iWorld
Voot taps Marathi film industry talent for ‘The Sawaikar Case’
MUMBAI: Viacom 18’s digital venture Voot is upping its original content game significantly since last August. Now, the over-the-top (OTT) platform is all set to launch its new original The Sawaikar Case, a thrilling family drama.
The Sawaikar Case will see renowned Marathi actor Atul Kulkarni’s debut on Voot who has acted across multi-lingual films. Other than Kulkarni, the new series will also feature Ashwini Bhave, Parul Gulati, Neil Bhoopalam and Lalit Prabhakar.
Directed by the celebrated Marathi director Aditya Sarpotdar, famous for his latest hit Mauli starring Ritiesh Deshmukh, the show will start rolling by the end of February this year. Set in Goa, The Sawaikar Case promises to be the next binge-watch and hook-worthy series.
Last August Voot announced 17 new originals as well as expansion into UK market. Recently in an interview with Indiantelevision.com, Viacom18 digital ventures marketing and partnerships head Akash Banerji said it would double down efforts for blockbuster content this year.
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.
