Every time Netflix India gives us something truly great like Amar Singh Chamkila or Black Warrant, it quickly takes two steps back with shows that feel completely out of touch. It’s almost like Netflix is making shows just for the posh crowd in South Mumbai or Bandra, ignoring the rest of India, which makes up a huge part of its audience.
Take Nadaaniyan for example. It was supposed to be a young, fun love story, but it turned into a cringeworthy mess. Rich kids with fake relationships, fancy houses, and zero connection to how most Indians actually live. The acting didn’t help either. It felt stiff and awkward, and people just couldn’t relate to the story. Then came The Royals, another high-budget attempt filled with palace drama and startup millionaires. Sure, it looked nice and had charming actors, but once again, it spoke only to a small, urban audience. Most of us watching just couldn’t see ourselves or our lives in it.
In comparison, platforms like Amazon Prime Video and SonyLIV seem to understand what Indian viewers really want. Panchayat, for instance, is about a young man working in a village office, while aiming for higher goals. That’s the real difference. Netflix is chasing a glitzy, elite crowd, but forgetting that most Indians connect better with stories rooted in everyday life. While other platforms are winning hearts by going local and telling grounded stories, Netflix seems stuck trying to impress the cocktail-party circuit.
If Netflix wants to truly win in India, it has to look beyond Bandra. Because real India doesn’t live in glass towers and drive sports cars, it laughs, cries, struggles, and dreams in places far from the spotlight. That’s where the best stories are waiting to be told.
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