Mumbai, May 3, 2025 — JioHotstar’s latest plunge into the mystery-drama pool, Kull: The Legacy of the Raisingghs, hit screens on April 16, and it’s got audiences split down the middle. The eight-episode series, helmed by director Anubhav Sinha and backed by Banijay Asia, promised a labyrinth of family secrets, political intrigue, and small-town grit. But a month in, it’s clear not everyone’s buying the hype.
The show follows the Raisinggh dynasty, a fictional clan in Punjab wrestling with a murky past tied to a decades-old murder. Nimrat Kaur, playing the steely matriarch Simran Raisinggh, and Amol Parashar, as her sharp but haunted son Vikram, anchor the cast. JioHotstar’s press release on April 10 called it “a bold, layered saga” blending “emotional depth with pulse-pounding suspense.” The platform leaned hard into the show’s star power and Sinha’s track record, hyping it as a flagship original for their 2025 slate.
Production kicked off in late 2024, with filming across Amritsar and Mumbai. JioHotstar’s parent company, Viacom18, dropped Rs. 120 crore on the project, per a regulatory filing from March 2025, banking on high production values to lure subscribers. The series boasts sweeping cinematography, moody folk-inspired music, and a script penned by Suparn Verma, known for gritty crime dramas. On paper, it’s a heavyweight.
But cracks showed early. A press conference on April 15 saw Sinha defend the show’s pacing, admitting it “takes time to unfold” but urging viewers to stick it out. By April 20, JioHotstar reported 8 million streams in the first week, a solid number but shy of their 2024 hit The Stolen Girl, which clocked 12 million. The platform’s official blog on April 25 touted “overwhelmingly positive” feedback, spotlighting praise for Kaur’s commanding performance and Parashar’s nuanced turn. Yet, the same post acknowledged “mixed reactions” to the show’s dense plotting and slow-burn opening episodes.
Industry filings paint a starker picture. A May 1 report from the Indian Broadcasting and Digital Foundation noted Kull trailing behind rival Netflix’s The Night Agent reboot in urban viewership metrics. The series’ heavy reliance on flashbacks and a sprawling cast—14 major characters—has tripped up some fans. JioHotstar’s own data, shared in a May 2 investor brief, showed a 15% drop-off in viewership by episode three, though retention stabilized by the finale.
The show isn’t without its wins. On April 30, the Producers Guild of India praised Kull for its “authentic Punjabi cultural lens,” citing costumes and dialogue rooted in regional dialects. Kaur and Parashar earned nods at a May 2 media event, where critics lauded their chemistry as a highlight. The finale, released April 23, pulled 6 million streams in 48 hours, per JioHotstar’s internal figures, suggesting some viewers powered through.
JioHotstar’s gamble on Kull aimed to cement its edge in India’s crowded OTT market. The platform’s subscriber base hit 45 million in Q1 2025, per Viacom18’s April earnings report, but competition from Amazon Prime and Disney+ Hotstar looms large. Kull’s fate may hinge on whether its cliffhanger ending, teased in a May 3 press kit, hooks enough fans for a second season.
For now, the series remains a lightning rod. It’s got the polish and the pedigree, but its heft hasn’t clicked for everyone. Viewers are still streaming, debating, and dissecting. Whether that’s enough to call it a hit is anyone’s guess.