Fan-tastic First: India Bags Maiden OTT Documentary Win at ATA 2025

MUMBAI: If devotion ever needed a documentary, India has just delivered a global winner. TV9 Network’s in-house unit, Studio9, has scripted history by securing India’s first-ever win in the OTT documentary programme category at the 30th Asian Television Awards 2025 in Singapore, all thanks to its gripping deep dive into the feverish world of South Indian fandom, Fanatics.

Commissioned by Docubay, the 55-minute documentary edged past six heavyweight contenders from China, Taiwan and India, including Bitter Sweet Ballad, Echoes of Life, Polar Alarm, and Modern Masters: SS Rajamouli. But Fanatics emerged the clear favourite, proving that stories rooted in India’s pop-cultural heartbeat can travel far beyond linguistic or regional borders.

Fanatics maps the emotional, sociological and sometimes extreme landscape of fan devotion across South India where admiration often transforms into worship, complete with temples built for stars, tattoos dedicated to idols, and massive celebrations that rival festivals during birthdays and film releases.

The film features candid voices from some of the region’s biggest stars Kichcha Sudeep, Allu Arjun, and Vijay Sethupathi alongside film historians, mental health specialists, cultural commentators and ordinary fans whose stories reveal the joys and darker shades of fervent adulation.

One such story follows a young man who found courage and self-worth through Allu Arjun’s on-screen presence after years of stigma for having a cleft palate, a reminder that fandom often runs deeper than entertainment.

The win marks a major milestone for Indian nonfiction storytelling on the global stage.

“This honour at the 30th Asian Television Awards is a defining moment,” said The EPIC Company MD Aditya Pittie. “As the first Indian OTT documentary to win in this category, Fanatics reaffirms our belief in culturally rooted narratives with universal resonance.”

For TV9 Network, it’s a creative high point. “We knew we had a winner from the word go,” saidTV9 Network MD & CEO Barun Das. “The subject was unique, the appeal universal. I thank DocuBay for trusting Studio9 to produce it.”

Studio9’s head, Arpita Chatterjee added: “This was my first major documentary project, and winning on a global stage is a huge validation of our team’s work across fiction, nonfiction and films.”

DocuBay’s CCO Samar Khan highlighted the complexity behind the narrative, “Fanatics demanded honesty and courage. The documentary explores a world where devotion often blurs into obsession. This win validates the creative risks we took and the sensitivity with which the team approached the subject.”

The award-winning film was powered by a strong Studio9 crew:

. Director: Aryan D. Roy

. Assistant Director: Debanjana Ghosh

. Show Runner: Santosh Raj

. Creative Consultant: Aniruddha Chakladar

. DOP: Akshay Kumar

. Editor: Paras Sharma

. Research Support: News9, consulting editor, Sudha Sadhanand

Their collective effort helped transform India’s most flamboyant subculture into a documentary that resonated across Asia.

For TV9 Network, this accolade signals more than an award, it marks a renewed commitment to elevating Indian nonfiction with home-grown talent, bold subjects and global storytelling ambition. As Studio9 continues to expand its creative footprint, Fanatics stands as proof that India’s stories, when told with authenticity and cinematic depth, can captivate audiences well beyond the fan clubs they depict.

India may have many fan armies but this time, it’s a documentary about them that has brought home the glory.