iWorld
Rise & Fall climbs to top as reality TV’s latest cultural power play
MUMBAI: When it comes to reality television, what goes up must come down but for Amazon MX Player’s Rise & Fall, the only direction right now is up. Premiering on 6 September, the high-drama reality experiment has shot straight into the Top 2 original reality shows on Ormax ratings, winning fans across both metros and rural India. And the buzz isn’t limited to television screens, the show has already racked up a jaw-dropping 500 million social media views, turning reels, memes, and reactions into a second stage of drama.
Hosted by Ashneer Grover, Rise & Fall drops 15 celebrity contestants spanning Bollywood, music, sports, entrepreneurship, and social media into a unique social experiment that examines the eternal tug-of-war between the powerful and the powerless. Over 42 days, alliances are built and broken, friendships tested, and betrayals executed with both tears and applause.
The star-studded line-up features Arbaaz Patel, Aarush Bhola, Aahana Kumra, Aditya Narayan, Arjun Bijlani, Dhanashree Verma, Kubra Sait, Kiku Sharda, Anaya Banger, Nayandeep Rakshit, Bali, Akriti Negi with the first elimination seeing Noorin Sha bow out.
“With Rise & Fall, Amazon MX Player is redefining reality television for India,” said Amazon MX Player director & head Karan Bedi. “We went back to the basics of what audiences want, not just spectacle and drama, but strategy, leadership, and emotion. By reimagining a global format through an Indian lens, we’re bringing viewers a bold, refreshing and powerful narrative that resonates deeply.”
The opulent set, designed by National Award-winning art director Omung Kumar, provides the perfect stage for the drama. Behind it all, Banijay India’s powerhouse creative team has tailored the format to spark conversation across every medium and judging by the memes flooding Instagram and Twitter, it’s working.
The show has also become a marketer’s playground. Amazon India head of advertising Girish Prabhu explained: “The response from brands has been phenomenal, they see real value in being part of Rise & Fall. Integrations feel natural and memorable, which is why sponsors like Lux Cozi, Orient Electric, Haier, Pintola, Avvatar Whey Protein, Envi, and HMD are seeing strong impact.”
With streaming on Amazon MX Player, Prime Video, Fire TV, the Amazon shopping app, Airtel Xstream and airing on Sony Entertainment Television at 10:30 pm, brands also get the bonus of multi-platform reach.
Rise & Fall isn’t just another unscripted series; it’s shaping up to be the OTT cultural moment of the year, where entertainment collides with hustle, and power shifts become prime-time spectacle. As fresh episodes drop daily at 12 pm, one thing’s clear, the only thing falling here are the contestants, while the show itself continues its meteoric rise.
iWorld
Prime Video bets big on India with global originals, films and franchise expansion
Execs highlight scale, travelability and new IP bets as India anchors global strategy
MUMBAI: At Prime Video Presents 2026, the message was clear and confident. India is not just part of the plan, it is central to it.
In a lively fireside chat hosted by filmmaker Karan Johar, Kelly Day, vice president of prime video and amazon mgm studios international, Nicole Clemens, vice president of international originals, and Gaurav Gandhi, vice president for Apac and Anz, laid out an ambitious roadmap. Think bigger stories, wider reach and a sharper focus on building franchises that travel.
Kelly Day, a regular visitor to India, set the tone early. Calling the country “one of the most important markets globally”, she pointed to the sheer scale and diversity of audiences as a driving force behind Prime Video’s growth. Indian Originals, she said, are not just local hits but global engines powering subscriptions and engagement.
That global appeal is already visible. According to Clemens, around 25 percent of viewership for Indian content now comes from outside the country. Shows rooted deeply in local culture are finding fans worldwide, proving that specificity, when paired with universal themes, travels well. From gritty dramas to sharp thrillers, Indian storytelling is increasingly crossing borders with ease.
Clemens, who joined recently to lead international originals, was particularly upbeat about India’s creative range. She highlighted a growing slate of over 100 shows in development and production, with more than 60 percent returning for multiple seasons. For her, the formula is simple. Authentic stories, told well, resonate everywhere.
Adding to the buzz, she teased new and returning titles, alongside a fresh superhero universe, the Kalyug Warriors. It signals a push into new genres while doubling down on familiar fan favourites.
If content is king, distribution is the clever courtier. Day outlined Prime Video’s layered business model in India, which blends subscription, rentals, add on channels and ad supported viewing through Amazon MX Player. The idea is straightforward. Give viewers choice, whether they want premium, free or pay per view.
India, she noted, has also become a testing ground for innovation. Tiered pricing, mobile only plans and language diversity have all been sharpened here before being exported to other markets. In many ways, the India playbook is now influencing global strategy.
For Gaurav Gandhi, the next chapter is about scale with intent. He outlined four priorities. Making Prime Video more accessible, pushing Indian content globally, building stronger franchises and supercharging the films business.
On films, the platform is moving beyond licensing into co productions and now theatrical releases in partnership with amazon mgm studios. These films will eventually stream on Prime Video, creating a full circle from cinema halls to living rooms across 240 countries.
Franchise building remains another key pillar. With hits like The Family Man, Mirzapur and Panchayat already enjoying multi season success, the focus is now on creating the next wave of enduring IP. Newer titles are already lining up for second seasons, signalling a steady pipeline.
What stood out through the conversation was a shared belief. Streaming in India is still in its early innings, and the runway is long. With a mix of local flavour and global ambition, Prime Video is betting that stories from India will not just stay at home, but travel far and wide.
Or as the executives seemed to suggest, the world is watching and India has plenty more to show.
