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Aish to play a mysterious, power-hungry woman in her next

Last seen in Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s Fanney Khan (2018), Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has yet not announced her next project officially. However, speculations are rife that the former Miss World has given her nod to star in celebrated filmmaker Mani Ratnam’s next directorial venture.

Reportedly, it will be a multilingual film based on a highly successful Tamil novel called Ponniyin Selvan. The project will be a period drama and we hear that Mani Ratnam is planning to make it on the same scale as the S.S. Rajamouli directed Baahubali franchise.


The latest update on the project is that Aishwarya Rai Bachchan will be playing a negative role in it. She has been reportedly signed on to essay the character of Nandini in the movie, who is the wife of Periya Pazhuvettaraiyar. Ponniyin Selvan features Pazhuvettaraiyar as the chancellor and treasurer of the Chola kingdom.

According to a source, the character of Nandini, which is a negative character, is that of a mysterious, power-hungry woman who manipulates her husband so that she can plan the downfall of the Chola Empire. She is hell-bent on wreaking havoc on the empire because of the wrong things done to her.

Whenever Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has played a negative character in the past, she has just aced it. We are sure she will deliver yet another remarkable performance as Nandini in Mani Ratnam’s next.

More details on the project are awaited.

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How Southeast Asian storytelling became one of Netflix’s fastest-growing global pillars

Inside Netflix’s 50% surge: the regional creators and stories driving Southeast Asia’s global rise

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How Southeast Asian storytelling became one of Netflix’s fastest-growing global pillars

Highlights:

  • Netflix says global viewing of Southeast Asian titles rose almost 50% between 2023 and 2024.
  • Premium VOD revenue in the region reached £1.44 billion (₹15,300 crore) last year, with 53.6 million subscriptions.
  • Netflix holds more than half of the region’s total viewing and remains its biggest investor in originals.
  • New rivals, including Max, Viu and Vidio, are forcing sharper competition.
  • Local jobs, training and tourism are increasing as productions expand across the region.

Last year, something shifted in what the world watched. Global viewership of Southeast Asian content on Netflix grew by nearly 50%, and this isn't just a corporate milestone; it’s a signal. Stories from Jakarta, Bangkok, and Manila are no longer regional curiosities. They are now part of the global mainstream.

The numbers tell a clear story. Over 100 Southeast Asian titles have now entered Netflix’s Global Top 10 lists. More than 40 of those broke through in 2024 alone. This surge is part of a bigger boom in the region’s own backyard. The total premium video-on-demand market in Southeast Asia saw viewership hit 440 billion minutes in 2024, with revenues up 14% to £1.44 billion (₹15,300 crore). Netflix commands over half of that viewership and 42% of the revenue. They have a clear lead, but the entire market is rising.

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