Nearly half of Netflix’s viewing in India is film – among the highest globally, Ruchikaa Kapoor Sheikh, director of original films for Netflix in India, said during the APAC Film Showcase in Tokyo this week.

In the past year alone, an Indian film was featured in Netflix’s Global Top 10 (Non-English) list every single week, she said.

“Movies are deeply woven into our culture, reflecting our diversity, traditions and quirks,” she said, listing titles such as “Amar Singh Chamkila”, “Maharaj” and “Laapata Ladies”.

“We programme for many Indias, each with its own uniqueness,” she added.

Echoing Netflix’s content heads across the region, Kapoor Sheikh said 2025 would be “our most diverse year yet”, with films in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. 

The slate includes the first Tamil original film, sports drama “Test”; heist-action film “Jewel Thief”, which premieres on Friday (25 April); and romantic drama “Aap Jaisa Koi”, directed by Vivek Soni, which explores themes of self-discovery, prejudices and societal change. 

Other titles include “Inspector Zende”, about an ordinary cop with an extraordinary sense of justice, and dark comedy “Toaster”, starring Rajkummar Rao as a miser whose obsession with a wedding gift – a toaster – sparks off an unexpected chain of events. 

“Toaster” is the first film from production house Kampa Films, established by Rao and partner Patralekha Rao.  

In Tokyo for the showcase, Rao said dark comedy was a relatively unexplored genre in India. 

“There’s so much joy in making people laugh, especially in the times and age we live in,” he said. 

In February, Netflix showcased the 26 titles – including six films – on its 2025 slate, promising to “redefine storytelling by pushing creative boundaries like never before”.