Ruchikaa Kapoor Sheikh, Director of Original Films at Netflix India, is asking a different question when a film ends: not just how many people watched, but what did it make them say. In a year-end interview with Hindustan Times, she says the most valuable signal for a streaming film is often the argument it starts.
That is not a dismissal of numbers. Early viewership tells her whether a film connected. A place in the global top 10 is “incredible”. But the long-term measure, she says, is the conversation. If audiences are still debating characters and repeating mannerisms long after the credits, the film has done its job.
Accused, Toaster and the Maa-Behen divide
Netflix India’s 2026 slate makes the case. Sheikh points to Accused, a smaller film that travelled to 72 countries, and Toaster, which topped the global top 10. Maa-Behen split viewers sharply: one section said it felt represented, while another asked what the women on screen were doing. For her, both reactions count.
The polarising response is not a failure, she argues; it can put a film “in the centre of the zeitgeist”. A film that divides the room tends to stay in the room.
Why the formula scares her more
Sheikh’s warning against templates comes from 12 years in theatrical releases. She says the films that were declared guaranteed successes were the ones that scared her most: “Yeh to chal hi jaayegi” (this will work for sure) was often the cue to worry.
Netflix has learned that lesson on streaming too. After Sector 36, the team was pitched 20 true crime stories, and its reaction was to not chase the same mould immediately. When an audience loves something, repeating it as a template can be the moment it stops working.
- Early viewership is a useful signal, but not the final score.
- Global top 10 is important; conversation is the longer-term test.
- Polarising reactions can place a film in the centre of the zeitgeist.
What this means for Hindi film fans
The older promotional machinery – early announcements, set visits, carefully built anticipation – matters less now, Sheikh says. Audiences read about a film today and can watch it immediately. The call to action is instant, so the lead-up does not have to be heavy.
For viewers, expect more Netflix India originals that are built to provoke a reaction rather than please everyone. The next title that splits your family group chat may not be a miss; it may be doing exactly what the streamer wanted.
Source: Hindustan Times