New Delhi: There is a growing imbalance in Hindi-language OTT content, as male-led shows are slowly taking over, as per a new Ormax Media report. The media insights consulting firm, which analysed 338 fiction originals across various streaming platforms, published its findings on 23 November.
“The rise in male-led content has come largely at the cost of female-led stories, while the proportion of ‘Shared’ protagonists has remained relatively stable,” reads the report.
It looked at both web series and films which were released directly on OTT platforms, beginning 1 January 2022, and with estimated viewership of 5 million. The content was divided into three categories–male, female and shared, depending on the protagonists. The data shows that not only is the share of male protagonists significantly higher, the skew has also intensified over time.
For every two Hindi fiction originals led by a woman, there are seven that are centered around a man. It shows that the male-to-female protagonist ratio has risen from 1.4 times in 2022 to 3.5 times at the moment.
What is the breakdown?
Among the content, about 43 per cent of Hindi fiction originals are of the action crime thriller genre, Human Drama chalks up 26 per cent and feel good chalks up 20 per cent. The smallest share is that of gen Z content with a mere 11 per cent. The highest skew has been in the action crime thriller segment, where the protagonist is mostly male.
The share of male-led titles in non-ACT genres has also seen a steep rise, from 30 per cent in 2022 to 52 per cent in 2025. Overall, female-led properties have dropped from 31 per cent in 2022 to just 12 per cent in 2025.
Ormax also cites implications of the result which include stagnation in viewership and subscriptions, particularly in households where the subscription may be paid for by the man, but the decision to subscribe is often a family decision.
With OTTs now competing with the massive 85 per cent growth in India’s Connected TV (CTV) audience base within just one year, along with theatrical releases, and microdramas, more male-led shows might prove to be the Achilles’ heel for streaming.
(Edited by Theres Sudeep)