iWorld
Prime Video adds a reel treat with NFDC’s ‘Cinemas of India’ for just Rs 199 a year
MUMBAI: Prime Video India has rolled out the red carpet for film buffs, announcing the launch of ‘NFDC – Cinemas of India’ as an add-on subscription, priced at just Rs 199 per year. The collection is a goldmine of Indian cinema, featuring landmark films by the likes of Satyajit Ray, Shyam Benegal, Mira Nair, Kalpana Lajmi, and more.
The newly added bouquet includes cinematic heavyweights like Gandhi, Mirch Masala, Rudaali, Salaam Bombay!, Agantuk, and Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda — all carefully curated by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), known for nurturing India’s parallel cinema movement.
Part of Amazon’s growing video entertainment marketplace, the service provides frictionless access to over a hundred critically acclaimed films across 12 Indian languages — from Bioscope (Malayalam) to Parinamam (Malayalam), Percy (Gujarati) to Qissa (Punjabi).
Many of the titles boast honours from Cannes, Venice, Toronto and the National Awards, making the NFDC channel a veritable masterclass in Indian storytelling.
“NFDC has been the cornerstone of India’s finest cinema, nurturing path-breaking films for decades. We’re excited to announce NFDC – Cinemas of India as our newest add-on subscription, featuring an exclusively curated collection of cinematic masterpieces,” said Prime Video head of marketplace (add-on subscriptions and movie rentals), Gaurav Bhasin. “The collection showcases the rich heritage of Indian cinema across our linguistically diverse entertainment industry. Whether you’re a cinephile or just beginning to explore Indian cinema, NFDC’s catalogue offers an unparalleled window into our country’s most acclaimed and culturally significant films. Through add-on subscriptions like these, we continue our commitment at Prime Video to super-serve customers with more of what they love, all in one place.”
“We are thrilled to collaborate with Prime Video to make NFDC’s rich collection of movies accessible to a wider audience. For decades, NFDC has supported pioneering filmmakers and impactful narratives that showcase India’s cultural diversity. With Prime Video’s massive reach across the country, we are confident that these timeless, thought-provoking, stories will reach and be enjoyed by new audiences, and enable us to take Indian cinema far and wide,” said NFDC Ltd MD, Prakash Magdum.
For the price of popcorn, viewers can now stream decades of cinematic genius — all in one click. Lights, camera, nostalgia.
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.
