India is not only the fastest growing market for Netflix but also a place to produce great content that has a global audience, according to Netflix’s Co-CEO Ted Sarandos. Speaking at a fireside chat with Bollywood filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali in Mumbai, Sarandos said Netflix completed 28 projects in India in 2022 taking the total to 100 projects since the streaming services started in India in 2016.
“India is the fastest growing Netflix market in the world this year and because of that, we’re able to continue to invest in great storytelling. And I think when you see ‘Heeramandi,’ you’re gonna see why it has been such the honour of a lifetime to work with Sanjay and to be able to bring this to screen. And you ain’t seen nothing yet,” Sarandos said.
Evolving viewing habits
Sarandos, who recently took over as the CEO of Netflix after Reed Hastings stepped down, exchanged insights on the expanding world of Indian and global storytelling, how variety and diversity in stories were evolving audiences’ tastes and its impact on viewing habits worldwide.
The pair indulged in their shared love for films and series, the global scale of their vision, and discussed their ambition to continue creating memorable entertainment that stays with people long after they have experienced it. The conversation on creativity ended with the exclusive and much-awaited glimpse of what’s to come from Bhansali’s first global drama series, Heeramandi. The exquisite look of key characters, played by the star cast of Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, Sharmin Segal, and Sanjeeda Sheikh was revealed.
In praise of Bhansali’s vision, Sarandos said, “Audiences want stories that help them escape and connect, and Sanjay is an exceptional storyteller who does both. Heeramandi, like all of Sanjay’s stories, is not style over substance but style and substance together. At Netflix, our responsibility to creators is to give them the tools to do their life’s work and empower them to bring their vision alive. We are thrilled to collaborate with a visionary like Sanjay and bring the world of Heeramandi to a global audience.”