iWorld
discovery+ uncovers India’s untold story of ‘Kohinoor’ with Neeraj Pandey and Manoj Bajpayee
Mumbai: discovery+ on Friday announced Secrets of the Kohinoor, a new docuseries in the Secrets franchise that retraces the story of the world’s most precious diamond, ‘Kohinoor,’ and will premiere on 4 August 2022. discovery+, along with acclaimed director Neeraj Pandey and Bollywood actor Manoj Bajpayee, also intends to uncover the stories of multiple rulers and their insatiable desire for the ‘Kohinoor.’ The docuseries will be directed by Raghav Jairath.
Post success of Secrets of Sinauli: Discovery of the Century, discovery+ is expanding the Secrets franchise. The docuseries uncovers how the weight of the diamond has been slashed down to less than six times its original weight or it might not be the same diamond Emperor Babur mentioned in his memoir.
Docuseries will feature parliamentarian and author Dr. Shashi Tharoor, historian and AMU professor Irfan Habib, professor Dr. Adrienne Munich, Jamia Millia Islamia
professor Farhat Nasreen, archaeologist and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) ex-regional director K. K. Muhammed, AMU professor Dr. Manvendra Kumar Pundhir, Indian author-columnist, diplomat and former high commissioner for India in the United Kingdom, author J Sai Deepak, professor Dr. Danielle Kinsey, historian and professor Dr. Miles Taylor and master diamond polisher Pauline Willemse.
Speaking about the docuseries, Bajpayee said, “The opportunity to present this series in the franchise has been a uniquely satisfying and learning experience for me, and I am grateful to discovery+ and Neeraj Pandey for that. This project marks my second collaboration with them. Despite being talked about for years, there are many facts about the ‘Kohinoor’ that were unknown to me, and I am certain they would be unknown to a majority of the world as well. The revelations made in the documentary took me by surprise, and I cannot wait for viewers to explore this untold story and be just as surprised.”
Pandey added, “The unseen, disguised, and unknown historical facts have always intrigued and fascinated me, causing me to delve deep into the subject. After the amazing response to Secrets of Sinauli, the idea of exploring the mystery of the ‘Kohinoor’ excited us as it has been one of the most talked about diamonds in the history of time. “
“Our partnership with discovery+ has been great at bringing alive stories that are bigger, better, and bolder. Moreover, it is always a pleasure to work in collaboration with Manoj, who is a master of his craft and has taken the show to a whole new level with his striking storytelling expertise. The robust research, peppered with inputs from renowned scholars and experts, digs deep into the story of ‘Kohinoor’ to surface lesser-known facets of its journey whilst narrating the importance of bringing it back to its homeland,” he added.
Warner Bros. Discovery head of factual & lifestyle cluster- South Asia Sai Abishek shared, “We’re pioneering the history genre with our distinctive offerings that appeal to audiences across age groups. We have added another Indian Originals IP to our already expansive history genre on the platform with the growing Secrets franchise. Following the massive success of Secrets of Sinauli: Discovery of the Century, we realized the tremendous potential in the subject and thereby built on the successful collaboration with Neeraj Pandey and Manoj Bajpayee. The captivating history of ‘Kohinoor’ and its unexplored aspects are even more prevalent now and need to be known by audiences across the globe.”
iWorld
Bullet microdrama app crosses 10 million downloads on Play Store
Top shows clock millions of views as platform expands across 7 languages
MUMBAI: Short, sharp and shooting ahead, Bullet microdrama app is proving that in the age of shrinking attention spans, brevity isn’t just the soul of wit, it’s the engine of growth. The platform has crossed 10 million downloads on the Google Play Store, marking a significant milestone as microdramas carve out a firm space in India’s fast-evolving digital entertainment ecosystem. The surge reflects a growing appetite for snackable, high-impact storytelling, with Bullet leaning heavily into quick, engaging narratives that resonate across diverse audiences.
The traction is visible not just in downloads but in content performance. Among its top titles, Rickshaw Romeo leads the pack with 9.1 million views, followed by Auto Raja at 3.4 million, Laxmi Raj at 2.6 million, Lady Boss, With Love at 2.2 million, and Dear Didimoni at 1.9 million. The numbers point to a platform steadily building repeat engagement rather than one-hit virality.
Beyond the app, Bullet’s digital footprint is also expanding. The platform has crossed 100,000 followers on Instagram, signalling a growing community that extends beyond passive viewing into active content discovery and sharing.
A key differentiator lies in its linguistic spread. With content available across 7 Indian languages, Bullet is positioning itself as one of the more inclusive players in the microdrama space, tapping into regional storytelling to drive scale and relevance simultaneously.
The milestone comes at a time when short-format storytelling is gaining serious momentum, with platforms experimenting to balance volume, novelty and retention. Bullet’s early traction suggests that audiences are not just scrolling, they’re sticking around, one bite-sized episode at a time.
