The Tweet That Sparked a Firestorm
It all started on April 1, 2025, when Sudhir Mishra, the mind behind classics like Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi and Chameli, took to X with a mix of disbelief and delight. “How come Adolescence is the No. 1 show on Netflix India?” he wrote. “All conventional wisdom is against it. Indians are not supposed to like slow burners. It violates every rule taught by bad script writing schools. It spirals down instead of soaring up. It’s the best news in years.” This wasn’t just a casual musing—it was a mic-drop moment from a filmmaker who’s spent decades dissecting storytelling. Sudhir Mishra wonders how Adolescence is trending at #1 on Netflix in India, and honestly, so do I. How does a show about a 13-year-old boy accused of murder, filmed in single-take episodes, capture a nation that thrives on melodrama and quick cuts?
Mishra’s words hit home because they challenge everything we’ve assumed about Indian audiences. We’re the land of Bollywood, where emotions run high, songs break out mid-scene, and plots race toward a tidy resolution. Slow burners? Those are for the West, right? Yet here’s Adolescence, a gritty, introspective series, sitting pretty at the top. It’s not just a win for Netflix—it’s a signal that something’s shifting in how we watch, feel, and connect with stories.
What’s Adolescence All About?
Before we unpack Mishra’s wonder, let’s meet the show that’s causing this stir. Adolescence, released on March 13, 2025, is a four-part British crime drama created by Stephen Graham and Jack Thorne, directed by Philip Barantini. It follows Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper), a 13-year-old boy arrested for murdering a classmate. Each episode unfolds in a single, unbroken take—a bold choice that plunges you into the chaos of Jamie’s world. There’s no flashy editing or upbeat soundtrack to soften the blow; it’s just raw emotion, simmering tension, and a family unraveling under the weight of a horrific act. The cast, including Stephen Graham and Erin Doherty, delivers performances so real you can feel the ache in your chest.
Globally, it’s a juggernaut—66.3 million views and counting, making it Netflix’s most-watched show ever. But in India? That’s where Sudhir Mishra wonders how Adolescence is trending at #1 on Netflix in India. This isn’t a market known for embracing slow, brooding narratives. We love our KGFs and RRRs—big, bold, and bursting with energy. So, what’s drawing us to a show that, in Mishra’s words, “spirals down instead of soaring up”?
Breaking the Rules of “Bad Script Writing”
Mishra’s phrase—“violates every rule of bad script writing”—is the heart of this phenomenon. But what does he mean? In traditional screenwriting workshops (the “bad” ones he’s jabbing at), you’re taught a formula: hook the audience fast, build to a climax, resolve it neatly. It’s the three-act structure on steroids—keep it moving, keep it loud, keep it safe. Adolescence tosses that playbook out the window. It’s slow. It’s messy. It doesn’t spoon-feed you answers. Instead of a triumphant hero’s journey, it’s a descent into guilt, grief, and gray areas. And yet, Sudhir Mishra wonders how Adolescence is trending at #1 on Netflix in India precisely because of this defiance.
Think about it. In a typical Indian TV serial, every episode ends with a dramatic sting—someone’s betrayed, someone’s crying, cue the zoom-in. Adolescence doesn’t play that game. It lingers on quiet moments: a mother staring blankly at a wall, a detective wrestling with doubt, a kid lost in his own head. It’s the kind of storytelling that demands patience—something we’re not “supposed” to have, according to Mishra’s tongue-in-cheek conventional wisdom. But maybe he’s onto something bigger: maybe we’re ready for more.
The Human Connection: Why It Resonates
Let’s get personal for a second. I’ve got a friend, Priya, who’s a mom to a teenage boy. She watched Adolescence last week and texted me at 2 a.m., shaken. “It’s like looking into a mirror,” she said. “The way Jamie’s parents don’t know what’s going on in his head—it’s every parent’s nightmare.” That’s the magic here. Sudhir Mishra wonders how Adolescence is trending at #1 on Netflix in India, but Priya’s reaction hints at the answer: it’s real. It’s not about car chases or evil villains—it’s about family, failure, and the messy stuff we don’t talk about over chai.
