Amidst Rana Naidu Season 2 and Squid Game Season 3, it seems Netflix India users have found another lovable and bingeable show. It’s the popular U.S. police procedural comedy-drama The Rookie, starring Nathan Fillion, who’s also playing Guy Gardner in DCU’s upcoming Superman, led by David Corenswet and helmed by James Gunn.
While Squid Game Season 3 leads Netflix India’s Top 10 weekly shows list, only two new Indian-made scripted originals are present: Rana Naidu Season 2 (3rd) and The Royals (6th).
The Great Indian Kapil Show (a reality talk show) holds the second spot.
But somehow, against all odds, the first two seasons of The Rookie have secured spots on the Top 10 list, with Season 1 in 7th position and Season 2 at 9th.
Critically, The Rookie has received decent, but far from glowing, reviews, yet it has been a solid viewership success in the U.S. Now, it’s unexpectedly struck a chord with Indian audiences as well.
However, this scenario also reveals a bigger issue: the lack of Indian-made scripted original shows on Netflix India’s Top 10 weekly streaming list.
All three seasons of Squid Game currently feature on the list, with the debut season and its highly divisive second season ranking 10th and 5th, respectively. Meanwhile, Season 1 of Rana Naidu (released in 2023) holds a strong 4th position. The mediocre but globally popular Ginny & Georgia Season 3 takes the 8th spot.
Netflix has long promoted its strategy of investing in local content to attract and retain subscribers in diverse markets like India. The goal is to create shows that resonate with Indian audiences and, potentially, become global hits. But it seems like that strategy has been quietly shelved — or forgotten altogether.
When mediocre international licensed content, especially shows with little buzz like The Rookie, outperforms new Indian originals, it suggests that Netflix’s local content strategy isn’t hitting the mark in India.
In a fiercely competitive market like this, local content is a critical differentiator. Platforms like SonyLIV and Prime Video are consistently delivering high-quality Indian originals that resonate. If Netflix India can’t keep pace with compelling local scripted offerings, subscribers may turn to platforms that do, especially when Netflix is increasingly seen as a hub for global content available elsewhere.
Sure, global hits like Squid Game bring in viewers. But Indian audiences still crave stories that reflect their own culture, language, and lived experiences. The presence of older titles like Rana Naidu Season 1 and Squid Game Seasons 1 and 2 in the Top 10 list highlights the ongoing drought of fresh, buzzworthy Indian scripted originals on Netflix.
It’s been a while since Netflix India delivered a truly intriguing, compelling, and widely loved Indian original scripted show. Making things harder is the unexpected rise of modest titles like The Rookie, which — while decent — undercut Netflix’s premium image, especially when they’re available on other platforms or websites for a fraction of the price (or even for free).
The recent successes of Panchayat and Paatal Lok on Prime Video, along with SonyLIV’s consistent streak in recent months, reflect a strong appetite for well-crafted Indian stories.
So, the real question is: Is Netflix India still serious about creating Indian original scripted hits that can go global, like Squid Game did for South Korea? And if so, how long will it take? Stay tuned for more updates.
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