Amazon Prime Video to stream new series ‘Vadhandhi’ on 2 December

Amazon Prime Video will stream a new series called Vadhandhi on 2 December. It stars SJ Suryah and has been directed by Andrew Louis.

The share of regional languages in overall OTT (over-the-top) video content will double from 27% in 2020 to 54% in 2024, as more streaming platforms take to vernacular programming and films, said a recent Ficci EY report. In 2021 alone, 47% of OTT originals and 69% of films released on platforms were not in Hindi.

Taking a cue, OTT platforms such as VOOT, SonyLIV and Disney+ Hotstar, too, are following in the footsteps of global giants Netflix and Amazon Prime Video to acquire films in the four southern languages besides Marathi and Punjabi as they seek to lure subscribers from tier-two and tier-three towns.

Media experts said streaming brands looking for national reach will have to focus on at least eight to nine languages. As OTTs started launching, the audiences they catered to was guided by their content library as well as strategy of going after the largest audiences. While many went after Hindi Speaking Markets (HSM) audiences, others like SUN Nxt focused on south content since they already have a huge library of movies and shows. Today with most platforms reaching a stage of maturity, everyone is expanding their audience base by acquiring and creating content in multiple regional languages. All platforms have understood and recognized that if they need to be relevant across India, they will have to acquire as well create original content for regional markets. This increased demand (for content across languages) drives pricing all through the value chain, including for writers, filmmakers, actors and crew. Most good technicians are as busy as actors and writers these days, so it’s a challenge to keep costs down.