Netlflix’s next Hello Bachhon is in partnership with The Viral Fever aka TVF. The show, which stars Viineet Kumar Siingh in the lead and is set to stream from March 6, drives home the point that education should be accessible to all, irrespective of one’s social class. Tanya Bami, Head of Series at Netflix India, got talking about the show and more in an exclusive interview with Bollywood Hungama.
Hello Bachhon marks Netflix India's continued push into youth-centric storytelling. What gap in the content ecosystem did you believe this show could fill?
Yeah, that's a great question and a great observation. We are actually very bullish about the youth segment. We've always had, from Kota Factory onwards, even before that with Little Things, Class, Mismatched, of course, being one of our biggest hits. We've been really invested in bringing fresh, new, relevant, dynamic stories to the youth audience. With Hello Bachhon, I think it was an evolution from the Kota Factory space, but in a very different way, where Kota Factory is more specific to a stream, a very vast stream, I would say.
I think what Hello Bachhon does is actually take the world of education, which encompasses parents, teachers and students alike, and really tells a story which links this beautiful triangle of these three people - the students or the children, the teacher and the parents, and how the journey that every student goes on actually is dependent on the other two and vice versa. So I think it's an emotional journey, it's a journey full of hope, it's a journey that teaches you so much. The teacher is learning, the students are learning, and I think everyone's coming out enriched and fulfilled. I would say it's a new narrative style, which leaves you enriched with many more stories than just one that you come in for.
So that's the discovery, and each story is more special than the previous, and there's no comparison, but I think most of all, the journey of Alakh and how he believed that education is for everyone, and education should be accessible, really, really comes through in the form of hope and aspiration. So, that's what is really special about this, and we're really excited to have this and partner deeper with TVF. That's been a constant endeavour, and we have many things we're working together, and this one's the first one out the door.
Does Hello Bachhon signal a strategic pivot towards more rooted small town youth narratives on Netflix India?
I mean, yes and no. I don’t think that we have a strategy of having one sort of approach and replicating that enormously. I think we work with the idea of distinctive ideas where fresh voices, distinct narratives, new stories where every one of our titles, whether it's a film or a series that we launch, is different from the previous and hopefully from the next. So we strive very hard with our partners to keep that distinctive nature intact. It takes a lot of doing on the behalf of the writing teams and the creative teams. But I think it is an endeavour that everyone's sort of given themselves to. The writing is stupendous in this one. It's distinctive. It's fresh.
As for the, you know, the pivot, I would say the pivot is more towards telling a story authentically. And this story resonated with us because it feels like it could be the story of so many of our audiences. It could be the story so many of us relate to. It is a story that so many of us can benefit and connect with. So, I don't know if it is necessarily a pivot, but I think it's a great direction to be in. If your question alludes to more of us operating in the small town space, I feel like we've actually been doing that right from the get go. Ye Kaali Kaali Aankhe was a story that we launched in, I think, 2021. I'm going to say Kota Factory again, similar year. And these are all stories that were set in tier two, tier three towns. But relevant to such a wide audience that watches it not just in India, but beyond India as well.
So, yes, whether it is Ye Kaali Kaali Aankhe, whether it is Kota Factory, now Hello Bachhon. Jamtara also. I'm saying Hello Bachhon, Maamla Legal Hai. These are all stories that we, you know, our idea is to actually be able to connect with different audiences in different ways. And different stories help you get there. So this is one which I think unites, you know, a youth sort of lens on the audience and a different, a fresh, innovative way of doing that, along with talking to parents about how young people think and what inspires them. So it is it is a slightly wider lens on the youth audience, but it is a distinctive one. And we're quite happy to be here.
How do you balance authenticity of school or college life with global streaming sensibilities, especially for international audiences unfamiliar with Indian academic culture?
I think we treat every story true to the endeavour of the creator. If they want to tell an extremely rooted or authentic story, then that's the direction to take. I don't think at a development stage, any story can be sort of backtracked from the audience expectation. I think that would be a sure fire way to actually not be able to land, you know, anybody's voice or conviction.
So we're very clear that going in, it has to be the creator's conviction and really what they want to do with it. So if authenticity is what they are keen to sort of bring out, we are very supportive of it. We have various stories that authentically represent, you know, the time in the world around us, whether it is in the space of crime with Kohrra and Delhi Crime or whether it is in the space of youth with Kota Factory, now Hello Bachhonn and so on, multiple examples.
But more than the authenticity, it is the germ of the idea. It is the clarity of the vision and the depth of the writing that really brings that authenticity or that excitement or that leap of imagination to life, which is really what the magic in any story is. So, I don't think people, unless a creator doesn't intend you to, I don't think you sit and notice the authenticity. But if they do want you to notice it, you will notice it. And if they've actually taken a leap of imagination and if you're just sort of flying in that world with them, going along in the direction of the story, it is a job well done. So it isn't anchored to authenticity, it is actually anchored to the idea and the creator.
Netflix globally has invested heavily in young adult content. How does Hello Bachhon align with or differ from that global young adult footprint?
I think it's very similar to what we just spoke about. I think, you know, given our local for local philosophy, there isn't a one size fits all that can actually be applicable throughout the world. But yes, I think in ethos, you know, every age and stage of life has its own challenges and conflicts, which people across the world resonate with. So, yes, there are many Indian shows like Kota Factory, which are watched across the world. Mismatched has an ardent fan following everywhere. Similarly, shows like Never Have I Ever and Wednesday so many others. Stranger Things started out as that. But, yeah, of course, it's not a pure example of a viral show. So they are watched in India.
So, yes, there is a there is a deep interest in the genre, whether it's in India or across the world. And so it a keen area of focus for us. We've always programmed in this space, starting with I think Little Things and moving on to Kota Factory, Mismatched, Class, so many more. And Hello Bachhon is a definite step in this genre, but it is its own show. It is so different from anything we've done previously. And it has such a distinct take that it is something that I'm really excited for the audiences, both kids and parents and teachers to actually have different takeaways from it. That's the novelty of the story. And I'm keen to see how it's consumed. And if they watch it, sit and watch it together or if they have different takeaways from it, according to their age and stage. But it's an exciting one that I'm looking forward to.
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