iWorld
Royal Stag Barrel Select Large presents Short ‘Mama’s Boys’
MUMBAI: After the recent success of Sujoy Ghosh’s Ahalya, Jaydeep Sarkar’s Nayantara’s necklace and Adhiraj Bose’s Interior Café, Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films has hit the digital screen again withyet another short film, ‘Mama’s Boys’. Starring the bold and mysterious Neena Gupta and the versatile Aditi Rao Hydari along with the young heartthrob of Bollywood Arunoday Singh, the new release has been directed by Bollywood’s critically acclaimed actor, writer and director, Akshat Verma.
Themed on the objective of “keep perfecting”, Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films is a platform for independentdirectors to showcase their film making skills and create a niche for themselves in the industry. The platform gives a stage to storytellers to showcase their artistic creativity and reach out to their target audience in through the online world.
Commenting on the release, Raja Banerji, Assistant Vice President, Marketing, Pernod Ricard India, said “As creativity has no boundaries and filmmakers are constantly innovating to perfect their method of artistic expression, being digitally connected has also become extremely important for them to reach out to the new age audiences. The whole idea of Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films is to enable them to continue to express themselves as great story tellers. Resonating with our core philosophy, this platform is meant to help them keep perfecting their skills and establish themselves in the market. In line with this thought, we are very thrilled to associate with the persistent innovative genius of AkshatVerma’s new film- Mama’s Boys”.
The man behind Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films’ new release, ‘Mama’s Boys’, Akshat Verma is credited to be the creative force behind movies like ‘Delhi Belly’, ‘Ek main aurEktu’ and ‘The Ode’. With this new short film, Akshat Verma hastried exploring to portray his thought in a modern formin an epic like Mahabharata. The story is an inspiration from director’s believe about the unfairness in Arjun’s marriage and the position he is heaved in where he charms the beautiful Draupadi and wins her hand only to find out later that he has to share her with the rest of his brothers. This excerpt is depicted in the Pandava’s residence and the story intriguingly unfolds where Arjun has to finally compromise despite his unwillingness.
Talking about his film, director,Akshat Vermasaid, “’Mama’s Boys’ is a reflection of my childhood memories when Amar Chitra Katha fascinated me and Mahabharata enthralled me with its multiple nested stories. I had an amazing time shooting with some of the industry’s most talented actors.Neena Gupta was a delight to work with, Aditi’s versatility was commendable and Arunoday Singh possesses an incredible comic timing where the audience only knows him for being a tough guy onscreen. Royal Stag Barrel Select large Short Films has indeed presented me this great opportunity to me to connect with my audience through the digital platform and it has overall been a remarkable experience”.
About Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films:
Royal stag Barrel Select Large Short Films (LSF) is a portal that is the hub of Indian short films. It gives the audience the window to enjoy short films made by large directors. It gives budding film makers a platform to showcase their short films with large ideas. It is a vehicle to submit Indian short film makers to the international festival circuit. LSF is a parallel platform for indie films that can take co-creation with social media to the next level. The platform Pioneered under the aegis of Royal Stag Mega Movies, and Royal Stag Large short Film gains the first mover advantage in a medium that will be the future of entertainment. LSF has released films of well-known Bollywood directors and gives opportunity to upcoming directors. In recent times, Platform has been built on identified core attribute of RSBS – ‘Keep Perfecting’ and hence now targeting a more refined and evolved RSBS audience. Adhiraj Bose is the face of the platform and platform already showcased a digital film on how to make “perfect films”.
iWorld
JioHotstar enters micro-drama space with 100 shows under Tadka banner
Short-form push targets 300M users as content meets commerce in new format
MUMBAI: JioStar has made a bold play in India’s fast-growing micro-drama space, rolling out over 100 short-form shows under its new Tadka banner on JioHotstar, timed with the massive viewership surge of the Indian Premier League 2026.
The scale of the launch signals clear intent. Rather than testing the waters, the company has dived in headfirst, releasing a wide slate of content on day one. Each show is designed for quick consumption, with episodes running 60 to 90 seconds in a vertical format tailored for mobile-first audiences.
The move comes as India’s micro-drama market, currently valued at around $300 million, is projected to grow tenfold to over $3 billion by 2030. Globally, the format has already proven its mettle, with China’s micro-drama sector recording explosive growth in recent years.
What sets this rollout apart is its built-in monetisation strategy. The shows are free to watch and ad-supported, with brand integrations woven directly into storylines from the outset. It reflects a broader shift where content and commerce are increasingly intertwined, rather than operating in silos.
The timing is equally strategic. With more than 300 million users already tuning in for IPL action, JioHotstar is effectively turning cricket’s biggest stage into a discovery engine for its new format.
The company is not entering an empty arena. Early movers like Kuku TV, MX Player and platforms backed by Zee Entertainment Enterprises have already laid the groundwork, building audiences and validating demand for snackable storytelling.
Now, with scale, distribution and advertiser interest aligning, the big players are stepping in. For JioStar, Tadka may well serve as a proving ground for the next evolution of digital entertainment, where every minute counts and every second sells.
If the bet pays off, India’s next big content wave might just arrive in under 90 seconds.
