iWorld
Instagram Reels and what it means for brands and content creators
NEW DELHI: The ban on TikTok surely made a dent in influencer marketing since it wasn’t just a space for content creativity but also for brands to connect with audiences. This gave the opportunity for other homegrown brands to scale up. Meanwhile, Instagram introduced a new feature ‘Reels’, allowing users to record and share short videos, much like TikTok.
The new feature proposed by Instagram allows users to create and share 15-second videos with camera effects, editing tools and music. There is also a handy timer and option to adjust the video’s speed. The tool which was rolled out last week has become a quite hit among influencers and celebrities and people are trying their hands on the new feature.
However, there is a sharp distinction in where these apps were used dominantly. TikTok had a user base of 200 million in India, which was a massive user growth base, and it was highly popular in Tier II and Tier III markets, while Instagram is more widely used in metro and urban markets.
The Marcom Avenue director Divanshi Gupta shares that influencer marketing will see a shift. “Users and content creators will try to find their comfortable space amidst the chaos. But, eventually, influencer marketing will find its balance as the latest feature gains traction from the right kind of target audience and brands.”
Grapes Digital COO Shradha Agarwal explains, “With Reels, Instagram has sent a signal to the entire country that we have evolved from being aspirational to massy. They have combined Instagram music with Reels where you can look at the lyrics while selecting the song and then create snippets of videos to combine them. From a user perspective, it is easier for them as they don’t have to manage multiple social handles. Influencers have already moved to Instagram. The only challenge is that while some TikTokers had a huge following on Instagram as well others may have had just 3000 compared to millions on TikTok. So, the biggest challenge for these influencers will be to first grow their numbers and then get business from brands.”
The ban on TikTok enabled many Indian apps like Chingari, Roposo, Mitron and others to provide similar user experience and engage the disgruntled content creators and consumers. When TikTok was banned, Roposo claimed to bag 22 million users in only 48 hours. Chingari reported that the app has garnered more than 16 million users in just 25 days. Mitron also stated that the brand has observed an 11x jump in daily traffic after the ban.
However, the popularity of Instagram is huge and could have an edge over the competition. In fact, all these apps will have a tough fight attracting users towards them and gain a market share. This means that brands will have to also choose platforms.
Gupta feels that brands should be where their audiences are. “In a country like India, where the population varies from A to Z, it is difficult to find a micro-targeted audience at one place or in a particular ecosystem, especially amongst the Indian apps. With the change in demographics, gender, income and other personal factors, the choices of people change and so, to say that brands should focus more on Indian apps is quite irrational.”
Agarwal explains, “I don’t think we should focus on only Indian apps. What is the benefit of globalisation if we are not adoptive and competitive? I don’t disagree that we should be proud of using Indian brands but the country should be open to foreign brands which have an edge.”
For homegrown apps, consumer acquisition and sustenance also remains a big challenge.
Media Moments MD Sandeep Sreekumar says, “Instagram is undoubtedly the most preferred choice of brands and influencers alike. Thus, it will be quite natural and easy for both to leverage the power of Instagram and its latest feature. As far as Indian apps are considered, they are likely to face the rough waters ahead and it will be an uphill battle to fight against this social media behemoth.”
In this situation, advertisers will also play a pertinent role because influencers or content creators are usually attracted to brand endorsements and paid partnerships.
It would be interesting to see if Instagram Reels will manage to fill the void left by TikTok in India.
iWorld
Why Peaky Blinders is one of television’s biggest hits that still deserves more attention
Six seasons, multiple awards and the release of Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man bring the Shelby saga back into the spotlight
In the crowded universe of streaming content, only a handful of shows manage to leave a lasting cultural footprint. Peaky Blinders is overwhelmingly considered one of the biggest global hits of the past decade. Yet many viewers still haven’t fully explored the dark, gripping world of the Shelby family.
Originally produced for the UK’s BBC and later finding a massive global audience through Netflix, the series quietly grew from a British period drama into a worldwide streaming phenomenon.
Created by Steven Knight, the show follows the rise of the Shelby crime family in post-First World War Birmingham. What begins as a gritty street-gang story gradually expands into a sweeping narrative about ambition, politics, power and survival.
At the centre of the saga is Thomas Shelby, portrayed with extraordinary depth by Cillian Murphy. The casting of Murphy is widely regarded as perfect for the role. With piercing eyes, restrained dialogue and an almost hypnotic screen presence, he transforms Shelby into one of the most unforgettable characters in modern screen storytelling.
Murphy’s brilliance lies in his restraint. He rarely shouts or performs theatrically. Instead, a quiet stare, a calculated pause or a subtle shift in expression conveys the emotional storms within the character. Beneath the ruthless gang leader is a war veteran carrying trauma, guilt and loneliness. Murphy captures this complexity with remarkable precision, making Thomas Shelby both terrifying and deeply human.
Beyond its central performance, Peaky Blinders stands out for its unfiltered portrayal of reality. The show does not romanticise crime. Instead, it exposes the harsh social conditions of early 20th-century Britain, from poverty and class struggle to political extremism and the psychological scars left by war.
The series also presents powerful female characters who hold their own within the Shelby empire. Polly Gray, played by Helen McCrory, is the strategic backbone of the family and one of the most formidable figures in the story. Women in the series shape decisions, influence power structures and challenge the rigid social norms of the time.
Across six seasons, the narrative grows dramatically in scale. What begins in the smoky streets of Birmingham evolves into a story involving political conspiracies, fascism and international criminal networks.
The series has also earned significant critical acclaim. It won the BAFTA Television Award for Best Drama Series in 2018 and multiple National Television Awards for Best Drama, cementing its reputation as one of Britain’s most celebrated modern shows.
Another defining feature of the series is its iconic music. The show’s opening theme, Red Right Hand by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, became instantly recognisable and widely associated with the Shelby universe. Combined with a powerful soundtrack featuring artists such as Arctic Monkeys and Radiohead, the music helped shape the show’s dark, stylish identity and became hugely popular among fans.
And the Shelby story is not over yet.
In fact, its legacy is unfolding right now. The long-awaited feature-length continuation, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, was released on March 6, 2026, bringing the Shelby universe from streaming screens to cinemas and giving fans a new chapter in the saga.
For viewers who have not yet stepped into this world, the timing could not be better.
Six gripping seasons are ready to binge on Netflix. A new film has just arrived in theatres. And at the heart of it all stands one of the most magnetic performances in modern drama by Cillian Murphy.
So if Peaky Blinders has been sitting on your watchlist for years, this weekend is your moment.
So, by order of the Peaky fookin’ Blinders, consider this your cue to finally step into the ruthless world of Thomas Shelby. Pour yourself a drink, clear your schedule and press the play button. Because when the Peaky Blinders give an order, you listen.
