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Tag: Anupamaa

  • What Are Overseas Viewers Loving About Indian TV in 2025?

    What Are Overseas Viewers Loving About Indian TV in 2025?

    Indian TV is no longer just for Indian households. Viewers from the U.S., UK, Canada, and Australia are tuning in like never before. Shows from Mumbai, Delhi, and Hyderabad are building global fanbases. This isn’t just Bollywood spillover. People are watching daily soaps, thrillers, game shows, and reality series. And they’re sticking around.

    So what’s pulling international viewers in? What shows should they watch? This guide answers that. It breaks down the trends, the titles, and how to jump in.

    Why Is Indian TV Getting Global Attention?

    Streaming platforms made Indian TV easier to find. Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Hotstar now offer subtitles, better curation, and global access. Shows that were once stuck behind time zones and language barriers are now front and center.

    Viewers Want Emotion and Drama

    Western shows often focus on subtlety. Indian shows bring the opposite. Big drama. Strong emotions. Larger-than-life characters. That contrast is refreshing for new viewers.

    A UK college student said, “I started watching Anupamaa as a joke with my roommate. Three episodes in, we were crying and yelling at the screen.”

    Shows like Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai and Kundali Bhagya are slow-paced but heavy on relationships and emotion. For some, that’s the point. They want time with the characters.

    Stories Feel Personal

    Family tension. Cultural values. Sacrifice. Indian TV hits these themes hard. And it turns out, they’re universal. You don’t need to be Indian to connect with a mother trying to support her kids, or a couple fighting family pressure.

    A viewer in Toronto explained, “My mom is Egyptian, not Indian. But when we watched Ghum Hai Kisikey Pyaar Meiin, we both got it. The aunties. The guilt. The family drama. It felt like home.”

    What Genres Are Popular with International Viewers?

    Soap Operas and Dramas

    This is the big one. Indian daily soaps are still dominating. Viewers love the long arcs and family themes.

    Top choices in 2025:

    ●  Anupamaa (Hotstar)

    ●  Imlie (JioCinema)

    ●  Parineetii (Voot)

    These shows air nearly every day in India but are available with subtitles overseas. New fans binge through hundreds of episodes in weeks.

    Mythology and History

    Viewers want stories they haven’t seen before. Indian TV delivers with epics and historical tales. Shows like Mahabharat and Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat bring Indian legends to life with colorful costumes and massive sets.

    Netflix recently added a remastered version of Ramayan and saw a 40% spike in South Asian sign-ups in the UK that month.

    Crime and Thriller

    This is where Indian TV is gaining new fans fast. Indian police procedurals and crime thrillers are picking up steam. Series like Crime Patrol, Sacred Games, and Delhi Crime bring suspense, corruption, and high-stakes investigations.

    Even fictionalized stories like Asur and Rudra offer a mix of culture, mystery, and edge.

    One American fan posted, “Asur was way better than most crime shows on HBO. It’s weird, smart, and totally messed up in a good way.”

    Reality and Game Shows

    People outside India are discovering the chaos and charm of Indian reality TV. Whether it’s cooking, dancing, or singing, the emotion is always on full blast.

    Top picks:

    ●  Indian Idol

    ●  Dance Deewane

    ●  Kaun Banega Crorepati (India’s version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?)

    These shows often go viral on YouTube too. Full clips with subtitles bring in millions of views from outside India.

    What Makes Indian TV Different?

    Indian TV doesn’t hold back. Characters cry hard, love harder, and argue louder. The sets are colorful. The music is constant. The stakes feel huge even when the plot is small.

    New fans enjoy how immersive it is. Watching Naagin might feel like stepping into a whole other world of shape-shifting serpents and epic curses, but that’s exactly why people like it.

    Another key difference is the length. Indian series can run for years. Some have thousands of episodes. That’s a lot of screen time, but it also means you get attached.

    How Can Overseas Viewers Start Watching?

    Use Subtitled Streaming Platforms

    The best platforms for Indian TV in 2025:

    ●  Hotstar: Great for StarPlus and Star Bharat shows

    ●  Netflix India: Best for crime, thrillers, and originals

    ●  Amazon Prime Video: Wide mix of drama and comedy

    ●  ZEE5: Strong in regional content (Marathi, Bengali, etc.)

