2023 is about to be over. While we usually did not have many great things to talk about from Netflix, this year proved to be exceptional. Well, here is our report on Netflix India from 2023. Unlike monthly reports, we will not be counting the licensed films that kept on getting released.
Original Movies
Mission Majnu, Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga, Kathal – A Jackfruit Mystery, Lust Stories 2, Friday Night Plan, Jaane Jaan, Khufiya, The Archies, Kho Gaye Hum Kahan, Curry & Cyanide: The Jolly Joseph Case, Mumbai Mafia: Police vs The Underworld
Original Series
Trial By Hire, Class, Rana Naidu, Tooth Pari: When Love Bites, Scoop, Kohrra, Guns & Gulaabs, Choona, Kaala Paani, The Railway Men, The Romantics, The Hunt For Veerappan
Reality Series
IRL: In Real Love, Social Currency
Analysis
Let’s first talk about films. The three most successful films on Netflix were Jaane Jaan, Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga and Curry & Cyanide. Jaane Jaan created an insane record in opening numbers and looks like it is going to stay there for a long time to come.
The film starring Kareena Kapoor came out to be highly successful. Similarly, Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga became the most-watched film on Netflix this year. Friday Night Plan failed to leave an impression but it was a nice film. So is the case with Kathal.
Kho Gaye Hum Kahan is gaining a lot of traction in a positive way. But it still has to prove itself to be worthy of sitting with the luminous films of 2023.
The biggest disappointment came through The Archies. The torture show was directed by the acclaimed director Zoya Akhtar. Mission Majnu and Khufiya were so bad that they didn’t deserve more than a sentence.
Let’s talk about the series. Netflix did a wonderful job this year. Tons of great shows and that too on a frequent basis. The start of the year was with Trial By Fire. It is a phenomenal show and we thought Netflix had already fixed a benchmark but we were happy to be proven long. It was continued with Class, Rana Naidu got mixed reviews but was a very very good commercial success. Tooth Pari was meh but the real deal was Scoop.
Scoop is easily one of the nicest shows of the year and gained awards too. Then came Kohrra, again a great series.
Guns & Gulaabs, although an average show was a masala entertainer and can be tolerated for the magnanimity it brought. Choona was also meh but Kaala Paani and The Railway Men were the big deals. They were insanely appreciated and came out to be a humongous commercial success.
And then came the radioactive reality shows. They were just too bad, too bad. And we can’t stress that enough. It is best to stay away from them. We wish Netflix had given us a block option and we would have blocked those shitty series right away.
Let’s talk about the documentaries. They were the real deal. The Romantics came out to be the buzz of the town and the talks about it were everywhere. And why not? It had SRK, Aamir Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Katrina Kaif and so many big stars. It was basically a PR for YRF but who cares, it was still a nice documentary.
Mumbai Mafia was meh but The Hunt For Veerappan changed the way we perceive documentaries on OTT. It did not have any big stars but it was insanely buzzy and talk of the town. It was a haunting documentary that paved the way for other platforms to make documentaries.
Now, the ongoing buzz is called “Curry & Cyanide”. It is another horrifying documentary film that is extremely well-made. People are loving it and we expect even more frequent documentaries from Netflix.
Overall, the series on Netflix were very good. Films were okay and documentaries were excellent.
So, a solid 7 out of 10 for Netflix India in 2023.