iWorld
Bullet launches 24 episode microdrama with Khushaal Pawar in lead role
‘Khushiyan Swati Ki Koshish Raju Ki’ streams in 24 one minute vertical episodes.
MUMBAI :Love, it seems, now unfolds one minute at a time. Microdrama platform Bullet is doubling down on its bite sized storytelling format with the launch of Khushiyan Swati Ki Koshish Raju Ki, a 24 episode vertical series headlined by influencer actor Khushaal Pawar. The show is now streaming exclusively on the app as part of the platform’s ‘Har Minute Mazedaar’ content promise.
Designed for mobile first viewing, the series delivers its narrative through tightly packed one minute episodes, leaning into the growing appetite for quick fire storytelling among smartphone audiences.
The story follows Raju, played by Khushaal Pawar, a carefree middle class young man who leads with his heart, and Swati, portrayed by Rispa Panda, a focused salon professional searching for stability and clarity in life. Where Raju sees love as instinctive and unconditional, Swati approaches relationships through the lens of responsibility and long term security.
As their bond deepens, the relationship begins to test their expectations of commitment, emotional maturity and what it truly takes to build a future together. Actor Sameeksha Takke also appears in a key role, adding another layer to the evolving narrative.
For Pawar, the project carries a personal note beyond acting. The performer has composed, sung and created three original songs for the series, weaving music into several emotional moments across the story.
“Raju is someone many young people will connect with. He loves deeply and believes in showing up for the person he cares about. This story is about understanding love beyond words and learning what it takes to truly stand by someone,” Pawar said.
The series draws on the everyday complexities of modern relationships, exploring the tenderness, vulnerabilities and quiet conflicts that many young couples face while navigating love in a fast changing world.
Bullet, co founder and chief business officer Azim Lalani said short form storytelling is rapidly becoming a natural extension of how audiences consume entertainment today.
“Short form storytelling is becoming a natural part of how audiences consume entertainment today. At Bullet, we want to bring stories that feel personal, relatable and emotionally engaging. Khushiyan Swati Ki Koshish Raju Ki is a love story that reflects the realities of today’s relationships in a format that fits seamlessly into everyday life,” he said.
Shot entirely in a vertical format, the 24 one minute episodes add to Bullet’s expanding microdrama catalogue, signalling the platform’s push to deliver romance and drama in quick, smartphone friendly chapters for the digital first generation.
Gaming
MTG gaming chief Benninghoff joins NODWIN board as esports firm primes for IPO
The Gurugram-based esports firm is pursuing a public listing, has returned to profitability and is growing revenues by 42 per cent
GURUGRAM: NODWIN Gaming is moving fast. The Gurugram-based gaming and esports company has launched a pre-IPO fundraising round, appointed UBS as lead adviser for both the round and a subsequent public listing, and landed a heavyweight board director, all in one go.
The new board member is Arnd Benninghoff, executive vice president of gaming at Stockholm-listed Modern Times Group (MTG), who has overseen the group’s strategic investments and portfolio growth since 2014. He is no stranger to building things: Benninghoff has founded and built fifteen companies, served as chief digital officer at ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG, managing director of SevenVentures, and chief executive of Holtzbrinck eLAB. He began his career as a journalist at Deutsche Presse Agentur and various TV networks, holds a Diplom-Kaufmann in business and administration from the University of Münster, and previously sat on the board of Edgeware AB.
The numbers back the ambition
NODWIN is not pitching a story without substance. The company has returned to EBITDA profitability and posted a 42 per cent year-on-year revenue surge, reaching $58.5m in the first nine months of FY2026. The pre-IPO round will combine a primary issuance to fund global expansion through organic growth and acquisitions, alongside a secondary sale to give existing shareholders some liquidity.
Akshat Rathee, co-founder and managing director of NODWIN Gaming, said Benninghoff understands “the entire lifecycle of the gaming and media ecosystem, from the boots-on-the-ground reality of building startups to the strategic complexity of managing multi-billion dollar global portfolios.”
Benninghoff, for his part, said the company “sits at the intersection of sports, entertainment, and technology, making it one of the most exciting players in the global gaming landscape today.”
A portfolio built for the global south
Founded in 2014 by Rathee and Gautam Virk, NODWIN has quietly assembled one of the more compelling esports portfolios outside the Western hemisphere. Its properties include DreamHack India and Comic Con India, and it recently acquired StarLadder, the Ukraine-based tournament organiser behind premier events in CS:GO and Dota 2. The company also serves as a long-term strategic marketing partner for the Evolution Championship Series (EVO), the world’s most prominent fighting game tournament, helping push it into new geographies.
Its geographic focus spans South Asia, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Backers include Nazara Technologies, KRAFTON, Sony Group Corporation, JetSynthesys, and the founders’ investment vehicle Good Game Investments.
What comes next
With UBS running the books, a board freshly reinforced with European media and gaming expertise, and revenue heading in the right direction, NODWIN is laying the groundwork deliberately. The esports industry has burned investors before with big promises and thin margins. NODWIN’s return to profitability, combined with a real portfolio of owned intellectual properties across gaming, music and youth culture, gives it a more credible runway than most. The IPO clock is now ticking.
