In the last one year, Aparna Purohit’s mandate has been expanded to include original movie production, overseeing films that will launch directly on Amazon Prime Video India. The streaming service recently announced three new Original titles — Maja Ma (Hindi), Ammu (Telugu) and Aye Watan Mere Watan (also in Hindi). The fact that all three are led by female protagonists is no coincidence. “Women in decision-making roles have the opportunity to create space for more women leaders,” says Purohit. Over the next two years, the streaming service plans to release over 40 original series and movies in three languages — Hindi, Telugu and Tamil, across genres.
For Amazon Prime as well as Purohit, 2022 has been a year to reckon with. In June, Amazon Prime Video India released its first long-form scripted Tamil series — Suzhal — which went live in 30 Indian and foreign languages. The streaming service, with more than 20 million subscribers in India, has over 70 shows in various stages of production. It has also entered into multi-year licensing deals with Yash Raj Films, Dharma Productions and Ajay Devgn FFilms, among others. — Arnika Thakur