Amazon India originals chief Aparna Purohit exits after eight years

Panchayat (Source: Amazon Prime Video)

Aparna Purohit, head of originals for India and Southeast Asia at Amazon streamer Prime Video, is exiting after eight years at the company.

The exec, who joined Amazon in January 2016, is likely to take over as CEO of Aamir Khan Productions, according to local reports, which have also linked Nikhil Madhok, head of original Hindi content, as the leading candidate as her replacement.

“Over the past eight years Aparna has played a key role in developing some of the most-loved and popular Amazon Originals for India. She’s championed authentic, rooted and diverse narratives that made Prime Video’s local Original content resonate with audiences,” said a spokesperson for Amazon.

Purohit was among the few Southeast Asian-based execs to escape the staff redundancies earlier this year, with the business announcing in January that it would be cutting “several hundred” jobs across MGM Studios and Prime Video.

She was promoted to head of Indian originals in 2019, adding Southeast Asia to her remit in 2022. Prior to Amazon, Purohit served as creative head of production at Cinestaan Film Company.

In March, Prime Video unveiled its largest Indian slate to date, with almost 70 titles planned for 2024, including 27 new series, five returning shows, eight original movies and a slew of licensed films. Among the titles are new horror series Andhera, and returning shows Paatal Lok and Panchayat.