iWorld
Prime Video streams Maddock’s Thamma worldwide after box-office run
MUMBAI: Prime Video has released Maddock Films’ supernatural horror-comedy Thamma for exclusive global streaming, following a successful theatrical run. The film began streaming on December 16 across India and more than 200 countries and territories.
Produced by Dinesh Vijan under the Maddock Films banner and by Amar Kaushik, and directed by Aditya Sarpotdar, Thamma stars Ayushmann Khurrana, Rashmika Mandanna and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, with Paresh Rawal and Faisal Malik in pivotal roles. The film also features special appearances by Varun Dhawan, Abhishek Banerjee, Nora Fatehi and Malaika Arora.
Set in a mythical world, Thamma expands the Maddock Horror Comedy Universe, linking its narrative to franchises such as Stree, Munjya and Bhediya. Blending folklore with humour, romance and horror, the film follows a battle between humanity’s last hope and a dark supernatural force threatening the world.
Prime Video India director and head of content licensing Manish Menghani, said the film underlines the platform’s commitment to distinctive Indian storytelling with global appeal. Dinesh Vijan said the worldwide streaming premiere marks a key step in taking the Maddock universe to wider audiences.
The digital release positions Thamma as the latest chapter in one of Hindi cinema’s most commercially successful genre experiments, as horror-comedy continues to travel well beyond the box office.
iWorld
Micro-Dramas Surge in India, Redefining Mobile Content Habits
Meta-Ormax study maps rapid rise of short-form storytelling among 18–44 audiences.
MUMBAI: Micro-dramas aren’t just short, they’re the snack that ate Indian entertainment, and now everyone’s bingeing between the sofa cushions. Meta, in partnership with Ormax Media, has released ‘Micro Dramas: The India Story’, a comprehensive study unveiled at the inaugural Meta Marketing Summit: Micro-Drama Edition. The report maps how the vertical, bite-sized format is reshaping content consumption for mobile-first audiences aged 18–44 across 14 states.
Conducted between November 2025 and January 2026 through 50 in-depth interviews and 2,000 personal surveys, the research reveals that 65 per cent of viewers discovered micro-dramas within the last year proof of explosive adoption. Nearly 89 per cent encounter the format through social feeds and recommendations, making algorithm-driven discovery the primary engine rather than active search.
Key viewing patterns show a median of 3.5 hours per week (about 30 minutes daily) spread across 7–8 short sessions. Consumption peaks between 8 pm and midnight, with additional spikes during commutes and work breaks classic “in-between moments” that the format fills perfectly. Around 57 per cent of viewing happens in ambient mode (while doing something else), and 90 per cent is solo, enabling more intimate, personal storytelling.
Romance, family drama and comedy lead genre preferences. Audiences show growing openness to AI-generated content, 47 per cent find it unique and creative, while only 6 per cent say they would avoid it entirely. Regional languages are surging after Hindi and English, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada dominate consumption.
Meta, director, media & entertainment (India) Shweta Bajpai said, “Micro-drama isn’t a passing trend, it’s rewriting the rules of Indian entertainment. In under a year, an entirely new category of platforms has emerged, built audience habits from scratch, and created a business vertical that is scaling fast.”
Ormax Media founder-CEO Shailesh Kapoor added, “Micro-dramas are beginning to show the early signs of becoming a distinct content category in India’s digital entertainment landscape. When a format aligns closely with how audiences naturally engage with their devices, it has the potential to scale very quickly.”
The study proposes ecosystem-wide responsibility, universal signposting of commercial intent, shared accountability among advertisers, platforms, creators, schools and parents, built-in safeguards, and formal media literacy in schools.
In a feed that never sleeps and a day that never stops, micro-dramas have slipped into the cracks of every spare minute turning 30-second stories into the new national pastime, one vertical swipe at a time.