In India, where social media shapes so much of our lives (hello, 500 million WhatsApp users!), the show’s exploration of teenage alienation and online influence hits hard. Jamie’s story isn’t just British—it’s universal. Parents here are wrestling with the same questions: How do we protect our kids from a world that’s always “on”? How do we know what’s brewing beneath their silence? Adolescence doesn’t preach; it reflects. And that reflection is what’s pulling us in, episode by painstaking episode.
Mishra’s Joy: A Filmmaker’s Hope
What I love most about Mishra’s reaction is the subtext—he’s thrilled. “It’s the best news in years,” he says, and you can almost hear the grin behind his words. Sudhir Mishra wonders how Adolescence is trending at #1 on Netflix in India, but he’s not mad about it—he’s inspired. For a filmmaker who’s spent his career pushing boundaries, this is validation. Indian audiences aren’t just tolerating a slow burner; they’re embracing it. That’s a green light for creators like him to take risks, to tell stories that don’t fit the mold.
Mishra’s own films—like Dharavi or Serious Men—thrive on nuance, not noise. He’s never been one for cheap thrills, and now he’s seeing a nation of viewers catch up. On X, he clarified his stance: “I am saying it violates every rule of BAD scriptwriting, and that’s a good thing… Adolescence pulls off something spectacular.” It’s a love letter to bold storytelling, and a nudge to Indian filmmakers: we don’t have to dumb it down anymore.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
Let’s talk data for a sec. Adolescence isn’t just a fluke—it’s a force. By April 2025, it’s racked up 96.7 million views worldwide in just 17 days, landing it ninth on Netflix’s all-time English-language TV list. In India, it’s outpacing local giants like Sacred Games and Delhi Crime on the charts. Sudhir Mishra wonders how Adolescence is trending at #1 on Netflix in India, but the numbers back it up: we’re watching, and we’re hooked. Posts on X are buzzing—some call it “a wake-up call,” others marvel at the single-take brilliance. Even Karan Johar chimed in, dubbing it “a must-watch for parents.” This isn’t hype; it’s a shift.
A Cultural Turning Point?
So, why now? Why are we, a nation of 1.4 billion with a soft spot for escapism, falling for a show that’s more mirror than fantasy? Maybe it’s the OTT boom—platforms like Netflix have trained us to expect more than reruns of Saas Bahu Aur Suspense. Maybe it’s the pandemic’s lingering echo, making us crave stories that feel true. Or maybe, just maybe, Sudhir Mishra wonders how Adolescence is trending at #1 on Netflix in India because we’re growing up as viewers. We’re not just here for the song-and-dance anymore; we want depth, even if it stings.
This isn’t to say Bollywood’s dead—far from it. But Adolescence proves there’s room for both: the larger-than-life spectacles and the quiet, gut-punching tales. It’s a win for diversity in storytelling, and a sign that Indian audiences are more adventurous than we’ve been given credit for.
The Ripple Effect
This moment isn’t just about one show—it’s about what’s next. If Adolescence can top the charts, what else can we embrace? Will Indian creators take Mishra’s cue and ditch the “bad script writing” rules? Imagine a homegrown series with the same raw nerve—maybe a story about a kid in Delhi’s slums, shot in real time, no cuts, no compromises. Sudhir Mishra wonders how Adolescence is trending at #1 on Netflix in India, and I wonder what doors it’s opening for the future.
Wrapping Up: A Personal Take
I’ll admit, I didn’t expect to love Adolescence. I’m the guy who rewatches 3 Idiots for comfort. But something about its honesty got under my skin. It’s not perfect—it’s slow as hell sometimes—but it’s real. And when Sudhir Mishra wonders how Adolescence is trending at #1 on Netflix in India, I get it. It’s not about perfection; it’s about connection. It’s about a story that dares to be different and finds a home in a place no one saw coming.
Let’s keep this conversation going—because if Mishra’s right, this is just the beginning. Curious about what’s next for India’s OTT revolution? Check out eflip.in for the latest takes on shows like Adolescence and more!
