Streaming giant Netflix recently released its content slate for 2026. It’s a mixed bag this year with the OTT service offering everything from legal dramas to historicals to feel-good romances. Netflix veteran Saif Ali Khan has two films coming up: Hum Hindustani, a feature revolving around the country’s first elections and Kartavya, a crime drama where he plays a cop for the first time since Sacred Games (2018). Anil Kapoor and Vijay Varma are also set to go head-on in the drama-thriller Family Business, helmed by Hansal Mehta. Madhuri Dixit and Triptii Dimri are teaming up for the first time with the crime-comedy Maa Behen. In another first, big screen stalwarts Sunny Deol and Akshaye Khanna are making their web debut with the film Ikka.
In backdrop of the slate, we spoke to Monika Shergill, Netflix’s India Vice President, Content, about the OTT giant’s plans for the year, how do they decide which shows deserve subsequent seasons, the conscious shift towards softer genres, and more.
It might be a tough choice, but personally which upcoming project are you most excited for?
Actually, that's always the hardest question and I am sorry to disappoint you. Like every year I really have no answer for that because you know, these are such wonderful creative partnerships with all the creators and they are in such different spaces. From working with the Indian Air Force to put together Operation Safed Sagar, to working with Anil Kapoor for Family Business. Madhuri (Dixit) is coming back on the service with Maa Behen with Triptii Dimri, who was a Netflix find. Or having Vikrant Massey in Musafir Cafe, that too where he is turning producer with Terribly Tiny Tales, who are known for their short format content on social media. Ektaa Kapoor is coming with Lock Upp, a first-of-its-kind captive reality series and you will see a Netflix take on it. Saif Ali Khan has two films in the slate this year, Hum Hindustani and Kartavya. People often say that Netflix is now not programming gritty stuff or not doing this or that, but actually, that's not true. We are just adding newer genres.
How does Netflix decide which series will get a sequel or subsequent seasons? Is it limited to metrics or are there other factors involved?
See, season twos are a combination of several factors. You have to have outstanding love from the viewers. Who will program anything which is not watched by people?
But then there can be some shows which get critical acclaim, if not enough views. If we only go by audience response, isn’t that going down the road of being repetitive with no scope for experimentation?
See, we want the stories to be successful. We want the creators to taste success and we want the audiences to be entertained. And that is the most important reason why you make something, right? There’s a limited set of people (who want season 2 of shows that didn’t work) who have very limited sort of view on what experimentation is.
The 2026 slate has a lot of films and series which are towards the softer genres of love and comedy. Was it a conscious shift?
Actually, not just this year, we have been slowly getting more intentional about it. Last year there was Aap Jaisa Koi and a couple of others. So, yes, we have been wanting to program more on relationships because in a world which is getting more and more virtual, relationships are actually the one thing that bring hope, connection and warmth. We need stories of relationships and of love.
This year also marks Netflix’s tenth anniversary in India. How would you say your content approach has changed from the first year to now?
When we started out, we were a service bringing mostly international content and we now know what Netflix should be and could be to Indian audiences. It took us a little while, but I think we were experimenting then but we do continue to experiment now.