iWorld
Eros Now to release PM Narendra Modi’s biopic
MUMBAI: Eros Now, the OTT platform, has announced a biopic on India’s PM, Narendra Modi, produced by Benchmark Pictures, led by Umesh Shukla and Ashish Wagh. Titled Modi, the Eros Now original series showcases the eventful life of the inspiring and influential leader. The series is set to release in April 2019.
The 10-part original series on Eros Now directed by Shukla captures different phases of Modi’s life. The original series is written by MihirBhuta and Radhika Anand and each episode ranges between 35 to 40 minutes highlighting many incidents that made him devote his life to the service of the country.
Eros Group CCO Ridhima Lulla said, “Eros has always believed in connecting with the masses and telling them the stories that matter. ‘Modi’ is one of our really exciting projects. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is undoubtedly a leader par excellence and someone who has inspired many and changed the way world looks at India. Our attempt through this biopic is to tell the story of his struggle, ambition, intensity and success and how it not only inspires many but is one of the factors of his mass appeal. We are certain that the audience will love to watch the different facets of their enigmatic leader.”
The story talks about Narendra Modi who was born to a family of grocers (who owned a tea stall) in Vadnagar, Mehsana district, Bombay state (present-day Gujarat) and is the third of six children of DamodardasMulchand Modi and Hiraben Modi. He was a diligent and resourceful student who discovered himself better at a young age by travelling across the country. His extremely humble background helped him connect with the masses and the biopic is the ultimate gateway to witness the life of a self-made man. Shot in real locations of Gujarat, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Delhi and Kashmir, the biopic captures the several highs and lows of the dynamic leader of new India.
Shukla further adds, “Prime Minister Modi’s personality enthrals young and old alike. His sense of humour, spirituality and love for technology makes him a unique leader. It was lovely to take on a project which came with a responsibility to narrate the life of the leader of new India and I am sure each episode of the 10-part original series will be a revelation for the audiences. His growing-up years, brave decisions and roles at different phases of life makes for an incredible story.”
iWorld
JioHotstar to launch micro dramas during IPL
Streaming giant plans free, ad-supported bite-sized stories during IPL to engage mobile-first audiences
JioHotstar is gearing up to launch a wave of micro dramas, eyeing India’s fast-growing appetite for bite-sized storytelling and new revenue opportunities. According to sources close to the matter, the streaming platform is expected to go live with the content during the Indian Premier League, which runs from 28 March to 31 May.
The move comes as the micro-drama market in India surges, with Redseer Strategy Consultants projecting the overall interactive media segment could reach $3.1–3.4 billion by FY2030, with micro dramas leading the growth. The format has already proven commercially viable abroad — China’s micro-drama sector generated $360 million in 2023, up 267 per cent year-on-year.
Micro dramas are designed for rapid consumption on mobile devices. Episodes typically run 60–90 seconds, shot in vertical 9:16 format, and rely on fast-paced plots and cliffhangers to keep viewers glued. Stories tend to revolve around high-stakes drama, from romance and revenge to corporate intrigue, blending social-media immediacy with professional production values.
Sources said the IPL provides the perfect launchpad, with millions tuning in to the platform for live cricket, creating a ready audience for short-form narrative experiments. The content will initially be free and accessible to all.
JioHotstar, which already boasts over 300 million subscribers, plans to roll out more than 100 micro dramas across multiple genres and languages, including Hindi and South Indian languages. The move is expected to strengthen its regional content strategy and appeal to mobile-first viewers, particularly in metro and Tier-1 cities where the format is currently most popular.
“The timing is perfect,” said a source close to the project, requesting anonymity. “With micro dramas on the rise, this is a chance for JioHotstar to experiment with new formats and engage audiences in a way traditional series cannot.”
The platform is not the first in India to test the format. ALTBalaji, StoryTV and Zee Bullet have all dabbled in short episodic storytelling. But JioHotstar’s scale — and its ability to pair content with one of the country’s biggest sporting events — could make it a defining moment for micro dramas in India.
With mobile consumption and vernacular content on the rise, the gamble seems clear: capture attention fast, keep it longer, and turn bite-sized narratives into a robust revenue engine.
Note: The cover image used is AI-generated.
