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Not Diwali, Amazon Prime Video Coming To India On November 9

The date is set and we have all the details.
Amazon

There's a lot of speculation on the impending launch of Amazon Prime Video, the subscription-based streaming service of the e-commerce giant.

While several articles, including on in The Economic Times, suggested that the service will be available to Indian users this Diwali (which falls on October 30), HuffPost India has learnt that it isn't true.

The service will be launched in India on November 9, in an elaborately-planned glitzy ceremony at a swanky hotel in Mumbai.

What's more, Amazon has already roped in Karan Johar who'll make the official launch here.

A highly-placed source, on the condition of anonymity, told HuffPost, "The Diwali launch has been pushed due to logistical reason. Also, Karan's Ae Dil Hai Mushkil releases on that weekend so it wouldn't have made enough noise. November 9 is what they've finalised now. The bosses are very clear -- they want to arrive with a big bang announcing a crazy slate of titles. "

The inclusion of Karan Johar in the launch is not particularly surprising as Amazon has already entered into a licensing deal with the filmmaker's Dharma Productions wherein they own the exclusive streaming rights for all upcoming and past Dharma titles.

The source also added that a couple of key announcements will be made at the launch with more details about the Bahubali: The Lost Legends, which is Amazon's first original animated series, specifically targetted at the Indian market.

Director SS Rajamouli, who has helmed the Bahubali films, is also likely to be present at the launch besides a host of other filmmakers.

Among some of the well-received shows by Amazon include the multiple Emmy-award winning series Transparent, Mozart in the Jungle, Alpha House, and The Man in the High Castle.

Among the films picked up by Amazon Studios are critically-acclaimed, potential Oscar frontrunners like Jim Jarmusch's Paterson, Asghar Farhadi's The Salesman, Kenneth Lonergan's Manchester by the Sea, all of which will be subsequently available on the platform once the service rolls out in India on November 9.

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.