iWorld
Uday Sodhi bets long on short films on SonyLiv
MUMBAI: We like it short. That’s the message that subscribers of SonyLiv from Sony Pictures Networks India have been telling the programming team. Led by CEO Uday Sodhi, it noticed that its four to five million subs were rapidly lapping up its portfolio of 500 short films which were on offer to them. What was pleasantly surprising was that watch time for these shorts had rapidly grown to around 10 per cent of the total on the OTT service in just one and a half year since these were introduced.
Thus to further encourage engagement and stickiness, the team unvieled a new bunch of 50 short films last week on the app. Cherry picked from Mumbai-based content and aggregator and distributor Pocket Films’ catalogue, which included a clutch of award winning shorts, its offering has swelled to 550 now.
Says Sodhi: “Short films on SonyLiv are a very large category. We keep looking in the market to see where good quality short films are available so that we can offer a good range to our regular visitors. We have selected the top films based on their quality of content, which are award winning and critically acclaimed. Also a few films have the film festival touch in them.”
Among some of the more popular short film titles viewers can now snack or binge watch include: the Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Tejaswini Kolhapure starrer film Salt N Pepper, Tubelight ka Chand by Anurag Kashyap, sSknoia Waapasi, Umbrella, Living is Easy, Gotya, Lori, Aachor, Destiny’s Two, Viola, Kundli, ABC, Smothered, Girl in Red, Love Pichkaari, Watermelon, A Gentle Giant, The Break Up, Laugh, Aakhri Sawari, Rishtey, Kite, Aai, Anjaan, and Bhopal Diaries.
Sodhi was loathe to reveal the deal that SonyLiv had signed with Pocket Film, saying that it is a private commercial transaction between the two. However, sources reveal that Pocket Films which is among the leading aggregators of short films and videos on Youtube, has probably struck a revenue share deal with SonyLiv.
All that Pocket Films CEO and founder Sameer Mody is willing to say was that he was happy to partner with SonyLiv and that he was hopeful that the association will help “us widen the reach of our offering.”
Sodhi, on his part however, is quite confident that viewership of short films on SonyLiv will head in only in one direction: northwards, though he was not willing to bet by how much.
Says he: “We believe that digital cinema can be told in different lengths. On digital, we have found that a lot of consumption happens in the 20-40 minutes range. It is an exciting form of storytelling to tell a story in this length.”
That kind of consumption would make any OTT business head smack his chops.
e-commerce
Google rolls out new AI shopping tools for Indian users
Gemini, AI Mode in Search, and Circle to Search get smarter upgrades to simplify online buying.
MUMBAI: Google is making online shopping in India a lot less “add to cart” and a lot more “ask and discover”. The tech giant has announced a fresh set of artificial intelligence-powered updates designed to make finding and buying products more intuitive and efficient. By integrating its Gemini models with the Shopping Graph, a massive dataset of over 50 billion product listings that sees nearly 2 billion updates every hour, Google is bringing smarter, more conversational shopping experiences across its platforms.
Users can now move seamlessly from idea generation to product discovery within the Gemini app. Whether planning a festive outfit or building a gift list, shoppers can receive product listings, comparison tables, pricing from across the web, and direct purchase links, all through natural conversation. The feature is currently available in English and Hindi.
Google has upgraded its AI Mode in Search, turning it into a more natural shopping assistant. Instead of relying on traditional filters and keywords, users can ask questions in plain language and receive structured responses with visuals, pricing, reviews, and inventory details. Comparison tables highlighting key differences are also included. While currently available in English, a Hindi version is expected soon.
The popular Circle to Search feature has been enhanced on devices such as the Pixel 10 and Samsung Galaxy S26 series. Users can now identify and explore multiple objects in a single image at once. In fashion-related queries, the tool can break down entire outfits and suggest similar products, making style replication or discovery much easier.
Google stated that these updates build on last year’s successful rollout of the Virtual Try-On tool in India, which helped users visualise apparel before purchase.
In a market where shopping decisions often happen in seconds, Google is betting that smarter AI will turn casual browsing into confident buying. From festive shopping lists to spotting the perfect outfit in a photo, these new tools aim to make every scroll feel a little more rewarding and a lot less overwhelming.
