In a country that leads the world in smartphone usage, data consumption, and sheer audience size, it’s baffling that India — with all its talent and storytelling legacy — hasn’t produced its ownSuccession,The Wire,Breaking Bad, orChernobyl. While global giants like Netflix and HBO redefine television elsewhere, Indian originals often fall into two familiar boxes:
- Over-the-top crime thrillers
- Tired tropes dressed as “bold content”
So,what’s stopping India from making truly world-class, prestige television?
🎬 1.The Grip of Commercial Censorship
Even on OTT platforms, Indian content often plays it safe. Why?
- Self-censorship to avoid outrage culture.
- Fear of political backlash or religious offense.
- Over-dependence on mass appeal metrics instead of storytelling integrity.
Unlike HBO, which thrives on provocation and discomfort, Indian platforms are stillfiltering through fear.
🎭 2.A Talent Pool Split Between TV and Film
In India, prestige and ambition still lean toward Bollywood.
Writers, directors, and producers with big visions often aim for films, not series.
Meanwhile, many OTT shows are handled by:
- Film directors trying to stretch 2-hour plots across 8 episodes.
- Writers under pressure to deliver “masala with maturity.”
The result? Shows thatstart strong but collapse mid-season— not due to lack of talent, but lack of long-form writing experience.
📺 3.No Institutional Legacy of Serial Storytelling
HBO, AMC, and FX built their reputations overdecades— with freedom, failure, and risk baked into their DNA.
India, on the other hand:
- Jumped from daily soaps to digital crime thrillers, skipping the evolution stage.
- Lacks platforms that nurture writing rooms like in the West.
- Rarely invests in deep character arcs or social critique unless it sells in 30 seconds.
We wantFleabagresults, but build withCIDmechanics.
🧠 4.Audience Conditioning & Algorithmic Storytelling
Let’s face it: many Indian viewers have been fed on:
- Easy cliffhangers
- Loud emotions
- Star power over substance
Even platforms like Netflix India tweak content to matchwhat performs— not what challenges.
Prestige TV demands patience. India’s algorithm rewards urgency.
🌱 But The Seeds Exist
Make no mistake: Indiahas the talent. It has the raw material for greatness:
- Shows like Paatal Lok, Rocket Boys, and Delhi Crime scratched the surface.
- Filmmakers like Neeraj Ghaywan, Vikramaditya Motwane, and Rima Das offer glimpses of prestige potential.
- Audiences are evolving — craving nuance, silence, slow burns, and stories that don’t explain everything.
But we’re missing one key ingredient:
An ecosystem that protects risk.
One that choosescraft over clickbait.
✍️ Final Thought:
India doesn’t lack storytellers.
It lacks institutions that believe stories can matter more than numbers.
Until then, we’ll keep watchingSuccession…
Waiting for our own.
