iWorld
After Khalasi, Coke Studio Bharat drops Meetha Khaara this festive season
MUMBAI: After the runaway success of Khalasi, Coke Studio Bharat is back with another soulful folk offering, Meetha Khaara. Released as part of Season 3, the track arrives in time for the Navratri festivities and celebrates the enduring spirit of Gujarat’s Agariya community.
Curated, composed and produced by Siddharth Amit Bhavsar, Meetha Khaara brings together a powerhouse of talent: the folk brilliance of Aditya Gadhvi, the tenderness of Madhubanti Bagchi, and the fresh notes of Thanu Khan.
Rooted in a 600-year-old legacy, the song draws from the Agariya community’s life around salt farming. In Gujarati, “meethu” means salt, a substance born from hardship yet vital and sweet in its inheritance. The track captures this paradox, portraying resilience, pride and identity through music that blends earthy folk rhythms with contemporary sounds.
Coca-Cola INSWA, imx lead, Shantanu Gangane said, “Festivals are occasions when music serves as a cultural connector. With Meetha Khaara, our intent is to create a bridge between tradition and the youth’s passion for music. Coke Studio Bharat unites legendary voices with fresh talent to create authentic stories that connect music, culture and people across India.”
The song’s foundation lies in Bhargav Purohit’s evocative lyrics, which were then transformed into a layered musical narrative by Bhavsar. Gadhvi’s powerful vocals anchor the track, Bagchi adds emotional depth, and Khan ties it all together with his distinct sound.
For Aditya Gadhvi, the song continues the journey begun with Khalasi. “With Meetha Khaara, we’re carrying forward Gujarat’s folk stories in a fresh way. Making this song was pure joy, as it carries the pride of our people,” he added.
Echoing him, lyricist Bhargav Purohit said, “Writing this song was an honour. I wanted the words to reflect resilience and tradition with simplicity and honesty.”
Singer Madhubanti Bagchi shared, “It allowed me to merge technique with emotion, tradition with individuality. The result felt deeply authentic.”
And for emerging artist Thanu Khan, the experience was nothing short of a dream. “Being part of Coke Studio Bharat and contributing to *Meetha Khaara* will always be an honour,” he shared.
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.