    ●  Sony LIV: Good for soaps and sports

    Most of these platforms offer subtitles in English. Some are adding French, Spanish, and Arabic too.

    Don’t Start in the Middle

    Some shows have long histories. Jumping in at episode 1472 won’t help. Find recap videos or start with new seasons. YouTube channels often post “story so far” clips.

    Explore Different Languages

    Indian TV isn’t just Hindi. Try Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, or Malayalam shows. Each brings a different style and pace.

    One Australian viewer shared, “I watched Koodevide (Malayalam) with subs. I don’t speak a word, but the acting pulled me in. Now I’m learning bits just to follow better.”

    What’s the Cultural Impact?

    As more people watch Indian TV globally, it’s shaping how India is seen. Not just Bollywood, but real India. Families, food, arguments, humor. This kind of media spreads soft power.

    It also boosts language interest. Duolingo reports that Hindi and Tamil enrollments from U.S. users rose 22% year-over-year in early 2025.

    And it builds community. Facebook groups, Reddit threads, and TikTok edits connect fans across borders. Some viewers even learn how to remove google search result pages to hide spoilers before watching new episodes.

    Final Thoughts

    Indian TV is loud, long, and full of life. That’s why global viewers love it. In 2025, it’s not just about watching from afar. It’s about joining the party.

    If you’re new, start with Anupamaa or Delhi Crime. Then try a regional language show. Explore genres. Share clips. Get hooked.

    Because once you’re in, you’re in. Indian TV doesn’t just tell stories. It pulls you into them. 
     

  • GoQuest Media signs exclusive distribution deal with Disney Star for Africa

    GoQuest Media signs exclusive distribution deal with Disney Star for Africa

    Mumbai: Global independent content distributor GoQuest Media has signed an exclusive distribution deal with Disney Star. The agreement marked a new chapter in GoQuest Media’s continuing growth as a global independent distributor.

    GoQuest Media will be the sole distributor for Disney Star’s content portfolio across Africa.  This includes content dubbed in both English and Hindi. The deal sees GoQuest Media wield exclusive TV and OTT rights to Disney Star’s linear programming catalogue. This includes some of India’s most popular and successful shows, with consistently high TRP ratings such as Anupamaa, Imlie, Kasauti Zindagii Kay, Yeh Jaadu Hai Jinn Ka, Chandra Nandini, amongst others. The agreement represents a strategic move to bring popular Indian content to a wider African audience.

    Commenting on the deal, Disney Star international business head Sudhir Nagpal said, “We are excited to further extend the reach of our compelling and multi-lingual portfolio to our audiences in Africa, through our collaboration with GoQuest Media. Africa has a strong viewer base for our content, especially for our series across languages. We continuously seek opportunities to connect with our audience and this collaboration with GoQuest Media is another step in that direction.”

    GoQuest Media managing director Vivek Lath added, “GoQuest has successfully introduced foreign language titles to Africa over the past ten years.  Our track record, strong partnerships and knowledge of the region and local audiences have positioned us as the ideal team to introduce Disney Star’s Indian collection to this market.  We fully recognise and appreciate the trust placed in GoQuest and are confident that these titles will achieve equal success in Africa as they have in India. Here’s to sharing the magic across borders!”

  • Disney+Hotstar’s ‘Anupama – Namaste America’ to premiere on 25 April

    Disney+Hotstar’s ‘Anupama – Namaste America’ to premiere on 25 April

    Mumbai: Following its announcement of the 11-episode prequel to hit TV serial “Anupamaa,” Disney+ Hotstar has set 25 April as release date for the digital series titled “Anupama – Namaste America.” The streaming platform has roped in “Baa Bahoo Aur Baby” fame Sarita Joshi as ‘Moti Baa’ in the upcoming show. 

