OTT platforms mainstream documentaries among urban audiences

Documentaries and docu-series, a genre often ignored for its sedate pace and dense storyline, appear to have found their moment under the sun, thanks to streaming platforms.

With services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video backing titles like The Romantics, Angry Young Men, The Elephant Whisperers and Wedding.con, the genre is being deployed to tell real-life stories based on crime, fashion, health, and biographies. Such shows are relatively easier to mount, since the production cost is low and returns are decent. Yet, as an entertainment category, its appeal is limited to urban, niche audiences, experts said.

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“Historically, the conventional mediums of TV and theatres did not offer enough scope for Indian documentary makers, resulting in limited opportunities. However, streaming has changed the rules for this genre, much like it has with scripted shows and movies. Streaming offers documentary creators the opportunity to innovate and blend different styles, such as reality or immersive storytelling. This not only broadens genre exposure but also encourages further experimentation,” Nikhil Madhok, head of originals, Prime Video, India, said.

Sports based docu-series

The platform’s slate of unscripted original content includes sports-based docuseries like Sons of the Soil: Jaipur Pink Panthers, First Act that chronicles the journey of child actors and their parents into the Hindi film and TV industry, and AP Dhillon: First of a Kind - a docu-follow that gives fans a glimpse into the life of the Canadian rapper.

“Audience interest in unscripted format has also led us to expand our programming further on Prime Video with add-on subscriptions to other streaming services like discovery+, Curiosity Stream, iwonder, DocuBay, and more, that feature an extensive range of unscripted content and documentaries,” Madhok added.

The fact that platforms focusing on all genres are dabbling with documentaries and releasing titles at regular frequency is proof that they have found traction and acceptance among Indian OTT audiences, said Girish Dwibhashyam, chief operating officer, DocuBay, a documentary streaming service. “The cost of production is lower than a mid-budget Bollywood film or a high-end web show and engagement is high, so they also make business sense,” Dwibhashyam said, adding that while true crime is definitely the most-viewed sub-genre within the documentary space, the company is exploring themes such as technology, lifestyle, relationships and occult practices in the coming months.

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Filmmaker Tanuja Chandra, who directed Wedding.con on matrimonial fraud in India for Prime Video, said documentary is an elevated form of telling stories across the world. “Only in India, it has received the attention it has always deserved after OTT platforms have begun producing documentary series as well as features. For far too long, documentaries have been made with a great deal of struggle, extremely low budgets and an uncertain future of exhibition and distribution. OTT has made it a format that audiences enjoy and look forward to watching because the best, most evocative, most surprising stories come from real life,” Chandra said.

Taking to documentaries

To be sure, a growing number of Indian audiences, mainly urban, educated viewers, are taking to documentaries and docu-series. The Romantics, a docu-series on Netflix that celebrates the life and legacy of Bollywood filmmaker Yash Chopra, trended in the India Top 10 (TV) for two weeks since its launch in February 2023 and in Top 10 TV in nine countries including Bangladesh, Bahrain, Sri Lanka, and Qatar. The Hunt for Veerappan that chronicles the rise and fall of India’s dreaded ivory and sandalwood smuggler trended in India Top 10 for six weeks, where it was in the number one spot for two weeks. The platform has Yo Yo Honey Singh: Famous, a documentary delving into the musician’s journey to stardom, Greatest Rivalry (India vs Pakistan), a docu-series that traces the cricket rivalry between the two arch-enemies, and the upcoming Nayanthara: Beyond the Fairy Tale, on the south Indian actress.

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“We've seen a tremendous surge in audience traction for documentaries on streaming platforms in India, particularly as these platforms experiment with various genres. The rise in consumption is evident, and much of it is driven by the ability of digital SVoD (subscription video-on-demand) platforms to cater to individual viewing preferences. Indian audiences have always had a strong curiosity and desire for knowledge, and now, with the accessibility of diverse content, they are exploring beyond traditional genres like drama and comedy,” Stanley Fernandes, vice-president, distribution, BBC Studios South Asia, said. “At BBC Studios, we've observed that Planet Earth and Joanna Lumley’s…travel documentaries resonate deeply with Indian viewers. Our most-watched factual entertainment documentary, The Grand Indian Hotel on BBC Player via Amazon Prime Video Channels, is a testament to this growing interest. The local angle helps attract viewers, but it is not essential – quality of content seems to be the overriding factor,” Fernandes emphasised.