New Delhi, May 9 -- The world was looking at the Sistine Chapel as the Vatican's first papal conclave in over a decade began on 7 May, following the death of Pope Francis on 21 April. The conclave ended on 8 May with Leo XIV stepping on to the Vatican balcony as the 267th Pope.

In the lead-up to the conclave that elects the head of the Catholic church, global streaming platforms saw a dramatic resurgence of interest in papacy themed movies and series that offer an imagined and fictionalised glimpse of this private ecclesiastical ritual.

According to viewership tracking agency Luminate, Edward Berger's film Conclave, which was nominated for eight Oscars this year and won Best Adapted Screenplay, saw an astonishing 283% spike in global vi...