    Rupali Ganguli who plays the titular character will be seen in a younger look, nine years into her marriage, along with her on-screen husband Vanraj (played by Sudhanshu Pandey) and the rest of the cast. The prequel show will reveal the story of Anupamaa as the timid yet persevering homemaker, and how the seeds of discord and distance were sowed in her marriage. “Joshi will be seen as heading the Shah family as Vanraj’s great grandmother,” said the platform in a statement.

    “I have worked with Rupali Ganguli previously in Baa Bahoo Aur Baby, and I truly admire the way she pulls off all her characters, especially Anupamaa. I am excited to work with her again,” said Sarita Joshi. “The character of Moti Baa has lived through Anupamaa’s tribulations and knows how society holds back women, but she wants to mend it by complimenting and uplifting Anupamaa’s life in a refreshing new way. I feel extremely proud to have got to play her. I hope Anupamaa’s fans enjoy the character of Moti Baa too because I had a gala time playing it.”

    Launched in July 2020, “Anupamaa” has already aired over 500 episodes. A Hindi adaptation of the popular Bengali series “Sreemoyee,” the show is centered on the life of a Gujarati homemaker.

  • Maharashtra shuts all TV, film shoots till 1 May

    Maharashtra shuts all TV, film shoots till 1 May

    New Delhi: With no slowdown in sight in the surge of Covid2019 cases, the Maharashtra government has decided to shut down all ongoing television and film shooting from 8 pm on Wednesday. The restrictions will remain in effect till 7 am on 1 May.

    The state is grappling with an alarming rise in the number of Covid2019 infections and has the maximum caseloads, more than any other state, amidst the second wave tearing through the country. Chief minister Udhav Thackeray said the current situation was “scary”, with hospitals across the state battling with acute shortage of beds, oxygen cylinders and lifesaving drugs.

    Thackeray stopped short of using the term ‘lockdown’, but said only essential activities and services will be permitted to operate for the next two weeks. The government has announced closure of all schools, colleges, restaurants, hotels, cinema halls, theatres, multiplexes, gyms, sports complex, amusement parks and all religious places. E-commerce will be allowed for the delivery of goods. Section 144 will be imposed across the state from 8 pm Wednesday till 7 am on 1 May.

    Television producers and broadcasters who were already reeling under the economic fallout of the pandemic will now have to face the challenge of running daily shows amid these strict restrictions. Several TV and film shoots have already been bearing the brunt of the pandemic during the last two weeks, with an increasing number of artists and staff members testing positive for Covid2019.

    Shooting of TV shows like Wagle Ki Duniya, Anupamaa and films like Gangubai Kathiawadi, Mr Lele, Ram Setu were halted after several Covid-positive cases were reported on the sets. The Indian Film and Television Producers Council (IFTPC) had also been urging the producers to ensure their staff is being regularly tested for Covid2019. The government had already announced the closure of cinema halls and multiplexes last week.

    The cases and fatalities have peaked sharply in Maharashtra over the last few weeks with as many as 60,000 cases being reported daily. The state has already lost as many as 58,000 lives to the pandemic. The capital city of Mumbai has reported as many as 7,898 new positive cases on Tuesday and reported 26 deaths, taking the total number of positive cases to 5,35,017.

  • Star Plus airs fresh content

    Star Plus airs fresh content

    MUMBAI: Star Plus has brought back original episodes of its popular shows Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, Kasautii Zindagii Kay, Yeh Rishtey Hain Pyaar Ke and Yeh Hai Chahatein — on-air with a fresh storyline from running, 13 July. The channel has also announced the launch of its new show Anupamaa, which was supposed to be launched in March but was held due to the spread of Covid2019 and the subsequent lockdown. 

    Star Plus will also host movie premieres on weekends with the world television premiere of Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior on 26 July, 8 pm and Disney’s The Lion King on 8 August, 8 pm. Iconic mythology shows, Ramayana and Mahabharata, will continue to air at 7.30 pm and 8.30 pm, respectively.

    “We are happy to have entertained our viewers throughout the lockdown phase and are excited to bring back their favourite shows after more than 100 days. We hope that our engaging mix of romance, drama series, and light-hearted content along with movie premieres will continue to entertain our viewers,” said a Star Plus spokesperson.

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