Kuku TV takes live action microdramas to Paris Barcelona and Dubai

MUMBAI: Microdramas are getting a passport stamp as Kuku TV takes its short-form stories out of compact studios and into some of the world’s most recognisable cities. The short-form entertainment platform has filmed recent live-action productions across Paris, Barcelona and Dubai, marking a move towards making international locations part of the storytelling rather than simply using them as scenic wallpaper.

According to media reports, Kuku TV shot Love Beneath Paris Skies in Paris and Found Real Love in Barcelona, while its earlier production The Ultimate Boss was filmed in Dubai. The international shoots represent a shift for a format traditionally associated with compact production setups, shorter schedules and tightly controlled locations.

“For us, delivering a superior storytelling experience is central to everything we do,” said Sachin Singh, head of Kuku TV. He said the company had been pushing the possibilities of short-form storytelling, including taking live-action productions to global locations to bring new settings and visual experiences to audiences.

Singh also pointed to artificial intelligence as another lever changing what can be attempted in the format. He said AI was allowing Kuku TV to experiment with immersive content at a scale that was previously harder to achieve, with the broader objective of taking audiences to new worlds while keeping the setting aligned with each plot.

The overseas shoots come alongside Kuku TV’s wider experiments with AI-led content creation. Kuku co-founder and COO Vinod Kumar Meena has previously said AI is changing both the economics and speed of production.

According to Meena, processes that once took months can increasingly be compressed into weeks, while smaller teams can run more experiments at relatively lower budgets. Script development cycles are also becoming shorter, he said.

That combination of faster production and more ambitious locations could give microdramas more room to stretch beyond the familiar vertical-screen playbook, although Kuku’s latest international projects remain part of an evolving format rather than a wholesale departure from its compact production model.

Kuku TV’s global production push comes as its parent, Bengaluru-based Kuku Technologies, pursues a larger expansion of its entertainment business.

The company operates Kuku FM, Kuku TV and learning platform Guru and has received SEBI approval for its confidential IPO filing. Kuku had opted for the confidential filing route in June.

Reports have pegged the proposed fundraise at Rs 2,500 crore to Rs 3,500 crore and a potential valuation of around Rs 15,000 crore, although the final offer structure and size remain subject to subsequent filings.

Kuku has 18 months from regulatory approval to bring the IPO to market. The process is expected to involve an updated draft red herring prospectus followed by the formal red herring prospectus, with the offer potentially comprising a fresh issue and an offer for sale.

The company’s valuation has also risen sharply, moving from around $177 million in September 2023 to $500 million following an $85 million funding round in October last year, according to figures provided by the company and media reports.

MS Dhoni is an investor in Kuku Technologies and serves as its brand ambassador.

Kuku TV is also testing how far the format can travel beyond scripted fiction. In August, it launched Sabse Bada Dramebaaz, an acting reality series built around its vertical microdrama format.

Co-presented with Meesho and powered by Tinder, the 50-episode series features episodes of roughly two minutes each, turning the short-form storytelling template into a competition format.

With international shoots, AI-assisted production experiments and reality formats entering the mix, Kuku TV is stretching the microdrama canvas in several directions at once from Mumbai-sized production economics to Paris-sized backdrops.