WHEN the film and entertainment fraternity is blaming streaming platforms for below par performance of theatres post Covid-19, the Co-CEO of Netflix Ted Sarandos claimed that there is no competition between cinema screens and streaming platforms. “Cinemas are not outdated. Streaming and theaters are not competitors. They can move ahead coexisting with each other as the market before us is huge,” said Sarandos while talking with actor Saif Ali Khan in an engaging conversation on the third day of WAVES 2025 here in Mumbai. Sarandos said that the streaming platforms had enabled democratisation of film making in India and it hardly impacted the big screen, theatrical releases still hold value, he added. The conversation on the theme “Streaming the New India: Culture, Connectivity, and Creative Capital” explored the evolving landscape of storytelling in the digital era, the impact of streaming on creative freedom, and India’s growing presence on the global entertainment map.

 

When asked about the future of storytelling, Sarandos said, “It is very difficult to predict where storytelling is headed. But what remains constant is the intent to connect with audiences. PostCOVID, we saw a 2 billion dollar investment into India, which is a clear sign of the country’s dynamic shift in content creation and consumption.” Saif Ali Khan, reflecting on his collaboration with Netflix in the popular series Sacred Games, emphasised the revolutionary power of streaming platforms. “Earlier, we had to conform to rigid formats. Streaming has liberated actors and filmmakers from those constraints. Now, people across the globe can watch our stories, which they might have missed in traditional cinema,” said Saif Ali Khan. “Audiences can access diverse stories anytime, and creators have more freedom to tell them. It is a continuous cycle of watching and making., said the actor.