Netflix, MIB to jointly develop creative ecosystem in India for VFX, music, animation

Netflix has entered into a long-term partnership with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) to produce 25 two-minute videos on various themes.

As part of the celebration of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 12, 2021, Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Anurag Singh Thakur, yesterday (April 26, 2022) launched ‘Azadi Ki Amrit Kahaniya’, a short video series created in collaboration with Netflix. Also present at the occasion were Minister of State, Dr L Murugan, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Shri Apurva Chandra, and Head of Global TV, Netflix, Ms. Bela Bajaria.

Speaking on the collaboration, Thakur said, “This initiative aims to bring out inspiring stories of Indians and these stories shall motivate and empower more people to achieve their goals.”

Adding further, the Minister said that this was a long term partnership with Netflix, where different themes and diverse stories would be highlighted. “Netflix will be producing 25 videos on themes, including women empowerment, environment and sustainable development and other days of significance. Netflix will produce two-minute short films for the Ministry, which will be shared on social media platforms and telecast on Doordarshan network,” he elaborated.

Elaborating on the multiple dimensions of this partnership, Thakur said that Netflix and the Ministry would continue to organise training workshops and master classes to encourage film makers in India to create inspiring content on various topics under Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.

“Netflix and the Ministry will partner to develop a creative ecosystem by organising training programs for post-production, VFX, animation, music production, among others, which will be organised on ground and virtually,” he announced.

Earlier, I&B Secretary Apurva Chandra highlighted the convergence between MIB and Netflix and said that the two entities signed a collaboration agreement and three videos have been released as the first set produced under this partnership. He added, “A deeper collaboration featuring a long-running series on our freedom struggle and the stories that need to be told to the world is in the pipeline.”

Speaking on the occasion, Bela Bajaria, Head of Global TV, Netflix, said that India was one of the most vibrant entertainment industries in the world and India was remarkably well placed in times of Internet entertainment. “Netflix is excited to be part of a time when stories from India are being exported to the world and the best Indian stories are being discovered and loved on a global stage,” she added.

Commenting on the partnership with MIB, Bajaria said, “Netflix is proud to partner with MIB to celebrate and acknowledge the evolution of India over past 75 years by celebrating its beautiful art, culture and storytelling.” She further added that it was “in pursuance of this partnership Netflix has created a series of short videos based on real life stories aimed to celebrate achievement of people from all corners of India”.

Speaking about the first set of videos in the series, Bajaria said that these stories are of incredible women who have fought against the odds to achieve their dreams. Netflix’s commitment to India is strong and growing and Netflix will continue to find the country’s finest stories and share them across the globe, she remarked.

‘Azadi Ki Amrit Kahaniyan’ is an iconic initiative, which brings out beautiful stories of inspirational Indians on various themes, including Women Empowerment, Environment & Sustainability, and others. The diverse sets of stories seek to motivate and empower Indians from every corner of the country.

The Ministry and Netflix have collaborated to produce the first set of videos featuring seven Women Change-makers from across the country who share their experiences in breaking the glass ceiling. They are demonstrated as ‘forces of nature’ as they speak about what Azadi means to them. Showcasing the unique diversity of India, these two-minute short films were shot in locations across the country and are narrated by actor Neena Gupta.

The Seven Change-makers include Poonam Nautiyal, a healthcare worker who walked miles across Bageshwar district in Uttarakhand to vaccinate everyone; Dr Tessy Thomas, the first woman scientist to head a missile project in India; Tanvi Jagadish, India’s first competitive woman stand-up paddleboarder; and Aarohi Pandit, the world’s youngest and first woman pilot to cross the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean solo in a light-sport aircraft.

Three of the videos, featuring Basanti Devi, a Padma-award winning environmentalist from Pithoragarh known for her contribution towards revitalising the Kosi river; Anshu Jamsenpa, a Padma Shri awardee for being the first woman in the world to summit Mount Everest twice in five days in 2017; and Harshini Kanhekar, the first female firefighter in India, and a trailer offering a sneak peek into the series, were released yesterday.

The launch of the ‘Azadi Ki Amrit Kahaniyan’ series adds another chapter to the partnership between MIB and Netflix as they join together to commemorate Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav marking 75 years of India’s independence. This partnership, which also saw Netflix participate during the 52nd International Film Festival of India in Goa in November 2021, will further be strengthened through initiatives like Skill Development Workshops, Master classes, Film Screenings, Short Film Competitions, in the near future.

The ‘Azadi Ki Amrit Kahaniyan’ videos will be available on various social media channels of the Ministry and on Netflix, as well as broadcast across the Doordarshan network. They will also soon be made available in other languages like Gujarati, Marathi, Bengali, Tamil, English and Malayalam to ensure that the stories are seen and heard by people across the nation.