iWorld
2nd gen Adhikari Brothers to explore digital content creation
MUMBAI: Sri Adhikari Brothers' newly launched digital arm Happii Digital is all set to cater to OTT viewers. The second generation comprising Kailash Adhikari and his cousin Ravi Adhikari who made their debut directorial venture ‘Dheet Patangey’ was launched on 2 March on the OTT platform.
In an interaction with Indiantelevision.com, Kailash Adhikari says, “Happii Digital has a very robust plan in place for digital content for now and the years to come, because 2020 is just the start for us. As we look around, we see that more and more platforms are generating an appetite for content, and I want to well place us to satisfy the growing need for content. The plan for Happii Digital that I have in mind is not to keep it as a conventional or traditional form of production house but to create it as an IP studio.”
He further says, “We are aiming to cater to digital viewers by providing quality content. Our concentration is on quality and not quantity. Further, the output should be such that it is accepted globally. We are striving towards understanding the changing demands and tastes of our audience so that we can offer them something which fits their desires. We have combined our expertise with the faith we have in our work. At the end of the day, we hope whatever we produce is liked by our viewers.”
Adhikari believes that with the availability of engaging content, the need for more content will not be restricted to urban areas. “Regional will be the next big thing to watch out for. I'm saying that because of the changing trends we have seen on TV as well towards regional content. There is stagnation now when it comes to Hindi viewership and Hindi content. The same will follow on digital in due course because a lot of data is being consumed by the tier two, tier three towns. Consequently, a great number of apps that we see in the technology space are coming in the vernacular languages. Marathi, Bhojpuri, Bengali and Southern languages are the four big languages that I want to personally cater to in the coming 12 to 18 months. I see that there's a great opportunity not only for content creators but also for platform owners to exploit.”
Since Happii Digital is a creative startup, it will look at various modes of raising funds. It is looking at venture capital funding at an early stage to fuel its growth. Currently, it has internal accruals to support its business. But it will be open to raise funds as well.
He says, “Home-grown production values can match up and create good content, like digital films which are driven across all kinds of genres and content. There is no specific tone like drama or a slice of life or romance or any one genre which will work on digital. It's all based on watching at the end of the day, along with whatever the consumer likes within the first 15 minutes. I believe that now's the time where even our traditional production houses are producing engaging digital content.”
Adhikari believes that there are two challenges – one is that they have to consistently keep evolving with the changing times. The second challenge is to know the consumer’s taste well.
There is no specific genre that it would like to explore but the focus of the company would be on creating engaging content. “The kind of consumer orientation we are facing in recent times, all that matters is quality content. Be it any sector I work on, I wish to make my content very engaging and interesting. Crisp and well-curated content grabs the eye of the audience and makes them enjoy the product. Further, digital is taking over and the time has come where only smart content will do well in the market and be appreciated.”
It will also invest in creating IPs. Data has become the new currency and data mining has become an important business assumption. "As a content house, we will explore all possible opportunities to create compelling content. Currently, there are about four to five projects in the pipeline. At this point, I’d like to say that, we want to create content which we feel is strong, backed by the current determinants of audiences,” he opines.
iWorld
WhatsApp may soon let users to pick who sees their status updates
The messaging giant is borrowing a page from Instagram’s playbook as it pushes to give users finer control over their social circles.
CALIFORNIA: WhatsApp is quietly working on a feature that could make its Status function considerably smarter and considerably more private.
According to reports from beta tracking platforms, the app is testing a tool called Status lists, which would allow users to create named groups such as close friends, family and colleagues, and control precisely which group sees each update. It is a meaningful step up from the platform’s current blunt instruments, which offer only three options: share with all contacts, exclude specific people, or manually select individuals each time.
The new feature draws an obvious comparison with Instagram’s Close Friends function, and the resemblance is unlikely to be accidental. Both platforms sit within Meta’s family, and the company has been nudging them toward a common logic of audience segmentation for some time.
The move also fits neatly into WhatsApp’s broader privacy push. The platform has been rolling out enhanced chat protections and is exploring the introduction of usernames, which would allow users to connect without exchanging phone numbers. Status lists extend that philosophy from messaging into broadcasting.
Meanwhile, Status itself has been evolving well beyond its origins as a simple photo-and-text slideshow. The feature now supports music stickers, collages, longer videos and interactive elements, pushing it closer to the social-media-style story format pioneered by Snapchat and refined by Instagram. In that context, finer audience controls are not merely a privacy feature. They are a precondition for people sharing more.
The feature remains in development and has not been confirmed for release. WhatsApp routinely tests tools that are later modified or quietly shelved. But the direction of travel is clear: the app wants Status to be a destination, not an afterthought. Letting users decide exactly who is in the audience is how it gets there.
