Kuku TV, Reelies: Why micro-dramas are going mainstream in India

Some of India's biggest producers are eyeing investments in micro-dramas, which are now hugely popular.

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The shows run into more than 50 episodes, each under two minutes - micro-dramas, as they are called, are bits of snackable fictional content, designed to be watched on mobile phones during snatched moments in the day. They are hugely popular in China, the US, South Korea and now India.

Bhojwani, a homemaker in western Udaipur city, says she first got hooked on micro-dramas when an ad popped up on her Instagram feed. She now watches them regularly, buying yearly subscriptions on platforms such as Story TV.

"Watching these is such a great way to pass time," the 36-year-old says.

Bhojwani is among millions of Indians across big cities and small towns avidly watching micro-dramas, which mostly have cliched plots and exaggerated acting styles similar to Hindi TV soaps. A typical plot could have a down-on-his-luck young man meeting a friendly genie or a couple from different classes defying all odds and melodrama to marry.