iWorld
Chahal Spins a New Tale as Story TV Chief Story Officer
India’s largest micro drama platform ropes in cricketer to script next innings.
MUMBAI: From googlies to plot twists, Yuzvendra Chahal is ready to spin a different kind of story. Story TV, positioned as India’s largest micro drama platform, has appointed the Indian cricketer as its chief story officer, marking an unconventional crossover between sport and snackable storytelling. The move signals the platform’s ambition to blend pop culture with its rapidly expanding short format content ecosystem.
In his new role, Chahal will collaborate closely with the Story TV team to shape fresh ideas, concepts and narratives across genres. Drawing on his experience as a celebrated sportsperson and public figure, he is expected to bring an insider’s lens to stories spanning romance, love, sports, thriller and beyond.
The appointment comes as micro drama continues to gain traction among younger, mobile first audiences who prefer compact, high impact storytelling over long format viewing. Story TV currently boasts a library of more than 600 micro dramas, covering a wide spectrum of themes designed for quick consumption without sacrificing emotional punch.
While details of how Chahal’s involvement will unfold are expected to be shared soon, the platform has hinted that his association could influence both content development and the broader storytelling approach within the format.
For Chahal, known as much for his on field flair as for his off field personality, the role offers a fresh innings. And for Story TV, bringing a cricketer into the writers’ room may just be the twist that keeps viewers hooked for the next episode.
iWorld
Anirudh Ravichander and Universal Music India join forces to take South India’s sound to the world
The composer behind 13 billion streams launches Albuquerque Records with UMI as its exclusive global partner
MUMBAI: Universal Music India has struck an exclusive partnership with Albuquerque Records, the freshly minted independent label of singer-composer Anirudh Ravichander, in a deal that bets big on South India’s booming pop and hip-hop scene going global.
The arrangement, announced on 17 March, will see Universal Music India handle future pop and hip-hop releases by Anirudh himself, as well as artists signed to the new label. A first release is already in the pipeline for April, featuring Anirudh.
The numbers behind the man are hard to ignore. Debuting in 2012 with the viral sensation “Why This Kolaveri Di”, Anirudh has since clocked over 13 billion audio streams across more than 770 tracks, cementing his position as the No.1 South Indian artist on Spotify by total streams. His fingerprints are all over some of the Tamil film industry’s biggest musical moments, from Hukum and Vaathi Coming to Arabic Kuthu and the A23 Theme.
But Albuquerque Records is a different beast. Built for the non-film space, it is designed to nurture independent talent and champion the next wave of Indian pop voices. “Universal Music India’s leadership in pop and hip-hop made them the natural partner,” said Anirudh. “I’m excited to take independent voices to audiences around the world.”
Universal Music India’s chairman and CEO Devraj Sanyal was equally effusive. “Anirudh represents the future of Indian music, bold, original, and with enormous potential,” he said. “Identifying transformative talent is our superpower, and this partnership reflects that belief.”
Sanujeet Bhujabal, managing director of Universal Music India, framed the deal as more than a distribution play. “Albuquerque Records represents Anirudh’s bold artistic vision in the world of pop and hip-hop,” he said. “True to his legacy of innovation, this partnership is set to establish yet another landmark creative space, this time for the emerging world of iPop and beyond.”
For Universal Music India, the deal deepens a long-running push into South India’s four key language markets: Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Telugu. The label already has regional imprints, film partnerships with Maddock Films and Excel Entertainment, and a growing non-film roster. Landing Anirudh, arguably the south’s most bankable music brand, is a statement of intent. South Indian music has the streams. Now it is coming for the world.
