One cannot discount what Prime Video India has done to the streaming space. Apart from being the pioneer of what’s now a swarm of content where it has become tougher to distinguish and stand out; Prime has relentlessly tried to innovate and expand with its services, library and potential target audience. It might also be the only streaming giant that has the maximum returning shows every other year and this year seems no different.
What is interesting is that 2024 has been rather quiet for them so far but the mega event in March just showed how they were creating a pile that might just make it difficult to switch away with an astronomical number of shows, films, reality series, documentaries and so on being in the kitty. The second half of this year forecasts absolute domination with some of the finest and most-loved shows returning with a new season, fresh content also being in focus, widening the horizon with reality programming and so on.
Bringing Out The Big Guns
It is so easy to be lured by relying on your already-popular shows and films to get a returning season or sequel which, commercially speaking, commands the buzz and viewership without doing much. And while we will get to that later, Prime Video realises the need to churn out original content – the very idea that solidified their market positioning as a leader with Indian content over the years. One of the biggest attractions in the offing from them this year is Citadel: Honey Bunny which marks actor Varun Dhawan’s web debut and Samantha Ruth Prabhu reuniting with Raj & DK after their knockout collaboration with The Family Man S2. And while we aren’t entirely sure if it will arrive this year (we hope it does), the few glimpses presented in Prime Video’s title announcement just got everyone pumped up even more.
On the opposite spectrum is yet another top Bollywood star making her web debut in the form of Ananya Panday. After earning accolades for Kho Gaye Hum Kahan, Panday is coming to Prime Video with Call Me Bae in a character that, from the early sneak peek, seemed to be tailor-made for her. Unlike the former, this has a certain release date as it arrives on September 6. Then there is Vijay Varma (how can there not be a Vijay Varma project) coming with Matka King, and what makes this even more special is that the one and only Nagraj Manjule directs it. (If you still haven’t seen Vaikunth from the anthology, Unpaused: Naya Safar, directed and acted by Mr. Manjule, watch it now) Furthermore, we have Bhumi Pednekar arriving in the web series space with Daldal, Uorfi Javed coming up with her show, Follow Kar Lo Yaar and many more.
I took a sip of water to catch a breath even while writing and doing my research for this and this is just the tip of the iceberg that the streamer has in store for us. Killing it in the regional space as well, Prime Video’s content from down South predominantly and other parts is also a stellar list to look at.
Several other names can easily join this list but the looming question is whether they make it to the 2024 slate or go on to be a part of their offerings next year. However, with original content, we can safely say that Prime Video is bringing out the big guns and firing from all cylinders.
Returning Favorites
As I mentioned earlier, the easiest job in the world is to get viewers pumped up for a returning show or a film’s new instalment – because the recall value is already there and all you need to do – is focus on creating a worthy product – something that Prime Video has done fantastically since their inception. It seems fitting that Inside Edge was the first big-scale much-loved web show that propelled the OTT revolution and was also one of the first ones to have three seasons in less than four years.
Now, they have a barrage of incredibly popular shows that are set to have new seasons. Panchayat has already and continues to make a huge mark with its viewership and presence with impeccable numbers that Season 3 has garnered. And just when you can get over it, we now await what is possibly the most popular web show of all time in India – Mirzapur coming back with Season 3. The fandom, conversations and general craze that Mirzapur has is unheard of and the streaming platform has been extremely strategic and cognizant of its appeal thus planning their marketing and promotions accordingly. In just over 20 days, we will have Mirzapur Season 3 and I cannot stop myself from saying – bhaukaal machega ek baar phir!
And finally, there is Paatal Lok Season 2. The more that one praises this show, the less it is! Kicking Jaideep Ahlawat to OTT superstardom, Paatal Lok was easily the best show of 2020 and while it has been a long wait, we are finally getting a second season of Hathiram Chaudhary’s newer challenges.
To say that we are positive about Prime Video exhibiting their Prime Power for Prime Placement in the market would be an understatement, where the second half of 2024 and possibly early 2025 looks stacked and loaded with content that caters to one and all.