often runs deeper than entertainment.
The win marks a major milestone for Indian nonfiction storytelling on the global stage.
“This honour at the 30th Asian Television Awards is a defining moment,” said The EPIC Company MD Aditya Pittie. “As the first Indian OTT documentary to win in this category, Fanatics reaffirms our belief in culturally rooted narratives with universal resonance.”
For TV9 Network, it’s a creative high point. “We knew we had a winner from the word go,” saidTV9 Network MD & CEO Barun Das. “The subject was unique, the appeal universal. I thank DocuBay for trusting Studio9 to produce it.”
Studio9’s head, Arpita Chatterjee added: “This was my first major documentary project, and winning on a global stage is a huge validation of our team’s work across fiction, nonfiction and films.”
DocuBay’s CCO Samar Khan highlighted the complexity behind the narrative, “Fanatics demanded honesty and courage. The documentary explores a world where devotion often blurs into obsession. This win validates the creative risks we took and the sensitivity with which the team approached the subject.”
The award-winning film was powered by a strong Studio9 crew:
. Director: Aryan D. Roy
. Assistant Director: Debanjana Ghosh
. Show Runner: Santosh Raj
. Creative Consultant: Aniruddha Chakladar
. DOP: Akshay Kumar
. Editor: Paras Sharma
. Research Support: News9, consulting editor, Sudha Sadhanand
Their collective effort helped transform India’s most flamboyant subculture into a documentary that resonated across Asia.
For TV9 Network, this accolade signals more than an award, it marks a renewed commitment to elevating Indian nonfiction with home-grown talent, bold subjects and global storytelling ambition. As Studio9 continues to expand its creative footprint, Fanatics stands as proof that India’s stories, when told with authenticity and cinematic depth, can captivate audiences well beyond the fan clubs they depict.
India may have many fan armies but this time, it’s a documentary about them that has brought home the glory.
iWorld
Netflix cuts jobs in product division amid restructuring
Layoffs hit creative studio unit as leadership and strategy shifts unfold.
MUMBAI: The streaming wars may be fought on screen, but the latest plot twist is unfolding behind the scenes. Netflix has reportedly begun laying off several dozen employees from its product division as part of an internal reorganisation, according to a report by Variety. The cuts are believed to have primarily affected the company’s creative studio unit, which works on marketing assets such as in app trailers, promotional visuals and live experience content for the streaming platform.
The company has not disclosed the exact number of employees impacted.
According to the report, the layoffs were not tied to employee performance. Instead, the restructuring eliminated certain roles while other employees were reassigned to different teams within the organisation.
The roles affected are understood to include designers, producers and creative specialists responsible for marketing and brand experience initiatives.
The job cuts come as Netflix adjusts its leadership structure and reshapes its product and creative teams. Last month, Elizabeth Stone was promoted from chief technology officer to chief product and technology officer, giving her oversight of product, engineering and data operations across the company.
Earlier, in December 2025, Netflix also appointed Martin Rose as head of creative for global brand and partnerships, a move seen as part of a broader restructuring of the company’s brand and product functions.
Despite the layoffs, Netflix remains one of the largest employers in the streaming sector. The company is estimated to employ around 16,000 people globally, with roughly 70 percent of its workforce based in the United States and Canada. In 2023, the company reported approximately 13,000 employees, indicating that its headcount had grown significantly before the latest restructuring.
The workforce changes arrive at a time when Netflix is navigating a shifting financial and strategic landscape in the global entertainment industry.
The streaming giant recently secured $2.8 billion in additional cash after receiving a breakup fee from Paramount Skydance following its withdrawal from a deal involving Warner Bros. Discovery.
Speaking to Bloomberg, Netflix co chief executive Ted Sarandos explained that the company had evaluated multiple scenarios during the negotiations but chose not to match the competing offer once it learned that a higher bid had been submitted.
Netflix had capped its offer at $27.75 per share and ultimately stepped back rather than pursue Paramount’s $111 billion acquisition deal, which included a personal guarantee.
Sarandos also cautioned that the financing structure behind the Paramount Skydance transaction could have ripple effects across the entertainment industry.
According to him, the debt heavy deal could trigger significant cost cutting, with David Ellison, chief executive of Paramount Skydance, expected to eliminate about $16 billion in costs and potentially cut thousands of jobs as part of the integration process.
For Netflix, the current restructuring appears to be part of a broader attempt to streamline operations while continuing to invest in product, technology and global content even as the streaming industry enters a new phase of consolidation and financial discipline.
