iWorld
ShemarooMe showcases world digital premiere of ‘Kissebaaz’
MUMBAI: ShemarooMe’s bollywood premiere to showcase the world digital premiere of the murder mystery thriller Kissebaaz featuring the versatile actor Pankaj Tripathi. The movie will reach a global audience through the platform’s one of a kind offering – “Bollywood Premiere”. The ever dependable and versatile actor Pankaj Tripathi seamlessly essays the role as a henchman of politicians in the political thriller Kissebaaz.
The movie also stars other stellar actors such as Rajesh Sharma, Evelyn Sharma, Rahul Bagga, Anupriya Goenka, Mouli Ganguly and Zakir Hussain in key roles. Set in Uttar Pradesh in the narrow confines of the city of Benaras, Kissebaaz is directed by Annant Jaaitpaal and produced by Sanjay Anand and Divya Anand.
ShemarooMe’s bollywood premiere showcases critically acclaimed Bollywood movies every Friday, that have a strong story line and great entertainment value that the audiences have missed out on watching during their theatrical release. With an impressive IMBD rating of over 7.5, Kissebaaz is a political drama with a lot of twists and plots and will keep the viewers engaged throughout. The movie revolves around Rahul Bagga’s character Harsh, a small-town Romeo who gets involved in difficult situations. His love interest is played by Anupriya Goenka who portrays the role of Naina. The main character, Chutaan Shukla who is played by Pankaj Tripathi keeps the audience guessing for more throughout the movie. Rajesh Sharma and Zakir Hussain have played strong characters and performances as the supporting cast in the movie.
This unique offering by ShemarooMe, is specially curated for the movie buffs and Bollywood fans worldwide. To satiate the Bollywood cravings of fans, ShemarooMe premieres entertaining and critically acclaimed movies every Friday. The recent line-up of ShemarooMe includes some exceptional movies like Ekkis Tarrekh, Paharganj, SP Chauhan, Gone Kesh, Marudhar express, Marrne Bhi Do Yaaron and now Kissebaaz.
Taking the legacy of the parent company forward, ShemarooMe understands the pulse of the audience and has been at the forefront to entertain the viewers throughout. Bollywood Premiere has successfully engaged with the audiences and now is entertaining them at the comfort of their homes, through various platforms and hand-held devices. ShemarooMe showcases World Television Premiere of a new movie every Friday living up to the promise of delivering masala entertainment to the Asli fans of Bollywood.
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.
