According to a report by Exchange4media, established entertainment companies are increasingly looking at existing television properties as valuable intellectual property that can be adapted for the vertical-video generation instead of simply allowing them to remain dormant in archival libraries.
ZEE has licensed titles such as Agent Raghav, Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya Hi Kijo, Santoshi Maa and Fear Files to Story TV for short-form adaptations. Meanwhile, Applause Entertainment has also entered into an alliance involving the adaptation of Hello Mini.
The development is significant because it opens up a completely new life cycle for television IP. Instead of merely rerunning a 200- or 300-episode serial, broadcasters and studios can now potentially repackage, re-edit or reinterpret familiar stories into shorter, mobile-first episodes designed around hooks, rapid twists and cliffhangers.
The microdrama rush, however, is not limited to old television properties. Yash Raj Films has strategically invested in Rusk Media to develop original animation and vertical-microdrama IP. EPIC Studios and Rusk are also developing a slate spanning mythology, mystery, thrillers, drama and romance. EPIC Managing Director Aditya Pittie told Exchange4media that its initial slate of 50 series is expected to expand to more than 250 titles by the middle of next year.
The economics are one major reason behind this rapid experimentation. The report states that some vertical-drama production models can cost approximately Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 50,000 per episode, allowing studios to test far more concepts than they typically could with premium OTT series.
The trend could prove especially interesting for television nostalgia. Crime shows can be compressed into fast-paced cliffhanger-driven episodes, supernatural properties can be rebuilt as vertical horror and popular soap characters can be introduced to an entirely new Gen Z audience.
More importantly, the movement may eventually work both ways. An old TV show can become a microdrama, while a breakout microdrama character or story could potentially graduate into television, OTT or even films.
After years of studios battling over remakes and sequels, India’s next big IP gold rush may well be taking place on the smallest screen of all – the six-inch smartphone.
