Fiction
Pritam & Pedro becomes JioHotstar’s most-watched series
Rajkumar Hirani’s OTT debut delivers platform’s biggest scripted opening, trends in six languages
MUMBAI: JioHotstar has claimed a record-breaking start for Pritam & Pedro, saying the comedy drama has become the platform’s most-watched show ever and delivered its biggest opening for a scripted series.
The streamer said the series, which marks filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani’s OTT debut, has also emerged as the platform’s biggest opening of the year. It has trended in six Indian languages apart from Hindi, including Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Bengali, Marathi and Kannada, highlighting its appeal across regional audiences.
According to JioHotstar, the show’s blend of humour, emotional storytelling and social messaging has resonated strongly with viewers. The platform said audiences have praised Hirani’s trademark storytelling, the on-screen chemistry between Arshad Warsi and Vir Das, and the series’ take on cyber fraud and online safety. It also said the show has emerged as a popular family watch, generating conversations on social media around digital awareness.
Commenting on the milestone, JioHotstar head of Hindi and English entertainment business (streaming, TV and studios) Alok Jain said the platform’s strategy has been to back compelling stories across genres rather than chase trends. He said the success of Pritam & Pedro, alongside titles such as Thukra Ke Mera Pyaar and Chiraiya, reinforces the platform’s focus on distinctive and culturally relevant storytelling.
Hirani said the audience response had been “truly humbling”, adding that the show’s binge-watching numbers and repeat viewership demonstrated that audiences are drawn to engaging stories rather than specific genres. He also said the series’ popularity across multiple languages reaffirmed that strong emotions transcend linguistic barriers.
While JioHotstar has not disclosed viewership figures to support its claims, the platform said the performance of Pritam & Pedro strengthens its push to build an original content slate spanning romance, slice-of-life dramas, thrillers and socially relevant stories.
The series is currently streaming on JioHotstar.
