Prime Video Exec, Filmmakers Talk Greenlight Strategies for Streaming
During a panel at India’s Film Bazaar, Manish Menghani, head of content licensing at Prime Video India, and filmmaker Nikkhil Advani (“Freedom at Midnight”) discussed the evolving landscape of streaming content development in India, led by Richie Mehta, creator of “Delhi Crime”.
Menghani tracked how the Indian streaming space has transformed since the launch of Prime Video in 2016, citing COVID-19 as a major turning point. “The entertainment palette of consumers has completely changed in this country. Sixty percent of our consumers today watch content in four or more languages,” Menghani said, noting that more than half of the content consumed through the service comes from viewers’ primary language.
For creators pitching projects, Menghani emphasized that while meetings help creators articulate their vision, “the rubber hits the paper.” He noted that the platform looks beyond just the pitch or cast attachments: “What we look for is the story.”
Advani shared his journey from cinema to streaming, which started with the series ‘POW’, which aired on Star Plus and was a hit on streamer Disney+ Hotstar. He recalled the early days of streaming platforms competing for established filmmakers: “The incipient trend across all services was: How can we get the biggest filmmakers joining us?”
Regarding the development process, Menghani said Prime Video “submits to the creator’s vision” while providing feedback for creators to use. Advani confirmed this approach, noting that feedback demonstrates the investment in the project: “I love feedback. I get very suspicious when people just come up and say, ‘fantastic.’
Addressing emerging filmmakers, Menghani advised against chasing trends: “Come up with something that’s fresh.” He emphasized that budgets should not be the primary concern when pitching: “Hits and misses are never tied to the amount of money you spend.”
Mehta revealed that projects are extensively reviewed, with development meetings sometimes involving “30 to 40 people”. [zoom] to call to action.”
Manghani claimed that data does not drive creative decisions: “If there is anyone in this room who can look at data and tell you whether something is going to work or not, then he is lying.”
Film Bazaar (November 20-24) is the project market segment of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI, November 20-28) in Goa.
