iWorld
Netflix’s Hastings expects linear TV to diminish like landlines have
MUMBAI: Do you know what’s driving Netflix as it continues on its mad rapid expansion around the globe? Well, CEO Reed Hastings gave some insights to German TV anchor Claus Keiber in an interview to Digital Life Design (DLD) station recently. Hastings indicated that he believed that linear television is on the brink of extinction.
“It has been a breakthrough for 50 years and has enabled consumers to watch movies at their own comfort rather than going to a theater,” he said. “However, today people want to watch content on different screens. There used to be a lack of diversity and of different voices during the era when the three major networks dominated the entertainment space in the US. Today, consumers want to make it personalized with updated and improved applications which are the aspects of internet TV. Eventually, these new forms will replace the linear television TV just like fixed lines were by mobile phones.”
When asked if the linear TV will manage to retain a viewership niche, he agreed, saying that “there is always a tendency to romance the past.”
He rued the fact that internet TV has no authoritative voice, but that shortcoming is more than made up by the fact that it is a platform which offers a broader diversity including more opinions and experimental content.
“Every technology has its losses and gains. These days, anyone can produce and can also have a television network”, added the IT engineer. “Linear TV networks are adapting and putting their content out on the Internet. The other international networks might also convert themselves into internet networks.”
Netflix’s big challenges going ahead – after its recent expansion into 130 countries – are producing locally in the markets it has launched, getting the right price points for consumers and finally getting a leg in to China. Hastings revealed that the company is already in talks with local partners as well as government departments to get a license.
“We need to be patient. Apple took six years from 2005 to 2011 in negotiating and binding relationships in China before launching their I-phone. We are looking forward to a decade where Chinese middle class would want to embrace the content that we provide”, he pointed out. “Currently, bloggers in China think that House of Cards is a documentary on the US.”
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.
