iWorld
Nagesh Kukunoor to direct Alt Balaji’s first original show
MUMBAI: Ekta Kapoor’s Alt Balaji has announced its first digital series. Not yet titled, the platform has roped in actor Nimrat Kaur to essay the central character and Nagesh Kukunoor to direct the series.
The fiction series has been jointly conceptualized by Balaji Telefilms joint managing director Ekta Kapoor and Samar Khan, and is produced by Endemol Shine India.
“Set in the backdrop of the Indian Army, we are presenting a riveting story that is bound to resonate with the youth of the country. Having Nimrat and Nagesh aboard, definitely takes the show to a new level. When we announced the launch of ALT Balaji, we promised to break stereotypes in storytelling; this series is a strong reinforcement of that commitment,” said Kapoor.
Kaur will be seen portraying the role of the first woman preparing to be inducted in a combat role in the Indian Army.
“Disruption, innovation and scale is the core of what we want to do. From our strategy to our content, everything on ALT Balaji will reflect this ethos. Through ALT Balaji, we are targeting urban audiences who are always on the lookout for differentiated content, one that is not available on television or even on silver screen for that matter. ALT Balaji aims to satisfy the need of this very consumer. We have just announced our first exclusive show and will be making many such exciting announcements in the weeks to come,” added Alt Balaji CEO Nachiket Pantvaidya.
Alt Balaji is aimed at disrupting the market with avantgarde and exclusive content catering to urban masses.
“Nimrat was our first choice for this and producing content for ALT Balaji at this scale will set new standards in the digital landscape,” stated Endemol Shine India managing director and CEO Deepak Dhar.
To this, Khan added,“The army and the armed forces have always fascinated me and stories with an army background draw me towards them naturally. I am excited about this opportunity to work with ALT and Endemol and am looking forward to telling a lot such stories in the future”
iWorld
Applause, Story TV team up to push microdrama content
Partnership to create premium short form shows for mobile first viewers
MUMBAI: Applause Entertainment and Story TV are betting on short attention spans with a long-term vision, joining forces to create a slate of premium microdramas for mobile-first audiences.
The partnership brings together Applause’s storytelling pedigree and Story TV’s fast-growing digital reach, with plans to co-produce and distribute bite-sized dramas across genres. As part of the deal, Story TV will also adapt the romantic thriller Hello Mini into a vertical microdrama format, signalling a shift in how stories are being reshaped for smaller screens.
Backed by the Aditya Birla Group, Applause Entertainment has built a reputation for high-quality content with titles like Scam 1992 and Criminal Justice. Story TV, launched in 2025, has quickly scaled up with a library of over 1,000 titles across languages and genres, riding the wave of mobile consumption.
Story TV founder and CEO Saurabh Pandey said, “Phones are now the primary screens for content consumption, and microdramas are evolving into a mainstream format. At Story TV, we are blending storytelling with technology to push this format further.”
He added that the collaboration with Applause Entertainment will help expand the reach of microdramas while introducing a layer of premium storytelling to the space.
Applause Entertainment chief business officer Prasoon Garg said, “At Applause, we have always focused on strong storytelling across formats. As microdramas gain momentum, this partnership allows us to explore the space with a platform that understands both the format and its audience.”
With mobile screens shrinking and content getting sharper, the collaboration hints at a future where storytelling is not just shorter, but smarter, designed to fit neatly into the scroll of everyday life.
