Netflix released its list of most viewed Indian content and Kareena Kapoor’s Jaane Jaan was the most-watched film

In a bid to expand its viewership data transparency, Netflix released its first biennial report covering six months of streaming habits on the platform late last year. Now, the second edition, titled "What We Watched: A Netflix Engagement Report," offers valuable insights into global streaming habits from July to December 2023. And it sheds light on the content resonating most with viewers in India, a crucial market for the streaming giant.

The report unveils a significant surge in viewership for Indian series and films, accumulating over 1 billion views in 2023. Leading the pack is Sujoy Ghosh's suspenseful thriller Jaane Jaan, captivating audiences with 20.2 million views and securing the 83rd position on the global Top 400 list.

In case you missed it, this multi-starrer mystery/thriller has Kareena Kapoor Khan, Jaideep Ahlawat and Vijay Varma playing a single mother, a maths teacher and a cop, respectively. When single mother Maya D’Souza is caught in a crime investigation, her neighbour Naren Vyas, a gifted maths teacher, offers to help. But as Inspector Karan digs into the case, he manages to catch up to them.

Jaane Jaan is an adaptation of the 2005 Japanese novel The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino. While critics and the audience did complain about the somewhat patchy writing and rather disappointing ending, the characters do justice to the plot and the movie does make for an enjoyable watch. Ahlawat, in particular, stands out with his impeccable performance. And Kareena, with her days of “overacting” behind her, does justice to her role, too.

Following Jaane Jaan is Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan's action-packed Jawan, directed by Atlee, with 16.2 million views.

Beyond these top contenders, the report highlights the continued popularity of diverse Indian content genres. Viewers enjoyed comedic offerings like OMG 2 and Lust Stories 2, while the true-crime documentary Curry & Cyanide boasts 8.2 million views.

The report also explores the performance of web series within the Indian market. Yash Raj Films' debut series, The Railway Men, captured viewers' attention, securing the top spot with 10.6 million views. Kohraa emerged as the second most-watched Indian web show, garnering 6.4 million views.

While Indian content dominated viewership in the region, the report acknowledges the enduring appeal of international shows and movies. Most notably, Julia Roberts-Ethan Hawke starrer Leave the World Behind generated 121 million views in just over three weeks after premiering December 8, 2023. The first three parts of the captivating French series Lupin amassed nearly 100 million views in the latter half of 2023, demonstrating the global reach of captivating storytelling. And One Piece, with nearly 72 million views, more than doubled viewing across Netflix’s anime film and series.