Indian studio Yash Raj Films‘ streaming division, YRF Entertainment, is taking stock of its recent successes in the digital space while looking to the future.
The company’s series, “The Railway Men,” emerged as a standout performer on Netflix, marking a significant milestone for Indian content on the platform. The four-part mini-series, which made its debut on Nov. 18, 2023, maintained its position in Netflix’s Top 10 series list for an impressive 100 consecutive days. This achievement set a new benchmark for Indian series on the streaming platform. The show’s wider appeal was evident as it also secured a spot in the Top 3 on Netflix’s Global Top Shows, holding its ground for several months.
YRF Entertainment’s first movie collaboration with Netflix, “Maharaj,” also made its mark. The Siddharth P. Malhotra-directed period piece, released on June 21 this year, quickly ascended to the second position on Netflix’s non-English film category top ten list. Its popularity was reflected in the viewing figures, with over 8.5 million hours watched in its second and third weeks combined.
Akshaye Widhani, CEO of Yash Raj Films, reflected on the company’s streaming strategy. “We always aim to produce content that can represent our country, our people, our culture, our values and ambitions in its full glory to a global audience. We want to be proud of the content that we put out and in turn we want to make our country proud too,” he said.
“We invest a lot of time in handpicking and polishing our stories because we believe it is always the content that survives the test of time and can transcend borders and languages,” Widhani said.
He also praised Netflix’s support in marketing the titles to a worldwide audience. “We have a partner like Netflix with us, who trusted us in our vision and were committed to take these titles to the world,” Widhani said. “We share this moment with Netflix, for their unwavering support, teamwork, clutter-breaking insight and commitment to brilliance in content.”
YRF Entertainment’s success with “The Railway Men” and “Maharaj” follows its documentary series “The Romantics.” The company has two more projects in the pipeline: film “Vijay 69” and series “Mandala Murders.”
Widhani emphasized YRF’s commitment to telling Indian stories to a global audience. “We believe that the India story is what the world wants to see, engage and discuss and we want to be at the heart of it,” he said.
As YRF Entertainment continues to expand its streaming slate, the company aims to work with top talent while also discovering new voices. Widhani promised a diverse lineup of projects across multiple genres, hinting at surprises to come. “Our three YRF Entertainment projects signal our ambition to be extremely risk-taking while putting content at the center of disruption. Our next line up will only take this intent forward,” Widhani said.
