Why your watchlist is failing you and how South OTT could be your cure

Your watchlist is full and yet nothing feels worth watching — sounds familiar? OTT shows down the South have been quietly solving that problem, and it is time you noticed.

In Short

• South OTT content spans genres from supernatural to social commentary
• OTT platforms invest billions in regional South Indian shows
• Viewers prefer culturally rooted stories over generic mainstream content

Mainstream Indian OTT has never been more ambitious. Gore, action, romance, fantasy, thrillers, dramas — the genres are all there, the budgets are bigger than ever and the stars are brighter. And yet, something is missing. The shows feel familiar before they end. The action feels assembled rather than felt. The stories, for all their scale, rarely linger. The solution? Look South. Literally!

If South cinema has grown phenomenally in recent years, many may not have noticed that the OTT scene emerging in that region has been equally exciting. From the surreal and chilling Muthu Engira Kaattaan, where the mystery begins with a severed head and unspools the "many lives" of an enigmatic man, to the high-stakes hospital drama, Heartbeat, the range is undeniable.

Supernatural drama, suspense thriller, crime stories, sci-fi and more – you name it, and it's all happening on the OTT screen down South. Interestingly, most of it comes with a twist of the unconventional, too.

Variety rooted in culture

For every crime story, there's a sci-fi drama exploring new concepts. For every city-bred story, you have a show set in the heartland of South India to refresh your palette. You have the supernatural investigative thrills of Dhootha, the fierce social commentary of Ayali, and Ayyana Mane, a suspenseful dive into the dark secrets of a rural Karnataka household. For those seeking literary prestige, the Manorathangal anthology brings MT Vasudevan Nair’s legendary short stories to life with a powerhouse cast.

Indeed, if you’re still scrolling through the same old Hindi and English staples, you’re missing the revolution. This list is just a fraction of the stories waiting to be discovered.

South's OTT growth and stories rooted in culture

In the last couple of years, OTT platforms like JioHotstar, Amazon Prime Video and Zee5, among others, have been aggressively announcing their South slates – replete with shows and films across genres and landscapes in four languages. The number of shows in four South languages has increased exponentially in the last couple of years, too.

Recently, JioHotstar set its sight on Rs 4,000 crore investment in South-focussed content.

Deepak Sriramulu, Chief Channel Officer and Business Head of Kannada in Zee5, exclusively told India Today, "According to Ormax, India has over 600 million OTT users, the South has emerged as a key growth engine, contributing nearly 50 per cent of total consumption, which reflects a strong preference for culturally rooted stories."

OTT platforms often speak about building high-quality shows spanning genres. While there are many city-based shows, one recurring factor in the four South languages that seems to be gaining ground is the sheer number of shows rooted in cultural narratives.

Echoing the thought, Sriramulu said, "What we are seeing today is a clear shift in audience behaviour, where viewers are increasingly gravitating towards stories that feel closer to their own cultures, identities and lived experiences."

While this doesn't subvert the fact that there are several other genre-specific shows, regional and culturally-rooted shows seem to be the flavour of this season.

Is local the new global?

Take, Suzhal, for example. It is one of the earliest crime suspense thrillers, created by director duo Pushkar and Gayathri for Amazon Prime Video. Released in 2022, the show is an investigative drama set during the nine-day Mayana Kollai festival (celebrated in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka). While it may be an investigative drama, the backdrop, which you may not have heard of, pulls you in.

Explaining how platforms are now searching for hyperlocal stories, director Pushkar, exclusively told India Today, "When we started Suzhal, the idea wasn’t driven by a trend. We had been working on it long before platforms like Amazon [Prime Video] came into the picture. However, if you look broadly – across Tamil and even Hindi content – there is definitely an effort to bring local stories forward. Platforms often say, “local is the new global.” They actively look for rooted stories, especially those dealing with micro-cultures."

The filmmaker observed that OTT platforms give you the space and scope to explore the idea, while the medium of cinema could be restrictive. Long-form storytelling is the better option when you are exploring hyperlocal stories.

"India, especially, has an incredible diversity of such stories. Every 50 kilometres, you encounter a new culture of tradition. It's really about choosing the right micro-culture to explore," said Pushkar.

Deep diving with research

For long-form storytelling, a lot depends on the foundation of your story. It has to have so much meat that the story could lend itself to multiple episodes. And to create the foundation, extensive research plays a pivotal role.

Pushkar feels that research and authenticity while exploring stories go in tandem. "Accessing information isn’t easy – you can’t just Google everything. For Suzhal, we sent teams to different places to document these traditions. That documentation becomes our reference to recreate them authentically."

Explaining his process further, he said, "We also focus on interpretations. In South India, every micro-festival or micro-culture can have multiple meanings depending on the community or family. We dig into these layers, often focusing on local deities – the smaller, lesser-known gods – rather than the larger pantheon."

The Vikram Vedha director explained that OTT gives creators time to explore these in depth, while films don't. "In films, you might only get a few minutes before moving on to the main plot. But in long-form storytelling, you can fully immerse the audience in the micro-culture," he said.

Chasing trends and authentic stories

So, how does an OTT platform commission stories? They rely on data, viewing patterns and decide what kind of shows should make it to the slate that year.

Explaining how OTT platforms work, Pushkar said, "For example, a few years ago, “young adult” content was in demand. Everyone wanted shows targeting the 15–25 age group. But within a year or so, that trend faded because it reached saturation. Now, even younger audiences are watching mainstream genres like crime thrillers."

While streaming giants go by numbers, creators cannot write a story just because a particular genre is seeped into the viewing pattern. This is where patience comes into play.

"Good stories will eventually find their time. This has always been the case – even with Prestige television. Shows like The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, or Game of Thrones succeeded because they came at the right time. If Game of Thrones had released in the late ’90s, it wouldn’t have had the same impact. Ultimately, creators should focus on writing and completing strong stories. If the script is good, it will find its life – maybe not immediately, but eventually," said Pushkar.

With growing numbers in subscriptions, authentic and relatable stories take centre stage. Zee5's Deepak Srimamula explained how 46 per cent of their 4K content consumers belong to South content.

He said, "Going forward, we believe this will only grow stronger. The opportunity really lies in continuing to go deeper into local cultures and telling stories that are authentic at their core, because that is what ultimately builds both connection and scale on OTT.”

Why South OTT shows should be on your list?

The numbers tell one story. The shows tell another. And together, they make an increasingly compelling case that South OTT's most exciting chapter is not behind it — it is still being written, one story at a time.

What Suzhal did for heartland shows, what Ayyana Mane did for rural Karnataka's secrets, and what Kaattaan did for the enigmatic lives of ordinary people in small towns — is something no algorithm could have predicted, and no trend report could have commissioned. They told stories based on truth about a specific place, a specific community, and a specific way of life. In doing so, they found audiences far beyond the borders of that place.

That, perhaps, is the lesson South OTT has quietly been teaching the rest of the industry. The more specific the story, the more universal it feels. The more local the world, the more global the reach.

- Ends