Netflix's Ruchikaa Kapoor Sheikh explains why polarising conversations are a better success metric than viewership numbers, top 10 lists | Interview

Ruchikaa Kapoor Sheikh, who heads Netflix India's films' division, talks to Hindustan Times, about how 2026 has been for films on streamer.

It has been a curious year for Netflix in India. The streaming platform has delivered some much-talked-about films, which have remained in public discourse for weeks after release. On the flip side, there are films that have grabbed the attention of the viewers immediately, like theatrical releases do. As the year winds down, we sit down to chat with Ruchikaa Kapoor Sheikh, Director, Original Films, Netflix India, on how 2026 was for films on Netflix and the idea of ‘success’ on streaming.

Ruchikaa Kapoor Sheikh discusses 2026 for films on Netflix and more.

‘The lead-up to release doesn't have to be rife’

‘Surprising’ is the word that Ruchikaa uses to describe the year that Netflix films have had. “Every year, there's been one or two breakout titles that have really carried that conversation forward. I feel this year was surprising because, across the board, different films found success in their own right, which I haven't seen happen in a long time. Whether it was Accused, a small film that travelled to 72 countries or Toaster, which was number one on the global top 10,” she says.

Ruchikaa believes that streaming and the social media boom have changed how films ought to be promoted, at least a certain kind of film. “Those days of promoting early on, creating a buzz are gone,” she says. “The lead-up to a film doesn't have to be rife, given today's explosion of information. And we are so used to reading something today and then watching it immediately. That absolute call to action exists. There was a time when creating anticipation and excitement, and coming, were needed. And we’d have releases about they have started shooting, and they met outside this office. But, I think the audience can actually see through that today.”

‘Formula has always been scary’

It is often said that streaming was a clutter-breaker for Indian cinema, as the films on OTT platforms broke the formulaic approach to filmmaking. Ruchikaa agrees, “Anything that feels formulaic has always been scary. I've handled theatrical (releases) for 12 years of my life. There would be proper formulaic films. And I used to be most scared. Because they would say, ‘Yeh to chal hi jaayegi (This will work for sure)’.”

She agrees the industry has misunderstood what the audience wants, which is what gave rise to the formula. “When the audience really likes something, we say, ‘Let's give them some more of it’. Suddenly, what worked for something, you take that mould, and you make it a template, and it actually stops working. When we did Sector 36, we (were pitched) 20 true crime stories. But we've just done this, so this is exactly what we'll not do. The audience genuinely has shown us that they are ready. They say when you're ready to give us something new, and when you're taking those creative swings and risks, we are showing up,” she says.

The real measure of success

The years in India have helped Netflix understand what ‘success’ truly means for a film away from the box office. Ruchikaa says that while viewership figures and a place on global top lists are important, they aren’t everything. “Early on, it is important for me to see how many people are coming to it because I think that gives me a sense of whether we have been able to connect to people. But in the long term, I don't think it's ever going to be how many people have come and watched. Being in the global top 10 is incredible, and it is an important success metric. But for me, really, it is the conversation that sparks.”

Ruchikaa says the conversations, especially the ones that are polarising, are what truly determine a film’s success today. She explains, “When people watched Maa-Behen, there was a section that said, ‘I feel represented.’ And then another section said, "Ye kya tha? Auratein ye kya kar rahi hain?" And for me, both are very important conversations, because there are certain films that actually appeal to polarising conversations, and we encourage them because that is really how we find ourselves in the centre of the zeitgeist. So when a film lives with you far after, when there are characters that you'll remember, when there are mannerisms you'll do, it means that something of that has stayed in you, and that truly is the measure of success for a film for me.”