iWorld
VMate launches #21DaysChallenge to ensure people stay busy at homes during lockdown
MUMBAI: Despite a strict countrywide lockdown enforced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government, the authorities have been struggling to stop people from venturing out of their homes. While some people are moving out only in cases of exigencies, there are many who are doing so out of boredom, triggered by prolonged stays at home. To help such people cope with the situation, short video platform VMate has launched an interesting and innovative #21DaysChallenge, which would aid people in remaining busy while staying at their homes.
As part of the drive, a fresh challenge would be given to the users each day throughout the lockdown period. The users need to create videos on the same and share it on the platform. For instance, on Day 1 the users were asked to create interesting videos using coronavirus-related stickers on the app, and the next day, they were asked to perform a trick wherein they had to pull a piece of cloth from underneath a house made of playing cards, glasses etc. Taking it a notch further, the users were asked to film themselves while drinking water from a glass without using their hands. The creators will be asked to undertake various similar challenges everyday till April 14.
What’s even more interesting is that under each challenge, users are offered rewards in the form of money. VMate has also created an in-app H5 page where the best videos from creators are featured. The page also has a ranking of top users whose videos clocked the maximum response on the platform.
The message behind the #21DaysChallenge is loud and clear – helping people make the most of the ample free time at their disposal. The response by the users further suggests that we must refrain from sulking and complaining, and instead, utilize the lockdown period by adhering to social distancing and engaging ourselves in creative activities.
VMate has emerged as a responsible and outstanding platform since the outbreak of the pandemic. Recently, several doctors and medical professionals converged on the short video app to spread awareness and provide authentic information related to Covid-19 among the users. In addition to this, users from interior parts of the country also took to the platform to showcase how rural India was waging a war against the dreaded virus. Videos shared on the app showed how authorities were disseminating information/government orders through unconventional means like loudspeakers on bicycles and autorickshaws.
While those in urban areas are relishing on streaming services like Netflix, people in smaller towns and rural belts seem to have found a good companion in the trending short video app, which is often referred to as ‘Rural India’s TikTok’.
Link – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvNDff12QO0&feature=youtu.
iWorld
Arafta Season 2 greenlit as YouTube hit crosses 850 million views
GoQuest, Rains double down on global Turkish drama success story
MUMBAI: GoQuest Media and Rains Pictures have greenlit Season 2 of Arafta, riding on the runaway success of its debut season that has clocked over 850 million views on YouTube and secured licensing deals across 19 territories.
The upcoming season, already in production, will span 100 episodes and continue with a YouTube-first release strategy, a model that has proved to be a quiet disruptor in global content distribution. Season 1, which premiered in November 2025, built a strong digital following before translating that traction into international deals.
The series is currently licensed to platforms including Amazon MX Player in India, Kanal 7 in Turkey, and Vidio, along with several markets across Europe such as Romania, Hungary and Latvia. Across five language channels, the show has amassed more than 2.5 million subscribers, signalling growing global appetite for Turkish storytelling.
Notably, many of these licensing deals were struck after the show had already aired on YouTube, flipping the traditional distribution model on its head. Instead of competing with broadcasters, the digital-first strategy appears to be doing the heavy lifting in building awareness and audience demand.
GoQuest Media managing director Vivek Lath said, “Arafta is proving out what we believed about the make-to-sell model. A YouTube-first release does not compete with licensing. It builds the asset that licensees are buying.”
Season 1 wrapped on April 17 with a globally streamed finale that drew over 102,000 concurrent viewers, setting the stage for the next chapter. Lead actors İlsu Demirci and Emin Günenç will return, with the narrative continuing to explore themes of love, vengeance, sacrifice and fate.
Rains Pictures executive Sevda Kaygısız said the decision to move quickly into Season 2 was driven not just by success, but by the depth of the story still to be told. “Arafta is not just a successful project for us; it reflects our belief in powerful storytelling and building a genuine emotional connection with audiences,” she noted.
As Turkish dramas continue to travel beyond borders, Arafta’s success underscores a larger shift in how global hits are made and sold. In this case, the small screen found its big moment online first, and the world followed.
