JioHotstar unveiled 25 new South Indian titles and a Rs 4,000 crore investment over five years. The platform will roll out 1,500 hours of new content and signed a letter of intent with the Tamil Nadu government to boost the creative ecosystem.
An exciting slate of upcoming South titles spanning originals, blockbuster films, and high-engagement series was unveiled at JioHotstar's 'South Unbound' event on Tuesday. In the presence of South cinema figures like Mohanlal, Kamal Haasan, and Nagarjuna, the platform introduced 25 new titles and announced an investment of Rs 4,000 crore in South India's creative economy over the next five years, as per Variety.
JioHotstar's Major Investment in Regional Content
The event also saw the signing of a letter of intent with the state government, aiming to strengthen Tamil Nadu's creative and production ecosystem. The commitment represents one of the largest streaming investments to focus on regional Indian content, with 1,500 hours of fresh South content set to roll out over the next 12 months. JioHotstar currently holds 400 million users, serving audiences across 100 per cent of India's postcodes.
"The South has always been a creative powerhouse, and it is a privilege to serve a region that is defining the next era of Indian storytelling. In just the last ten months, over 500 creators, directors and showrunners have joined us, each bringing a voice that deserves to be heard across India and beyond," said Krishnan Kutty, head of entertainment (South) at JioStar, as quoted by Variety.
Boosting Tamil Nadu's Creative Economy
Addressing the cultural and economic impact of the agreement, Dy CM Stalin emphasised the transformative potential for Tamil Nadu's creative sector. He explained how the initiative will help to create 1,000 direct jobs and 15,000 indirect jobs. "The contribution of South India has created a new benchmark for Indian cinema. Today, everyone has a voice -- a filmmaker in Madurai or Salem can upload a story and reach an audience across the world," Stalin added.
'Regional is the New National': Kamal Haasan
Kamal Haasan, who was among the special guests at the event, spoke about the expansion of regional stories. "Today, regional is becoming the new national, and ethnic is the new international. Stories born in Madurai, Malappuram, Mandya or Machilipatnam are no longer 'regional cinema' -- they are national cultural events," he said.
Upcoming Shows and Originals
The slate of upcoming shows in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada includes the return of blockbuster franchises such as Kerala Crime Files S3, Save The Tigers S3, Heartbeat S3, and Good Wife S2. Alongside these popular IPs, JioHotstar has announced a robust slate of new originals and long-format shows such as 'Cousins And Kalyanams', 'Moodu Lantharlu', 'LBW - Love Beyond Wicket', 'Resort', 'Secret Stories: ROSLIN', 'Lingam', and 'Vikram On Duty'. (ANI)
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