iWorld
Dark tale of relationships web-film Sneh to be directed by Amit Malik
MUMBAI: Sneh, a crime thriller web-film, inspired by true events, has been launched.
Directed by Amit Malik, the film is an attempt to create quality content on varied genres. The mini-thriller, Sneh, is a gripping tale of a missing man, who happens to be a police officer. The plot focuses on the mystery of his disappearance and revolves around how his mother, wife and daughter deal with the situation. With this film, ScoopWhoop, a youth media network, has expanded its portfolio.
The film is told mostly through the man’s wife Sneh’s perspective, and captures her plight of missing her husband. Broken into 5 parts, the film begins near the end of the story, and traces its steps backwards into the murky dealings of the human mind, debauchery, love, hatred and that dangerous thing called ‘desire’. Apart from an unusual approach to filmography, it’s also the film’s performance that will keep the audience at the edge of their seat.
ScoopWhoop chief content officer Sriparna Tikekar said, “There simply isn’t one genre, or one kind of story. Our goal has always been to feed our audience with the most interesting stories. And since we have never explored the dark side of story-telling, a crime thriller had to happen. With Sneh, we have experimented with the non-linear approach of execution, ensuring that the audience are gripped till the end.”
The web-film was the Official Selection at Mumbai Film Festival (MAMI) 2016. It’s fresh, bold take on compelling storytelling in the big bad world of Content Creators, has garnered it with many praises at the prestigious film festival.
iWorld
Micro-Dramas Surge in India, Redefining Mobile Content Habits
Meta-Ormax study maps rapid rise of short-form storytelling among 18–44 audiences.
MUMBAI: Micro-dramas aren’t just short, they’re the snack that ate Indian entertainment, and now everyone’s bingeing between the sofa cushions. Meta, in partnership with Ormax Media, has released ‘Micro Dramas: The India Story’, a comprehensive study unveiled at the inaugural Meta Marketing Summit: Micro-Drama Edition. The report maps how the vertical, bite-sized format is reshaping content consumption for mobile-first audiences aged 18–44 across 14 states.
Conducted between November 2025 and January 2026 through 50 in-depth interviews and 2,000 personal surveys, the research reveals that 65 per cent of viewers discovered micro-dramas within the last year proof of explosive adoption. Nearly 89 per cent encounter the format through social feeds and recommendations, making algorithm-driven discovery the primary engine rather than active search.
Key viewing patterns show a median of 3.5 hours per week (about 30 minutes daily) spread across 7–8 short sessions. Consumption peaks between 8 pm and midnight, with additional spikes during commutes and work breaks classic “in-between moments” that the format fills perfectly. Around 57 per cent of viewing happens in ambient mode (while doing something else), and 90 per cent is solo, enabling more intimate, personal storytelling.
Romance, family drama and comedy lead genre preferences. Audiences show growing openness to AI-generated content, 47 per cent find it unique and creative, while only 6 per cent say they would avoid it entirely. Regional languages are surging after Hindi and English, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada dominate consumption.
Meta, director, media & entertainment (India) Shweta Bajpai said, “Micro-drama isn’t a passing trend, it’s rewriting the rules of Indian entertainment. In under a year, an entirely new category of platforms has emerged, built audience habits from scratch, and created a business vertical that is scaling fast.”
Ormax Media founder-CEO Shailesh Kapoor added, “Micro-dramas are beginning to show the early signs of becoming a distinct content category in India’s digital entertainment landscape. When a format aligns closely with how audiences naturally engage with their devices, it has the potential to scale very quickly.”
The study proposes ecosystem-wide responsibility, universal signposting of commercial intent, shared accountability among advertisers, platforms, creators, schools and parents, built-in safeguards, and formal media literacy in schools.
In a feed that never sleeps and a day that never stops, micro-dramas have slipped into the cracks of every spare minute turning 30-second stories into the new national pastime, one vertical swipe at a time.
