Mumbai, Dec 10: JioHotstar treated South Indian audiences to a grand showcase at its ‘South Unbound’ event, unveiling 25 upcoming titles and announcing a massive ₹4,000 crore investment in regional content over the next five years. The event, celebrating Southern cinema, featured legends Mohanlal, Kamal Haasan, and Nagarjuna on stage.
Mega Investment for South Indian Creativity
The streaming platform plans to funnel ₹4,000 crore into the South Indian creative ecosystem, one of the largest investments ever by a streaming service purely for regional content. The initiative aims to strengthen South India’s storytelling power and elevate creators to global audiences.
JioHotstar has also signed a letter of intent with the Tamil Nadu government to support the state’s production infrastructure, creating opportunities for filmmakers and the broader creative industry.
Fresh Content and Expanded Reach
Audiences can expect 1,500 hours of new South content in the coming year. With a user base of 400 million, JioHotstar sees this as the perfect moment to expand its regional content universe. Krishnan Kutty, head of entertainment (South), highlighted the collaboration with over 500 creators, directors, and showrunners in just ten months.
Government Backing and Economic Boost
Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin welcomed the partnership, noting the potential to generate around 1,000 direct jobs and 15,000 indirect jobs, giving a significant boost to the local economy. He emphasised that South Indian cinema now has the power to reach global audiences, allowing local filmmakers to share their stories worldwide.
Regional Stories Going Global
Kamal Haasan remarked on the rising influence of regional cinema: “Regional is becoming the new national. And ethnic is the new international.”
Exciting Slate of Originals and Returning Hits
The upcoming lineup includes returning favourites such as Kerala Crime Files, Save The Tigers S3, Heartbeat S3, and Good Wife S2. New original titles include ‘Cousins And Kalyanams’, ‘Moodu Lantharlu’, ‘LBW: Love Beyond Wicket’, ‘Resort’, ‘Secret Stories: ROSLIN’, ‘Lingam’, and ‘Vikram On Duty’.
With this bold move, JioHotstar cements its commitment to empowering South Indian content creators while bringing regional stories to national and global audiences.