Indian entertainment firms chase viewers as audiences fragment

The Indian entertainment industry is searching for better ways to win viewers as audiences divide across regions, languages, theatres, television, streaming services and social platforms.

That challenge was a central theme at Ficci FRAMES in Mumbai, where actor Ajay Devgn was promoting Drishyam 3. After more than 30 years of working in Hindi popular cinema, Devgn said the difficulty lies in serving a national audience whose tastes vary widely between cities, smaller towns and suburban communities, according to The Hindu BusinessLine.

Filmmaker Shoojit Sircar, whose credits include Piku, Vicky Donor and Sardar Udham, also said he had no simple formula for navigating those divisions. The event brought together film-makers, streaming executives and newer digital businesses confronting the same problem: Indian viewers have more choices, but their time and attention remain limited.

Specific stories may travel further

Several speakers argued that creators should not dilute local detail in an attempt to appeal to everyone. Sircar cited Satyajit Ray’s work in Kolkata as an example of cinema that remained rooted in its setting while gaining international recognition. Chef and filmmaker Ranveer Brar made a similar argument through food, saying a regional dish does not become more widely appreciated by removing the qualities that make it distinctive.

Monika Shergill, Netflix India’s vice-president for content, said an excessive focus on scale can restrict creative ideas. Her view was that a clear creative voice, emotional substance and a strong sense of place can help a story cross borders.

Prime Video India is pursuing this approach through programmes such as Panchayat and Dupahiya, which create recognisable settings and characters. Shilangi Mukherji, the platform’s head of subscription video, said the commercial question is whether a title can attract customers, keep them watching and eventually grow into lasting intellectual property or a franchise.

Hindi cinema is also looking for properties that can develop beyond a single release. Maddock Films founder-producer Dinesh Vijan has built the Stree films around horror, comedy, local folklore and a small-town environment. The company plans to release Stree3 by the end of 2028.

Maddock’s forthcoming Prahaar, also featuring Rajkummar Rao, takes a contrasting route. It focuses on public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam and revisits major criminal trials linked to the 1993 Mumbai blasts and the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. The two projects demonstrate the range of material being considered for stories that might create repeat viewing or support a wider film universe.

Cheaper formats expand the experiments

The search for successful ideas is not limited to major film productions or expensive streaming series. Online video is now estimated at $6 billion in 2026, exceeding television’s estimated $4.8 billion, according to consulting firm Media Partners Asia. The monthly online video audience has reached 664.9 million, while connected television reaches 206.9 million people. MPA chief executive Vivek Couto estimates that about $2.6 billion is being spent on online-video content.

Microdramas offer companies a less expensive way to test stories and viewing habits. Producing one costs about ₹15-20 lakh, compared with ₹2-5 crore for a premium web series. Their distribution and revenue systems also differ. Subscription platforms use larger shows to attract and retain members and to develop intellectual property. Microdrama services can reach people through social feeds, then charge viewers to continue after an introductory episode.

A survey of 2,000 microdrama viewers aged 18 to 44 by Meta and Ormax found that 89% discovered the format through social feeds. The research did not show how many of those viewers paid or became regular users. Jhoomer Sinha, senior vice-president at Kuku TV, said the industry’s task is to turn initial discovery into a routine.

Investment is beginning to follow the format’s growth. Kuku Technologies, which owns Kuku TV and Kuku FM, received approval from India’s securities regulator in September for a proposed initial public offering. Street estimates put the issue at ₹2,500-3,500 crore and the company’s valuation at roughly ₹15,000 crore.

JioStar’s Tadka service on JioHotstar has passed 100 million users and offers more than 100 original programmes. The company said average daily viewing per user rose fivefold during the launch period, but it has not provided figures showing whether that increase has continued or produced sustained revenue.

AI adds speed, but not certainty

Artificial intelligence may make this experimentation faster by helping companies produce and assess more programmes. Saurabh Pandey, founder of Eloelo Group, which owns StoryTV, said the business is making about 100 shows each month and expects demand to reach 250. The company uses Dolphin AI to accelerate production, although Pandey maintains that people must continue to direct the creative process.

That prospect could increase the amount of content available to viewers, but it does not resolve the central question of what will persuade them to watch. The discussions at Ficci FRAMES suggested that scale alone is unlikely to be enough. Whether the product is a large Hindi franchise, a premium series or a short mobile drama, the strongest prospects may belong to stories with a clear identity—ones specific enough to earn attention, payment and repeat visits.