iWorld
Netflix CEO excited about Disney’s entry into OTT
MUMBAI: Netflix has a new market threat – the upcoming streaming service Disney+. Despite all the market speculation, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings seems calm and relaxed. Hastings has said in an interaction with ET Now that he is excited about Disney’ launch and even praised it saying that the service looks good. He also mentioned that the service is thriving already in a highly competitive space amid HBO, YouTube, Hotstar, Amazon and linear TV.
In terms of the Indian market, where the company is looking for the next 100 million subscribers, Hastings thinks they have been very successful in three years. After a free trial of one month, Netflix charges Rs 500 per month, which Hastings thinks is totally worthy for the high quality content the service offers as people in India pay Rs 200-250 ticket for one movie. He admits that there are free services like YouTube and cheaper options like Hotstar and Amazon but the Netflix boss is confident about his content.
While Hastings does not deny the fact that with the current pricing it’s tough to penetrate mass audience, he thinks it is good enough for the first 100 million. For the first segment of target audience, Netflix is really focused on the fragment that watches English entertainment. Later on, the company will explore Hindi and other regional languages after getting into that market properly. He also said Netflix will have more pricing options in future but not for the next couple of years.
“You know, we are the only one in the world with Sacred Games, House of Cards, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. So, all our content is exclusive and if we can build excitement around our content which is a unique proposition, then we will have great success. When you subscribe to Netflix, it’s not the only thing you do, you may use YouTube, Hotstar, other entertainment apps, so it’s one of the things that makes you happy,” Hastings commented.
After Netflix’s Q3 results, there were reports that Netflix may slightly tilt its strategy when it comes to original movie release. There may be a number of Netflix originals which will have limited theatre screening. While asked about that, Hastings said it already releases movies in film festivals and the OTT is only an extension of that.
As many investors are betting hard on Netflix, the CEO was asked about the reason. Taking the example of India where online content is exploding after Jio’s entry, he said that it is happening everywhere else in the world. People are using more internet thanks to low cost data which is really propelling the growth of services like Netflix.
iWorld
Prime Video to stream Tamil thriller Exam from May 15
Seven-episode series from National Award-winner A. Sarkunam streams in India and 240-plus countries
MUMBAI: Prime Video announced on April 27th that Exam, a taut seven-episode suspense drama set against the crucible of high-stakes competitive testing, will premiere on May 15th in India and across more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.
Written and directed by A. Sarkunam, a National Award-winner, the series is produced under the Wallwatcher Films banner by the creative duo Pushkar and Gayatri, who have previously delivered Suzhal: The Vortex (both seasons) and Vadhandhi: The Fable of Velonie for the platform. Dushara Vijayan and Aditi Balan lead the cast, with Abbas in a pivotal role.
The show will stream in Tamil with dubbed versions in Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam, and Kannada, and subtitles in 15 languages, including English, a distribution sweep that underscores Prime Video’s push to globalise Indian regional content.
Nikhil Madhok, director and head of originals at Prime Video India, framed the series as both timely and commercially astute. “Exam is a very timely and relevant story that captures the emotional intensity of competitive exams and masterfully transforms it into a thrilling high-stakes drama,” he said. “We believe it is a story that will resonate deeply with millions.” Madhok noted that it was a privilege to once again collaborate with Pushkar and Gayatri following the success of Suzhal and Vadhandhi.
For Pushkar and Gayatri, the series is as much a moral reckoning as a thriller. “With Exam, we wanted to dig into ambition, injustice, and those moral crossroads that people face when pushed to the edge,” the creative producers said. “At the heart of this story is a young woman who refuses to remain powerless. Her journey is not about glamorising defiance, but about exploring the emotional and ethical cost of standing up to a system stacked against her.” They described Prime Video as “an incredible collaborator” and “the perfect home” to bring the series to global audiences.
Wallwatcher Films, which Pushkar and Gayatri founded and run, has been on a productive streak with the platform. Beyond Exam, the company is also readying Vadhandhi Season 2 for Prime Video, making the duo one of the platform’s most active regional creative partners.
The real exam, it seems, is for Prime Video itself: can a Tamil drama about systemic injustice and a young woman’s defiance crack audiences from Chennai to Chicago? If Pushkar and Gayatri’s track record is anything to go by, the answer is likely yes, and the results will be out on May 15th.
