Wednesday Season 2 Part 1, with only four episodes, has swiftly dethroned Mandala Murders from Netflix India’s Top 10 Shows weekly list. While the world is mesmerised once again by Jenna Ortega’s flawless portrayal of the empathy-lacking, witty, emotionless, cunning, and highly observant protagonist, we here in India are left to ponder a familiar question: What is the problem with Netflix’s Indian originals nowadays?
The most recent casualty is Netflix India’s very own Mandala Murders. For a brief time, this Vaani Kapoor starrer was a champion. While it had its moments and benefited from strong performances by its cast, the series ultimately failed to leave a lasting impression on viewers. In other words, it became yet another “mediocre” and “lacklustre” Indian original from Netflix, as if it had been waiting for Wednesday’s second season just to be dethroned by it.
Despite having a strong buzz, Mandala Murders managed to hold the #1 spot on Netflix India’s Top 10 list for only two weeks. But the moment Wednesday Season 2 dropped, it was swiftly knocked down, not just globally, but right here in its own backyard (India).
And this isn’t an isolated incident. It’s a pattern, a recurring nightmare for Netflix’s Indian original content. We saw it happen with the second season of Rana Naidu, a show with its own brand of over-the-top, swear-heavy drama, which was brutally crushed by Squid Game Season 3.
This scenario raises plenty of questions. Are Indian originals simply not good enough to compete, even with a two-week head start? Is it a marketing problem? A strategy problem? Or is Netflix’s global-first approach inadvertently signing the death warrant for its regional content?
It’s not like Netflix hasn’t invested big in India. The issue is that the streamer relies heavily on big production houses and big names to attract viewers, rather than investing more in quality storytelling. And, to be fair, it’s not entirely Netflix’s fault. A large portion of Indian OTT viewers will watch content, films or shows, simply because it features prominent acting talents or stars (yes, they’re popular, but not all of them have acting talent). Wait, did we really just say that? Wow…
Anyway, most of Netflix’s recent Indian originals, especially from the last five years, haven’t managed to stand out or carve their own identity. This has pushed viewers toward international hits like Wednesday.
It also shows how choosy Indian OTT audiences have become in recent years when deciding where to spend their viewing time. With such a massive and varied content library available now, it’s harder than ever to lure Indian viewers toward one particular show.
It’s a bittersweet symphony for Indian audiences. We get to enjoy fantastic, globally acclaimed shows like Wednesday, but at the same time, we’re reminded that our own content is often playing a different game, and it’s a game we seem to be losing. In the case of Mandala Murders? All it took was a moody, spooky young girl and her pet Thing, a severed hand. Yup, a severed hand! Stay tuned for more updates.
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