iWorld
Just Human Things and Qyuki launch ‘Overtime’
MUMBAI: What would happen if aliens took over the world and two employees who hate each other and tired of their daily routine are stuck with each other inside their office? Just Human Things along with Qyuki presents Overtime, India’s first ever a rib-tickling tale on alien invasion and about how the end of the world can either bring unlikely people together or tear humanity apart. The five-episode series will release on 29 January and is promised to be a laugh riot! Written and directed by Ashwin Lakshmi Narayan, this horror-comedy series features Ramya Saxena– lead coder- and Manoj Bhardwaj– the intern essayed by Ronjini Chakraborty and Harsh Mayar respectively.
‘Overtime’ revolves around two IT employees who try to survive the horror of the outside world as well as survive each other. As human civilization nears it disastrous fate, Manoj, an intern and his not-so-cooperative boss Ramya are left with no option but to stay inside their office and tolerate each other. What follows are moments of humor and uncertainty as both of them explore ways to endure their encounters with mundane tasks as aliens take on planet Earth.
Speaking on the release of India’s first ever Alien Invasion Office comedy, Director Ashwin Lakshmi Narayan says, “Sid and I were thinking of doing something around aliens for a while. It was just a matter of understanding the budgets we had, the audience that only knows Jadoo as an alien, and bearing both in mind making something cool and fun. And then one fine day the idea struck. I thought that if an alien attack were to happen, I would never leave my home or space. If I were to go out into the real world, I will die, the aliens will eat me or looking at them I would surrender. As in why do all movies or shows have these people fighting these creatures. Why not make a show where they are just constantly avoiding them and at the same time dealing with problems like living without Wi-Fi, electricity, entertainment, food and so much more. Will a vegetarian become non veg to survive? Will I do drugs knowing I’m going to die tomorrow? Such things became fun to explore. In the end I think we all came together to try and make a very Indian show, with a western influence.”
Overtime co-producer and Just Human Things founder Sidhanta Mathur shares, “For years I’ve wanted to see a dystopian world in India. I’m heavily inspired by what if situations and how regular people will be affected by it. The idea for an alien invasion being the backdrop is to see what I would do. What would I eat? Would I survive? I think the idea of this while scary is ridiculously funny and we have tried to achieve that balance with Overtime”.
India’s first disaster comedy, Overtime is about Alien Invasion and those people who want to survive and reinvent themselves as the world nears its end. It is about how there is always a ray of hope and a way to move forward even when humanity may not see another tomorrow.
iWorld
Streaming boom crosses 200 million as India shifts to sustainable growth
From content bets to CTV rise, industry leaders map streaming’s next phase
MUMBAI: India’s streaming story has entered a new chapter, and this time it is less about land grab and more about staying power. At a panel on the evolving streaming economy, industry leaders agreed that with subscriptions crossing 200 million and revenues surging, the focus has decisively shifted to sustainable growth, smarter content bets and sharper partnerships.
Moderator EY partner Raghav Anand, set the tone by pointing to the sharp jump in paid subscriptions, driven by a mix of sports, bundling and improved distribution. The result is a fast-maturing ecosystem where subscription revenues are beginning to complement, and in some cases rival, advertising-led growth.
For Amazon Prime Video Svod business India director & head Shilangi Mukherji, the past decade has been about balancing choice with clarity. “It’s not an either-or market anymore,” she noted. “There is space for everything, from television to ad-supported streaming to subscriptions. The real win is when they all grow together.”
At the heart of this growth lies a simple trio: selection, value and convenience. Content remains king, but not in isolation. Platforms are now curating vast libraries that blend originals, rentals, and third-party services, all under one roof. The aim is to create an ecosystem where viewers do not need to hop between apps to find what they want.
Content itself is also evolving. Mukherji highlighted that nearly half of Prime Video’s viewership comes from outside a show’s home region, underlining the collapse of traditional language silos. Stories are no longer “regional” but increasingly pan-Indian, with talent and narratives travelling seamlessly across states.
Franchise-building has become another cornerstone, with a majority of shows designed for multiple seasons. The goal is not just to attract viewers but to keep them coming back, turning series into long-term cultural touchpoints rather than one-off hits.
On the production side, Hungama Digital Media managing director & CEO Neeraj Roy, described an industry that is both resilient and recalibrating. While the pandemic accelerated content consumption and discovery, it also reset market dynamics. Pre-sales have softened, satellite revenues have tightened, and the easy money phase of digital deals has cooled.
“The honeymoon is over,” Roy said candidly. “Now, content has to prove itself. If it works at the box office or with audiences, everything else follows.”
This shift, he argued, is pushing creators towards greater discipline. Fewer projects are being made, but with sharper focus on quality and audience appeal. At the same time, global exposure to diverse content, from Korean dramas to Malayalam cinema, has raised the bar for storytelling across the board.
Another quiet transformation is unfolding in how content is consumed. While mobile remains the primary gateway, especially for payments and discovery, connected TVs are fast becoming the preferred screen for long-form viewing. Mukherji described this not as a battle of devices but as a “force multiplier”, with platforms tailoring plans for mobile-only users, living room viewers and multi-device households alike.
The monetisation playbook is also widening. Beyond subscriptions and ads, platforms are experimenting with rentals, bundled offerings and commerce integrations, building layered revenue streams that cater to different stages of the consumer journey.
Looking ahead, both panellists pointed to global ambition as the next frontier. Mukherji emphasised taking Indian stories to the world through deeper localisation, calling content India’s soft power. Roy, meanwhile, stressed the need for investment in infrastructure, skills and, crucially, transparent data systems to guide creators with better insights.
If the first phase of India’s streaming boom was about scale, the next will be about substance. And as the industry settles into this new rhythm, one thing is clear: the real streaming wars may be over, but the race to win viewers’ time has only just begun.
