Shahid Kapoor’s debut web series Farzi, Varun Dhawan-Janhvi Kapoor’s Bawal and Priyanka Chopra’s Citadel top the list of the most-watched Indian and international shows as well as films in India in 2023, according to a new report by Ormax Media.
Titled ‘Streaming Originals in India: The 2023 Story’, the report focuses on original content — both films and shows — across Hindi and international languages on the basis of viewership, marketing buzz, and content strength. Here are some of the major findings from it.
Farzi burns bright among web shows
Raj and DK’s Farzi, currently streaming on Prime Video, has secured its position as the most-viewed Hindi web series with an impressive 37.1 million views. Hailed as the only show to cross the 30-million viewership mark last year, the crime fiction show has solidified its status as the most-watched subscription video on demand (SVOD) series in India of all time.
Other shows such as The Night Manager, Asur Season 2, Taali, Aarya Season 3, and Scam 2003 - The Telgi Story have also garnered high rankings on counts of viewership, marketing buzz and content strength. Surprisingly, some other popular shows like YRF’s maiden OTT venture The Railway Men, Guns & Gulaabs, and Kaala Paani — all of them Netflix shows — have failed to secure spots on the most-watched list despite having high buzz scores and viewer ratings.
Conversely, Made in Heaven Season 2, Mumbai Diaries Season 2, and Bambai Meri Jaan have claimed spots among the most-viewed shows, although they did not generate the same level of buzz or positive feedback as other contenders.
Bawaal dominant among OTT movies
Among direct-to-OTT Hindi films, Prime Video’s Bawaal, starring Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor, took the lead. Hot on its heels is JioCinema's Shahid Kapoor-starrer Bloody Daddy, which also gained significant traction and claimed the top spot for buzz-worthiness.
Action thriller Mission Majnu, starring Sidharth Malhotra and Rashmika Mandanna, turned out to be the most-liked film based on viewer ratings.
In general, thriller movies (Apurva, Gaslight, Jaane Jaan, Blind, Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai, Khufiya) and slice-of-life films (Tumse Na Ho Payega and Kho Gaye Hum Kahan) come out in flying colours on the list, which sees Kho Gaye Hum Kahan topping the most-viewed and most-buzzing categories within a month of its release.
Bigg Boss OTT Season 2 reigns supreme among reality shows
In the unscripted Indian streaming shows category, the Ormax report confirms the expected dominance of reality TV, with Bigg Boss OTT Season 2 claiming the top spot with a staggering 19.5 million views. Koffee with Karan closely follows with 15.4 million views.
The Romantics, a docu-series exploring the legacy of Yash Chopra, stands out for its introspective conversations about the world of Hindi cinema. The report highlights a diverse range of non-fiction content, indicating an expansion in the breadth of offerings compared to previous years.
MCU continues to win hearts among international shows
While Hindi films continue to dominate the list, the report notes the significant viewership garnered by international shows, especially Marvel Cinematic Universe franchises like Citadel, Loki 2, What if…?, I am Groot Season 2 and Secret Invasion. Despite critical panning, Citadel, starring Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Richard Madden, takes the lead with 17 million views and top rankings in buzz.
