What's Up with Holly-Bollywood? June 23, 2025
Your daily bulletin from the movies
On June 22, 1940, the French signed an armistice with Nazi Germany, ending the Battle of France. The deal, struck under duress, effectively handed over the heart of French sovereignty. Germany occupied the north, and the south became a so‑called “Free Zone” led by Marshal Pétain’s collaborationist government in Vichy.
It was, in many ways, a masterclass in slow erosion. Not an outright war. Just a steady surrender of autonomy in exchange for the illusion of continuity.
This week, Variety reported that Amazon Prime Video has begun quietly inserting limited ads into their standard subscription tier. Not a separate, cheaper plan like Netflix’s ad‑supported model—but the default experience. The change has been gradual, tested in select markets, rolled out without fanfare. What was once a promise—streaming without interruption—has now been reframed as a premium.
A small erosion.
But here’s where the logic seems… miscalculated. Netflix, the industry leader, introduced an ad‑supported tier to much media fanfare. Yet in India, one of the fastest‑growing streaming markets, it never really took off. Indian users gravitate toward YouTube, Hotstar, or other flexible platforms. If Netflix couldn’t crack this model here, why does Amazon think it can?
This is happening across the industry. Disney+ recently followed suit. Studios are slashing original production budgets, licensing old content back to linear TV, and spinning off departments into revenue‑maximizing silos. The streaming revolution, once seen as a utopian shift away from traditional gatekeepers, has matured into something strangely familiar: advertising, syndication, and a deep reliance on the back catalogue. It’s starting to look like 1990s television—just more fragmented, more expensive, and with far fewer protections for creative labor.
YouTube, meanwhile, continues to dominate viewership. For Gen Z and Gen Alpha, it is the new TV. Writers and filmmakers, once seeking legitimacy via crossover, are staying put—building micro‑economies with Substack, merch, and fan‑funded mini‑docs.
📍 When the Cracks Turn Physical: Fire on the Anupamaa Set
This morning, roughly around 5 AM, a massive fire broke out on the set of the popular Indian TV show, Anupamaa in Mumbai’s Goregaon Film City. The blaze completely destroyed a key set just hours before shooting was scheduled to begin. Thankfully, no one was harmed—but the timing and scale of the incident have sparked deep concern.
The All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) has strongly condemned the fire, calling it a result of negligence in safety protocols and demanding a high‑level judicial probe—possibly even FIRs against production teams and Film City officials.
This is not the first time Anupamaa has survived a near‑miss. In November 2024, a camera attendant tragically died after being electrocuted on set—a grim reminder that this fire isn’t an isolated incident.
This connects directly to a larger problem: as platforms shift their focus toward monetisation and budgets tighten, on‑set safety is being de‑prioritised. The question isn’t just, “How do we produce more content cheaply?” but “At what cost—and to whose safety?”
This is on top of the fact that the Hindi film industry has a poor health and safety track record to begin with.
In my personal experience of having worked across the globe, Europe does a wonderful job of protecting its industry members. In most other places, and certainly India, filmmaking especially for the crew, often involves endangering their lives on a daily basis.
So what does this moment mean?
The film industry, as we’ve known it, may not be dying—but it’s certainly molting. Shedding its old skin. And that transition is messy.
From collapsing SVOD growth and streaming uncertainty, to shaky ad models in India, and now literal fire on sets, creators are being asked to create under increasingly unstable conditions.
🔥 Don’t Miss:
Independent storytelling is surviving—sometimes thriving—despite the industry’s cracks.
Real reform needs to happen collaboratively—building smaller centres of safety, economics, and trust across the ecosystem.
Cinema doesn’t die. It changes shape. And through the falling debris, new stories are waiting to be born—safer, sharper, and sustainable.
📎 Further Reading
“Anupamaa Fire: AICWA Calls for Judicial Probe” – IndiaTimes
Coverage of the June 23 fire that destroyed the set of Anupamaa, reigniting concerns about safety norms.
👉 https://www.indiatimes.com/trending/anupamaa-massive-fire-destroys-set-of-rupali-gangulys-popular-show-just-hours-before-shoot-aicwa-demands-high-level-probe-661763.html
“Prime Video to Introduce Limited Ads in India from June 17” – Economic Times
Breakdown of Prime Video’s rollout of ads in standard Indian subscriptions—and what it signals for the market.
👉 https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/technology/amazon-prime-video-to-include-ads-in-India-from-June-17/articleshow/121141462.cms
“Anupamaa Set Destroyed in Fire, Cine Workers Body Claims Safety Norms Flouted” – Indian Express
Detailed report on safety failures and union demands for FIRs after the devastating fire at Anupamaa’s set.
👉 https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/television/rupali-ganguly-anupamaa-set-destroyed-in-massive-fire-cine-workers-body-president-claims-fire-safety-norms-flouted-on-show-10082644/
“Uphaar Cinema Fire” – Wikipedia
Historical background on the 1997 Uphaar Cinema tragedy—highlighting long-standing failures in fire safety culture.
👉 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uphaar_Cinema_fire
Very informative Prachi!