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Have you ever wished you could watch movies that you could finish during your lunch break or between work and dinner? Well, it looks like Netflix India is exploring this proposition with sub-90-minute feature films designed for quick viewing.
According to multiple sources, the US streaming platform’s Indian content arm is increasingly embracing compressed 60-85 minute films for audiences who may not always have the time to commit to traditional 2-3 hour films.
Expand your creative palette
Netflix has not publicly identified this as a separate production category or financing model. People familiar with the development instead describe it as part of Netflix’s broader expansion and growth strategy. The company remains committed to investing in ambitious feature films across genres and languages, with the new “under 90 minutes” film ecosystem expanding the creative palette by experimenting with new creators, themes and storytelling spaces. As Indian feature films continue to resonate across the globe, the streaming company is doubling down on its film strategy.
The latest endeavor allows Netflix to collaborate with more young creative voices and explore genres and themes that might not be possible to produce as a traditional three-hour film. The strategy fits with the streamer’s consumption model, because a 90-minute movie can work even when a person has only a small window between activities. This provides a full movie experience for viewers without requiring them to commit to two and a half hours. There are creative and economic considerations as well. Certain genres, such as taut thrillers, intimate family dramas, and high-concept comedies, often work better with a shorter runtime. Furthermore, production is cheaper, turnaround is faster, and allows the platform to experiment with unconventional content.
Early success with Greater Kalish
Image credit: Netflix
Netflix India has been trying out sub-90-minute features since last year. Greater Kalesh, a 52-minute comedy-drama starring Ahsa Channa, is believed to be the first venture in this direction, and its massive viewership – it featured in the top 10 non-English titles globally, garnering 1.7 million viewing hours during the first week of its premiere in October 2025 – has strengthened their faith in experimenting with combined storytelling formats.
Upcoming projects in the pipeline
Sources say that the streaming giant has already commissioned several projects that are currently in various stages of production. One film under this endeavor will be directed by NH10 fame Navdeep Singh, while another will be produced by Aanand L. Rai under Yellow Color Productions. The latter will be directed by Pushkar Mahapal, who directed last year’s popular mockumentary-style crime thriller series, Black, White & Gray: Love Kills. We’ll write about the new titles when we get the details.
Movies under 90 minutes are not a foreign concept to Netflix globally.
The streaming giant has an official category “90-minute movies” and a separate category “Films under 90 minutes“, are designed specifically for viewers who are short on time. Many of the popular titles featured in this category include Bad Trip (86 minutes), Peddleton (89 minutes), and Vampires vs. the Bronx (86 minutes). However, this is primarily a content/consumer discovery category, with no evidence of Netflix commissioning such projects separately. This makes Netflix India’s recent experiment a highlight, marking one of Netflix’s first markets where the company has been systematically greenlighting original features built at this length from the start.