Indian cinema’s growing global footprint on Netflix is increasingly being driven by fresh voices, with debut filmmaker Vivek Das Chaudhary’s Toaster emerging as the latest success story.
The dark comedy has climbed to No. 1 on Netflix’s Global Top 10 Non-English Films chart, underlining the platform’s strategy of backing first-time and early-stage directors, reported Variety.
Produced by actor Rajkummar Rao and Patralekhaa under their Kampa Films banner, Toaster is set in Mumbai and follows a miserly protagonist whose life spirals into absurd chaos. The film premiered on April 15 and quickly gained traction across international markets.
Its success comes amid a broader surge of Indian titles on the platform. Accused, directed by Anubhuti Kashyap in only her second feature, topped the Non-English chart and reached audiences in 74 countries – a record for an Indian title.
Meanwhile, Made in Korea, the platform’s first Tamil-language production shot in South Korea, spent three consecutive weeks in the global Top 10.
For Ruchikaa Kapoor Sheikh, director of Original Films at Netflix India, the trend reflects a deliberate creative approach.
“The more authentic and local the stories are, the more they travel globally,” she said, emphasising that the platform does not design projects with global appeal in mind, but trusts strong storytelling to resonate worldwide.
The data backs this philosophy. Indian content has appeared in Netflix’s Global Top 10 every week through 2024 and 2025, with viewing hours crossing 3.4 billion in 2025 alone across 75 countries.
With over 70 per cent of global viewing happening via subtitles or dubbing, Indian films are reaching audiences far beyond traditional diaspora markets, including regions like Latin America, North Africa and East Asia.
Rao said Toaster originated from a simple one-page idea that evolved over months. “There’s no formula – you make something you truly believe in,” he noted, adding that the quirky yet universal title was chosen to connect easily with global audiences.
The film also marks the debut production of Kampa Films, which aims to focus on tightly budgeted, content-driven cinema while supporting new filmmakers.
For Das Chaudhary, the experience was shaped by creative freedom. “The trust placed in a filmmaker’s vision was crucial,” he said.
Netflix’s commitment to emerging talent spans multiple projects and genres, with filmmakers like Honey Trehan, Aditya Nimbalkar and Arjun Varain Singh among those nurtured by the platform.
The strategy increasingly includes regional creators and writers transitioning into direction.
The current wave – which also features Indian titles such as Border 2 and Dhurandhar – highlights a growing balance between established names and new voices.
As Kapoor Sheikh noted, the aim is to build a dynamic creative ecosystem where emerging filmmakers can thrive alongside industry veterans – a strategy that is now clearly delivering results on the global stage.
