It's fine to have Netflix and chill plans for the weekend, but have you tried binge-watching a local series on an OTT platform? Although we are far from our hometowns and live in busy, fast-paced metropolises, the memories of quiet evenings, early-morning shikara rides, and the uplifting sounds of our hometown folklore inspire a sincere desire to reconnect with our roots. Because of this, someone really did say: "Where I was born and raised is where I keep all my yesterdays."
The current generation of Indian millennials like to consume content in their own tongue and has progressed past Netflix, Amazon Prime Videos, Disney +, and Hotstar to discover new regional content categories. Regional content climbed from 27 per cent of the titles generated to 46 per cent in 2021, according to a recent FICCI EY analysis.
Regional language usage in OTT video content is anticipated to increase from 27 per cent in 2020 to 54 per cent in 2024. It is clear from Allu Arjun's magnetic attraction in the movie Pushpa, which captivated audiences everywhere and was seen by individuals regardless of language proficiency. The dynamics of content development are shifting as a result of the creation of regional content to connect with culture.
OTT platforms to binge and watch some real regional content:
Hoichoi (Bengali)
The Hoichoi is an Indian subscription video on-demand and streaming service that has exclusive Bengali language content. It has a feature of around 500 film titles and around 1000 Bengali audio songs for global streaming. The Hoichi platform was launched on September 20, 2017 and is owned and maintained by SVF Entertainment Pvt Ltd with its headquarters in Kolkata, India. It is available on Android, IOS, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV & Android TV. Bengali cinema is enticing, high on cultural index and is known for excellent storytelling, so if you are willing to experience the best of Bengali cinema, Hoichoi is the platform for you.
AAONXT
AAONXT which means 'All about originals' is one-of-a-kind, independent and premium OTT platform for exclusive Odia content. The platform was launched by Mr. Kaushik Das in 2020, and is inspired by technology and his profound love for Odisha's rich cultural heritage. The idea was to bring the indigenous and heart-warming stories of Odisha live through an OTT platform for global audiences.
The platform has original content of short film, web series, feature films and documentaries for viewers and is winning hearts with the interesting and innovative content. AAONXT plans to scale up operations eventually by curating and producing content also for the Bengali, Assamese and Malayali audiences. The focus is on creating contemporary content with a local beat.
Sun NXT
Sun NXT was launched in June, 2017 by Sun TV Network to deliver South Indian Content. It runs content in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali and Marathi. The Sun NXT platform is available for Android, IOS and Smart TVS. It is popular for its intelligent search feature and non-complex content search. The Sun NXT platform is user-friendly and doesn't compromise on user experience even on a low bandwidth. It assures that subscribers get excellent audio/video quality.
Koode
Koode means 'with you' is an independent OTT platform exclusively for Malayalam content from the house of Studio Mojo. Koode was established to bring attractive content to a platform by building a network of leading content creators and influencers in Malayalam. The team creates original content for the platform and also curates top-notch content from other social media platforms like YouTube.
Planet Marathi
Planet Marathi is world's first OTT platform for Marathi content and was established in 2017, with a purpose of bringing rich cultural infused Marathi cinema across the world map. Planet Marathi has created a niche for itself in Marathi films, Arts and Culture with its exclusive and aesthetic content.
The OTT platform is breaking stereotypes that surround the Marathi cinema with their fresh and real content, which is helping to change perspectives people might have with regarding the state or entertainment industry.