Prasannata Patwa

With Hindi films struggling at the box office, audiences are turning to streaming, microdramas, and gaming channels for Diwali entertainment this year.

Forget massive action tentpoles. The success of medium-budget romantic dramas like Saiyaara shows that Gen Z yearns for old-school charm. Some production houses in Bollywood are now racing to rewrite the script.

As the concerts business booms in India, more companies are investing in a live events vertical. These include gaming firms like JetSynthesys and Nodwin, delivery platforms Zomato and Swiggy, and music & entertainment companies like Saregama India.

The studio behind hit streaming shows Panchayat and Kota Factory is already producing one movie with Balaji Entertainment. However, it is expanding the new movie vertical to produce 2-3 more films and plans to do so independently.

Ironically, that's the strategy that has soured movie-going experience for urban audiences.

As Bollywood’s music pipeline slows and streaming takes over, indie musicians like Anumita Nadesan and Anuv Jain are finding fame through Reels, loyal fan communities and digital-first strategies — not film songs.

Mumbai, Nov. 17 -- A few verses, a guitar, and an Instagram Reel were enough to push Anumita Nadesan into the national spotlight.

With the launch of District by Zomato and growth in high value purchases in Blinkit, Zomato's brand value grew 69% year on year, per consumer research firm Kantar, ranking it much ahead of its food delivery and quick commerce peers, as well as traditional household names.

A waning content pipeline, big-budget failures, and dwindling theatre footfalls have been hurting the cinema business since the pandemic. Can generative AI pull it out of the slump, or make the problem worse?

Some of India's biggest producers are eyeing investments in micro-dramas, which are now hugely popular.