iWorld
Pauline Fischer exits Netflix as VP original films
MUMBAI: Netflix’s Pauline Fischer has called it a day at the streaming service as the vice-president of original films. According to reports, Fischer is leaving her post in order to establish a business consultancy company. She will be transitioning out of the company over the coming weeks, and will remain as a consultant on active productions during this period.
The streaming service’s chief content officer Ted Sarandos shared his opinion about Fischer’s departure in a statement. Sarandos opined that she has mounted an incredible slate of original films for Netflix and the team is grateful to her for getting this important initiative underway.
He has also stated that Netflix, in the year ahead, will exclusively premiere David Ayer’s Bright starring Will Smith, War Machine from David Michod starring Brad Pitt, Bong Joon Ho’s Okja featuring Tilda Swinton, Jake Gylenhaal and Paul Dano; Our Souls at Night from Ritesh Batra starring Robert Redford and Jane Fonda, etc.
Netflix will continue to build its original film initiative to give consumers around the world great new movies to enjoy when and how they want.
Fischer joined Netflix in 2008 and has worked closely with Sarandos on building the company’s slate of acquired and produced new titles. Among the many projects she has overseen, Beasts of No Nation which reportedly was Netflix’s $12 million purchase in 2015 directed by Cary Fukunaga which coincided with the release on Netflix. She has also played a critical role in the Adam Sandler film The Ridiculous 6 and the Adam Wingard-directed Death Note.
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.
