Netflix announces 10 new original films in India, ropes in Shah Rukh Khan and others

Netflix is upping its India content library with 10 more original films to be streamed by 2020. That takes the number of upcoming Netflix Indian originals up to 15. This includes titles announced last November - Music Teacher, Cobalt Blue, Chopsticks, Upstarts and Bulbul.

For its new slate, the company has tapped into India's best creative resources, including Shah Rukh Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment that will be producing Class of '83 (the story of a morally upright policeman-turned-trainer).

Other titles lined up are Ghost Stories that reunites directors Zoya Akhtar, Karan Johar, Dibakar Banerjee and Anurag Kashyap of Lust Stories (Netflix' 2018 release), House Arrest (the story of a man trapped in his own fears), Serious Men (adapted from Manu Joseph's novel of the same name), Guilty (produced by Karan Johar's Dharmatic Entertainment) and others.

In a statement to the media, Srishti Behl Arya, Director - International Original Film, India, Netflix, said:

"When Netflix launched in India, we changed the way Indian audiences enjoy their films. Given our diversity, history and culture, India is home to powerful stories waiting to be told to audiences around the world. The depth of talent and vision of our creators is enabling us to create films our members will love. We want to be a home for India’s finest filmmakers where their stories travel to more people than ever before."

Some of its recent original films in India include Soni, Firebrand, and 15 August. India continues to be among Netflix's fastest-growing markets. While the company does not share country-specific numbers, its global subscriber base is projected to cross 150 million this quarter. More than three-fourths of its new users are now coming from outside the US, particularly Asia.

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In a former interaction with YourStory, Michael Spiegelman, Vice President - Global Product Innovation at Netflix, had said that the company has scaled its content investment in India "at a very fast pace." 

He added,

"In fact, it’s been the fastest investment we have ever made in any country since we launched. This really reflects the richness of content creators we can draw on - the best of Indian storytellers to create high-quality original series and movies."

He also revealed Indians are among the top mobile downloaders of Netflix content in the world. "In general, operating in India has encouraged us to take a very mobile-focused approach to design an experience that makes viewing on the phone just as good as watching on a Smart TV," Spiegelman observed.

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