iWorld
Netflix bets big on Bharat: Ted Sarandos touts $2bn impact, calls India the next Korea
MUMBAI: “Don’t globalise it. Localise it, then watch it fly.” That was Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos’ mantra to Indian creators at the government of India’s Waves Global Summit 2025, where he shared the stage with actor Saif Ali Khan in a high-wattage fireside chat titled Streaming the New India: Culture, Connectivity & Creative Capital.
Sarandos came bearing stats—and swagger. Netflix’s investments in India from 2021 to 2024, he revealed, have generated over $2 billion in economic impact, filming across 23 states and 100+ cities, and collaborating with over 25,000 local cast and crew. “That’s not just entertainment—it’s employment, infrastructure, and skill-building,” he said.
And the viewership numbers? Eye-watering. In 2024 alone, three billion+ hours of Indian content were streamed globally on Netflix—nearly 60 million hours a week. An Indian title made it to the global Top 10 non-English list every single week of the year.
Saif Ali Khan, now a veteran of both big screens and binge-worthy epics, waxed lyrical about the creative freedoms offered by streaming. “It’s a gift,” he said. “Long-form storytelling lets you explore characters with nuance and intimacy. Streaming is a creative playground—with no school bell ringing at the end.”
When asked how Indian creators can crack global markets, Sarandos dropped the algorithmic truth: “If you try to engineer something for the world, you end up making it for no one,” he warned. “The most successful global stories—Korea’s Squid Game, Spain’s Money Heist—were deeply local. India must do the same. If it’s not loved here, it won’t work out there.”
He didn’t mince words. “Don’t water it down for the west. Audiences don’t want diluted. They want real.”
According to Sarandos, India is teetering on the edge of a Squid Game-scale global breakout. “Korea had years of storytelling before its global moment,” he said. “India is now at that inflection point. The creative base is solid. The reach is already here.”
Netflix is doubling down on that bet, with buzzy upcoming titles like The Royals and The B*****s of Bollywood joining global juggernauts like Squid Game S2, Stranger Things, and Wednesday.
When asked if streaming would cannibalise cinemas, Sarandos played diplomat. “India is fan-first,” he said. “Theatres and streaming aren’t rivals—they’re tag-team partners.” Streaming, he added, simply meets audiences where they are. “In India, films move from theatre to streaming at record speed. That’s not disruption—that’s democratisation. India, in many ways, was ahead of the curve.”
iWorld
Sony LIV acquires worldwide digital rights for Marathi romance Toh Ti Ani Fuji
Film shot in Japan and India to stream exclusively on the platform from 10 April 2026.
MUMBAI: Love knows no language, but this Marathi romance is about to speak to audiences far beyond its roots and it’s doing so with a scenic detour through Japan. Sony Pictures Networks India has acquired the worldwide digital rights for the Marathi-language romance feature Toh Ti Ani Fuji (also known as Main, Woh Aur Fuji), with an exclusive direct-to-digital release on Sony Liv scheduled for 10 April 2026. Sony Pictures Networks India will retain exclusive worldwide theatrical and linear rights.
Filmed extensively in Japan and India, the film marks an unprecedented Marathi-language romance set on an international canvas. It explores how relationships evolve under the pressures of distance, time, and shifting emotional realities, using Japan not merely as a backdrop but as an emotional landscape that mirrors the characters’ inner journeys.
Written by Irawati Karnik and directed by Mohit Takalkar, the story follows a deeply passionate relationship that gradually turns toxic due to contrasting personalities, shifting priorities, and unfair emotional expectations. Seven years after their separation, the former couple unexpectedly reunite in Japan, reopening old wounds and unspoken desires while questioning whether love altered by time can ever find its way back.
Producer Shiladitya Bora said the partnership with Sony Pictures Networks India reflects the growing belief that “regional is the new mainstream.” He added that the film’s multi-language digital release on Sony LIV will help it connect with newer audiences across India and the world.
Director Mohit Takalkar described the film as an exploration of how love changes in today’s urban world, shaped by ambition, geography, and the pressure to evolve. “It began as a very personal exploration of relationships, and to see it reaching a wider audience feels deeply satisfying,” he noted.
Actors Lalit Prabhakar and Mrinmayee Godbole highlighted the film’s intimate yet universal take on love, separation, and rediscovery. Godbole particularly praised how filming in Japan added a global dimension while keeping the story deeply personal.
From a toxic romance that travels from India to Japan and back, Toh Ti Ani Fuji promises an emotionally layered story that feels both specific and universal. For Sony LIV viewers, this first-of-its-kind Marathi film offers a chance to experience love, loss, and second chances with a refreshing international flavour.
The film streams exclusively on Sony LIV from 10 April 2026.
